Two points were misunderstood.
First, the monsters formed from the combination of evil cultivators' bodies and obsessions are not allied with the Mountain Ghost faction. Second, the Mountain Ghost faction's mission may not necessarily be to prevent the Mountain God faction from obtaining the Heart of the Forest.
The second point is inferred from the first. Judging from the balance of difficulty, the Lost City is the Mountain Ghost faction's territory, giving them an advantage. Therefore, that monster and the Mountain Ghost faction must be in cahoots.
But now it seems that "Axiom in the Blade" was clearly killed by the monster. Based on this, it can be inferred that the Mountain Ghost faction also has a mission similar to that of the Mountain God faction – to obtain something from the monster!
Zhang Yuanqing shared his speculation with his companions. Guo Hezu supported his chin with two fingers and analyzed, "Could the Mountain Ghost faction's mission also be to obtain the Heart of the Forest? A competition between the two teams to see who can kill the evil cultivator first?" Zhao Chenghuang shook his head.
"It's not that simple. If both sides were competing for the Heart of the Forest, the mission description wouldn't need to be so complicated. Tianxiaguihuo, what do you think?" Tianxiaguihuo's expression was solemn: "Our mission is to obtain the Heart of the Forest and strengthen the seal. So, since they are the opposing faction, let's think boldly. Could the Mountain Ghost faction's mission be to complete the sacrificial ritual and summon the supreme being in the blood pool?"
"And based on the monster's attack on the Mountain Ghost faction, we can infer that the Mountain Ghost faction also needs to obtain something from the monster. Relative to the Heart of the Forest, that thing can complete the sacrificial ritual."
The Little Match Boy was shocked and retorted loudly, "Impossible!"
"If that thing in the mural descends, we will surely die. We simply cannot contend with it." Tianxiaguihuo sneered.
"It's not like the Mountain Ghost faction will survive even if we obtain the Heart of the Forest and strengthen the seal. The Lost City is the final level, the most difficult. After we complete the task of strengthening the seal, won't there be rewards?"
"The rewards will definitely match the thing in the blood pool. It might be the Mountain God's Staff. How many of the Mountain Ghost faction do you think will survive?" The Little Match Boy was speechless.
Guan Ya stood prettily, a large-caliber pistol in her right hand, her arm hanging naturally against her slender waist, her left hand on her hip. She analyzed, "The deceased were almost instantly killed, and he wasn't a lone wolf. To be able to kill a strong member within the ranks of the Mountain Ghost faction's experts, this monster's strength is genuine fourth-grade."
"To hunt it, we must be prepared to sacrifice half of our personnel. And we still have to face the Mountain Ghost faction." As a qualified scout, intelligence gathering and situation analysis are essential skills. The Maoshan Taoist interjected,
"We can divert the trouble and let the Mountain Ghost faction deal with it."
Guan Ya scoffed, "What a clever young man. That's exactly what the Mountain Ghost faction is thinking."
The Maoshan Taoist couldn't fail to hear her sarcasm. He snorted coldly, not responding, and looked at Zhao Chenghuang, asking, "Then what should we do now?" As soon as he finished speaking, a loud "bang" answered his question.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw the tall, busty mixed-race beauty, raising her gun and shooting a wild deer dozens of meters away. Somewhere in the city, in an abandoned factory, in a vine-covered building.
Bai Wujinji, A Yi, Wei Wuduzun, and twenty others stood close to the wall, holding their breath, each as wary as a startled bird, listening vigilantly to the sounds outside.
On closer inspection, it could be seen that these people's "color" was different from the surrounding scenery. The colors on their bodies were extremely dull, as if covered with a layer of dark curtain.
After a long time, Bai Wujinji breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Good, that ghostly thing didn't chase us."
Jiu Louyu asked, "Can I withdraw the props now?" Bai Wujinji shook his head repeatedly, "No! We have already been marked by that monster. It's very difficult to remove the mark of the Bewitching Demon. At least we don't have that ability. Once you withdraw the props, it will immediately sense us." Not long ago, they encountered the monster's attack, and Axiom in the Blade died on the spot without even a chance to resist. The members of the Mountain Ghost faction were terrified and immediately retreated. However, the monster locked onto them and pursued them relentlessly.
Finally, Jiu Louyu took out a prop called the "Night Wanderer's Cloak," covering everyone, which got rid of the monster's tracking. This prop originated from the Night Wanderer profession and had the function of concealing aura, equivalent to the Night Wanderer's Night Wander skill. But the price was that they couldn't move.
Kou Beiyue was dissatisfied and said, "Are we going to keep wearing this prop all the time? We have to think of something." The little brother beside him said with a smile, "Don't worry, as long as we hide well, that means victory."
"If the monster can't find us, it will naturally go to the Mountain God faction. We can sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. Now, keep an eye on the leaderboard and wait for the killing feast to begin."
Hong Wei scolded, "Although this is a good strategy, I always feel uneasy. There are geniuses like Yuanshi Tianzun and Zhao Chenghuang in the Mountain God faction."
Tianxia Jiebai snorted, "You are a typical example of being frightened by Yuanshi Tianzun." "What are you doing?"
The Maoshan Taoist glared at Guan Ya and scolded, "Are you嫌(xian - dislike) us being too safe? What if you attract the monster?" The Mountain Ghost faction just lost a member nearby. The monster is likely to be nearby.
Long-Legged Old Driver said with a smile, "What am I doing? Of course, I'm giving a little buck like you, five centimeters for three seconds, some venison to nourish your body."
What kind of female hooligan is this? The Maoshan Taoist's face flushed with anger, and he couldn't speak for a moment. As the leader of the younger generation of the Taiyi Sect, he couldn't bring himself to argue with this female hooligan with vulgar words in public. Zhang Yuanqing's heart stirred, and he understood Old Driver's intention, "You want to lure the monster out, observe it from a distance, and gather intelligence?"
Guan Ya nodded slightly, "That monster is a Bewitching Demon, and Bewitching Demons are bloodthirsty. The smell of blood can lure it out. Rather than wandering around in the ruins and being ambushed unexpectedly, it's best to actively lure the enemy out and observe it."
10
"Also, if it is really attracted by the smell of blood, it proves that the Mountain Ghost faction has gotten rid of it." As she spoke, she shot and killed a black-backed dog that was trying to eat the wild deer.
Immediately, Zhang Yuanqing left the gorgeous Yin Corpse Blood Rose behind and told her to squat in the nearby bushes to observe. He then led the team away from the area. The Night Wanderer of the Taiyi Sect followed suit, leaving Yin Corpses to act as surveillance cameras.
After walking hundreds of meters, the group stopped and sat on the grassy path to rest and wait for the results.
After more than ten minutes, Zhang Yuanqing, whose will descended into the Blood Rose's sea of consciousness, saw a pale, dense fog drifting from the depths of the city, moving extremely fast, sweeping over the weeds, sweeping over the ruined buildings, sweeping over the abandoned vehicles... until it submerged the corpses of the three animals.
The dense fog then solidified, suspended in place. Immediately, the distant Blood Rose (Zhang Yuanqing) heard the sound of bones being crushed and flesh being chewed coming from the dense fog. As expected, it is a Mist Lord with a strong bloodthirsty instinct. However, why didn't it eat the corpse of "Axiom in the Blade"? Is it because of the Witch Gu Master's poison?
Zhang Yuanqing's heart was slightly chilled. A level 4 Bewitching Demon is a true boss, whose combat power cannot be compared to the Tree King or the Monkey King. Killing transcendents is as easy as cutting melons and vegetables.
Unfortunately, the dense fog concealed the monster's appearance, making it impossible to determine whether it was a low-intelligence walking corpse or a sentient Yin Object. If it were the latter, the risk factor would be even higher.
Soon, the chewing sound in the dense fog disappeared, and the pale, heavy fog receded like a tide.
Zhang Yuanqing waited for a while until the dense fog receded back into the depths of the city and disappeared from sight. He then controlled the Blood Rose to get up and walk towards the corpses of the three animals, the weeds rustling as she moved.
Only a ground of bloodstains and minced meat and bones remained. Even the dog and deer heads were chewed to pieces. The eight Yin Corpses of the Taiyi Sect immediately surrounded her to check the situation. "It's really disgusting, eating so cleanly..." Sun Miaomiao's Yin Corpse said.
"What, do you want to eat a few bites too?" the Blood Rose sneered. Zhao Chenghuang's level 4 Yin Corpse said in a deep voice,
"As Guan Ya predicted, that monster is level 4, and it seems to have retained some of its abilities from its previous life. It's a pity that we can't see its appearance clearly, so we can't assess its intelligence."
Romance
Zhang Yuanqing listened silently and said, "Let's go back." On the way back, the group was already discussing countermeasures.
"The information collected so far is: level 4, controls some of its skills from its previous life, which is the Mist Lord's signature skill (tentatively); has an extremely strong bloodthirsty desire. The animals that Guan Ya shot were eaten clean; it came with a thick fog, so we couldn't see its appearance clearly and couldn't guess its intelligence level."
After Zhang Yuanqing finished reporting the information, he said, "I propose that we don't provoke it for now. Let's explore the Lost City first and find the locations of the four formations. The guys from the Mountain Ghost faction are just waiting to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. We can't let them get their wish."
The current situation is very troublesome. We can't collect mission items without fighting the boss, but no matter which side pushes the boss, the other side will pick up the scraps. Yuan Ting also made a suggestion: "If it really doesn't work, we can have a decisive battle with the guys from the Mountain Ghost faction first. In short, we must resolutely stick to the policy of not pushing the boss."
"As soon as your Yin Corpses return, we'll leave immediately," said Niu Lan Shan Little Fairy.
Hearing this, everyone subconsciously raised their heads and looked in the direction they had come from, looking at the nine Yin Corpses that were gradually approaching. Suddenly, everyone's pupils slightly dilated at this moment.
Behind the returning nine Yin Corpses, a pale dense fog was silently following.
They floated slowly and gently, as if they were stealthily tracking. No, it wasn't as if, that pale fog was tracking the Yin Corpses.
Impossible, when were we being tracked? I have always been paying attention to what's behind me... It discovered the Yin Corpses long ago. It didn't attack the Yin Corpses, but instead tracked them, realizing that the Yin Corpses were just puppets... This monster has extremely high intelligence... Zhang Yuanqing's scalp tingled, and a chill ran down his spine. While controlling the Yin Corpses to run wildly, he shouted, "Run, run quickly!"
Before he could finish speaking, everyone had sprung up and fled in all directions.
Realizing that it had been discovered, the slowly floating dense fog in the distance suddenly accelerated, like an avalanche, like a tsunami, sweeping towards everyone overwhelmingly. A Night Wanderer from the Taiyi Sect failed to outrun the dense fog and was instantly swallowed by it. Then, a shrill scream came from the dense fog. The scream stimulated the crowd fleeing ahead, and everyone used their skills and props to escape with all their might.
The Wood Demons who were good at climbing were the fastest, rushing to the first echelon. Next were the Fire Masters who ran like fire in the second echelon. The Earth Monsters, Scouts, Water Ghosts, and Night Wanderers who were not good at speed lagged behind in the third echelon.
The dense fog rolled in, moving extremely fast, making the Way of the Extraordinary of the Mountain God faction feel like ordinary people running from death in a disaster movie. Behind them was an avalanche that swept everything away, or a tsunami that engulfed everything. Guan Zhong Kui Bao's face suddenly became distorted, and he roared, "We can't outrun it! We can't outrun it at all! Yuanshi Tianzun, Zhao Chenghuang, let's fight it!" His mentality was a little broken because the dense fog was only about ten meters away from him.
The "heavy" attribute destined the Earth Monsters to be the least good at running, although they were known for their endurance and endless stamina. Zhao Chenghuang's face was tense, and his panicked escape posture was neither arrogant nor aloof. He refused outright, "Fighting a Mist Lord in dense fog? Not to mention us, even Night Wanderers of the same level have little chance of winning." No matter how confident he was, he didn't think he could defeat a level 4 Mist Lord in dense fog.
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What Zhang Yuanqing was thinking was that if they had chosen to fight it to the death from the beginning, the team members might have been able to muster courage and fighting spirit. But now, morale was collapsing, which was the most typical defeat on the battlefield. In this state, it was impossible to gather manpower. "Ah!"
Another Earth Monster was caught up by the dense fog and then swallowed, the scream penetrating the pale fog and reaching everyone's ears. Guan Zhong Kui Bao's face became even more distorted. The dense fog was less than five meters away from him. He heard the reaper's breath.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced back and saw two Earth Monsters and a Scout beside Guan Zhong Kui Bao. A few meters ahead was Asano Ryo, who was pale with fright. Ahead of Asano Ryo was Sun Sen Sen. Ahead of Sun Sen Sen was Guan Ya.
No, if this goes on, it's only a matter of time before they are caught up. At least a third of the teammates will die here... How did the guys from the Mountain Ghost faction escape...? Zhang Yuanqing's mind raced, thinking of countermeasures. Soon, he remembered one of the Mist Lord's action rules.
The Mist Lord can lock onto enemies in the dense fog by detecting the vibrations of the fog, just like a spider uses the vibrations of its web to determine the location of its prey.
If someone can actively enter the dense fog and not be instantly killed, then the monster in the dense fog will definitely chase after them. This way, everyone will be saved... Thinking of this, he immediately slowed down and shouted, "Baoyu, do you have any defensive props?" "My name is 'Guan Zhong Kui Bao', not Baoyu. Of course I have defensive props. What do you want to do?" Guan Zhong Kui Bao ran with a ferocious expression, his veins bulging.
Zhang Yuanqing shouted loudly, "Give me the props! I have a way to lure it away."
Guan Zhong Kui Bao's eyes lit up, like a drowning person grabbing a life-saving straw, but he hesitated because this was also his life-saving reliance. Although defensive props might not work, he was about to be swallowed by the dense fog. It was better to have a defensive prop than to have none. The surrounding Way of the Extraordinary heard their conversation clearly, and they tacitly devoted some attention to this side. "Obey the order!" Zhang Yuanqing shouted.
"艹!" Guan Zhong Kui Bao cursed angrily and said, "I'll trust you this time, but don't let me down." With that, he grabbed a tattered coat from his inventory and threw it forward with all his might.