Chapter 126 – Close Combat

The sky suddenly turned dark, as if even the moonlight had been swallowed by the shadows of the trees. The light from the LED lamp above became faint and indistinct, no longer able to contend with the thick darkness. Zeng Jingxuan walked slowly through the dense forest, his gaze not fixed on the rugged path ahead but instead focused intently on the compass in his hand.

In the center of the compass’s pool, the crimson magnetic needle trembled slightly, forming a narrow swing of about fifteen degrees. As it oscillated, the needle tip dipped sharply, as if pulled by an invisible force. Both of these signs were ominous. The trembling needle indicated the presence of ancient, malevolent entities that could bring great disaster, while the sinking needle tip was a classic sign of “sinking needle,” symbolizing the presence of a vengeful, malevolent spirit. This compass had been passed down through his family. Although it wasn’t as familiar to him as his previous one, in terms of power, it was certainly on par. Only such a treasure could still show a reaction in the face of such overwhelming yin energy.

Yet, despite the ominous signs, Zeng Jingxuan’s steps did not falter. As they had walked earlier, both he and Zhang Xiuqi had noticed something amiss. This was indeed an ancient battlefield, and the emergence of a large number of yin soldiers due to the change in spiritual apertures was to be expected. However, these yin soldiers should not have appeared in such an organized manner, as if they were being controlled. This was no longer a simple case of yin soldiers passing through; it was the use of these restless souls to form a formation.

Yao Wei would not have been able to detect this. For one, he rarely ventured into the mountains at night, and secondly, his spiritual vision had allowed him to avoid many dangers, which naturally meant he couldn’t have noticed the abnormality in the yin soldiers. But for the more experienced Zeng Jingxuan and Zhang Xiuqi, such obvious human manipulation was impossible to miss.

With this realization, the two of them couldn’t simply ignore it. Anyone capable of influencing such a large number of yin soldiers must be using a formidable formation, possibly even one of the key nodes of the Soul Stealing Grand Formation. If they bypassed it now, who knew what might happen during the actual confrontation? Therefore, they had to find this hidden formation in advance, understand its roots, and then devise a way to dismantle it once daylight arrived.

However, since this was merely a reconnaissance mission, Zeng Jingxuan hadn’t brought Yao Wei or Wei Yang along. Without the two of them slowing them down, their progress was much smoother. They combined their knowledge of formations and movement techniques, guided by the compass, and quickly bypassed the area where the yin soldiers roamed.

After walking for about half an hour, Zeng Jingxuan suddenly stopped at the base of a large tree. Zhang Xiuqi, who had been following closely behind, stepped forward and said softly, “Uncle, that post up ahead seems off.”

In front of them, in a clearing, there was a barely noticeable post. From a distance, it didn’t appear particularly thick, only slightly larger than the diameter of a cup, buried in the ground with about half a foot protruding. If one didn’t look carefully, it might easily blend in with the surrounding weeds.

Yet, this seemingly ordinary post had both of them on high alert. The compass in Zeng Jingxuan’s hand had stopped moving, its needle pointing directly at the post as if it were broken. Occasionally, it would tremble slightly, as if shivering. After a moment of contemplation, Zeng Jingxuan put the compass away and said to Zhang Xiuqi, “Let’s go take a look.”

This “take a look” didn’t mean simply walking over. Hearing this, Zhang Xiuqi didn’t hesitate. He took out three small flags and a talisman from his pocket, arranged the flags in a triangle on the ground, and with a flick of his wrist, sent the talisman into the center of the flags. With a soft “whoosh,” the talisman instantly burned into a wisp of black ash, and the three flags trembled simultaneously, emitting a faint blue light.

This was the Heaven Peeking Formation, a basic Daoist technique used to test whether the path ahead was dangerous. If the flagpoles broke, one could not proceed further. Almost every sect used this method. However, the Longhu Mountain sect had combined it with their own talismans to create an improved version. Not only could it predict fortune and misfortune, but it could also control the surrounding yin and yang forces, creating a temporary balance that allowed the practitioner to inspect the area safely. As long as the flags remained standing, there would be no danger.

Seeing that the formation had taken effect, the two of them no longer hesitated and quickly walked forward. From a distance, the post hadn’t been clear, but as they approached, Zeng Jingxuan realized that it wasn’t made of wood. It was pitch black, neither metal nor jade, and faintly emitted an eerie glow, resembling a piece of obsidian. However, obsidian would never come in such a large chunk, nor would anyone be so wasteful as to shape it into this form. Could it be… Sunken Wood?

Without knowing the situation, it was impossible to inspect it directly. Zeng Jingxuan couldn’t immediately identify the material, but if this thing was indeed Sunken Wood—or even Ghost Yin Wood—the situation would become much more complicated. Such formations often couldn’t be resolved by simply removing the core. The source of the yin energy also had to be dismantled. This wooden post didn’t have a single pattern on it, which meant the talismans for absorbing yin energy were likely placed elsewhere. By digging into the surrounding soil, they might find something.

However, this also carried risks. Some formations were highly sensitive, and any disturbance to the talismans could trigger an immediate backlash, making escape nearly impossible. But if they didn’t investigate thoroughly, it would leave a major hidden danger. Who knew if this formation was connected to the Soul Stealing Grand Formation? If they waited until daylight to investigate, it might be too late.

Should they investigate or not? For a moment, Zeng Jingxuan hesitated. But Zhang Xiuqi, who had been crouching beside him, suddenly said in a low voice, “Uncle, look here!”

Zeng Jingxuan’s gaze immediately shifted. Just three inches in front of the post, there was a slight protrusion. The black soil hadn’t been properly covered, revealing something buried beneath. It was… a tuft of hair.

A chill ran down Zeng Jingxuan’s spine. He immediately realized what was buried beneath the post. It was likely a recently deceased person, lying flat in a shallow pit, their mouth wide open with the black post wedged into their throat. A living person buried shallowly, a dark post nailed into their throat—Zeng Jingxuan’s face paled. Could this be a Yin Coffin? If so, then the post above couldn’t be Sunken Wood, but Nightmare Wood!

Legend spoke of a type of wood that had sunk into the Yellow Springs, soaked in the waters of the River of Forgetfulness. When this wood appeared in the mortal world, it could confuse the minds of malevolent spirits, causing them to forget their original purpose, as if trapped in a nightmare. Thus, this wood was known to the Daoist community as Nightmare Wood, one of the rare treasures capable of interfering with the actions of yin spirits. In ancient times, there were formations created using Nightmare Wood, and the Yin Coffin was one of them.

A healthy adult man would be buried alive, with a Nightmare Wood post driven into his throat, sealing his three souls and seven spirits within his body. Due to the excruciating nature of this death, the man’s soul would mistakenly believe it was still alive, struggling endlessly. In this way, the yin energy would activate the power of the Nightmare Wood, allowing it to exert its maximum effect. With the Yin Coffin and Nightmare Wood as the formation’s core, and a formation diagram laid out around it, the yin soldiers, blinded by the Nightmare Wood, would wander within the formation. As long as the core remained intact, these soldiers would serve as natural guardians, attacking any living beings that passed by.

Such a grand and ruthless setup made it clear just how formidable their enemy was. Zeng Jingxuan made a quick decision: “Let’s find the formation diagram first. Once we destroy it, the effect of the Nightmare Wood will be greatly diminished. By daylight, we should be able to remove the post easily.”

This Nightmare Formation had to be dismantled, but it couldn’t be done at night. The formation’s power was tied to the hundreds of yin soldiers roaming outside. Acting rashly would only agitate them, making them difficult to deal with, and worse, it might alert their enemy.

Zhang Xiuqi understood the gravity of the situation and stood up without hesitation, ready to leave. But at that moment, the three small flags in the distance suddenly made a soft “snap” sound, breaking in half!

A cold wind howled past, and as the sound echoed, a green lantern lit up in the clearing ahead. In the lantern’s glow, a pale, ghostly face appeared before them. It was a soldier wearing a helmet and fine scale armor. Though covered in blood and with broken armor and sword, he was far more imposing and terrifying than any of the yin soldiers they had seen before, like a general commanding an army of ghosts. His skull-like eyes stared at the two of them, gradually filling with a bloodthirsty glint.

Then, a second lantern, a third… Countless ghostly flames lit up. The neighing of horses and the clashing of swords and spears grew louder and louder, drowning out the howling wind and carrying with it the wails of the underworld. The ghostly soldiers began to move, advancing toward the two of them!

This Nightmare Formation had a defense mechanism!

A flurry of talismans flew out, and Zhang Xiuqi dashed forward, his Suihou Sword plunging into the ground with a thud. Meanwhile, Zeng Jingxuan turned his gaze back to the Yin Coffin and Nightmare Wood. These yin soldiers were endless; if they wanted to survive, they had to risk everything to break the formation!

No longer concerned about concealing their presence, Zeng Jingxuan’s hand suddenly produced several chicken throats. With a series of thuds, the chicken throats were driven into the Seven Passes. The moonlight was obscured, but the power of the celestial stars could still be harnessed. He intended to summon the celestial stars to disperse the trapped souls within the Yin Coffin!

Behind him, the clash of yin and yang energies produced a crisp, heaven-shattering sound. Zeng Jingxuan bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of true saliva onto the Nightmare Wood…

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In the mountain hollow, even the wind had disappeared. This was a feng shui treasure spot in the True Yang Position, where no yin or malevolent energy could intrude, making it one of the safest places in the mountain at night. However, Yao Wei, leaning against the cliff, stared intently into the boundless darkness ahead, with no intention of sleeping.

He couldn’t sleep, not because the mountain was terrifying, but because Zeng Jingxuan was still out there risking his life. He knew about the three ominous divinations; how could he rest easy knowing that man was out there? The problem was, his own Daoist skills were too limited. While he could serve as a decent guide, when it came to actual combat or setting up formations, he was practically useless.

It was a bitter pill to swallow—a descendant of the Laoshan Daoist tradition being outclassed by a feng shui master from Sanliao Village. Yao Wei gritted his teeth in frustration. Once this was over, he would have to seriously study his family’s Daoist texts!

Just as he was stewing in his thoughts, the four small wooden blocks he had set up in front of him suddenly trembled. Yao Wei shot upright, his eyes fixed on the wooden carvings. This was his Four Symbols Formation, capable of detecting most fluctuations in yin energy. How could it suddenly react so violently? Had something happened to Brother Xuan?

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Yao Wei quickly rummaged through his backpack, grabbing a few items. He wanted to go and help the two of them! But before he could finish preparing, the Four Symbols Formation trembled again. The Black Tortoise statue representing the North’s Water of the Tenth Heavenly Stem cracked in half with a sharp snap. Yao Wei froze. This wasn’t a disturbance from afar; the danger was close—danger that was nearly impossible to resist, right beside him!

But this was the True Yang Position! What kind of evil could intrude here? Yao Wei slowly stood up, tightening his grip on the stun baton in his hand. A simple Molotov cocktail lay at his feet. Though his Daoist skills were lacking, he had prepared some tools as backup.

Just then, a rustling sound came from nearby, as if someone was pushing through the dense forest. The sound grew closer and closer, moving faster than a person could walk—almost like a snake slithering. In less than half a minute, a dark figure appeared before him. Yao Wei’s eyes widened in disbelief. This was no longer a true “person.” The desiccated corpse had lost all moisture, resembling a mummified skeleton. But the head atop the body wasn’t human; it was a serpent’s head, as wide as a bowl, its triangular black skull swaying slightly with the corpse’s movements. Its green, glowing eyes radiated greed and malice.

It was a Snake Husk—a Snake Husk that had taken over a dried corpse unearthed in the True Yang Position. Watching the creature’s unnatural, gliding movements, Yao Wei clenched his teeth, one hand reaching into his pocket for something else. But unlike other Human Husks, the Snake Husk had already opened its mouth, spewing out a cloud of foul, black gas!

The mountain hollow was small, with nowhere to retreat. Seeing no way to avoid the gas, Yao Wei gritted his teeth, ready to charge through the black mist. But before he could move, he froze. The damaged Four Symbols Formation on the ground suddenly emitted a white light, completely blocking the black gas.

This was impossible!

Only now did he notice that the lazy turtle, which had been sleeping nearby, had crawled out and was now positioned in the Water Position, replacing the broken Black Tortoise statue. The sluggish creature seemed far more powerful than his wooden formation. Its reddish-brown shell now bore strange black patterns, and the white light was emanating from its back.

The most dangerous aspects of a Snake Husk were its venom and miasma. If he could protect himself from those, there was still a chance to fight! Yao Wei grinned, baring his teeth, and charged forward.