Free Web NovelChapter 453: Chapter 249: Returning to the Village to Fill the Pit (Part 3)
Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Oh, right. About the Fire Spirit Stones you had us look for—the men who went into the mountains found a good number of them. Some are hot, others are cold. In total, I’d say we have a dozen or so pounds. It’s gotten harder to find more, though. Many of the pits were hidden under vines, so they’re tough to discover without a thorough search."
Cheng Zongyang replied, "There’s no rush. Just keep it posted as a long-term mission."
Fire Spirit Stones were Extraordinary Materials. While the cold ones weren’t particularly valuable, they were still materials. They could be useful whether they were sold or kept.
After that, Cheng Guanghai left home to visit the other families and arrange the manpower for the next day’s mountain expedition.
Upon learning of the plan, Zhou Hansong and Zhou Hanchang quickly went to find the few Martial Artists with the highest Cultivation levels to accompany the expedition the following morning.
After finishing his meal, Cheng Zongyang went to his younger brother’s room.
Seeing his brother reading one of the books he had written, he decided not to disturb him.
’They still need time to grow; it can’t be rushed. I’ll have to wait until they’re at least sixteen.’
「Early the next morning.」
As arranged by Clan Leader Cheng Guanghai, a party of fifteen had finished assembling. Each member carried basic provisions, such as weapons, Geomagnetic Stones, and medicine.
The leaders of the group were Cheng Guanghai and Cheng Zongyang; the rest were all captains from the Guard Team, each a Seventh Grade Martial Artist.
Zhou Hansong and Zhou Hanchang, however, remained in the village.
With Cheng Zongyang and Gangzi leading the way, the party advanced toward the valley at great speed. No one spoke, quietly following Cheng Zongyang and Gangzi at the head of the group.
Thanks to the aura emanating from Gangzi and their Geomagnetic Stones, they could completely ignore the snakes and other vermin.
By Noon, the party had arrived at the edge of a cliff, looking down at a valley shrouded in gray mist below.
"This is the place?" Cheng Guanghai asked in a low voice, moving to his son’s side to look down.
Cheng Zongyang nodded. "It is. There might be some Fierce Beasts inside, but not many, so it isn’t very dangerous. Still, everyone needs to stay alert. Let’s move."
With that, Cheng Zongyang resumed leading them down the mountain.
At the entrance to the valley, Cheng Zongyang had everyone follow behind him. He deliberately did not disperse the gray mist. ’I want to use this chance to let them experience the true power of a Yin Realm, so in the future, they’ll understand the importance of the Stone Stele that protects our village.’
Sure enough, everyone except for Cheng Zongyang and Cheng Guanghai slowly fell behind. The men soon discovered that once they were inside, they couldn’t see the path back. All around them was nothing but gray mist.
This made Cheng Guanghai extremely anxious, but Cheng Zongyang stopped him. He explained that it was just an effect of the mist and posed no real danger, then continued to walk forward.
Under the effects of Illusion and Soul Capture, the men were trapped in place, tormented by hallucinations.
Of course, Cheng Zongyang had no intention of letting them suffer for long. He consciously shrank the range of the mist, allowing them to recover.
When they reached the center of the area, Cheng Guanghai spotted the Stone Stele, half-covered by thick, vibrant vines.
"Gangzi, clear away these vines," Cheng Zongyang called out, then started pulling at them himself.
Cheng Guanghai didn’t just stand there watching; he joined in on the clearing.
Cheng Zongyang was surprised at the vitality of these vines. ’To think they grew back this much overnight,’ he thought.
After a few moments, the vines were cleared. Cheng Zongyang had Gangzi dig away the surrounding earth and then pull out the Stone Stele. At the same time, he completely retracted the Yin Realm, and the gray mist vanished without a trace.
Cheng Guanghai was pleasantly surprised when he noticed the change and hurried to check on the others. Seeing that they were unharmed and heading in their direction, he relaxed.
What followed was the discovery of something buried underground. The men lifted it out, and after a quick inspection, they excitedly carried four metal boxes back with them.
Seeing this, Cheng Zongyang let out a sigh of relief.
’The charade is finally over,’ he thought. ’Now, the village just has to make good use of these things.’
