The Pastoral Life of a Cultivation Master

Chapter 3273 No Shadow Attack

Zhou Ke and Qian Wantong were collecting and organizing the barrier that had just been broken through the wall, while Zhou Zixing and Qian Ying went to the other side to begin attacking the remaining wall.

Zhou Zixing slowly walked to the darkest, most secluded corner of the main hall. He deliberately paused for a moment, quietly circulating his true energy to prepare for a counterattack, wanting to see if any dark figures would suddenly appear and ambush him.

But the result was calm and uneventful; no shadowy figure rushed out to ambush him, and nothing happened at all.

He turned and walked to Qian Ying's side, lowering his voice and speaking with a tone full of confusion: "Elder Qian, this matter is a bit too strange. In the past, whenever we entered any building, even in daylight, shadowy figures would appear and ambush them."

It's like that cluster of buildings on the mountain path; it was daytime, yet they managed to ambush and kill all five martial artists. The shadowy figures even used puppets to conceal themselves and launch attacks. But today, we've been opening doors, investigating, dismantling walls, and breaking through barriers for over an hour, and not a single shadowy figure has appeared or attacked us. Could the violent explosion late last night have been the specter of all the shadowy figures exploding to death?

Qian Ying also frowned deeply, her heart filled with doubts. Zhou Zixing's probing had not attracted an attack from the shadowy figure, which meant that there was no shadowy figure in the hall.

From the moment they stepped into this barrier, the shadowy figures never stopped launching sneak attacks, each time bursting out from the shadows or darkness to strike them.

If the defenses are inadequate, or if the strength is insufficient, the shadowy figure will successfully launch a sneak attack and kill the victim.

But today's eerie silence, with not a single shadow emerging from the shadows, was far from reassuring; in fact, it made it even more unsettling. Could it be that last night's scene, resembling fireworks, was truly the explosion of those shadows?
But were all those shadowy figures really killed in last night's fireworks explosion?

No way, how could so many shadowy figures all be dead? Besides, how could so many shadowy figures, with such great strength, just die like that?

"Since we haven't witnessed all the shadowy figures die, we should still assume that there are still shadowy figures around, they just haven't entered this hall yet."

The unknown dangers are even more worrying. No one can be sure that the current peace is just an illusion, or that yesterday's spectacular explosion frightened the shadowy figure, which is why it is hiding during the day, but may still appear at night.

"It's best to be cautious and stay vigilant," Qian Ying warned in a deep voice, her tone serious and solemn. "There are so many shadowy figures, and no one knows where they are hiding. The current calm doesn't mean they've disappeared. It might just be an illusion, and when we let our guard down, they might jump out from the shadows and ambush us."

"Okay, I understand." Zhou Zixing nodded solemnly, suppressing his doubts, and continued to attack the barrier on the other side of the wall.

The two of them worked together for another hour and finally completely demolished the second partition wall.

They then placed burning wood in every shady spot to dispel the darkness and keep the hall bright. Then, together, they meticulously searched the storage chests and cabinets within the hall, finding numerous ancient artifacts hidden in the dusty wooden boxes and secret compartments.

Dull, unlustered jade, with a peculiar texture, of unknown origin, and decaying, tattered ancient robes, were scattered haphazardly in a corner.

These objects, though ancient, had no practical value. They could neither aid martial artists in their cultivation nor defend against attacks from strange beasts, rendering them utterly useless in their predicament. The two continued their investigation, finally finding several well-sealed porcelain bottles inside a hidden stone box. Carefully, they uncorked the bottles, releasing a faint medicinal fragrance mixed with a putrid odor. The pills inside had long since lost their spiritual energy, shriveled and blackened; a gentle touch with their fingertips turned them into fine black ash, which drifted away in the wind.

Over the long years, without the protection of spiritual energy, even the highest quality pills cannot escape the fate of depleting spiritual energy and turning into ashes.

Moreover, the origin of these pills was unknown. Even if they still had some effect, the two of them dared not take them rashly, for fear of unexpected consequences, which would be a loss.

"Manager Qian, stack the timber neatly to facilitate setting up the bonfire defense line at night." Qian Ying turned to look at Qian Wantong, who was busy tidying up the partition wall after it was demolished, on the other side of the main hall, and gave the order in a calm tone.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Qian Wantong bowed and replied immediately, then methodically directed his warriors to continue their division of labor and cooperation.

All the warriors were making desperate preparations for tonight's defense, their busy figures filling the hall and its interior.

Seeing that the supplies here were properly organized, Qian Ying and Zhou Zixing decided to take advantage of the free time to explore the other unused halls in the square.

Since these remnants of the past remain here, there might be rare resources hidden in other buildings that can help break the formation and improve cultivation. Even if there is only a sliver of hope, we cannot let it go easily.

While the two elders led the search and ordinary martial artists were busy making preparations, the atmosphere in the open area on the west side of the square was exceptionally relaxed and quiet.

Chen Mo, Ouyang Ruoxi, Ouyang Nan, and Ouyang Nana stood quietly, gazing indifferently at the bustling and chaotic scene not far away.

Amidst the cacophony of voices and the constant flow of martial artists, the four of them stood out from the rest of the flustered and tense crowd.

In fact, all the shadowy figures that appeared in the square last night had been eliminated by Chen Mo, but no one else knew this, not even the three women beside him.

The area within the barrier appears safe at the moment, but since the barrier around the plaza has not been broken, everyone inside is naturally in danger. What if there are other strange beasts, or the shadowy figures are not all dead?
So, while the martial artists were busy on the side, Chen Mo didn't want to go there and make a show of it, so he decided to survey the barrier again to find a flaw in breaking the formation.

Chen Mo's gaze swept calmly over the busy crowd, then he turned to the three women beside him, his voice gentle and steady: "Aunt, you stay here and cultivate with Ruoxi and Nana. I'll go back to the barrier screen and see if I can find a way to break the formation."

Ouyang Nan nodded slightly. Right now, they were a separate team and didn't want to join the main group. Besides, even if they did join, they wouldn't be protected if there was any danger. It was safest to stay here and cultivate quietly.

After all, even last-minute sharpening can make a difference. Improving one's cultivation level can help Chen Mo in some way. That way, even if one can't help Chen Mo when danger strikes, being able to protect oneself is still a form of help to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo said no more, moved slightly, and arrived at the edge of the transparent barrier in a few steps.