A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 133 Seven Stars Splendor
Tianhua Prefecture, Shenglong Town, Broken Soul Forest

Looking at the bamboo forest shrouded in mist before him, Meng Fan felt a sense of unease. This place was already a key area of ​​focus, but the sudden appearance of such an anomaly caught him off guard.

"Sir, without exception, all the living creatures we put in died," the constable said to Meng Fan, holding up a rat.

What did the coroner say?

"The coroner examined the injuries and found no problems with the skin and flesh. The only possibility is that the soul has been destroyed."

Some time ago, I worked with the Iron Guards to eliminate the false gods. These constables learned some knowledge from them, and that's when they first learned about the concept of the soul.

"Um"

Taking the dead rat in his arms, Meng Fan examined it closely and, just as the coroner had said, the rat's soul was indeed shattered.

"The fog is amazing!"

With this in mind, Meng Fan instructed the constables beside him, "Immediately inform everyone that no one is allowed to set foot in the Soul-Severing Forest. Anyone who disobeys will be executed. In addition, erect a stele ten miles away from the Soul-Severing Forest, designating this area as a forbidden zone."

"Yes," the yamen runner replied and went to carry out the order.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

Looking at the swirling mist in the Broken Soul Forest, Meng Fan's expression turned solemn. This mist must not leave the Broken Soul Valley, otherwise, the entire town's inhabitants would suffer again.

"Hopefully, Master Yin can find a way to trap this place."

After more than half an hour, Meng Fan received a report from his subordinate that Yin Zhong and his men were almost there. Upon hearing this, Meng Fan immediately left the Soul-Severing Forest.

"Brother Yin, you've finally arrived!" Meng Fan greeted Yin Zhong with a fist and palm salute.

"Brother Meng, I have a general understanding of what happened. Let's go check out the Soul-Severing Forest first."

"it is good"

Meng Fan led Yin Zhong to the only exit of the Soul-Severing Forest, pointed to the increasingly dense fog ahead, and said, "Brother Yin, look, this fog is strange. Although it's noon, the power of the heavenly sun can't dispel it at all."

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhong focused his energy in his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them that pierced deep into the Soul-Severing Forest.

After a moment, Yin Zhong withdrew his gaze, his expression grim and uncertain. He turned to Meng Fan and said, "Brother Meng, this Soul-Severing Forest is an extremely yin and malevolent place. The mist is the condensation of malevolent energy. This thing must not escape, otherwise, there will be no survivors within a hundred miles. The only solution now is to seal it."

"Then please lend a hand, Brother Yin. Whatever assistance you require, the yamen will certainly cooperate."

Knowing that Brother Yin had a solution, Meng Fan felt relieved. As for the others, they were just external things. If the person was gone, those things would be useless. It would be better to use them to benefit the local people.

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony."

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhong gave Meng Fan an appreciative look. Although the Imperial Sword Manor could also undertake the task of setting up the formation, since Meng Fan wanted to assist, they would go along with it, after all, this was not just a matter for the Imperial Sword Manor.

After discussing it for a long time, Yin Zhong and Meng Fan finally finalized the matter.

"No one is allowed to go in here after we leave."

"Brother Yin, rest assured, I have already sent people to make arrangements, and there will be absolutely no problems."

"That's good. I happen to have twenty Iron Guards with me, working in shifts of ten. They'll guard this place until the formation is set up."

"That would be excellent, Brother Yin. I need to go to the yamen to make preparations. I will send someone to inform you once everything is settled. Farewell."

Meng Fan led the group of officials away. Yin Zhong said to one of the guards, "You stay here and keep watch. Don't let your guard down. If anything happens, immediately release the token you're holding, understand?"

"Yes, Master."

Yin Zhong nodded. The Iron Guard was wearing talismanic armor, which greatly improved his combat power compared to before. Even if there was any unexpected event, he could hold out for a period of time.

After giving a few more instructions, Yin Zhong glanced at the Broken Soul Forest and rode away alone.

After returning to the villa, Yin Zhong called the steward over and asked him to prepare some things.

"I'll go prepare it right away," the steward said, knowing that there were plenty of crystals in the storerooms.

Before long, the steward had dozens of wooden crates carried into the refining room.

Inside the refining chamber was a huge furnace, with emerald flames burning inside.

"Master, everything has been brought."

"Put your things down and leave. Also, don't come to inform me within the next month unless it's something major. You can handle it as you see fit," Yin Zhong said, and then gently closed the door to the refining room.

The steward agreed and left with his servants.

At the same time, inside the yamen, Meng Fan sent people to summon the aristocratic families of Shenglong Town. After discussing something, the next day, all the families presented their treasured rare and exotic items, quickly filling the yamen's empty storeroom.

Half a month later, Meng Fan looked at the materials he had collected and was very satisfied. If the quality was not good enough, he would make up for it with quantity.

"Categorize these items, make a list, pack them into boxes, and have someone deliver them to Yujian Manor. If I discover any embezzlement, don't blame me for not showing any mercy," Meng Fan said sternly to the warehouse manager.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare," the warehouse manager had originally wanted to sneakily steal a couple of items, but upon hearing Meng Fan's cold words, the manager was immediately terrified.

He knew how capable this person in charge was. Wasn't the previous head of the yamen ousted because he didn't know the times? Moreover, Meng Fan was very skillful and had a firm grip on the yamen.

If you do your job well, even if he doesn't like it, he won't make things difficult for you. But if you don't do your job properly, no matter how talented you are, he won't keep you.

Five days later, the government sent someone to deliver all the items to the Imperial Sword Manor and hand them over to the steward.

"Take these things to the refinery," the steward instructed after watching the officials leave.

Inside the refining chamber, the dozen or so wooden crates were now empty, transformed into colorful crystal pillars that shone with dazzling light.

"Master, the government has sent the goods over," the steward said softly from outside.

"Come in"

Upon hearing this, the steward immediately had the items brought into the refining room, sorted them out, and then carefully left the room.

"With these things, we can refine some more array bases." Yin Zhong reached out and sucked in some materials, putting them into the furnace. As the flames inside the furnace rose and changed, Yin Zhong controlled them with his true qi. Several hours later, more than ten crystal pillars fell to the ground.

Ten days later, Yin Zhong finally extinguished the emerald fire inside the furnace and looked with satisfaction at the crystal pillars that covered the ground and filled boxes.

"Steward, inform Brother Meng to prepare his men and set up the formation in the Soul-Severing Forest at noon tomorrow."

"I'll go right away."

Inside the yamen, Meng Fan saw the steward off and said to his trusted confidant, "Have all the men been chosen?"

"The selection is complete. There are five hundred people in total, all of them young and strong, so they won't cause any problems."

"That's good"

The next day, Yin Zhong led a team of iron guards, with carts carrying boxes behind them. An hour later, they arrived at the Soul-Severing Forest, where the guards immediately saluted.

"Master, Steward Meng and the others have arrived and are inside now."

Yin Zhong nodded upon hearing this and continued walking inside. Meng Fan was waiting for Yin Zhong with his men at this time. Upon seeing him appear, he immediately came to greet him.

"Brother Meng, enough of the small talk. Have each of these able-bodied men take a crystal pillar and stand in their pre-determined positions. No matter what happens, they must not move."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Yin Zhong immediately got down to business. Although Meng Fan didn't understand these things, he wouldn't interfere and would simply follow Yin Zhong's instructions. "Don't worry, Brother Yin," Meng Fan instructed the people around him. The able-bodied men each took a crystal pillar, found their positions, and stood still, waiting for Yin Zhong's orders.

After a while, seeing everyone take their positions, Yin Zhong reached out and took out the "Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument". With a burst of true energy, the magic weapon hovered in the air and swirled, radiating blood-red light. The crystal pillar in the young man's hand suddenly lit up, displaying a beautiful array of colors.

Seeing this, Yin Zhong's eyes narrowed slightly. Then, he let out a soft shout and injected a stream of true energy into the Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument. The massive blood energy immediately enveloped everyone present.

Seeing this, Meng Fan's eyes flickered slightly. The others, having been instructed beforehand, quickly calmed down and stood obediently.

After three or four breaths, the crystal pillar in the young man's hand suddenly trembled, then flew out of his hand and fell into the ground and disappeared.

Just then, Meng Fan suddenly found himself standing on a huge rune. The rune was shining with a crimson light, echoing the Blood Luo Celestial Instrument in the sky. Threads of silk hung down, sealing off the entrance to the Soul-Severing Forest.

And deep underground, unseen by him, the crystal pillars were also affected, their multicolored lights weaving a net that firmly locked in the earth's energy, preventing it from leaking out in the slightest.

After a moment, Yin Zhong realized that the formation was complete and withdrew the dim "Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument". After this incident, the magic weapon was greatly damaged and it would take more than ten years to recover.

"Brother Yin, how did it go?" Meng Fan asked cautiously as he watched Yin Zhong put away the treasure.

“The formation is complete, and we can dismiss them. However, they need to nourish themselves properly for the next three days to avoid damaging their blood and energy,” Yin Zhong said to Meng Fan.

This sealing formation was set up using human blood and energy, combined with magical artifacts and the power of the Heavenly Yang, to exert an extremely strong and yang effect. However, it inevitably damaged the blood and energy of the young and strong people who served as the medium.

Meng Fan nodded upon hearing this, feeling relieved. Success was good. As for nourishing substances, the yamen still had plenty of medicinal herbs.

"We need to station people here permanently to prevent anyone from breaking the seal on this place."

Although Yin Zhong knew the possibility was slim, he still had to be on guard.

"Don't worry, Brother Yin." This place is indeed important, and Meng Fan needs to pay more attention to it than others.

After resolving the matter, Yin Zhong led the Iron Guards away from the Broken Soul Forest, and Meng Fan also left with his men after dealing with some loose ends.

Just after the middleman left, several figures suddenly appeared, the leader of whom was Ge Zhen, the protector of the Crimson Blood Palace.

Looking at the seal in front of him, Ge Zhen reached out and struck it. A beam of bloody light hit it, and suddenly his expression changed. He hurriedly retreated, but the people behind him couldn't react in time. They were immediately pierced by the rebounding blood arrows. After screaming a few times, their bodies instantly turned into a stream of blood and then evaporated.

"What a terrifying formation!"

Looking at the scene before him, Ge Zhen felt a chill of fear. He hadn't expected Yin Zhong to be so skilled at setting up an array. It seemed that if he wanted to make a name for himself in Shenglong Town, this man would be a stumbling block.

"We can't go back to Crimson Blood Palace; let's reconsider this matter."

Ge Zhen looked at the formation in front of him with a complicated expression. He thought of the Holy Monarch being killed and now his few remaining subordinates were gone. He felt depressed.

With a flash, he quickly left the Soul-Severing Forest and headed towards Rising Dragon Town.

In Xiyuan Prefecture, the blood mist was so thick that it was impossible to see more than three feet away. Fortunately, most of the people in the prefecture had already been safely relocated, so there was no great loss.

"This place is no longer habitable for the next hundred years," Gu Xu said, looking down at the churning blood mist, which even the light of the treasure mirror could not penetrate.

The sealing array had been destroyed the day before yesterday, but the blood mist did not spread to Tianhua Prefecture because of the Star Array, which made Qi Feng and Qingshan Jun breathe a sigh of relief.

Although they possessed considerable supernatural powers, they were still no match for the overwhelming bloodthirsty aura. Fortunately, Gu Xu was there to protect them, which is why they did their utmost to escort the people of the state.

"Xiyuan Prefecture is already a dead end, and its neighboring Nanling Prefecture will probably fare no better."

Tianhua Prefecture and Xiyuan Prefecture are separated by the Xilong Mountains, but Nanling Prefecture and Xiyuan Prefecture are only separated by the Yunmeng Marsh. It would not be difficult for the blood mist to spread there.

Just as Gu Xu was deep in thought, the communication crystal flashed, and soon the voice of Qingshan Jun came through it, "Daoist Gu Xu, most of the people of Nanling Prefecture have been escorted to Tianhua Prefecture. Now, blood mist has begun to spread from the western part of Nanling Prefecture. Recently, the miasma in Yunmeng Marsh has become increasingly strong, and according to reports from below, there seems to be some unusual activity in Yunmeng Marsh..."

After listening, Gu Xu's eyes flashed. Yunmengze was the most mysterious forbidden land. It had been described in the Tong family bamboo slips as having existed since ancient times and being inhabited by many unknown beasts and strange things.

"We can conveniently stop by Yunmengze to see just how magical this place is."

Looking up at the blood-red sun in the sky, Gu Xu sighed inwardly, waved his sleeve, and dispersed all the blood mist that had spread around him. Then, with a flash of light, he sped off to the east.

Along the way, watching the blood mist gradually thin, Gu Xuxin felt a little relieved and silently calculated that it would take at least three months for the blood mist to encompass Nanling Prefecture.

After flying for several hours, Gu Xu arrived above Yunmeng Marsh. Looking down at the hazy pink miasma, Gu Xu focused his energy on his eyes and saw that there were only some strange fish swimming around in the water. Each of them had a blackish-red aura on its body, which was obviously suffering from the miasma.

"These strange fish, to some extent, reduced the spread of the miasma."

Just then, a sudden ripple appeared in the water, and a large black python suddenly leaped out of the water, raising its head. Its black scales reflected a ghostly light, and its pair of scarlet snake eyes stared intently at Gu Xu. The snake's tongue flicked out from time to time, sending chills down one's spine.

"Blood Python"

Gu Xu had seen this kind of strange beast illustration in the Water Moon Cave, but he never expected it to be so huge. He was no match for its body, which was over ten feet long.

"No wonder there are no strange beasts here; it's all because of you."

This blood python prefers to live alone and is cruel by nature. It will even devour its own kind. Moreover, it has great supernatural powers and is one of the top overlords in Yunmeng Marsh. Apart from a few special species, nothing can restrain it.

Looking at the blood python's cold eyes, Gu Xuxin guessed that it must have sensed his aura and that it would benefit greatly from devouring him.

The blood python flicked its tongue, its body raised high, looking down at Gu Xu. Then, its body rushed forward like lightning, spewing out a cloud of red mist. The miasma in front of it was impacted by the red mist and quickly turned into black ash, which fell down in a flurry.

"The Blood Fiend Poison is truly domineering," Gu Xu's figure flashed instantly, and then several crimson rays shot towards the Blood Python.

The sword light, powerful enough to cut through gold and jade, landed on the blood python, leaving only a few white marks. However, it aroused the blood python's ferocity. Its snake eyes flashed with a fierce light, and two dark beams shot towards Gu Xu. Upon seeing this, the latter pointed his finger, and the icy cold light collided with the dark light.

With a few cracking sounds, the icy light froze two "God-Slaying Flying Blades" but did not lose momentum. The remaining force landed on the Blood Python Mountain, and a frost on the python's body spread rapidly, freezing half of its body in less than half a breath.

Sensing the danger posed by this technique, the blood python roared, its body flashing with bloody light. The half of its body, frozen by the icy light, suddenly trembled, and pieces of black scales covered in frost fell into the water.

"Shedding scales and removing armor"

Gu Xu's eyes narrowed. This blood python really had a lot of supernatural abilities. This technique was to use its scales to eliminate external forces. It was a superior protective technique of the blood python. However, once the scales were used up, this technique would be completely powerless.

"Let's see how many moves you can withstand."

The blood python realized that its opponent was not easy to deal with, so it lowered its body and quickly submerged into the water, where it was in the water.

Gu Xu hovered in mid-air, his eyes fixed on the water. Suddenly, he pointed his fingers, and a chilling aura shot down directly below him. The blood python, which was about to launch a surprise attack, was immediately disrupted by this move. Its body flashed, and the icy light struck its body. After being deflected, the blood python's aura weakened considerably.

Without giving the Blood Python any chance to retaliate, Gu Xu immediately summoned the Soul-Cleansing and Mind-Clearing Mirror. Its clear light swept away the miasma, revealing a long, dark shadow swimming beneath the deep black water.

As true energy was injected, the treasure mirror shone brightly, revealing the exact location where the blood python was hiding. Then, with a sword cry, the Azure Thunder Sword transformed into light and pierced the blood python. The python was momentarily stunned by the light, and the sword light pierced through the blood python's body without any obstruction, instantly staining the water surface red.

The blood python cried out in pain, its body twisting in agony. But before it could make a move, bubbles suddenly rose from the bottom of the water. Four fire crystals formed a small trapping array. The Azure Thunder Sword flashed with lightning, and the cut wound instantly turned pitch black. The power of lightning also surged within the blood python's body, destroying its form from the inside.

Imperial Edict

Gu Xu's expression turned solemn, and he unleashed a series of hand seals. The blood python's struggles became weaker and weaker. After a while, the blood python's eyes gradually dimmed. Just then, a seven-colored light suddenly broke through the trapping formation and landed on the blood python.

Under the light of the treasure mirror, it revealed its true form: a snow-white toad, no bigger than a fist, with seven dazzling star-like spots on its back.

"Seven stars dotted with colorful patterns"

This is also a tyrant in Yunmeng Marsh, and one of the few nemesis of the Blood Python. It usually feeds on various poisonous creatures, and has developed a body that is immune to all poisons. It especially likes the flesh of the Blood Python. This time, it was because it smelled the Blood Python's blood aura from afar that it rushed over without regard for anything.

"This is truly an unexpected delight," Gu Xu thought with a surge of joy. If he could subdue this creature, it would become a valuable asset in the future.

Thinking of this, Gu Xu drew several talismans with his fingers, and an invisible force trapped this body of water.

(End of this chapter)