What Shi Wuqi pointed to them was a red desert.
There are several large and small Gobis and deserts in the northwest of the country. The most mysterious one is a place called "Cinnabar Desert". As its name suggests, the place is indeed a desert, and there are eye-catching, bright red colors everywhere. But this place does not produce cinnabar, it is just similar in color. There are many weird legends about this place, but according to Shi Wuqi, it is just because there are no plants and no water sources here. It is a place of death where life cannot grow. People lack understanding of this place, so there are enough rumors. .
However, it does have something mysterious about it. Some people say that the sand here is mixed with red minerals similar to cinnabar, some say that the red here is the precipitated rays of light, and others say that the soldiers who guarded the border in the early years dyed this place red with their blood. Either way is so untenable that people just take it for fun.
"It is a place very close to the hell realm." Shi Wuqi said, "When I entered hell by mistake, I saw many entrances close to here from that world, including this place. This desert has existed since ancient times, and It is gradually spreading. As for why it appears red like cinnabar, I may be able to give an answer - it is the fire from hell that illuminates every grain of sand. Take them away from here, and they will return to their normal color. And in that kind of place where death is the companion, no life has the courage to grow.”
"Why go to that place? No, I mean... why go to hell?"
"It's not that I really want you to go to hell - I'm afraid there will be no return. According to the news, after he lost a lot of resources, he went into hibernation temporarily. But he has continued to take advantage of the cracks in the six paths, that is, death A place where he was born, to do many experiments, or to store many things. Considering these circumstances, perhaps his current actions should not be thought too simply. This is why the elders suppressed him and needed to hire onmyoji..."
"Is the source of the information accurate?" Xie Zhe said immediately, "We are not doubting you, but... it must be difficult to obtain information related to other people."
"Hahaha... Well, how should I put it -" Shi Wuqi's expression was a little complicated, "It is indeed information from the Six Paths of Impermanence. I am willing to believe that it is reliable."
This sounds really guilty, but no matter what, they believe that since the Hundred Skeleton Master chose to say it and implemented it according to the intelligence, there should be a certain degree of credibility. In fact, Xie Zhe also made some guesses in his mind. Could it be that the information related to hell was obtained from a notorious impermanent ghost?
Shi Wuqi gave each of them a pendant, which looked like an ordinary jade. To reach the place he mentioned, one needs to pass through layers of spiritual veins, including six spiritual veins. Logically speaking, without the protection of the Six Paths Impermanence Huangquan Bell or other things, people, including monsters, would easily get lost in it. However, many spiritual stones or special plants and trees have been discovered. Once they are made into professional tools, ordinary people can easily travel between them - but the number of times is limited. But, who in general would go to such a dangerous place? So not many people know how to make these magical props.
The Lord's Association of Hundreds of Bones.
It only took less than three days to pass through a series of dark or colorful "roads" to reach the town near the Cinnabar Desert. Han Chang was still sighing. If they had had this spiritual stone pendant, they would have been able to go to many places faster. However, Shi Wuqi would not engage in loss-making business. If they had not agreed to fight against the lies this time, he would not have been able to "lend" things to a few people generously.
They rented a carriage from the town that could carry four people, but it couldn't take them deep into the desert. They need to walk the next road on their own. The carriage was swaying, and the scorching sun in the sky was still so scorching, it didn't look like autumn at all.
In the car, Ling Hu suddenly said:
"The first time I met A-Zhe was on a carriage. I didn't even notice him at the time."
"I heard it's winter, right?" Wenying, who was sitting opposite, became interested and continued, "I heard it was snowing heavily, and my brother told me about it. But it's not cold at all now, and that Times must be different.”
"Yes, that carriage is also very small, so it's very crowded for two people."
Xie Zhe reminded them: "You still have to be careful, it's very cold in the desert at night."
As he said that, the carriage suddenly jolted, making Ling, who was unable to sit still,
Quan bumped into Xie Zhe's shoulder. He quickly supported her and said with some embarrassment:
"I didn't expect it has been so long."
"...Yeah." Ling Huan lowered his head and said with a smile, "I still experienced a lot of things that I never dared to think about. But, I don't regret it."
That's what he said, but if he could go home, I don't know what Ling Hu would choose now. At this juncture, none of them wanted to bring up this somewhat sad topic. It had no meaning other than adding to their sorrow. Although she did not regret her decision to leave home, the journey was filled with many things worth regretting. As for what it is, they know it, and they know better than to ask.
"Miss Ye..." Xie Zhe suddenly called her.
"Hey." Ling Huan responded, but then he was startled and said reproachfully, "I'm so unfamiliar."
"Have you thought about it? Do you really want to go with us? There is... a place of death and life."
"Why not? It's not like I've never been there before." She smiled, "And it can be considered a narrow escape. Don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble. Didn't you say it before? Compared with me, People can just settle down, and I can’t even..."
I cannot accept the fact that you "abandoned me".
Wenying and Hanshang, who were sitting across from each other, looked at each other and said nothing. This girl is surprisingly stubborn in some aspects, and even eight cows can't pull her back. And having reached this point, it is absolutely impossible for them to separate. What's more, this time, the situation may not be as dangerous as before, because Shi Wuqi told them that he would also come to Cinnabar Desert, and even Lintian Master. But they still had their own things to deal with, so the four of them set off first. They'll be here soon.
The plan is this: the four people who are temporarily keeping the Demonic Pestle will head to the Cinnabar Desert first. Master Lintian would be waiting here early, and Shi Wuqi said he would definitely find them. At that time, Lintian Master and Xie Zhe used the Demon-Subduing Pestle to find and "pry" open the barrier set by Wuyonglan. They are convinced that the person hiding here must be him, because the puppet's stand-in cannot overcome the six barriers. Even if he learns something from Mahuluojia's formation, he will not be able to break this barrier.
"Will the so-called first formation...be there? In the cracks of the six paths?"
"Probably not." Xie Zhe replied to Ying, "If the first formation is hidden in the cracks of the six paths, the power cannot be transmitted to the real world. But why is he hiding here and what is his purpose? For us It is unknown. Although in the human world, the Six Paths of Impermanence can try to find his hiding place, but even if he hides in hell, there are still ways to avoid it. It is better to say that looking for him in a realm that does not belong to the human world will It’s easier. So we may face some unforeseen dangers. But by the same token, it’s probably our only chance.”
The distance that the carriage could carry was limited, so they had to go deep into the Cinnabar Desert on their own. It was already dusk when we got off the bus, and the warm sunset made the red color of the entire desert more vivid. They had never seen anything like this. Even the groom who drove the car said that such a stunning scene is still so moving no matter how many times it is seen. It's just that you really can't stay in this place for too long, otherwise people will feel chest tight and short of breath, as if their souls are being taken away by this place.
They thanked the coachman and set off deep into the desert. Even though several people were wearing coats to keep out the cold, the air-conditioning inevitably penetrated the fabric and pricked them hard. The sand here is no different except that it is red and has a rougher and more crystal texture than ordinary sand. Even if it is completely dark, the stars can still light up the red color of the ground, making it even more vivid than when the sunset covers it. The ravines in the sand are pure black, and the side facing the light is pure red. The winding and rugged patterns and the rising sand dunes look extremely bloody and eerie in this place without any sign of life.
It was a bit too scary... They finally began to understand why the groom would say such scary things, and where the many terrible legends came from. In the ordinary desert they walked through, they could occasionally see crawling snakes and lizards, dry tumbleweeds, and branches that didn't know whether they were alive or dead. If they were lucky, they could see water-rich stone-shaped plants, or even oasis. But so far, there is nothing here, only the endless cinnabar-like red, which makes people feel like they are wrapped in an invisible poison, and this poison is eroding their lives unknowingly. It was so quiet, so quiet that there was nothing else except the footsteps and breathing of a few people. In this environment, my own heartbeat
The sound seemed noisy.
But soon, they saw a light appear in front of them.
That must be the guidance of Master Lintian! Even though it was difficult to walk on the sand, they picked up their pace. Someone stood in the vermilion desert, holding a lamp in his hand. The lamp drove away the shadows of the sand, leaving only pure red around him. There is a figure next to him, is it Shi Wuqi?
"etc--"
Han Chang was the first to reach out and stop the people around him.
"What's wrong?" Wenying asked breathlessly.
"Those are not Master Lintian and Master Baiskeleton."
Han Chang's tone was so determined and stern, and the words he spoke made them so flustered.
"Then, who is that...?"
The man holding the lantern slowly turned around.
"I knew you would come." The man said, "It's so lively..."
It was a woman's voice—a woman's voice they were familiar with.
Or... a banshee.
"Tao Zhu, you-"
Chapter 434: On behalf of Ma Yifeng
