The Lord of Void and Real
Chapter 516

Chapter 516: 512 Chapter 516: 512 “Of course, in addition to destroying these things, we also need to investigate signs of ghost activity along the way. If we encounter people in danger, we must also lend a hand to rescue them,” He Wenzheng added.

“But for such matters, there's no need for such a large-scale mobilization. Isn't it enough to just send my Mountain Fist Sect disciples? There's enough manpower with just us,” Zhou Meng furrowed his eyebrows and protested in his rough voice.

“The strength of the Immortal Masters of the Mountain Fist Sect is not to be underestimated, but right now all tasks require us to work together to ensure everything goes smoothly. That's the only way,” He Wenzheng clarified.

“I presume the authorities have their own reasons for these arrangements. Moreover, considering the broader conspiracy of the Refining Body Altar behind the mass apparition of ghosts in Chang'an, there are many unknown risks. It's safer for us to act together,” Shen Luo pondered for a moment before saying.

“What Elder Shen says is very true,” Zhao Tingsheng agreed.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Meng decided not to argue anymore. The group then left the Weapon Storage Hall and headed toward the Dunyi District.

After leaving the Great Tang Dynasty Government, the group first went west to the Huaiyuan District, then headed south. Along the way, they could see Tang armored warriors patrolling everywhere. Upon seeing their government waist tags, they saluted the group from afar.

The situation in Huaiyuan, Yongshou, and Jiahe districts was relatively stable. Although they saw quite a few tents set up by refugees from the southern part of the city on their way, most of the areas were well-organized and orderly.

Once they crossed the southern border of Jiahe District, they could see heavy smoke rising up at quite a few places in the distance, clearly indicating that chaos and disruption were still prevalent.

Above the horizon farther away, a thick layer of leaden clouds hung heavily over everyone's heads and hearts, making them all feel a pent-up frustration within their chests, as if yearning to vent out.

After passing Jiahe District and entering Yongping District, traces of humans were nowhere to be seen. They could see collapsed houses everywhere, along with the remains of dead people and animals. Some bodies were hidden under the fallen roof tiles, while others lay exposed at the side of the road.

Whenever they came across such situations, Zhao Tingsheng would instruct his Sect brothers to take out some yellow powder and scatter it over these corpses and nearby areas. If they encountered a well along the way, they would also dust some of the powder onto it.

Seeing the confused expressions of Shen Luo and his group, he explained:

“These unattended bodies can cause epidemics if left outside for too long. We're just doing what we can now to prevent that, and to eliminate the future problem.”

Hearing him say this, a thought arose in Shen Luo's heart, and he grew more uncertain. How could the Decline and Growth Sect be considered both righteous and evil?

“Elder Shen, don't believe everything he says. The powder they scatter is called Corpse Gathering Powder. It's used to gather Corpse Air, which is useful for the refinement of Corpse Poison and Corpse Transformation Pills. When we return, they will collect it,” Zhou Meng broke the serenity with a revealing statement.

Shen Luo was taken aback upon hearing this, and then he chuckled, “There are always pros and cons to everything. If using it can prevent epidemics and gather some Corpse Air, it's actually a good idea and nothing wrong.”

Zhao Tingsheng, who was nearby, seemed slightly surprised. It seemed that it had been quite a long time since he'd heard someone interpreting the deeds of the disciples of the Decline and Growth Sect with goodwill.

After Shen Luo finished speaking, everyone else fell silent and continued their journey.

However, the further south they moved, the more horrific scenes they came across, so much so that the Corpse Gathering Powder, brought by the disciples of the Decline and growth sect, was not enough to cover all areas.

“We're approaching Dunyi District. This area has been occupied by the ghosts. Be careful and try not to confront them. Let's complete our mission first,” Shen Luo cautioned.

“Yes,” everyone answered in unison.

Since most of the buildings in Dunyi District had been destroyed, the original roads were hard to trace. The group had to rely on the map provided by He Wenzheng and started searching amidst the ruins.

Despite it being bright daylight and nearly noon, the area was enveloped in shadow due to the overcast clouds. Ghosts could be seen roaming the streets from time to time.

However, through observation, Shen Luo discovered that the movement patterns of these ghosts were quite interesting. Most of them seemed to be wandering within a fixed radius of about a hundred feet, each one appearing like a wandering ghost, far more peaceful compared to their fierce behaviors at night.

Being careful all the way, Shen Luo and his group finally located the firecracker factory at the northwest corner of Dunyi District.

What surprised them slightly was that almost all the buildings in that area had been destroyed, but the firecracker factory in the center remained intact, and there were around a hundred ghosts gathered around it.

“So many ghosts are holding the fort. It seems that the government's worries are not groundless. The Refining Body Altar really intends to make use of this place,” said Shen Luo in a hushed tone, taking cover behind a broken wall a hundred feet away from the factory with his group.

“A mere hundred ghosts are not to be feared. Leave it to us,” Zhou Meng patted his chest and said.

“You're only seeing these hundred ghosts on the outside. But what's the situation inside that courtyard? Can you tell?” Zhao Tingsheng asked.

“We're too far away for my Divine Sense to reach. I can't probe into the situation there, so we cannot attack recklessly,” Shen Luo added.

Hearing this, Zhou Meng only smiled and said:

“Why bother with these concerns? Let Lu Chen bring Elder Shen there. Being closer will allow for a more accurate examination.”

The moment he finished speaking, a short and dark-skinned youth from the Mountain Fist Sect stood up.

“Elder Shen, I know some Earth Escaping techniques that can take you there underground. But how far do we need to get?” The youth bowed to Shen Luo and asked.

“We need to get within ten feet to conduct an examination,” Shen Luo pondered before replying.

“No problem,” Lu Chen cracked his knuckles, eager for the challenge.

Immediately, he took out a Yellow Paper Charm from his pocket and clamped it onto Shen Luo's back. He then pinched a magic spell with one hand and chanted a few incantations. A yellow glow began to envelop him.

Next, he put his hand on Shen Luo's shoulder. The glow from him wrapped both of them.

“Let's go.”

With a low grunt from him, the ground next to the broken wall cracked open, creating a three-feet-long gap. The yellow light dove in, and the figures of the two disappeared.

Shen Luo only felt a soft light enveloping him. The hard rocks outside seemed to melt, becoming as soft as flowing water and swiftly flowing past him.

This experience was reminiscent of when he was taken underground by Soul Hook's Ma Mian.

After a few moments, the two stopped.

“Elder Shen, the firecracker factory is about ten feet above us. You can try to examine now,” Lu Chen instructed.

Shen Luo nodded his head, closed his eyes, and began to carefully extend his Divine Sense upwards.

Shortly after, he opened his eyes again, “Alright, let's head back.”