205: Stealth in the dark, forbidden territory

There was still more than an hour until dawn; it was the darkest moment of the day.

Inside the temporary camp, the four of them were ready.

Lin Xuan had changed into a black martial outfit convenient for movement, his aura restrained, his eyes sharp like a hawk's.

Su Wanqing was still in white, but at Lin Xuan's suggestion, she had draped a "Shadow Gauze" over it that could faintly distort light, reducing the risk of reflection in the darkness.

Qu Feiyan had also changed her red dress into a set of tight-fitting night-traveling clothes, which outlined her hot figure perfectly, but she didn't care at all, instead feeling that this outfit had a unique charm.

Gongsun Yu was also dressed in black, her small face full of nervousness and determination, her hand tightly gripping the purple firmament thunder pendant that Lin Xuan had returned to her, as if she could draw courage from it.

"Everyone is clear about Seventh Uncle-Grandfather's warning. The Thunder Attraction Platform is the core of the trap, with a Nascent Soul Evil Cultivator presiding over it, and the Formation is distorted."

Lin Xuan confirmed the action plan one last time, "Our goal is to rescue Madam, not to fight a head-on battle. Therefore, stealth and speed are key."

"Wanqing and I will be responsible for the main attack and diversion. Feiyan, your illusions and sound attacks are our greatest reliance for infiltrating and creating Chaos. Little Yu, you are familiar with part of the path, so you are responsible for guiding the way and identifying the specific location where Madam is held. Once we rescue her, we must immediately evacuate according to the planned route; do not get bogged down in fighting!"

"Understood!" the three women replied in unison, their eyes firm.

Lin Xuan took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the three beautiful faces, and said in a deep voice, "This trip is dangerous, but we must succeed. For Little Yu, and also to crush the conspiracy of the Guixu Cult. Let's go!"

As his voice fell, the four of them left the temporary camp silently like ghosts, merging into the thick night, and snuck towards the core area of the Gongsun Family, which lay like a giant beast in the Thunder Roar Mountain Range.

With Gongsun Yu as an "insider" guide, plus Lin Xuan's Nascent Soul level Divine Sense and the System's assistance, they skillfully avoided most of the bright and dark sentries and alert Formations on the perimeter, like four invisible shadows, rapidly infiltrating inward.

The closer they got to the core area, the more violent the Thunder Spiritual Qi in the air became, and the aura of dead silence and coldness mixed within it became more and more obvious.

The thunderclouds in the sky hung low, and lightning snakes danced wildly, as if a destructive thunderstorm could descend at any moment.

"Ahead is the isolation zone between the Family inner courtyard and the outside world." Gongsun Yu lowered her voice, pointing to an area ahead that looked calm but actually had obscure energy fluctuations, "The 'Thousand Thunder Attraction' Formation is set up there. Once triggered, it will attract countless lightning attacks and will also alert everyone."

Lin Xuan's gaze was solemn; the System scan showed that the energy nodes in this area were abnormally active and connected to each other, forming a complex sensing network. "The risk of forcing our way through is too great. Feiyan, it's up to you."

Qu Feiyan smiled charmingly, and her fingertips brushed lightly across the yaoguang immortal sound zither. No sound was made, but an invisible sound wave carrying psychedelic power spread out like ripples, silently covering the Formation area ahead.

【Detected slight turbulence in the energy fluctuations of the target area; illusion is effective, interfering with the connections between the Formation's sensing nodes; estimated duration: thirty breaths.】

"Go!" Lin Xuan gave a low shout and was the first to transform into a blurred black shadow, speeding along the path marked by the System that was temporarily safe due to the illusion interference. Su Wanqing, Qu Feiyan, and Gongsun Yu followed closely behind.

Thirty breaths of time passed in a flash. As the four of them narrowly crossed the isolation zone, a few low rumbles of thunder vaguely came from the previously calm area behind them, but in the end, it did not erupt completely.

"We succeeded!" Gongsun Yu breathed a sigh of relief, a trace of joy appearing on her small face.

However, Lin Xuan's expression was even more solemn. "Don't be happy too soon; we have truly stepped into the other party's 'net'." He could feel an invisible pressure permeating the surrounding air, as if countless eyes were peering from the darkness. That kind of distorted Formation power was like a sticky spider web, everywhere.

According to the vague information provided by Seventh Uncle-Grandfather and Gongsun Yu's memories, they avoided the main thoroughfares and chose secluded paths, advancing circuitously towards the Thunder Attraction Platform on the back mountain.

Along the way, they saw more Family disciples who had been controlled; these people had numb eyes and stiff movements, like marionettes, patrolling on fixed routes, the aura radiating from them identical to that of the previous Gongsun Li.

"They... they have all become like this..." Gongsun Yu looked at those familiar yet strange faces, her heart filled with sorrow.

"Guixu Cult, damn them!" Blood light flickered in Qu Feiyan's eyes, and killing intent surged.

Su Wanqing was even more vigilant, sensing the surroundings: "Be careful, the closer we get to the Thunder Attraction Platform, the stronger that distorted Formation power becomes; it faintly has a suppressive effect on my Taiyin Spiritual Qi."

Lin Xuan nodded; he felt it too. This distorted "Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Formation" not only had greatly increased power, but also seemed to have incorporated some strange attribute that restrained Righteous Path Spiritual Qi.

Finally, after passing through a mountain col filled with jagged rocks and traces of lightning strikes everywhere, the scene ahead changed suddenly.

It was a huge mountaintop platform that seemed to have been flattened by a giant axe. Around the platform stood nine bronze giant pillars, a hundred feet tall and covered with mysterious thunder patterns; the tops of the giant pillars constantly absorbed the lightning falling from the sky, emitting a humming roar.

In the center of the platform was a sunken pool; inside the pool was not water, but rolling, violent lightning in a dark purple color! This was the core of the Thunder Attraction Platform — the Thunder Pool!

And on the edge of the Thunder Pool, tied to a black stone pillar shimmering with a faint light, was a middle-aged beautiful woman with a haggard face, yet one could still faintly see her former charm; her aura was withered, and it was none other than Gongsun Yu's mother — Madam Liu!

Above the Thunder Pool hovered a Cultivator wearing a black robe, his face shrouded in the shadow of a hood; his whole body radiated the tyrannical fluctuations of the Early Nascent Soul Stage, as well as dense Guixu Death Qi!

In his hand, he held a black banner; the banner moved without wind, drawing the dark purple lightning in the Thunder Pool below, constantly pouring it into Madam Liu's body, seemingly forcibly extracting something, and a look of pain appeared on Madam Liu's face.

Beside the black-robed Cultivator stood another person — the current Family head of the Gongsun Family, Gongsun Hao! His eyes were cold, and his face was expressionless, like a loyal guard, standing guard there.

"Mother!" Seeing her mother suffering, Gongsun Yu's eyes were splitting with rage, and she was about to rush out, but was firmly held down by Lin Xuan.

"Calm down!" Lin Xuan shouted in a low voice, his gaze sweeping sharply across the entire Thunder Attraction Platform, "Besides the Nascent Soul Evil Cultivator and Gongsun Hao in the open, there are at least four auras of the Late Golden Core Stage hidden in the dark, and... this entire Thunder Attraction Platform is itself a huge trap! The power of that Thunder Pool has been completely polluted and controlled!"

He could feel that once they stepped into the range of the Thunder Attraction Platform, that distorted Formation power would instantly erupt, trapping them inside, and the Nascent Soul Evil Cultivator would be able to use the power of the Thunder Pool to exert strength far exceeding his usual level!

The other party was clearly setting a trap for them to walk into, using Madam Liu as bait to wipe them all out in one fell swoop right here!

Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan also felt the dangerous aura rushing towards them, their expressions grave to the extreme.

To save her meant inevitably falling into a dead end.

Not to save her, could they just watch helplessly as Gongsun Yu's mother was tortured to death?

Lin Xuan looked at Gongsun Yu, who was trembling all over due to anger and worry, looked at her eyes filled with tears and pleading, and then looked at the two confidantes beside him who had also entrusted the decision to him.

He took a deep breath, the Chaos light in his eyes flaring brightly, and a resolute will rose up.

"The plan remains unchanged!" His voice was low and firm, carrying the domineering spirit of burning bridges, "Since they have set the trap, then we... will break this trap!"

He turned to Qu Feiyan: "Feiyan, I need you to push your illusions and sound attacks to the limit; the moment we appear, create the largest possible Chaos to interfere with the Nascent Soul Evil Cultivator and all the hidden enemies!"

He looked at Su Wanqing again: "Wanqing, your Frost Silence Sword Intent is extremely yin and cold; perhaps it can temporarily freeze part of the polluted lightning, buying us time! I will handle the head-on diversion of the Nascent Soul Evil Cultivator and Gongsun Hao!"

Finally, he held Gongsun Yu's hand tightly: "Little Yu, saving Madam depends on you! The opportunity may only last for an instant!"

The division of labor was clear; a fight to the death!

At the darkest moment before dawn, on the Thunder Attraction Platform, dark purple lightning illuminated evil and despair. And in the darkness, four pairs of firm eyes had already locked onto their target.

The storm was about to descend!