C2564 They Were Trying to Persuade Him to Join Their Sect They Were Trying to Persuade Him to Join T
C2564 They Were Trying to Persuade Him to Join Their Sect They Were Trying to Persuade Him to Join T
Without delay, they set off. Since the decision was made, there was no point in wasting time. Perhaps due to being near the heart of the purple-furred rats' territory, the forest was eerily quiet. Neither birds nor any beasts dared to venture close, allowing the trio to quicken their pace. Still, they had to tread carefully to avoid disturbing the rat colony, which could lead to an unavoidable confrontation.
Jiang Fann understood that their mission wasn't about engaging in battle; achieving their objective was paramount. As they moved further from their previous location, the glow from the Sun Thunder Pearl in Jiang Fann's hand gradually faded, returning to its original state. He speculated this was due to the distance from their destination, which gave him an uneasy feeling that their target might be right in the middle of that clearing.
After a full hour of navigating through the nearby woods, they finally reached the opposite side of the clearing. As expected, the Sun Thunder Pearl began to glow again, pointing back to where they had come from. This confirmed Jiang Fann's suspicion—their destination was indeed in the clearing ahead, which was not good news for the three of them.
Jiang Fann set up the barrier before speaking, "We've wasted an hour just circling our destination."
Fang Xiang replied, "Are we really going to open the secret realm near those rat holes? We'd be swarmed by them. This place is far more dangerous than where we were before. These purple-furred rats are deadly."
Jiang Fann remained calm, "This is a restricted area. It's a miracle we made it here safely. We can't just sneak around and expect to accomplish everything. Besides, we're here now, and we haven't gained anything yet. We can't just turn back."
Wan Chengfeng suggested, "If it comes to it, I can create a distraction to lure these purple rats away."
Jiang Fann shook his head decisively. "Too risky. Given the distance, I wouldn't be able to support you. Plus, we still don't know how to activate the Thunder Sect."
As Jiang Fann spoke, he held the orb in his hand, carefully sensing the energy above. He noticed that the spiritual strength was much more active than when they first acquired it. Unfortunately, Fang Xiang hadn't found any more information about the Thunder Orb, and Wan Chengfeng had no advice to offer.
Jiang Fann decided to set up defensive and concealment formations on the spot, planning to test their luck at night.
As night fell, the three of them hid within the formations, watching the clearing. Jiang Fann noticed that the purple-furred rats became noticeably more active at night. Occasionally, one would leave the burrow and vanish into the darkness, its destination unknown.
In no time, the number surpassed a hundred, yet the flow of purple-furred mice leaving the cave showed no signs of slowing down. If anything, it seemed like there were even more than before.
Jiang Fann was almost certain that these purple-furred mice all had nearly identical levels of power. It was unclear whether this was their natural state or if their group had honed their abilities to perfection.
Fang Xiang whispered, "Looks like it's better to make a move during the day. They're way too active at night."
Jiang Fann replied, "We wait. It's the only option, and one more night won't make a difference."
They waited until the latter half of the night when the cave finally stopped spewing out purple-furred mice. In total, at least several hundred had left, whether to forage or for some other reason, their numbers were astonishing.
Wan Chengfeng said, "Seems like most of them are out. Should we act now?"
Jiang Fann responded, "I'll go alone. You two stay within the barrier. If anything goes wrong, I'll retreat first and circle back to you. As long as you don't leave the barrier, they won't be able to touch you."
Both nodded without further comment. They understood Jiang Fann had a plan, and their role was simply to support him. Otherwise, they might disrupt his strategy.
Jiang Fann reminded them again, "Stay within the barrier."
With that, he turned to survey the clearing, ensuring no more purple-furred mice were venturing out. Confident in the situation, Jiang Fann gripped the Sun Thunder Pearl and moved into the clearing, confirming the exact location.
As Jiang Fann reached the center of the clearing, the Thunder Pearl's glow became brightest, and the energy gathered above grew incredibly strong. Unfortunately, that was all it did—no further change occurred.
Jiang Fann tried channeling his Spiritual Strength into it, curious about the reaction. Sadly, the pearl absorbed all his energy without any response, clearly not the correct method of use.
Just then, the rustling sound of footsteps approached from afar. Jiang Fann quickly pocketed the Thunder Pearl, intending to return to the safety of the formation, but it was too late.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Several purple-furred rodents appeared, their eyes unfriendly. They immediately formed a circle to trap Jiang Fann, and currents of electricity sparked from their bodies, striking toward him at the center of the clearing.
However, with a quick step, Jiang Fann leaped into the air, dodging each attack with ease. Yet, the rodents had spotted him, preventing a direct return to the formation. He needed to lose them first, as planned, before heading back.
In no time, Jiang Fann vanished into the forest, moving at incredible speed. The rodents gave chase, squeaking loudly, clearly considering him their prey.
Fang Xiang watched with worry, fearing for Jiang Fann's safety.
Wan Chengfeng remained calm, knowing that since Jiang Fann chose to go himself, he must be confident in his abilities.
About ten minutes later, Jiang Fann mysteriously appeared outside the barrier behind the two of them, then entered without a word to rest. The few purple-furred rats didn't follow him, leaving them unsure of how he dealt with them.
The two watched Jiang Fann, relieved to see he wasn't hurt.
"Did you find anything? I saw the Sun Thunder Pearl glowing intensely earlier and thought it would definitely open the Dry Thunder Sect."
Jiang Fann shook his head. "I initially thought it could open it too, but that wasn't the case. Besides pinpointing the exact location, the Sun Thunder Pearl didn't respond or seem drawn by any force. For the first time, I'm questioning if the legendary Dry Thunder Sect secret realm even exists."
Fang Xiang said seriously, "The records in my book can't be wrong. Why else would the Sun Thunder Pearl light up at that precise location? There must be a reason. Should we study it further?"
Wan Chengfeng suggested, "Could it require a special method to open?"
As the three discussed, a powerful presence emerged from the clearing, clearly surpassing the other purple-furred rats. This rat demon wasn't much larger than the others but was entirely silver, shining under the moonlight. It moved like a flash of lightning, its aura undoubtedly reaching the Reincarnation level.
The purple-furred rat that had been chasing Jiang Fann earlier came scurrying back, seemingly reporting something to the silver-furred rat creature. Then, it scattered off in different directions. The rat creature surveyed the surroundings carefully, clearly on high alert.
At this moment, Wan Chengfeng had already drawn his weapon, ready to confront the rat creature. He was the most advanced among them and could sense the creature's formidable level, equivalent to the fifth tier of the Reincarnation Stage.
"I might not be able to handle this one. If it spots us, don't worry about me—just get out of here. I'll figure out a way to escape," Wan Chengfeng advised.
Hearing this, Jiang Fann chuckled, "This isn't the time for you to play the hero, Brother Wan. My formation is crafted from top-tier materials. Unless it stumbles upon us by sheer luck, it won't detect us, no matter how sharp its senses are."
Jiang Fann was clearly confident in his formation, and the creature's level didn't seem to faze him much. At least for now, this place didn't seem as dangerous as the perilous areas where the Fire Qilin resided. However, the sheer number of purple-furred rats at the peak of the Mortal Separating Stage was absurd, and their combined threat was unimaginable.
The rat king, after a thorough inspection and finding nothing, quickly retreated back into the cave, disappearing from sight.
Wan Chengfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Jiang Fann, "In the past, many special sects only appeared under certain conditions and remained hidden otherwise. Although the Thunder Sect wasn't like that back in the day, it might have a similar method of reappearing after its disappearance."
Jiang Fann took Wan Chengfeng's reminder seriously and carefully examined the Thunder Pearl again. Earlier, in the clearing, he could sense the vibrant energy within the pearl, as if it had been activated by some force.
Thinking about this, Jiang Fann mused aloud, "Could it be that only lightning magic can activate its power?"
Hearing this, Fang Xiang quickly responded, "That sounds plausible. It's worth a try, but now might not be the best time. The silver rat king is likely lurking near the entrance, waiting for you to show up and fall into its trap."
Without leaving the barrier, Jiang Fann gathered lightning magic in his hand, causing arcs of electricity to cover his entire arm. He then reached out and grasped the Thunder Pearl. In an instant, the arcs were rapidly absorbed, and the pearl emitted a stronger glow than before. With the aid of the lightning magic, it seemed as though the pearl's power had truly been activated.
"There is a response! It seems using lightning magic is indeed the solution."
Eager to experiment in the clearing, Jiang Fann couldn't be held back by Wan Chengfeng and the others. He stepped out of the formation and headed straight for the spot he had been at earlier. Previously, he had been cautious, fearing the sudden appearance of a rat king with strength comparable to Xiao Mo, which would be difficult to handle. But now, it was clear that wasn't the case.
While the purple-furred mice were still out hunting, Jiang Fann seized the opportunity to make another attempt. If the mouse king dared to show up again, Jiang Fann was ready to summon Xiao Mo to handle it. He now considered Wan Chengfeng and Fang Xiang as allies, so he felt comfortable sharing some information with them.
This time, Jiang Fann held nothing back. He tapped into his Qi Sea, preparing to unleash his most powerful lightning technique.