Chapter 682: First Signs

"They cannot all be called human. The one I fought earlier was a Gray Immortal. As for these... they can at best be considered creatures from the Gray Realm. Fellow Daoist Rehuo, since Gray Realm creatures are appearing here, should we continue searching?" Han Li asked slowly.

"Since we've come this far, wouldn't you be unwilling to leave without exploring further?" Rehuo Immortal Venerable said with a wry smile.

"Haha, exactly my thoughts." Han Li chuckled and nodded.

After resting for a moment, the two continued toward the valley. After advancing only a few hundred paces, they saw a circular formation about ten zhang in diameter standing on the ground ahead.

It was built entirely from white stones of various shapes, with streams of gray-white mist rising from it. Faint spatial fluctuations emanated from around the formation.

"Fellow Daoist Rehuo, this formation shouldn't be something originally belonging to your True Words Sect, right?" Han Li asked with a frown.

"I've never seen this formation before, nor would my True Words Sect have set up anything similar." Rehuo Immortal Venerable shook his head.

"It must have been arranged by those Gray Realm fellows." Han Li nodded thoughtfully.

"It is said that there is an interface barrier between the Gray Realm and the Immortal Realm, and the interface force there is far stronger than elsewhere. How did these Gray Realm people manage to reach here? Could it be through this formation?" Rehuo Immortal Venerable mused.

"Unlikely. Although this formation has spatial fluctuations, its power is not strong enough to break through the interface. Moreover, it appears incomplete, like a part of a larger spatial array. In my opinion, these Gray Realm creatures must have entered from somewhere else." Han Li said with a flicker in his eyes.

"You mean this formation is only partially set up?" Rehuo Immortal Venerable asked in confusion.

"This formation is likely a node of a large-scale array. The Gray Realm creatures we encountered might be a squad maintaining this node. Once they complete the entire array, they could open a passage between the Gray Realm and the Immortal Domain." Han Li explained.

"If that's the case, the Immortal Realm will face a great disaster..." Rehuo Immortal Venerable said slowly.

"Not necessarily... The Gray Realm people chose the True Words Sect ruins as a breakthrough point probably because they discovered the spatial chaos here and the interface force is weaker than elsewhere. But they don't know that the spatial balance here is very fragile, likely insufficient to support a large-scale spatial passage." Han Li shook his head and added.

"You mean... if they forcibly establish a spatial passage, this space will collapse?" Rehuo Immortal Venerable asked in surprise.

"I once experienced a spatial tremor and witnessed space being eroded. This place is already precarious. Once the balance is broken, total collapse could happen in an instant." Han Li said seriously.

"In that case, we need to speed up. Find the 'Great Five Elements Illusion World Scripture' and leave immediately." Rehuo Immortal Venerable said.

"Now that Gray Realm creatures have entered the ruins, we must hurry. If we encounter high-level Gray Immortals, they won't be so easy to deal with." Han Li said after a moment's thought.

After speaking, the two dismantled the white stone formation and divided the white stones used in its construction.

Then they searched the valley again, only to discover another regrettable fact: the cave where Miroku Patriarch had once secluded himself had been reduced to dust in that earth-shattering battle long ago, and no longer existed.

With no other choice, they left the place and headed toward the 'True Words Palace' based on Rehuo Immortal Venerable's memory.

...

At the same time Han Li and the other were attacked by Gray Realm creatures, the valley where Shi Chuankong and the others had fought Zhao Zhen and Lu Wuliang was now a mess. The two peaks at the valley entrance had collapsed, and the square inside was riddled with huge craters, with black smoke rolling.

Two figures stood on a relatively flat area of the valley: Shi Chuankong and Feng Lin.

Both had pale faces and torn clothes, bearing serious injuries. Feng Lin, in particular, was deathly pale, her face veil unable to hide it.

Beside them lay three mutilated corpses. Two were Zhao Zhen and Lu Wuliang.

Both had been decapitated, the wounds smooth as if cut by some divine ability.

The last corpse was Zi Qing's. Her body was a strange deep purple, with skin bursting open occasionally, making soft popping sounds as purple-black blood splattered.

Drops of black blood fell to the ground, hissing and easily corroding small holes in the earth.

Above the corpse floated a small purple figure—Zi Qing's nascent soul. It glared at its ruined body with indignation.

"I didn't expect Zhao Zhen to know that ancient poison art, Jura Heavenly Poison. Zi Qing, your physical body is beyond saving." Feng Lin said, a hint of schadenfreude in her voice.

Zi Qing's nascent soul flew into a rage, a flash of ferocity crossing its small face as it glared at Feng Lin.

"It doesn't matter if your body is destroyed. You have rendered great service by killing those two. Once we return to the Demon Domain, I will find you a suitable body for possession and ask my father to allow you to cultivate in the Demon Source Sacred Pool. Within ten thousand years, you can recover your peak strength, or even advance further." Shi Chuankong stepped forward calmly, placing himself between them, and said.

"Thank you, Young Master." Zi Qing's nascent soul turned anger to joy, clasping its small hands in gratitude.

Feng Lin's eyes flickered slightly at these words.

"You are now only a nascent soul. Do not participate in what follows. Rest well in the Demon Transformation Gourd." Shi Chuankong flipped his hand and produced a black gourd, making a hand seal.

A beam of black light shot out from the gourd, enveloping Zi Qing's nascent soul.

With a whoosh, the black light retracted into the gourd.

"Feng Lin, you also contributed greatly this time. There will be rewards when we return to the Demon Domain." Shi Chuankong put away the gourd and said to Feng Lin.

"Thank you, Young Master." Feng Lin showed a slight smile and nodded.

"We've wasted a lot of time dealing with those two. Quickly clean up the battlefield, and we'll move on." Shi Chuankong let out a long breath and said.

Feng Lin acknowledged and flew off toward the valley surroundings.

Shi Chuankong walked over to the corpses of Zhao Zhen and Lu Wuliang, staring at them with flickering eyes, lost in thought.

At that moment, a strange scene occurred.

Outside the valley, the void trembled. Strange gray light flickered, and a slender gray crack suddenly appeared. Countless gray mists surged out, instantly dyeing half the sky gray and rapidly spreading, descending toward the valley.

Seeing this, Shi Chuankong's expression changed slightly. He made a hand seal and waved his hand.

A ring emitting myriad purple rays shot out and hovered above his head. Beams of purple light cascaded down from the ring, protecting his entire body.

Feng Lin also sensed the anomaly. She immediately flew back and landed beside Shi Chuankong, purple light flickering around her as a large purple banner appeared, shielding her.

The nearby gray mist churned, quickly thickening, emitting eerie wailing sounds like ghosts howling. Deep within the mist, faint slender gray lightning bolts flickered and leaped, appearing extremely ominous.

"Young Master, this is the same gray mist that devoured Elder Jing. We cannot stay here." Feng Lin said to Shi Chuankong with extreme gravity.

"Let's go!"

Shi Chuankong did not hesitate. He raised his hand and waved, a ball of purple light enveloping both of them as they flew away into the distance.

Almost simultaneously, the gray mist churned, and a gray lightning bolt as thick as a water vat shot out, crossing thousands of zhang in an instant and striking the purple light with incredible speed.

With a bang, the purple light burst apart. Shi Chuankong and Feng Lin were knocked out of the air, plummeting toward the ground.

Feng Lin seemed to have been hit by the gray lightning. She spat a mouthful of blood, staining her face veil, then rolled her eyes and fainted.

"Feng Lin!"

Shi Chuankong steadied himself with a shake. Seeing Feng Lin unconscious, he quickly raised his hand to emit a purple light, lifting her body, and was about to administer first aid.

At that moment, four gray figures shot out from the gray mist, charging toward Shi Chuankong and Feng Lin.

These people wore gray robes. The leading figure was small and thin, wearing a hood. Under the hood was not flesh but a gray-white skeleton, with two pale flames flickering in its eye sockets.

The other three had normal bodies. One was a young man in gray armor, holding a purple cross spear, with brilliant silver long hair. He was extremely handsome, with a spirited brow, though his gray eyes slightly diminished his charm.

Another was a beautiful young woman with a tall figure, her loose robe unable to hide her curvaceous form. Even while flying, her gaze kept drifting toward the gray-armored youth beside her.

The last was an old man in a gray robe, with gray hair and an ugly face, looking very aged. Cold glints flickered in his gray pupils.

Behind the four, the gray mist churned, and gray demonic beasts leaped out—lions, tigers, wolves, apes—all enormous, following closely behind the four as they charged at Shi Chuankong and the others.

"Gray Immortals!" Shi Chuankong recognized the four at a glance, exclaiming in surprise.

Then his pupils contracted, but though alarmed, he was not flustered. He waved his hand, and four palm-sized black talismans flew out from his sleeve, crackling with black lightning, exuding terrifying lightning laws and demonic energy fluctuations.

"Boom!"

The four black talismans shattered simultaneously, transforming into four pitch-black lightning bolts as thick as water vats, striking down at the four figures.