Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 471 - 450: Second Update

Chapter 471: Chapter 450: Second Update

"Don’t panic—" the Mage who had just trapped Wei Qing in the Maze Formation shouted loudly. Despite his words, his face was visibly tense, and he involuntarily took a step back.

However, this loud roar seemed to momentarily stabilize the situation. The Mages in the area immediately drew their Magic Artifacts; those without Magic Artifacts drew their own weapons.

"He, he is trapped in the Maze Formation and can’t get out. We must see with our own eyes what kind of monster he really is," the man continued, forcing himself to speak.

Master Ling Yi glanced at the man who had spoken. He was obviously older than the others, looking to be in his twenties or thirties. For this mission, Qiandao Temple intended to let the younger Mages gain experience, so most of those who came were young Mages, with few as old as him.

"Brother Qin Liang, do you know the details about this monster?" Master Ling Yi asked. The man was startled; he was only a half-trained Mage who had joined the monastery in a remote part of the Districts and Counties because he could no longer cope with his previous life. He had come along this time only because theirs was a summons, and their location was short of people. The only young man there had to stay because his wife was giving birth.

Now, hearing Master Ling Yi calling him a senior, he suddenly felt panicked; he certainly could not live up to being called a senior by a disciple of Master Huo Yi—that was merely a courtesy extended to him.

"The disciple is of scant learning and knows not what the monster might be." Qin Liang’s encounter with Wei Qing was likewise an accident. He had only wanted to slack off and had hidden in a remote tent but unexpectedly witnessed Master Wei Qing turning his own brothers into black water. Startled, he had screamed, exposing his location. He had then, drawing on his everyday skills and knowledge, led the group into the Maze Formation he knew best.

Qin Liang was clever and, realizing his limited influence, promptly sent someone to find other brothers. As he suspected, they found several pieces of clothing scattered in disarray. Some among them recognized the garments as belonging to Qiandao Temple Mages, and the crowd then surrounded the area.

"This monster, this monster can turn people into puddles of black water." Qin Liang didn’t know how else to describe it, but he quickly grasped the key point. Master Ling Yi was taken aback, vaguely recalling the strange clothes that had fallen to the ground outside the cave and suddenly had a suspicion.

Meanwhile, Wei Qing, trapped in the Maze Formation, had begun frantically to slam against the boundaries. But with the Magic Artifact reinforcing the formation, whenever Wei Qing touched the edge, the rate at which he was turned into black water increased visibly. Shortly, he became a pile of bones, which also slowly dissolved, leaving only a dark red mist crazily colliding within the formation.

"Ah—" Wherever the dark red mist crashed, the Mages there couldn’t help but scream and collectively step back. After bouncing dozens of times within the Maze Formation, the mist gradually diminished and finally dissipated into the air. Only the clothing, trouser socks belonging to Disciple Wei Qing, were left on the ground, just like the others they had found.

"Brother, what kind of monster is this exactly?" Master Chang Ling asked in horror, glancing at the inside of the Maze Formation. If it hadn’t been for his brother desperately saving him back in the cave, would he too have turned into a puddle of black water like Master Wei Qing?

No, before turning into black water, one would become the enemy’s puppet.

"It must be a Guileful Technique from Ghoul Ravine," Master Ling Yi said, feigning calm, his mind in complete turmoil. In all these years, he had never felt such pressure, even when encountering several Ghost Shadows; that was the extent of his knowledge about Ghoul Ravine.

Now, with so many lives in his hands, and any slight mistake, how could he face his master upon returning?

Master Ling Yi’s hands trembled slightly as he looked into the pairs of eyes watching him. Now, even for the sake of Qiandao Temple, he could not retreat.

"There’s no need to panic. It seems that the monster is afraid of the maze formation. As long as we stay inside it, it naturally won’t dare to come close. Qin Liang, my brother, signal the disciples patrolling the perimeter to come back; we need to hold this position and send someone to report this." Master Ling Yi steadied his spirits. Before he could finish, suddenly two figures hurriedly burst into the tent from outside.

"Help, save us—" In the midst of the chaos, it was clear to see that they were two mages, both running and looking back in terror as they did.

"Brother, these are mages from Weize County who went out with us—" Qin Liang recognized them immediately, causing panic among the mages.

Master Ling Yi immediately took two disciples and stepped forward. Without waiting for the two to come closer, he swung his Golden Whip. Instantly, a golden light shield enveloped the two men, who, startled, looked at Master Ling Yi in fright.

"Master Ling Yi, we’re on the same side, we are our own people!" The two mages were nearly in tears but dared not move.

"What in the world happened outside the cave? We didn’t see you two when we came out. Logically, if you were running away, you should have arrived at the camp before us. Why did you only just return now?" Master Ling Yi rapidly asked. It was then that everyone understood the other mage’s implication—that the monster could disguise itself as Master Wei Qing, or indeed anyone.

"We... a monster was chasing us, and we barely escaped. They... they are right behind us." The frightened mage explained. Master Ling Yi paused, not fully believing their words. However, having come into contact with the dark red mist before, albeit inexperienced at first, now Master Ling Yi recognized that this red mist carried with it a unique scent, a mix of the aura of Ghoul Ravine and Qiandao Temple, strong and distinctive, which he had previously overlooked.

Master Ling Yi waved his whip again, and the light shield disappeared. The two men still stood in their places, not daring to move.

"Brother—" The disciples behind him were also uncertain.

"They are not monsters—" Master Ling Yi glanced at them and suddenly recalled their words.

"You said they are behind you—" Master Ling Yi promptly asked again, and the two, not knowing what else to do, nodded. Master Ling Yi immediately came up with a plan and quickly moved forward.

"Come with me—" Master Ling Yi immediately led the people inside.

"Brother—" The people looked at Master Ling Yi, feeling his previous action was a bit rash. They thought it would have been better to observe for a longer period because otherwise...

"Don’t worry, identifying that monster is very simple. Anyone who can step into our maze formation and come out is one of us," Master Ling Yi said, motioning for the two men to enter the maze formation. Only then did the others feel reassured.

"Next, there’s another important matter." Master Ling Yi glanced at the people around him. This time, they had lost many people. But it seemed that there weren’t many people left on the other side either. There was something even more crucial—this monster; he had to figure it out.