I cultivate the Chaos Technique

Chapter 183 Tracking Through the Fog

Inside the spacious yet somber council hall of the Lingyun Sword Sect, the theft of the treasure cast a heavy shadow of tension over everyone. Zhang Yifan, Ling Yunfeng, and the white-haired, grim-faced elders quickly gathered to discuss strategies for dealing with this sudden crisis.

“Wang Feng is currently in a deep coma, and we cannot get any more clues about the man in black robes from him in a short time. Therefore, the most urgent task is to determine the whereabouts of the man in black robes as soon as possible, and we must not let the treasure fall into the hands of the demonic path.” Ling Yunfeng said with a solemn expression, his brows furrowed like a tightly twisted rope.

Zhang Yifan's eyes were as firm as iron as he said without hesitation, "Senior Brother, I secretly left a trace of spiritual energy on the treasure. Although I don't know if the man in black robes has noticed it and managed to erase it, I am willing to do my best to try to track it down."

Upon hearing this, the elders all showed approval in their eyes. One of the elders, who was over seventy years old and had white hair, said earnestly, "Yifan, this journey will surely be fraught with danger. That man in black robes was able to steal the treasure undetected despite our sect's heavy guard. His strength must be unfathomable. You must be extremely careful and not act rashly."

Zhang Yifan nodded heavily, then immediately circulated his spiritual energy, concentrating intently on trying to sense the faint mark left on the treasure. In the quiet council hall, only his soft breathing and the soft sounds of his spiritual energy circulating could be heard. After a moment, his expression suddenly changed, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "The mark is still there, and it points southwest."

Ling Yunfeng made a quick decision and deployed his forces: "Yifan and I will go to track them down. Han Wenhao and Zhao Qingshan, you two will stay behind at the sect and be on high alert. Do not let your guard down in the slightest to prevent any further unforeseen events. Li Mengyao and Fang Xue, you will immediately lead a group of agile and vigilant disciples to conduct a thorough search around the sect and not miss any suspicious signs."

After making the arrangements, Zhang Yifan and Ling Yunfeng set off immediately, like two arrows released from a bow, heading swiftly southwest. Along the way, Zhang Yifan relied on the faint, almost imperceptible spiritual energy imprint, like a candle flickering in the wind, to keep a close watch on them.

However, the pursuit was fraught with difficulties from the very beginning, as if fate had deliberately set out numerous trials. After traveling about a hundred miles, the already faint mark suddenly became increasingly blurred, like the last glimmer of light about to be swallowed by darkness. Zhang Yifan's expression instantly turned ashen. He hurriedly stopped, closed his eyes tightly, and concentrated all his mental energy on sensing that faint mark. "Senior Brother, the man in black robes seems to have detected this spiritual energy mark and is doing his best to eliminate it. We must speed up, otherwise, once the mark disappears, we will completely lose our trail." His voice carried a hint of anxiety and determination.

The two quickened their pace, moving with lightning speed, sprinting along the rugged mountain path. Soon, they arrived at a vast, eerie forest. This forest was called the Black Wind Forest. From afar, the trees were so dense they blocked out the sun, their intertwined branches creating a thick, dark canopy. Strange and sinister sounds often emanated from the forest, as if countless wronged souls were weeping and wailing in the darkness, filling the air with a chilling atmosphere. According to ancient legends, this was once a secret training ground for demonic cultivators, where countless evil forces lay buried deep underground, concealing many unknown dangers and horrors.

“The markings become even fainter here, almost imperceptible. The man in black robes is very likely hiding in this forest,” Zhang Yifan said in a low voice, his eyes revealing vigilance and determination.

The two cautiously stepped into the Black Wind Forest, as if entering a mysterious world filled with unknown terrors. The moment they entered, a strong, pungent stench of decay assaulted their senses, like tangible black smoke, making them nauseous. The surrounding trees were twisted and grotesque, as if their souls had been warped by some evil force. Branches, like menacing, clawing hands, flailed wildly in the air, seemingly trying to seize any life that approached. Suddenly, a swarm of black bats flew overhead like a dark cloud, emitting piercing, ear-piercing cries like arrows piercing eardrums, sending chills down their spines.

"Be careful, these bats may be deadly poisonous," Ling Yunfeng warned nervously, his hand already gripping his longsword tightly, the blade gleaming coldly.

They continued cautiously deeper into the forest, each step taken with extreme care, as if the slightest misstep would plunge them into an endless abyss. Suddenly, Zhang Yifan noticed some strange footprints on the ground. These footprints were peculiar in shape, irregular in size, and seemed not to belong to humans at all. The footprints were deeply embedded in the soil, as if trampled by some huge and heavy creature. Following the direction of the footprints, the two were as if drawn by invisible threads to the front of a cave. A bone-chilling cold emanated from the cave entrance, forming a stark and eerie contrast with the surrounding hot and humid forest environment. That chill, like icy tentacles, climbed up their ankles, sending shivers down their spines.

"There must be something fishy about this cave. It seems the man in black robes is very likely hiding inside," Zhang Yifan said cautiously, lowering his voice.

Just as the two were about to step into the cave, a group of people dressed in black surged out from both sides of the cave like a black tide. These people wore black masks, revealing only pairs of cold and fierce eyes, and gripped sharp blades tightly in their hands, which gleamed coldly in the dim light. Without uttering a word, they pounced on Zhang Yifan and Ling Yunfeng like well-trained killing machines.

"It seems to be the black-robed man's men, trying to stop us from entering the cave." Ling Yunfeng's expression was stern. As he spoke, he swiftly drew his longsword, and a powerful sword aura immediately erupted from the blade, crisscrossing like bolts of lightning. Instantly, several black-robed men screamed and fell to the ground under the impact of the sword aura, their blood splattering on the ground.

Zhang Yifan, equally unyielding, unleashed his Thunderous Sky-Splitting Sword. With a swift swing of his sword, thick bolts of lightning roared down from the sky like angry thunder dragons, striking the men in black. Wherever the lightning struck, the men in black screamed in agony, their bodies convulsing from the electric current. Yet, the men in black continued to emerge, seemingly endless, surging in wave after wave like a black tide.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Zhang Yifan keenly noticed that one of the men in black was moving somewhat slowly and had many openings. His eyes lit up, and seizing the opportunity, he flashed like a ghost, instantly forcing back the surrounding men in black. Then, like a tiger pouncing on its prey, he rushed towards the man in black and ripped off his mask.

"Wang Hu? You actually betrayed the sect!" Zhang Yifan recognized the man as an ordinary disciple of the sect, and was both shocked and furious, his eyes burning with rage.

Wang Hu's face showed fear, but he still gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "Zhang Yifan, you won't find the treasure. You can't afford to mess with the people behind us!" After saying that, he suddenly bit off his tongue and committed suicide. Blood gushed from the corner of his mouth, and his body slowly fell down.

"Damn it!" Zhang Yifan angrily slammed his fist into the ground, instantly leaving a deep fist mark and sending dust flying.

Meanwhile, Ling Yunfeng, with his superior swordsmanship, had repelled all the men in black. The men, some dead, some wounded, lay scattered on the ground like withered black leaves. After a short rest, the two cautiously made their way into the cave.

The cave was dark and damp, like a giant underground ice cellar. Specks of eerie light flickered on the walls, like countless sinister eyes peering at them from the darkness. The deeper they went, the lower the temperature became; the cold air cut into their skin like sharp blades. A thin layer of frost even formed on the ground, shimmering eerily in the eerie light.

Suddenly, a massive stone gate appeared ahead, its surface covered with strange and complex runes. These runes varied in shape, some resembling winding snakes, others like ferocious beast heads, exuding a mysterious and malevolent aura. Just as Zhang Yifan was about to approach the stone gate to examine it, the runes suddenly lit up, emitting a blinding light. A powerful and terrifying force, like an enraged prehistoric beast, pounced on him, violently throwing him away.

"Yifan, are you alright?" Ling Yunfeng rushed forward and helped Zhang Yifan up, his eyes full of concern.

Zhang Yifan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face slightly pale, but his eyes remained firm: "This stone door is strange. The runes seem to be protected by an extremely powerful restriction. It seems the man in black robes is behind the stone door. We must find a way to break the restriction as soon as possible."

The two carefully examined the stone gate, trying to find a way to decipher it. Their eyes darted back and forth among the runes on the gate, attempting to find a clue in the intricate lines and patterns. However, these runes were extremely complex and profound, like ancient, mysterious codes containing evil demonic power. For a time, they were completely stumped and trapped.

Behind the stone gate, the man in black robes coldly observed everything. Clad in a long black robe, his figure was concealed in the darkness, only his eyes, gleaming with an eerie light, were visible. On the table beside him lay the "Chaos Breaking Heaven Technique" and the "Frost-Piercing Sword." The two treasures emitted a soft glow, yet were shrouded in the malevolent aura of the man in black robes. "Hmph, people of the Lingyun Sword Sect, finding me won't be so easy. Let you fuss here slowly." A cold smile curled at the corner of the man in black robes, his eyes filled with disdain and arrogance.

Will Zhang Yifan and Ling Yunfeng be able to break the seal on the stone gate and successfully retrieve the treasure? And who is the true identity of the man in black? What twists and turns will this thrilling pursuit bring? Everything is still unknown, like layers of fog, waiting for them to uncover the mystery, break through the darkness, and usher in the light.