Chương 26: Encounter with Nangong Wan! Emergency Evacuation!

Emergency Evacuation!

Chapter Twenty-Six: Encounter with Nangong Wan! Emergency Evacuation!

After walking for about half an hour, passing through a patch of low bushes, the view ahead opened up slightly, revealing a relatively dry, rocky beach covered with grayish-brown stones of varying sizes.

However, the sight on the rocky beach made Zhou Ding suddenly stop in his tracks.

Two corpses, one on the left and one on the right, were only a few feet apart, lying stiffly on the cold stone surface in a rather "natural" posture.

On the left was a man dressed in the blue robes of the Yellow Maple Valley. A broken flying sword blade was deeply embedded in his chest, and bloodstains spread across a large dark red patch on his chest. His eyes were wide open, and his face was frozen in shock and resentment.

The man on the right was wearing the wide sword robe that was the hallmark of the Greatsword Sect. There was a smooth cut on his neck that was deep enough to expose the bone, almost separating his head from his body. He had already bled to death, and the rubble beneath him was stained a shocking brownish-red.

The storage bags at their waists were still hanging intact, bulging and full, with the openings not even tied tightly, revealing glimpses of spirit stones or jade boxes, exuding a silent yet powerful aura on the desolate, rocky beach.

"Total destruction? What a coincidence..." Zhou Ding sneered inwardly, but on his face, he subtly revealed a hint of wariness and hesitation. His gaze lingered on the two storage bags, as if he were attracted by them, and his steps slowed down hesitantly.

Because through Xiao Jin's ability to hear the earth, he had already "seen" everything clearly!

Less than thirty feet away from the two "corpses," behind the shadow of a giant rock half a person's height and covered with moss, a faint yet unusually solid and steady fluctuation of human life and spiritual energy was quietly lurking!

Like a venomous crocodile lurking in the mud, patiently waiting for its prey to step into the trap.

Those two bulging storage bags were nothing more than carefully crafted bait.

A barely perceptible glint of cold light flashed in Zhou Ding's eyes.

He pretended to be attracted by the storage bag, "cautiously" scanned his surroundings with his divine sense, and slowed his pace, seemingly weighing the risks, as he slowly approached the "corpse".

Secretly, he had already manipulated Little Gold, which was lurking deeper underground, to move silently towards the bottom of that boulder, preparing to launch a thunderous attack.

However, when Zhou Ding's body was less than 500 meters away from the boulder where the lurker was hiding, his expression suddenly changed!

When his divine sense deliberately swept over the area of that boulder, he failed to detect anything unusual!

If it weren't for Xiao Jin's ability to detect the other party's presence, he would have thought there was nothing there based solely on his divine sense!

There are only two possibilities: Either this person is carrying a rare treasure that can perfectly conceal divine sense from detection.

Or... this person's spiritual strength is far superior to his own, and with his deliberate concealment, his spiritual sense simply cannot penetrate the other party's disguise!

Zhou Ding prefers the latter!

His current spiritual strength is comparable to the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and is considered top-tier in the Qi Refining stage.

Among all the Qi Refining cultivators in the entire Crimson Forbidden Land, there are probably very few who can render his divine sense ineffective.

The Nascent Soul stage master, Xiang Zhili?

That seasoned veteran, who's known for his frivolous ways, probably has no interest in such a low-level fishing trick.

Then, the answer is almost obvious.

The Hidden Moon Sect, Nangong Wan!

Upon thinking of this, Zhou Ding's heart clenched, and a layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out on his back.

He abandoned the idea of manipulating Little Gold to attack almost without hesitation!

Just as his body was about a hundred meters away from the "corpse" and seemed to be about to enter the optimal ambush zone, he suddenly stopped, and his face "just right" showed a look of "extreme unease" and "palpitation", as if he had suddenly sensed some kind of indescribable great danger.

Without hesitation, he turned around and even expended his magic power to fully activate his Wind Control Technique, speeding away in the exact opposite direction from the rocky beach without looking back. He disappeared into the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

Less than three breaths after Zhou Ding's figure disappeared.

On the rocky beach, the air beside the two "corpses" rippled gently, like water with pebbles thrown in, creating an almost invisible ripple.

Then, a slender, graceful figure dressed in white appeared, as if stepping out of a painting, or as if moonlight had gathered and slowly materialized.

It turned out to be a girl who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old.

She wore an immaculate white dress and had bare, jade-like feet. She floated in the air, a few inches off the ground, her skirt moving without wind, ethereal and untouched by any dust or dirt.

Her appearance was exquisitely beautiful, with features so delicate they seemed to have been sculpted by the heavens. In particular, her eyes, clear as autumn water, held a depth and languor that belied her age.

It was none other than Nangong Wan, the Core Formation Elder of the Hidden Moon Sect, who was disguised as a Qi Refining disciple.

She gazed in the direction Zhou Ding had disappeared, a hint of surprise flashing in her clear eyes. Then, the corners of her rosy lips curved slightly, turning into a smile that was both interesting and playful.

"Huh? This little guy... his senses are frighteningly sharp."

Her lips parted slightly, her voice clear and melodious, like drops of ice water falling onto a jade plate, yet carrying a maturity and magnetism rarely found in a young girl's voice: "Even though you're only at the Qi Refining stage and your divine sense didn't really detect me, you were able to sense danger at the last moment and decisively retreat... This intuition for danger is no simple feat."

She extended her slender, jade-like fingers and gently tapped her smooth chin, her interest deepening.

"Moreover, just a moment ago, I seemed to sense a very faint, unusual fluctuation underground... Was it a coincidence, or is there something strange about this little guy? His spiritual sense is also unusually strong; has he cultivated some kind of secret technique to enhance his spiritual sense? When did such an interesting junior emerge from this batch of disciples in Huangfeng Valley?"

She shook her head slightly, seemingly a little disappointed at not being able to "tease" him, but more so with a sense of curiosity about discovering something new.

"Alright, business is more important, I'll let you off this time."

She stretched, her beautiful curves clearly visible beneath her white dress, but her eyes instantly shifted from languid to deep and unfathomable: "However, little one, if we meet again deep within the forbidden area, you won't get away so easily... I'm rather curious, what exactly is your secret?"

As her voice faded away, her figure, like morning dew in the sunlight or a bubble in the water, slowly faded and finally disappeared completely into the air, as if she had never been there at all.

In the same spot, only the two "corpses" still lying straight and lifelike, and the two storage bags still bulging and deadly alluring, remained, silently mocking the next greedy person who might come.

……

Zhou Ding ran for several miles in one breath, and only stopped behind a huge ancient tree after Xiao Jin's Earth Listening Technique confirmed that there was no trace of pursuit or spying from behind. He leaned against the rough trunk, exhaled a long breath, and his heart was still beating a little fast.

"That was close... I almost walked right into the line of fire!" Recalling what had just happened, he couldn't help but feel a wave of fear again.

If it weren't for Xiao Jin's Earth Listening Technique providing a physical warning, he would never have been able to detect Nangong Wan's disguise with his divine sense alone. If he had rashly stepped forward to take advantage of her, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Even if a Core Formation cultivator's cultivation level has temporarily dropped, he is still not someone he can deal with.

"This old woman... a dignified Core Formation cultivator, mixed in with a group of juniors, still resorting to such underhanded fishing tricks!"

Zhou Ding couldn't help but think to himself, "Bullying the weak is one thing, but using such despicable methods... it's utterly shameless!"

After muttering a few curses to himself and calming his mind, Zhou Ding decided to immediately change his plans and get away from this area that might be under Nangong Wan's "special attention".

He unfolded the map and chose another direction—the eastern part of the forbidden area, known as "Giant Stone Valley" for its complex terrain and rugged rocks.

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