The Mountains of Wandering Spirits, located in the northwest of Central State, is a rather infamous place, known for its numerous battles of long ago. Beneath the soil of the mountains lay countless skeletons, and the dense natural coldness shrouded the peaks in perpetual icy mist, affecting even the senses of the soul. Those who were reckless enough to venture inside might never return. The Mountains of Wandering Spirits were not far from the Alchemist Realm. With their speed, Xiao Yan and his party could reach them in about five days. After they set out, they barely stopped along the way, marching day and night. On the fourth day, in the afternoon, they noticed the temperature around them dropping rapidly…
“Are we there…?” Xiao Yan raised his head, gazing at the faint outline of the mountain range in the distance, partially obscured by a layer of frigid mist.
Looking at the sinister mountain range beneath the mist, Xiao Yan’s tense face relaxed slightly. They had finally reached the Mountains of Wandering Spirits.
With their destination within reach, Xiao Yan waved his hand and slowly landed on a mountain peak outside the range.
“We’ve arrived at the Mountains of Wandering Spirits, but everyone should first rest and recover. This journey has been exhausting.”
Landing on the peak, Xiao Yan looked at Little Healer Immortal and the others who followed, smiling.
Hearing Xiao Yan’s words, Zi Yan immediately sat down on the grass, her little face full of exhaustion. The last few days of travel had truly drained her.
“Is this the Mountains of Wandering Spirits…?” Little Healer Immortal looked at the mountain range in the distance, wrapped in frigid mist, and asked softly, “Can we fly straight into it?”
“No, the outer fog is bearable, but the deeper you go, the denser it gets. If you lose your sense of direction, you’ll be lost, and the fog is home to many strange magic beasts that can easily attack…,” the Wind Venerable said, glancing at the distance.
“Moreover, the Mountains of Wandering Spirits are home to a branch of the Hall of Souls. We can’t risk any defenses they may have placed. Flying would make us too easy to spot.”
Among those present, none knew Central State as well as the Wind Venerable. His experience far surpassed that of Xiao Yan and the others, so no one questioned him, all nodding in agreement.
“This season, the cold fog here is at its thickest. However, we cannot wait for it to dissipate, so we must enter despite the fog.”
The Wind Venerable narrowed his eyes, scanning the area around the Mountains of Wandering Spirits, and said, “There are some smaller sects and forces around the Mountains of Wandering Spirits. I know that most of them have already been secretly controlled by the Hall of Souls. So, when we enter, we must not let anyone detect our presence. If we are seen…”
“I’ll handle it,” said the Iron Sword Venerable, his voice hoarse.
The Wind Venerable nodded silently. Their mission was too important, and if someone really stumbled upon them, it would just be their own bad luck.
After resting on the peak for about half an hour, the group stood up almost simultaneously, exchanging glances, seeing the gravity in each other’s eyes. They all knew the strength of the Hall of Souls and how difficult it would be to rescue someone from them.
“If we fail this time, we may never get another chance. No matter what, we must save Pharmaesthete Elder.”
The Wind Venerale’s face was solemn, and his voice was low.
Hearing this, everyone nodded lightly.
“After entering the mountains, don’t stray too far. Be careful, let’s go.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Wind Venerable led the way, soaring like a great roc, gliding down from the peak, and then darting into the vast forest shrouded in icy mist. Behind him, Xiao Yan and the others followed closely.
Within the mist-filled forest, the white haze obscured their vision. In such an environment, visibility was extremely low, and even with soul perception, they could only detect about a hundred meters around them.
“Shu! Shu!”
Amid the occasional low growls of wild beasts, a faint sound of wind-splitting emerged, and several agile figures, like nimble monkeys, darted through the cold mist, swiftly moving towards the depths of the mountains.
As they delved deeper into the mountains, Xiao Yan and the others began to encounter more and more trouble. The Mountains of Wandering Spirits were vast, and the pervasive mist made it difficult to locate the Hall of Souls. The map given by Xuan Kongzi was somewhat useful at first, but its effectiveness waned as they went deeper into the mountains. In the end, Xiao Yan and the others had to rely on their own abilities to gradually explore.
This method naturally slowed their progress, and the most disheartening part was the lack of results. It was the height of the cold season in the Mountains of Wandering Spirits, and the markings on the map were obliterated by the frosty mist, which was something Xuan Kongzi and the others had not anticipated.
After a period of exploration, the Wind Venerable, noticing the gradually darkening mist, frowned and said, “It’s getting dark. We cannot continue. The beasts here are extremely fierce at night and hard to shake off. Once they detect any disturbance, not only will they alert other beasts, but they may also attract the attention of strong Hall of Souls practitioners.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan hesitated but nodded. The Wind Venerable’s experience was unmatched, and following his advice was always wise.
Seeing that everyone agreed, the Wind Venerable gestured to the Iron Sword Venerable, who nodded and threw some black objects into the distance.
“These are high-level magic beast droppings. They will deter some beasts. Let’s rest tonight and continue searching tomorrow. The branch of the Hall of Souls must be large, and though the mountains are vast, we will find it sooner or later.”
The Wind Venerable spoke softly, offering some comfort.
Xiao Yan smiled bitterly, feeling quite depressed. Everything had been prepared, only to find they couldn’t locate the path. It was indeed quite a dramatic turn of events.
However, keeping his dismay to himself, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on a tree trunk, closing his eyes to rest. The others, having traveled for so long, also closed their eyes, taking a brief nap.
At night, the Mountains of Wandering Spirits became especially cold, with various howls echoing through the valleys, giving a spine-chilling feeling.
The beast roars lasted until midnight before gradually fading away. Just as Xiao Yan and the others breathed a sigh of relief, they suddenly heard a rustling noise coming from a distance.
At the sound, the Wind Venerable, who had been meditating, suddenly opened his eyes, scanning the distant fog. His face changed, and he gasped, “Oh no, it’s a swarm of Stone-Eating Ants!”
Hearing the Wind Venerable’s alarmed cry, Xiao Yan and the Iron Sword Venerable also turned pale.
The Stone-Eating Ants were one of the most terrifying magic beasts in the Mountains of Wandering Spirits, not because of their individual strength but because of their numbers, which numbered in the millions.
The Mountains of Wandering Spirits’ reputation was partly due to the frigid mist but mostly because of the Stone-Eating Ants. These ants, though only third or fourth-tier, were horrifying in their numbers. When a swarm, covering the sky, came, even eighth-tier beasts had to retreat.
These Stone-Eating Ants could devour any flesh in their path, leaving behind only bones. Any strong practitioner who entered the mountains and encountered these ants faced certain death. If not for the fact that they could only survive in the frigid mist, no one would dare live anywhere near the mountains.
Over the years, the fearsome reputation of the Mountains of Wandering Spirits had spread, and much of this was due to the swarms of Stone-Eating Ants.
Xiao Yan and the others hadn’t expected to be so unlucky as to encounter such a troublesome problem right after entering the mountains.
“Prepare to retreat! Don’t engage these damned things!” The Wind Venerable quickly rose, his voice grave.
Seeing the Wind Venerable’s serious expression, Xiao Yan and the others didn’t dare delay, getting ready to leave. But just as they were about to move, a small figure suddenly leaped down from a tree, charging into the fog-covered forest.
Seeing Zi Yan’s actions, the Wind Venerable’s face turned pale, and he angrily muttered, “What is this girl doing? Is she trying to die?”
“You go first. I’ll save her.”
“Wait, the sound of the ants has stopped…” Little Healer Immortal suddenly said, frowning.
Hearing this, the Wind Venerable and the others listened closely, and indeed, the chilling rustling sounds had ceased.
“Wha—”
Just as the Wind Venerale and the others were stunned, a small, unharmed figure emerged from the cold mist, perching on a tree. It was Zi Yan, the one who had just run off. Perched on her shoulder was an eight-winged giant ant, about half a foot long, with a dark golden body.
“A Stone-Eating Queen?” Seeing the dark golden ant, the Wind Venerable and the Iron Sword Venerable’s faces changed.
In response to the Wind Venerable and the others’ startled expressions, Zi Yan chuckled.
“Let’s go. This big guy knows where the Hall of Souls is…”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage