Chapter 912
Chapter 912
Everyone nodded and took their protective measures.
Zhao Kun activated the Wind-Stabilizing Talisman, and a beam of azure light shot towards a certain spot at the bottom of the valley. Instantly, the gale there abruptly stopped, revealing a dark cave entrance about ten feet in diameter.
"go!"
The six people transformed into streaks of light and shot into the cave one by one.
As soon as they entered, the gale-force winds closed in again behind them, and the cave entrance disappeared. The cave wasn't completely dark; some phosphorescent stones emitting a ghostly green glow were embedded in the rock walls, barely illuminating the path ahead. The passage wound downwards, and the sound of the wind echoed within, adding to the eeriness of the place.
"Be careful, there's a 'Black Fiend Wind Soul' inside the cave. It's formless and intangible, feeds on souls, and can merge into the wind to launch sneak attacks," Sun Li warned in a low voice.
The group proceeded cautiously. Fu Shaoping spread his contracted spiritual sense, using it in conjunction with his "Spell-Breaking Spiritual Eyes" to observe carefully. Sure enough, in certain corners of the passage, there were extremely faint, almost blending into the darkness, twisted shadows that drifted in the wind, emanating a chilling spiritual energy.
"There are two in the shadow of the rock wall, about three zhang to the left front," Fu Shaoping warned telepathically.
Zhao Kun and the others were startled; they hadn't noticed anything amiss. Ghost Hand snorted coldly, flicked his finger, and two points of cold light shot out, accurately disappearing into the shadows. After two barely audible, shrill shrieks, the shadows vanished.
"Fellow Daoist Lu has a keen eye," Zhao Kun praised.
Ghost Hand and Blood Maiden looked at Fu Shaoping with a more serious expression.
As they ventured deeper, the passage widened and the wind grew stronger, carrying fine black sand that hissed against the protective aura, creating a corrosive effect.
Suddenly, from around the corner of the passage ahead, came the sounds of fierce fighting and shouts!
"Someone's already here!" Zhao Kun's expression changed.
The group quickened their pace, rounded a corner, and suddenly a huge natural cave opened up before them. In the center of the cave, three groups of people were engaged in a fierce battle!
One group consisted of five cultivators dressed in uniform cyan outfits with whirlwind symbols embroidered on their sleeves; they were disciples of the local sect, "Wind and Thunder Pavilion"! The leader was a middle-aged man with a peak mid-stage Golden Core cultivation level, who held a wind flag and manipulated numerous sharp wind blades.
The other group consisted of three black-robed cultivators with a cold aura and strange techniques. They seemed to be rogue cultivators from the demonic path, and their cultivation levels were all in the early to mid-stages of the Golden Core realm.
The third group had the largest number of people, seven in total, but their cultivation levels varied greatly, ranging from the late Foundation Establishment stage to the early Golden Core stage. They seemed to be a hastily assembled group of rogue cultivators, and they were already at a disadvantage, with two of them lying on the ground, unable to get up.
The three groups were fighting over a jade scroll, which was placed at the top of a broken stone pillar in the center of the cave and emitted a faint grayish-white light.
"An ancient contract fragment!" Blood Maiden's eyes lit up.
The middle-aged man leading the Fenglei Pavilion shouted, "This object was first discovered by our Fenglei Pavilion. You all must leave immediately, or you will be killed without mercy!"
A gaunt old man among the rogue cultivators of the demonic path cackled, "The Wind and Thunder Pavilion has quite the arrogance! The treasure belongs to the destined one; can you really handle it?"
The scene was chaotic, with various spells and magical artifacts flashing wildly.
Fu Shaoping and the others hid in the shadows of the passageway and were not exposed for the time being.
"The people from Fenglei Pavilion have arrived too. This is troublesome." Zhao Kun frowned. Fenglei Pavilion is a first-class sect in Donghua Region. Although it cannot compare to Tianyan Sect, it is not something that rogue cultivators like them can easily provoke.
"Let's wait and see," Fu Shaoping said in a low voice. His gaze fell on the jade scroll, and his contractual spiritual sense sensed it slightly. Indeed, an ancient, incomplete but pure contractual fluctuation was emanating from it, resonating faintly with the fragment of the "Contractual Order" within his body. It was undoubtedly genuine.
The battle intensified. The disciples of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion were well-trained and coordinated, and although outnumbered, they managed to hold their ground using their formations. The rogue cultivators of the demonic path employed unpredictable and ruthless methods, targeting vital points. The rogue cultivators' group had already collapsed, with only three remaining to desperately hold on.
"Now!" Ghost Hand suddenly shouted, his figure darting out like a ghost, heading straight for the top of the stone pillar! His target was clear: the ancient scroll fragment!
"You're courting death!" The middle-aged man from the Wind and Thunder Pavilion roared in fury. He waved his wind flag, and several cyan wind blades crisscrossed and slashed towards the ghost hand! At the same time, two rogue demonic cultivators reacted and used their respective methods to intercept it!
Ghost Hand's figure twisted erratically in the air, narrowly avoiding most of the attacks, but his left arm was still slashed open by a wind blade, bleeding profusely. Ignoring the danger, he reached for the jade slip with lightning speed in his right hand!
Just as his fingers were about to touch the jade slip, a sudden change occurred!
Suddenly, countless fine, almost invisible gray threads appeared in the void surrounding the stone pillar! These threads emitted a cold, binding contractual aura, instantly entangling the ghostly hand!
"A trap?!" Ghost Hand's expression changed drastically. He struggled frantically, but the gray threads were incredibly tough and kept drawing out his true essence, binding him tighter and tighter!
"Hahaha! A bunch of fools! Did they really think the 'Ancient Contract Fragment' would be left here so unguarded?" A hoarse, triumphant laugh rang out. From a hidden cavern at the top of the cave, three figures leaped down!
The leader was a middle-aged cultivator in a brocade robe with a sinister face, whose cultivation level was clearly at the late Golden Core stage! The two behind him were also at the mid-Golden Core stage. There were no obvious markings on their sleeves, but Fu Shaoping sensed a very subtle yet incredibly familiar aura emanating from them—the fluctuations of an evil contract!
"People from the Myriad Contracts Alliance?!" Fu Shaoping's heart skipped a beat. Although the other party concealed it well, the sinister feeling of that twisted contract was the same as that he had encountered Elder Ying and others in the Northern Territory! They were just more reserved, obviously more cautious in their activities in the Central Plains.
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Thank you all for helping me weaken these competitors." The brocade-robed cultivator grinned sinisterly, and with a wave of his hand, the jade scroll flew into his grasp. He glanced at the bound ghost hand and the astonished crowd, "Now, you can die in peace. This 'Spirit Binding Contract Array' here took me quite a bit of effort."
As soon as he finished speaking, gray contract runes lit up on the rock walls surrounding the cave, where they had previously appeared as natural patterns! A binding array covering the entire cave was fully activated! Everyone felt their bodies sink, their true energy flow became sluggish, and they found it difficult to move!
"mean!"
"It's a contractual trap!"
The Wind and Thunder Pavilion, the rogue demonic cultivators, and the surviving rogue cultivators were all filled with shock and rage. They struggled desperately, but the power of the formation, combined with the strange gray threads, made them like insects caught in a spider web.
Zhao Kun and the others turned pale. They had hoped to reap the benefits, but they never expected that they themselves would be the real prey.
Fu Shaoping's gaze remained calm as he carefully observed the formation. This "Spirit Binding Contract Formation" was essentially an evil formation that used contract rules to bind the true essence and mobility of living beings, with a certain "contract token" in the brocade-robed cultivator's hand (which was very likely the ancient contract fragment itself) serving as the formation's core. The way to break it was either to forcibly break it with power far exceeding that of the formation, or... to interfere with or sever the contractual link between the formation's core and the formation.
Although his current cultivation level is only at the late Golden Core stage, his understanding of the Dao of Contracts and his control over the dual cores of the "Contract Command" are far beyond what an ordinary late Golden Core cultivator can achieve. While this evil formation is exquisite, it still falls far short of the inheritance of Frost Soul Venerable and the mysteries of the Origin Space.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, we..." Zhao Kun anxiously transmitted his voice.
"I will break the formation later. You all wait for the opportunity to act. The primary objective is to retrieve the ancient contract fragment, or at least destroy it. We cannot let it fall into the hands of the Myriad Contracts Alliance," Fu Shaoping quickly instructed via telepathy.
The brocade-robed cultivator was smugly preparing to activate the formation to completely annihilate everyone. Suddenly, he sensed an unusual contractual fluctuation emanating from the shadows in the corner!
"There are rats too?" He looked sharply at the place where Fu Shaoping and the others were hiding.
Just then, Fu Shaoping stepped out of the shadows, his body shimmering with pale golden light, and a pure, vast, contractual pressure that seemed capable of cleansing all filth suddenly erupted!
"Contract Purification - Exorcism!"
He formed a hand seal, and the power of the Source Core and the dark gold fragment of the "Contract" was activated, transforming into a pale golden halo that rapidly spread out from him!
Wherever the halo passed, the gray threads binding everyone seemed to have encountered their nemesis, hissing and quickly melting away and breaking! The gray runes on the rock wall also flickered violently and dimmed!
"What?!" The brocade-robed cultivator was shocked. "You...you cultivate the orthodox ancient contract path?! And you can even counter my spirit-binding contract?!"
He hurriedly activated the jade slip in his hand, attempting to stabilize the formation again. However, Fu Shaoping's purification aura had severely disrupted the foundation of the formation's contract. "Now!" Fu Shaoping shouted.
Zhao Kun, Zhao Yue, and Sun Li, who were already poised to attack, rushed out immediately upon hearing the news, their target the brocade-robed cultivator! Blood Maiden's eyes flickered, and she also joined the battle, whipping her whip.
Ghost Hand also took the opportunity to break free of the remaining threads. Although injured, its ferocity was aroused, and it joined forces with Zhao Kun and others to attack.
The Wind and Thunder Pavilion and the rogue demonic cultivators also realized what was happening. Although they didn't know Fu Shaoping's background, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so they all attacked the three members of the Myriad Alliance.
The situation reversed instantly!
The brocade-robed cultivator was both shocked and furious. He hadn't expected someone to suddenly appear out of nowhere, and that the contractual path he cultivated could actually counter his evil formation! Despite having the highest cultivation level, he felt immense pressure facing the siege of the crowd.
"Damn it! Retreat!" Knowing the situation was hopeless, the brocade-robed cultivator made a quick decision, stuffing the ancient contract fragment into his robes and taking out a pitch-black talisman to activate it.
"Trying to leave?" Fu Shaoping's eyes turned cold, and in a flash, he appeared beside the brocade-robed cultivator. "Contract Judgment - Forbidden!"
The pale golden power of the contract transformed into invisible chains, binding the arms and true essence within the brocade-robed cultivator! At the same time, he reached out and grabbed the jade slip in the other's arms!
"Get out of my way!" the brocade-robed cultivator roared, slapping Fu Shaoping with his other hand. Black energy surged in his palm, containing potent poison and corrosive power.
"Frost Soul Pact Slash - Frost Condensation!" Fu Shaoping's other hand formed a sword shape with his fingers together, and the icy blue sword energy struck first, colliding with the black palm!
"boom!"
Black energy and frost exploded simultaneously! The brocade-robed cultivator groaned, his arm freezing, his movements momentarily halted. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Fu Shaoping grabbed a corner of the jade slip!
"Let go!" The brocade-robed cultivator gripped the other half tightly, and the two were instantly locked in a stalemate.
Just then, another unexpected event occurred!
The jade slip that the two were fighting over seemed unable to withstand the pull of the two powerful contract forces. Its surface shone brightly, and then with a "crack", it broke into two pieces!
Half of it was in Fu Shaoping's hands, and the other half was still in the hands of the brocade-robed cultivator.
"Damn it!" The brocade-robed cultivator was heartbroken. This ancient contract was already incomplete, and now it was broken in two, greatly reducing its value. But he knew he couldn't linger any longer. Taking advantage of Fu Shaoping's distraction, he suddenly kicked out, using the force to fly backward, while simultaneously activating the pitch-black talisman!
"escape!"
With a flash of black light, the brocade-robed cultivator, along with his two subordinates, blurred and vanished from the spot, leaving behind only a vicious and resentful remark: "You ruined my Myriad Contracts Alliance's plans! I'll remember you! One day I will take your life and seize your inheritance!"
The three members of the Wanqi Alliance escaped, rendering the formation completely ineffective.
Inside the cave, everything was in a mess. The Wind and Thunder Pavilion, the rogue cultivators of the demonic path, and the groups of rogue cultivators all breathed a sigh of relief, but their gazes toward Fu Shaoping and the others were filled with surprise and confusion.
Fu Shaoping ignored them and looked down at the half-jade slip in his hand. The jade slip was warm to the touch and covered with ancient contract texts and runes. Although it was incomplete, the true meaning of the contract contained within it made the fragment of the "contract order" in his body slightly warm.
"This half-scroll... seems to be an ancient secret technique about 'contract transfer' and 'causal grafting'." Fu Shaoping quickly browsed through it, his heart trembling. Although these methods are unorthodox and even somewhat sinister, if used properly, they might have miraculous effects on transferring the evil energy of the "Contract Pivot" and grafting purifying power!
On the other side, Zhao Kun and the others also gathered around, their eyes burning with fervor, but even more so with awe, as they looked at the half-jade slip in Fu Shaoping's hand. The contract cultivation level that Fu Shaoping had just displayed had completely terrified them.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, we owe you a great debt this time," Zhao Kun said, cupping his hands in thanks. "This half-scroll..."
"As agreed, the distribution will be based on contributions," Fu Shaoping said calmly. "This item is crucial to my research on the Dao of Contracts. I am willing to exchange other treasures or spirit stones of equivalent value for your share. In addition, I hope you will all keep quiet about the Wanqi Alliance to avoid unnecessary trouble."
Zhao Kun and the others exchanged bewildered glances. Having witnessed Fu Shaoping's strength, they vaguely guessed that the "Ten Thousand Contracts Alliance" was likely an extremely troublesome force, so naturally they dared not voice any objections.
"It's all up to Fellow Daoist Lu to decide."
Fu Shaoping nodded, took out some pills suitable for Golden Core cultivators, spirit stones, and several good magic artifacts, and distributed them to Zhao Kun and the other four (including the injured Ghost Hand). The value far exceeded their expectations. All five were overjoyed.
As for the Wind and Thunder Pavilion and the rogue demonic cultivators, Fu Shaoping did not want to cause any more trouble, so he quickly led Zhao Kun and the others away from the Black Wind Cave.
After returning to Luoxia Mountain Market, the two went their separate ways.
Fu Shaoping found a secluded inn to stay in and began to carefully study the half-scroll of the "Ancient Contract Fragment".
“Contract transfer…causal grafting…if these methods are combined with the purifying power of the ‘Contract Source Stone,’ they might actually be able to gradually guide, transfer, and purify the evil energy within the ‘Contract Pivot’ without damaging its original body!” Fu Shaoping thought it was feasible more and more.
Although it is only half a volume and the methods are incomplete, by combining the "General Outline of the Origin of the Origin", the "Frost Soul Origin Canon", and the "Secret Records of the Witchcraft Origin", he may be able to deduce a complete and usable method.
"It seems coming to the Central Plains was the right decision. Just one adventure has yielded such a crucial clue." Fu Shaoping was thrilled.
He carefully put away the half-scroll of jade slip, preparing to study it carefully in the future.
Next, he needs to digest what he has learned from this trip and think about his next move.
The Myriad Contracts Alliance is indeed active in the Central Plains, and their actions are becoming increasingly secretive and cunning. They are also searching for ancient contract artifacts, and their target is likely the "Contract Pivot."
"We must improve our strength as soon as possible and find more methods to purify the 'Spirit of Contract'. At the same time, we must also keep a close eye on the movements of the Myriad Contracts Alliance."
Fu Shaoping looked out the window; the sky over the Central Plains of China was vast and boundless.
His approach to contracts is only just beginning here.
His experience in Blackwind Cave made him realize that the Central Plains were a place where opportunities and dangers coexisted, far more exciting and, more... cruel, than the Northern Territory.
He needs greater power and deeper planning.
"Next, perhaps we should go and take a look at the Central Plains branch of the 'Heavenly Secrets Pavilion'. It's time to put Xingyanzi's token to good use."
Fu Shaoping had made up his mind.
The journey to Middle-earth is getting better and better. (End of Chapter)