After losing nearly half their number, the travelers finally found a small piece of land after a grueling journey.
It floated like an island in the middle of the swamp, barren and tiny, yet it offered great consolation to everyone.
Even Feng Xixi descended from mid-air to sit cross-legged and meditate, inhaling and exhaling deeply to restore her mana.
Zhong Shenxiu opened his water skin, took a drink, and looked up.
Within the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, there were changes in the sun and moon.
At that moment, the three suns had set, and twin moons hung high, darkness enveloping their surroundings.
Around him, most of the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry were dead or injured, discarding their armor and silently eating dry rations alongside the Daoist Officials.
"Damn it, who pulled off this leech?"
"Don’t pull, wait for the medic! Where’s the medic?"
"Died half-way here. Brother Wang’s leg is likely gone... Damn..."
Several Xuanjia Iron Cavalry looked at their injured comrades with gloomy expressions.
For them, the Black Wind Army’s attack on Poison Dragon Pond was a truly unwarranted disaster.
The previous raids were bearable - death was a given on the battlefield, and they were mentally prepared.
But enemies like the unseen swamp dealt a great psychological blow, brewing hidden resentment.
’The casualties are severe...’
Zhong Shenxiu silently lamented, as medics were always a priority to protect, and now their deaths indicated the intense danger they had faced.
Their foes were not human, but the disgusting swamp, deadly pythons, and things vague and inexplicable.
’We’ve walked so long and still haven’t reached the core of the array, we’re probably stuck in a maze-like situation, making it even more troublesome in this harsh swamp...’
Zhong Shenxiu had already removed his armor, only tightly binding from his waist down, and now slowly loosened it to improve blood flow.
Even Innate Martial Practitioners were struggling in this environment.
The other Secondary Ninth Rank Evil Slayer Deputy Envoys felt the same.
"Mr. Su... do you know why they insisted on attacking Poison Dragon Cave?"
Beside him, a fellow Secondary Ninth Rank Evil Slayer Deputy Envoy whispered.
Zhong Shenxiu recognized him; his name was Zheng Xun, whose ancestors for three generations had emigrated from Yan Han and were old residents of Fufeng City, with family martial arts.
After breaking through to Innate level, he joined the Great Protector’s Mansion and served for six years, earning a promotion to Secondary Ninth Rank Evil Slayer Deputy Envoy, under Feng Xixi’s jurisdiction.
Since they were colleagues, they all knew each other somewhat, the kind that mingled over food and drink.
Zheng Xun liked to gossip.
Zhong Shenxiu simply listened.
"They say... this Poison Dragon Venerable hid a huge treasure," Zheng Xun’s eyes gleamed, "Filled with White Emperor, Red Emperor Coins, and many precious items valuable to cultivators..."
"Why did I hear it was because he defied the royal law, violating the Protector Mansion’s decrees?" another person interjected.
Zheng Xun rolled his eyes and the two began to argue quietly.
Watching this, Zhong Shenxiu felt a trace of melancholy.
’The Great Protector’s Mansion didn’t pass down information about Dragon and Tiger True Man. Here, mostly only people like Feng Xixi and a few other seventh-grade know... The expendable, they are only needed to follow orders, why bother with more? Heh... born without knowing the reasons, dying without knowing the enemy, being lower-ranked really is miserable.’
Looking at the two people almost spitting as they argued, he felt too lazy to bother and prepared to rest on the side, playing the role of an Innate Martial Practitioner.
Unfortunately, his strength did not permit it.
Zhong Shenxiu opened his eyes, looking into the depths of darkness, hearing a faint rustling sound like that of small insects moving.
In the military camp, of course, there were people keeping watch.
At this time, it was Zheng Xun’s turn.
The dwindling bonfire cast a warm yellow glow.
In this warm light, suddenly, several white strips appeared.
These white strips, when viewed vertically, were merely a white line. The watchful Zheng Xun had just rubbed his eyes when one reached his face and slashed across.
The words Zheng Xun was about to utter were forcibly stuck in his throat—his upper body separated from his lower, revealing an extremely smooth and flat wound, his internal organs and blood spilled all over the ground.
Suddenly, the sound of a child’s teasing laughter emanated from the surrounding darkness.
After the near annihilation of the watchers, someone finally shouted loudly.
The white strips ceased to disguise themselves and showed their faces, and the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry noticed that they were paper figures the size of children, thin as a sheet, with rosy cheeks painted on.
Then, they began to surround from all directions.
If they walked vertically, they were indeed as thin as a line. Once in motion, their limbs were razor-sharp, capable of slicing through iron armor—a highly formidable evil art.
"Who dares perform such sorcery?!"
Seeing his comrades injured and killed, a Xuanjia Iron Cavalry, infuriated and perhaps frustrated as if bogged in daylight’s swamp, let his blood boil with rage, charged forward, and drew his blade to strike a paper figure.
He opened a pouch in mid-air, pouring out a mass of foul-smelling black dog blood.
Still unsatisfied, he bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of heart’s blood.
Both the tip of the tongue blood and black dog blood were famously known to break evil spirits, specifically prepared for dealing with evil beings as the troops set out.
The paper figure, bound in maiden’s hair buns with only simple lines for a face that resembled a girl, let out a sharp laugh as it was splashed head-on with black dog blood.
Immediately, under the astonished gaze of this Xuanjia Iron Soldier, neither the stinking black dog blood nor the scalding tongue blood that fell upon the paper figure stuck; they simply rolled off like droplets on a lotus leaf, leaving it completely unstained!
The little girl figure gestured with its right hand, and its thin, cicada-wing-like arm swept over a hundred-refined steel blade, slicing open the iron soldier’s armor and severing his shoulder from his neck.
"These are troops crafted from cutting paper!"
Feng Xixi shouted loudly, "Retreat quickly!"
Ordinary yin evil techniques could still be countered, but at the level of Yang Gang Skill, they were rarely balanced by mundane methods.
To deal with such techniques, one could only use more refined mana and more profound Daoist skills!
Feng Xixi uttered sharply, and eight Willow Leaf Flying Knives flew out in succession, piercing several paper figures.
A boy, raising his hands, attempted to slice Zhong Shenxiu, but a Willow Leaf Flying Knife darted past his forehead, creating a small hole and eliciting an indescribable scream of agony; the paper figure self-combusted into ashes without flame.
Seeing Feng Xixi display her prowess, the paper figures withdrew like bullied children, crying out.
Suddenly, the unpleasant cawing of old crows sounded in the sky.
Amid the fluttering wing noises, paper crows circled overhead, cawing discordantly, bringing an eerie and ominous atmosphere.
’It’s Crow Elder... he must have sided with White Bone Scholar to advance his Divine Skills...’
Seeing this spectacle, Zhong Shenxiu inwardly sighed, "He’s come to challenge the formation; it seems he’s acting on White Bone Scholar’s instructions... Have these Loose Cultivators entered the fray?!"