ATPnovel Chapter 149 Patrol Outpost
Chapter 149 Patrol Outpost
His figure gradually blurred and disappeared into the air.
Then, he stepped into the air and transformed into a rainbow, soaring towards the northern mist.
The further north you go, the thicker the fog becomes.
Visibility was less than ten steps; you couldn't even see the road beneath your feet.
Zhou Ning poured his true essence into his eyes, activating his spiritual eyes, and barely managed to see the road ahead.
His divine sense had already spread out, covering an area of tens of thousands of feet in radius, vigilantly sensing everything around him.
After walking for about an hour, an open space appeared ahead.
On the open ground, there was a thin black crack, about ten feet long and half a foot wide.
Black mist seeped out from the edge of the crack, and tiny black shadows slowly crawled around it, emitting low growls.
"Another crack, a smaller one."
Zhou Ning gripped the Qingfeng sword tightly, emerged from stealth, and unleashed a slash.
A purplish-gold sword aura shot out from the sword tip, heading straight for the group of dark figures.
Wherever the sword energy passed, the dark figures screamed in agony and vanished into black smoke.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, dozens of dark figures were wiped out.
Zhou Ning walked to the crack, stretched out his hands, and poured his true essence into the edge of the crack.
A purplish-gold light enveloped the crack, which began to slowly shrink before disappearing into the air.
Zhou Ning sheathed his sword, panting heavily, and looked around.
On the open ground, besides the black fragments, there were also some scattered bones and clothing.
He crouched down, picked up a piece of cloth, and examined it carefully.
The fabric is embroidered with the character "镇" (zhen), which is the uniform of the Demon Suppression Division.
"The guards of the Demon Suppression Division..."
Zhou Ning's heart sank.
It seems that the guards who came here to scout earlier have perished.
He carefully packed up the fabric and turned to leave.
By the time they returned to the outpost, it was already dark.
Han Wei and Li Yuan were waiting anxiously, and they both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Zhou Ning return.
"Young Master Zhou, what have you discovered?" Han Wei asked.
Zhou Ning handed the piece of cloth to Han Wei.
"Another rift has appeared to the north, and I've sealed it. But the guards who came here to scout ahead may have perished. I found this near the rift."
Han Wei took the fabric and remained silent for a long time.
His eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion.
"That's Xiao Zhang's uniform. He's only twenty years old and just joined the Demon Suppression Division last year."
Zhou Ning patted his shoulder and said softly, "Lord Han, please accept my condolences. Rest assured, his sacrifice will not be in vain."
Han Wei nodded and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
Zhou Ning stayed at the outpost for one night and left the next morning, heading to Luoxia Town.
The outpost west of Luoxia Town was built on a small hill to the west of the town.
The outpost was staffed with fifteen disciples of Qingfeng Temple and ten guards of the Demon Suppression Division, led by Xuanzhenzi's junior brother, Xuanchengzi.
"Young Master Zhou, you've arrived."
Xuan Chengzi came forward, his face solemn.
"The fog in the west has been getting thicker and thicker lately. We've sent out several groups of people to scout ahead, but none of them have returned."
Zhou Ning asked, "Have cracks appeared?"
Xuan Chengzi shook his head: "No. But there are more and more dark figures in the fog, and we have to fight off several waves every day."
Zhou Ning walked to the lookout tower on the west side of the outpost and looked westward.
In the distance, on the desolate plains, black mist churned endlessly, and within the mist, countless dark figures writhed, emitting low growls.
They have no fixed shape; some look like people, some like beasts, and some like a wisp of smoke, slowly moving toward the outpost.
"They are gathering."
Zhou Ning frowned.
"Master Xuanchengzi, you and your disciples guard the outpost, I'll go and clear them out."
Xuan Chengzi quickly said, "Young Master Zhou, it's too dangerous for you to go alone. I'll go with you."
Zhou Ning shook his head: "No need. Too many people would only make us more exposed. It's easier for me to move around alone."
He jumped down from the watchtower, drew his Qingfeng sword, and sped towards the western wasteland.
The purple-gold sword light was particularly striking in the darkness, and Zhou Ning's figure shot into the group of shadows like a shooting star.
"cut!"
A massive purple-gold sword aura shot out from the sword tip, like a giant purple-gold dragon, heading straight for the group of black shadows.
Wherever the sword energy passed, the dark figures screamed in agony and vanished into black smoke.
Zhou Ning unleashed sword strike after sword strike, the purple-gold sword energy weaving into a net in the air, slaying the approaching shadows one by one.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and the nascent soul power within his body was being rapidly depleted, but he dared not stop.
He knew that these shadowy figures were just the prelude; the real threat was yet to come.
Sure enough, as he eliminated the last group of shadowy figures, a low roar came from afar.
A huge black hand emerged from the mist and slammed towards him.
The hand was about two zhang in size, with long, slender fingers and nails as black as ink, exuding a strong aura of death.
The air seemed to freeze wherever his palm touched.
Zhou Ning was prepared, concentrating all his Nascent Soul power at the tip of his sword and unleashing the ultimate move of the "Demon Slaying Technique".
A dazzling purple-gold light shone on the Qingfeng Sword.
The light grew stronger and brighter, like a small sun, dispelling all the surrounding darkness.
"cut!"
A massive purple-gold sword aura shot out from the sword tip and collided with the black palm.
"boom--!"
The two forces collided, unleashing a deafening roar.
The land on the wasteland was ripped up, stones flew everywhere, and dust filled the air.
Under the impact of the purple-gold sword energy, the black palm finally could not withstand it and was shattered, turning into countless black fragments that dissipated into the air.
Zhou Ning sheathed his sword, panting heavily, and slumped to the ground.
Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Nearly half of his Nascent Soul power had been consumed, but a sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.
"It's a success."
He stood up and returned to the outpost.
Xuan Chengzi and his disciples came forward to greet them, their eyes filled with admiration.
"Young Master Zhou, what impressive skills!"
Zhou Ning shook his head: "Daoist Xuanchengzi, you flatter me. The dark figure in the mist has been temporarily cleared, but the crack has not yet appeared. You must continue to strengthen vigilance, and notify me immediately if you discover anything unusual."
Xuan Chengzi nodded: "This humble Taoist understands."
Zhou Ning stayed overnight in Luoxia Town and left the next morning for Cangmang Mountain.
The outpost in Cangmang Mountain was built on an open space at the foot of the mountain.
The outpost was staffed by ten disciples from Qingcheng Mountain and ten guards from the Demon Suppression Division, led by Yu Zhenzi, an elder from Qingcheng Mountain.
"Young Master Zhou, you've arrived."
Yu Zhenzi came forward, his expression calm.
"The Cangmang Mountain has been very calm recently, and the cracks have not reappeared. However, the fog on the mountain has been very thick. We have sent several groups of people to check, but they have not found anything."
Zhou Ning asked, "Senior Yu Zhenzi, do you think the Cangmang Mountain area might be the next target of the extraterrestrial demons?"
Yu Zhenzi thought for a moment and said:
"It's possible. Cangmang Mountain is the highest peak in the North. If the extraterrestrial demons open a rift there, the entire North will be exposed to their sight. Therefore, we must defend this place."
Zhou Ning nodded:
"Senior Yuzhenzi is right. I plan to set up an observation post on the mountain to monitor the movements in the north day and night."
Yu Zhenzi said, "Alright. I'll send a few disciples with you."
Zhou Ning shook her head: "No need. It's more convenient for me to go alone."
He took out an invisibility talisman from his bag, stuck it to his chest, and then stepped into the air, transforming into a rainbow, and soared towards the top of the Cangmang Mountain.