Mortals: Take Mo Juren at the start

"It's an illusion!" Mo Juren was slightly surprised. He hadn't realized that the low mountain in front of him, along with the surrounding area of ​​about ten thousand feet, was fake. It was an illusion formed by some kind of array restriction. However, this array was too mysterious. If his divine sense hadn't been strong enough, he really wouldn't have been able to detect it.

"As expected, you can't hide it from the captain." Zhou Yuan nodded slightly.
"This whole thing started because of me. After you left that day, we originally planned to wait where we were, but almost half a month has passed and you still haven't returned."

Thinking that he must have been delayed by something and wouldn't be back for a while, he became restless and decided to explore the surrounding area.

I happened to arrive at this place. Normally, with my divine sense, I wouldn't have been able to detect anything unusual, but coincidentally, there was a juvenile two-headed Thunderfire Eagle playing nearby.

Such exotic beasts are rare, especially young ones. If you could capture one, you could make a fortune, whether you sell it or keep it as a mount.

Things went smoothly. The two-headed Thunderfire Eagle was, after all, just a cub, and its lightning escape techniques weren't very proficient, so I easily caught it.

At this point, he suddenly paused, his expression turning one of deep shame.
"Unexpectedly, this was the beginning of disaster. Just as I caught the cub and was about to leave, suddenly, more than ten adult two-headed Thunderfire Eagles flew out from the barrier in front of me and surrounded me in the blink of an eye."

It was only then that I finally understood that those two-headed Thunderfire Eagles were not just one, but an entire nest, all hidden inside the barrier in front of me.

I captured the cub, which naturally attracted retaliation. Moreover, facing more than a dozen Nascent Soul level two-headed Thunderfire Eagles, my strength was really insufficient.

With no other option, I immediately asked my teammates for help. Fortunately, they were all nearby and soon arrived one after another.

Originally, I thought that with the help of my teammates, the matter could finally be resolved. I never expected that there were far more than a dozen two-headed Thunderfire Eagles. More than a hundred more flew out afterward, and they were all adults.

These strange beasts are already powerful, and there are so many of them, how could we possibly defeat them? Even with our teammates, it wouldn't be enough.

In desperation, I could only immediately release the young Thunderfire Hawk back, thinking that this would surely make it retreat. However, to my dismay, it didn't work at all.

The opponent merely sent the cub back inside the barrier, showing no intention of leaving. They quickly resumed their fierce attack, displaying an attitude of fighting to the death.

There was nothing we could do but join forces and stall for time. If it weren't for our captain's intervention, we would have truly been defeated this time..."

After Zhou Yuan finished explaining, Mo Juren finally understood the whole story. He couldn't help but sigh at the other party's incredible luck. Just catching a cub had stirred up a hornet's nest, even dragging the entire team down with them, almost resulting in their annihilation.

Fortunately, he returned at the critical moment; otherwise, probably none of the people present would have survived.

Now that the matter is over and everyone is out of danger, there is no need to dwell on it anymore. What interests him most right now is the mysterious restriction ahead.

The presence of so many two-headed Thunderfire Eagles hidden within suggests that there must be a sizable space inside, possibly even a secret realm.

Have you scouted out the situation ahead?

"Given the circumstances, even if we wanted to investigate, we wouldn't have had the chance!" Zhou Yuan said with a helpless smile.

"Since those two-headed Thunderfire Eagles can live inside, it must be that there is a space inside, perhaps a secret realm, or a ruin or something."

"Just as I thought." Mo Juren nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone again, especially his two youngest Nascent Soul stage teammates, and asked,

How are the two of them?

"Don't worry, Captain. It's nothing serious. It's just that my magic power is severely depleted and I'll need some time to recover."

"That's good. You are all also seriously injured, and your magic power is probably quite depleted. You should hurry up and recover. I'll go and check on things myself."

"Alright."

No one objected. They immediately found a spot in the valley, sat cross-legged, took the pills, and began to cultivate.

Mo Juren looked around. The area was relatively secluded, and with the 'Thousand Light Cloud Mist Array' providing cover, there wouldn't be any problems for a while.

He nodded slightly, no longer worried about these things, and flew directly towards the mysterious restriction in front of him, stopping only when he got close enough to it.

After probing with his divine sense again, he couldn't help but wonder. This barrier was clearly extraordinary and had no flaws. How did those two-headed thunderfire eagles get out that day?
Not only can one get out, but one can certainly get in as well. Does this mean that there is a specific passage to this restriction?

Unfortunately, despite his extensive investigation, he still couldn't find any clues.

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly raised his arm, then clenched his fist and struck hard, directly hitting the void.

With a loud boom, a strange scene unfolded: a white light screen suddenly appeared in the previously empty void, its surface shimmering with countless golden Sanskrit characters.

"A Buddhist formation?" Mo Juren looked slightly surprised. This formation was indeed powerful. The attack just now was so powerful, yet it was instantly neutralized.

Without hesitation, he clenched his fists again and began to attack the same point repeatedly, each attack more violent than the last, with booming sounds rising and falling. However, from beginning to end, the light screen only had Sanskrit characters flashing on the surface, without any sign of shaking.

"Interesting!" After some probing, Mo Juren realized that this restriction could not be broken by brute force alone. Even if it could be broken, it would probably require a lot of magic power and a long time to wear it down little by little.

This was the heart of the wilderness, fraught with danger. He couldn't possibly choose such a foolish method; he had to find another way. He couldn't help but think of Ancestor Chi Yun. If only the old man were still here, with his knowledge and skills, breaking this restriction would be a piece of cake. But now, he could only rely on himself.

He had a deep understanding of array formations and restrictions, so ordinary ones were not a problem for him. However, it was obvious that the restriction in front of him was not ordinary.

"Let me give it a try." Just as he was pondering, a soft voice suddenly rang out from behind him; it was Xue Rou who had gracefully arrived.

"Didn't I tell you to hurry up and recover your magic power? Why did you come here?" Turning to look at the other person, Mo Juren asked hurriedly, his tone full of concern.

“I took a ‘Spirit Essence Pill’ beforehand, so my mana consumption wasn’t that severe,” Xue Rou smiled.

"Spirit Essence Pill! So that's how it is!" Looking at the other person's rather rosy complexion, Mo Juren suddenly realized. This pill is quite famous. It is a top-grade spiritual medicine for replenishing mana consumption, not much worse than ten-thousand-year-old spiritual milk. Especially when traveling, this pill is an essential item.

However, it is precisely because of this that the price of this pill is extremely high, and it is in short supply. Without connections, even with spirit stones, it cannot be bought.

Of course, it wouldn't be surprising if it were someone like Xue Rou, a woman of exceptional talent.

"This should be a Buddhist formation. Are you confident in its effectiveness?" Putting aside his thoughts, Mo Juren changed the subject.

"My ancestor was quite accomplished in the art of array formations and restrictions. Having spent many years by his side, I've learned a thing or two from his example. It shouldn't be a problem," Xue Rou said with a modest smile, yet her words were brimming with confidence, which surprised Mo Juren. He didn't say anything more and simply nodded slightly.

"In that case, let's study it together."

"Alright!"

"..."

So the two began to investigate and discuss together.

To Mo Juren's surprise, the other party's mastery of array formations and restrictions was truly extraordinary, far beyond a mere superficial understanding.

After careful inquiry, it was learned that the Xue family patriarch was named Xue Yuanhuang, a grandmaster of array formations, who was renowned throughout the cultivation world.

In addition, Xue Rou herself is also extremely talented in formations, so she was carefully nurtured by Xue Yuanhuang from a young age, and now she has surpassed her master.

Mo Juren couldn't help but sigh, this woman is really low-key. Although he had never asked about this matter, she had never mentioned it before, even after knowing her for so long.

Okay, none of that matters. The most important thing right now is to figure out how to break through the current restrictions and get inside to explore.

Time passed slowly, and three days went by in the blink of an eye. The two of them had been discussing for three whole days and finally made a breakthrough.

However, at this moment, Xue Rou's expression was somewhat solemn:

"Perhaps I'm seeing things, but this formation is somewhat similar to the legendary 'Sumeru Exorcising Demon Formation.' Could it be that some evil creature is sealed inside?"

Furthermore, it is inhabited by so many two-headed Thunderfire Eagles; the fire and lightning wielded by these beasts are extremely effective against evil creatures.

"Then why can the Two-Headed Thunderfire Eagle come and go freely?" Mo Juren asked again.

"I don't know about that. Perhaps this beast has some kind of connection with this formation, which is why it's not working..." Xue Rou shook her head slightly.
"Let's put that aside for now, are we still going in?"

“Of course I’ll go in,” Mo Juren replied without hesitation.
"Don't worry about anything else. Just think about how to crack it. There might be unexpected gains inside."

"But..." Xue Rou wanted to persuade her again, after all, if it really was the 'Sumeru Extermination Array', then it would not be an opportunity, but a disaster.

"Don't worry, since I dared to let you break the restriction, I naturally have enough confidence. There's no need to worry about anything else." Mo Juren interrupted the other party directly, his tone full of confidence.

"Well... alright..." Seeing his expression, Xue Rou didn't say anything more, and then changed the subject.

"I happen to know a bit about this formation. It's not difficult to break through a passage in and out, but it will take some time. Also, for safety reasons, the fewer people who enter the secret realm afterward, the better. Too many people will only cause unforeseen problems."

“You just need to break open the passage, then I’ll go in myself.” Mo Juren agreed to the other’s suggestion, but upon hearing this, Xue Rou shook her head again.
"If my deduction is correct, this is only the outer layer of the restriction; there are probably more inside, so I also need to enter it."

"I see..." Mo Juren thought for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"Alright, let's begin then."

Upon hearing the other party's agreement, Xue Rou nodded slightly as well. Without further delay, she immediately took out an antique jade box about half a foot square with her delicate hands.

As soon as the box was opened, a burst of golden light emanated from it. Only then did Mo Juren see that the box contained countless golden flying needles. (End of Chapter)