บท 400: Chapter 399: Baiyun Mountain Range

'Baiyun Mountain Range?' When they heard the name, everyone paused for a moment before showing a look of understanding.

The Baiyun Mountain Range was considered a famous location in the Central Plains. It had numerous tall mountains, and for some reason, the mist there was extremely dense, obscuring the sky.

If one were to recklessly wander around, they would easily get lost within it. Moreover, the mountain range was home to many powerful magical beasts, making it quite troublesome to deal with. The fact that the Hall of Souls chose to establish a branch there was likely due to its hidden nature.

"How many strong individuals are there in that branch hall? How many Dou Venerates?" Venerable Fu Hai, an old man, asked the most important question that concerned everyone.

Hearing Venerable Fu Hai's question, the expressions of the others turned solemn. This was indeed the most crucial piece of information. If they couldn't even determine the defensive strength of the enemy, rushing in blindly would be walking into a trap.

"According to the information from our Pill Tower, there should be five Honorable Elders," Elder Shangguan, who was standing nearby, answered.

"Five?" Everyone looked at each other. Wasn't that the same number as their side?

The scale of the Hall of Souls' operation was quite large. They dispatched five Dou Venerates just to guard a single branch hall. This lineup was even enough to annihilate a top-tier faction.

Nevertheless, no one wanted to withdraw.

After all, even though their group's leader, Xiao Ming, hadn't stated his exact strength, his aura alone indicated that he was a powerhouse above the six-star stage.

Such strength could be called Tianzun in the Hall of Souls, requiring several lower-level Dou Venerates to contend with. Their average strength was also at the three-star Venerate stage, giving them a significant advantage.

However, they couldn't help but feel amazed at Xiao Ming's extraordinary talent and high level of cultivation at such a young age. Looking at his face, which bore a faint smile and an air of a grandmaster, it was easy to overlook his age. After all, he was only twenty years old.

"According to the intelligence, apart from these five Dou Venerates, the branch hall also has some Hall of Souls' Protectors. Their combined strength is not weak..." Elder Shangguan continued to explain.

"These Protectors shouldn't pose much of a problem. I will take care of them. As for rescuing the souls of our Pill Tower alchemists, I'll leave that task to you, Elders," Xiao Ming lightly chuckled and addressed the nine-star Dou Ancestor Elders. According to his knowledge, these Elders also possessed a cooperative formation.

The Elders nodded one after another. This was indeed their assigned task.

In this way, the plan to attack the Hall of Souls was quickly settled.

...

Xiao Ming returned to the head of the giant python once again, with Shangguan Cuo following closely behind. Shangguan Cuo handed him a purple jade slip.

"What's this?" Xiao Ming was somewhat puzzled.

"This is an invitation token sent by Sound Valley," Elder Shangguan gestured for Xiao Ming to take it before continuing.

"The Valley Master of Sound Valley, Qing Yi, previously visited Pill Tower and discovered you were not present. She then handed it to the Grand Elder, who instructed me to deliver it to you this morning."

Xiao Ming recalled the elegant lady he had encountered in the Falling Thunder Mountain Range. He had a favorable impression of Qing Yi, who had helped him before.

'Sending an invitation, could it be related to the previous agreement?' Xiao Ming wondered. He opened the invitation and after a moment, closed it again.

Indeed, the invitation was related to the previous agreement, but it didn't specify the exact details. It simply urged him to visit Sound Valley as soon as possible.

'Oh well, Sound Valley happens to be in the northwest of Central Plains. After completing this mission, I'll pay a visit to them. After all, they did give me a sound wave High Di Dou Technique as a down payment.' Xiao Ming thought to himself as he stored the token in his storage ring.

...

The Baiyun Mountain Range is located in the northwest region of the Central Plains. It is shrouded in dense natural fog throughout the year. Within this fog, even spiritual perception is affected. Reckless individuals may even become trapped and perish within the mountains.

The Baiyun Mountain Range is not too far from the Pill Region. With the speed of the seventh-rank Four-Winged Python, it would take approximately seven days to arrive.

Under the swift travel of the python, on the afternoon of the seventh day, Xiao Ming and the others saw a group of towering peaks before their eyes.

"We've arrived..." Xiao Ming raised his eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mountain range's outline, but it was obscured by a thick layer of white mist.

Gazing at the mountains that appeared mysterious under the shroud of clouds, Xiao Ming's face showed a hint of surprise, which quickly disappeared. The Baiyun Mountain Range truly lived up to its reputation. However, it meant they couldn't fly directly into it.

The outer layer of mist was still manageable, but the deeper they went, the denser it became. If they lost their sense of direction, they would get lost inside and could easily be attacked by strange magical beasts within the mist.

Furthermore, the Baiyun Mountain Range housed a branch hall of the Hall of Souls, and defensive measures may have been put in place. If they flew in from above, they'd be easy to spot.

With this in mind, Xiao Ming waved his hand, and the python slowly descended towards a mountaintop outside the range.

"We've arrived at the Baiyun Mountain Range. Elder Shangguan, please find a local magical beast and bring it back. The rest of you, adjust your state..." Upon landing on the mountaintop, Xiao Ming instructed the others.

The people present were well-known experts from Central Plains, each with extensive experience. They understood what Xiao Ming had in mind and nodded, finding their own places to adjust their conditions.

Shangguan Cuo moved swiftly, gliding down from the mountaintop like a giant roc, before diving into the vast forest enveloped in the fog.

After a while, Shangguan Cuo returned, dragging a white goose in his hand.

"Hmm, it's actually a seventh-rank Cloud Goose that hasn't transformed yet. That's quite rare," the group gathered around, marveling in awe. Typically, when magical beasts reached the stage where they could undergo a transformation, they chose to do so.

"The Cloud Goose can hide its form within the clouds and mist. I happened to come across this one; otherwise, it would have been difficult to spot," Shangguan Cuo explained to the others.

"Please spare me, noble sirs! I'm willing to offer everything I own..." The encircled Cloud Goose trembled in fear, feeling extremely unlucky. It had never expected that as soon as it ventured out, it would be captured by terrifying human powerhouses.

There was no way out because everyone here had a stronger aura than itself!

Oh no!

Relying on its ability to hide within the Baiyun Mountain Range, it had never been in such a dire situation before!

"Do you know the location of the Hall of Souls' branch hall here?" Xiao Ming went straight to the point, standing before the Cloud Goose.

"Yes, yes! Sit on my back, and I'll take you there!" The Cloud Goose nodded repeatedly, fearing that Xiao Ming would think it was useless. It didn't want to be slapped to death. Besides, it indeed knew the location of that place. It had relied on its ability to hide within the clouds and mist and had glimpsed it from afar.

"Alright, once you take us there, you'll be free," Xiao Ming smiled and then let the others climb onto the back of the Cloud Goose.

True to its words, after about a dozen minutes, Xiao Ming and the others saw the location of the Hall of Souls' branch hall.

It was a massive peak with a concave section at its base where a massive black palace hundreds of meters long was perfectly embedded. The atmosphere was filled with a chilling and terrifying vibe.

'So... this is the Disha Hall...' Xiao Ming narrowed his eyes as he examined the structure within the mountain. Suspended in mid-air, he waved his hand, signaling the Cloud Goose to leave.

Fearful of being silenced, the Cloud Goose vanished in the blink of an eye upon seeing Xiao Ming's gesture. The others paid no attention, as their encounter was merely by chance.