Chapter 67

"Kill me."

"I won't let you off even if I become a ghost."

"Ah."

"No, no, no."

Standing in the midst of the endless black fog, Ji Ning faintly heard various voices, as if many people were suffering terrible torment. Ji Ning was secretly alarmed: "They are buying large numbers of slaves and even inciting tribal leaders to start tribal wars to obtain more slaves. What are they planning to do!"

"No matter what, I have to break out first." Ji Ning looked around solemnly, then darted forward, covering more than a mile. He then turned and ran, retreated, and leaped... In the fog-filled formation, Ji Ning moved quickly for a while, but no matter where he moved, the fog and the cold air remained.

"Trouble." Ji Ning's expression changed slightly. "This is not an ordinary maze. I moved so fast and kept changing direction, but the formation remained stable. The one controlling this formation is likely not a Xian Tian being."

Over the past month, while tracking, Ji Ning had also devoted some attention to studying the *Nine Volumes of Formation Techniques* and had gained some insights. Although he could not easily break the formation before him, he could still discern that it was far from simple formations like the Yin-Yang Qi Formation. It was a rather profound formation, and the formation flags used to carry such a formation could be considered entry-level magical treasures.

Entry-level magical treasures cannot be refined by Xian Tian beings.

"Wanxiang Zhenren, at his level, wouldn't be petty in a place like Yanshan. Most likely... the one who set up this formation is a Zifu Cultivator, probably one skilled in poisons." Ji Ning quickly made a judgment based on previous encounters.

...

"Human child, I'm coming." A shrill laugh echoed in the endless black fog.

Ji Ning, however, stood still, and around his body, three water lotus leaves and three fire lotus leaves appeared. The two layers of lotus leaves began to slowly rotate in opposite directions...

"Ha ha ha!" A sinister laugh echoed.

Whoosh!

A shadow suddenly darted out of the black fog, rushing straight at Ji Ning. But when the shadow saw Ji Ning protected by the water and fire lotus leaves, it hesitated.

"Hmph." Ji Ning's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he lunged forward. The Beiming Sword in his hand moved so fast it turned into a streak of fire, executing the 'Electric Spark' technique, slicing the shadow in two.

Whoosh~~

The shadow instantly turned into mist, flying back and coalescing into a strange beast, which was barely visible in the black fog.

"This is not a human child, but a human Xian Tian being who has cultivated for countless years!" A shrill voice came from the fog, spreading far and wide. "This human probably broke through to Xian Tian in his youth, which is why he looks so young. And he has protective lotus leaves, which might be a magical treasure."

From a distant place, a cold voice echoed: "If it's not a Zifu Cultivator, it's a minor matter. Just kill him."

"I'll take care of it." The strange beast in the fog said directly.

Ji Ning's expression changed slightly.

If it's not a Zifu Cultivator, it's a minor matter. The one who dared to say this is likely a Zifu Cultivator who set up this formation! And the one who just attacked was probably just a beast, likely a spirit beast under the Zifu Cultivator's command.

"My master said," the strange beast in the fog slowly changed position, appearing here and there, "when wandering outside, the smaller the human, the more troublesome they are. Now it seems this is true... Unfortunately for you, you met me!"

Ji Ning stood calmly.

Once one becomes a Xian Tian being, they are no longer a mortal, and their appearance hardly changes. They only age rapidly when approaching the end of their lifespan. Therefore, most Xian Tian elders are over a hundred years old. Like Ji Yichuan, who first became famous in Yanshan, then went on adventures for many years, and returned with his wife, he is nearly fifty but still looks young. If a Xian Tian being looks like a child, it means they became Xian Tian in their childhood.

The smaller they look, the more troublesome they are.

Some immortals may even look like children.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

Suddenly, three black beams shot towards Ji Ning, but when they hit the water and fire lotus leaves rotating to protect him, they barely penetrated the first layer and were stopped by the second layer.

A huge black shadow also emerged from the fog, its massive claws reaching for Ji Ning's head!

"Clang!" Ji Ning's sword flashed, blocking the attack, and he moved to the side to avoid it.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning frowned, seeing a strange beast resembling a leopard. Ji Ning couldn't immediately identify what kind of beast it was, mainly because many beasts have mixed bloodlines, often resulting in strange species. The beast before him was similar to a bear, but with a more slender body. The beast stared at Ji Ning, its tail swaying, with black bone spines circling it. A strike from its tail would be no less powerful than a magical whip.

Ji Ning's pupils contracted, and he turned into a blur.

Wind Wing Escape Technique!

Whoosh!

Moving as fast as lightning, he lunged at the beast, whose claws reached for Ji Ning.

"Water Dropping Through Stone!" A water-like sword light flashed, and the beast fell to the ground, rolling a few times before lying still. A large hole appeared in its head, with blood and brain matter oozing out.

Ji Ning landed quietly, still holding his dual swords, cautiously looking around, but only glanced at the beast: "Just a late-stage Xian Tian beast!"

"Black Needle!"

"Black Needle!" From a distant place, the cold voice called out, "Did that human kill it? Black Needle, Black—"

The cold voice quickly fell silent.

"I killed the beast, and he didn't even know. It seems this beast is not his spirit beast." Ji Ning understood that in this mountain, there was not just one Zifu Cultivator, but likely a hidden force! However, setting up and controlling this formation would require at least a Zifu Cultivator.

"Big trouble." Ji Ning didn't expect that in the Yanshan region, at the border between the Ji and Tumu clans, there was such a hidden force.

...

In the formation, Ji Ning was surrounded by protective water and fire lotus leaves, and he was constantly pondering the formation. Although the *Nine Volumes of Formation Techniques* were profound, especially the diagrams, which were hard to memorize, Ji Ning had forcibly memorized the first volume and was now using most of his mental energy to deduce it.

"I must break the formation. Trapped here, I can only let the other side do as they please." Ji Ning focused on deducing, while the sounds of screams and curses echoed in his ears, as if a hell was hidden in the mountains.

******

In the Western City of the Ji Clan, the Snow Drifting Hall.

Ji Youyang sat high on the dais, with Ji Yichuan, Ji Lie, and others seated in order, all with heavy expressions.

"In the past ten days," Ji Youyang's voice was hoarse, his eyes red, "many Xian Tian beings have gone missing in the territories of the five Ji Clan cities! No one has been seen alive, and no bodies have been found!"

"Lord, who is causing trouble in our Ji Clan territory?"

"Find them and eliminate them."

"These days, I've been driven mad. My good brother, I must find him and save him."

A Ji Clan member couldn't help but shout from below.

Ji Lie, standing beside him, glared and shouted, "My son has also gone missing. We must find him, we must!" Then he looked at the Lord on the dais, "Big Brother, how many Xian Tian beings have gone missing so far? And who is targeting our Ji Clan? Have you found the culprit?"

"According to the latest news from the clan, as of today, a total of twenty-three Xian Tian beings have gone missing," Ji Youyang shook his head. "And most of them are quite powerful and well-known Xian Tian beings! Five of the leaders from the five Ji Clan cities have gone missing, and there is no trace of them."

"This is a provocation to our Ji Clan, a complete disregard for us." Ji Lie roared.

Ji Youyang's eyes were red: "Those who have gone missing are all quite powerful, at least mid-stage Xian Tian beings, some even late-stage or perfected Xian Tian beings! This is a slap in the face of our Ji Clan, and they are urinating on our faces! We must find the culprit! Even if we have to pay a great price, we must destroy them!"

Ji Yichuan, sitting beside him, said, "We should destroy them, but based on my experience, this force likely has a Zifu Cultivator."

"Hmm?" Everyone looked at Ji Yichuan.

Ji Yichuan had traveled extensively, even to the Beiming Sea, giving him a broader perspective.

Ji Yichuan continued, "There are two most likely possibilities. The first is a wandering tribe that has lost its city and foundation, forced to wander... but this tribe still has considerable strength, so they want to start a war in our Yanshan to gain a city."

Having a city means having territory, and the tribe would have a foundation!

"The second possibility is a fleeing cultivator, some evil cultivators use souls and corpses to practice evil techniques, and capturing Xian Tian beings is because their souls are stronger, more beneficial for practicing techniques." Ji Yichuan said.

"Moreover, this time, the Xian Tian beings who have gone missing," Ji Yichuan said, "according to our Ji Clan intelligence, not only our Ji Clan, but also the neighboring Tumu Clan and Bianhe Clan have had Xian Tian beings go missing. We don't know how many, but this force that has come to our Yanshan is not weak. We must avenge this, and we must save the missing Xian Tian beings, but we cannot act rashly. We must first investigate the strength of the other side, then make a plan to eliminate them in one fell swoop!"

Everyone in the hall fell silent.