Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 565 - 565 564 The Secret of Dark River Double Monthly Tickets Requested

565: Chapter 564: The Secret of Dark River [Double Monthly Tickets Requested] 565: Chapter 564: The Secret of Dark River [Double Monthly Tickets Requested] Hou Niao tunneled into the sand layer, and for this “ground mouse”, such terrain was not too easy.

The sand layer was loose, and after a thousand years of sediment, its thickness had exceeded five zhang.

This was because it was at the edge of the Kneecap Desert, and the deeper one went, the deeper the sand layer would be, and the more severe the sandification.

Yuan Shangyuan’s Dharma Form could penetrate through the sand layer, but couldn’t get through the soil layer beneath it.

When Hou Niao reached the bottom of the sand layer, he could clearly sense the presence of the Water Element.

It was several times stronger than what should be found under a normal sand layer, which clearly indicated there was a more moist soil layer beneath the sand.

Leaving behind Yuan Shangyuan’s Dharma Form clone, he continued to dive deeper, quickly blending into the soil layer, discerning the strengths of the Water Element, searching for any traces of undead creatures’ presence.

Several days later, feeling no trace of undead creatures’ activities, he used his Dharma Form to send information to Yuan Shangyuan, preparing to dive even deeper.

However, he wasn’t sure if he would lose contact after diving deeper, so he needed to inform in advance, to avoid any misunderstandings from above.

After making preparations, he continued his Tunneling into the depths, eager to discover the exact location of the underground Dark River.

Shortly, at a depth of several tens of zhang, he found the Dark River, with its underflow surging and a large volume of water.

…Ten days later, he emerged from the sand surface, the whole process uneventful, confirming the existence of the underground Dark River, and also ruling out the speculation that undead creatures relied on the Dark River for their activities.

The only achievement was that he had drawn a clear map of the Longxu Gully underground Dark River’s course, which greatly differed from the maps previously marked.

But a question followed—since there were no traces of undead creatures here, why did Yu Zhengxing ask them to come here for exploration?

With such doubts, Gui Team returned to Loulan City after nearly four months of patrolling outside.

“What’s the matter?

You’re calling everyone for a meeting in a few days?”

After Hou Niao submitted a brief report of the journey, including the course of the Dark River, Yu Zhengxing didn’t meet with him, instead saying that after some days when the other teams returned, a meeting would be convened, which was strange.

Nan Xiangye pulled him aside; they had become familiar with each other on this mission, so there was no need to hide things.

“Senior brother, there is something I need to remind you of.

The cultivators that Uncle-Master Yu brought in from Shan Sect this time all have one thing in common…”

Seeing him beat around the bush, Hou Niao couldn’t help but laugh, “What’s the common trait?

Important enough for you to make such a fuss and beat around the bush?”

Nan Xiangye mysteriously said, “Aside from each one of them being Uncle-Master Yu’s favorite disciples, they all share another trait—each person is very wealthy!”

Hou Niao’s eyes widened in surprise, “Who says I’m wealthy?

I’m poor.

Ever since I joined this crappy sect, they haven’t given me any pay or provisions!”

Nan Xiangye chuckled, “Senior brother, crying poor to me is useless; I won’t lend you Spirit Stones.

What I mean is, Uncle-Master Yu probably summoned us this time to have us cough up some money.

After all, everyone’s been doing quite well outside, and we’re all quite comfortable financially, like how you, senior brother, became the pirate leader in the Lizhi Sea, with mountains of gold and silver…”

Hou Niao quickly denied any such reputation, “Who’s been spreading this nonsense?

That’s not the case!

But is your theory actually based on anything, or just a private guess?”

Nan Xiangye said, “Just a guess, just a guess.

Some senior brothers who have been here for years have been gossiping about it in private, but they refuse to elaborate…”

Hou Niao resolutely stated, “Well, I’m not paying a single Spirit Stone, as for the rest of you…”

Nan Xiangye responded, “If senior brother won’t pay, then neither will I!”

The two formed a defensive alliance, vowing to fight for the Spirit Stones in their purses.

The only thing that puzzled them was, what excuse would Yu Zhengxing use?

Hou Niao was very curious.

During his rest period in Loulan, he began to practice his “Thunder Fire Refining Golden Body”.

Because he could generate his own thunder, the process was very quick; he completed the first stage of skin membrane thunder traversal in just a dozen days, and he began the Golden Bone Thunder Forging stage.

With his feeling, it would probably be completed within the year.

This was the assurance of his own strength; with enough Realm and a Natural Dao Body, plus the Primordial Magnetic Dao Body, he felt it was quite easy to pick up the technique.

The next challenge might be the Refining Three Treasures, but that was a matter for the Golden Core Realm and not something to consider at the moment.

Skin membrane thunder traversal was not simply about thickening the skin, but rather an overall improvement to the resistance against Techniques.

When the body’s skin was covered by a layer of lightning, the thunder’s special suppression over the Five Elements would weaken a part of the magic power of techniques.

Cultivation was boundless; advancing without retreating, firmly moving step by step on the chosen path.

Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, but no matter what, the attitude of moving forward did not change.

A month later, the teams that had gone out on missions gradually returned to the city.

In an unusual turn, without any new assignments being dispatched, the cultivators of Loulan City gathered together.

Finally, a grand meeting unlike any other was called by several high-ranking Golden Core cultivators, inviting all cultivators who served in Loulan, regardless of their Realm.

Yu Zhengxing, as the chief officer of the Loulan direction, presided over this meeting.

Without any superfluous words, he hung a total of ten maps on the wall, pieced together—including the map of the Longxu Gully underground Dark River obtained by Gui Team.

“In the Kneecap Desert, there is a Dark River, which historically is the Snow River from a thousand years ago.

As time shifted and the land became desertified, the once ceaselessly flowing river on the surface was diverted underground, becoming the current Day River,” Yu Zhengxing pointed to the maps on the wall.

“These ten maps, all drawn by you during this mission while diving underground, are authentic and credible.

When the ten maps are combined, they show the course of the ancient Snow River within Ancient Lop.

One can imagine, if we add the Dark Rivers from other regions, just how magnificent and spectacular this once great Snow River would be, stretching across the Kneecap Desert and dividing the land into two worlds.

Around Snow River is the legendary Snow River region, rich and beautiful, bountiful in resources.”

His face showed yearning as he waved his hand, “It is because of the existence of Snow River that so many ancient civilizations thrived here historically, and the Northwest wasn’t a place of pervasive sandstorms, but rather a paradise where people could live and work in peace and contentment.

However, the sands destroyed all of this.

Although to this day, the Cultivation World has not found the cause of the desert’s encroachment or the disappearance of Snow River, at least we know that to fundamentally change all that in the Northwest, we must start from the original Snow River, now the Dark River!”

Yu Zhengxing’s eyes gleamed with excitement, “We cultivators most value opportune timing.

When the time comes, heaven and earth harness the same force; when it leaves, the fate of the masses is no longer free.

In the past, every generation of Guardian Cultivators in Loulan felt the existence of the Dark River might be the key to breaking the stalemate for mankind in the Northwest, but the timing was wrong.

Reckless actions would only provoke divine wrath and resentment, leading to disaster.

But now, after the Jinxiu Continent’s spiritual resurgence seventeen hundred years ago, we have once again come to a tipping point of massive world changes.

I believe the time has come!”