BXBX NOVEL Chapter 496: At Least Half
Chapter 496: At Least Half
"What is this?" Chu Liang asked.
"This is the sect leader's divine ability," Ghost Face explained. "Wherever the black snow falls, it serves as the sect leader's eyes and ears. If we encounter Granny Meng, there's no need to fight. As long as we identify her, the sect leader will arrive instantly."
The three undercover agents immediately realized that this black snow was the extension of the Dark King Sect leader's divine sense, granting him an all-seeing gaze over wherever it touched.
Naturally, this large-scale divine ability could only capture surface-level details. If Granny Meng had disguised herself, the sect leader would not have been able to identify her through the black snow alone. That was why he had to dispatch a large number of people to search the mountain.
Ghost Face's reminder was much appreciated.
The three kept in mind to avoid any overtly rebellious actions within the area covered by the black snow. Meanwhile, they used their divine sense to quietly relay this information back to their respective sects.
At this moment, they stood on a vast, snow-covered mountainside, appearing from a distance like tiny ink dots on a blank sheet of paper. Behind them, the towering peak of Fengya Mountain loomed.
Fengya Mountain looked like an ordinary peak that had been abruptly sliced in half. One side featured rugged, jagged slopes, while the other was a near-vertical cliff, covered in layers of frost, resembling a massive mirror rising from the snowy plain.
"It's actually a bit cold," Ghost Face muttered. "Let's start a fire."
This place lay at the northernmost edge of the Northern Regions, bordering the extreme north, where even cultivators could feel the biting chill. Though the cold could be easily dispelled with a quick circulation of foundational qi, the real discomfort came from the black snow. It exuded a yin qi that penetrated deep into the bones.
What Ghost Face planned to set ablaze was no simple fire. He pulled out six charred bone rods from his robe and set them on top of each other. Then, he gestured with his hand to activate a divine technique that ignited a vibrant azure-gold spiritual fire.
Whoosh—
As the fire crackled, a wave of warmth radiated outward, dispelling the lingering yin qi.
Just moments earlier, Chu Liang found himself on the verge of using his Divine Dragon Fire to start the fire. He quickly suppressed the urge. Sometimes, helping a big bro by lighting a fire wasn’t the most fitting thing to do.[1]
"From the sect to Fengya Mountain, the sect leader has established multiple layers of blockades. Granny Meng might not even reach this place, so there's no need for us to be overly nervous," Ghost Face said with a chuckle.
"We returned alive from the battle at Mount Shu. What’s there to be nervous about?" Chu Liang replied with a grin.
"Speaking of Mount Shu, it brings back memories of my lifelong grudge..." Ghost Face's expression darkened at the recollection. "I did see Di Nufeng during that battle. But when I saw how she was mercilessly taking down everyone around her, I honestly didn’t dare to approach..."
"She is indeed quite terrifying," Monk Pushan said, nodding in agreement.
Chu Liang glanced at Monk Pushan, contemplating whether he should report what Monk Pushan had just said to the sect.
"Those bald donkeys at the Buddhist Cloud Monastery are also detestable!" Ghost Face cursed again. "They were the ones who blocked the True Form of Ksitigarbha. The Mount Shu Sect doesn't even possess a legendary artifact."
"Perhaps those in the Buddhist sect are just very loyal and righteous..." Monk Pushan said awkwardly.
"Loyal, my foot! They're just meddlesome!" Ghost Face snapped angrily. "Those bald donkeys will definitely have no descendants!"
"Which monk even has kids..." Monk Pushan muttered under his breath.
Chu Liang quickly interjected, "There were too many sects fighting at Mount Shu; it just goes to show that all sects in the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten are up to no good."
"Right!" Ghost Face gnashed his teeth as he said angrily. "But the most detestable ones are still the Valley of the Three Absolutes. Those freaks are neither righteous nor diabolical, yet they hit the hardest! I was watching from the sidelines and nearly got caught and killed! Truly..."
"Eh?" Luo Yao, who had been quietly warming herself by the fire, suddenly looked up.
"We will make them pay for what happened at Mount Shu!" Chu Liang hastily interjected, concerned that Ghost Face's remarks might infuriate the other two undercover agents and provoke an instant revolt.
Chu Liang was not lying; they would indeed seek revenge for what happened at the Mount Shu Summit. However, who would ultimately be on the receiving end remained uncertain.
"Right!" Ghost Face nodded heavily. "Revenge is a must! My greatest wish is to force Di Nufeng to look at my face. Then I’ll tell her, 'This is the face you burned back then. Too bad you didn’t kill me!' Hahaha! And I’ll take her out with one strike!"
Just imagining it caused the scars on Ghost Face’s face to glow crimson once more, showing once again how much she hated Di Nufeng.
"I will do my best to help you achieve this wish!" Chu Liang said firmly, though in his heart, he added silently, Well, half of it.
...
As the night deepened, everyone became more vigilant.
If Granny Meng had truly made her way to the area near Fengya Mountain, she likely wouldn’t dare to force her way through during the day due to the heavy blockade. It was far more likely that she would strike under the cover of darkness.
Those from diabolical sects often preferred to move in the shadows.
Suddenly, shouts echoed from the distant mountains, accompanied by the eerie roars of demonic beasts. The commotion persisted for a while before gradually quieting down.
"It seems a demonic beast has intruded upon the mountain," Chu Liang remarked.
However, just as the area fell silent, a series of heavy footsteps resonated from the ridge behind the mountain.
There was one on their side too!
"Roar—" In the blink of an eye, a muffled roar sounded.
A giant icefield bear demon appeared, standing more than three zhang tall. As it stood upright, it obscured the sky and the moon, displaying such fierce anger as though it were infuriated by the invaders in its territory.
This was the season when the icefield demonic beasts would enter hibernation together, so the unexpected appearance of this massive bear caught everyone off guard.
"Finish it quickly," Ghost Face ordered.
It was somewhat problematic to launch an attack in front of Ghost Face. When they were in front of Ghost Face, Chu Liang and the others could not use their strongest divine abilities.
Luo Yao waved her hand and a curved saber appeared in her hand. She was the only one in their group who had no need to disguise her techniques.
As she raised the saber, a surge of yin qi enveloped her, and a black phantom emerged behind her, propelling her to the top of the giant bear's head. With a powerful swing, the curved saber came crashing down.
Swoosh—
The saber nearly severed the giant bear's neck. Fortunately for the beast, its hide was thick and remarkably tough, resulting in only a deep gash from which blood sprayed onto the snow.
"Roar!" The pain drove the giant bear to roar even louder, nearly sending it into a frenzy. It spun around, attempting to claw at Luo Yao.
But her figure moved like a drifting leaf, and in an instant, she had soared dozens of zhang away.
Next, Chu Liang leaped high into the air and came crashing down, delivering a heavy punch to the top of the giant bear's head.
Though he had various evil techniques ready for disguise, there was no need for them now. He chose to confront the beast head-on with his raw physical strength.
Boom—
With a single powerful punch, the giant bear was pinned to the spot, causing the entire battlefield to freeze in that moment.
When Chu Liang flipped and landed, everyone saw that the giant bear's legs had been driven several chi into the snowy ground. No wonder it lay motionless in death; Half of its entire body was stuck in the ice.
They used such a variety of divine abilities that if they were still Soul Subjugators serving the Violet Gold Marquess, they would have been immediately suspected. This was because the Soul Subjugators had a cultivation legacy centered around divine abilities, and even with slight differences, all of them were related to the Dao of Soul.
However, in White-Bone Hall, the diabolical cultivators had been recruited after joining various other sects, so it wasn't unusual for them to possess their own techniques. As long as they weren't using techniques that only proper disciples of the righteous sects could learn, Ghost Face would likely never suspect them.
After they had killed the giant bear, they heard roars echoing from afar, as if the demonic beasts in the surrounding peaks had all become active.
“What’s going on? At this time of year, most of the demonic beasts in the Northern Regions' icefield should be hibernating. They shouldn't be this active,” Ghost Face muttered, sounding very concerned. “If the noise catches the Night Saber Sect’s attention, it could mean more trouble for us."
He was concerned because Fengya Mountain was very near the Night Saber Sect in the Northern Regions. The icefield to the west bordered the Northern Sea while the Night Saber Sect was located at the edge of the sea.
Compared to the open and inclusive Taotie City, sects like the Greater-Yin Cult and the Night Saber Sect were more representative of the distinct style of the immortal sects in the Northern Regions. They were aloof, ruthless, and fierce.
On most days, they remained aloof and indifferent to worldly affairs, keeping a relatively low profile. But once provoked, their actions would instill fear in the hearts of many.
Especially the Night Saber Sect, which ranked at the bottom of the Terrestrial Ten and was known for its ambiguous stance between good and evil. In its earlier years, it even took on assassination jobs to make a living.
In other immortal sects, there might be na?ve and innocent disciples whom the diabolical cultivators could easily bully with their rich martial world experience. However, every disciple of the Night Saber Sect was a hardened killer, capable of licking the blood off their own sabers. They were forces even the Dark King Sect approached with caution.
"If the noise from the demonic beasts gets too loud, the Night Saber Sect might actually come to kill the demonic beasts and disrupt our operation, " Chu Liang said in agreement. "Should we retreat if that happens?"
"Of course not," Ghost Face replied. "This plan cannot fail! The sect leader will not allow us to fail! Even if men from the Night Saber Sect show up, we'll have to force them away! We might have no choice but to fight then..."
His expression grew stern as he warned, "If you do end up fighting the Night Saber Sect, be sure to watch out for their Night Saber’s Three Forms..."
1. Referencing how guys would light the smoke for their big bros but it's not always appropriate here. ☜