Chapter 64: A Full Sense of Ritual
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Two years had passed, and Qin Ming unexpectedly found himself face-to-face with the long-armed man. He was stunned. So many questions filled his mind—questions that had haunted him ever since the events of two years ago.
Cui Hong only gave Qin Ming a quick glance before diving back into the fierce battle, afraid that the old elephant might notice any distraction and make things even worse. This group of mysterious, troublesome beings had already kidnapped Cui Chong Yi for no apparent reason.
In those few fleeting moments, Qin Ming saw a series of emotions flash across Cui Hong’s face—surprise, joy, guilt—each expression vanishing quickly. Why did he look like that? Qin Ming wondered.
At the final moment, the long-armed man’s face grew complicated, as if he were conflicted. This wasn’t how one should react when reunited with a savior. As he watched, Qin Ming’s heart, which had surged with excitement upon seeing his savior, slowly began to cool.
Ahead, the path was blocked. The caravan led by the wandering merchant could go no further. People were frightened—the intensity of the fight was terrifying.
The old elephant’s roar shook the mountains, its deafening cry making everyone’s ears ring. They clutched their heads in pain, desperate to drown out the sound.
The narrow mountain path had a sheer drop on the right, falling into an endless black desert that looked like an abyss. To the left, steep mountains stood unyielding. The old elephant’s snow-white skin, glowing like jade, radiated a divine brilliance. Its trunk swung like a massive blade, and the tusks on its upper jaw struck the mountainside, dislodging huge rocks. People feared the entire mountain might shatter from its power.
Cui Hong practiced the renowned Tongtian technique, his arms seemingly capable of lifting ten thousand pounds. As celestial energy erupted around him, he looked as though he might tear open the very night itself. He fought fiercely against the old elephant, refusing to back down.
The battle between the human expert and the powerful aberrant being sent stones tumbling from the mountain, blocking the narrow path ahead. Wandering merchant Xu Sheng let out a sigh, feeling incredibly unlucky. How had he ended up in this mess? He led his group further and further back, worried they’d be caught in the fight and wiped out.
“This is terrifying!” someone whispered, and many others wore fearful expressions.
The duel had destroyed part of the cliffside, sending a cascade of rocks down and filling the air with dust. It was a frightening sight, leaving the bystanders pale with fear.
Xu Sheng’s head pounded as he muttered to himself. Why wouldn’t the two of them leave? They were already near the end of the narrow road. By now, they should have reached the desert’s edge and escaped before nightfall. But now, with the road blocked, time was running out.
Turning back the way they had come would also be impossible in time.
As people nervously watched, they noticed the celestial light emitted by the two fighters clearly illuminated the steep cliffs. But the desert to the right remained impenetrably dark, not a single glimmer of light breaking through.
“Old elephant, I don’t want to fight you. How about we end this here?” Cui Hong called out.
“Fine, you may go,” replied the old elephant. Despite its massive body, it moved with surprising grace, almost as if it were drifting. In an instant, it leaped to the peak of a mountain and began to leave.
Cui Hong’s face was serious. “Since we’ve stopped, could you release my people?”
“We haven’t finished questioning him,” the old elephant said.
“You know where we come from,” Cui Hong said gravely.
“Yes, Cui—a thousand-year-old noble family, feared by many, your name known across this vast land beneath the night sky. But we’re not lacking either. We live on a famous mountain, one of the blessed lands, as you call it,” the old elephant replied calmly.
Cui Hong’s expression remained stern. “Let’s talk about this. There must be some misunderstanding. We’ve just arrived and couldn’t have offended you.”
He was worried for Cui Chong Yi’s safety. He wanted to talk things through quickly while luring the old elephant away so he could return for Cui Chong He later.
…
Seeing the two masters disappear from the cliff, Xu Sheng immediately shouted, “Quickly, go! No—run with me!”
Time was tight. He led his group in a sprint, unwilling to risk still being at the desert’s edge by nightfall.
Thankfully, everyone here was awakened, otherwise ordinary people would have taken forever to climb over the collapsed cliff ahead.
They ran as fast as they could, panting heavily.
Suddenly, a thick fog rolled in, and soon they couldn’t see the path beneath their feet.
After a moment, even Xu Sheng had to stop. The heavy fog made him cautious—getting lost now, wandering into the desert, could mean doom.
“Brother Xu, what do we do?” someone asked, sounding worried.
Xu Sheng spoke firmly, “Don’t be afraid. We’ve shown respect to the desert throughout this journey, always speaking of it with reverence. No matter what, stay calm. Those in the back, grab hold of the person in front—don’t let go, even if you die. I’ll lead us forward.”
Many wanted to cling to Xu Sheng’s clothes, feeling safer close to him. But he scolded them, “Don’t crowd me. If you fall into the desert, I won’t come looking for you.”
In truth, Xu Sheng himself was unsure. The old merchants had told him it took at least ten journeys along these deadly night roads to count as experienced.
Qin Ming remained silent, clutching Xu Sheng’s clothes tightly. He had reacted quickly, getting to Xu Sheng first. In moments like these, sticking close to an experienced wanderer was the safest bet.
Xu Sheng pulled out a torch, trying to light it for guidance. He tried multiple times, but failed.
Half the group had brought lanterns and tried lighting them. But soon, someone spoke with a trembling voice, “Brother Xu… there seems to be something… blowing cold air, putting out my flame every time.”
“Stop talking!” Xu Sheng commanded sharply. He could also feel a cold wind on the back of his neck, making his hair stand on end.
The fog was unnaturally dense. They could no longer see the mountain on their left or the path beneath them—only endless darkness, their eyes seemingly useless.
Qin Ming stayed quiet. The eerie atmosphere was overwhelming. With the fog, they could neither see nor sense anything.
“Brother Xu, forget the torches. There’s a group ahead with their lights already on. Though it’s a bit far, it’s blurry, but if we follow them, we might make it out,” someone said in surprise.
“Yeah, in the thick fog, there really is a group. I see silhouettes… someone leading with a torch, lighting the way,” another person added excitedly.
Others noticed too, their faces lighting up.
Qin Ming could feel Xu Sheng stiffen, his whole body tensing, goosebumps forming.
“Don’t look at that torch. Don’t stare at that group!” Xu Sheng said urgently, his voice low, reminding everyone, “Before approaching the desert, I specifically checked at the supply town. Today, besides us, there were no other groups on this road.”
“Gasp!”
“My god!”
Everyone gasped, stunned. What kind of group was ahead, then?
“Hey! Watch it, don’t just shove me—you nearly scared the life outta me!” someone grumbled.
Qin Ming’s eyes grew deep as he stared at the fog-covered group. There were quite a few of them, torches glowing dimly, as though beckoning them forward, pointing the way.
But it was silent—not a single sound.
Including Qin Ming, everyone quickly lowered their heads after glancing at them. They heeded Xu Sheng’s warning and did not look again.
“What… is that?” someone whispered, unable to resist speaking from the tension.
“According to old wanderers, well… never mind. Telling you would scare you half to death,” Xu Sheng replied, cutting himself off.
If it weren’t for the time and place being wrong, some of the stronger newborns would have smacked Xu Sheng. His unfinished words only made things scarier.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“Brother Xu, just say it! You already brought it up; now we’re more scared than before!”
“According to the old merchants, if I explain it that way, some of you might be scared to death. Let me put it in a simpler way—the Mystic Sect says it’s some sort of ritual involving gods. We have no right to be part of it. Staring at that torch too long, joining their group, would mean we’d end up as food on someone’s plate, eaten alive.”
The crowd fell silent.
Qin Ming stayed quiet too. It was hard enough for ordinary newborns to travel across these lands, where even leaving remote areas came with such danger. What more might he face deeper into the vast territories?
“Are there… other explanations?” someone asked, curiosity battling fear, wanting the truth.
Xu Sheng answered, “Another old saying is that some presence in the desert was offended. This fog is its anger, and the torch is its flame. Do you want to be a moth to that fire?”
Suddenly, he stopped, no longer daring to take a step. He realized he was about to lose his bearings. Except for looking at the torch, he couldn’t tell where the desert ended and the mountains began.
Qin Ming noticed something was wrong too. The left should’ve been the mountain, and the right the desert, but his left foot was now sinking into sand.
Xu Sheng had felt the same—that’s why he had abruptly stopped. He slowly lifted his left foot from the sand, not daring to move forward.
“Stop pushing!” someone behind shouted, unable to brake in time.
“Hey, don’t bump into me. Oh, you’re a girl—it’s alright, don’t be scared,” a man said. Though tense, some still found his words ridiculous.
“Miss, no need to be afraid. Why are you hanging onto me? Alright, I’ll carry you. Wrap your arms around my neck,” the man said, trying to reassure her.
But soon, his voice turned shaky. “Miss, why are your nails so long… so cold… Please don’t touch my neck… okay?”
Those who had silently mocked the man earlier were now shivering, uneasy at his words.
“Miss, say something. Please… don’t touch my neck. I think… I’m bleeding. It hurts…” the man’s voice cracked.
A young man behind him, pale-faced, spoke, “Big brother, please… don’t say anything more. I…”
The man asked, trembling, “Little brother, are you holding the girl’s clothes? Could you help me… get her off me?”
“I think… I’m holding onto… really long hair,” the young man’s voice shook violently.
The man’s voice grew weak, “Someone… help me. I can’t breathe. My neck’s bleeding… it hurts… I can’t pry her fingers off. Her nails are too long…”
No one spoke. Everyone gripped their weapons tightly.