劍問蒼天 - 第256章 靈牌 - 翰墨軒

Daoist Cang Yan, flying in midair, had deliberately slowed his pace and waited a good while, but to his surprise Jin Pingyue did not follow. Looking at the empty space behind him, Daoist Cang Yan could not help feeling somewhat annoyed. Though Jin Pingyue was always courteous to him in daily life, and in conversation always called him "Daoist this, Daoist that," Daoist Cang Yan was well versed in the ways of the world and had long since seen the faint trace of contempt and mockery hidden in her eyes.

Or perhaps Jin Pingyue had in fact mostly not meant any deliberate mockery at all, and it was Daoist Cang Yan who imagined it so—and no wonder, for ever since he had betrayed Qing Yun and thrown in his lot with the Demonic Cult's Nether King Sect, his mindset had gradually grown this strangely sensitive.

Just as Daoist Cang Yan was stewing in his sulk, hesitating over whether to go on alone first or turn back to look for Jin Pingyue, a pale purple light glowed behind him—Jin Pingyue had flown over.

Her magic artifact's radiance flickered as Jin Pingyue came to Daoist Cang Yan's side. The wind at that height set her garments flapping and dancing, but at this moment her face seemed somewhat pensive, entirely devoid of its usual all-over smile.

Seeing Daoist Cang Yan waiting there, Jin Pingyue smiled at him—though that smile looked rather forced, far from her usual coquettish charm. "Daoist, let us go."

Daoist Cang Yan gave a cold humph, turned, and continued on his sword without a single word. Faced with this somewhat rude behavior, Jin Pingyue showed no anger on her face. On the contrary, as she slowly followed behind, watching the receding figure of Daoist Cang Yan flying ahead, a flickering, complex expression came into her eyes.

That valley was still a hundred li from Fox Qi Mountain, with rolling ranges in between. For an ordinary person to travel from here to Fox Qi Mountain, trudging over mountains and fording streams, it would take at least half a month—but for Daoist Cang Yan and Jin Pingyue, who could fly on their swords, it was a matter of less than half a day.

Yet when they drew near to what had once been Fox Qi Mountain, it was as though they had been struck squarely in the face; even Jin Pingyue, who had been deep in thought the whole way, was struck speechless with shock. As they slowly descended, everything before them gradually came clear: the once towering Fox Qi Mountain had now vanished entirely, and in the place where that vast mountain body had stood there now yawned an enormous abyss, from deep within which could be heard from afar the roaring rush of molten magma, and from which countless eerie red blood-lights radiated out toward the sky, like the image of a demon from legend.

In the air hung a thick, pungent stench of blood.

"What's going on? What happened?"

Daoist Cangyan muttered to himself as he descended to the ground and looked around. All that met his eyes was a wasteland some ten li in every direction around the abyss, shrouded in that strange and uncanny red glow. The once-dense forest was now entirely withered and dead, leaving only bare, dried-up trunks standing upright in place—a fearsome sight indeed.

Daoist Cangyan raised his eyes and surveyed the scene, still seized by dread, when suddenly Jin Pingyue's voice came from beside him. She had given a soft "Eh?" as though rather surprised. Daoist Cangyan looked at her and saw her pointing toward the distance to the right, saying in a low voice, "Look over there."

Daoist Cangyan followed the direction of her finger and was also startled. In that direction the red glow was wavering, and out of the crimson shadows walked several dozen figures. Looking closely, these were all able-bodied men, and their clothing and ornaments were exactly those of the Nether King Sect of the Demonic Cult—clearly disciples of the Nether King Sect.