Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

"Check that you have everything you need." Shen Mo's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Don't worry, Sect Leader! My staff is polished to a shine! And we've prepared plenty of dry rations and water!" Shi Tie patted his chest and said loudly.

"The pills, talismans, ropes, tinderboxes... I've checked them all, nothing's wrong," Su Xiao replied softly, as steady as ever.

"My axe is sharp!" Zhang Daniu swung his axe, creating a gust of wind.

Zhao Qingyan nodded silently, indicating that she was also ready.

"Alright." Shen Mo nodded, then added again, "Remember the purpose of this trip. It's not about vying for treasure, but about gaining experience and broadening your horizons. Safety is paramount. Follow my orders in all actions."

"Shi Tie is leading the vanguard, proceed with caution and avoid recklessness. Su Xiao is providing support from the left and right, keeping an eye on the surroundings."

"Zhang Daniu, you will follow closely behind Shi Tie and be responsible for dealing with any sudden and tough battles. Zhao Qingyan, you will stay in the center, paying attention to the fluctuations of the formation's restrictions and also keeping an eye on the rear."

The division of labor was already clear before departure, and it is being emphasized again now to make everyone more aware of their responsibilities.

"Understood!" the four replied in unison.

"Let's go." Shen Mo said no more, turned around, and stepped onto the path leading down the mountain. His figure quickly disappeared into the morning mist and the shadows of the forest.

Shi Tie immediately followed, maintaining a distance of three to five zhang to the side and in front of Shen Mo, his tiger-like eyes scanning the front and sides warily.

Su Xiao lagged behind Shen Mo by one step, and his divine sense quietly spread out, covering an area of ​​more than ten feet around him.

Zhang Daniu stood close to Shi Tie, gripping the axe handle tightly in his hand.

Zhao Qingyan walked at the back of the group, glancing back from time to time at the receding mountain gate, a hint of reluctance flashing in her eyes. She then forced herself to concentrate, sensing any possible anomalies in the faint spiritual energy in the surrounding air.

The five-person team moved silently and swiftly through the familiar mountain forest. The initial stretch was uneventful; the occasional calls of birds and the movement of animals quickly faded into the distance. As the team progressed, a glimpse of their initial coordination became apparent.

Shi Tie was impatient and sometimes walked too fast without realizing it, leaving a gap between himself and those behind. Whenever this happened, Shen Mo would not scold him, but would simply slow down his pace slightly.

Shi Tie would soon notice and awkwardly stop to wait. After a few times, he finally got the hang of it and maintained a suitable warning distance.

As they passed a fork in the road overgrown with weeds, Shi Tie was about to go straight ahead when Su Xiao whispered a reminder from behind:

"Brother Tie, there are fresh trampling marks in the grass on the left side of the road, as if a large animal has recently passed by."

Shi Tie was taken aback, then looked closely and saw that it was indeed so. His face flushed red, and he said in a deep voice, "Junior Sister Su is so observant! I was so focused on what was ahead!"

They immediately chose the safer path on the right.

Zhang Daniu, on the other hand, was overly nervous. At the slightest sound, he would suddenly raise his axe as if facing a formidable enemy. Once, he startled a wild rabbit and almost chopped it down with his axe, which earned him a glare from Shi Tie.

"Da Niu, relax a bit," Shen Mo said calmly. "Your energy and spirit are too tense; you'll tire yourself out before you even encounter an enemy. Just watch your step and the shadows on either side."

"Oh...oh! I understand, Sect Leader!" Zhang Daniu scratched his head sheepishly, trying to calm himself down.

Zhao Qingyan remained quiet, simply following silently. But when she passed a slippery, moss-covered pebble beach, she suddenly stopped, squatted down, and carefully examined the nearly blurred carvings on the stones.

"Sect Leader," she looked up, her voice soft yet certain, "the arrangement of these stones and the traces of erosion by the moss... don't seem entirely natural. They resemble... the remnants of some extremely rudimentary maze array, from a very ancient time."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo approached to examine the area, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

"Qingyan's observation is remarkable. Indeed, there is a faint trace of disordered earth energy here, which should be the remnant of an ancient formation. Although it has failed, it is still remarkable that it can be seen. Make a note of this place; perhaps it will lead to some enlightenment."

Zhao Qingyan nodded seriously, took out a piece of rough paper, and sketched a few lines.

And so, the team moved forward through constant minor adjustments and mutual adaptation. In just half a day, they had completely left the familiar area of ​​Qingyun Mountain and entered the remote outskirts of Yunmeng Marsh.

The environment changed abruptly.

The fresh scent of grass and trees in the air was replaced by a damp, sultry smell mixed with the odor of rotting branches and mud.

The path beneath our feet became muddy and impassable, surrounded by endless swamps and puddles. Tall, withered trees stood crookedly in the water, their bare branches stretching towards the hazy sky like ghostly hands.

In the silence, the only sounds were the splashing of feet sinking into the mud and the buzzing of unknown insects.

"Be careful, everyone," Shen Mo reminded them. "Stay close and watch your step and the water."

The atmosphere instantly became tense. Shi Tie became even more vigilant, testing the ground with his iron rod before taking each step. Su Xiao's divine sense narrowed to a radius of five zhang, allowing him to perceive things with greater precision.

Zhang Daniu learned his lesson and stopped looking around aimlessly, focusing instead on the places where Shi Tie had stepped.

Zhao Qingyan held her breath and focused intently, trying to sense any potential array fluctuations or dangerous auras hidden in the water and mud.

Not far ahead, a low-lying area was shrouded in a thin, colorful mist, which looked beautiful but made one's heart tremble.

"It's poisonous miasma!" Su Xiao exclaimed. "Judging from the color, it's quite toxic and can corrode spiritual energy that protects the body."

"Go around it?" Shi Tie asked, turning around.

Shen Mo surveyed the terrain and shook his head, saying, "Taking a detour is too far, and both sides are deep swamps, making it even more dangerous. Let's use a miasma-repelling talisman to get through quickly."

Su Xiao immediately took out the two miasma-repelling talismans drawn by Shen Mo from the cloth bag, took one for herself and handed one to Zhao Qingyan.

"Activate the talisman and stay close to me!" Su Xiao shouted, and took the lead in injecting a wisp of spiritual power into the talisman.

The talisman spontaneously combusted without wind, transforming into a hazy halo that enveloped a three-foot radius around her. The colorful poisonous miasma, upon contact with the halo, emitted a faint "sizzling" sound and was repelled.

Zhao Qingyan followed suit and activated the talisman. Qingguang barely managed to protect himself.

"Go!" Shen Mo gave the order, and the five of them immediately rushed into the poisonous miasma. Shi Tie led the way, Shen Mo followed closely, Su Xiao and Zhao Qingyan were in the middle, and Zhang Daniu brought up the rear.

The talisman's effect was weaker than expected; the clear light fluctuated violently under the corrosive influence of the poisonous miasma, and its range kept shrinking. The pungent odor went straight to the head, making people dizzy.

"Speed ​​up!" Shen Mo urged, while he himself erected a thin spiritual energy shield to help Su Xiao and Zhao Qingyan share the burden.

The miasma zone, though only a few dozen feet long, seemed endless. When the five finally emerged, they were all panting heavily and pale-faced.

The talismans in Su Xiao and Zhao Qingyan's hands had already burned out. If they had been even a moment slower, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"This godforsaken place..." Shi Tie looked back at the churning poisonous miasma with lingering fear.

Before they could even catch their breath, another mutation occurred!

"Watch your step!" Zhao Qingyan, who had been keeping an eye on what was behind her, suddenly shouted a warning!

Almost simultaneously, from the mud on Zhang Daniu's left, a dark shadow darted out like lightning, opening its mouth full of sharp teeth and biting straight at his calf!

It was a water python as thick as an arm, completely black! Its aura was comparable to that of a cultivator at the first or second level of Qi Refining!