The fire controller and the Ji clan brothers, along with the Ouyang family retainers and the four "Electric Sword" masters, each led a team and rushed towards the destination according to the map.
A confrontation between cultivators and espers was about to unfold.
However, they never expected that the sect leader, at this very moment, was not at the Chixiao Sect at all.
Meanwhile, on a small hill to the southwest, a masked man gazed at the city of Yunjin, where the candlelight flickered. The city was silent, and the normally brightly lit Sky Fortress was also submerged in red candlelight.
"Soon, this city will be mine..."
The masked man stepped along the stream, his heart as turbulent as the flowing water.
Although he believed his plan to be shrewd and profound, Dongfang Ji possessed considerable depth as well. While others might not see through it, she had the potential to expose his scheme.
At this thought, his mind grew increasingly chaotic, even the sound of the stream becoming an annoyance.
He glanced back at the hidden mountain path concealed within the grass. This path, known only to him, was the fastest route to the Chixiao Sect.
However, he abandoned the idea of returning. Instead, with a flick of his foot, he rapidly moved towards the Sky Fortress.
His speed was astonishing, like mist drifting through the mountains. The dense forests and undergrowth blurred as he passed. Before long, he arrived at a stone bridge at the foot of the mountain.
The stone bridge spanned a deep, empty gorge. All around, the desolate cries of sparrows and the sounds of birds and beasts intertwined to form a low and tranquil symphony.
Yet, amidst this symphony, the masked man seemed to hear some strange extraneous noise, like the rustling sound of stepping on dry branches and leaves!
The man, accustomed to the deep mountains, realized that these were definitely not sounds made by nature, nor by any birds or beasts.
He subtly calmed his mind, gathering his true energy to his ears, and immediately pinpointed the source of the sound.
He turned his head to look at the direction of the sound. There, he saw a mountainside covered with vines and overgrown with mugwort. Dragon junipers stood scattered on either side of the mountainside, appearing perfectly ordinary.
But the masked man's perception was extraordinarily keen, or perhaps it was because he had lived in the mountains for so long that he was intimately familiar with the growth of vegetation.
The mugwort and vines there had been disturbed by human hands.
The waist-high white cogongrass had even been parted to reveal a "visible" small path.
The path led directly to the cliff face, implying that there was something unusual about that section of the cliff.
The masked man's curiosity was completely captivated by what he had discovered. After all, this was a forbidden area, and no one was allowed to enter. Yet, now, a stranger had intruded into this forbidden zone.
With a light step, he landed on a dragon juniper and looked down. Indeed, he found a series of clear and dense footprints beneath the white cogongrass. The masked man focused his mind, as if suddenly understanding something, and with a flash, he plunged into a cliff face tangled with scattered vines!
It was a hidden natural cave. The faint sound of dripping water emanated from its depths. However, besides that, the masked man could already smell the scent of living people!
Just then, the masked man felt two figures flash out from the darkness. The wind from their legs cut like a knife, sharp and fierce. The other figure, slightly less practiced, sent a punch directly towards his acupuncture point on the chest.
"Petty tricks!"
The masked man's true energy surged out. In the darkness, two women collided with the cold, hard rock, letting out faint groans. Then, with a flash of light, three stunning women appeared before the masked man.
"Who are you people?"
"I haven't asked who you are yet! Walking around with a mask in the middle of the night, you're either a pervert or a monster."
The speaker was none other than Yang Lingxue.
Her tone was haughty, though she was inwardly filled with fear. As she said, anyone appearing in a place known as a forbidden zone could not be a benevolent soul.
Beyond her sharp tongue, Yang Lingxue seemed to have little else to offer.
Therefore, no matter how weak her skills, her demeanor had to be sufficiently imposing!
"Little girl, you have a bold tongue. Tell me, why are you trespassing in a forbidden area at night? If your answer satisfies me, I might spare your lives."
The masked man's entire face was hidden behind the mask. Although his features were unclear, his tone was filled with an undeniable authority.
Yang Lingxue was no fool. Judging by his skills and tone, this man was very likely a disciple of the Chixiao Sect. Moreover, the fact that he dared to speak of "sparing" them indicated a position of no small importance. A thought struck her, and she suddenly sat down on the ground, her acting skills quite passable. Immediately, she clutched her ankle and feigned pain.
"The three of us are from a trekking group. You know, those who carry backpacks and go camping and exploring?" Yang Lingxue deliberately twisted her ankle and continued, "Well, because my foot was injured, we were passing by and decided to rest here for a bit. We had no idea this was a forbidden area."
The masked man snorted coldly. With a flash, he appeared before Yang Lingxue and grabbed her by the neck. With a slight exertion, she felt her vision darken, unable to catch her breath.
"Do women from trekking groups possess such strong true energy?" The masked man glanced at the two women he had sent flying and scoffed, "You might fool a child, but you can't fool me!"
The masked man showed no inclination to be gentle. He threw Yang Lingxue onto the rock, and the sound of bones breaking was heard. Yang Lingxue immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, her life hanging in the balance.
"Bastard!"
Shen Lanni's true energy surged within her, and Ye Lan also stood up in a rage. Both women had pushed their internal energy to its peak, their clothes fluttering violently. They attacked from the left and right, but the masked man completely ignored them, moving directly towards the interior of the cave. When their palm strikes, carrying true energy and gusts of wind, hit the masked man's back, they felt their internal true energy collapse. The turbulent energy clashed chaotically within their bodies, instantly knocking both of them unconscious.
The masked man slowly walked deeper into the cave. Amidst the flickering light and shadow, he saw a closed laptop computer.
Although he was not very adept with electronics, he pondered for a moment, opened the computer, and the screen lit up. Then, he saw that the screen displayed a top-down cross-section map of the Chixiao Sect!
"A sect map? Could it be that..."
Combining this with the dense footprints at the cave entrance, the masked man instantly understood. He immediately put away the laptop, slung the three women over his shoulders, and was about to leave the cave when a male voice suddenly sounded from a special communication device next to the laptop.
"Ye Lan, following your map, I can't get out of this Blackwater Prison. Could the map be wrong?"
"It's not wrong, it's just that you've triggered the mechanism, kid. Prepare to die!"