Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Two days later, the continuous rain finally stopped, allowing the damp Linhe County town to breathe a sigh of relief.

On the eastern horizon, beneath the deep blue sky that was not yet completely dark, a moon, its color a dark red like congealed blood, was slowly peeking out.

Half the sky was stained with a chilling blood-red hue.

The main tent at the dock was already packed with people, and the atmosphere was heavy.

Besides Yue Shan's team, there were several other elite teams, about thirty or forty people, all holding their breath and focusing their attention on the figure in the center of the tent.

Yue Changkong stood with his hands behind his back, his posture as straight as a pine tree. Today he was dressed in a dark blue outfit, with a leather belt around his waist, which made him look even more capable.

However, the usual gentle smile on his face had vanished, replaced by a cold, knife-like calm.

His gaze slowly swept over every face in the tent, and the invisible pressure made the air seem to freeze.

Chen Mo stood slightly behind Yue Shan, and could clearly feel the slightly heavier breathing of his companions and the faint smell of herbs.

He was also quietly adjusting his internal energy, and the burning sensation from refining the Crimson Sun Blood Crystal still seemed to linger in his palm.

The second stage of tempering bones into steel was extremely painful and progressed slowly, but the subtle feedback of his bones becoming increasingly solid brought him some comfort.

"Everyone's here." Yue Changkong's expression was serious, and even his voice carried a chilling aura. "Without further ado, tonight at midnight, fifteen miles west of the city, at the mass grave."

He paused for a moment; the tent was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the faint sound of the wind coming from outside.

"Those bastards from the Moon Worship Cult chose the time when Yin and Yang energies converged to set up the Life-Sucking Sacrifice Array at the mass grave, attempting to steal the life force of the surrounding hundreds of miles and refine it into that Life Force Cauldron to help some old ghost prolong his life." Yue Changkong's tone was calm, but it revealed a cold killing intent. "The three counties of Linhe will not tolerate their insolence."

"We have two goals." He held up two fingers. "First, when their formation reaches its most crucial moment, I will personally intervene to break the formation and seize the cauldron. That cauldron, and the life force gathered within it, will be of great use to us."

A burning glint flashed in many people's eyes.

That Vitality Cauldron was clearly an extraordinary treasure. The immense vitality it contained was undoubtedly a great tonic for cultivators, and might even be related to the opportunity to break through to a higher realm.

As for the ordinary people whose life force had been deprived, those present subconsciously ignored them.

"Secondly," Yue Changkong lowered his hand, his tone suddenly turning cold, "the formation has been broken, and the core followers who are in charge of the formation will suffer a backlash and their strength will be greatly reduced."

"Your task is to form an encirclement around them to prevent their escape."

He pointed to the several areas inside the tent, each corresponding to a different team: "Yue Shan, you lead your men to guard the east side. Zhao Meng, the west side. Qian Shaokun, the south side. Sun Yisheng, the north side."

"All teams, take up positions as designated and await my signal."

Yue Changkong's voice was resolute and left no room for doubt: "Remember, the mission tonight has only eight words in mind."

His gaze slowly swept across the entire room again, and he said, word by word, "Sweep away the entire place, leave no survivors."

This means that all members of the Moon Worship Cult present, regardless of their status or strength, from the core of the formation to the outermost perimeter, will be killed to ensure that the information is never leaked.

Chen Mo felt a slight chill. He had always thought that the two sides had a cooperative relationship, but he did not expect that the Zhenyi Bureau had this idea.

It seems that Yue Changkong's real target is the other party's Life Cauldron.

"Let's set off now. Tonight, I'll leave no one alive in this mass grave, not even a chicken or a dog."

"Yes!" The crowd inside the tent roared in unison. Although the sound was contained by the tent, it still carried a resolute and ruthless air.

The group filed out and returned to their respective squad camps.

Yue Shan gave a few instructions before leading the group westward into the city.

By this time, the sky had completely darkened, and a blood moon as large as a disc hung high in the sky, dyeing the earth with an eerie dark red glow.

The night wind carried the distinctive earthy and decaying smells from the direction of the mass grave, adding to the ominous atmosphere.

Instead of taking the main road, they moved nimbly through the deserted streets and fields in the west of the city, trying not to make a loud noise.

Yue Shan took the lead, clearly very familiar with the terrain.

After running for about fifteen minutes, far from the hustle and bustle of the dock camp, all that remained were the sounds of the wind and footsteps.

Yue Shan then slowed down slightly, walking alongside the team members, and began to quietly assign tasks.

"Listen up, we're in charge of sealing off the eastern perimeter." His voice was low. "The terrain east of the mass grave is relatively flat, with several abandoned mortuaries and piles of rubble. This is a key area where the enemy might choose to disperse and break out or set up an outer perimeter for defense."

"Zhao Tie, you leave the team ahead of time, go around to the back of this small hill on the east side, and set up the Yin-Locking and Meridian-Severing Array and the Bewildering Illusionary Smoke Array!"

"The area doesn't need to be too large; just cover fifty paces of our eastern defensive line."

"Have you brought enough materials for the formation?"

Zhao Tie nodded emphatically and patted his bulging cloth bag: "I've brought enough. I've measured the earth's energy. The earth veins on the eastern slope are gentle, so the formation should be quite effective. After the formation is completed, I will monitor the formation's core. If a powerful enemy tries to break the formation, I will activate the Dragon-Trapping Stakes to temporarily block the enemy and send a signal."

"Okay." Yue Shan continued, "Zhou Ling, your position is on a small hill on the east side where the terrain is slightly higher."

"The view from there is expansive, overlooking our entire eastern defense line, allowing us to prioritize eliminating the enemy that poses the greatest threat to us."

Zhou Ling licked her slightly chapped lips, a glint of excitement in her eyes: "Understood, Captain. I guarantee not a single one will escape!"

"Wu Tong," Yue Shan looked at Wu Tong, whose face was still somewhat pale, "your injuries have not fully healed, and you should not fight for long."

"You are responsible for protecting Zhao Tie and Zhou Ling. If the enemy becomes too strong, you should retreat immediately and rejoin us."

Wu Tong tightened his grip on the long sword. "Don't worry, Captain."

Finally, Yue Shan's gaze fell on Chen Mo. "You'll come with me as a mobile support."

"Okay." He nodded, having no objections. Staying by the captain's side would be safer.

"Let's get to work." Yue Shan waved to everyone and gestured for Chen Mo to follow.

The two left the main road and crept along a path almost completely covered by weeds toward the intended pile of stones.

The night wind rustled through the grass, and the eerie feeling emanating from the distant mass grave grew stronger.

After everyone else had disappeared from sight, Yue Shan turned to Chen Mo and asked, "Was that paper figure that appeared at the mass grave a few nights ago yours?"

Chen Mo's heart skipped a beat!

Unexpectedly, they were discovered that night.

He composed himself and readily admitted, "It was me."

Yue Shan didn't seem inclined to pursue the matter further. Instead, he nodded and said, "It's better to be cautious. However, what you saw was only what was on the surface of the water."