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Chapter 477 The Mother Gu Pond of Ten Thousand Souls

Located deep in the mountains, bordering the Tiananmen region of Siam.

A Miao village, hidden like an isolated island in the vast forest.

This place is a true "no man's land," where miasma and the chirping of insects form the backdrop of this primeval jungle.

The night was deep and all was quiet, save for the occasional bark of a dog, which only accentuated the stillness.

Only a few stilted houses remain in the entire village, still lit by dim yellow lights.

"Click."

A middle-aged man with a refined demeanor and wearing black-rimmed glasses opened the window.

He gazed at the dark, dense forest outside the window, his brows furrowed slightly, his eyes showing no sign of sleepiness, but rather gleaming with an almost tangible sharpness.

That is an outward manifestation of highly concentrated mental energy.

He seemed to be carefully observing something, searching for clues hidden in the darkness.

"Professor, are you still up so late?"

On the bed in the inner room, a figure sat up and yawned.

The man's hair was a mess, like a bird's nest that had just been torn down. He had a long, thin face and a tuft of mustache on his upper lip.

It was Fang Cheng's uncle, Li Dingjian.

"Isn't it the same for you?"

The professor standing by the window didn't turn around, but gave a curt reply.

"The mosquitoes in this awful place are bigger than my fist. If I keep going like this, I'll become the sacrificial offering!"

Li Dingjian raised his hand and slapped his arm, leaving a red mark.

He then reached for the cigarette pack on the bedside table, only to find that there was only one layer of foil left, and it had long been smoked.

"Sigh, even buying a pack of cigarettes here is a luxury."

With a sigh, Li Dingjian took his phone from the bedside table and turned it on. The "call not connected" message was still lit up on the screen.

He stared at the name "Fang Cheng" for a moment, then shoved the phone back into his hand, his tone tinged with annoyance:

"Before I smuggled myself over, I called my nephew to let him know I was safe, but the kid didn't answer."

"Now things are even worse. This godforsaken place doesn't even have a signal. What if my family thinks I've disappeared...?"

"Peace of mind."

The professor turned around, his eyes calm:

"Once things are settled here, we can go back immediately."

"But when exactly will we have to wait?"

Li Dingjian scratched his messy hair, shuffled to the window in his slippers, and looked out at the dark forest:
"We disguised ourselves as merchants buying herbs and stayed in this godforsaken place for almost a week."

When will that old monster finally show himself?

Listening to the crows' anxious cawing, the professor appeared calm, but he was inwardly anxious as well.

The two of them came to this remote place with a very clear purpose.

One wanted to avenge his brother-in-law who died unjustly, and the other wanted to eliminate the traitors who had betrayed the organization in the past.

After obtaining specific information about the Chen family's curse case at the Bridge of Helplessness, the professor immediately realized that this matter was probably inseparable from one person.

That was Xuanzhen, a former core member of the "Ideal Land" organization.

Following this clue, the two traced it all the way from Dongdu to Tiannan, and then from Tiannan to the Nulong Mountains on the border.

They eventually crossed the border illegally and located a village that didn't even exist on the map.

Previously, the professor had been posting missing person notices about some members of the Ideal Land through the Bridge of Helplessness.

Now that they've finally obtained a clue about Xuanzhen, they naturally won't let it go easily.

Based on his understanding of Xuanzhen from his past interactions, he was well aware of the other party's many trump cards and special methods, and was also very familiar with the special aura he left behind.

In addition to the clues found in the Chen family case, we further used our mental perception abilities to track them down.

This confirmed the approximate location where Xuanzhen's true form was hidden.

They had been posing as merchants buying rare herbs and had been staying here for six days.

The nearly week-long investigation and discovery sent chills down their spines.

In this village, many villagers have vacant eyes, showing signs of being controlled by mental magic.

What sent chills down their spines even further was that they could always hear faint sounds of sacrificial rituals at night.

Many villagers would secretly venture into the deep mountains, as if performing a blood sacrifice ritual for some secret place.

Three nights ago, they secretly sneaked into the heavily guarded cave behind the mountain.

Inside the cave is a huge altar made of piled-up white bones.

A pool of blood was embedded at the top of the altar, seemingly the object of the villagers' sacrifices, emanating a familiar yet malevolent aura.

The professor immediately concluded that this was the reason why Xuanzhen could live for hundreds of years—the Ten Thousand Souls Mother Gu Pool.

It is not just a container, but also an anchor point for the soul to take root in the real world. It is a powerful product of black magic, created by combining Siamese black magic and esoteric methods.

The reason why Xuanzhen's "Soul Devouring Domain" can remain after death and even merge with the spiritual realm is that it is constantly nurtured and grown.

It's all thanks to the power of this mother Gu.

The souls he killed would be refined into offspring Gu by the mother Gu.

Ultimately, it merged into his power, which he could use at will, either to transform into a demon to harm people or to possess others and manipulate their consciousness.

Despite having figured out Xuanzhen's trump card, the two did not dare to make any rash moves.

The cave is usually heavily guarded, and unless you force your way in, you can't get close to the altar.

If the guards are alerted and Xuanzhen's divine soul returns to this place prematurely, a fierce battle will be inevitable.

Although the professor was also an S-class mental ability user, he still lacked confidence when facing Xuanzhen.

Although the opponent's physical body was destroyed, leaving only a remnant soul, he was a top expert who had lived for over a hundred years and had become famous even before I was born.

The professor had only recently been promoted to S-rank, and his practical experience was far inferior to that of his opponent.

Therefore, they devised a more prudent plan and waited for the best opportunity to strike.

“I know him too well. That guy is a cunning and cruel devil. We must not underestimate him and must patiently wait for our opportunity.”

The professor gazed out the window at the night scene, and said in a low voice:

"Once we seize the opportunity, we should first destroy the Myriad Soul Mother Gu Pool. Even if we can't kill him, we can cut off his escape route and reduce his strength by more than half."

"Then we'll return to Cuicheng, tell the Chen family about Xuanzhen's weakness, and join forces to destroy the body that this scoundrel is inhabiting!"

"Chance……"

Li Dingjian muttered something to himself, his gaze sweeping over the two bulging canvas bags under the bed.

That was a "grand gift" they had prepared specifically for Xuanzhen, according to their previous plan.

Just as the two were discussing in hushed tones...

The professor suddenly raised his hand and pressed it against the window frame, his expression changing instantly.

"what happened?"

Li Dingjian immediately became alert, and his hand unconsciously reached for the pistol he carried at his waist.

"Something's wrong!"

The professor's eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses, and his brows furrowed.
“My mental energy detected an unusual fluctuation of consciousness, like… something was calling to the villagers.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of voices suddenly rang out from the village.

The lights in the stilted houses came on one after another.

Immediately following were the sounds of hurried footsteps and shouts.

Before long, dozens of strong male villagers, holding torches high, hurried towards the mountains and forests behind the village.

"Something must have happened at the altar. Our chance has come!"

The professor's eyes sharpened, and he immediately turned to look at Li Dingjian:
"Everything is proceeding according to plan!"

Li Dingjian nodded, grabbed a military green jacket without saying a word, and haphazardly put it on, not even zipping it all the way up.

The two quickly pulled out two canvas bags hidden under the bed and each picked one up.

Without hesitation, they climbed out of the back window of the stilted house and disappeared into the darkness like two night owls.

In the dense forest, the "fire dragon" made of torches was rapidly surging towards the back mountain.

Li Dingjian and the professor, using the trees for cover, remained silent and stayed firmly at the back of the group.

The villagers carried torches as they walked through the woods, their bodies stiff as puppets, yet their steps were astonishingly fast.

The firelight made it look particularly eerie.

They seemed completely unaware of the two extra followers emerging from the shadows behind them.

Li Dingjian and the professor walked briskly, one in front of the other.

Since absorbing the Blood Rain in Misty Mountain, both of them have experienced a significant improvement in their physical abilities. They can now easily carry heavy packages weighing dozens of kilograms along the rugged mountain paths.

Li Dingjian was in charge of scouting ahead and avoiding traps.

The professor then released his mental energy to conceal the figures and auras of the two, remaining vigilant against any potential "hidden sentries."

After a short while, the "fire dragon" stopped in front of a cave.

The group of villagers, led by the head, worked together to push open a heavy iron door that was completely covered by vines.

The dark entrance was exposed, like a gaping maw ready to devour people.

Torches were brought in one after another, and the villagers crawled into the cave one by one, their figures quickly swallowed by the darkness.

Li Dingjian and the professor hid behind a tree a hundred meters away, patiently waiting.

The sound of a muffled boom echoed as the last villager disappeared from the cave entrance.

The iron gate closed from the inside, followed by a heavy "click" as the lock clicked shut.

The mountains and forests instantly returned to silence.

In the darkness, the two exchanged a glance and quickly went around to the iron gate.

Li Dingjian grinned and pulled a thin, specially made wire from his pocket.

Then slowly insert the wire into the keyhole, close your eyes, and gently rotate it with your fingertips.

He used his "sensory pulse" ability to quickly pinpoint the location of the pins inside the lock cylinder.

In just a few seconds, with two soft "clicks," the lock cylinder popped open.

Li Dingjian opened his eyes and gave the professor an OK sign.

As the two pushed open the door, a strong smell of blood and decay immediately hit them.

It was pitch black in the cave, and you couldn't see your hand in front of you.

Fortunately, the professor's mental perception was far beyond that of ordinary people, and he led the way.

Li Dingjian, carrying a canvas bag, followed him and walked forward for about several dozen meters.

After passing through the deep passageway, the view suddenly opened up before us.

This is a huge cave with an altar made of bones in the center and many torches around it for illumination.

At the top of the altar, the "Mother Gu Pool of Ten Thousand Souls," several meters in diameter, seemed to be boiling.

It was churning and emitting wisps of white smoke.

The villagers were like madmen, their expressions obsessive, uttering incomprehensible "hoho" sounds.

There were even a few selected strong men kneeling at the foot of the altar.

They each used a small knife to cut their wrists, chanting obscure syllables.

Their expressions were fervent and devout, as if they felt no pain.

After a shaman filled a clay pot with the blood, he solemnly stepped onto the altar and poured it into the blood pool at the top of the altar.

The thick, viscous blood plasma, accumulated over countless years, made a "thump-thump" sound, much like a heartbeat.

The voice was extremely penetrating, causing the professor and Li Dingjian, who were secretly observing, to feel a strange flutter in their hearts.

At this moment, in the center of the blood pool, a dark red vortex is spinning at high speed.

If one possesses extraordinary perception, one can sense that streams of pure crimson energy are being drawn out by the vortex and disappearing into the void.

"Xuanzhen is using the life essence of these manipulated villagers to replenish his own losses!!"

The professor stared sharply at the vortex and quickly made a judgment:
"In my opinion, he is most likely fighting a powerful enemy in his mental realm, and he has exhausted the power of the Mother Gu Blood Pool."

"Should we blow it up now?"

Upon hearing this, Li Dingjian reached out to unzip the canvas bag.

"no!"

The professor grabbed him and pressed him down:

“The Mother Gu Blood Pool and Xuanzhen’s main body are now directly connected. If we make a move, he will immediately notice and may even abandon the secret realm and retreat back here.”

He then took a deep breath, his eyes showing a hint of restraint:

"Wait, wait until he loses, or until the battle is over, that's when he's most vulnerable!"

The two could only wait like hunters in the darkest corner.

Time passed by minute by minute.

"Gu dong... gu dong..."

Suddenly, the rhythm of the "Mother Gu Blood Pool" abruptly stopped.

Immediately afterwards, the rapidly spinning crimson vortex stopped.

"Om-"

An indescribable, sharp buzzing sound erupted from the blood pool.

The blood-red energy that had been drawn away seemed to be struck back by an even more powerful force, and began to flow back in frantically.

Rumbling--

The entire cave began to shake violently, and loose rocks fell down in a flurry.

The sturdy altar of bones suddenly cracked open with a "crack," revealing countless spiderweb-like cracks.

"what--"

The villagers beneath the altar seemed to have been struck in the soul by an invisible hammer.

One by one, they bled from all seven orifices, collapsed on the spot, their bodies convulsed violently, and fell silent instantly.

A sharp glint flashed in the professor's eyes.

"He's lost, right now!"

As he spoke, he suddenly stepped out of the shadows and decisively gave the order:

"Crow, go and install the explosives at the bottom of the altar first."

"understand!"

Li Dingjian immediately rushed to the base of the altar, pulled open the canvas bag, revealing rows of high-energy explosives inside.

The professor, carrying another heavy canvas bag, with a stern expression, stepped up the staircase strewn with bones.

The blood in the pool was still churning, and a blurry human face was vaguely visible on the surface.

With high cheekbones and deep-set eyes, Xuanzhen looked haggard.

Just as Fang Cheng was demolishing the hall with his fists and burning the secret realm with raging fire.

In a moment of quick thinking, Xuanzhen gathered a portion of his remaining soul and exposed it to the light, putting on a dramatic performance to beg for mercy.

He appeared to be killed by a single punch, but in reality, he used a substitution technique.

Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the collapse of the secret realm, the other half of the remnant soul slipped through the gaps in the terrifying spatial turbulence and disappeared into the darkness.

Finally, it broke through the void, survived by chance, and returned to the warm womb of the "Mother Gu Pool of Ten Thousand Souls".

"Hehe...hehe..."

Feeling the blood sacrifice energy that had just been poured in, Xuanzhen let out a sly laugh of relief in the blood pool.

"A mere brat... dares to play tricks on me? I've lived for 124 years, and I've seen more bridges than you've walked roads!"

He greedily absorbed the essence of the Mother Gu Pool, consolidating his remnant soul.

But he had no intention of retaliating.

He finally got scared.

He saw in that young man an incomprehensible terror and unfathomable potential.

He had only ever seen this feeling in the most powerful leaders of "Utopia".

“Monster…that kid is the real monster…”

He just wants to stay far away from that kind of person now.

Even if he wanted revenge, he would have to wait until he had fully recovered his strength before joining forces with the other members of the organization to take action.

"Hmph, as long as there's a continuous supply of blood sacrifices, I can recover my soul in less than two years. Then I can find a suitable body..."

Xuanzhen churned in the blood pool, his mind racing with calculations.

The only pity is that the "Soul Devouring Domain" was destroyed by Fang Shijie's son, and it won't be easy to rebuild it.

Just as I was trying to comfort myself, a calm voice suddenly rang out from the altar.

"Xuanzhen, it's been so long..."

Xuanzhen was startled upon hearing this and looked at the newcomer in horror.

He was a man with black-rimmed glasses and a refined appearance.

(End of this chapter)