The Pastoral Life of a Cultivation Master

Chapter 3235 Discovering Weakness
Just as everyone was complaining and praying, something surprising happened!

As soon as those black dots approached the flame, they burst into flames in the air, just like gasoline meeting an open flame! The black viscous liquid was instantly ignited, turning into clusters of orange-red fireballs that crackled and popped before vaporizing completely, leaving not a trace behind!

There were originally many black dots, but when they came into contact with the flames, they exploded like gasoline, turning into fireballs that burst into flames in the air!

In an instant, the flames burned even more fiercely above the entire fire channel, tongues of fire leaping several meters high and dispelling the darkness even further. Those originally incredibly dangerous black spots, possessing powerful corrosive abilities, were utterly vulnerable under the power of the flames, turning into fuel and making the fire even more intense!
But this situation lasted only a short time. After just a few breaths, all the black spots were burned away, and the flames returned to their original height, as if the violent eruption had been an illusion.

All the martial artists seemed to have experienced a meteor shower under the backdrop of flames!
Flames are the nemesis of these black spots and can also defend against shadows!
This discovery stunned everyone, and then they erupted in ecstatic joy at surviving a disaster!
Qian Ying and Zhou Zixing also noticed this. They retreated into the fiery passage, and the black shadows that had been relentlessly pursuing them suddenly stopped, hovering and roaring at the edge of the flames. Their scarlet eyes flashed with fear and resentment, but not a single shadow dared to actually come forward to attack.

The barrier formed by the flames seemed to be the dividing line between life and death, completely blocking them out.

Without saying a word, Qian Ying bent down, picked up a burning piece of wood, and threw it hard into the darkness from which the roar came!

As the flame was thrown, it drew a bright arc through the air, like a shooting star, piercing the darkness before landing on the ground. The orange-red light instantly illuminated the area, and all the martial artists saw a dark figure emerge in the firelight, hastily retreating as if the light were the most terrifying thing in the world!

It works!
It really works!

Instantly, all the martial artists felt a sense of relief. The heavy weight on their hearts and the suffocating fear vanished in that instant!
Originally, upon encountering the shadowy figures, their strength and speed were not to be underestimated; they far surpassed ordinary acquired martial artists and could even contend with innate masters. Moreover, the sheer number of these shadowy figures was astonishing—a dozen, dozens—and who knew how many more lurked in the darkness?
Furthermore, these shadowy figures prefer to ambush, hiding in the shadows, and the entire valley is pitch black, so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face. They blend into the darkness, appearing and disappearing without a trace, making them impossible to defend against, and every attack carries the threat of death.

These martial artists, trapped in this eerie valley because the barrier was closed, were unable to leave, like turtles in a jar. Therefore, they had no good way to deal with these shadowy figures; they could only passively endure the attacks and pray they wouldn't be ambushed.

Warriors of low strength could only rely on the campfire to get through the long night and wait for dawn.

But now, things are finally looking up. The shadowy creatures' weakness has been discovered: they are afraid of fire! It's not just fear, but a true nemesis—a force capable of reducing them to ashes!
With a solution in hand, the group was no longer so afraid of the shadowy figures. The atmosphere of despair vanished, replaced by hope, fighting spirit, and the will to survive!

"So that's why these shadowy figures were so desperately trying to stop us from demolishing these buildings. They were afraid of fire," Zhou Zixing said happily, a relieved smile on his face. As he spoke, he took out a pill to replenish his innate power from his pocket and swallowed it, feeling the medicinal power dissipate in his body and restore the innate power in his dantian.

In such a short battle, more than half of the innate power in his dantian had already been consumed!

Actually, the combat itself didn't consume much energy; the main challenge was defending against the black dots that exploded when the shadows were attacked! The corrosive properties were too strong, so the enemy desperately tried to block and tug at these corrosive dots in order to withstand them!
"Yes, now that we know what these shadowy figures are afraid of, we can target them more effectively!" Qian Ying was also pleased. The most important thing now is to collect firewood. Qian Ying turned to look back; the two flames in the campsite had shrunk considerably. The flames were no longer leaping high but had become weak, and the area illuminated by the firelight was shrinking. In about half an hour, they might become even smaller, or even disappear completely.

At that time, the warriors in the encampment area will become the targets of the shadowy figure, at their mercy.

"Take these burning logs and come with me. We must collect more wood!" Qian Ying ordered the martial artists at the tenth level of the Acquired Realm. "Work in pairs, look out for each other, and don't linger when you encounter shadowy figures. Use the flames to force them back!"

"Yes!" All the martial artists at the tenth level of the Acquired Realm nodded in agreement, and took out their respective weapons or tools, swords, clubs, and even daggers they carried with them, and stuck them directly into the still burning wood. Holding one in each hand, they began to move forward.

If they sensed something unusual at the edge of the shadow, they would shake the wood in their hand back and forth, causing the flames to hiss.

The anomaly at the edge of the shadows suddenly subsided, as if nothing had happened. Sure enough, those shadowy figures hidden in the darkness were terrified of fire!
Chen Mo and Ouyang Nan naturally joined in as well.

Of course, a large amount of burning wood remained on the spot, forming a sturdy defensive line. But once enough wood was collected, a fire tunnel could be built on top of the existing one, and the burning wood would also come in handy. It would serve as both fuel and weaponry, ensuring the repelling of the shadows.

Sure enough, when everyone was holding up burning logs, the shadowy figures hidden in the darkness, though howling at the edge of the shadows with sharp, piercing voices full of anger and resentment, did not dare to actually come forward to attack the group.

They feared the flames and the light, and could only watch helplessly as their "prey" roamed their territory.

Arriving at the side of the building that had been demolished, Qian Ying took the lead in throwing a few pieces of burning wood into the room, illuminating the hall as well.

As the wood was thrown in, an angry roar came from deep within, followed by a series of rapid sounds, as if dark figures were moving rapidly through the hall, forced to retreat from their hiding places and flee to other locations.

However, what puzzled everyone was that the exit inside the main hall was only where they were standing; there seemed to be no exits in other places. So how did these dark figures escape?

Despite the concerns, the most important thing right now is to collect timber; other issues can be addressed later.