Primordial Era: Starting with slaughtering all the gods and Buddhas in the sky

The fog gradually thinned.

After climbing for nearly two more hours, the stone path finally stopped going straight up and instead began to slope into a rocky slope.

The slope was covered with low trees and thorns, and the dew was heavy; stepping on it quickly soaked through your trousers. But the moment you stepped onto solid ground, some people in the group collapsed, burying their faces in the mud, their shoulders trembling.

No one laughed at him.

Even Huang Chen slowly let out a breath.

The breath, carrying a cold mist and the smell of blood, had been held in his chest for too long, and when he exhaled it, his lungs ached.

He looked up and gazed ahead.

We've only just emerged from the first level of the Poisonous Mist Canyon. The real trouble lies in the rest of the journey.

The mountains are high and the forests are dense, with poisonous miasma roaming freely. Of the thirty-odd people, most were injured. Bringing them back to Xin Huo intact would be no easier than fighting a battle.

"Let's rest for a while."

"Don't sit anywhere, lean against a tree, and don't make a sound," Huang Chen said in a low voice.

Everyone immediately did as instructed.

The rescued woman, clutching her water bag, her hands still trembling, took two sips and handed it to the child beside her. The old man in the prison cell leaned against a stone, his eyes closed, like a piece of wood about to burn out.

Some people sobbed softly, some were stunned, and some just stared blankly at the sky.

It got brighter.

Mist drifted through the forest, the sunlight had not yet penetrated, and the surroundings were filled with a damp, cold, and green air. Occasionally, the flapping of wings of a demonic bird could be heard in the distance, and the old bones of some unknown beast hung from the withered branches overhead, gently clattering in the wind.

Huang Chen squatted down, took out the Bigu Pill from his pocket, broke it open, and distributed it to the weakest people.

"Hold it in your mouth, don't swallow it too quickly."

'

When someone received the pill, their fingers went numb, they were stunned for a moment, and then their eyes reddened.

Huang Chen ignored all of that.

He used a concealment technique to suppress his aura to a minimum, then activated his Blood Fiend Sensing to slowly scan his surroundings. There were a few fluctuations of blood energy in the forest, but they weren't strong; they were probably just scattered demonic beasts.

What we really need to guard against are the patrolling demons and the tracking methods left behind by the Xuantian Sect.

After resting, the team continued their journey.

Along the way, Huang Chen chose only unconventional routes.

They don't walk through deep valleys or cross streams; instead, they venture into the crevices between vines and rocks.

At midday, the scorching sun rose higher, and the miasma churned, turning the forest into a boiling pot, with wisps of white and green mist billowing out. Huang Chen took out the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl, suppressing his spiritual power to release only a tiny wisp of breeze, clearing away several feet of poisonous mist in front of the group.

When people saw it, they stared blankly at the beads in his hand, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Huang Chen put the beads back into his sleeve without explaining.

As evening approached, someone finally couldn't hold on any longer. A young man's knees buckled, and he rolled into the bushes along with the wounded man on his back, causing the branches and leaves to rustle.

Huang Chen stood there for a few moments, and only after confirming that there was no further commotion did he turn around and say, "Get up. Let's keep going."

'

The young man opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say thank you.

Huang Chen had already turned around first.

The next two days were spent enduring this kind of ordeal.

They hid during the day and traveled at dawn and dusk; when hungry, they shared alms and dry rations, and when thirsty, they collected water seeping from the crevices of the mountain rocks; whoever could not walk anymore was helped by others in turns.

The group grew increasingly silent as they walked, with only the sounds of panting, footsteps, and branches scraping against their clothes remaining.

On the second night, as the mountain slopes gradually flattened, Huang Chen finally saw the familiar outline of the mountain ridge.

At that moment, he didn't stop walking, but his chest felt as if it had been hit hard by something.

The Firewood Shelter is just behind us.

As they rounded the last patch of dense forest, and the dark red and gold array in the distant valley faintly appeared, the group fell silent for a moment, and then the emotions that had been suppressed for two days suddenly burst forth.

"arrive……"

"We've really arrived..."

Some people bent their knees and knelt directly on the ground.

The rescued woman, clutching her child, sobbed uncontrollably. The old man in the prison stood on the slope, gazing at the mist and array patterns at the valley entrance, tears streaming down his face, his hands trembling so much he couldn't even hold his sleeves steady.

Huang Chen didn't let them stop for long.

"Go into the valley and cry."

The guards at the valley entrance quickly noticed the commotion.

Two figures peeked out from behind the rocks, initially wary, but upon recognizing who it was, they immediately shouted, "It's the lord! The lord is back!"

The sound traveled along the valley, and the entire shelter seemed to be jolted awake by those words.

In a short while, a large group of people rushed out from inside.

Ashi rushed to the front and saw the thirty-odd people behind Huang Chen. He glanced at the wounded and the women and children, his throat bobbed, and he suddenly turned around and roared at the back, "Don't just stand there! Carry the stretchers! Boil water! Hurry!"

Some people helped others, some handed out water, and some carried children. Women even brought out freshly cooked porridge and busily divided it into bowls.

The air was filled with the smells of herbs, rice, and sweat, along with cries, shouts, and voices—a cacophony that warmed one's heart.

Huang Chen stood at the mouth of the valley, his feet still covered in mud from the surrounding mountains and forests.

Lao Tie also rushed over from the work shed at this time, still carrying sparks and smelling of metal.

He glanced at Huang Chen first, then at the group of new survivors behind him. He opened his mouth slightly, then quickly stepped forward to help a wounded man with a broken leg.

"You need to take a look at what I brought back first," Huang Chen said.

When Lao Tie looked up, Huang Chen flipped his hand and took out the Soul-Binding Banner.

The moment the banner pole appeared, the surrounding air seemed to chill. The black banner was tattered and filthy, with wisps of gray-black energy swirling around its surface, and faint, mournful wails could be heard, like countless fingernails scratching at a coffin lid.

The expressions of the people who were nearby changed instantly.

A newly arrived survivor, who had just been helped up, saw the thing and stumbled back several steps, letting out a barely suppressed scream: "That's it! That's it! They're pulling people's souls...pulling their souls into it!"

The room fell silent.

Even the clansmen who were busy carrying people and delivering medicine stopped what they were doing and looked over here.

Huang Chen planted the Soul-Binding Banner into the ground.

The flagpole was half a foot deep in the ground, and the surrounding rubble bounced.

"This is what I brought back from the Xuantian Sect's flying boat."

"They weren't just passing by."

"It's not just about arresting people in one or two places."

"They systematically hunt down human races, extracting souls to forge weapons, using living people as materials, and not even sparing the dead."

After these words were spoken, the surroundings became so quiet that one could hear the soft crackling of wood popping in the hearth.

The weariness on Lao Tie's face vanished instantly, replaced by a heavy, ashen look.

Ashi stood at the edge of the crowd, his fists clenched so tightly they turned white, and he muttered a curse under his breath.

In the crowd, some gritted their teeth, some trembled, and others stared intently at the banner.

It was as if I had suddenly remembered something I could never forget.

The old man in the prison cell was helped to the front by two people. He stared at the Soul-Binding Banner, his chest heaving violently. After a long while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice: "My grandson... was taken away by them just like that. They didn't even leave behind his remains."

As the wind blew through the valley, the banner fluttered gently, and a faint weeping sound emanated from it.

Huang Chen raised his hand and pressed down, signaling everyone to calm down.

"Save lives first, then discuss matters."

"Ashi, arrange for the newcomers to enter the inner valley. Send the seriously injured to the pharmacy, and distribute hot food and clean clothes to those who can walk."

"Hey buddy, call the managers over. We'll have a meeting in half an hour."

"Yes, sir," Ashi replied immediately.

"Okay." Lao Tie nodded through gritted teeth.

Half an hour later, the stone house in the valley where people were discussing matters was already full.

The brazier was burning brightly, but the room was not very warm.

Among the new survivors, a few who were in decent condition were called in. One of them was a tall, thin young man in his early twenties with broad shoulders and long arms. He had a fresh scar on his left eyebrow, stood ramrod straight, and had bright eyes like a taut gun barrel.

Huang Chen glanced at him and asked, "What's your name?"

The young man's Adam's apple bobbed: "My name is Miaozi, sir."

"Have you trained before?"

"I've hunted in the village," Miao Zi said, a little hurriedly.

Huang Chen nodded, indicating that he should stand aside first.

The people inside gradually settled down.

Ah Shi remained standing to Huang Chen's side and behind, obediently not cutting in front. Lao Tie, on the other hand, sat by the brazier with his arms crossed, his eyebrows furrowed.

Huang Chen briefly recounted the information he had gathered from the flying boat, the valley floor, and the journey.

Flying boats, soul-binding banners, soul-refining techniques, Xuan Tian Sect pursuers, and an increasingly dense search net.

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly heavy. After he finished speaking, Lao Tie spoke first: "No matter how well this place is hidden, it will be exposed sooner or later."

"It's not a matter of sooner or later," Huang Chen said, "we've been searching all along."

"Then we can't just stay here guarding this broken wooden wall." Old Tie raised his hand and wiped his face. "I've seen the flying boat fragments that the master brought back, and I've also studied the knowledge the master taught me. If we're willing to spend the materials, we can modify a few of the heavy crossbows that the master mentioned."

"What's missing?" Huang Chen asked.

"We're short of people, we're short of time, and we're short of manpower," Lao Tie grinned.

Huang Chen nodded: "Then this matter is yours. Priority will be given to the work shed and the crossbow."

The old man silently agreed.

Huang Chen turned his gaze to the other people in the room: "The second thing is to expand the guard team."

The shelter is now swarming with people, and the original number of guards is far from sufficient. Patrolling the valley, keeping watch at night, carrying supplies, and training—everything requires manpower.

"We'll select the strongest and healthiest from the newly rescued survivors," Huang Chen said. "First, we'll look at their physical condition, then their courage, and finally, how steady their hands are. We won't pick the reckless, nor those who talk a big game but have weak hands." He paused, then looked at Miao Zi: "You'll be on the list first."

Miao Zi's breath hitched, and her fists clenched immediately: "Yes!"

Huang Chen then looked at everyone: "The guard team will be expanded to two squads. One squad will guard the inner valley, and the other will patrol the outer perimeter."

Experienced guards train new guards, teaching them rules before they even handle weapons. Anyone who misbehaves is out.

Listening from the side, Ashi couldn't help but speak up: "Sir, I can lead a class too."

Huang Chen glanced at him: "You should first sort out the internal affairs of the shelter. There are more than 30 new people here. Take care of their food, lodging, medicine, and division of labor."

Ashi paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "I understand, sir."

A section of firewood in the brazier collapsed, crackling and sputtering a few sparks.

The expressions on the faces of the people in the room were all different.

Some were nervous, some were sullen, and some slowly developed a hint of anger in their eyes. It wasn't panic; it was the result of being cornered and finally finding something to do.

Huang Chen looked at them and tapped the table.

"Don't think that being a guard means just standing on guard with a knife."

"What you are guarding is the entrance to the valley, the granary, the pharmacy, and those people behind it who are still unable to sleep peacefully."

Miao swallowed hard, her chest heaving.

The old man suddenly interjected, "What about the weapons?"

After pondering for a moment, Huang Chen took out several ordinary weapons and broken standard weapons he had captured from his storage and placed them on the table.

The metal object struck the wooden table, producing a series of muffled thuds.

"Pick the usable ones first," Huang Chen said. "If there aren't enough, make a batch of short spears and crossbows."

Someone was knocking on the door.

Ah Shi opened the door a crack, and a young woman stood outside, carrying a pot of freshly boiled medicinal soup, steam rising from her face. She whispered, "The medicine for the wounded has been distributed, and the seriously wounded have been settled."

Ashi turned to look at Huang Chen.

Huang Chen nodded: "Understood, send it over."

The door closed again, and the room became quiet once more.

Old Tie looked down and scribbled a couple of lines on the table, already starting to figure out how to dismantle the spaceship fragments.

Miao Zi and several other newly selected young men stood aside, their eyes occasionally glancing at the weapons on the table, their faces a mixture of tension and excitement.

Huang Chen put the Soul-Binding Banner away again. As soon as the black aura disappeared, the oppressive chill in the room also dissipated somewhat. He stood up, walked to the door, pushed it open, and glanced outside.

Night had already fallen over the valley.

One fire pit after another lit up, and the newcomers huddled under the shed with their hot bowls in their arms, while the smell of medicine wafted from the side of the elderly, weak, and wounded. Ah Shi was standing in the courtyard, shouting as he assigned living quarters.

The fire in Lao Tie's workshop was reignited, and the sound of the hammer striking the ground echoed far and wide.

Huang Chen turned around and said to the people in the room, "Miaozi, stay here. The rest of you, go about your business."

Everyone stood up.

Miao Zi stood still, her back even straighter, as if afraid that if she relaxed, she would be kicked out.

Huang Chen walked back to the table, glanced at him, and said, "Hold out your hand."

Miao Zi was taken aback and quickly spread her hands out.

His palms were covered in calluses, his thumb and forefinger were cracked, and his knuckles were rough and hard—signs clearly left by someone who had been wielding a bow and knife for many years.

Huang Chen nodded and pushed a short spear on the table toward him.

"Take it."

Miao Zi took it with both hands, her throat tightening: "Sir, I—"

"Go outside and practice horse stance for half an hour first," Huang Chen said. "Don't put down your spear."

Miao Zi was stunned: "Now? What's a horse stance?"

After Huang Chen demonstrated it, Miao Zi blushed, grabbed the short spear, and ran outside.

When Ashi saw him outside, he immediately asked, "Where are you going?"

Miao Zi, holding his spear, stood ramrod straight: "My lord told me to practice the horse stance."

Ashi paused for a moment, then nodded: "Then be careful and don't embarrass the adults."

Miao Zi responded forcefully and turned to walk towards the corner of the courtyard.