An ocean of black mist covered the entire mountain valley,
In this place, surrounded by dead silence, occasional howls filled with despair could be heard. No one knew whether they came from animals or humans – maybe something else entirely.
A figure walked along the bone-filled rough path. On both sides of the path stood decayed trees, twisted like human fingers. Various reptiles hissed at the figure, but once the figure looked at them, they ran away as if their lives depended on it.
When one focused on the figure, one could see a young man with a slender body, wearing a brownish robe. His handsome face was covered by his falling dark hair, yet his ashen-white eyes had lost their brilliance.
The hideous ghouls, who were fighting over a dread corpse, noticed the presence of the young man.
As they turned their heads, they remembered their haunted memories and fell before the young man arrived. He didn't even bat an eye when he saw these hideous creatures, as if it were his daily routine.
Soon the young man arrived at his destination.
In front of him, a massive barrier encompassed half of the valley. The barrier was not easy to break, as it was extracted from pure souls.
"How repulsive."
The young man's calm face rippled slightly with anger. Even though he had seen this barrier every single day and had lived under its protection for the past five years, he still couldn't stand it.
He took out a yellow talisman and silently chanted something. Soon, a crack formed in the barrier. Without further delay, the young man stepped through and passed into the barrier.
Five creepy-looking buildings greeted him. The largest stood in the center, while the remaining four were positioned two on the left and two on the right.
As the young man looked around, he saw a few of his sect members wandering about, doing their assigned tasks. They all bowed in front of him, but he walked past as though they didn't exist at all.
The young man didn't walk toward the building in the center; instead, he headed toward the last building on the left side of the corner.
Inside the building, two bluish stones stood side by side, with chains wrapped around them like snakes, along with several talismans attached.
The four stones stood atop the stage, and beneath it, purple mist spread as if someone were burning firewood. However, looking at this mist, it did not look like someone was burning some wood – more like humans.
A sinister-looking man was meditating in the center of this stone. His neck was a little hunched, as if someone had deliberately grasped his head. His withered grey hair fell like a broom's head, covering half of his face. He was wearing loose-fitting clothes covering his entire body; it gave the feeling that he was hiding something under them.
"Senior Brother Gui Ling."
The young man cupped his fist and greeted him in a respectful manner, his entire face beaming with joy, as if it were his lifetime achievement to greet his senior. Also, his demeanor had changed compared to his previous aloof character.
Gui Ling opened his eyes and saw his junior who practically worshiped him. His eyes narrowed cautiously.
"What is it, Junior Brother Hei Qin?"
"I have always admired your diligence and intelligence in cultivation, Senior Brother, and I have always wanted you to give this junior some pointers. However, the matter I came here for is—"
"Enough of your flattery. Just say what you came here for." Gui Ling's stern voice stopped Hei Qin.
However, the smile on Hei Qin's face did not fade. He collected his thoughts and said, "There is a problem in the formation of the Pure Yin Cave. The master left with the first-tier disciples for an important matter, and you are the only one remaining here in our branch."
'A problem in the Pure Yin Cave's formation? Is he telling the truth? Or is he planning something behind my back like the senior disciples?'
Gui Ling thought for a long time. It was not his fault for thinking deeply, because he was in an evil sect and had seen many schemes.
'But if it is really a problem, I can't sit idly. Damn it… Moreover, the master ordered no infighting for some time.'
Gui Ling's thoughts lingered for some time before he said, "It seems there is not even a single one who can do their job correctly."
"Senior Brother, you didn't mention me, right?" Hei Qin let out a dry laugh.
"Hmm!" Gui Ling shrugged and said, "Let's see what happened."
Both of them stepped out of the building. Hei Qin walked behind as his respectable senior led the way.
The disciples of the sect bowed down as both of them walked out of the building. Their eyes carried various emotions—fear, envy, and a hint of respect.
The Blood PhantomSect is one of the strongest and most influential evil sects in the Red Jade World, which is one of the three great worlds, along with the PurplePearlWorld and the AzureGemWorld.
They have two main branches.
And more than one sub-branch across the Red Jade World—their number goes up and down; it is not fixed.
Compared to the other evil sects, the Blood Phantom Sect wasn't aggressive toward other sects or normal people. Instead, they maintained a friendly attitude toward them. At least that was how they showed themselves to others.
However, that was ultimately a facade. Of course, others were not too obtuse to understand the reality behind their facade. Still, they overlooked some of their audacity.
After all, no one wanted to cross swords with the strongest sect, especially such an unusual evil sect—no one could tell what they hid inside.
Currently, two figures walked in the territory of one of the sub-branches of the Blood Phantom Sect.
"Did you do something to the barrier? It was working fine when I was taking care of it. Did you get greedy to observe all the yin energy and do something absurd? That's why you are asking me to wipe your mess." Gui Ling turned his hunched head and looked at Hei Qin.
Conversely, Hei Qin's face turned grim, his pupils shifting left, and he answered shudderingly, "N-no, senior, nothing like that. This problem is definitely not my doing. I think there is a bigger secret behind this problem. Maybe some vengeful ghost formed."
Gui Ling's eyes lingered on Hei Qin, who was making an innocent expression like a baby. He shook his head helplessly and cursed inside, 'This imbecile brat!'
Both of them passed the barrier and walked along the bone-filled path.
In a few minutes, they encountered another barrier, and inside the barrier stood a cave. The cave exterior pulsed like it was alive. And the tree roots were pervading the cave like veins. And one could hear the wails of countless souls.