Chapter 391: The First Signs of Crisis
Boom!
Fine rain pattered against the leaves, and the dense fog was repeatedly washed by the rain, yet it showed no signs of thinning. The group continued their march through the forest.
Xu Sanyan maintained a shimmering barrier around himself, repelling the rain and keeping his clothes dry. The Xiao Family members trailing behind fared less well. Their spiritual power was meager, and they couldn’t afford to expend it so lavishly, forcing them to trudge onward, soaked to the bone.
“How much further?” Xu Sanyan asked, turning to Xiao Ran.
Xiao Ran calculated the distance. “Not much further. We should reach our destination by early tomorrow morning.”
“Good. Everyone, pick up the pace. I have a bad feeling about this.”
Xu Sanyan’s brow twitched faintly. He sensed that something significant was about to occur. At his current cultivation level, such premonitions were rarely unfounded. Those who had reached his realm possessed an innate awareness of impending calamities.
Moreover, the surrounding fog had grown even denser, now so thick that one could barely see their own hand in front of their face.
Even the ghost beasts had grown more frenzied. Over the past two days, the group had endured over a dozen attacks. Though Xu Sanyan had repelled them all, many lives had been lost. The original party of over four hundred had dwindled to fewer than four hundred.
Wang Ying nodded in agreement. “Hmm, the fog is thicker than usual this year, and there are more ghost beasts. Something definitely feels off.”
Xiao Ran turned to address the group. “Did you all hear that? Put every ounce of strength into moving faster. We’ll be safe once we reach Thousand Autumns City.”
“Yes, sir!”
Xu Sanyan abandoned any pretense of accommodating the group and strode ahead at his own pace. Those who could keep up would survive; those who couldn’t were on their own.
The formation stretched out as some Xiao Family disciples, desperate to keep up, abandoned the human slaves they had been carrying, pushing themselves to move even faster.
Boom!
The rain intensified, transforming from a light drizzle into a torrential downpour. The raindrops merged into thick, blurring streaks, further obscuring visibility.
More concerning, the deafening rain muffled their senses, reducing their awareness of danger.
Fortunately, the remaining distance was short. With caution, they should be safe.
“Ahhh!”
“Help me!”
A sudden, desperate scream pierced the air from the rear of the group, its anguished cry filled with utter despair.
Xiao Ran watched Xu Sanyan leave without a backward glance, gritting his teeth but refusing to turn around.
He could barely protect himself, let alone rescue others, even his own disciples.
Xu Sanyan undoubtedly heard the cries, but he was no saint. He had no time to care for them.
Keep up and live; fall behind and die!
Boom!
With a wave of his sleeve, Xu Sanyan unleashed a torrent of spiritual power, blasting through the dense forest ahead. The ghost beasts lurking within instantly exploded, their heads shattering into fragments.
Wang Ying and the others were startled; they hadn’t sensed the hidden ghost beasts at all.
Xu Sanyan didn’t spare them a second glance, striding straight through the carnage.
The fog in the Chaotic Cloud Mountains was exceptionally thick. Most Xiao Family disciples had weak cultivation levels and dulled senses, unable to see beyond ten meters.
Xu Sanyan fared slightly better, piercing through several dozen meters, but his abundant divine soul allowed him to sense hidden dangers lurking in the shadows.
After what seemed like an eternity, dawn finally broke on the horizon.
Thousand Autumns City loomed into view. Xu Sanyan halted, his robes still spotless.
Beside him, Wang Ying, Xiao Ran, and the others wore expressions of utter exhaustion. The past few days had pushed them to their limits; they had exerted every ounce of strength just to keep up with Xu Sanyan’s relentless pace.
If even they were in such dire straits, what about the Xiao Family disciples? Originally numbering around four hundred, only a little over a hundred remained by the time they reached Thousand Autumns City.
Most of those who had fallen behind were lost, and in this situation, being lost was no different from death.
Not a single human slave survived. They couldn’t even care for themselves, let alone their slaves.
“What’s going on with this Mist Tide?” Wang Ying asked, his face etched with confusion.
Xiao Ran, standing beside him, nodded solemnly. “Something’s not right. It’s more than twice as dense as the last one, and there are far too many ghost beasts.”
The Xiao Family had been in the Chaotic Cloud Mountains for generations, enduring countless Mist Tides. Yet none had ever been this perilous, nearly wiping out their entire clan.
Though their current state wasn’t much better than annihilation, at least some members of the Xiao Family still lived.
“Young Master Lin is back! Quickly open the formation!”
Someone spotted Xu Sanyan through the formation and immediately called for a gap to be opened, allowing their group to enter.
Before Xu Sanyan could catch his breath, Wang Yu rushed forward, clutching a jade stone. He flipped it over to show Xu Sanyan while explaining, “Brother Lin, this is bad. The Ma, Yang, and Sun families have all sent urgent requests for help, but the mist is too thick. We can’t risk sending anyone out. What should we do?”
Xu Sanyan frowned as he examined the characters etched into the stone. This device, similar to the mother-child stone, served as a tool for long-distance communication.
What a mess, he thought. Excluding Wavebreak Mountain, which was later assigned to me, I only have four families under my command. Now three of them are requesting aid, leaving only one that isn’t causing trouble.
Wait a minute…
Xu Sanyan turned to Wang Yu and asked, “The Xuan Family hasn’t requested assistance?”
The Xuan Family’s strength was even weaker than the Yang Family’s. How could they have been so lucky as to avoid encountering ghost beasts?
“Well…” Wang Yu hesitated, pressing his lips together before quietly replying, “I asked them…”
“And what did they say?”
“Nothing at all…”
Xu Sanyan fell silent. No wonder they hadn’t requested aid. The Xuan Family had likely been wiped out by ghost beasts, leaving no survivors to call for help.
Just then, a voice called out from a distance, “Young Master Lin, the clan head requests your presence.”
Xu Sanyan frowned. Why summon him now?
Reluctant to refuse, he turned to the Wang brothers and instructed, “Settle the Xiao Family first. Await my instructions.”
“Yes, sir.”
Xu Sanyan followed the messenger into the inner city, heading straight for the Wang Clan Head’s residence.
The familiar study remained unchanged, but this time, in addition to the Wang Clan Head, other figures were present.
“Greetings, Clan Head. Greetings, Great Elder, First Madam, Second Madam…”
Xu Sanyan offered his respects to each person present. Including himself, there were ten people in the study: four Madams, the Great Elder, the Clan Head, and several other Soul Refining Realm elders.
The group nodded slightly in acknowledgment, returning his greeting. The Great Elder’s smile was particularly warm; he had a favorable impression of Xu Sanyan.
“Sit,” the Wang Clan Head said, gesturing to a wooden chair. His gaze swept around the room before settling on Xu Sanyan. “As we were discussing earlier, which you didn’t hear, I’ll repeat it now.”
“This year’s Mist Tide is behaving abnormally. From this moment forward, Thousand Autumns City will be completely sealed off—no entry, no exit. We will ignore all requests for aid, regardless of who sends them.”
Xu Sanyan’s eyes narrowed slightly, recognizing the gravity of the situation.
The Wang Family relied heavily on the annual tributes from the smaller clans under their protection, which were crucial to their continued prosperity. The Clan Head’s decision to sever this lifeline to ensure survival underscored the dire circumstances.
“May I ask, Clan Head, what has occurred?” Xu Sanyan asked, his voice grave.
“Ah…”
The Wang Clan Head sighed wearily, waving his hand with an exhausted expression. He gestured for the Great Elder to explain.
Managing such a vast family enterprise was already a daunting task, and this crisis only added to his burdens.
(End of the Chapter)