Chapter 00169: Great Peril
# Great Peril
Chapter 169
Novel: After the Myth
Chapter 169: Great Peril
“Dao Friend Ding, the night has fallen. Should we set up camp here?” Elder Gu couldn’t help but say as he watched Ding Huan rush through the forest.
It was already dangerous to travel through the jungles of the ravine during the day, and to continue at night was akin to courting death.
Ding Huan, still sprinting, replied, “Elder Gu, believe me, we’ll be able to stop in at most half an hour.”
Upon hearing Ding Huan’s words, Gu Youchang immediately urged the other disciples, “Everyone, put in a bit more effort! Don’t hesitate to use your Speed Talismans!”
Without Elder Gu’s reminder, no one dared to stop.
Everyone held onto their lives, sprinting desperately behind Ding Huan.
The one most irritated was Qing Yu.
If it weren't for Ding Huan, the cook, why would she risk her life wandering through the dark forest of the ravine at night?
At that moment, Ding Huan suddenly drew a long blade from his waist and slashed it towards something.
Elder Gu was startled but soon realized that Ding Huan had split a venomous snake, as thick as a bowl, into two.
This act didn't slow Ding Huan down; instead, he moved even faster.
Gu Youchang's view of Ding Huan changed.
This young cook was no ordinary individual.
Even he hadn’t noticed the snake earlier.
If they had passed by without noticing it, and one of the new disciples had been bitten, it would have meant certain death.
In a way, Ding Huan was doing better than both the Steward Qiong and himself.
If Ding Huan’s instinct was correct and they really managed to escape this danger, maybe they should consider introducing Ding Huan to the Yan Yue Sect.
Additionally, Gu Youchang sensed that Ding Huan was purposely holding back his speed; if it weren't for waiting on these disciples, Ding Huan might have vanished completely.
The others, seeing Ding Huan’s fierceness, felt a mysterious surge of confidence.
When Ding Huan finally caught sight of a wide mountain path ahead, he felt a great sense of relief.
They had survived.
Turning back, he was glad to see that no one had been lost.
“Are we camping here?” Elder Gu asked as he stopped alongside Ding Huan.
Before Ding Huan could respond, Elder Gu exclaimed in surprise, “What’s going on? How can there be such a wide road here?”
At this moment, everyone gathered onto the road.
Although night had fallen, the starlight allowed them to see that this was indeed a very broad mountain path.
It was obvious that many people had frequently traveled this way; it was not a secluded spot at all.
Elder Gu closed his eyes and walked forward for dozens of meters, feeling everything around him once more.
After more than ten minutes had passed, Elder Gu returned, staring at Ding Huan in shock. “Dao Friend Ding, tell me. Did you already know that the path we took before was a false illusion and that we were truly in the forest while this was the real road?”
“Only a fool would admit that,” Ding Huan thought.
“Elder Gu, you think too highly of me. If I had known we were in the forest, I would have surely said something.”
“I was just a little anxious back then. I believed in my instincts. If I hadn’t trusted my feelings, I wouldn’t have made it this far. I didn’t know where to stop, but I felt drawn here, not expecting to find this road.”
“Huh, wait a minute, Elder Gu, you said the road we were on was fake? Why? It clearly looked like a big road!” Ding Huan seemed to realize something as he spoke.
Gu Youchang had only been casually asking; he didn’t genuinely believe that they had missed such an obvious truth while Ding Huan discerned it.
Ding Huan’s notion of feeling anxious resonated with him.
It was probably because he felt unsettled that he trusted Ding Huan’s words and followed him to this place.
Otherwise, there was no way he would have followed a cook like Ding Huan into the dangerous depths of the ravine.
“Thank you, Dao Friend Ding. If it weren’t for you, I might have already lost my life,” Elder Gu sighed, his last words meant for the rest of the group as well.
Since they were safe, others were still in danger.
“All disciples, set up camp!” With Steward Qiong absent, Elder Gu had to take over his responsibilities.
“Dao Friend Ding, thank you. If it weren’t for you, I would have likely struggled to escape,” said the usually proud Guan Wu, approaching to express her gratitude.
To Guan Wu, Ding Huan was merely a cook, albeit one with some skills—a somewhat capable cook.
But this incident had made her break into a cold sweat.
If she had listened to Qing Yu, she might have perished in the ravine.
Thinking of this, Guan Wu shot a cold glare at Qing Yu.
She knew Qing Yu didn’t dare to come over with her because she was terrified of dying.
The old adage proved true again: the more one feared death, the quicker they met their end.
Ding Huan wasted no time calculating his own safety.
He didn’t want to just meet a sudden death here.
Due to his low cultivation, the rules of this place were beyond him, making his predictions unclear.
However, he started to see clearer images in his mind.
Ding Huan sighed in relief; even if the images were blurry, it didn’t matter—as long as he still could perceive something.
The further images meant he was safe.
While the disciples set up camp, Elder Gu arranged a protective formation.
Seeing Elder Gu expertly toss the formation flags, Ding Huan felt a twinge of envy.
“Big Brother Ding, I’d like to buy your Speed Talisman. Is that alright?” a newly initiated disciple from Yan Yue Sect approached Ding Huan, his tone a bit nervous.
This was the disciple who had previously lagged behind; he had exhausted his Speed Talisman in the forest earlier.
Without hesitation, Ding Huan pulled out a talisman from his belongings and handed it over. “Here, take it. No need to buy; I don’t need it.”
Ding Huan had been studying this Speed Talisman for several days, only to realize there was nothing much to learn—just some wind patterns combined together.
When his abilities reached a certain level, he would naturally be able to create his own talismans.
As for selling it to this disciple, what could he offer in return? Mortal realm’s currency would be useless to him; it was better to just give it away.
“Thank you, Big Brother Ding. I will remember this favor,” the new disciple hurriedly bowed in gratitude.
To Ding Huan, it was just an inconsequential talisman, but to the disciple, it could mean the difference between life and death.
…
Meanwhile, the larger group still in the jungle began to set up camp as well.
Seeing the other sects have their elders protecting the disciples, Steward Qiong sighed inwardly over the unreliability of their Yan Yue Sect’s elders for relying on a cook's advice.
And Guan Wu, if anything happened, how would he explain to the Sect Leader?
"Elder Liu," just as Elder Liu Yinzhu from Zixia Valley was pondering the unusual cook named Ding Huan, she heard Elder Qu's voice from the Twin Soul Sect outside.
Liu Yinzhu stepped out of the camp. “Elder Qu, are you looking to discuss the defense plans for tonight?”
Just as Elder Qu was about to speak, a massive darkness suddenly came crashing down from the night sky.
In that instant, it felt as if everything had disappeared.
A sinister chill enveloped the space, spreading the fear of death throughout the area.
Liu Yinzhu sensed something was wrong at once and shouted, “Everyone, run!”
She dashed forward without a second thought.
Boom! That mass of darkness crashed into the camp, exploding upon impact and a chilling scream echoed out.
Everyone fled in a frenzy; this was not the end, as more dark masses fell from the sky.
The chilling dread that penetrated the very soul erupted in the middle of the camp.
For those new disciples who had yet to cultivate, not only could they not escape, they could barely even move.
The disciples of Yan Yue Sect under Steward Qiong, lacking the elders, could only lag behind and watch as the chaos erupted.
Being at the back gave him a chance to flee.
Just before the second dark mass fell, he yelled at the disciples to escape while he rushed out.
Han Weicheng regretted staying behind.
Why hadn’t he just gone with Ding Huan and Elder Gu earlier?
To experience such horrifying death once was already overwhelming; to willingly face it once more was futile.
Compared to Elder Qu of the Twin Soul Sect, who disappeared without a trace in an instant, Elder Liu of Zixia Valley quickly gathered the disciples once she regained her bearings.
But after a few more dark masses smashed down, she no longer dared to continue gathering them.
She picked up four disciples and raced out.
Steward Qiong could only run forward in a panic; even while he was the quickest among the trailing crowd, Elder Liu swiftly caught up with him.
Elder Liu dropped a few disciples to lead the way. “Everyone, follow me!”
Watching Elder Liu break from the main road, Steward Qiong was hesitant.
He wouldn’t dare to assume the path was safe anymore and quickly ordered the others to follow.
Those who managed to escape all rushed madly behind Elder Liu.
This was not a matter of strength; if one couldn’t even touch their opponent, how could one fight back?
“Elder Liu, where should we escape to?” Steward Qiong's voice trembled.
“Let’s head in the direction of Chef Ding,” Liu Yinzhu replied, her expression grim.
After all, that cook was still one of them, and her response was a nod to Steward Qiong’s pride.
The chilling screams continued from behind them; no one dared to look back at this moment.
…
Ding Huan’s mind buzzed as he pondered the nature of that fearsome presence.
What was the point of creating such an elaborate ruse? Was blinding everyone left in confusion necessary even after they’d all been deceived?
“Dao Friend Ding!” Elder Gu’s voice called from outside.
Ding Huan quickly opened the tent flap. “Elder Gu.”
“What are you thinking about, Dao Friend Ding?” Elder Gu didn’t dare to treat Ding Huan simply as a cook anymore and asked politely.
Ding Huan rubbed his head and replied earnestly, “I’m trying to figure out what that thing was. It’s terrifying.”
Elder Gu’s tone turned serious. “I think I have an idea of what it is.”
“What is it?” Ding Huan asked anxiously.
Elder Gu simply uttered a single word: “Bian.”
Bian?
As Ding Huan thought of the drought spirits he had read about on Earth, a name of a demonic beast suddenly came to mind.
Cold Bian, capable of concealing its form and absorbing the mental essence of cultivators to ascend.
It can release hallucination poison, making people feel trapped in an illusion formation.
This beast is extremely difficult to ascend.
Ordinary Cold Bians only reach a high level of seven.
Before reaching the seventh level, the area it occupied would be enveloped in a chilling cold.
This cold can invade the mind, blending with the hallucination poison to render individuals incapable of breaking free.
Before advancing to its seventh level, the greatest attack method of the Cold Bian was the gathering of black mist to sap the souls.
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