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墨書 Inktalez
The Legend of the Immortals Prequel: Wilderness Journey
At dawn, Ten Thousand Swords in One and Tian Buyi returned to the valley where the members of the Azure Cloud Sect had rested last night. As for the members of the Demon Cult they had captured, it was impossible to simply let them go; otherwise, it would be equivalent to informing those in the Demon Cult Holy Temple that someone intended to harm Mingyuan.
However, neither Ten Thousand Swords in One nor Tian Buyi were ones to kill indiscriminately. In the end, they merely subdued all seven individuals and then Tian Buyi found a secluded ravine to dig a large pit, tossing them directly inside. According to Ten Thousand Swords in One's method, these individuals would not be able to move for at least three to five days.
After all, cultivators have strong bodies, and if they possess some level of cultivation, they would not die from lack of food or exposure to the elements for three to five days.
Upon returning to the valley, Ten Thousand Swords in One did not delay. He immediately gathered the remaining three companions and laid out the situation clearly without any reservations. He explained Mingyuan's origins, its significance, its powerful and mysterious abilities, and its profound impact on the Demon Cult. He also clarified the dangers they would face on this journey.
They were only five people, but on the peak where the Demon Cult Holy Temple was located, countless evil individuals were likely gathering at that moment. If they were discovered by the Demon Cult, they could easily be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
"This journey is extremely perilous and may even threaten our lives," Ten Thousand Swords in One said gravely at last. He looked at the other four disciples present; each one had followed him through countless battles and hardships to reach this point, forming a bond that was akin to life and death. Even those who usually did not see eye to eye with each other, like Azure Pine and Tian Buyi, were willing to entrust their backs to one another when faced with life-and-death situations.
But was this choice truly worth it?
For a moment, no one spoke. Everyone looked at Ten Thousand Swords in One, just as they had followed him throughout their journey, their eyes filled with trust and devoid of fear.
This gaze weighed heavily on Ten Thousand Swords in One, but when he turned to look at the towering peak in the distance—the imposing Demon Cult Holy Temple standing tall in the morning light—he once again solidified his resolve. He turned back to the other four and said, “The matter of Mingyuan is of great importance. If we do not destroy it, there will be endless repercussions. For hundreds of years to come, our Middle-earth Righteous Path Lower Mortal Beings will suffer endless calamities. At this moment, the Demon Cult has just suffered defeat and is severely weakened due to infighting over the new leader's position within their palace. This is indeed their most vulnerable time in over a hundred years. I have made up my mind; we must take advantage of this opportunity to destroy the Shura Tower and eliminate this Mingyuan. Will you assist me?”
The other four exchanged glances. Just as Tian Buyi was about to speak, he saw Azure Pine step forward confidently and declare, “Wan Shixiong, you are absolutely right. The evil path is rampant and ferocious; as we act for justice, why should we fear danger? I am willing to accompany you, even if it means death!”
Those last four words were spoken with such conviction that even those who usually disagreed with him, like Tian Buyi and Zeng Shuchang, looked at him with newfound respect.
With Azure Pine taking the lead, Tian Buyi paused for a moment before saying, “Wan Shixiong, I am willing to go as well.”
Azure Pine turned towards Tian Buyi; their eyes met calmly. After a moment of silence, Azure Pine nodded firmly.
Subsequently, both Zeng Shuchang and Shang Zhengliang also voiced their agreement. At this point, none among the four showed any signs of hesitation or fear.
The cold wind blew, and Ten Thousand Swords in One's white robes fluttered. Suddenly, he looked up and smiled, saying, "Having all of you as friends, traveling together to this point, is indeed a great joy in my life as a swordsman!"
With that, he strode up the mountain pass, and Azure Pine and the others quickly followed. The five of them stood side by side on the rough, desolate land, gazing at the distant and towering Demon Cult Holy Temple. The shadow of the high peak seemed capable of easily swallowing all five of them, yet for some reason, they stood there with blazing eyes, as if nothing in this world could make them retreat or fear.
Even with thousands of people, you and I are brothers; we shall go together!
***
A man's heart is forged like steel, unwavering in the face of danger. However, when it comes to action, one must not be too reckless. In the following time, Ten Thousand Swords in One and the other four disciples carefully explored the area around the Demon Cult Holy Temple, including the various mountain ranges and terrains both above and below.
In addition to this, they secretly observed the movements of many cultists within the Demon Cult Holy Temple. They then returned to where they had captured seven cultists earlier and brought them back for further questioning. This time, they asked about various matters concerning the Sanctuary, the layout of the halls, and many habits of those within the Demon Cult.
At this moment, those seven cultists seemed to sense something amiss; they felt that these five highly skilled Middle-earth practitioners appeared to be planning something against the Sanctuary. Therefore, at first, they were quite defiant in their responses. However, since they had already betrayed their comrades once before, their second round of questioning was not as difficult. Especially since among those asking was Azure Pine, who was much more adept at interrogating captives than Ten Thousand Swords in One or Tian Buyi.
Before long, Ten Thousand Swords in One and his companions obtained a wealth of secrets regarding the Demon Cult Holy Temple, including information about the layout of various halls and recent disputes among major sects within the Demon Cult occurring before the statues of their revered deities, Holy Mother and Ming Wang.
After securing these unfortunate captives once more and throwing them further away, Ten Thousand Swords in One gathered the other four and discussed at the foot of the Sanctuary: "Based on our observations over these past few days and what those individuals have said, the situation on this mountain is even more perilous than we imagined."
Ten Thousand Swords in One continued: "Among the four major sects of the Demon Cult, aside from the Ghost King Sect not being present at Barbaric Sacred Hall, all elite members from Wandu Sect, Changsheng Hall, and Heavenly Joy Sect are gathered here. Additionally, there are numerous other sects such as Blood Refining Hall, Wood Sect, Green Hat Sect, Ghost Shadow Sect among dozens more congregated here. There are countless experts among them while we only have five."
Taking a deep breath, Ten Thousand Swords in One looked at his four disciples and said solemnly: "We are outnumbered with only five people; time and place favor the Demon Cult. The disparity in strength is immense; it is indeed extremely dangerous. However, I believe there may still be a glimmer of hope." With that, he gestured for everyone to crouch down together and picked up a sharp stone from the ground. He casually drew a few circles on the rough yellow earth and said: "This here is the Main Hall of Demon Cult Holy Temple. Most key figures of the Demon Cult gather here daily to vie for power and argue incessantly. The Shura Tower is located about a hundred feet in front of the Main Hall; usually ten guards are stationed there. However, it seems that no one has threatened this place for many years; thus those guards appear rather inattentive."
"Moreover," he continued, "surrounding the Sanctuary are five major halls: Merit Hall, Reincarnation Hall, Hall of Law, Ming Wang Hell Hall, and Mother Mary Sermon Hall. Along with other buildings totaling eleven structures forms the complete picture of Barbaric Sacred Hall." Ten Thousand Swords in One marked circles on the ground before looking up at his companions.
Azure Pine and Tian Buyi nodded slightly to indicate their understanding. Over these past few days, they had focused all their thoughts on this treacherous Barbaric Sacred Hall; they had already memorized the locations of its grand halls.
Ten Thousand Swords in One nodded approvingly before raising an eyebrow and saying solemnly: "Our purpose here is to destroy Shura Tower before this Main Hall. However, it is too close to Main Hall; experts from the Demon Cult could arrive at any moment. A direct assault would likely fail; we must use strategy." He pointed towards a circle drawn slightly north behind Main Hall: "Among these five halls, Mother Mary Sermon Hall is most crucial as it houses countless important texts of the Demon Cult; it is a vital location within Barbaric Sacred Hall. Next is Reincarnation Hall which enshrines several remains of Succession of Demon Cult Leaders; it too is a place that cannot afford any mistakes. The Hall of Law, Merit Hall, and Ming Wang Hell Hall are less critical so their defenses are considerably weaker."
Hearing this, the other members of the Azure Cloud Sect had various expressions, but it seemed they all thought of the same thing and looked towards Ten Thousand Swords in One. After a moment, Zeng Shuchang was the first to speak: "Wan Shixiong, are you perhaps planning to use the strategy of feigning an attack to draw the enemy away?"
Ten Thousand Swords in One nodded and said, "That's about right. My intention is for three of the four junior brothers to split up: one goes to Mother Mary Sermon Hall, one goes to Reincarnation Hall, and one takes care of the other three main halls. They will agree on a time to attack simultaneously, creating a commotion and setting fires to create the illusion that the Demonic Cult Monster is launching a large-scale assault. Meanwhile, the remaining person will lie in wait outside Shura Tower, ready to act. Once there is an opportunity, they will quickly destroy Shura Tower. Do any of you junior brothers have objections to this arrangement?"
Azure Pine and the others exchanged glances and then slowly nodded. However, there was clearly still an important matter that everyone was thinking about. After a moment, Shang Zhengliang couldn't help but ask, "Wan Shixiong, what about you?"
Ten Thousand Swords in One smiled but did not speak; he simply extended a finger and pointed to the center of several circular patterns on the ground under their gaze.
"What?"
Several exclamations came from those nearby. Azure Pine and Tian Buyi suddenly looked up at Tian Buyi, while Zeng Shuchang and Shang Zhengliang stared at the circle on the ground with shocked expressions.
Tian Buyi exclaimed anxiously, "Wan Shixiong, are you... are you planning to go to the Main Hall?"
Ten Thousand Swords in One's expression remained calm as he nodded.
Azure Pine stepped forward with urgency and excitement on his face, saying, "Wan Shixiong, this is absolutely not acceptable! The elite forces of the Demonic Cult are almost entirely within that Main Hall. Even if we manage to draw some people away by attacking the other halls, there will still be many experts left in the Main Hall. It is far too dangerous for you to go alone."
(The climax begins now; please cast your votes for another chapter.)
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