The Game in the Mist

In the crevice of the mountain ridge, Shen Moxin slowly lowered the hand that had been covering her mouth, her fingertips still trembling.

Mo Chen grunted in his throat.

Lu Yuan didn't move. He stared at the group of gray figures on the cliff. The node activation frequency was set haphazardly by Mo Chen, without leaving any backdoors. There were only two possibilities for the other party to activate it on the first try: either they were just Haozi, or they really knew this stuff.

He drew a line on the rough rock surface with his finger.

The deathly silence in the rift valley lasted only a few breaths.

"Playing tricks!" The Soul King from the Cloud Mist Sect stepped forward, his voice dripping with Soul Power, "State your name! Show your credentials! Otherwise, you'll be killed on the spot!"

He spoke harshly, but didn't move his feet.

The gray-clad man didn't even glance at him. The leader withdrew his hand, and the eerie blue runes on the rock wall completely dimmed. He turned to the side, his voice flat and emotionless.

"This place involves remnants of information from the 'Lost Era,'" he said. "According to the ' Hidden Knowledge Pact,' the ' Observers ' will take over the initial investigation. Those not involved should withdraw."

Gasps of breath echoed throughout the rift valley.

Deacon Han frowned, his hand secretly pressing against the Soul Tool at his waist. The rogue cultivators quickly retreated another ten steps or so.

The Soul King of the Cloud Mist Sect turned ashen-faced. "The Hidden Knowledge Pact? What rubbish!" He retorted defiantly, but took a half-step back—the opponent's move just now was too wicked.

The man in gray still ignored him. He turned to the rock wall, extended his right hand, and spread his five fingers.

No Soul Ring appeared. Only a very faint, almost transparent layer of gray mist seeped from his palm and covered the rock wall.

The patterns on the rock face reacted again.

Ripples spread across the stone surface like water. Where the ripples passed, the color of the twisted engravings deepened slightly, changing from grayish-brown to a dark ochre red. At the same time, an aura carrying an ancient and decaying feel permeated the air.

On the ridge, Mo Chen almost jumped up. "I didn't add that effect!" he lowered his voice, his throat dry. "Those patterns are just ordinary engravings!"

Shen Moxin's breathing quickened. "They're 'verifying' it," her voice trembled, "Using clues we fabricated to conduct some kind of... verification procedure we don't know about! 'Lost Chronicles,' ' Hidden Knowledge Pact '... I've never seen these terms in any historical records!"

Lu Yuan's heart sank.

The plan has completely gone off track. His original intention was to create a fake Key to stir up trouble. But now, the person holding the fake Key seems to have actually found a door.

To make matters worse, the other person seemed to recognize the things on the other side of the door.

"Damn it." Mo Chen licked his dry lips. "Those guys in gray clothes aren't using regular Soul Tool. The way their energy fluctuates is weird... It's like they're using Soul Power as a carving knife, directly 'modifying' the Soul Power rules of a local environment?"

At the bottom of the valley, the gray fog gradually dissipated.

The ochre-red veins on the rock face did not fade; instead, they seemed to have seeped into the stone. The ancient, decaying aura had subsided, but it had not completely disappeared.

The gray-clad leader withdrew his hand and turned around. His gaze, hidden beneath his hood, swept over the crowd.

"Preliminary confirmation: Residual information level: Grade C, VII. Contamination risk: Low." He read out a report, "In accordance with Article 17 of the Hidden Knowledge Pact, temporary control measures are now in effect for the area. Personnel not in the ' Observers ' category are requested to evacuate within 15 minutes. Those who fail to evacuate within the specified time will be considered to have actively provoked the ' Hidden Knowledge ' system."

After he finished speaking, the other three men in gray behind him silently dispersed and stood in a fan shape.

The Soul King of the Cloud Mist Sect turned a deep purplish-red. His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and his Soul Power rippled subtly around him. But in the end, he still didn't dare to make a move.

Deacon Han took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Your Excellency the Observers," he said cautiously, "I am Han Feng, a deacon of the Star Luo Empire's Inspection Office. Regarding your mention of the ' Hidden Knowledge Pact ' and the scope of control, I must admit my ignorance; I have not received any official authorization from the Empire. Could you please show me your identification?"

The gray-clad leader was silent for a moment. "Certificate?" he repeated, seemingly finding the word somewhat unfamiliar. Then, he raised his right hand, his index finger tracing an extremely simple symbol in the air—a slanted mark that appeared to be composed of three intersecting short arcs.

The marker flashes and disappears in an instant.

Deacon Han's pupils suddenly contracted. He stared intently at the spot where the gray-clad leader had just passed, his expression shifting repeatedly before settling into a complex and solemn one. He slowly nodded. "... Understood. I will report this truthfully to my superiors. The Inspection Office personnel must evacuate within fifteen minutes."

Having said that, he didn't hesitate any longer and waved to his men. "Fall back and withdraw from the rift valley."

Now, all the pressure is on the Cloud Mist Sect.

The Soul King's face was so ugly it was almost dripping with water. He stared intently at the gray-robed leader, then glanced at the retreating Inspection Office, and finally his gaze fell back on the ochre-red patterns on the rock wall.

The stalemate lasted for a full half minute.

"Let's go!" He finally squeezed out the three words through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse. He glared fiercely at the man in gray, then turned and led the Cloud Mist Sect disciples toward the valley entrance.

The independent cultivators had long since vanished.

In a short while, the rift valley, which had been tense just moments before, was now empty except for four gray-clad men standing silently.

In a crevice on the mountain ridge, Lu Yuan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

"The plans have changed," he said, his voice low.

Shen Moxin and Mo Chen both looked at him at the same time.

"The appearance of the Shadow Guards was unexpected," Lu Yuan said quickly, "But they've tied down the strongest group in the Cloud Mist Sect —that Soul King and several of his skilled fighters. Right now, everyone's attention is focused on the Shadow Guards."

He paused, then turned his gaze to the other side of the rift valley.

"The best window for rescue would have been during the three-way battle. Now, the battle hasn't broken out, but a new standoff has emerged—a standoff between the Shadow Guards and the main force of the Cloud Mist Sect. This is also an opportunity."

Mo Chen's eyes lit up.

"A feint attack can turn into a direct assault amidst the chaos," Lu Yuan interrupted him. "The Cloud Mist Sect camp is currently at its weakest point. The Soul King and elite troops are bogged down in the rift valley, and the Shadow Guards are on high alert. The Inspection Office has retreated to the outer perimeter to observe. The rogue cultivators are terrified. As for us—"

He looked at the two of them.

"--We know the exact location of the camp, the approximate area where Lin Xiao is being held, the interference tools prepared by Mo Chen, and the topographical map drawn by Mr. Shen. More importantly, we now know that everyone's attention in the Cloud Mist Sect has been drawn to something else, something 'bigger' and more bizarre."

Shen Moxin's breath hitched. "This is too risky! The Shadow Guards are still at the bottom of the valley, and the Inspection Office is just on the outskirts. What if..."

"There's no 'what if'," Lu Yuan said firmly. "The opportunity only comes now. Once the Shadow Guards finish their so-called 'reconnaissance,' and once the Soul King of the Cloud Mist Sect realizes what's going on, the window of opportunity will be closed. Lin Xiao can't afford to wait."

He stood up and dusted off the corner of his clothes.

"Mo Chen, check the equipment. Mr. Shen, double-check the camp layout map and patrol post markings. We'll depart in fifteen minutes, circling the north ridge and approaching the camp from the shaded side."

He looked at the four gray figures standing motionless like stones at the bottom of the valley, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"As for them..." Lu Yuan's voice lowered, "They discovered something 'real.' And the clues we fabricated might have inadvertently... pointed to that reality."

He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

Looking at his calm yet resolute profile, Shen Moxin knew she couldn't persuade him. She silently took off her glasses, wiped them with the corner of her clothes, put them back on, and then took out a map from her pocket.

Mo Chen was already squatting on the ground, quickly checking the odds and ends in the leather bag.

Lu Yuan took one last look at the rift valley.

The men in gray were already busy at the rock face, their movements coordinated and efficient. They were completely oblivious to the disturbances outside.

That forged "Key" seemed to have actually opened a door.

The view behind the door made even the Key maker feel a strange unease.

He looked away and turned around.

"Walk."