NOVEL WEB Chapter 780: Ominous Aura
"It seems we cannot completely let our guard down yet," Luo Chen said in a deep voice.
Qing Shuang clenched her fists, a trace of determination flashing in her eyes: "In that case, we cannot sit idly by. We must quickly find the source of this ominous energy."
Feng Qing nodded in agreement: "The letter mentioned a hidden sage. Perhaps we should visit him to learn more about the situation."
The three decided that once the support team from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was ready, they would set out to find the hidden sage.
While waiting, they decided to inquire around the town to see if anyone knew any clues about the ominous energy.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang changed into casual clothes and left the inn with Feng Qing.
The townspeople seemed accustomed to the presence of cultivators, casting curious yet friendly glances at Luo Chen and the others.
They first went to a tea house, which was crowded with local residents, making it a good place to gather information.
They found a corner to sit in and ordered a few cups of tea.
"Excuse me, have any strange events occurred in town recently?" Luo Chen asked the tea house owner.
The owner, a middle-aged man, put down the teapot and thought for a moment before answering: "To speak of strange things, a few events have certainly been puzzling lately. For instance, the old well on the east side of town has recently turned murky, and the well water has developed a peculiar taste."
Qing Shuang raised an eyebrow: "Oh? How peculiar. May we go and have a look?"
"Of course, if the immortals are interested, I'll take you there right away," the owner said enthusiastically.
The three followed the owner to the old well on the east side of town.
The well water was indeed as murky as the owner claimed, and it emanated a faint fishy smell.
Luo Chen squatted down, dipped his fingers into the well water, sniffed it, then frowned: "There seems to be traces of demonic qi in this water."
"Demonic qi?" Feng Qing and Qing Shuang exclaimed in unison.
"That's right, the demonic qi is faint but definitely present," Luo Chen affirmed.
The three exchanged glances, all understanding that the anomaly of the old well was likely related to the ominous energy mentioned in the letter.
"We need to investigate clearly where this demonic qi is coming from," Qing Shuang said seriously.
Luo Chen nodded: "We'll split up. I'll investigate the source of the well water, Qing Shuang, you inquire around town for more information, and Feng Qing will safeguard the townsfolk, just in case."
Qing Shuang and Feng Qing both agreed, and the three went their separate ways.
Luo Chen followed the path of the well water, tracking it outside of town to a dense forest.
The forest was shrouded in mist, appearing particularly eerie.
He cautiously ventured deeper into the forest, trying to locate the source of the demonic qi.
Qing Shuang was gathering information around town, using her identity with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to ask the townsfolk if they had seen any suspicious persons or unusual occurrences recently.
Although the townsfolk revered the cultivators, they shared all the information they knew with Qing Shuang.
Feng Qing was patrolling the town, placing alert arrays at various corners using talisman paper to prevent disruption by members of the Demon Organization.
Luo Chen traversed the forest for a long time before finally discovering something unusual in a hidden valley.
In the valley stood an abandoned mine entrance from which a strong demonic qi emanated.
He approached cautiously and noticed some movement inside the mine.
Qing Shuang had gathered some clues from the townsfolk mentioning that a mysterious group of outsiders had been spotted in the forest outside town.
She immediately realized that this might be connected to the mine that Luo Chen discovered.
After laying down the array in town, Feng Qing noticed Qing Shuang's direction as well.
He decided to head to the forest to meet up with Luo Chen and Qing Shuang.
The three eventually reunited outside the mine and decided to enter together to investigate the source of the demonic qi.
The mine was dark and humid, the air filled with a suffocating stench.
They carefully ventured deeper into the mine, finding the presence of demonic qi intensifying as they progressed.
At the deepest part of the mine, they discovered a massive altar with a crystal stone emitting a dark red glow at its center.
Around the crystal stone, several black-clad figures were murmuring curses softly.
"It seems we've found the source of the demonic qi," Luo Chen whispered.
Qing Shuang and Feng Qing stared vigilantly at the black-clad figures before them.
They knew a battle was inevitable.
The black-clad figures seemed to notice the arrival of Luo Chen and the others, ceasing their chanting and turning around, their eyes filled with hostility.
"You cultivators dare come here to disrupt our plans!" the leading black-clad figure barked angrily.
Luo Chen sneered: "Disrupt your plans? The ghostly acts you're involved with here clearly endanger the nearby townsfolk!"
The tension was palpable as both sides prepared for a fierce confrontation.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang swiftly drew their weapons, while Feng Qing began preparing talisman paper.
The black-clad figures were not to be outdone, summoning their own magic artifacts to prepare for battle.
The battle erupted instantly, with Luo Chen and Qing Shuang engaging fiercely with the black-clad figures through their adept synergy.
Feng Qing provided support from the side, utilizing the talisman papers to create various spell effects, disrupting the black-clad figures' movements.
The sound of clashing metal and murmuring curses echoed in the mine, as Luo Chen and Qing Shuang moved like lightning bolts through the black-clad figures. Their swordsmanship was sharp and precise, each swing accompanied by the screams of the black-clad.
Feng Qing's talisman papers floated like a flurry of butterflies, transforming into fireballs at times, and into ice arrows at others, providing solid support for Luo Chen and Qing Shuang.