As the Onmyoji Onokun held his compass level, walking towards the cluster of trees and rocks, a strange phenomenon occurred. As they approached, the scene before them abruptly changed. The trees and rocks vanished, replaced by a path leading up the mountain.
Kurotō Sōma's eyes lit up. He marveled at the ingenuity of the formation while also feeling fortunate to have brought Onokun. Without the Onmyoji's assistance, their mission would have been impossible to even begin.
Meanwhile, on Dragon Coil Mountain, within the Taoist temple, Master Daoyuan, Ling Tian's senior master, who had been meditating cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes.
The old Taoist sensed that the mountain's protective formation had been disturbed. He performed a quick calculation and was even more astonished to discover that the intruders had found the correct path into the mountain. It was clear that these intruders were no ordinary people; they possessed considerable skill.
The Taoist immediately took out his phone and sent a mass message. Soon, everyone in the temple gathered in the courtyard.
Even Elder Wang Chunfeng and Wang Bingxia were alerted and joined them.
"Everyone, I sense that someone has entered the mountain. To trespass at this hour of the night, they surely cannot be good people! Prepare yourselves for battle and be ready to strike down the intruders!"
Upon hearing this, the disciples eagerly flexed their muscles. For them, this was an exciting prospect. They practiced their skills on the mountain daily, but lacked opportunities to apply them, especially since society was no longer one of constant conflict.
"Everyone, you must be on high alert and never underestimate the enemy. I sense that the ones who have come this time are unusual. They can even break my formation! Be extremely cautious!"
At this moment, Ling Tian's fourth master, Xiang Yuntian, stepped forward.
"Big Brother, you and Second Brother stay and guard the temple. I will go out and give these people a taste of their own medicine!"
"Amitabha, include this humble monk!" Monk Jienu's spirit also ignited, his fighting spirit burning like a fierce flame.
"Very well, it is decided. Both of you, be careful and do not overexert yourselves!"
Xiang Yuntian and Monk Jienu nodded, turned, and left with their weapons. Each wore a jade pendant around their neck, which would shield them from the influence of the outer formation.
On the other side, Kurotō Sōma and his group had walked for over half an hour on the dark mountain path before being forced to stop and rest.
There was no other choice, primarily due to the Onmyoji, Onokun.
The Onmyoji was also quite frustrated. He was using the specially made compass to find the correct path within the maze formation, and the cost was significant.
Firstly, the spiritual energy stored within the compass was being consumed at an alarming rate. In just half an hour, half of the stored spiritual energy had been depleted. This meant that if he couldn't find the correct path in the next half hour, the mission would have to be abandoned.
Recharging the compass would take approximately one to two years, requiring it to be placed in a special formation to nurture its energy, much like charging a mobile phone.
Secondly, using the compass also drained Onokun's internal magical power and mental energy.
Within the maze formation, for every ten meters they advanced, the compass's indicated direction would become erratic. Onokun had to inject a large amount of energy into the compass to guide them along the correct path.
Kurotō Sōma watched Onokun, who was meditating to restore his mental and magical energy, and felt a headache coming on, but he was helpless.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Kurotō's mind. He immediately summoned a few of his elite subordinates and whispered to them.
Soon, these individuals retrieved ropes from their backpacks.
These ropes were made of special nylon and fiber. While not very thick, each rope could withstand a weight of two tons.
They often used ropes in such operations for climbing or binding enemies.
Kurotō Sōma's ingenious, albeit crude, idea was to have his subordinates hold the ropes and search in different directions, feeling for changes underfoot to ultimately find the correct way out.
Although this method was inefficient, clumsy, and primitive, it was indeed a viable way to break through the maze formation.
In Kurotō's view, even this clumsy method was better than nothing; it would at least save them some time.
Before coming here, they had formulated a meticulous plan. A crucial part of it was to find the artifact controlling the formation after infiltrating the Dragon Coil Mountain's Taoist temple. Otherwise, they would have to navigate this damned maze formation again when withdrawing.
Thus, these members of the Black Dragon Group, each holding a rope, moved in all directions, tethered together.
The center of the ropes was held by two of Kurotō Sōma's subordinates.
Suddenly, a scream echoed through the night sky, followed by a sudden tightening of the rope in one direction. The group rushed towards it and discovered that the Black Dragon Group member at the outer edge of the rope had his left leg caught in a powerful animal trap.
Although their boots were specially made with strong protective capabilities, it was evident that this trap, designed for wild boars and tigers, was far more potent.
The sharp teeth of the trap had deeply embedded themselves into the man's leg.
"Baka!" Kurotō was furious. They had lost a member before even spotting their target; this was an inauspicious start.
Worse still, with his leg injured, the man's mobility would be severely hampered. When they retreated, they would have to assign someone to carry him, which would significantly slow down their evacuation.
"Tend to his wound and have him wait here. We'll bring him along during the retreat!" Kurotō said coldly. In reality, he had already sentenced the subordinate to death. If the man became a liability during the retreat, he would be eliminated to silence him.
One of Kurotō's subordinates approached. The man extended his hands and pried open the animal trap with his bare hands.
This was a powerful, heavy-duty animal trap that required significant strength and tools to open. Yet, this man had managed to pry it open with his own strength, demonstrating terrifying power.