NOVEL WEB Chapter 780: Ominous Aura (Part 2)
"You Immortal Cultivators, truly overestimating yourselves!" The leader of the black-clad men roared, as a black longsword suddenly appeared in his hand, its blade emitting a chilling black aura.
Luo Chen sneered, his figure flickering as he evaded the attack from the black-clad leader, at the same time reversing his grip on his sword, the tip drawing a silver arc aimed directly at his opponent's throat.
Taking the opportunity, Qing Shuang circled behind the black-clad man, her longsword darting forward like a nimble serpent, striking at a vital point.
Seeing this, Feng Qing swiftly pulled out a golden talisman paper from his sleeve, chanting incantations under his breath as the talisman transformed into a beam of golden light, shooting towards the black-clad leader.
The golden light exploded in mid-air, transforming into a giant net, trapping the black-clad leader within.
"Do you think you can trap me like this?" The black-clad leader laughed maniacally, the black longsword slicing through the air, tearing the golden net apart.
The black aura around him grew denser, as if intending to swallow the entire mine.
Seeing this, Luo Chen knew they had to finish the fight quickly, he shouted, "Qing Shuang, Feng Qing, let's combine our efforts for the 'Heavenly Nets'!"
The three swiftly formed a triangle, with Luo Chen in the center, Qing Shuang, and Feng Qing standing on either side.
They simultaneously raised their weapons above their heads, chanting ancient incantations.
A powerful surge of spiritual power emanated from their bodies, converging into a dazzling light.
Amidst the light, a massive array unfolded slowly, enveloping the black-clad leader and the surrounding black-clad men.
Within the array, innumerable light arrows rained down like a storm, despite the black-clad leader's attempts to deflect them with his black longsword, the arrows were endless, ultimately overwhelming them all.
The battle ended, and the mine returned to tranquility.
Although Luo Chen and the others were slightly fatigued, victory shone in their eyes.
They approached the altar, where Luo Chen lightly touched the dark red glowing crystal stone with his sword tip, causing it to emit a mournful cry before dissipating into black smoke.
"It seems we have completely destroyed the source of this ominous presence." Qing Shuang breathed a sigh of relief and said.
Feng Qing nodded, beginning to inspect the mine surroundings to ensure no hidden dangers remained.
"We still need to thoroughly cleanse this place to prevent demonic qi from gathering again."
Luo Chen glanced around, speaking in a deep voice, "Yes, we must prevent such incidents from happening again; however, we also need to find the reclusive master to learn more about the Thousand Faces Monk's associates."
The three decided to continue their journey after finishing the mine cleanup.
In the following days, Luo Chen, Qing Shuang, and Feng Qing continued gathering information in the town, awaiting support from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.
They helped the town's residents solve some minor issues, earning their respect and gratitude.
Finally, on a sunny morning, the support team from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion arrived in the town.
The team included not only elite disciples from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion but also some Elders with profound cultivation.
Luo Chen, Qing Shuang, and Feng Qing had a detailed conversation with the team's leader, reporting their findings and actions taken.
The leader was an elderly white-haired man named He Tu. After hearing Luo Chen and the others' report, he frowned and, after contemplating for a moment, said, "You have done well, but the Demon Organization's tactics are ever-changing, we must not let our guard down. I will have the disciples conduct a thorough inspection of the mine to ensure no hidden dangers are overlooked."
He Tu turned and instructed the disciples next to him, who immediately followed orders to begin a comprehensive search and cleanup of the mine.
Meanwhile, Luo Chen, Qing Shuang, and Feng Qing were invited by He Tu to a temporarily erected tent to discuss their next plans in detail.
"According to your description, the demonic qi in this mine is extraordinary; there might be a master guiding it." He Tu said slowly, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.
Qing Shuang nodded and continued, "We indeed need to find that reclusive master; he might know more about the Thousand Faces Monk."
"The Thousand Faces Monk?" He Tu raised an eyebrow, appearing somewhat surprised, "Are you certain it's the Thousand Faces Monk?"
Luo Chen explained, "The crystal stone we found in the mine and the suspicious individual we encountered in town are all related to the Thousand Faces Monk. To our knowledge, the Thousand Faces Monk excels in the art of disguise, capable of assuming anyone's appearance, and his disciples are also adept at using various dark arts."
He Tu pondered for a moment, then said, "The Thousand Faces Monk is an extremely dangerous figure within the Demonic Path, his disciples are spread worldwide and operate clandestinely. If he truly is active in this area, then the challenge we face will be quite severe."
Feng Qing interjected, "We have already notified the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and more support will arrive soon. In the meantime, should we continue investigating in town to see if we can find more clues?"
He Tu nodded, "Indeed, continue your investigation in town, but proceed with caution as the Thousand Faces Monk's disciples might have already infiltrated the townsfolk, maintain vigilance."
Luo Chen, Qing Shuang, and Feng Qing received their orders and left the tent, returning to the town.
They decided to split up to collect information more efficiently.
Luo Chen took charge of the eastern part of the town, Qing Shuang the western part, and Feng Qing the central area.
Luo Chen walked slowly down the street in the eastern district, carefully observing each passing resident, trying to spot anything suspicious.
Suddenly, he noticed a ragged beggar sitting at a shop entrance, his eyes revealing an unusual sharpness.
Luo Chen approached and softly asked, "Brother, how long have you been here?"
The beggar looked up and replied in a hoarse voice, "I, uh, it's been several days now. The people here are very kind, I get food every day."
Luo Chen nodded and then casually asked, "Have there been any strange occurrences in town lately?"
The beggar's eyes flickered for a moment before he spoke in a low voice, "Strange occurrences? Well, a few nights ago, I saw several black-clad men hurriedly returning from outside the town, looking quite tense."
Luo Chen felt a stirring in his heart and continued to inquire, "Do you know where they went?"
The beggar shook his head, "I'm not sure. They disappeared into the night quickly."
Luo Chen thanked the beggar for the information, then turned to leave.
He decided to share this clue with Qing Shuang and Feng Qing to see if they had discovered anything as well.
Meanwhile, Qing Shuang had also noticed some abnormal signs on the street in the western district.
She observed an elderly woman selling vegetables, who seemed friendly enough, yet her basket contained some strange herbs.
Qing Shuang approached with a smile and asked, "Granny, where did you gather these herbs from?"
The old woman looked up, a trace of wariness in her eyes, but soon resumed her friendly expression, "Oh, these herbs I grew myself, just on the small hill outside town."
Qing Shuang nodded, then casually asked, "Have you seen any strangers come and go in town?"
The old woman hesitated briefly before lowering her voice, "A few nights ago, I saw some black-clad men returning from outside town; they looked quite mysterious."
Qing Shuang felt a jolt in her heart, realizing this clue might relate to what the beggar informed Luo Chen about the black-clad men.
She decided to relay this information to Luo Chen and Feng Qing.
Feng Qing also noticed some clues in the central square of the town.
He observed a vendor selling candied hawthorns, who, despite his cheerful demeanor, had a hint of slyness in his eyes that was hard to detect.
Feng Qing approached, purchased a string of candied hawthorns, then casually asked, "Hey there, how long have you been selling candied hawthorns here?"
The vendor replied with a smile, "I've been selling them for years now, everyone in town loves my candied hawthorns."