novellhall Chapter 73 Aftermath
Chapter 73 Aftermath
Just as Lu Qingfeng was cautiously probing the mass grave, he heard hurried footsteps and heavy, suppressed breathing behind him.
Master Xuanchen took the lead, his figure bursting out of the mist, followed closely by Zhao Tiezhu and other patrol team members, who were panting and had a look of lingering fear on their faces.
Although they had acted separately, how could they not be shocked, frightened, and curious by the earthquake-like roar, the blood-red light and evil spirits that shot into the sky?
Therefore, their group rushed over here at full speed.
However, when they rushed out of the forest and saw the scene before them, everyone, including the more knowledgeable Daoist Xuan Chen, froze on the spot, as if an invisible hand had gripped their throats.
Everywhere you looked, there was a mess.
The ground looked as if it had been repeatedly turned over by a giant plow, full of potholes and cracks of all sizes.
The once lush forest was now overgrown with fallen trees, and broken branches were scattered everywhere.
The air was thick with an overwhelming stench of blood, burnt flesh, and a nauseating stench of utterly decaying corpses.
Black zombies, white zombies, and countless corpses mingled together, creating a hellish scene.
Several exceptionally tall, armored corpses lay buried deep in the soil, like tin cans crushed by a tremendous force.
The entire battlefield silently testifies to the sheer brutality of the battle that had just taken place.
"This...this..." Zhao Tiezhu stammered, barely able to hold the steel fork in his hand.
The patrol team members around him were even more pale, some couldn't help but vomit, and some had weak legs. If they hadn't been leaning on their companions, they would have almost collapsed to the ground.
They had to fight to the death when they encountered sporadic zombies before, so they had never seen such a mountain of corpses and sea of blood.
This was completely beyond their wildest imagination.
Master Xuanchen was also deeply shaken, but having cultivated for many years, his will was even more resilient.
He suppressed his surging spiritual energy and tried to understand what was happening by observing his surroundings.
This damage was definitely not caused by ordinary Taoist or martial arts techniques!
After scanning the area and finding nothing amiss, his gaze finally settled on the figure at the edge of the massive crater in the center of the battlefield.
It's Lu Xiaoyou.
But Lu Xiaoyou at this moment is significantly different from when he first met him!
Such a massive body, such a powerful aura, and that... in the eyes of the Qi Observation Technique, that heavy killing intent, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was a demon in the world.
"Senior Lu...?" Master Xuanchen subconsciously changed his form of address, his voice carrying a hint of uncertain reverence.
Countless thoughts flashed through the old Taoist's mind: Yinxuan Temple? This was no longer some unknown little sect; it was clearly a major sect where an enlightened master resided.
As for Young Friend Lu, no, Senior Lu, he's not some wandering sorcerer at all. He's definitely a true master who has come down from the mountain to travel, and he cultivates the path of killing. He was just keeping a low profile before. It's my fault for being blind and failing to discover the master's identity sooner.
"You...you've arrived?"
Lu Qingfeng sensed the movement behind him, stopped his investigation, and turned around.
Seeing the shock, awe, and barely concealed fear on the faces of Daoist Xuanchen and the others, they roughly understood what was going on.
I did make a bit too much noise just now, and the change in my size couldn't be hidden, but there's no need to hide it. Anyway, it's just a virtual time-space instance.
"Master Xuanchen, Captain Zhao, you've arrived. We were clearing out some zombies that were roaming this area, and the commotion was a bit loud, so we apologize for disturbing you all. By the way, I don't have to bear the losses from this mass grave, do I?"
"The noise was a bit too loud..."
Looking at the piles of zombie fragments scattered on the ground, Zhao Tiezhu and the others realized that these were far more than just "slightly large"; they had practically wiped out the entire mass grave!
As for the losses, who would dare to claim compensation from you?
Master Xuanchen took a deep breath, stepped forward, and solemnly performed a Daoist bow: "Senior, your supernatural powers are vast and your Daoist arts are profound. To quell such a massive horde of corpses with a wave of your hand is truly awe-inspiring! I was blind before and failed to recognize your true form. I have been negligent and hope you will forgive me!"
His attitude became extremely respectful, even showing the restraint of a disciple facing a teacher.
Lu Qingfeng waved his hand; he was too lazy to explain much anyway, and he couldn't explain it clearly.
Since the other party has imagined himself as a senior expert, it saves him the trouble of making up a reason.
"No need for such formalities, Daoist Master. Exorcising demons and monsters is simply our duty. However..."
He abruptly changed the subject, stepping aside to direct everyone's attention to the ominous pit behind him.
"Although I have slaughtered all the zombies on the surface, the root of the chaos has not been eliminated. This is the Pit of Resentment behind me, which is the source. If this source is not dealt with, the evil energy will accumulate and, in time, it will give birth to an even more ferocious evil creature, and Qing Shi Town will never have a peaceful day."
Upon hearing this, Master Xuanchen's expression became even more solemn.
He quickly took out his compass, and saw that the needle spun wildly as it approached the pit, eventually pointing firmly to the bottom of the pit. A thin layer of white frost even condensed on the surface of the compass.
"What a formidable source of malevolent energy! Senior is absolutely right; if this pit isn't eliminated, the consequences will be endless!"
He looked at Lu Qingfeng, his eyes filled with expectation and a desire for instructions: "Senior, what do you think should be done about this? Should I gather the townspeople, prepare magical artifacts and materials, and try to seal it away?"
Lu Qingfeng shook his head, his gaze fixed on the dark depths of the pit. Wouldn't it be better to enjoy this experience all by himself? Then he wouldn't need these NPCs to steal his monsters.
Moreover, what magical artifacts and materials could a small town possibly produce? Could they possibly seal away the monster below?
The source that can give all the zombies in the entire instance anti-evil properties is no pushover.
What can we do to brush this off?
Ah, I've got it!
"Ordinary sealing methods only treat the symptoms, not the root cause, and are time-consuming and laborious."
Since the other party regarded him as a senior expert, Lu Qingfeng took the opportunity to back down and automatically simulated the aura of a senior expert.
"Now that I'm here, I must take drastic measures. There must be a source of this strange phenomenon beneath this pit. I intend to go down and investigate, and eradicate its root cause."
"Senior is going down personally?" Daoist Xuan Chen was greatly surprised.
The pit was bottomless, and the Yin energy was so dense it was almost tangible. Just getting close to it made one feel a bone-chilling cold and uneasy. One could tell how dangerous it was without even thinking about it.
"Hmm." Lu Qingfeng nodded. He glanced at Daoist Xuan Chen and the patrol team members who looked fearful. Although the NPCs in the instance were no longer real people, they were still human beings, and he still wanted to lend a hand.
"The Taoist priest can set up a defensive formation on the perimeter and immediately warn the townspeople to prepare for battle. Captain Zhao, you all retreat to a safe place immediately, use torches and gongs as signals to strengthen the defenses, and send someone back to the town to inform the townspeople to make preparations."
Lu Qingfeng explained his plans for after he left in detail, so that at least no townspeople would die here.
Upon hearing this, Master Xuanchen felt somewhat relieved, and at the same time, a sense of responsibility welled up within him.
This senior Lu was willing to take the lead and venture into dangerous places; how could he possibly back down?
He solemnly replied, "Senior, rest assured! This humble Taoist will do his utmost. Although the power of the Three Yang Binding Array and the Golden Light Protective Talisman set up outside is limited, I hope they can stabilize your rear and monitor any unusual movements! If any changes occur, this humble Taoist will use the secret technique of flames from our sect as a signal and do everything in my power to buy you time!"
Zhao Tiezhu and the others quickly clasped their hands in greeting, their voices filled with gratitude and awe: "We will obey Immortal Lu's decree! We will guard the outer perimeter and ensure that no evil spirits escape and interfere with the immortal's exorcism!"
Having witnessed the devastating scene just now, they revered Lu Qingfeng as a god and naturally had no objection to his orders.
Lu Qingfeng nodded slightly, somewhat satisfied with their reaction. Heaven helps those who help themselves; these NPCs are working so hard, so he might as well help them out.
He said no more, taking one last look at the crater churning with dark mist, feeling the gradually deepening aura below. A slight smile crept onto his lips, revealing his fangs, but thankfully he managed to suppress it in time.
The source of the anomaly! I might even unlock the hidden ending of this dungeon myself!
"I'm off!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already leaped into the bottomless, pitch-black abyss! Leaving behind only a fleeting afterimage and the lingering heat in the air.
"senior!"
The exclamations of Master Xuanchen and Zhao Tiezhu were swallowed up by the pit and quickly replaced by boundless silence.
Master Xuanchen dared not delay and immediately took out his most treasured array flags. He began to rapidly set up the array around the pit thirty paces away, according to the Bagua directions, striving to build a defensive line that was as stable as possible.
Zhao Tiezhu led the remaining patrol team members to retreat quickly to a distance of 100 meters, lit all the torches, rang the gong, and nervously watched the direction of the deep pit that seemed to be devouring people.