C2563
C2563
As night deepened, the wind in the forest picked up, causing the treetops to sway. A chill crept in, and the three felt its bite. Suddenly, a shadow darted through the woods. None of them could clearly see what it was, only that it moved incredibly fast and didn’t seem to notice their presence.
Wansheng Feng spoke up, "It’s probably some kind of beast, but I couldn’t make out what type it was, and its aura was too fleeting to lock onto."
Jiang Fann wasted no time, using his Divine Eye to survey the darkness. This allowed him to see more clearly, even though it cost him some of his Spiritual Strength. Safety was more important; none of them wanted to meet their end here without even glimpsing the Thunder Sect.
Seeing Jiang Fann use his Divine Eye, Fang Xiang opened up a map to pinpoint their location, though he could only determine a rough estimate. He said, "The Heaven Pavilion has limited information on this restricted area. The map only marks the perimeter, but this place seems like a small world of its own. We’ll only know its true size by exploring it ourselves. We’ve barely covered any ground so far."
Wan Chengfeng chuckled, "What if we make it through this restricted zone only to find out that the Dry Thunder Sect is on the other side, not even in the zone? Would we regret it?"
"No worries. We can just consider it a practice run. But the priority is to make it through safely," Jiang Fann replied.
Just as Jiang Fann finished speaking, two more shadows darted through the forest, moving at incredible speed. However, with his Divine Eye activated, Jiang Fann noticed a faint purple glow emanating from the shadows. Even with the Divine Eye, the shadows were swift, likely due to the distance.
Fang Xiang asked directly, "Did you see what it was?"
Jiang Fann shook his head. "Let's put out the fire. We might see better that way."
Wan Chengfeng used his technique to suppress the fire until it was nearly extinguished, plunging the area into darkness. This allowed Jiang Fann's Divine Eye to see more clearly.
About ten minutes later, another shadow flitted by. This time, Jiang Fann was focused, and what he saw sent a chill through him.
"Why is it here?"
Hearing Jiang Fann's words, the other two immediately looked at him, curious about his reaction.
Jiang Fann reignited the fire and turned to Fang Xiang. "If I told you that shadow was the purple-furred rat we fought the other day, would you be surprised?"
"Purple-furred rats? How could those things show up here?"
"I'm not sure if it's the same one, but it looks identical and has the same level of power at the peak of the Mortal Separating Stage."
At this point, Jiang Fann suddenly had a thought. "The two that just passed by, I saw a purple glow from them too. Could they all be purple-furred rats? A whole group at the peak of the Mortal Separating Stage!"
Jiang Fann hesitated to continue. He vividly remembered the situation that day—a purple-furred rat controlling a swarm of lesser rats, which were harmless enough. But if there was a group of purple-furred rats here, what kind of scene would that be?
Wan Chengfeng didn't know what had happened that day, but Fang Xiang looked utterly shocked.
"Don't tell me there's a whole pack of purple-furred rats like that rat king in this forbidden zone!"
Jiang Fann replied, "It's possible that the rat king came from here. That would explain the Thunder Pearl in its possession, as it might have originally been left here with the Thunder Sect's treasures. The purple-furred rat could have taken it and escaped the forbidden zone to become a king."
Even though he had struck it rich that day, Fang Xiang couldn't forget what had happened.
"I don't want to experience that lightning magic again. If there's a whole pack of purple-furred rats as strong as that rat king, how powerful do you think the leader here would be?"
Jiang Fann wasn't surprised. He calmly said, "This matches the danger level of the restricted area. It's better to find out sooner rather than later. No wonder it was so quiet during the day; it seems these creatures don't necessarily live inside."
Wan Chengfeng replied, "I'm curious about what you're saying. But since the Thunder Pearl came from here, it means we're not far from our destination."
Jiang Fann nodded and then said, "Let's take a break. I'll keep watch tonight. We'll set out again early in the morning and aim to find the place as soon as possible."
With a clearer understanding of the shadowy figures, Jiang Fann felt more at ease. These purple-furred rodents wielded thunder magic, which he could counter. Their numbers wouldn't be much of a threat, especially with the protection of the Thunder Pool. However, Fang Xiang's words reminded him that the rat king here was beyond his ability to handle alone, but he had more help than just the two companions by his side.
Fang Xiang and his companion stayed put to restore their energy, while Jiang Fann took the night watch.
As the night wore on, the number of moving shadows in the forest increased. However, the purple-furred rodents weren't particularly perceptive and didn't detect the three of them within the protective barrier.
Around dawn, the moving figures gradually disappeared, heading off to who knows where. Once daylight broke, the surroundings quieted down. Fang Xiang and his companion awoke from their meditation, extinguished the campfire, and prepared to hit the road.
The three of them left the formation, with Jiang Fann taking all the materials with him for later use that night.
Fang Xiang asked Jiang Fann, "How many of those purple-furred rats did you see last night?"
"At least a hundred passed by us!" Jiang Fann replied.
Hearing this, Fang Xiang turned to Wan Chengfeng beside him. "A hundred beasts with the same power level as you, and they can use lightning magic. Are you scared?"
"If Jiang Fann isn't afraid, why should I be? Don't worry, Brother Fang. Even if we run into trouble we can't handle, I'll make sure I go down before you do."
Two hours later, as Jiang Fann was making his way through some bushes, he suddenly lost his footing and nearly fell, but Fang Xiang quickly grabbed him from behind.
Only then did Jiang Fann notice a deep pit hidden just beyond the bushes, completely out of sight.
Standing at the edge, the three of them peered into the darkness below, unable to see anything.
Fang Xiang speculated, "Could this be the entrance to those purple-furred rats' lair?"
Jiang Fann shook his head. "This pit is way too straight to be an entrance."
With that, Jiang Fann conjured a ball of fire in his palm and tossed it into the pit, illuminating the space below. What they saw made their eyes widen.
Piles of bones lay scattered, belonging to various creatures, clearly discarded here after being devoured. It was unimaginable how many had met their end in this place.
Fang Xiang whispered, "This isn't a good place to be. We should leave quickly."
Wan Chengfeng agreed, "I second that!"
Just as the three were about to leave, they heard footsteps nearby. The sound was faint, but their keen hearing picked it up immediately. Jiang Fann quickly cast a barrier, making the three of them vanish from sight.
Soon after, they saw a purple-furred rat dragging the remains of a beast to the edge of a deep pit, tossing the bones in. The rat didn't leave right away; it sniffed around suspiciously, as if sensing something. After a moment of investigation, it turned and left without lingering.
When the rat was so close, Fang Xiang barely dared to breathe, afraid of being discovered. Only after the rat had gone did he say, "It's just like the one we encountered before. I wonder if it can also summon lightning."
"We'll find out when we meet it again," Jiang Fann replied.
As the two spoke, the purple-furred rat stealthily poked its head out from the bushes, having doubled back quietly. Fortunately, Jiang Fann's barrier was still in place, preventing their voices from being heard, so they remained undetected.
Wan Chengfeng, observing the rat, remarked, "This creature is clever, coming back to check things out."
Jiang Fann nodded. "That's just one. If we run into a whole group, it could be a real problem."
The purple-furred rat, now certain it hadn't been detected, quickly scurried away, vanishing like a shadow.
Jiang Fann didn't plan to waste any time. He lifted the inhibition and continued leading the two others forward, constantly sensing the direction indicated by the Sun Thunder Pearl, worried they might take a wrong turn and waste more time in this restricted area.
By noon, the three suddenly stopped because they noticed they were approaching the edge of the forest. They weren't ready to leave the cover of the trees yet, as they would be too exposed outside.
Just then, Fang Xiang, who was walking behind Jiang Fann, noticed something and alerted him.
"Look at the pearl in your hand."
Jiang Fann opened his palm, and the Sun Thunder Pearl was now emitting a radiant glow, with electric arcs flickering more frequently than before. This was the first time it had changed since they acquired it.
"This must be some kind of signal. It seems we're close to our destination."
But to continue forward, they would have to leave the forest.
Reaching the forest's edge, the three didn't step out immediately. Jiang Fann set up a concealment array, and they observed the area beyond the trees to ensure there was no danger.
As they peered out, they saw the ground outside was riddled with holes leading underground—hundreds of them, scattered across the open space with surprising density.
Every now and then, one or two purple-furred mice would dart out of a hole, quickly scurrying into another as if they were playing a game of chase. These mice were no different from the leader, even their aura was strikingly similar. Jiang Fann had no intention of interacting with them directly.
"Should I try to find a way around them first and pinpoint the location indicated by the Thunder Pearl?"