The faint rustling of creeping insects echoed from all around, causing Chu Ke and the others to tense. They had witnessed firsthand the deadly power of these venomous creatures.
Chen Jinshu, however, remained calm. Her gaze rested on the wave of black insects surging ahead like a living tide. A gentle wind stirred the mist around them, lifting the hem of her robes. At some point, the Azure Frost Sword had appeared in her hand.
Given the current situation, the sword was far more suitable than her Lüqi Zither.
"Do you have a way to deal with these insects?" she asked in a low voice.
"Mmhm! They won't be able to come near us. But I can only protect your senior brothers and no more," Xiao Yin replied with several sharp cries, in a tone only she could understand.
Chen Jinshu trusted her. She recalled how, back when Xiao Yin was only at the third or fourth layer of Qi Refining, she could already produce strange tones that frightened spirit bugs. Now, she was on the verge of Foundation Establishment.
Once the Phoenix Bloodstone within her was fully absorbed, she would break through completely.
"Senior brothers, stay close," Chen Jinshu reminded them quietly.
"Understood!" Chu Ke nodded and led the group toward the ruins ahead.
They had not gone far before a dense cloud of black insects appeared in the sky above, swirling like a rainstorm that could descend at any moment.
A sharp sulfurous scent reached Chen Jinshu's nose.
Chirp-chirp-chirp...
Xiao Yin suddenly shrieked on Chen Jinshu's shoulder. The pitch was piercing, unpleasant to the ear. But the swarm above clearly reacted. As though hearing a sound they feared, the black insects began to scatter.
Chu Ke and Wang Quan exchanged looks with growing respect. Though none of them spoke aloud, their attitude toward Chen Jinshu changed noticeably. They had long heard of spirit sparrows born with the ability to suppress spirit bugs. It seemed the gray bird perched on her shoulder was such a creature.
With Xiao Yin's protection, the group arrived at the foot of a massive mountain range in less than a quarter of an hour. The range was blanketed in dense white mist. Combined with the presence of venomous insects, it was no wonder that neither cultivators nor mortals dared approach. The ruins had remained hidden all this time for good reason.
Chen Jinshu glanced at the ground. Amidst the loose gravel and fine sand were squirming black insects, leech-like and glistening with white secretions.
"Unidentified gu bugs. Don't touch them," Chu Ke warned quietly.
"Understood," Chen Jinshu replied coolly.
These bugs were poisonous, but they could not harm her. Suppressed by Xiao Yin bloodline, their movements were sluggish.
"Senior brother, how do we break this formation?"
"This is the Fire Profound Array," Chu Ke explained. "A fourth-tier offensive formation. With just a few breaths of activation, it will start damaging the mountain-protecting barrier. Once weakened, we can use a Formation-Breaking Talisman to open an entrance."
"Of course, the array demands vast spiritual power. We'll need at least a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators working together."
As he spoke, Chu Ke retrieved a crimson formation disc from his storage pouch.
"Everyone, follow my command!"
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
"Flame is the guide, the Mysterious Gate opens the dark, crimson blaze scorches the stars. The sun turns nine times, illuminating all lands. Activate the array!"
With swift hand seals, Chu Ke poured spiritual power into the disc. The array responded, blooming into brilliant lotus-like flames, which shot into the sky and expanded rapidly, engulfing the entire mountain range in seconds.
"Now! Pour in your spiritual power!" Chu Ke shouted.
Chen Jinshu and the others responded immediately. The moment her spiritual power entered the disc, Chen Jinshu felt a powerful suction draining her dantian. It was astonishingly fast.
In just a few breaths, more than half of her qi was gone.
"This can't continue."
She didn't know what dangers the ruins ahead held, and with her strength depleted, she would be defenseless against hostile cultivators. Activating the cauldron in her spiritual sea, she forced it to suppress the outflow of qi from her dantian. It worked. Her qi was no longer being drained at such an alarming rate. She calmly swallowed a Restoration Pill and let the lotus-shaped mark on her forehead assist in refining it to restore her energy.
Boom!
The high heat from the Fire Profound Array triggered a violent reaction within the protective barrier. The mountain itself seemed to stir. Though all of them were at the Foundation Establishment stage and could withstand the pressure, the venomous insects had no such resilience. They were roasted on the spot, releasing a burnt stench.
"The array's effect is too strong. It might attract nearby cultivators. How long until it's broken?" Chen Jinshu asked, visibly concerned.
"This array, though aged and worn, is still a genuine fourth-tier lower-grade formation. The formation disc cannot fully match it," Chu Ke admitted, his expression dark.
Still, none of them were willing to give up now.
…
Meanwhile, the bright red light and booming noise had drawn the attention of many rogue cultivators nearby. These scattered cultivators, unfamiliar with such scenes, naturally assumed some great treasure had emerged. They began rushing toward the mountain.
Crack!
Just as Chen Jinshu and the others grew increasingly anxious, the barrier finally began to crack. Fine lines appeared across its surface. If a Golden Core cultivator were present, they might be able to shatter it with a few strikes, but for this group of Foundation Establishment cultivators, it remained a struggle.
"We can use the Formation-Breaking Talisman now," Chu Ke said with relief. He pulled out a golden talisman etched with flickering lightning patterns.
With practiced speed, he activated it and flung it toward the formation, quickly following with a hand seal to control it. A narrow entrance appeared, just wide enough for one person at a time. But before they could enter, a thick grey fog came spilling out.
"This mist is corrosive! Be careful, everyone!"
Without hesitation, Chen Jinshu activated the defensive jade pendant at her waist. A pale white shield surrounded her and Xiao Yin at once.
"Senior Brother, we've got company!" she warned.
From her vantage point, she spotted seven or eight rogue cultivators approaching. Their clothing was varied, and their cultivation levels inconsistent, though the strongest was only at early Foundation Establishment.
"Get rid of them. No one else can know about this," Chu Ke ordered grimly.
He hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly. He had hoped to restore the area after entering the ruins, concealing all traces of the Fire Profound Array. That way, even if someone stumbled upon the place, they would find nothing unusual.
But these intruders had thrown his plan into disarray. At his command, several senior brothers took to the air, launching attacks on the rogue cultivators. Not wanting to reveal too much of her strength, Chen Jinshu cast only simple spells like Fireball to hinder the attackers.
Boom!
Whoosh!
Her stronger senior brothers struck without hesitation, swiftly killing the intruders.
Meanwhile, Chu Ke was scanning the inner space while setting up defensive arrays around the entrance to contain the toxic mist. If left unchecked, it could damage the local vegetation and alert others to their presence.