After waiting about the time it took to burn an incense stick, a sharp wolf howl suddenly rang out from the depths of the valley.
The sound was high and shrill, making their scalps tingle.
Then came a second howl, a third—one after another, echoing through the valley and shaking loose pebbles from the cliff walls.
The howls grew farther and fainter until they finally vanished.
The valley entrance fell silent.
Cui Bai stepped forward, and everyone immediately began moving, heading into the valley from its entrance.
Xu Qing and Lu Xuan followed in silence. Lu Xuan had already said it: their task was to watch the Cui Family collect the Moonlight Dew and prevent them from pocketing any for themselves.
Gloommoon Valley was not long, only a little over two li, but it twisted and turned. Towering cliffs rose on both sides, blocking out the moonlight, leaving the valley floor so dark one could not see a hand before one's face.
This posed no difficulty for Force Transformation martial artists. They could see in the dark; though not as clearly as in daylight, it was more than enough.
The farther they went, the damper the air became. The soil beneath their feet gave way to gravel, slick and slippery from the water soaking it.
At the deepest point of the valley lay a small pond.
The pond was not large, only about a zhang across and less than a foot deep. Its water was crystal clear, revealing the bottom. Several round lotus leaves floated on its surface, faint droplets visible upon them.
Moss grew thick around the pond. Above it, a small gap opened in the cliff wall, and moonlight spilled through it, falling precisely upon the pond's surface. It illuminated the entire pool until it gleamed like a