sinovels Chapter 990 A Shocking Figure
Chapter 990 A Shocking Figure
As Ajiu finished speaking, a heavy silence fell over the edge of the valley.
Four people lay prone behind jagged black rocks, their gazes piercing through the grayish-white mist as they looked down at the valley below, overrun by strange beasts. Even from this distance, they could still feel the terrifying aura emanating from those colossal creatures—the deep, rumbling breaths of the rock-armored rhinoceros herd were like muffled thunder, the grating sound of the bone-scaled pythons' scales rubbing against the stone walls was sickening, and further away, the blurry black shadows appeared and disappeared in the mist, each movement bringing with it a stench.
Mo Yuan's gaze slowly swept across the valley, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
He had experienced countless life-or-death missions and seen all sorts of dangerous situations, but he had never encountered anything like this before—multiple different groups of strange beasts were forcibly confined to the same area, and all passages leading to the depths of the mountains were blocked off.
This is not a natural phenomenon.
Something is controlling them.
"Mr. Xun," Mo Yuan lowered his voice, "can you detect anything unusual deep within the valley?"
Mr. Xun closed his eyes and concentrated, his short staff tapping lightly on the ground. A brighter, pale blue ripple spread from the tip of the staff, spreading towards the valley like ripples on water. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and the knuckles of his fingers gripping the staff turned slightly white, clearly indicating that this probe had consumed far more source energy than before.
A few breaths later, he suddenly opened his eyes, a look of horror flashing in his pupils.
"In the center of the valley... there is an extremely powerful fluctuation of primal energy." His voice trembled slightly. "It's not the aura of a strange beast, but a more ancient and purer primal power. Its fluctuation frequency is almost exactly the same as the fluorescent blue harmonics of the Bone Tower, but its concentration is at least ten times that of the outer area."
He paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "And that power isn't static. It's pulsating, contracting and expanding at an extremely slow but steady rhythm—like a heart beating."
heart.
Upon hearing these two words, Mo Yuan and Lin Qiye fell silent simultaneously. Both of them had been to the Canggu Mountains before, had personally witnessed the basin covered with fluorescent blue crystal clusters, and had felt the heartbeat-like pulse deep within the bone tower. But this power in the center of the valley, which Master Xun described as some kind of "source energy fluctuation," possessed a heartbeat-like rhythm—this made them think of something even more terrifying.
"It's not the aftereffect of the bone tower's harmonics." Mr. Xun seemed to see through their thoughts and shook his head. "The harmonics of the bone tower spread outward from the deepest part of the mountain, like a constantly radiating source. But this force is different—it seeps upward from the depths of the valley, its source is underground, not on the tower. To be more precise... it's like a root or a branch extending from the bone tower."
"Roots..." Mo Yuan murmured, repeating the word over and over, his gaze returning to the depths of the valley, his eyes now filled with uncertainty.
Ajiu's knuckles, gripping the short dagger, turned slightly white, and her voice lowered even further: "Those strange beasts were most likely forcibly bound here by that force. They probably haven't been in the valley for long—I saw several rock-armored rhinoceroses still frantically pawing at the ground, and bone-scaled pythons constantly changing their coiled positions. Their state is more like being trapped here than spontaneously gathering."
"In other words, that force might be using them to block this passage," Mo Yuan said slowly, his voice devoid of emotion. But those familiar with him knew that this tone often meant he was quickly considering a solution: "Either take a detour or force our way through."
"A direct assault won't work." A-Jiu immediately shook her head. "The number and strength of those beasts far exceed our ability to handle them. Even if Lord Mo Yuan can deal with one or two mutated rock-armored rhinoceroses, the remaining bone-scaled pythons and other beasts will tear us to shreds. Moreover—"
Before she could finish speaking, a muffled rumble suddenly came from the depths of the distant mountains.
The sound wasn't loud, but it was extremely deep, as if something enormous was slowly moving deep underground. With that roar, the herd of strange beasts in the valley let out a series of howls and low growls. Several rock-armored rhinoceroses pawed at the ground restlessly, while bone-scaled pythons raised their upper bodies, their dark red tongues flicking out.
Mo Yuan stared intently at the darkness shrouded in mist deep within the mountains, his lips pressed into a tight line. No aggressive aura emanated from that darkness; there were no fluctuations, no hissing, no footsteps—only a pure, invisible sense of oppression, like an unseen hand slowly pressing down from mid-air, weighing down on everyone's heads.
"Take a detour." Mo Yuan made a quick decision, his voice low and decisive. "A-Jiu, are there any other routes nearby that lead deeper into the mountains?"
Ajiu took out a map from her bosom—a topographical map of the Canggu Mountains' outer perimeter drawn before their departure based on the Oversight Bureau's exploration records over the years. Her fingers moved quickly across the map, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper: "There are two routes. One is the Blackwater Canyon on the east side, twice as far as here, and according to the records, there's a swampy area deep within the canyon, filled with extremely heavy miasma. You need to cross the miasma area to reach the outer edge of the basin where the Bone Tower is located. The other is the Rock Bone Pass on the west side, with weathered bone layers above the pass. The path is narrow and treacherous, but the distance is only about 30% longer than the original route."
"Rock Bone Pass." Mo Yuan didn't hesitate. "Let's go the west side."
Without further delay, the four silently retreated from behind their hiding place and began circling westward along the outer edge of the mountain range. A-Jiu continued to lead the way, moving even faster than before, clearly eager to leave this dangerous area blocked by the strange beasts as quickly as possible. Lin Qiye followed behind, his eyes occasionally glancing at the valley behind them—through gaps in the mist, he could see the outlines of the strange beasts still lingering in the same spot, showing no signs of pursuing them, which made him breathe a slight sigh of relief.
After walking for more than an hour, the terrain began to gradually rise.
The black rock beneath their feet became even more fragmented, with weathered and eroded fossilized bones embedded in the rock walls everywhere. Some of the bones were astonishingly large—a rib fossil half-buried in the rock wall was over ten zhang long, its curved arc resembling a natural archway. The fluorescent blue harmonic aura in the air grew thicker, and with each breath, one could feel a slight burning sensation, a mild erosion of the meridians caused by the harmonic contamination of the source energy.
Mr. Xun took out a stack of pale yellow purification talismans from his robes and distributed one to each person: "Put them on your chest. These talismans can filter out most of the harmonic pollution in the air, but the effect only lasts for six hours. They must be replaced after six hours."
Lin Qiye took the talisman and placed it on his chest. He immediately felt a warm current emanating from the talisman and spreading throughout his body along his meridians. The previously sluggish breathing sensation lessened considerably, as if he had stepped out of a thick fog into relatively fresh air.
"These talismans must be expensive," Ajiu said casually as he pasted them on.
"One bill is worth a month's salary for you," Mr. Xun said calmly. "Use them sparingly. I brought ten bills, just enough for the four of us until we retreat."
Ah Jiu whistled and said nothing more.
The group continued westward, and the terrain became increasingly treacherous. The once relatively flat black rock formations were gradually replaced by jagged scree slopes and steep cliffs. The path underfoot became narrower and narrower, at its narrowest point only allowing one person to pass sideways. To the left was a vertical rock wall tens of meters high, and to the right was a bottomless, dark crevice. Occasionally, a few points of fluorescent blue light would flicker from the depths of the crevice, as if something was blinking in the darkness.
This is the Rock Bone Pass that Ajiu mentioned.
Above them lay a layer of weathered bone—incredibly massive layers of fossilized bones piled high overhead, some fused to the rock face, others hanging precariously, threatening to collapse at any moment. As they passed through the pass, everyone remained absolutely silent, treading as lightly as possible, for fear of disturbing those precarious layers of bone above.
Ajiu led the way, her body as nimble as a lynx, weaving and leaping across the narrow rock face, each step landing precisely on the most stable spot. She would even carve marks on the rock face with her dagger when passing through particularly soft areas to warn those behind her.
Lin Qiye followed in second place, his steps equally steady and silent. Ajiu glanced back at him every now and then, a hint of surprise in her eyes—she clearly hadn't expected this tall man to be so agile in such treacherous terrain.
"Have you walked this kind of road before?" Ah Jiu asked in a low voice.
"no."
"Then how do you walk so steadily?"
"Because I don't want to fall." Lin Qiye's answer was concise and direct.
Ah Jiu's lips twitched slightly. She wasn't sure if this counted as humor, but she didn't ask any further questions.
After passing through the narrowest part of the pass, the terrain finally opened up a bit. A sloping scree slope led to a relatively flat black rock platform, and at the end of the platform, a wider passage could be vaguely seen leading deeper into the mountains. The concentration of the fluorescent blue harmonics in the air had noticeably decreased, and even breathing became easier.
But this did not make anyone lower their guard.
Because a decrease in harmonic concentration often means another danger—monsters attracted by harmonics tend to gather in areas with high concentrations, while areas with lower concentrations may actually mean other types of threats.
Mo Yuan walked to the edge of the rock platform, squatted down, and examined the marks on the ground. His fingers lightly traced a crack in the black rock, picking up some dried, dark red substance from his fingertips. He brought his fingertips to his nose and smelled them, his brow furrowing slightly: "Blood. Human blood. No more than two days old."
Ajiu immediately crouched down and examined the surrounding traces as well. Her expression grew increasingly grave: "There are signs of a battle here—not between beasts, but between humans and beasts. There are deep knife marks here; the weapon must be at least a high-ranking deacon. And here, there are burn marks, probably caused by a fire-based elemental technique."
She stood up and looked into the distance: "Two days ago, someone passed through here and fought with a strange beast."
"Are they from the Control Yuan?" Lin Qiye asked.
"Not sure." Mo Yuan stood up, wiping the blood from his fingers. "The Oversight Council did send several reconnaissance teams into the mountains after the last mission failed, but they only operated on the outskirts and didn't venture deep into this area. If it wasn't someone from the Oversight Council, then it's even more noteworthy—in this mountain range designated as a restricted area, besides the Oversight Council, who else would dare to venture into this location?"
No one answered him.
Because the answer may be more unsettling than the question itself.
Just then, a very faint sound came from behind—like a small stone rolling down a rock wall.
Almost instinctively, Ajiu drew her short dagger, her body springing around to the side, the dagger held horizontally in front of her, her gaze sweeping like a blade towards the direction from which the sound came. Mo Yuan's hand also rested on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles exerting slight pressure, his entire body instantly shifting from a crouching position to a half-standing, alert stance. The blue crystal at the tip of Mr. Xun's short staff had already lit up with a ball of light the size of a fist, ready to unleash a formation at any moment.
Lin Qiye did not move. But his spear had already silently fallen from behind his back into his hand, the tip slightly lowered, his wrist relaxed yet firm. He did not look in the direction from which the sound came—instead, he swept his gaze in the opposite direction.
Years of life-and-death struggles taught him a lesson: sound is not necessarily a real threat; luring the tiger away from the mountain is.
There was nothing there except for a few wisps of grayish-white mist blown by the wind where the small pebble had rolled off the rock face.
But no one's eyes were off that area.
"It wasn't the wind that blew it down." Ajiu's voice was very low. "The pebble rolled down the inside of the rock wall, on the leeward side. The direction of that gust of wind just now was—there's something there."
Mo Yuan slowly drew his narrow sword. In the dim light, the blade gleamed with a cold, bluish light, and the runes on its spine flickered like breaths. He didn't speak, but simply made a gesture to A-Jiu—encircle her.
Ajiu nodded, her body moving silently like a ghost towards the other side of the rock wall, the two daggers in her hands gleaming coldly in the dim light. Her figure moved swiftly among the jagged rocks, each step landing in the most concealed position, and in the blink of an eye, she had circled around to the side of that rock wall.
Then she stopped.
His entire body froze there, like a stone sculpture that had suddenly solidified.
"A-Jiu?" Mo Yuan called out in a low voice.
Ajiu didn't answer. She just slowly raised her hand and made a "come and see" gesture, her movements as stiff as if her joints were rusty.
Mo Yuan and Lin Qiye exchanged a glance, then moved simultaneously, flanking A Jiu from the left and right. Their expressions changed drastically when they saw what lay behind the rock wall in front of A Jiu.
That was a person.
To be precise, it is a part of a person.
A mutilated figure was pinned to the rock face.
It was a middle-aged man wearing a tattered, dark gray robe. Embroidered on the chest of the robe was a faded emblem, almost illegible—the emblem of the Overwatch Council. His limbs were impaled by four thick, black bone spikes, firmly nailed to the rock wall, his entire body twisted into a "T" shape. His head was lowered, his gray hair obscuring his face, making his features impossible to discern.
But his chest was still rising and falling slightly.
He is still alive.
Ajiu was the first to react. She sheathed her dagger, quickly stepped forward, and reached out to check the man's pulse. But the moment her fingers touched the man's skin, her expression changed drastically, and she abruptly withdrew her hand as if she had been burned.
"No—his body!"
Before the words were finished, the person nailed to the rock wall slowly raised their head.
Gray hair cascaded down his sides, revealing a face that horrified everyone—if it could even be called a face.
The skin on that face had completely lost its human texture, exhibiting a grayish-white color somewhere between leather and rock, its surface covered with fine cracks from which a fluorescent blue light shone, like countless tiny worms wriggling beneath the skin. His eye sockets were deeply sunken, and the lenses of his eyeballs had turned completely fluorescent blue, like two luminous minerals embedded in their sockets.
The most chilling thing is that he's laughing.
His lips curled upwards in an exaggerated arc, revealing two rows of equally gleaming teeth, as if welcoming them.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time." He spoke, his voice hoarse like two pebbles rubbing against each other, yet with a chilling clarity. "The people from the Oversight Council... have finally come again."
Mo Yuan's blade was already held horizontally in front of him, the runes on its surface gleaming like blinding flames. His voice was low and icy: "Who are you?"
"Who am I?" The man tilted his head, the movement eerily resembling as if the bones in his neck had shattered into pieces. His smile widened, and then he uttered a sentence that sent chills down everyone's spine—
"I am a formation master. My surname is Xun."
The surrounding air seemed to freeze in that instant.
The four men's gazes turned to Mr. Xun behind them almost simultaneously.