CHAPTER 368: 214. THIS PROSPEROUS ERA, AS YOU, SHANGGUAN GENERAL, WISHED.

Yuan Mobai and his disciple Lei Jun were no strangers to Gao Pu.

Back when they were in the Great Southern Mountain, it was he who had colluded with the Jinzhou Ye Clan from the north to ambush them.

Gao Pu was renowned, often hailed as the second-greatest expert in the Golden City Stronghold, beneath the "Ghost King" Zonghan.

However, the actual combat strength of cultivators of the Witchcraft Ghost Path lineage could fluctuate a great deal, largely dependent on the Evil Souls and Walking Corpses they controlled.

Gao Pu was hailed as second only to Zonghan, the Holy Master of the Golden City Stronghold, in the Ghost Tao. This was because, over many years of cultivation, he had accumulated numerous powerful Evil Souls and Walking Corpses and possessed the ability to simultaneously command several of them against his foes.

Among experts of the Eightfold Heaven Realm, anyone lacking a quick way to threaten Gao Pu directly would find him incredibly difficult to handle.

But thankfully, a tiny bit of insignificant help from Lei Jun had sent Gao Pu to meet Wei Ancheng, the Sect Leader of the Blood River Sect, who had just finished his cultivation retreat.

As a result, Gao Pu and his followers became Wei Ancheng’s first targets after his ascent to the Ninth Heavenly Layer.

The numerous Evil Souls and Walking Corpses that Gao Pu had painstakingly accumulated were destroyed by Wei Ancheng.

Afterward, Wei Ancheng pursued Gao Pu all the way back to the Sacred Land of the Golden City Stronghold. There, he rallied numerous Blood River Sect experts, eventually crushing the Stronghold’s defenses and forcing Zonghan, Gao Pu, and their followers to submit.

Currently, under Zonghan’s leadership, the Golden City Stronghold had joined forces with Wei Ancheng and the Blood River Sect experts. Together, they were attacking the Gu Technique Sacred Land, Yintuo Mountain, and confronting Yintuo Mountain, Gepo Mountain, and Samsara Abyss. This ignited a bloody battle, the likes of which had rarely been seen in the Southern Wilderness in recent years.

However, both Zonghan and Gao Pu were untamed powerhouses from the Southern Witch Sect.

Although they had temporarily submitted to Wei Ancheng and the Blood River Sect, it was clear they had other plans.

The fact that Gao Pu was acting in concert with Crown Prince Sheng Kang, Yang Yuqi, a direct descendant of the Sui Dynasty, was quite thought-provoking.

The relationship between Wei Ancheng and the direct bloodline of the Sui Dynasty was currently quite delicate.

Poor Shangguan Peng, though, ran headlong into two opponents of the Eightfold Heaven Realm.

Especially since Gao Pu, an Elder of Golden City Stronghold, was fretting over his prior loss of many Evil Souls and Walking Corpses and was in desperate need of fresh resources.

The scenario was akin to a new bride encountering a starving old wolf, a picture too dreadful to contemplate...

"So, General Shangguan’s current situation is... missing?" Lei Jun asked.

Yuan Mobai’s voice transmitted through the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman, "For now, let’s just say that. As far as I know, news has already reached the Tang Imperial Court. With such an incident, I believe the Capital will soon react."

Shangguan Peng was a prominent general of the Great Tang Shenji Army. He was also a leading figure among the younger generation of the Shangguan Clan, regarded as a key prospect being groomed for future leadership.

His troubles in the Southern Wilderness would certainly not be taken lightly by either the Tang Imperial Court or the Shangguan Clan.

This was especially true in situations that might involve the Witchcraft Ghost Path.

"Chongyun, in these chaotic times, remember to be guarded in your speech and cautious in your actions. One cannot be too careful," Yuan Mobai reminded Lei Jun once more.

"Rest assured, Master, your disciple understands," Lei Jun acknowledged. He had made an appearance in the Zhao River region before, and although it was but a fleeting moment, it would inevitably become a clue for the Shangguan Clan to pursue. He had anticipated this long ago.

But just as Shangguan Peng had earlier conceived, there were more pressing concerns for the people of Great Tang regarding the current situation in the Southern Wilderness.

After arranging to meet Yuan Mobai later in the Zhu An River region, Lei Jun ended their communication.

The current surroundings were serene, with abundant Spiritual Energy.

Lei Jun once again set up an Altar to perform a ritual, meticulously drawing Spirit Talismans.

After accumulating a certain number of Spirit Talismans, Lei Jun dismantled the ritual space and returned to the area near Kongliu Mountain that he had visited before.

The flow of Spiritual Energy in Kongliu Mountain was no longer as chaotic and turbulent as before.

However, the earth fissures and deep valleys still remained, and the flow of Earth Vein Spiritual Qi within them constantly changed.

Lei Jun silently descended into the subterranean rift valley, then once again released his specially crafted Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talismans.

These Spirit Talismans sparkled faintly within the Earth Vein Spiritual Qi, which surged like a raging Grand River, and were soon swept away and scattered into oblivion.

Seeing this, Lei Jun nodded with satisfaction and departed.

After leaving the chaotic zones of Kongliu Mountain, he continued as before, laying out a Star Chart-like pattern in the second layer of the True One Altar, showing the general locations where the Spirit Talismans had scattered within the Earth Vein Spiritual Qi.

Although he already had information regarding the Zhu An River, Lei Jun still used his own methods to gather further intelligence, comparing both sets of information.

Some of the Spirit Talismans he had released earlier at Star Dragon Abyss had been damaged, while others had drifted too far to be traced accurately.

Lei Jun was now distributing a second wave in the Kongliu Mountain area.

While waiting for responses, Lei Jun descended from the second layer of the True One Altar to the first.

Then, he gently shook his Breathing Soil Banner.

The Breathing Soil Banner unfurled, releasing the Sky-Eye Fiery Star, which still burned hot like molten lava.

However, after being refined by the Breathing Soil Banner’s Spiritual Power for a long time, the Sky-Eye Fiery Star had lost its previous ferocity; instead, it was Warmed and Nurtured by the Banner’s Spiritual Power.

Once it left the Breathing Soil Banner and came into contact with the air, the Sky-Eye Fiery Star began to cool, tending towards solidification.

The fiery flow congealed, eventually forming a strange spirit stone shaped like an eyeball, round and pitch-black, with its Spiritual Nature deeply hidden within.

Lei Jun, unhurried, waved his hand in the air.

Then, in the first layer of the True One Altar, a cyan flame arose, enveloping the round, pitch-black, eyeball-like strange stone.

Soon, as if awakening from slumber, the odd stone began to glow, radiating a scorching aura from within.

But one cannot frequently repeat such transformations; otherwise, it wastes the Spiritual Nature within, Lei Jun concluded after observing for a moment.