A Night of Desperation

Chapter 340: outbreak Four

"Alliance Hierarch. We have arrived," Cheng Shu’s voice came from outside the door.

"Sorry to call you all here at this time," Yu Hong said softly.

"We are the Mutual Aid Alliance after all. You shouldn’t be so formal," Red Snake hurriedly replied.

"How many brothers and sisters have arrived?" Yu Hong asked.

"Only the nearby Magicians, a total of thirty-six people," Cheng Shu replied quickly.

"What’s the strength of the brothers and sisters who have come?" Yu Hong asked.

"Including the enhancement from Spirit Light, it’s hard to calculate since we have never fought to the limit," Cheng Shu replied promptly.

"In that case, it really is difficult to assign roles," Yu Hong pondered for a moment, then in a tone as if he just thought of something, he said, "It just so happens that Qingchen Temple might be facing some trouble, could I ask everyone to go and check it out?"

"Of course..." Cheng Shu and Red Snake outside the door dared not say a word of objection.

Especially Cheng Shu, who used to think she understood Yu Hong, but as Spirit Light was extracted and disobedient people started dying one by one. Seeing Yu Hong’s expression unchanged, as indifferent to the death of a person as if he were looking at an ant, not moved at all.

At that moment, she realized that everything she had understood about Yu Hong before was just an illusion.

"By the way, can you dial this number for me? There’s a problem with the local base station and I can’t make contact," Yu Hong continued.

"Of course," Cheng Shu quickly said.

Yu Hong reported a number and after confirming it repeatedly, he watched the two leave.

Only after the two had completely left the courtyard did he turn around and looked at the thin and sparse rays of five-colored Spirit Light in the mid-air; the Five Spirits Spring was nearing its end.

’Using only physical strength to launch a surprise attack, and maintaining mental consciousness without moving should not be a big problem.’

Whoosh.

In an instant, his figure silently disappeared inside the Quiet Room.

The various anomalies had already indicated that something unusual seemed to have occurred outside.

Moments later.

After leaving the courtyard, Cheng Shu, holding a mobile phone, drove a long distance away and only got a signal at the edge of a field in the outskirts.

Cheng Shu started to input the number on her cellphone.

"Do you really want to go to Qingchen Temple? Something feels off there, like it’s shrouded in a gloomy fog," Red Snake couldn’t help but ask beside her.

"You think we can choose not to go? You dare not go?" Cheng Shu retorted.

"..." Red Snake was instantly silenced.

"I sensed a very strong Yin Energy from there, and a Yin Qi Sky Pillar has suddenly erupted nearby. I suspect... Qingchen Temple might be facing a serious problem. Despite our increase in strength through Spirit Light, I’m afraid we are still..."

Cheng Shu fell silent; indeed, what Red Snake said was true.

Although these people’s strengths were enhanced by Spirit Light, and their own strength had greatly improved compared to before, in comparison to the previous Dao Seed Disciples of Qingchen Temple, they were similar, and even when compared to the strongest Dao Seed elite, they might still be lacking.

Their only advantage was their numbers.

Such strength against the Black Disaster that even Qingchen Temple couldn’t handle would likely not hold up.

"It’s a death either way, we might as well run away," Red Snake whispered.

Cheng Shu said nothing but dialed the entered phone number.

Dial... the phone started to ring.

She parked the car by the golden field, waiting for it to connect.

Soon, after two more rings, the phone connected.

"Who?" The voice of an old man with some age to it came through.

"The Mutual Aid Alliance Hierarch gave me this number and asked me to call you to resolve the trouble at Qingchen Temple," Cheng Shu said quickly.

"..." There was silence on the other end. "I understand."

Click.

The call ended.

Cheng Shu frowned, the other person’s attitude displeasing her, but considering that Yu Hong had to call this person alone, the person on the other end was definitely not an ordinary character.

"Hope it helps..." She sighed.

The two turned around and rushed towards Qingchen Temple in the city area.

Before long, they arrived at the entrance of the Taoist Temple, where many Magicians from the Mutual Aid Alliance had already arrived.

But to their surprise, the entire Taoist Temple was empty, with closed doors.

Someone stepped forward to knock on the door, but there was no response.

Cheng Shu checked the time.

Just past three in the afternoon.

She looked around, and the streets were sparsely populated, with very few people and vehicles. This part of the city seemed to be very off.

"Assistant, should we break down the door?" a strong Magician asked Cheng Shu.

Everyone there had seen each other not long ago, and each of them had a significant increase in Spiritual Fluctuation.

Clearly, the replenishment of Spirit Light had healed their bodies tormented by side effects and also rapidly enhanced their Daoist Skills.

Among them, two even seemed to be nearly as strong as Cheng Shu herself. She was, after all, one of the strongest Wild Mages that had come together initially.

"Knock again and send half to the back and side doors to check," Cheng Shu contemplated.

The group rapidly divided to head to the other doors.

But those doors were also shut tight.

Thud.

Eventually, a Magician raised his fist and smashed open the main door of the Taoist Temple and entered.

The others followed suit into the courtyard.

However, the courtyard remained empty, not a soul in sight.

"Something’s wrong here..." Cheng Shu frowned, looking around.

"Indeed, something’s wrong..."

Suddenly, an elderly voice sounded from behind the group.

"Here, just over twenty minutes ago, there was residual Spiritual Fluctuation of living people."

The voice seemed to move instantly, appearing once again in front of the crowd.

Hum.

All the Magicians were startled and gripped their Techniques, ready to act at any moment.

Their eyes were all focused on the black-robed old man standing by the incense burner.

The old man wore a pure white mask, with only his eyes exposed and nothing else.

"It is normal for you to be weaker and not perceive it," the voice of the old man was calm as he raised his right hand.

"Let me open it... to witness this legendary Spiritual Domain."

Boom.

Suddenly, he opened his hand quickly and clenched his fist, a circle of black ripples exploded from the core of the fist.

Wherever the ripples passed, the ground beneath, incense burner, surrounding walls, and the entire Taoist Temple, all underwent a drastic change in an instant.

*

*

*

Elsewhere in the courtyard.

Yu Hong suddenly felt a premonition.

"The Qing Huang is coming...." His expression softened.

Within the Mutual Aid Alliance, Qing Huang had completed her Spirit Light, arguably the strongest master in the entire alliance.

Originally, she was already stronger than the Sect Hierarchs of the Mud Doll Sect and other top Temple Master Level experts. Now, having restored her Spirit Light, her biggest weakness was entirely covered.

The increase in her strength was almost unimaginable.

"Hopefully, she won’t disappoint me...."

He closed his eyes gently once more, immersing himself in the final phase of transformation.

Moreover, the spiritual hypnosis Cultivation Technique strengthened by the Black Mark was also completed. The transformation sharpened his natural talent. With the enhancement period over, his strength would soon soar to new heights, leaving no shortcomings in terms of spiritual power.

*

*

*

Within Qingchen Temple, an isolated Spiritual Domain.

Screams, cries of agony, wailing, begging— amidst the cacophony, people were dodging the swarms of locusts dive-bombing from the sky.

But there were too many locusts; they fell like raindrops, tracing black lines through the air.

Even if some hit the ground, they could swiftly flutter their wings to take off again, continuing their assault on anything alive.

The dark mass of locusts created chaos throughout the Taoist Temple.

The few remaining Taoists were gathered around the Temple Master and others, forming an Array.

A strong spiritual fluctuation converged, creating a protective Technique that shielded the scarce dozen or so individuals.

Zheng Ying, Zheng Ming, and Zheng Yun were all there, supporting each other, faces pale as they watched the catastrophe unfold.

"Still can’t contact the outside??" Yu Hen shouted loudly.

"No way, it seems like something is blocking us here, we’re getting no response to our signals! Even the satellite equipment is useless!"

Two middle-aged Taoists wearing glasses quickly answered from behind.

"Is this the Spirit Disaster??" Zheng Ming dazedly watched as the massive crowd outside the Array barrier was consumed by locusts that entered their bodies and subsequently collapsed.

Qingchen Temple’s Array could not protect so many people; even they could only fend for themselves, let alone care for the rest.

The dense screams made this place seem like hell on Earth...

Bodies littered the ground—old people, adults, children—regardless of status, attire, or prestige, at this moment, perhaps it was the most egalitarian moment in human existence.

Crack.

Just then, their Array, the transparent barrier stopping the locusts, cracked open with two fissures.

Several elders of the Yu Generation paled and simultaneously spat out a mouthful of blood.

"It’s not just locusts, something else attacked us just now!!" Yu Hen was the first to realize something was amiss.

His gaze pierced through the chaotic courtyard to a figure slowly approaching in the near distance.

The person’s body was a blur of flesh and blood, hair disheveled, with only half a clean face still visible.

"It’s him! The Mud Doll Sect expert who chased after me before!!" Zheng Ying immediately recognized the figure.

"He wasn’t rushed to death?!" She stared incredulously, as if trying to discern whether she was seeing things incorrectly.

No matter how she checked, she was certain this was the guy previously killed by a monster.

"Ning Ruofei... you are Ning Ruofei!" Ni Hen identified the person’s identity, face filled with shock.

Regardless, Ning Ruofei, as the Sect Hierarch of the Mud Doll Sect, was a true Temple Master Level Magician beyond the bounds.

And now...

Without replying, Ning Ruofei just maintained a stiff smile, lifted his hand, and pointed at the transparent barrier formed by the Array.

Waah!~~~

Suddenly, a piercing baby’s cry erupted from behind the barrier.

Temple Master Level overwhelming spiritual power, like a pressing wind, instantly spread over everything. It also encompassed the position of Qingchen Temple’s Taoists.

The spiritual force forcibly compressed their consciousness, causing a momentary cessation in their thoughts.

This was short-term consciousness shock, resulting from a vast gap in spiritual power.

Though it lasted for only a second, it was enough to create a huge flaw in the Array barrier.

At the same time, a giant mud-colored baby, seemingly molded from earth, appeared outside the Array boundary and took advantage of the situation to smash its palm against the barrier.

Far surpassing the spiritual fluctuation levels of an ordinary Temple Master, the force was concentrated in this palm strike, transformed into a semi-transparent, shapeless wave of force, aimed directly at Yu Hen, Yu Mo, and the other senior Taoists inside the barrier.

Regaining their senses from the mental shock, they came to—but it was too late when they saw the massive palm closing in.

The baby’s meter-wide mud-colored hand brutally smashed into the surface of the barrier.

Boom!!!

The barrier shattered.

The small hand fell straight down.

Boom!

A large explosion erupted among the Taoists, a savage force carrying some sort of malignant contamination, the spiritual fluctuation like a bomb, all at once enveloping every Taoist inside the Array.

Zheng Ming, Zheng Ying, Yu Hen, Yu Mo, and all the others were engulfed in its reach.

One by one, their heads burst open like watermelons, red and white splattering everywhere.

And so, the strongest remaining force in the entire Taoist Temple was, in an instant, completely annihilated.

Ning Ruofei’s smile became even more distinct as he dispersed the gigantic baby, turning his sight towards the other ordinary people hiding in corners.

Turning around, he didn’t pay any attention to the living; he started walking slowly in the direction of his departure.

Pat.

Pat.

Abruptly, his step halted, and he stopped.

Looking down at his chest.

Unknowingly, a huge gaping hole had silently appeared in his left chest.

Within the hole, where his heart should have been, there was nothing at all.

"How is this... possible!?"

Ning Ruofei uttered in a hoarse whisper.

Clutching his left chest, his entire body began to weaken as he dropped to his knees.

With the heart gone, this body also lost its support and energy core.

Thump.

He fell forwards, consciousness gradually blurring.

In a haze, the world before his eyes began to rapidly change, like ashes in a fire, the scene shattered into fine black particles that whisked away like smoke, revealing the true sight beneath.

The empty courtyard of the Taoist Temple reappeared once more.

At the center of the courtyard.

"It’s been a long time." A figure of an old man wearing a white mask, his back to Ning Ruofei, stood just meters ahead.

"Ning Ruofei, you have weakened...."