novelraw Chapter 872 - 738: Where There Are Great Rewards, There Are Brave Men
Chapter 872 - 738: Where There Are Great Rewards, There Are Brave Men
Su Mian said: "Let Feng Chi investigate this later, see if he can find out. If not, it doesn't matter; they are small fry, Holy Master shouldn't worry."
The Sect Hierarch Tianyi asked again: "All parties have been alarmed, but that Situ Zhen can travel smoothly and unhindered to the Extreme Abyss; Shi Chun must have done something strange in this."
Su Mian said: "I will ask him when the disciple meets with him later."
The Sect Hierarch Tianyi sighed slightly: "No matter what methods he used, we have to admit, that guy always accomplishes the impossible. Although he demands high prices for tasks, he's never let us down, even more reliable than our own people. In times of trouble, I can't help but want to turn to him; I've almost become accustomed to using him. Unfortunately, he's not one of our own."
Su Mian said: "He's deeply entrenched with us now, he can't shake us off, and he doesn't know our background. He's kept his distance yet remains useful. But it's a pity he remains wary of Feng Chi, even though he was so fond of Xiang Laner back then; it would be great if Xiang Laner were still with him."
The masked Sect Hierarch Tianyi shook his head slightly, "Unexpected indeed, we thought that token of his was wasted, couldn't let Laner be wasted too. Who would have thought he got imprisoned in the Life Prison and locked away for years, and still managed to be rescued? Had we known earlier, Laner wouldn't have embraced another."
Seemingly unwilling to dwell further on the regret, he waved his hand and shifted the topic: "How many people did you bring?"
Su Mian said: "Over eleven hundred people, with Shi Chun giving advance notice. The forces arrived in this area first and were indeed requisitioned by Wei Mo, now they've all disarmed and are ordered to secretly search for Situ Zhen. Should we make them blood food now?"
The Sect Hierarch Tianyi raised a hand to stop her, saying: "Let's see how many they're lured before deciding. If people are enough, don't move your forces if possible, avoid drawing suspicion to yourself."
With that, he raised a hand, and extended an index finger. The tip burst open, emitting a drop of fresh blood, which, under his spell, floated and emitted light, flatly expanding into an irregular spiderweb-like pattern, each 'string' consisting of indistinguishable text, glowing with blood.
He said: "Hand."
Su Mian immediately extended a palm.
The Sect Hierarch Tianyi pointed at her from a distance with his finger, and the pattern flashed, condensing into a point of light, which shot into Su Mian's palm. As the blood light disappeared, he advised: "These are paths of safety found and summarized throughout generations in the Extreme Abyss, to aid you in future endeavors."
Su Mian promptly bowed, "Thank you, Holy Master."
The Sect Hierarch Tianyi waved, "You shouldn't stay disconnected with the outside for long, go and attend to your matters."
"Yes." Su Mian then took her leave.
Once she exited the cave, she masked herself again, and displayed her palm, seeing the blood light pattern emerge, enlarging like a tabletop before her. The person accompanying her pointed at a spot on the pattern, "We're currently at this location."
Su Mian enlarged it further for a closer look, seeing the node was marked 'Crystal Stone Cave', with routes composed of text indicating direction, distance, and turns upon encountering cliff formations.
Having grasped the details, she extracted the Sandal Gold Flame Energy for lighting, bowed in thanks, "No need to escort me, I can find my own way out."
The courier nodded, watching her leave...
By the misty cliffs, near where Situ Zhen entered, the images from five command centers intermittently cut in to observe, with many forces hidden nearby, yet no movement was seen.
The main cause for quiet was the perilous Extreme Abyss, legendary for unpredictable void turbulences, consuming anything caught within. Who dared venture so easily?
Chasing to this point, nobody dared proceed further.
Upon receiving the report, the East Victory Commander Wei Mo exclaimed: "Tell them, though they may fear, so does Situ Zhen; he certainly won't venture deep, thus it's not as perilous as assumed."
Tao Zhi chuckled wryly: "This subordinate mentioned the same, but they seemed to have conspired, saying the Mountain River Map shows no markers, indicating the target has ventured deep. They claim the target isn't foolish and won't stay put, too late now if they descend. They further argue their cultivation is too low, fearing adversity during a clash among forces, imploring you to dispatch Yan Zhili and other elites to oversee the descent."
Wei Mo's expression darkened—challenging his authority now. He couldn't possibly risk sending Yan Zhili into the danger, knowing coercion wouldn't work; they'd simply hide away, pretending to work while making no effort. All he could do was take a deep breath, suppressing his emotions: "Inform them, identifying Situ Zhen's whereabouts earns a hundred token merits; capturing him earns five hundred token merits!"
Ateam holds merely three thousand tokens, the incentives hard to ignore, echoing the adage: greatness conjures bravery under temptation; we can only hope this trial bears fruit.
Confronting similar peril, equivalent scenarios unfolded across various teams.
Shi Chun's group arrived at the Extreme Abyss by full daylight.
Their landing spot differed from where Situ Zhen previously descended, thanks to Mulan Jin's intel—no way they'd descend where forces lay in ambush.
The group had reshaped appearances, with Shi Chun seeing no need to expose himself further given Situ Zhen's commotion.
They touched down near a waterless cliff, surveyed the surroundings, then peered into the endless chasm below, prompting Shi Chun to utilize the Mother-child Talisman for contact.
Soon enough, Situ Zhen emerged from below, approaching the legitimate Shi Chun, embracing him arm over shoulder, calm and tender.
Despite Shi Chun's stiff arms from vigilance, he eventually tried wrapping them around her waist, patting her back.
Watching, Wu Jinliang couldn't help but chuckle dryly, grasping the anxiety of the leader with beauty in arms.
Situ Zhen only briefly hugged, resting his head slightly on Shi Chun's shoulder before pulling away, scanning the vicinity, "Being tracked, it's unwise to remain exposed; better retreat below."
Shi Chun acknowledged, and the group descended into the chasm, stopping roughly seven to eight yards in among protrusions to remain near the surface, fearing connection loss through excessive depth.
Even at that level, Shi Chun tested communication via the Mother-child Talisman with Wu Jinliang, verifying functionality before feeling secure.
Suddenly, Situ Zhen alarmed them, "Someone approaches."
The group quickly cling to the wall, Shi Chun activating his Right Eye Superpower for surveillance.
A cloaked and masked figure flew leisurely overhead, scattering dust from their sleeves, letting it drift into the depths of the abyss.
Shi Chun squinted slightly, noticing that in his right eye's superpower, the newcomer appeared as a demon cultivator, practicing demon skills, with demon essence, likely possessing the cultivation level of the Earth Immortal Great Success Realm. This suggested they might be a participating member of the West Ox Team.
Among the list of participants, there were only a handful of demon cultivators at the Earth Immortal Great Success Realm. If given the chance to meet them in person, Shi Chun believed he could recognize them.
After the figure departed, a group emerged to examine the sky framed by the ravine, noticing the dust falling was unusual, not descending freely but seemingly fluttering.
Some adhered to the cliff walls, while others continued descending into the abyss.
As they inspected, they noticed tiny blood-colored insects, no larger than mosquitoes, with vivid red wings seemingly quite resilient and having a single, ghastly white eye.
The scrutinized insect tilted its head, gazing intently at the group.
Shi Chun quietly observed Situ Zhen, noting her indifference, then sought an opportunity to touch Feng Chi, his eyes seeking inquiry.
Since these things were released by the Demon Path, it was only natural to inquire with someone from the Demon Path, but Feng Chi shook his head, indicating he didn't recognize them either.
Everyone observed cautiously, aware that they were deliberately scattered, likely indicating something suspicious, and dared not touch them lightly.
After a while, Feng Chi suddenly produced a Mother-child Talisman, looked it over, and whispered to Shi Chun, "They're here."
Shi Chun nodded slightly, prompting Feng Chi to send a message in response.
Soon, another cloaked figure flew over from the other end of the abyss. Shi Chun gestured for everyone to remain calm, recognizing the newcomer as Su Mian.
The flying figure didn't stop but landed on the cliff two miles away, then sent a message to Shi Chun, unwilling to speak in front of irrelevant people.
Shi Chun immediately instructed the others to wait and flew over with Feng Chi and Wu Jinliang.
Upon confirming each other's identities again, Shi Chun asked about the main issue: "I've heard there's been a complication. No sides dare venture into the abyss. Can we still gather everyone?"
Su Mian dismissively replied, "You don't need to worry about that. Since they're already here and have requests, they're at our mercy. Arrangements are underway, and there shouldn't be much of a problem."
Shi Chun countered, "Does that mean my task is completed?"
Su Mian, with a trace of amusement in his eyes, nodded, "Yes, you can find a place to hide until the battle is over. We'll look for you next time there's a good deal."
Shi Chun: "We'll deal with future matters later. First, I need to get the things you promised."
Su Mian: "Don't worry, all the tokens and wealth from the blood feast are yours. Just wait. Remember, don't let Situ Zhen be exposed during the journey, or everything will be in vain."
Shi Chun: "Where should I wait? Are you going to sort through everything before handing it over?"
How could he leave so easily? The money and tokens were nice, but he was more interested in these demon cultivators, as they promised a brighter future.
With the gathering of demons, even attracting Huang Yingying, he couldn't return empty-handed. Why did he risk saving Li Hongjiu?
Wu Jinliang, of course, understood him, grinning with a chuckle.
Su Mian frowned, "Do you really want to see the gathering process with your own eyes?"
Shi Chun: "It's better to inspect on the spot to prevent misunderstandings, don't you think?"
Su Mian thought for a moment, "I can't decide on this matter, I'll need to report it upwards, but you need to answer one question for me first."
Shi Chun gestured with his hand, "Feel free to ask."
Su Mian immediately inquired, "How did Situ Zhen travel with Feng Yin's token, pursued from all sides, yet still move unimpeded all alone? What method did you use?"
Anyone would be curious. Shi Chun had prepared his response on the way here, casually replying, "Who saw Situ Zhen being pursued firsthand? When Li Hongjiu was besieged after being poisoned, who saw him break through personally? Do you believe I can make another Situ Zhen appear outside?"
The masked Su Mian's eyes flashed with sudden realization. He uttered an acknowledgment, glanced back at the other cliff, then stopped, turning to take out the Mother-child Talisman, unsure who he was contacting.
Shi Chun originally intended for Wu Jinliang to showcase his Transformation Technique, but the other party didn't ask a single extra question. Their reaction surprised him, and he glanced in the same direction, contemplating something, frowning slightly.
After sending the message, Su Mian turned and said, "The message needs to be relayed, it will take some time, so you'll have to wait for a response."
Shi Chun: "There's no rush."
Meanwhile, at the location where Situ Zhen initially disappeared into the Extreme Abyss, shadows flickered.
As the saying goes, under great reward, brave men emerge. This proved true, with some entering the Extreme Abyss for rewards, much to the satisfaction of the Five Command Center Commanders.
Little did they know, it was all the Demon Path's own people putting on a show.
Shortly after some descended, someone rushed back up to report, claiming they'd found traces of Situ Zhen, saying Situ Zhen didn't dare venture deep but disappeared in the dim, complex terrain below. Reinforcements were required for a thorough search.