Strange Happenings in Sheep Village

The mountain wind died away; the water fell silent.

The swirling Gray Mist cut off Xiao Ran's divine sense.

As far as his eyes could see, only seven black rams remained. Arrayed in a seven-point formation, their gazes dim, cold, and wooden, they surrounded him at the center.

The atmosphere was strange.

Xiao Ran was puzzled.

Though his stealth could be seen with the naked eye, his movement technique merged with the natural Dao through Resonance Power. Like a blade of grass or a tree, it gave off not the slightest hint of hostility.

Why had he been discovered by a flock of rams the moment he approached the ewes? Why had they immediately summoned every powerful sheep clan member and encircled him?

Why did the rams' eyes always seem to contain a thin veil of Gray Mist?

Looking closely, the Gray Mist around him appeared thin and carried no Spiritual Pressure. No strange sounds could be heard, yet it blocked Xiao Ran's sight and divine sense, as though he had entered an isolated, chaotic space cut off from the world.

Still, Xiao Ran could be certain that he was still in Ten Thousand Beasts Valley.

If some large-scale spell had shifted space, his Resonance Divine Sense could not possibly have sensed nothing at all.

An illusion was even less likely.

The Art of Resonance could listen to the spiritual frequencies of all things. It relied not on the five senses, nor even on divine sense, but on perception.

No matter what, as long as he was still on Zongzhi Mountain, Xiao Ran had nothing to fear.

He was Zongzhi Mountain's rising star. Fighting on home ground, he had the Mountain-Guarding Grand Array above his head, capable of unleashing Array Thunder inward to bombard enemies. He also carried a Personal Jade Slip of the Spirit Severing Realm for protection. Who could touch him?

He ignored the rams around him and continued forward as though no one else existed.

Until a herd of black rams charged straight at him and sent him flying into the sky with their sharp horns.

The Purple Spherical Dharma Seal Protective Barrier wrapped around him like a bubble.

Without the protection of the Spirit Severing Jade Slip, that blow would likely have left him bloodied and broken.

Even as he floated in the air, the rams would not let him go. They leaped one after another, rushing forward in waves to furiously ram the purple bubble.

They knocked the bubble bouncing and spinning through the air, making Xiao Ran so dizzy his vision swam.

Good grief! Such deep hatred... Anyone who didn't know better would think I'd been a sheep in my past life.

Xiao Ran steadied his mind. Bathed in the pale purple sphere of light, which carried a faint medicinal fragrance mixed with a bodily scent, he closed his eyes to dispel the dizziness and found it rather enjoyable.

The six Foundation Establishment rams outside were no great concern, but against that Golden Core Realm ram, he basically had no chance of winning with his current strength.

Xiao Ran thought, Let him be strong; I'll sleep in my bed.

Sleeping would not tire him out.

Ramming the ball would.

Besides, this was within Zongzhi Mountain. Sooner or later, someone would come save him.

Knocked into a daze by the rams, Xiao Ran slept for half a quarter-hour.

Half a quarter-hour later, he woke up.

He found that the flock had pinned the light sphere to the ground, fourteen sharp horns pressing against it at once.

He was glad it was a Jade Slip of the Spirit Severing Realm. If it had been the Golden Core Realm Jade Slip provided by True Person Guiyan, this battering would have at least seriously injured him.

Very strange.

No teammate had come to save him yet.

He thought, Fine if the valley's managers failed to notice I was trapped, but even the Mountain-Guarding Grand Array can't detect this Gray Mist?

Or is the sect testing me? Even stranger, these rams seem to have taken some kind of stimulant. Their Spiritual Power is inexhaustible, their strength boundless, and they ram without tiring.

Does the flock draw its power from the Gray Mist?

Since that was the case, there was no point in dragging this out.

Xiao Ran decided to break the mist!

For safety's sake, he would not leave the Jade Slip's protection.

But inside the light sphere, his Resonance Power had great difficulty resonating with the pale purple Spirit Severing Realm formation. Most of his power was cut off, making it hard to transmit outward.

Then inspiration struck him! He immediately drew his sword, controlled it from afar, and sent it stabbing out of the light sphere.

Then he unleashed the precise Sewing Needle Sword Art!

His Resonance Power traveled through the Sewing Needle Sword Art and remotely controlled the sword! In an instant, the sword trembled in the mist like a blow needle, emitting hissing sounds like a snake slithering as it continuously resonated with the air of the surrounding space until it located the Gray Mist's spiritual frequency.

In the next instant, the flying sword erupted with a sonic-boom-like blast in midair—

Bang! The Resonance Power transmitted by the flying sword spread rapidly and shot straight into the heavens. It unexpectedly resonated with the surface of the Mountain-Guarding Grand Array enveloping the sky, causing multicolored light to appear once more.

At the same time, the Gray Mist rapidly dispersed, and the flock scattered in flight.

Xiao Ran's vision immediately cleared. He looked around and confirmed that he was still in Ten Thousand Beasts Valley.

He looked up. The grand array was silent as death, and the flowing, dazzling multicolored light swiftly faded away as well.

Xiao Ran understood that his Sewing Needle Sword Art could not possibly harm the Gray Mist.

But it was enough to provoke a response from the Mountain-Guarding Grand Array and use its deterrent force to drive the Gray Mist away.

The tactic had been right!

Clearly, the Gray Mist was not a test arranged by the sect...

At the same time.

Junior Sister Zhehui, who had been secretly following behind Xiao Ran but had briefly been trapped by the Gray Mist without realizing it, suddenly heard the sound of a sword cry tearing through the air and only then determined Xiao Ran's location.

As it happened, the Foundation Establishment black ewe Xiao Ran wanted was right ahead. She casually caught it, which would better conceal the awkwardness of having followed him.

"Senior Brother, this is the ewe you wanted."

Xiao Ran steadied himself and looked around. He could no longer find anything unusual.

"Did you see a patch of mist just now?"

Junior Sister Zhehui said, "What mist?"

Xiao Ran glanced at the Old Woman and found no trace that she was lying. It seemed True Person Guiyan was simply too stingy, so he asked unhappily, "You were following me?"

Junior Sister Zhehui explained shakily, "This old one had no choice either. The sect issued orders long ago: wherever Senior Brother needs help, we must give our full cooperation. Actually, if Senior Brother wants any Spirit Beast, you only need to tell this old one. Ten Thousand Beasts Valley will send the Spirit Beast directly to Sword-Wielding Mountain."

That old thief Guiyan, you win!

Xiao Ran was helpless. Looking around, he saw that the density of Spirit Beasts in Ten Thousand Beasts Valley was indeed very low. The valley faced considerable operational pressure, so he could not blame True Person Guiyan for being stingy.

On Sword-Wielding Mountain, more than half of the roasted tiger meat remained. There was also preserved Tripe in Chili Sauce and Tiger Offal. The Bamboo Forest had Squirrel Rabbits, the pond had Swimming Fish, and this fat ewe alone weighed a full five hundred jin, with only its Hide needed for medicine refinement... There was more than enough meat.

No point staying in this Sheep Village!

"Forget it. Send this sheep to Hundred Herbs Peak for my Senior Uncle."

So said Xiao Ran.

Junior Sister Zhehui remained wary.

"Where is Senior Brother going?"

Xiao Ran said helplessly, "Relax. I'm going to Sword-Tempering Mountain to discuss the Sword Inheritance Assembly."

Only then did Junior Sister Zhehui let out a breath of relief, smiling so broadly that the gaps between her teeth leaked wind.

"May Senior Brother have a smooth journey."

Arriving at the White Jade Bone Tower, Xiao Ran completed the registration procedures and left Ten Thousand Beasts Valley on his sword, flying northwest.

After leaving Ten Thousand Beasts Valley.

Xiao Ran found it strange.

The incident had simply passed, leaving behind not the slightest trace.

Looking up at the invisible Mountain-Guarding Grand Array, Xiao Ran felt it was necessary to have a proper talk with True Person Moxia.

Along the way, disciples who saw him saluted and greeted him from afar. Curious and reverent, they lingered for a long time before dispersing.

There were also pretty female disciples who came up to strike up conversations with Xiao Ran, asking whether he was still taking disciples. Some even said they were skilled at massaging backs and shoulders, cooking, and washing clothes.

Xiao Ran could understand. In the Dharma Ending Era, life was difficult for everyone, and local customs had become freer and fiercer.

If Xiao Ran wished, he could have holed up on Zongzhi Mountain and become a humanoid fairy-harvesting machine. That would have been quite nice too.

But he still preferred a Master who could grow fur.

Only with Master could he fulfill the ideal in his heart.

As he thought this, he arrived at the mountain gate of Sword-Tempering Mountain.

At the Desert Edge, a Row of Barrier-Like Peaks stood like swords in formation, much like the Sword Hedge atop the Affairs Pavilion.

Just as Xiao Ran was about to step onto the Central Highest Peak, the Black Ring within the System Space emitted a crisp sound—

Little Mist: The one who killed Eternity has been confirmed as Xiao Ran, a Direct Disciple of Zongzhi Mountain's Sword-Wielding Mountain. He has mastered first-stage Resonance Power.