What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

"He is not only refining his soul, but also practicing his martial arts."

I said in a deep voice, "I guess this is the Soul Refining Pill you mentioned. It seems that the effect of this thing is not to prolong life or bring the dead back to life, but to rapidly increase strength."

That cauldron must be an extremely powerful magical artifact. If we attack it rashly, that actor might directly detonate the power accumulated in the cauldron.

At that time, all the wronged souls here will become vengeful ghosts, and the remaining living people will be instantly killed by the evil energy.

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Lu Yan's hands were trembling, a sign of extreme anger.

I took a deep breath and quickly considered my options.

This discovery is not enough to conclude that this is the ultimate goal of the guardians of the cauldron.

This place seems to have a grand scale, but what I've seen so far is ultimately just a heretical cultivator using human lives to enhance his cultivation.

The possibility of using a diversionary tactic to lure the enemy away from their base cannot be ruled out.

However, there are still dozens of innocent lives at stake below, and it's impossible to stand by and watch them die.

Taking action is a given, but we need to figure out how to do it.

That masked actor's strength was unfathomable; the mere pressure emanating from him caused a sharp pain between my eyebrows.

Moreover, the dozens of black-robed figures around them, although they looked like puppets, all had fluctuations of cultivation power. Once they started fighting, it would be a chaotic battle.

We must first cut off its roots.

"That cauldron is the key."

I pointed to the bronze cauldron and said to Lu Yan, "Try destroying that cauldron, or severing his connection with it."

I don't believe such evil magic can be done without any cost.

If the ceremony is interrupted midway, he will inevitably suffer a backlash; he will be severely injured if not killed.

"I'm a very good shot, can I just blow that cauldron up?" Lu Yan asked.

"No, that's a magical artifact; ordinary bullets can't penetrate it. Even your rune bullets might not be able to shatter it in one shot."

I shook my head, my gaze falling on a stone pillar at the edge of the altar.

That was the closest place to the bronze cauldron, and also the best place to hide.

"Lu Yan, listen carefully."

I turned my head and looked into her eyes.

"In a moment, you will give the signal to have the special operations team launch a frontal assault to draw their attention."

Remember, the bigger the commotion, the better. Focus all firepower on those men in black robes; ignore the actor.

"And what about you?"

"I'll go around to the back."

I drew my scalpel, gripped it in my hand, and a ruthless glint flashed in my eyes.

"I need to get close and give him a powerful shot."

"Are you crazy? That distance, once they're discovered..."

"I'm confident."

I stared intently into her eyes.

"Then... shall we do as you say?"

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Lu Yan turned her head away and stopped looking at me.

The rain soaked her bangs, making her look somewhat disheveled.

"Yes, you lead your men in a frontal assault, the bigger the better, to distract that actor."

I pointed to the stone pillars next to the altar below and said calmly, "I will slide down the spillway on the side of the dam and go around to the back of the altar."

That spot is a blind spot, which makes it easier for me to move around.

At this point, I paused for a moment and added, "There's one more thing, Lu Yan, you must promise me."

"you say."

"Contact the bureau immediately. If there are any reserve teams or support forces from the provincial bureau, tell them not to move an inch and to defend Jiangcheng to the death."

Lu Yan was taken aback: "Why? Since this is the main force..."

"Precisely because this place looks too much like the main force."

I interrupted her, the scene from the underground palace flashing through my mind.

"The guards of the tripod are a bunch of lunatics, and their actions are unpredictable."

Even with a master guardian overseeing the cauldron here, and the scene seemingly grand, I cannot completely rule out the possibility that this is a much larger scheme.

What if they're using these hundred-plus lives as bait to drain the Folklore Bureau's resources so they can carry out a bigger operation in the city?

"Better safe than sorry. This time, we can't let ourselves be led by the nose again."

Lu Yan was silent for two seconds, then nodded heavily.

"Understood. I will order the branch office to guard the key points in Jiangcheng and not allow them to leave their posts for even a moment."

"Okay, let's get started."

After saying that, without any hesitation, I shrank back and instantly disappeared into the darkness at the top of the dam.

The flood discharge channel was incredibly slippery on a rainy night.

I didn't use any lighting equipment; I relied entirely on the enhanced senses brought by the cool sensation between my eyebrows to move quickly up the steep slope.

With my body pressed against the cold cement surface, I circulated the evil energy within me to its maximum.

At this moment, I don't feel like a living person.

With the malevolent energy surging through my body, my body temperature dropped rapidly, and my heartbeat became extremely slow.

I even deliberately suppressed my breathing to only two or three times per minute.

Above, the battle has already begun.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three red signal flares tore through the dark night sky, illuminating the entire bottom of the reservoir as bright as day.

Immediately following was a burst of gunfire.

Lu Yan fought this battle extremely fiercely.

The special forces team held the high ground advantage, and countless bullets rained down on the black-robed figures surrounding the altar.

Although those black-robed figures possessed cultivation, they were still flesh and blood after all.

Even if they had Vajra talismans on their bodies or had taken some random pills, they were still incredibly vulnerable in the face of modern automatic rifles.

In an instant, blood and flesh flew everywhere around the altar.

Several black-robed men who were about to push people into the cauldron were riddled with holes and fell into the muddy water.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"Guardians! There are cops!"

Chaotic shouts rose and fell.

I lay prone behind a boulder behind the altar, coldly observing everything through the gaps in the weeds.

The masked actor finally moved.

He remained calm despite the hail of bullets.

Instead, he let out a cold laugh, then suddenly opened the folding fan in his hand and waved it forcefully into the air.

"Eee-ya!"

This operatic singing was sharper than any before, as if it could pierce one's eardrums.

As he moved, a black and red aura suddenly shot out from the bronze cauldron.

This malevolent energy twisted and swirled rapidly in the air, eventually transforming into a gigantic ghost face that blocked the altar.

"Clang clang clang!"

The dense barrage of bullets struck that menacing face, producing a crisp metallic clang before being deflected or directly corroded into molten iron.

"It really is a deadly weapon."

I thought to myself.

"You foolish officials, since you're here, you'll all become nourishment for my precious cauldron!"

The masked actor laughed wildly.

While waving his command flag to direct the remaining men in black robes to fight back, he placed one hand on the cauldron and muttered incantations.

The black-robed corpses that had been killed were suddenly pulled back to their feet by some strange force!

Instead of bleeding from their wounds, black worms crawled out, supporting their broken limbs as they charged toward the special operations team on the dam.