Chapter 671 - 356: The Aftermath of Ting Fengyin’s Power

Chapter 671: Chapter 356: The Aftermath of Ting Fengyin’s Power

Afterward, Jiang Man and his group departed using Sword Control, heading for the Forbidden Mountain Range.

Elder Chu stood outside the hall, watching the streaks of sword light vanish into the horizon. He sighed and muttered, "He took almost all the Spirit Stones. Truly greedy. This makes it even more imperative to ensure the plan’s success. If he escapes, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Almost their entire fortune was on that young man. If he escaped, it would be tantamount to severing the path of advancement for their next generation. The stakes were simply too high.

However, he stopped dwelling on it. Now that things had reached this point, they could only give their all to execute the plan. No matter how he looked at it, the die was cast. Still, he hoped this group would venture deep enough to uncover what exactly lay inside.

They had long wanted to explore the Forbidden Mountain Range, but unfortunately, as a cursed people, entering was as difficult as scaling the heavens. Now, someone was finally exploring it on their behalf. If these people returned alive, they would serve as his living journal of the situation inside. By then, however, the dynamic between the two parties would have to change.

The mountain range was not particularly towering, but it was shrouded in clouds, stretching endlessly like a giant dragon resting on the earth. It gave the impression of separating two entirely different worlds.

Jiang Man and the others were forced to descend from the sky. Flying via Sword Control was impossible upon entering the mountain range, as a peculiar power permeated the sky. It would Attack a person’s Heart Spirit and sweep them into an unknown dimension. Lingering in the air for too long meant certain death. Thus, even Jiang Man didn’t dare to recklessly use Sword Control.

He simply wasn’t afraid of the Evil God Heart Lock. But when it came to tangible forces, he could only avoid taking them head-on.

The group landed at the foot of the mountain. Zhao Li looked at the range ahead and asked, "Are we really going to look for a child?"

Jiang Man turned to look at him. "Didn’t you take the Spiritual Source?"

The Qi and Blood throughout Zhao Li’s body seemed to fall silent for a moment before he finally replied, "I thought I was just holding onto it for you."

"You are indeed holding onto it for me. Your Spirit Stones are all mine. Moreover, I accepted this deal alone," Jiang Man said.

Shen Yao took two steps forward, asking curiously, "Can’t we split it?"

"How?" Jiang Man closed his eyes to sense his surroundings, then opened them. "This deal carries a Heart and Soul Lock Chain. It’s similar to the fog at the entrance—it triggers worldly desires and traps you within them."

Hearing this, the three of them were stunned. Even Qiaoyue, who was leading the way, froze in surprise.

Shen Yao patted her chest, letting out a sigh of relief. "No wonder my emotions felt off. I was feeling unusually inflated with ego, thinking everyone here was a broke loser with weak Cultivation."

Jiang Man and the others turned to glance at her but remained silent. They suspected that wasn’t an emotional invasion at all.

Qiaoyue stopped and turned around, pointing ahead. "Four Immortals, this is the entrance. However, there’s actually a fork in the road right here, but ordinary people can’t see the second path."

Following her direction, Jiang Man and the others indeed spotted a path that hadn’t seemed to exist before. It was right in front of them, yet it appeared half-hidden, as if veiled by a thin layer of gauze.

Jiang Man narrowed his eyes and inspected it closely. It turned out that one could only see this path if their Heart Spirit remained unaffected.

Taking two steps forward, Shen Yao looked at the faint path, then turned to Qiaoyue. "How did you find this?"

"I stumbled upon it by accident, but I didn’t dare enter recklessly since I’m completely unfamiliar with it," Qiaoyue explained, lowering her head and twisting her fingers together. "However, Qiao Yu shouldn’t have known about this path either, so we never searched in this direction.

"But since there’s no sign of Qiao Yu on the normal path, I’m afraid she might have accidentally wandered into this unknown route."

Chen Jinmu suddenly spoke up, his gaze locked on Qiaoyue. "Why are you able to enter?"

Hearing this, Qiaoyue paused, then shook her head. "I don’t know either. A lot of people say that once they come in, they get irritable, and a wave of inexplicable anger surges in their hearts. As a result, they can’t stay for long. But I didn’t feel any of that when I entered. I felt very peaceful.

"At least, I wouldn’t feel it in the short term."

Chen Jinmu and the others were surprised and exchanged glances. Their own emotions had already undergone some subtle changes, much like the effects of the fog outside. Once they were fully consumed by it, they would be eliminated.

Jiang Man turned his head to look at Qiaoyue, feeling a sense of strangeness. Who exactly was she to share the same unaffected state as him? The prestige of being an Unparalleled Celestial Pride had really diminished. It seemed he would have to find other ways to elevate the status of an Unparalleled Celestial Pride.

Afterward, under Qiaoyue’s lead, Jiang Man and the others entered a forest. The woods were dense, with branches and leaves blocking out most of the daylight. They stepped on a thick layer of fallen leaves, producing a crisp RUSTLE with every step.

Qiaoyue, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped. She looked back, her expression grave. "I’ve seen this forest before. Fog will appear soon, and it might separate us."

Jiang Man rejoiced inwardly. Separation was exactly what he wanted.

"Should we try a different path?" Qiaoyue asked, seeking their opinions.

Jiang Man looked at Shen Yao and the others. "Do you want to retreat?"

"Are you retreating?" Shen Yao asked.

Jiang Man shook his head. "Why would I run away from some fog?"

Shen Yao and the other two fell silent. Shen Yao really wanted to ask if he had achieved Great Success in the Nine-star Series to be acting so full of himself.

Ultimately, the three of them had nothing to say. Since Qiaoyue had encountered this forest on the other path as well, it meant that turning back would be useless. They could only continue moving forward.

Sure enough, it didn’t take long for the fog to appear. White mist surged from the depths of the forest, quickly enveloping the group.

Then, Shen Yao noticed that the people around her had vanished. Zhao Li, Chen Jinmu, and the others experienced the exact same thing.

Walking through the fog, Jiang Man had noticed the shift in the Array early on. The Array that Ji Meng had taught him was a technique of the Wuyou Evil God.