230: Chapter 230: Testing the Gods (Part Six)

Qian Ye arrived at the place where the Black-Robed Figure had turned into blood mist, where the air carried a scent of decay.

Qian Ye squatted down and carefully examined the ground, discovering some strange runes flickering in and out of sight.

These runes exuded an ancient and mysterious power, seemingly sharing some connection with the Black-Robed Figure's previous spells.

Qian Ye took out a small knife, cautiously scraped off a bit of soil bearing the rune traces, wrapped it in cloth, and tucked it into her robes.

Just then, a gust of sinister wind blew past, and the faint sound of crying reached her ears.

Qian Ye grew vigilant and tightened her grip on her sword. Following the direction of the sound, she saw a Little Girl squatting and weeping under a withered tree.

Qian Ye approached and inquired softly. The Little Girl looked up, her eyes hollow and lifeless, muttering the words "go home."

Just as Qian Ye was about to ask more, the Little Girl suddenly reached out her hands and lunged at her, her fingers instantly becoming as sharp as claws.

Qian Ye sidestepped to dodge, and her red threads transformed into a sharp sword to strike the Little Girl, but the girl's body dissipated into black smoke.

Realizing that all of this was likely caused by residual dark arts and feeling that something was not quite right, she didn't linger any longer and immediately returned to Nangong Yan's side.

Unfortunately, it was already too late. By the time Qian Ye returned, she saw fields of corpses.

Thick black mist emanated from each of them, and their deaths were extremely gruesome.

"Master, I didn't expect those so-called gods to be so ruthless."

Xiao Hua felt Qian Ye's somber aura and tried to find a way to comfort her.

Qian Ye radiated a cold aura; this time, she was truly enraged.

With a flick of her wrist, red threads flew out. In the next instant, they shot toward the dead, sewing the corpses back together at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A red light flickered within them, and after a moment, the corpses slowly began to move.

"Ah! I—I'm actually still alive!" Nangong Yan looked at his body as the red light had yet to dissipate.

At that moment, Nangong Yan understood that she had saved him once again.

Beside shock, his heart was filled with disbelief.

He hadn't expected her abilities to be so great; in that case, could it be...

"Ahem, well, thank you," Nangong Yan said, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

He hadn't expected that the person he had always suspected would be the one to save them.

"Sigh, I didn't want to either, but I don't have any subordinates, which makes it hard to fight," Qian Ye sighed.

Since she couldn't return to the Yellow Springs Shore right now, she had to assemble a team on the spot.

??? Nangong Yan's face was full of question marks after hearing her words.

Listen to that—is that even human speech?

And, "didn't want to save us"...

"Alright, enough nonsense. Let's keep moving." Qian Ye cut off what Nangong Yan wanted to say, and the group set off again after resting.

The team continued forward. After an unknown amount of time, they suddenly saw a cluster of flickering eerie light ahead.

It turned out to be tattered lanterns hanging in the air, with wisps of evil energy permeating the surroundings.

Qian Ye stepped forward curiously, wanting to poke the lantern, but she was stopped by Nangong Yan.

Meeting Qian Ye's unfriendly gaze, Nangong Yan explained nervously, "These lanterns are called Soul-Leading Lanterns; anyone who touches them will have their soul snatched away."

Hearing this, Qian Ye smiled.

Heh, was this a provocation?

They didn't even ask who she was.

She wanted to see who would dare to snatch her soul.

The red threads transformed into a blade and pierced it directly, but there was no reaction at all.

Qian Ye gave Nangong Yan a sinister look.

He scratched his head. Soul-Leading Lanterns really did look like that, didn't they?

But now, there was actually no reaction to her.

After that interlude, the group continued their journey.

However, before they had gone far, a thick fog rose up, trapping them within.

Within the mist, the most terrifying scenes from the depths of everyone's hearts kept appearing.

Some saw dead relatives covered in blood; others saw themselves being devoured by ten thousand ghosts.

Qian Ye stood in the middle of the crowd like a passerby; so this was what was waiting for them.

Thinking that the rune-marked soil in her robes might be useful, she took it out and scattered it in all directions.

As the runes glowed, the thick fog gradually dissipated.

But before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, the ground beneath them began to shake violently, and a giant skeletal hand burst from the earth, lunging toward the crowd.

Some soldiers didn't react in time and were caught, but in the next moment, they disintegrated into threads, dodging the skeletal claw's attack.

"Ah! I—I'm okay!" One soldier after another found themselves still in place, not having been snatched away.

Beside them, Nangong Yan's eyes widened with a look of disbelief.

"This... what on earth is going on?" He turned back to see Qian Ye's slightly satisfied expression.

It was because of her.

"This..."

Qian Ye gave him a cold look. "Remember, you are already dead."

This time they were dead through and through; their current bodies were merely sewn together by Qian Bian to lock in their souls.

Everyone retreated, drawing their weapons and standing ready.

The skeletal hand stretched higher and higher, and then a massive skeletal frame crawled out from underground, with eerie blue flames burning in its eye sockets.

Nangong Yan was the first to charge forward, striking the skeletal frame with his sword, but it only produced a shower of sparks.

He shouted, "Attack the joints!" Following his command, the group collectively attacked the skeleton's knees and elbows.

Just as the battle grew intense, the sky suddenly darkened, and a blood moon emerged.

The skeletal frame seemed to receive a power boost; its movements became swifter, and a single swing of its arm sent several people flying.

Qian Ye's mind stirred as she looked at that blood moon; perhaps it was related.

The red threads slowly took shape, forming the likeness of an umbrella. Its tip was wrapped in the remaining rune-marked soil as it spun toward the blood moon.

The rune-marked soil erupted with intense light as it neared the blood moon, which was actually temporarily obscured by the radiance.

Without the empowerment of the blood moon, the skeletal frame's movements slowed significantly. Everyone seized the opportunity and concentrated their power to sever its leg bones.

The frame crashed to the ground, eventually turning into dust and scattering.

Everyone was exhausted, but Nangong Yan knew well that this was no place to linger. He quickened the pace to continue their journey, hoping to leave this bizarre and dangerous area as soon as possible.