Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2887: A Forbidden Area

"Yet the cultists seem to be operating out of there." Lin Mu tapped the sealed memory jade slip his hand. "Or at least they revere it."

"They may as well revere madness," Dugu Ciu said bluntly. "But getting there is not the real problem. It's surviving entry."

"And you said it's in the Darkhan Dynasty's territory?" Lin Mu asked, thoughtfully rubbing his chin.

"Far to the southwest of this region," Dugu Ciu confirmed. "The Marshes of Silent Skies lie at the edge of the known cultivation territories—half swamp, half deadland. The Ninefold Crypt is buried somewhere within that. Not many know where the crypt is and even the very knowledge of its existence only comes from old legends."

"I take it going there isn't something one can just do?" Lin Mu said.

Dugu Ciu scoffed lightly. "Not unless you want to end up labeled a trespasser and hunted down by their Immortal Enforcers. That land is strictly guarded. Even high-ranking sects must seek approval from the imperial family of the Darkhan Dynasty to set foot near those borders—especially in the forbidden zones. They take law and order seriously."

"So not only is it deadly, but it's also politically locked," Lin Mu muttered. "Wonderful."

Lin Mu wondered if his identity as the Bearer from the Green Lotus Temple might help here. After all, even the Darkhan Dynasty had sent envoys to them before.

Meng Bai frowned. "Then what do we do? We finally found a lead, and it turns out to be a dead end?"

"No," Lin Mu said calmly. "It's not a dead end. It's just… not a door we can open right now."

Dugu Ciu nodded. "A wise choice. Rushing in would be foolish. If even Transcendents have fallen there, then going in unprepared is suicide."

"I don't intend to die for curiosity," Lin Mu replied. "Not when the enemy is still hidden."

He glanced down at the jade memory slip again, his expression thoughtful.

"There may be more to pull from this… but later. For now, we need to gather information—quietly. The cultists are organized, and this 'Root' they speak of might not even be in the crypt itself. It could be a node, or worse, a ritual site."

"You'll need connections in the Darkhan Dynasty to even get close," Dugu Ciu said. "That place isn't just politically dangerous. It might seem peacful on the surface but it's teeming with internal political conflict. The Imperial court is filled with factions, and many of them won't take kindly to unknown cultivators poking around their territory."

"Understood," Lin Mu replied. "Then we'll bide our time. I'll gather more intelligence before making any move toward that region."

"Smart," Dugu Ciu agreed. "If you plan to do this, you'll need allies, a cover identity, and something to offer in exchange for access—unless you're prepared to deal with enforcement squads."

Meng Bai glanced between the two. "So, we wait for now?"

"For now," Lin Mu said. "We'll travel, explore, gather information. I'll keep training you as well."

"Still," Dugu Ciu said, lowering his voice, "be careful. You've drawn their attention. That much is clear. Using memory extraction skills… they'll sense it."

"I'm counting on it," Lin Mu replied darkly. "Let them come."

Elder Dugu gave him a long look, then nodded. "I won't ask where you learned such a thing… but do be careful not to let it consume you." He had a hunch that Lin Mu had more than he was showing even if he was from the Green Lotus Temple.

After all, Elder Dugu still didn't know about Lin Mu's identity as the bearer, which the man had kept secret intentionally. He didn't want the attention that came with it after all. Not after the news had barely died down.

It was much easier to operate in anonymity.

Lin Mu simply gave a faint smile.

"There's much to do," he said, slipping the jade slip into his spatial ring. "But for now, I need to check the surrounding territories—see if the cult has tendrils elsewhere. They wouldn't concentrate everything in one spot."

"And the Hawk Eye Sword Sect will support you as a righteous sect and an ally of the Green Lotus Temple," Dugu Ciu said resolutely. "We've seen what you can do. If this threat lies deeper than we know, then we can't ignore it."

"I'll remember that," Lin Mu said, inclining his head.

Outside, a new day was beginning, the first rays of dawn pushing against the heavy clouds that often clung to this region. The sect grounds were quiet, disciples still asleep or in meditation, unaware of the darkness brewing in far corners of the world.

As Lin Mu stepped out of the underground chamber and into the morning light, he paused for a moment.

The path to the Ninefold Crypt was barred—for now. But that would change.

Eventually, the door would open.

And when it did… he would be ready.

***

Deep beneath the scorched cliffs of the eastern expanse, far from the reach of light or prayer, a hidden sanctum pulsed with malignant energy. Veins of blood-colored crystal twisted through the chamber walls, giving off a sickly crimson glow that barely illuminated the towering effigies looming in the dark—each bearing the symbol of an eye circled by thorns.

Nine hooded figures stood in a half-circle around a black stone dais, its surface etched with runes too ancient for modern cultivators to understand. The air here was thick, slow, as if time itself hesitated to pass through.

A low hum filled the silence.

"Unit Seventeen failed," said one of the figures, his voice gravelly and cold.

Several heads turned.

"Failed?" said another, sharper and clipped. "How?"

"We lost all contact. The dissolution seals activated… but one of them lingered longer than expected."

That made the others pause.

"They were all sealed. None of them should have left even a trace," came another voice, more cautious.

"That's just it," the first speaker replied. "One of them didn't dissolve right away. The soul anchor flickered."

A deeper voice, slower and older, cut in. "Flickered?"

"The seal was being suppressed. Then forcibly torn open. And then… consumed."

"Consumed?" A chill spread through the room. "The soul was eaten?"