socalfunplaces Chapter 816 Nothing Found
Chapter 816 Nothing Found
Wang Ran stared at the barrier before him, which glowed with a faint blue light, his eyes narrowing slightly—the strength of this restriction far exceeded his expectations. When the spiritual energy swirling around his fingertips touched the barrier, it was repelled by a gentle yet resilient force. The ancient aura contained deep within the barrier was as heavy as a mountain submerged underwater, emanating in wisps and strands, carrying the vastness of a primordial era. No wonder that old fox dared to be so fearless; with the men he brought, it would indeed be difficult to forcefully break through. A direct assault would only be like a wave crashing against a reef, resulting in heavy casualties.
"There's no need to close this barrier, is there?" Wang Ran withdrew his hand and spoke calmly, his tone carrying a subtle hint of probing. He wanted to see if this old fox dared to let him move freely within his territory.
The old fox narrowed his eyes, his white beard twitching slightly. He nodded indifferently, saying nothing more. Inwardly, however, a cold laugh was already forming – what difference did it make whether it was closed or not? This "bewitching array" deep within the territory was a foundation passed down from their ancestors. Let alone a human cultivator, even the mighty dragons of the past had stumbled here. What was there to fear about dealing with you? If a fight broke out inside, you wouldn't be able to escape even if you sprouted wings.
Without further hesitation, Wang Ran took a deep breath and stepped behind the barrier. The moment his foot touched the ground, a strange aura assaulted his senses, a mixture of the fresh scent of mountain grass and trees, the damp smell of earth, and a faint, almost imperceptible, demonic energy—like honey-soaked poison, sweet yet concealing a sharp edge. The old fox followed closely behind, his withered fingers stroking his whiskers, his gaze fixed on Wang Ran's back like that of an old hunter eyeing its prey, every muscle tense with anticipation—a silent contest had begun the moment he stepped into the territory.
He had only taken a few steps when a rustling sound suddenly came from the dense forest on both sides. Wang Ran glanced around and saw dozens of pairs of eerie green, golden, and crimson eyes peeking out from behind the trees and crevices in the rocks. There were agile lynx demons perched on branches, their tails swaying gently; there were burly bear demons hidden behind trees, only their furry shoulders showing; and there were several large blue-scaled snakes coiled on the rocks, flicking their forked tongues, all their eyes fixed on him with scrutiny and hostility.
Seeing this, the old fox cleared his throat and put on a smile: "Alright, alright, everyone disperse. This gentleman is here as a guest, just to see the scenery of our territory. It's alright, everyone go about your business."
Although the demons didn't move forward any further, they didn't actually disperse either. They maintained their original postures, staring intently at Wang Ran, their vigilance undiminished. An invisible tension seemed to be pulling at the air, and even the wind slowed its pace.
Wang Ran maintained a calm smile, but his fingers secretly clenched tightly within his wide sleeves. He claimed to be unfazed, but his heart tightened—he truly hadn't expected so many demons to be hidden deep within this territory; judging by their auras, each possessed considerable cultivation. According to their prior estimates, after the last great battle, the demon army's main force should have suffered heavy losses. Now it seemed they had underestimated their opponent's strength. This matter would likely require a complete reassessment.
He followed the old fox silently, his feet crunching softly on the thick layer of fallen leaves. The old fox suddenly stopped, turned to look at him, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his cloudy eyes: "I wonder if you, sir, have seen any trace of the dragons along your journey? I heard a few days ago that dragons have been lurking around the area, causing quite a commotion in the mountains. I was just about to ask you to keep an eye out for them."
Wang Ran's heart skipped a beat, as if he had been struck hard by something—this old fox's seemingly casual words were actually probing his relationship with the dragon clan, the cunning in his eyes impossible to conceal. He steadied himself, his fingers secretly clenching under his sleeve, forcing a calm smile, deliberately avoiding the other's probing gaze, and looked towards the distant, mist-shrouded peaks, where the fog was like an impenetrable veil, obscuring the mountains indistinctly: "The dragon clan matter is not urgent for now. Speaking of which, the scenery in this territory is quite nice, with green mountains and clear waters. I'd like to take a stroll and enjoy the view. I wonder if you would allow me, sir?" He deliberately changed the subject, but in his heart, he was calculating—he could take this opportunity to probe the true nature of this demon clan's territory, to see if there were any clues left by the dragon clan.
The old fox knew perfectly well what was going on, yet remained completely unperturbed. It flicked its bushy tail, a barely perceptible sneer flashing in its eyes—even if you searched the entire valley, what could you possibly find? After all, this territory's layout had been meticulously prepared, and the outer barrier was erected by powerful members of the clan. Not to mention humans, even dragons would find it difficult to sneak in unnoticed. As long as the barrier remained intact, no matter how skilled you were, you wouldn't be able to uncover the core secret.
It nodded in a show of concern: "It is good that you have such an interest, sir. The scenery in this valley is indeed quite interesting. I will personally lead you around and tell you some interesting stories about our demon race."
After saying that, the old fox led Wang Ran deeper into the valley. While pretending to admire the scenery along the way—watching the stream gurgle over the smooth blue stones and listening to the clear chirping of birds in the forest—Wang Ran was actually scanning his surroundings out of the corner of his eye, his ears perked up, trying to catch any trace of the dragon's aura, even the slightest fluctuation.
Besides this, he also carried a secret weapon—a demon-detecting instrument given to him by his superiors. It could sense the spiritual energy fluctuations of high-ranking demons, and would emit a faint red light upon encountering a powerful demon with profound cultivation. Another reason he came was to ascertain just how many powerful figures were lurking in this demon territory. If there were any truly formidable beings who could threaten the human race, he needed to report it immediately so that his superiors could make early plans and formulate targeted countermeasures.
The two walked for about half an hour, one after the other, from the flower-filled streamside to the rocky mountain valley, and then from the bamboo-shaded path to the open grassland. Wang Ran kept his eyes and ears open, and the demon-detecting instrument remained silent throughout. Not only did they not encounter any trace of dragons, but they also did not encounter any demons with slightly stronger cultivation. Most of the demons they encountered were small demons who had not yet fully transformed, and they would timidly hide in the bushes when they saw them, not daring to even breathe loudly.
This situation made Wang Ran secretly breathe a sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease—it seemed that the demon territory was indeed not a threat, and his previous worries were probably unnecessary.
What he didn't know was that the old fox had already made thorough preparations. Having lived for over a thousand years, how could he not guess the thoughts of the human race? As the saying goes, "One should always be wary of others," and the true powerful demons were all currently residing in a secret space established within their clan, protected by three layers of illusionary barriers. Not even an immortal, let alone a mortal like Wang Ran, could set foot there without prior notice. What he saw was merely the "appearance" the old fox wanted him to see.