A massive blade aura sliced through, momentarily dispersing the thick fog before it re-formed.
But the scene revealed in that brief interval was enough to fill one with terror.
What exactly was this layer of fog? Under the bright light of day, why did roaming spirits wander?
Where did all these ghosts come from? Even if all the residents of Xiaolin Town had turned into vengeful spirits, there couldn't possibly be this many, almost filling one's entire field of vision!
Of course, everyone already knew by this time that with so many ghosts wandering about, Xiaolin Town... must no longer have any living people!
Of the seven major towns under the jurisdiction of Maple Forest City Region, one was now gone.
In such a moment, it was still Wei Yan's composed voice that rose first to suppress the chaos, "Those skilled in fire Dao Techniques, set up a fire line at a distance of fifty steps from the team as a warning line. The rest should eliminate all roaming spirits within the warning line in the shortest time possible!"
The Five Elements Dao Technique is the most fundamental, and there are quite a few cultivators skilled in the fire element. Following Wei Yan's orders, clusters of flames ignited fifty steps away from the team. Then, under the guidance of Wei Yan's deputy, these flames instantly connected, outlining a circular fire line,
Outside the circle of fire, the ghosts temporarily retreated. However, those trapped inside the fire circle immediately went into a frenzy.
At this moment, Li Jianqiu suddenly sheathed his longsword wrapped in fierce flames, his hands forming a seal in front of his chin, and then he decisively slashed diagonally beside him. Two flaming longswords blazed into existence in his hands.
With swords flying like dragons, he instantly pierced through the crowd of ghosts. One sword to extinguish ghosts, twin swords to break souls.
At the same time, a flash of sword light whirled full circle in an instant, progressively snuffing out countless ghosts. As the sword light faded, Jiang Wang's nimble figure became visible.
Purple Qi Eastward swordsmanship, the foremost killing move!
Everyone was shocked; they hadn't expected that this cultivator, who had yet to form his Dao spiral, could purely eradicate souls with swordsmanship, even more efficiently than they could.
No sooner had Jiang Wang made his move than Zhao Rucheng followed suit, his longsword flashing like lightning as he cut through the ghosts in his path.
On ordinary days, he didn't seem to train much, yet the proficiency with which he wielded the Purple Qi Eastward sword was not much less than that of Jiang Wang.
The only ones exchanging glances were Du Yehu and Ling He. The mundane martial skills they excelled in were of little use against transcendent beings like ghosts. If they could merely trigger their blood energy, they might be able to obliterate a few ghosts, but facing so many, how much blood energy could they stimulate?
Indeed, Jiang Wang had not kept the Purple Qi Eastward sword technique from them; it's just that Du Yehu, believing firmly in his fists and not relying on external forces, showed no interest in swordsmanship. As for Ling He... perhaps it really was a matter of talent, as his progress was slow, and he has yet to master the killing move, unable to use it in actual combat.
Originally, as the only one among them whose effort was not inferior to Jiang Wang's, the eldest brother's combat abilities were all the result of hard-earned sweat.
Though the situation on the battlefield appeared promising, those with keen eyes knew it was critical.
What appeared now were ordinary wandering spirits, and for some unknown reason, Xiaolin Town had gathered so many ghosts. There must be malevolent spirits and fierce ghosts among them, perhaps even ghost generals!
This was no longer a situation that this small team could contend with. The best strategy at present was to withdraw from the fight swiftly.
But the team, having traveled all the way here within the thick fog, was already unable to discern the direction. Surrounded by layers of ghosts outside the firewall, how easy could it be to break through?
Wei Yan stepped out of the fire circle, letting the swarm of ghosts pounce and gnaw at him. His battle armor, which appeared tattered and worn, merely quivered slightly, dispersing the ghosts that were nearly clinging onto him.
But instead of joy, his face showed no such emotion, as he took another step back inside the fire circle and said in a deep tone, "Who among you is skilled in wind Dao Technique? Try to disperse this fog!"
Although he was asking the crowd, his gaze settled on Wang Changxiang.
Compared to the more commonly practiced metal, wood, water, fire, and earth Dao Techniques, wind Dao Technique was relatively rare, and Wang Changxiang was indeed an expert in this field.
Wang Changxiang did not hesitate, immediately bringing his fingers together and swiping in front of him, using the Wind Blade to clear the surrounding ghosts. His hands then moved with the grace of a butterfly threading through flowers, changing the Seal Technique. Finally, he brought his hands to his lips, connecting the index and middle fingers, while the thumb, ring finger, and little finger pressed together. Within the triangular area formed between the middle and ring fingers, he opened his mouth and exhaled.
The gentle breath passed through the space between his fingers, suddenly intensifying, whirls visibly growing in size and forcefully bursting into the dense fog. Like a ferocious dragon, it roared within the thick mist.
The Dao Technique of wind, Breath of the Tornado!
This wind was no ordinary breeze, but one of the Eight Winds—the East's Prosperous Wind.
The Prosperous Wind is so called for it reveals all things clearly. To apply it here was most fitting.
Such a powerful Dao Technique, even among sixth rank Cultivators, not everyone could master it. Yet Wang Changxiang was able to exert control over it even before he opened the Heaven and Earth Gate, which was no small feat.
Wang Changxiang's face turned pale after completing the Dao Technique, clearly indicating a significant strain on him. He barely managed to stand firm and said, "I'll have to rely on everyone for the next part."
Wherever the roaring tornado passed, the thick fog was dispersed. For the first time since entering Xiaolin Town, the group could see their surroundings clearly.
Candied hawthorn stuck to the wall, a rice shop connected to a soy sauce workshop, and the flags of the tavern still fluttered in the wind.
Everything seemed as it had never changed—if not for the addition of those wandering souls.
The wandering souls within the circle of fire had been swept away, but those outside the circle still swarmed and lingered, instinctively fearing the flames but equally reluctant to leave the vitality-filled living.
"This is bad!"
This outcry rang like an alarm bell, and everyone saw that just as the roaring tornado passed, the dense fog once again gathered from a distance. Even the Breath of the Tornado could not fully dispel such fog.
"Let's take this opportunity to retreat," Li Jianqiu, holding his flaming swords, said with a grave tone.
With the gap created by the Breath of the Tornado, the group could now discern their path. Given their strength and the absence of ghost generals, they had a good chance of retreating safely while fighting off any threats.
Wei Yan held his sword and watched the approaching fog, his thoughts unknown.
His lieutenant became anxious, "My lord, the situation in Xiaolin Town is beyond our control! We must mobilize the main force. Besides, everyone in Xiaolin Town is dead; there's no point in us staying here. Maybe we should...".
Wei Yan cut him off: "All the ghosts we've seen are ordinary wandering souls, not one with a clear sense of consciousness. You should know, having so many ghosts here is not normal."
Wang Changxiang frowned and said, "There are no Cultivators specialized in controlling ghosts in the entire Maple Forest City Region. It's better to leave this to the City Guard Army. Once the army arrives and the evil spirit is confronted, these wandering souls will disperse without a fight."
"The Qingjiang Aquatic Clan is acting up, and the City Guard Army has gone to suppress it. By the time they return... it may be too late," Wei Yan said with reluctance, revealing a significant piece of news.
The Qing River runs through the whole Qinghe County, and the Green Willow River that flows outside Fenglin City is one of its tributaries. But the Qingjiang Aquatic Clan had long since made a pact with Zhuang Ting, so why would they suddenly start causing trouble?
Jiang Wang pondered in his heart. The term "acting up" meant that the Qingjiang Aquatic Clan was showing some restraint. But with an issue that affected the waterways of the entire Qinghe County, the officials could not take it lightly; hence, the mobilization of the City Guard Armies from various locations was justified.
The Heart Devouring Demon appearing... The Qingjiang Aquatic Clan acting up... Daywalking ghosts in Xiaolin Town. These incidents seemed unrelated, but there seemed to be an invisible hand interlinking them.
"Something is not right," Wei Yan shook his head, his mind made up: "Everyone, follow me and charge forward. I won't stop, and no one is to stop either! Those who fall behind, may their fate be as the heavens will!"
Without waiting for others to dissuade him, as soon as he finished speaking, he stepped out of the fire ring with his sword drawn, leading the charge deeper into Xiaolin Town.
As his lieutenant, Zhao Lang naturally followed without hesitation, followed by Li Jianqiu and Wang Changxiang. Experienced as they were, they might not agree with Wei Yan's decision, but they knew better than to split their strength in such times.
Finally, the entire team swiftly mobilized, with Wei Yan as their spearhead, plunging deeply into the heart of Xiaolin Town!