"Because they had previously been afflicted by the Illusion Poison, both Elder Liu Yinzhu and Elder Gu Youchang were constantly maintaining clarity in their spirit platforms."
Not only that, both of them had also taken a Detoxification Pill.
Most people thought Ding Huan was pretending to be mysterious in front of Qu Yueshan when he chose to walk through the forest.
However, Ding Huan’s premonition had been too accurate previously, so after Elder Liu and Elder Gu followed Ding Huan off the main road and into the forest, they could only continue following him.
Two hours later, Elder Liu Yinzhu from Purple Mist Valley suddenly stopped:
"Everyone, stop."
"What’s wrong, Elder Liu?" Ding Huan asked, puzzled.
Since Ding Huan was leading the way and Liu Yinzhu wanted to stop, he naturally had to ask.
Liu Yinzhu’s expression was solemn:
"Mr. Ding, Elder Gu, have we been affected by the Illusion Poison again? Look, we are currently on the main road."
If Liu Yinzhu hadn’t mentioned it, everyone really hadn’t noticed before.
Upon Liu Yinzhu’s reminder, everyone discovered in horror that they were indeed standing in the middle of the main road.
They had encountered this situation once before; they had thought they were in the middle of the main road, and then were ambushed by the Illusion Poison, resulting in the deaths of many.
Now, it was happening again; they discovered that they were in the middle of the main road once more.
They had clearly followed Ding Huan into the forest just a moment ago; they should be in the midst of the woods, not in the middle of a road. This was suspicious.
"Mr. Ding, what’s going on?" Elder Gu was also uncertain.
Ding Huan thought it amusing inside. Turning around naturally brought them back to the main road.
Wasn’t it obvious? He wasn’t a fool to dare walk for a long time in the forest of the grand canyon.
"Elders, I am not very sure either, but I feel that we are all very safe right now. So, we do not need to worry about it, just keep moving forward."
Ding Huan could only play dumb.
Liu Yinzhu sighed:
"Let’s follow what Mr. Ding said, we don’t have any other choice."
They themselves were not clear if they were affected by the illusion poison.
However, Ding Huan knew from prior knowledge that being affected by the Illusion Poison would cause an intense chill in one’s channels whenever one used their cultivation.
He could not mention this.
The group traveled a bit further, and darkness fell.
Ding Huan stopped walking:
"Elders, let’s set up camp here."
With Ding Huan suggesting setting up camp, the elders naturally had no objections.
The camp was quickly set up, and Elder Liu Yinzhu and Elder Gu Youchang decided to take charge of the safety matters on each side of the camp.
Despite everyone’s extreme fatigue, the newer disciples, skittish as startled birds, couldn’t sleep.
They were nervously listening for any sound from outside, ready to jump up at the slightest rustle.
Ding Huan also could not sleep, not due to fear of the Illusion Poison but because he was studying an Array Formation Jade Scroll given to him by Elder Gu Youchang.
Delving into this jade scroll revealed an endless depth, even more so than talismanic arts.
The more complex it was, the more it stoked Ding Huan’s desire to delve into research.
He thought about how convenient it would be to lay a defensive formation or a trigger array with a wave of his hand when he went camping in the future, much easier than calculation.
Moreover, as he met cultivators with higher cultivation and the rules of Heaven and Earth in the Cultivation World got stronger, the things he calculated would also become more vague.
Array Dao could be the perfect remedy for this.
Liu Yinzhu was keeping watch at the back of the camp when her direct disciple, Mo Huaping, came over and whispered:
"Master, why do I feel like this Chef Ding is going all out recklessly?"
Liu Yinzhu was taken aback and asked:
"Why do you feel this way?"
Mo Huaping said, "He’s just a chef, and a temporary one at that, yet he dares to talk back to Elder Qu from the Dual Soul Sect. Isn’t that courting death?
What worries me is that he knows he’s bound to die, and that’s why he is acting recklessly, leading us all to a dead end."
The last part was Mo Huaping’s real concern.
It wasn’t strange that she had these thoughts; after all, she was a high-ranking cultivator.
In her eyes, the lives of a hundred Ding Huans wouldn’t equal one cultivator like them.
If this was indeed a case of Ding Huan seeking his own death, and they followed him, that would be very unfortunate.
She came to her master at night to say this, also to warn her master to be cautious with Ding Huan, not to trust everything he said.
Liu Yinzhu looked at her favored disciple and sighed inwardly.
Mo Huaping was her most valued disciple, so she had brought Mo Huaping with her into the Mortal World on this outing.
Now, it seemed that her disciple was far less than that chef Ding Huan.
"Master, could my thoughts be wrong?"
Feeling her master’s sigh, Mo Huaping asked apprehensively.
"Huaping, if you were in Ding Huan’s position, with his capabilities, what would you do?"
Liu Yinzhu asked.
Mo Huaping naturally said:
"Even if Elder Qu mocks me again, I will respectfully answer Elder Qu’s words and will not deliberately separate from Elder Qu.
Given Elder Qu’s status and position, he absolutely will not remember a trivial chef for a long time.
Once we’re past the Grand Ravine Gorge, I’ll make my getaway. If someday I have the capability, I will come back for revenge; if not, so be it."
For Mo Huaping, the last sentence was superfluous. She was certain that under no circumstances could Ding Huan ever possibly have the capability to take revenge.
Knowing his own low status yet still showing sharp edges—wasn’t this seeking death?
Unable to bear humiliation and burdens, no wonder he was just a chef.
Thinking everyone will always rely on a chef like him? People only rely on him temporarily—that’s failing to understand who he is.
"Haha, if you do that, your death will come even quicker," Liu Yinzhu chuckled.
"But Master, didn’t you tell me that sometimes one must endure humiliation and bear burdens, knowing how to hide one’s abilities?" Mo Huaping didn’t understand.
Liu Yinzhu slowly said:
"Because Ding Huan has seen the murderous intent from Elder Qu, that is to say, as soon as they leave the Grand Ravine Gorge, Elder Qu will definitely kill Ding Huan immediately.
Do you think Elder Gu would risk offending the Dual Soul Sect to avenge a temporary chef?"
"Ah..." Mo Huaping gasped in shock.
What a joke, although Ding Huan saved everyone, he was still just a chef. Unless he lost his mind, Elder Gu wouldn’t risk offending the Dual Soul Sect to avenge a chef.
Liu Yinzhu calmly said:
"You should guess that Elder Gu would not make a move, and Ding Huan also guessed that the chance of Elder Gu intervening is very low. Moreover, even if Elder Gu did, Ding Huan’s already been killed. What difference does it make whether he intervenes or not?
His only chance to live is to kill Elder Qu in the Grand Ravine Gorge, or leave him severely injured so he has no chance to kill him.
In other words, if Elder Qu isn’t dead but severely injured and poses no threat to Chef Ding, Chef Ding wouldn’t propose to walk separately from Elder Qu anymore.
Well then, since Ding Huan knows Elder Qu wants to kill him, why would he still politely endure humiliation? Is he debased?"
"But he’s just a chef, how could he possibly kill Elder Qu? He wouldn’t even have the chance to strike," Mo Huaping was even more puzzled.
Liu Yinzhu glanced at Ding Huan’s position and sighed:
"He’s already made his move, yet you are still stuck on whether he would even have the chance."
"What?" Mo Huaping was startled, then came to a realization: "Master, you’re saying ’walking separately’ was making a move?"
"Yes," Liu Yinzhu said. "Sensing safety ahead in this situation is his only chance.
Both Elder Gu and I don’t think Ding Huan is seeking death, so we both agreed to his plan to lead the way into the forest."
Liu Yinzhu truly thought this way—replaced by any other mortal, maybe they’d feel their life was worthless if it could be traded for that of several cultivators.
But she believed her judgment: the look in Ding Huan’s eyes and his actions never regarded him as an inferior mortal to cultivators.
So she didn’t think Ding Huan entering the forest was seeking death.
Although Mo Huaping didn’t ask further, she still felt her master was overestimating that Ding Huan.
...
The night swiftly passed, which felt like years to others, but to Ding Huan, it felt like merely a few minutes.
A ghastly scream came from behind them, and Elder Liu and Elder Gu rushed to the back of the group immediately.
Then they saw another shadow rushing over.
"Elder Qu?" This time, Gu Youchang was shocked.
Hadn’t Elder Qu been walking in front of them earlier? How did it come that they rested overnight and Elder Qu appeared from behind?
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This was a bit eerie. If it weren’t for the crowded place, Elder Gu would hardly help himself from saying, "Elder Qu, is it nice to scare people like this?"
Elder Gu was too embarrassed to say it, but Ding Huan wasn’t, especially since this man was trying to kill him; what did he have to fear?
"Elder Qu, are you trying to scare everyone to death?"
After Ding Huan said this, he actually felt a bit relieved.
This old man’s feet were gone, saved by a talisman that helped him escape.
With no feet, he had no right to continue his pursuit to kill him.
Once out of the Grand Ravine Gorge, if this Mr. Qu didn’t kill him at the first chance, then he shouldn’t dream of it later.
Ding Huan had no idea how this old guy lost his feet, but looking back, there seemed to be a sinister aura to it.
"Elder Qu, what happened to you?"
Liu Yinzhu looked shockingly at the blood-covered Qu Yueshan.
The last time she saw Qu Yueshan escaping, he was in a sorry state, but his limbs were intact.
This time Qu Yueshan was ragged and bloody all over, but most horrifyingly, his legs were missing below the knees.
"Swallowing Foot Corpse, there’s a Swallowing Foot Corpse…" Qu Yueshan’s tone was still a bit shaky.
Swallowing Foot Corpse?
Liu Yinzhu and Gu Youchang both jumped inside their minds. In the Grand Ravine Gorge, the terror of the Swallowing Foot Corpse was no less than that of the Cold Harpy.
This creature was a spirit inhabiting a zombie in cultivation, hiding underground.
When cultivators passed by, it would suddenly erupt to devour the cultivator’s feet. If the cultivator was powerful enough, then it was best to flee immediately.
If not, the Swallowing Foot Corpse would not be content with just feasting on feet; Qu Yueshan even lost his lower legs.
Both Liu Yinzhu and Gu Youchang couldn’t help but look toward Ding Huan. If it hadn’t been for Ding Huan insisting on taking the forest path, their feet might not have been spared either.
To think that if a group of people passed by, the Swallowing Foot Corpse would only devour one person’s feet would be a grave mistake.
A powerful Swallowing Foot Corpse could simultaneously consume the feet of a hundred people.
Han Weicheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He swore that even if Ding Huan walked blindfolded through Dead Man Swamp, he would step right into it without hesitation.
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