Beast Roars in the Ancient Grove
The Nan Feng blocked one of the three cracks in the northern part of the Star Dou Great Forest and then stopped.
The first crack was in a frozen gully thirty miles Dragon God Lake. Dark purple turbid gas rose from the crack, much less concentrated than in the cracks in the Far North.
Nan Feng poured half an hour of his Immortal Power into the crack, pressing it back in and filling it completely. He then added another layer of the Mountain Suppression Art's restriction on top of it.
After he finished, he squatted down next to the crevice and stared at the frozen ground beneath his feet for a while.
"Old Huai, this seam isn't right."
The Old Huai poked half its head out from the sacred wood.
What's wrong?
"The Abyss air from the abyss seeps upwards, but the turbid air from this crack seeps in at an angle, from southeast to northwest."
Nan Feng drew an arrow on the frozen ground with his finger.
"The slanted seepage indicates the presence of a Dark Vein beneath, through which the Dark Vein air flows from elsewhere. This crack is merely a tributary, not the source."
Nan Feng probed the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light deep into the ground. Old Huai, stroking his beard beside him, stopped.
"That's true. That Dark Vein traveled at least a hundred miles from the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest to get here."
"So blocking this gap is useless. If the Dark Vein isn't cut off, the turbid energy will eventually find another outlet to escape from."
Nan Feng stood up, patted the frozen ground off his hands, and glanced southeast.
"The source of the Dark Vein lies deep within the Star Dou Great Forest; we need to ask Bi Ji for help."
He memorized the locations of the second and third cracks, but instead of rushing to plug them, he turned around and returned to Heaven Dou City.
Shifang was waiting at the door. Two fish on the grill were burnt. When he came back, Shi Fang hid the burnt fish behind his back and chuckled.
"Brother Nan, Gu Yuena is waiting for you to go check on the crevice together..."
"Tell her to wait two more days."
Nan Feng entered the Tower Spirit Space and squatted down next to the Ancient Tree of Life. Bibi Dong was loosening the soil with a bamboo stick when she saw him return and paused.
"Is the crack completely sealed?"
"One blockage is cleared; leave the other two open for now."
Nan Feng recounted the story of the Dark Vein. After listening, Bibi Dong remained silent for a while, then stuck a bamboo stick into the ground.
"So you want to go into the Star Dou Great Forest?"
"We can get in."
The Nan Feng turned and called out to the immortal tree.
"Old Huai, contact Bi Ji and ask her to help me investigate the location of the Dark Vein. The Star Dou Great Forest is her territory; she knows it better than I do."
The Old Huai responded and retreated back into the immortal wood to relay the message.
Bibi Dong squatted back down next to the tree and continued loosening the soil. After loosening it a couple of times, she suddenly said...
"Take me with you when you go into the Star Dou Great Forest."
Nan Feng glanced at her.
"I, the Space-Time Spider Emperor, am sensitive to spatial fluctuations. The Dark Vein flowing underground must be causing spatial ripples. I can help you locate them."
Bibi Dong didn't look up when she said this, and the bamboo stick in her hand poked small holes in the soil.
"Besides, I've been holed up in the tower for so long, it's time to get some fresh air."
Nan Feng thought for a moment.
"Okay. But there's one thing. Once you're in the Star Dou Great Forest, you have to follow my orders. If I tell you to retreat, you have to retreat."
Bibi Dong looked up at him and her lips curved slightly.
"Good."
The next morning, the two headed towards the Star Dou Great Forest.
Shifang stayed behind to guard Heaven Dou City. Old Huai had been giving instructions all the way through the Immortal Tree, repeating the same phrase over and over. "Nan Feng, keep an eye on Bibi Dong, don't let her charge too far ahead."
Nan Feng responded with "uh-huh" and "ah-ah".
As Bibi Dong walked out of the west gate of Heaven Dou City, she suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Bibi Dong withdrew her gaze and quickened her pace to catch up with him.
"I used to be surrounded by a large entourage when I went out, but now it feels a little strange walking with just the two of us."
Nan Feng chuckled but didn't reply.
The two walked along the official road for half a day, and when they reached the outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, Bi Ji was already waiting at the edge of the forest.
She transformed into human form, wearing a dark green dress, and held a roll of bark paper in her hand. When she saw Nan Feng coming, she simply unfolded the paper.
"I've traced the route of the Dark Vein. It runs southeast from the Dragon God Lake, diagonally into the Core Circle, and passes through three territories of Soul Beast."
"Finally, it flows into an underground lake in the very center of the Core Circle."
"There's something at the bottom of the Dark Lake. My spiritual senses detected residual fluctuations of a soul-guiding array at the bottom of the Dark Lake; it's the work of the Abyss Sect."
Nan Feng took the bark paper and glanced at it. The direction of the Dark Vein was basically the same as his prediction, only detouring around the Core Circle.
"The presence of an array beneath the Dark Lake indicates that the Abyss Sect has established a stronghold within the Core Circle. Bi Ji, have you seen any living beings in the Core Circle recently?"
"No."
Bi Ji shook her head.
"But recently, there have been signs of restlessness among the Soul Beast in that ancient forest on the west side of the Core Circle. I went there twice but couldn't find the cause. Now I think it might be that the formation operating underground has startled the Soul Beast."
Bibi Dong remained silent until Bi Ji finished speaking before she spoke.
"The dark lake is in the very center of the Core Circle, and the ancient forest is to the west. The area covered by the formation is much larger than the dark lake itself."
"I suggest we go to the ancient forest first to observe the restless Soul Beast, investigating from the edges towards the center. Otherwise, venturing directly into the dark lake might alert them."
Bi Ji glanced at Bibi Dong, then at Nan Feng, and did not object.
Nan Feng folded the bark paper and tucked it into his bosom.
"Let's do as Bibi Dong says. Let's go to the ancient forest first."
The three walked towards the west side of the Core Circle.
Most of the Soul Beast in the Core Circle Star Dou Great Forest are over ten thousand years old, and they usually live peacefully in their respective territories.
But this time, Nan Feng sensed something was wrong as soon as he stepped into the ancient forest.
The woods were eerily quiet; not even a bird was chirping. A few leaves hanging from the branches trembled, as if being disturbed by some low-frequency vibration.
There's a formation rotating underground.
Bibi Dong squatted down and placed her hands on the ground, causing a layer of the Space-Time Spider Emperor's primordial power to seep into the ground.
She closed her eyes and sensed for a while, then opened them and her complexion was not good.
"The formation is absorbing the Soul Power of the Soul Beast. A small portion of each Soul Beast's Soul Power is being absorbed; the amount is small, and the Soul Beast themselves don't even notice it, but it accumulates..."
"If they accumulate, they'll be enough to open a new crack."
Nan Feng continued the conversation, squatting down and placing his hands on the ground as well.
The Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light swept across the ground. Twenty feet underground, a dark green band of light was flowing.
The edges of the light band had fine soul-guiding patterns, and the Soul Power of the absorbed Soul Beast flowed within these patterns.
Can it be disassembled?
Bibi Dong asked.
"It can be dismantled. But once it's dismantled, the Abyss Sect will discover that the formation is now passive."
Nan Feng stood up and patted the mud off his hands.
"We need to figure out how to deal with their reaction after the demolition is complete."
As he was pondering this, a deep, guttural roar suddenly echoed from the depths of the ancient forest.
Then came the second and the third roar. The three animal roars blended together, shaking the leaves off the treetops.
Bi Ji's expression changed.
"They are three Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast from the ancient forest. They never usually make a sound."
The Nan Feng summoned the phantom image of the tower and pressed it down onto the ground.
"Let's go take a look."
As the three rushed toward the direction of the beast's roar, a thought flashed through Nan Feng's mind.
After Nine Rings as One, he hasn't actually fought anyone yet. His Soul Skill are still there, and their power has increased, but he's unsure of exactly how much.
If we run into the Abyss Sect this time, it'll be a good opportunity to test their skills.
As he walked, he circulated the cyan-gold primordial power in his dantian. The Immortal Power flowed through his meridians to his palms, then receded.
The feel is definitely different from before. Before, the flow of Immortal Power was like a stream flowing over stones, but now it feels like an entire river pressing down on the stones, heavy and stable.
Bibi Dong glanced at him from the side.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I wasn't laughing at anything."
Nan Feng withdrew the Immortal Power from his palm.
"I just feel like I haven't been in a fight since the Nine Rings as One, and my hands are itching to get involved."
Bibi Dong snorted.
"Then you'd better pray that a real fight doesn't break out. If those Abyss Sect members knew you were here, they'd probably run away immediately, and you wouldn't even have a chance to itch a fight."
Nan Feng thought about it and agreed with her, then clicked her tongue.
Bi Ji led the way, glanced back at the two of them, her lips twitched, but she didn't say anything.
The roars of beasts from deep within the ancient forest grew ever closer.