Chapter 159: Ancient Ominous Horror

Under the cleansing force of Heaven and Earth's life force, the injuries on Fang Han's body quickly healed completely.

However, his expression remained grave as he stared at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes fixed on his forehead.

A black mark had been branded there as though seared into his flesh.

It was the very image of the nine-headed yao beast he had glimpsed in that fleeting daze.

"This is..."

Fang Han searched through the ancient texts he had once studied and soon found a matching description.

"Upon Mount Fuli are abundant deposits of gold and jade, while beneath it lie needle-stones. There dwells a beast whose form resembles a fox, yet it possesses nine tails and nine heads, with the claws of a tiger. It is called Xiezhi. Its cry resembles that of a human infant, and it feeds upon men."

"So those nodes where Heaven and Earth's Primordial Qi gathers..."

"Are they ancient ferocious beasts themselves..."

"Or awakened divine abilities belonging to Grandmaster martial artists?"

Fang Han retrieved a map and carefully marked every location he had observed.

"There doesn't seem to be any obvious pattern."

"Some are within cities, while others lie deep inside remote mountain ranges."

"The closest one to Tianmu City..."

"Cuiling Lake."

A sharp glint flashed across Fang Han's eyes.

Cuiling Lake had once been a famous vacation destination. Yet many years ago, dozens of people had mysteriously disappeared there one after another.

Many martial artists had gone to investigate, but none had ever uncovered the truth.

In the end, the place became a terrifying forbidden zone that everyone feared to even mention. Nowadays, almost no one dared venture there.

"Merely exchanging consciousness across such a distance was enough to leave a mark upon my body. The beings at these Primordial Qi nodes are undoubtedly extraordinarily powerful."

Bathed in the life essence drawn forth by the Verdant Wood Invocation, the black mark on Fang Han's forehead gradually faded until it disappeared without a trace.

The faint sensation of being watched by an unseen presence also vanished.

"I may not be their match yet."

"But there's no harm in taking a look."

His current state had already been synchronized within the Fangcun space. Even if he died now, the next time he entered, his Inner Force cultivation would remain intact.

With that thought, Fang Han no longer hesitated and headed straight for Cuiling Lake.

Not long after he departed, an enormous mass of dark clouds seemed to descend from the heavens, silently shrouding the skies above Tianmu City.

The gloomy clouds circled overhead for quite some time. Seemingly unable to find their target, they quietly disappeared once again.

Meanwhile, back at Fang Han's home, Ying tightly gripped her paintbrush, carefully recording the scene of the ominous clouds engulfing the city, stroke by stroke.

Cuiling Lake.

The closer Fang Han drew, the more clearly he could sense the vast concentration of Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth gathered there.

"This scale..."

"It has almost reached the level of Great Qian's Grotto Mystic realm."

Fang Han was inwardly astonished, yet he did not slow his pace as he continued toward the center of the Primordial Qi.

Before long, he arrived at the lakeshore.

Cuiling Lake was not particularly large. Its waters shimmered with a beautiful emerald-green hue.

The lake was completely still, resembling a giant mirror. While it reflected the sky above with perfect clarity, it also concealed everything beneath its surface from prying eyes.

"The Primordial Qi node lies at the bottom of the lake."

Everything around Cuiling Lake was deathly silent.

There were no sounds of life. Not even the faintest whisper of wind. The silence itself was enough to unsettle anyone.

Fang Han, however, showed no fear.

He plunged headfirst into the lake.

By the True Qi realm, a martial artist's body had already become nearly self-sustaining, no longer requiring ordinary breathing.

The instant he entered the water, an icy chill pierced straight into his bones.

The lake's temperature was unimaginably cold.

Yet beyond the freezing water, Fang Han sensed overwhelming malice pressing in upon him from every direction.

"Get out!"

"Get out!"

It was as though the entire lake had suddenly come alive, furiously cursing at him.

The once tranquil waters immediately became violent.

Invisible currents surged through the depths, transforming into countless razor-sharp blades that mercilessly sliced across Fang Han's body.

Even protected by his True Qi barrier, he was instantly covered in wounds.

"So that's all you've got?"

Fang Han let out a cold snort.

Boundless life essence poured toward him.

In an instant, every injury disappeared completely.

The lake fell silent for a brief moment.

Then its reaction became even more violent, as though the entire body of water had begun to boil.

The currents surrounding Fang Han transformed into countless grotesque, invisible monsters.

Fearless of death, they charged at him without hesitation.

Fang Han paid them no attention whatsoever.

Relying solely upon the endless vitality provided by the Verdant Wood Invocation and his protective True Qi barrier, he forcibly endured every assault.

His objective remained clear.

He headed straight toward the Primordial Qi gathering at the bottom of the lake.

He intended to discover exactly what was imprisoning the Heaven and Earth's Primordial Qi within this region.

The lake seemed consumed by fury.

Its methods of attack grew increasingly vicious.

Even an ordinary Astral Qi realm expert would likely have been gravely wounded in moments before being swallowed by the freezing depths.

Yet the Verdant Wood Invocation truly lived up to its reputation as one of the inheritances of the Ancient Ten Shamans.

Its supply of life force was inexhaustible.

No matter how severe Fang Han's injuries became, they recovered completely the very next instant.

Moreover, as he descended deeper into the lake, the surrounding Heaven and Earth's Primordial Qi became denser and denser.

The Verdant Wood Invocation also seemed to awaken in response.

The life force it drew forth became increasingly violent.

It had already reached nearly one-tenth the intensity found within Great Qian.

Even Fang Han could vaguely feel that his body was approaching its limits.

"Didn't you eat today? Is this supposed to tickle me?"

He continued taunting the lake, hoping to provoke even fiercer attacks.

Thus, after roughly half an hour of confrontation, Fang Han finally reached the lakebed.

Unlike the darkness throughout most of his descent, the bottom of the lake glowed with a faint light.

After carefully examining the surroundings, Fang Han discovered the source.

It came from vast fields of strange plants growing throughout the muddy lakebed.

At first glance they resembled ordinary aquatic weeds.

Yet atop every single blade grew a round, fleshy bulb that looked disturbingly like a human eyeball.

Now, as Fang Han's sudden intrusion disturbed their domain, countless icy "eyes" rotated in unison.

Every single one fixed its gaze directly upon him.

"What an interesting little appearance."

Fang Han remained completely unconcerned.

He casually tore out a handful, examined them for a moment, then tossed them into the Fangcun space.

These strange water plants were clearly not the true culprit imprisoning Heaven and Earth's Primordial Qi.

Using their dim glow as illumination, Fang Han continued searching the lakebed.

Just then...

He suddenly felt someone lightly tap his shoulder from behind.

Fang Han's entire body tensed.

He immediately spun around.

There was nothing there.

"Hm?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

As though someone were playing a prank...

A short while later...

His shoulder was tapped once again.

This time, Fang Han reacted instantly, reaching out to seize the hand touching his shoulder.

But to his astonishment...

The hand he grabbed was his own throat.

Instinctively, he tried to let go.

Yet somehow, completely against his own will...

His grip tightened harder and harder.

"This isn't right!"

With a thought, Fang Han's body instantly shattered apart, returning directly to the Fangcun space.

The strange phenomenon receded like a falling tide.

Everything immediately returned to normal.

"So that was..."

He rubbed his aching throat, carefully recalling what had just happened.

"Was it merely an illusion?"

"It actually affected my mind?"

Once he had fully recovered, Fang Han descended into the martial world once more.

At first, nothing unusual occurred upon the lakebed.

However, after remaining there for some time, the hallucinations inevitably returned.

Fang Han repeated the same method, retreating into the Fangcun space to evade them.

Thus, after searching the bottom of the lake for two full days and nights.

He finally found the source behind every bizarre phenomenon.

Lying silently within the mud of the lakebed...

Was a single fragment of tortoise shell.

Its surface was covered in countless ancient cracks, while strange symbols had been carved across it.

Or rather...

Writing.

"This is..."

Fang Han cautiously reached out, attempting to pick up the tortoise shell.

Before his hand could even touch it, however, an overwhelming resistance stopped him.

At the same time, countless horrifying visions erupted within his mind.

They were far more than mere hallucinations.

Without the slightest warning...

Fang Han's body was severed cleanly at the waist.

Exactly like the sacrificial victims he had witnessed within those terrifying visions.