The Pastoral Life of a Cultivation Master

Chapter 3230 No more combustibles
When Qian Ying heard Qian Wantong say that there was no more flammable material, she immediately frowned.

His gaze swept across the entire valley with lightning speed. To say there were no flammable materials? Absurd! At a glance, all the buildings were almost entirely wooden structures; every single one of them was excellent fuel. Simply dismantling these buildings would provide enough fuel to burn for three days and three nights without a problem.

But it was nighttime, the kind of pitch-black darkness where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. And the shadowy figure was hidden in this endless darkness, its power terrifying.

A picture flashed through Qian Ying's mind: if martial artists were to dismantle the timber, they would have to venture into the darkness beyond the reach of the firelight, groping and moving it. And with the surrounding darkness, wasn't that the perfect hunting ground for a sneak attack by shadowy figures?

How could those martial artists carry more incendiary materials while dodging the shadows?

It was a vicious cycle. He had initially thought there was only one shadowy figure within the barrier. But harsh reality slapped him in the face; the explosion of one shadowy figure only attracted more. One was the one that ambushed him, and another was killed by Chen Mo and Ouyang Nan working together.

So, who can guess how many shadowy figures are lurking in this thick darkness? Five? Ten? Or more?

If there are more shadowy figures lurking in the darkness, like venomous snakes, ready to strike with lightning speed at the slightest opening. How many people will die this night? Ten? Twenty?

Besides him and Zhou Zixing, now there's Li Mo too. What about the others? What should we do?
Qian Ying felt a headache coming on, his temples throbbing. He hadn't expected to encounter such a creature within this barrier; it was truly frustrating. He had lived for over a hundred years, yet he had never seen such a bizarre and troublesome monster.

"Elder, what should we do?" Qian Wantong's voice rang out again, filled with undisguised anxiety. Seeing that Qian Ying hadn't spoken for a long time, he could only remind her again.

There simply weren't many flammable materials available, and the delay meant there wasn't enough time to gather wood. Once the flames weakened, the shadowy figures would lurk in the darkness and attack them. Those with high strength wouldn't be afraid, but what about the weaker martial artists?

Qian Ying snapped out of his reverie and turned to look at Qian Wantong. He wasn't offended by Qian Wantong interrupting his thoughts; after all, Qian Wantong was also concerned for everyone's safety, which was understandable.

"Put Qian Yuren aside for now, dismantle the coffin and burn it," Qian Ying said in a deep voice, making a decision. "As for the other incinerable materials, I'll think about it some more."

Right now, we can't worry about respecting the dead; the lives of the living are the most important. Qian Yuren is already dead, and keeping that makeshift coffin is pointless. It's better to turn him into flames to protect the living.

"Yes!" Upon hearing this, Qian Wantong immediately accepted the order and left.

There need to be two fire pits: one inner ring to protect the core, and one outer ring to guard the perimeter. That's why there's such a rush. After all, there's hardly anything left to burn, and if we delay, the flames will weaken and be swallowed by darkness.

Many martial artists were very worried, especially those below the tenth level of the Acquired Realm, whose fear was growing.

They stood by the fire, their eyes constantly darting into the surrounding darkness. Every flicker of a shadow sent shivers down their spines. They had no choice; anyone in their position would feel the same way. No one wanted to be ambushed and killed by a shadowy figure. But they were no match for the shadowy creatures. Their speed and unpredictability far exceeded their capabilities. Their only hope was to use the fire to fend off the shadowy attacks.

This sense of powerlessness gnaws at everyone's heart like a venomous snake.

Qian Ying gave Chen Mo a deep look, her gaze filled with complex emotions. The young man stood beside the shadowy corpse, his expression calm, as if the thrilling battle just now was merely a trivial warm-up.

“Li Mo,” Qian Ying began, her voice as calm as possible, “Since you and Ouyang Nan were able to work together to take down this shadowy monster, then please have you and Ouyang Nan keep an eye on things here. This way, Zhou Zixing and I can better guard against the shadowy monster’s sneak attacks and protect the others.” Chen Mo’s name in the team was Li Mo, which was why Qian Ying addressed him as Li Mo here.

Chen Mo nodded calmly: "No problem."

His answer was concise and to the point, without the slightest hesitation or excuse.

Even if Qian Ying didn't say anything, he would automatically cooperate. After all, the shadowy figures don't discriminate; they'll attack anyone they can, whether they're innate masters or ordinary martial artists—they're all prey in their eyes. In this life-or-death situation, infighting is foolish; unity is the only way to survive.

Qian Ying was currently in dire need of manpower, so naturally he wouldn't attack Chen Mo. He still needed this young man to hold off the shadowy figures, protect the acquired martial artists, and buy him time. Seeing Chen Mo agree so readily, Qian Ying nodded, feeling somewhat relieved. He turned and walked towards Zhou Zixing's direction, wanting to discuss the matter of dismantling the wood later.

But his doubts did not dissipate.

On the other side, the coffin that had already contained Qian Yuren was opened again by Qian Wantong and several others. They moved swiftly and carefully carried Qian Yuren out and placed him on the ground.

As for Qian Yuren's body, they took out his original sleeping bag and put him inside. It was a case of having his own belongings.

Then, the group worked together to dismantle the makeshift coffin, breaking it down completely and turning it into a pile of excellent fuel.

"Throw it in!" Qian Wantong ordered.

The wood was thrown into the fire, and the flames leaped higher, crackling and illuminating the surroundings. The orange-red light danced on everyone's faces, dispelling some of the gloom, but unable to dispel the chill in their hearts.

Qian Wantong began to urge everyone to move closer together and not spread out too much, which would reduce the chances of the shadowy figures launching a sneak attack.

The martial artists responded hastily, frantically adjusting their formation to surround the fire in the center, forming a tight defensive circle. But everyone knew in their hearts that against this eerie shadow, would such a defense... truly be effective?

"Elder Qian, what is that dark figure over there? Did you see it clearly?"

Zhou Zixing needed to be on guard against the shadowy figure's sneak attack, so while Qian Ying went to Chen Mo's side to observe the shadowy figure, he stood still, carefully scanning the surrounding situation.

Qian Ying walked to Zhou Zixing's side, shook her head with a solemn expression: "I saw it clearly, but... I can't explain it."

His voice carried a hint of confusion and apprehension: "That thing is neither human nor beast. It has limbs and a head, but its entire body is pitch black. At first glance, it has no facial features, but upon closer inspection, it does have facial features. However, because the shadowy creature's skin is so dark, it appears as if it has no facial features, only those scarlet eyes. Its body is similar to a human's, but it is also somewhat different from us."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zixing's heart sank. He recalled the terrifying scene from just now: the black shadow that shot out of the darkness, those deadly claws, that suffocating sense of oppression. If there were more monsters like that, could they really hold out until dawn?