Chapter 482 - 489: The Strange Mahayana Cultivator

Song Wanning’s heart sank.

’These human faces are so bizarre,’ she thought. ’But this doesn’t feel like the work of an Evil Cultivator...’

She decided to get to the bottom of this, so she found a hidden cave nearby and settled in.

After studying ancient texts, Baili Shang had crafted numerous Array Plates for Song Wanning, of all different types.

After setting up an Array Plate that provided both concealment and defense, she settled into the cave with peace of mind.

Her days passed in quiet routine, spent either cultivating, performing Alchemy, or drawing talismans.

At night, she would secretly observe the human faces, watching them transform little by little.

...

One night, six months later, Song Wanning suddenly sensed something was amiss.

Someone was outside.

She carefully concealed her aura. Still feeling uneasy, she applied several Concealing Breath Talismans before moving to the mouth of the cave to peer into the distance.

A figure stood beside the human-faced flowers, their head of salt-and-pepper hair particularly conspicuous.

He wore a cyan robe, and his figure was so thin and frail it seemed a gust of wind could blow him away.

But Song Wanning’s pupils constricted, and a flash of shock appeared in her eyes.

The person before her was a Mahayana Realm cultivator!

’One of the figures who stood at the apex of the Spirit Realm!’

’Who in the world is he?’

’And why would he be cultivating these human faces?’

’The faces don’t look anything like him.’

Song Wanning grew uneasy. The man’s Cultivation was simply too high. If they were to fight, a single slap from him could send her to her grave.

Sweat slowly beaded on her palms, and in the next instant, she took out the Immortal Furnace.

Having a treasure like the Immortal Furnace with her made her feel much more secure.

Fortunately, the Mahayana cultivator didn’t seem to have discovered her. He stood guard over the human-faced flowers, motionless as an ice sculpture.

As long as he didn’t move, Song Wanning didn’t dare to move either. She stood there, ramrod straight, for the entire night.

As morning light fell upon the land, the Mahayana cultivator finally moved. He gave his surroundings a cold, indifferent glance, and then vanished in a flash of light.

Still, Song Wanning didn’t dare to move, let alone leave.

She couldn’t afford to take the risk.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the Mahayana cultivator returned, this time holding a Compass.

The Compass was a mottled, rusty red, yet it emanated an ancient and dangerous aura.

Song Wanning couldn’t see what was on the Compass, nor did she dare release her Divine Sense to get a look.

But the Compass had piqued her intense interest.

’What on earth is he trying to do?’

The curiosity in Song Wanning’s heart grew, and she felt a faint thrill of excitement.

But the Mahayana cultivator made no move. He simply sat down cross-legged and began to wipe the Compass, his expression one of profound adoration.

His movements were meticulous, and his eyes were filled with adoration and joy.

She waited, and another entire day passed.

The moon rose as night fell, a perfect silver disc hanging high in the sky. Its light cascaded down like a silver veil, making everything seem dreamlike and illusory.

Perhaps because it was a full moon, the human-faced flowers looked especially vibrant.

Countless faces emerged, their expressions blissful as they began to absorb the moon’s radiance.

The Mahayana cultivator finally rose to his feet. His aura shifted in an instant, and his gaze became incredibly sharp.

With a flick of his finger, the Compass in his hand began to spin at high speed.

Song Wanning had only glanced at it twice before her eyes began to ache and sting. She even felt her Divine Soul start to waver.

She quickly averted her gaze, using her peripheral vision to carefully observe the Compass.

Soon, the Compass stopped, seemingly pointing in one direction—straight toward where Song Wanning was hidden.

Song Wanning’s heart skipped a beat. She gripped the Immortal Furnace tightly, readying herself.

The Mahayana cultivator drew closer and closer, his aura growing more intense.

Just as she steeled herself for a desperate struggle, the Mahayana cultivator stopped a few hundred meters from her cave.

He crouched down and plucked the flower in front of him.

The faces on the flower immediately grew agitated. Seeing this, the Mahayana cultivator quickly channeled his Spiritual Power to soothe it, and the human-faced flower slowly quieted down.

He repeated the process, using the Compass to guide him as he picked several more of the human-faced flowers.

’He didn’t find me!’

A cold sweat broke out on Song Wanning’s back, but she let out a small sigh of relief.

It was her first time facing such a powerhouse; she was so tense she hardly dared to breathe. The experience only intensified her longing for more strength.

’The higher you climb, the more you realize how small you are.’

’I have to keep pushing forward.’

An hour later, the Mahayana cultivator arranged the flowers on the ground in a specific pattern.

He stood in the center of the flowers, forced out a mouthful of his Heart Blood, and began to draw something on the ground with it.

Song Wanning couldn’t see clearly, but in the next moment, a bizarre, cold wind began to blow, carrying gusts of Yin Qi.

Her expression changed as she stared at the Mahayana cultivator in astonishment.

She could feel an incredibly dense concentration of Yin Qi!

Ever since the passage between the Netherworld and the mortal world had been severed, it was nearly impossible to find a place with abundant Yin Qi in the Cultivation World.

Even a place like a Chaotic Burial Mound would only have a negligible amount of Yin Qi, not enough to be of any consequence.

But this dense Yin Qi seemed to be emanating from the circle he had drawn!

A glint appeared in her eyes as a suspicion began to form.

"Guide—"

The Mahayana cultivator let out a low cry, then forced out another mouthful of Heart Blood, launching it into the air.

With the drop of blood as the epicenter, red threads of light appeared in mid-air, connecting all of the human faces.

By now, even Song Wanning could see what he was doing.

The human-faced flowers he had left untouched now formed a Soul Hooking Array!

Song Wanning’s expression grew solemn. ’I’ve stumbled onto something big.’

Sure enough, with the flowers in the middle as the epicenter, a portal shimmering with black light appeared.

An endless tide of Yin Qi poured out of it, carrying waves of chilling cold.

But after only a single breath, it was all sucked back into the circle.

"HAHAHA—"

The Mahayana cultivator burst out laughing, a laugh that quickly turned to tears.

"Finally—I’ve finally succeeded!"

He was weeping with joy, overcome with emotion.

Then, he plunged headfirst into the portal.

The Mahayana cultivator was gone.

Song Wanning’s eyes were wide as she stared at the portal, not missing the slightest change.

But the Mahayana cultivator did not reappear.

"Sister, he must have gone to the Netherworld!" the Golden Small Sword exclaimed, its voice filled with excitement. "This is a golden opportunity!"

"That’s right! I can feel incredibly strong Yin Qi! That has to be the entrance to the Netherworld!"

The Dragon Spirit was also thrilled. It had never seen the Netherworld before and was intensely curious.

Song Wanning remained calm and smiled at her little companions.

"Not so fast," she said. "Let’s wait and see. If we run into that powerhouse, we’ll be in big trouble."

She kept her eyes fixed on the portal, her thoughts turning to a particular treasure in her Storage Ring.

The Guiding Stone.

A treasure that could lead to the Netherworld!