Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 564 - 564 563 Revisiting Dark River Happy New Year

564: Chapter 563 Revisiting Dark River [Happy New Year] 564: Chapter 563 Revisiting Dark River [Happy New Year] PS: With festive joy we celebrate the New Year; congratulations on the New Year, another year has passed with the horse’s teeth empty.

How many years can one have in life?

Is it this year?

Or next year?

One asks which year health might persist, while worrisome days feel like years.

Coughing up phlegm disrupts peaceful sleep, it is said to be the New Year, just past the New Year, and the household turned gloomy in just a few days.

Leisurely mood accompanies the little lamps, with spring on the edge of worry, man battling against pathogens, clutching blankets vainly fiddling with musical instruments.

……….

The mining adventurers suffered heavy losses.

Seven died directly, and those who remained were all injured, with five minor cultivators and two from the Tongxuan Realm among the dead—accounting for thirty percent of the adventurers.

Without a sign of their leader, three of them became a bit anxious.

Nan Xiangye grabbed Wang Gandang, who was almost collapsed on the ground, and demanded harshly:

“Where’s my senior brother?

What’s happening here?

How did these undead creatures die?”

Wang Gandang forced a smile, more miserable than tears, “I don’t know!

Everything became chaotic as soon as the Immortal arrived…

Then, we didn’t know where he went?

He must have gone after the undead creatures that slipped through, right?

I’m sorry, it was too chaotic at the time, we genuinely couldn’t care for him…”

Fairy Huang tugged at Nan Xiangye, signaling him to watch his tone, and then spoke with a pleasant smile:

“Do not panic, Daoist Wang.

Now that we have arrived, safety is assured.

First, compose your Divine Sense, then recount the events, making sure to not omit anything.

That will help us plan our next steps.”

Wang Gandang, after all, had God Sensing cultivation, and finally calmed down at this time.

It wasn’t that his mind was weak; rather, the scene at that time was too chaotic and too shocking.

“After several senior brothers left, we began wrapping things up, preparing to ride a tailwind when you returned.

Unexpectedly, less than an hour ago, we were suddenly attacked by undead creatures, taking us completely by surprise.

Two miners died on the spot.

At first, there weren’t many of them, just six or seven, and we managed to cope by virtue of our numbers.

But as the fight dragged on, more and more undead creatures kept emerging from the ground, one after another, all of them Hundred-Eyed Aberrations.

With only five cultivators at the Tongtian Realm amongst us, we quickly became overwhelmed.

Even though we had the advantage in numbers, our formation was on the brink of collapse, with continuous deaths and injuries.

The battle hopeless, escape impossible, we believed today we would all perish here.

Unexpectedly, a sword light flew across the sky…”

Wang Gandang licked his dry lips, a trace of terror flashing in his eyes, “We didn’t see the person, just a sword light, fierce and unparalleled.

Wherever the sword passed, none could withstand a single blow!

Nearly thirty undead creatures were wiped out in the blink of an eye!”

Nan Xiangye sneered, disdainful, having not even seen the person involved, those decades of cultivation seemed wasted.

“That was my senior brother!

Are you saying none of you, still more than a dozen, had functioning eyes?

Only good for spotting Mica Star Stones, and when danger comes, you just close your eyes and wait for death?”

Wang Gandang dared not retort, but insisted: “Senior brother, we truly didn’t see the person!

Perhaps your senior brother was too far away?

In any case, we only heard swords howling through the sky, then bones crashing down.

Our eyes couldn’t keep up with the sword light, flashing through the air like lightning and thunder, and then everything ended like this…”

Seeing that questioning led nowhere, Yuan Shangyuan and the others were about to split up and continue the search when suddenly a figure burst from the sand in the distance—who else could it be but Hou Niao?

The three rushed to meet him, only to hear him issue a simple order, “Kill those that can be killed, and those that can escape, let them.

Gather the things, we are returning immediately.”

No one objected, especially the adventurous mining group.

Knowing the slaughter was carried out by this Brother Hou, Wang Gandang and the others didn’t dare look him in the eye, guessing that he must be a True Disciple of the Shan Sect, for no one else could be so powerful, enough to despair both the living and undead.

The group swiftly departed.

The undead creatures were vengeful too, just like all other cultivation creatures.

With these minor cultivators in tow, they couldn’t face the undead creatures head-on.

The Flying Boat took off, swift as the wind and as fast as lightning.

Hou Niao looked at Wang Gandang, “We will only escort you to Longxu Gully where we’ll establish a defensive line.

You’ll have to walk the rest of the way yourselves.”

Wang Gandang dared not question the command and clenched his teeth, “I can stay behind…”

Hou Niao waved his hand dismissively, “There’s no need.

Everyone has their purpose.

Don’t force it.

Your task is to ensure the safety of these people on their return.

Also, take care of the aftermath and don’t be stingy.”

Wang Gandang nodded, “Death is a grave matter.

I dare not deceive.”

The team quickly arrived at Longxu Gully.

The mining group continued their return journey.

In terms of their current location, their trip back was essentially safe.

As they watched the mining group depart, Nan Xiangye chuckled, “Senior Brother, you killed them a bit too quickly.

Couldn’t you have left a few for us?”

The Fairy Huang continued with her flirting eyes, “Senior Brother, do you need healing?

My Harmony Healing Method can not only relieve injuries and prevent sickness, but it can also uplift spirits…”

Yuan Shangyuan was speechless.

Hou Niao smiled, “It can’t be helped.

Killing them slowly would have caused unnecessary losses, so I didn’t wait for you.”

All three knew in their hearts that this Sikong from the Shan Sect hadn’t been using his full strength before joining the battle.

He was deliberately fostering teamwork within the group.

Having such a leader made everyone feel secure.

Yuan Shangyuan then asked, “We still have about a hundred li left unpatrolled.

Do we continue?”

Hou Niao shook his head, “There’s no need to stick to that one or two hundred li, nor is there a need to forcefully retaliate knowing that there’s a possibility that Undead Creatures might gather for revenge.

Such big scenes should be left to the Golden Core masters; we shouldn’t steal their thunder.

We will guard Longxu Gully for ten days and investigate once more in the meantime.

After ten days, we will return.”

Yuan Shangyuan pondered, “I can cover the Dharma Form with a layer of earth film, which will allow me to go a few more zhang deeper, but it can only last for about two hours before I need to reform the Dharma Form…”

Hou Niao waved his hand, “It’s not necessary.

This time we will try a different method.

Divide the team into three layers; I will tunnel through the earth beneath the sandy layer, and I want to see the reality of this Dark River, to check if there are indicators of Undead Creature activity.

I might tunnel quite deep, out of the range of Divine Sense contact, so we need the Dharma Form to maintain the flow of information in the middle; Yuan, you will be responsible for relaying information within the whole team so we can react immediately in case of an emergency.

Fairy, you and Xiangye will follow and keep watch from the air, responsible for scouting the surroundings.

If anything happens, inform me through the Ape-Men; I estimate that tunneling for these three hundred or so li won’t take more than ten days.”

After thinking for a moment, “Ape-Man, while you’re at it, map out the entire course of the Dark River according to my tunnelling path.”

This might be a bit risky, especially for Hou Niao tunneling below the sand, but since Hou Niao insisted, no one else had much to say.

He was the only cultivator of the Natural Realm in the team, with formidable strength.

If he had confidence in himself, it was within the limits of a cultivator’s risk-taking.

The crucial point was that by following this plan, any issues with the Dark River of the Longxu Gully wouldn’t need to be doubted any longer, which would be tantamount to truly completing the mission entrusted to them by Yu Zhengxing.

After the arrangements were made, Hou Niao dove into the sandy layer, disappearing from sight; Yuan Shangyuan followed on foot above ground, while his Dharma Form descended a few zhang into the sand to maintain contact with Hou Niao; the remaining two took to the air, Fairy Huang at a hundred zhang, Nan Xiangye at three hundred zhang.

With these arrangements, the entire team formed a three-dimensional hierarchy.

Below the sand, on the sand’s surface, in the low sky, in the middle sky…