Wayfarer

Chapter 724: Fan-Shaped Altar

Xiao Nanfeng retrieved the gourd from his waist and bade Yang Chuan enter it to recuperate.

"Black Dog, you have a good nose, and you were able to track down Martial Aspect Yang even from all the way across the hidden realm. Can you sense where other cultivators are located?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"My nose is stronger than that of an ordinary cultivator, but the only reason I was able to track Master down was because he left a special scent behind to facilitate my efforts. My skills would be considerably weaker with respect to other cultivators. I did sense a few places where other cultivators are hidden. They've retracted their auras as much as they can to hide from the zombies. I can sense where nearby zombies are, too."

"Excellent. I'll need you to use your senses to help me avoid nearby zombies."

"Understood!"

The two cultivators left the valley and headed silently in a certain direction. They did encounter a few groups of zombies along the way, but were able to avoid them with the help of Black Dog's nose.

"Where are we headed?" Black Dog asked.

"To an altar."

"Oh?"

"There are too many zombies in the vicinity. I've been there several times, but I was always discovered on the outskirts. With your help, I'll be able to sneak further in."

"I see." Black Dog nodded, if dubiously.

The altar Xiao Nanfeng was headed toward was where the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue had hypnotized Ku Jiang, Tang, and other officials of Hongyue. Tang had given him a map of the area long ago, but he had never been able to make his way in.

With Black Dog's help, he intended to try again.

They quickly arrived at a region filled with concentrated black fog.

Black Dog sniffed and gasped. "There are sentries and patrols everywhere. How can there be so many zombies? This is ridiculous!"

"That's why I need your help. Let's head in, then," Xiao Nanfeng said.

The two cultivators withheld their auras. They brushed by several groups of zombie patrols, barely having hidden themselves in time, as they made their way straight toward the altar.

Without Black Dog's assistance, Xiao Nanfeng would have been found in no time.

Suddenly, Black Dog stopped short.

"What's the matter?"

"There's a barrier here. The scents on either side are distinct."

Xiao Nanfeng glanced in front of him. The black fog before him was slowly drifting in the wind, but he saw no sign of this supposed barrier. Even so, he believed in Black Dog's senses.

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"Is there an entrance or exit?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Not as far as I can tell. The barrier seems to encapsulate a valley-sized region. I can sense that there are people within, but no zombies," Black Dog said.

"People, but not zombies? Could the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue be within?"

"There's something sinister about this barrier. If we interact with it, I'm sure someone will notice. Are we going to barge in?"

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head. "Let's leave for the time being."

Black Dog nodded.

The two cultivators left the region teeming with zombies and stopped to discuss things by a safe valley further away.

"Black Dog, I'd like to head into that valley, but it's very likely that the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue is within. The situation is particularly dangerous. We may have to lure those within out," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"How?" Black Dog asked.

"At the moment, the zombie kings are still pursuing cultivators all across the hidden realm. It's a good time to strike. However, we can't be the ones to lure out whoever's within the valley.

"Oh?"

"You know where some cultivators in the hidden realm are hiding, don't you? Send word telling them that you've discovered the zombies' base camp. It's empty within, and there may be a huge secret hidden there."

"Me? Would they believe me?" Black Dog exclaimed.

"Everyone's nervous and anxious. They know that they're trapped here. Unless they can save themselves, they'll die—but how? Tell them what you've seen, and they'll definitely act."

"What if they inquire as to my master's condition and whereabouts?" Black Dog frowned.

"Just pass them whatever information you want them to have on a jade tablet. The important part is bringing it to them—don't bother having an extended conversation. How about this? I'll go with you. If there's any danger, I can protect you as well."

"Alright!" Black Dog nodded.

The two cultivators crept toward the closest valley in which a group of cultivators were hiding.

There, the cultivators were cowering in fear. They were at their wits' end as far as making their way out of the black coffin hidden realm was concerned.

"Are there zombies approaching?" someone cried out. "Everyone, prepare to fight!"

The cultivators eyed each other as if they were about to face the fight of their lives.

"No, it's not a zombie! No one move!" someone else shouted.

The cultivator stepped forward and picked up the object that had been tossed at them.

"What is it?" someone asked.

The cultivator inspected the object with his spiritual senses. Then, he frowned. "Ask the sentries up ahead who tossed this jade tablet over."

One sentry was quickly summoned.

"I saw two cultivators who were bundled up too tightly for me to discern their features. When one of them tossed the jade tablet over, though, that cultivator's aura and technique reminded me of Yang Chuan's subordinate, Black Dog."

"Oh? How can you tell?"

"I'm a dog spirit myself, you see, and I'm intimately familiar with the spiritual techniques available to us."

"Black Dog?"

"I'm all but certain. We've already discarded all the treasures we obtained from the hidden realm, so the zombies won't be able to find us for the time being. Dog spirits have a potent sense of smell, and Black Dog's far stronger than I am. I wouldn't be surprised if he could find us."

"I see. Continue keeping watch."

"Understood!" The sentry bounded off.

"What's in the jade tablet that Black Dog gave us?" another cultivator asked.

"They've discovered where the zombies' lair is. The zombie kings are currently preoccupied chasing cultivators all across the realm, and the lair is empty. They're trying to gather a group of cultivators to investigate it—or to take advantage of us going there to achieve some goal or another."

"There might be a way out of the black coffin hidden realm there. Should we head over?"

"We don't have any other choice. The zombie kings might find us at any moment. Quick, inform all the other groups of cultivators you're aware of about this. We're going, but we'll all go together. I don't intend to serve as a lab rat for the others."

"Understood!"

Xiao Nanfeng and Black Dog dropped off a series of jade tablets at every encampment they could find, then returned to the barrier surrounding the valley in which the altar was located.

"Will they come?" Black Dog asked, somewhat worried.

"I'm sure of it."

Black Dog and Xiao Nanfeng waited patiently.

As Xiao Nanfeng had predicted, after about half the day, there was a commotion in the distance. Some cultivators had attempted to creep into the valley, only to be discovered by zombies on patrol.

A huge fight was about to unfold.

"Damn it, they noticed me! Save me!" a cultivator shouted.

A large group of cultivators began to take on the swarming zombies. The fighting grew more and more intense. Several beams of light shot forward, destroying everything in their way as they headed toward the altar in the valley.

The zombies howled as they charged toward the cultivators in the lead, but those cultivators were simply too strong. A Boundless Immortal seemed to be leading the way, quickly taking down the zombies blocking the way as they charged into the valley.

Just then, a palm technique descended from the heavens, intercepting the Boundless Immortal's attack in a fiery explosion.

A figure rushed out of the valley and began to engage in battle against the cultivators with a horde of zombies. The cultivators' charge stalled.

"You're not a zombie. Why are these zombies obeying you? Just who are you?" the Boundless Immortal in the lead roared.

The mysterious figure didn't respond. He beckoned more and more zombies forward to take on the cultivators.

Meanwhile, Xiao Nanfeng and Black Dog glanced at each other with a smile.

The valley should be unguarded now, but I'm afraid someone will sense us crossing this barrier," Black Dog said.

"Get into the gourd. I'll bring you in."

Black Dog nodded and flew into Xiao Nanfeng's gourd.

Xiao Nanfeng corked it and used his candleflame powers, making a portal that led him within without touching the barrier at all.

Then, he uncorked the gourd and released Black Dog.

"We're in? How did you do it? Could you be a formations expert who knows how to deconstruct this formation?" Black Dog exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng didn't explain. "Use your nose. Keep an eye on the surroundings, and try to avoid any paths that others have taken."

Black Dog nodded.

The two cultivators forged forward to the heart of the valley as they waded through thick grass. There, they found a fan-shaped altar of black jade, surprisingly large in size, engraved with all sorts of mysterious runes. Due north of the altar was a bejeweled throne—and nothing else.

"Martial Aspect Xiao, I can't smell anything else here in this valley besides this altar," Black Dog reported.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. There was no information to be found here. The situation was just like Tang had described. Had they made their way here for nothing? Surely not.

"Help me find somewhere safe to hide. I'm going to stay here and observe what's going on for the moment," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"What? You're not leaving? But the zombie kings will be back in no time!"

"Don't worry. Use your nose to find somewhere safe, a blind spot they don't focus on. I'll hide there while possessing Yang Chuan's body and use his strength to shroud my aura. I won't be discovered in the short term—and even if I am, with Yang Chuan's strength, I'll be able to flee."

Black Dog ultimately nodded.

He found Xiao Nanfeng a small cave by the side of a nearby mountain, which simultaneously boasted an expansive view of the altar down below and was difficult to notice from the altar.

Xiao Nanfeng uncorked his gourd and retrieved Yang Chuan's body.

"Southern Aspect Yang, please be prepared. I'm going to possess your body."

"Very well." Yang Chuan nodded.

Xiao Nanfeng transformed into his yin body and stepped into Yang Chuan's mindscape.

There, he activated the Heaven Division's Gate and released loss chants from it. Yang Chuan's soul, already weak, was instantly suppressed. He would remember nothing of what ensued.

Although Yang Chuan was cooperating with Xiao Nanfeng, Xiao Nanfeng went for complete possession as a precaution in case something were to go wrong.

He stored Black Dog in the gourd once more as he retreated into the cave and cloaked his aura as much as he could. He let his gaze roam over the altar and waited.