NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31: A Ruthless Trap
Less than half an hour after Chu Xiu’s departure, flying ships converged above the forest.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Figures leaped from the ships, scattering among the trees.
“What happened, Chen Mofan?” a man in blue robes, his sword-like eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, demanded. “You let Chu Xiu escape?”
The two hundred disciples surrounding them shifted, their gazes turning hostile, their hands hovering over their weapons, ready to turn on their own comrades. The thick killing intent made Chen Mofan’s companions pale.
“Please, Senior Brother Yan, allow me to explain,” Chen Mofan said, forcing a smile.
“We encountered Chu Xiu here, just an hour ago. He was too alert. He ran the moment he saw us. His movement technique is incredibly fast. We couldn’t catch him.”
Senior Brother Yan, his cultivation at the peak of the ninth level of the Divine Bridge Realm, scowled. “Then why did you summon us?”
Chen Mofan’s expression turned serious. He pulled a leather scroll from his robes. “Chu Xiu dropped this as he fled.”
“What is it?” Curious gazes turned towards the scroll.
“It concerns a heavenly treasure,” Chen Mofan said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “The Infant Soul Demon Fruit.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
“A heavenly treasure? The legendary Infant Soul Demon Fruit?!”
Greedy eyes fixed on the scroll, their owners barely able to contain their excitement.
“Chen Mofan,” Senior Brother Yan asked, his brow furrowed in suspicion, “if you found this, why didn’t you go after the fruit yourself? I find it hard to believe you’re being this generous. What’s your angle?”
“See for yourself,” Chen Mofan replied with a sigh, tossing the scroll to Senior Brother Yan.
He caught it, unfurled it, and his eyes widened. It was a map, clearly marking the location of the treasure.
“The place is called Yin Demon Mountain,” Chen Mofan explained. “It’s extremely dangerous. The five of us… we didn’t stand a chance. That’s why we called for reinforcements.”
“You all know how valuable a heavenly treasure is. A ripe Infant Soul Demon Fruit… it’s Immortal-grade! A mid-Dao Palace realm cultivator could gain enlightenment and directly break through to the Divine Ability realm just by consuming one! Even if we just sold it, it would fetch tens of thousands of Divine Origin Stones.”
“But I’m telling you upfront,” he added, his voice laced with feigned reluctance, “we five deserve a larger share. We’re taking a huge risk here.”
The disciples laughed, readily agreeing to his terms.
‘A larger share? With this many of us here? He’s dreaming…’
“Senior Brother Yan, let’s go!” a woman in red robes urged. “What if Chu Xiu gets there first?”
The others echoed her impatience. They weren’t actually worried about Chu Xiu reaching the mountain alone. A mere Sea of Qi realm cultivator couldn’t possibly survive the dangers of Yin Demon Mountain.
Their true concern was that more disciples would arrive soon, and every additional person meant a smaller share of the treasure.
Senior Brother Yan, understanding their eagerness, nodded. “Alright, let’s move out!”
The disciples, their faces alight with excitement, boarded their flying ships and set off towards Yin Demon Mountain.
Chen Mofan and his companions exchanged knowing glances, boarding their own ship and following the group.
Hidden among the trees, Chu Xiu smiled, watching them go.
‘Greed… it’s such a powerful motivator…’
…
Several hours later, Senior Brother Yan and his group of 231 disciples arrived at Yin Demon Mountain.
They gazed at the mist-shrouded peaks, their expressions turning grim. But their numbers bolstered their courage.
Without hesitation, they began their ascent.
“This mist disrupts divine sense,” Senior Brother Yan called out. “Stay close! Don’t get separated!”
“Understood!”
“Don’t worry, Senior Brother!”
An hour later, they reached the halfway point.
“See? This Yin Demon Mountain isn’t so dangerous after all,” a female disciple remarked, a confident smile on her face. “We haven’t encountered anything too challenging so far.”
“Don’t let your guard down, Junior Sister Wang,” Senior Brother Yan scolded. “Pride comes before a fall.”
“Fine, fine…” She stuck out her tongue playfully, her demeanor still relaxed.
The others shared her sentiment. They had only encountered a dozen or so Sea of Qi realm Yin Demons and two Divine Bridge realm zombies. Nothing their large group couldn’t handle.
They continued their ascent.
As they neared the summit, the air grew colder, the mist thicker, and the Yin Demons more numerous.
But it was still within their capabilities.
Just as they approached the peak…
Chen Mofan and his companions slipped away, their figures disappearing into the mist as they descended the mountain.
Chu Xiu had gone to a lot of trouble to lure them here. If there wasn’t a trap waiting at the summit… they’d eat their own shoes.
Time to leave… before things get messy…’
Any guilt about abandoning their comrades? None whatsoever. Survival was paramount. Let the others die; their lives were their own.
…
Senior Brother Yan and his group reached the summit.
A thousand meters away, nestled within the crevice of a black rock, they spotted it.
A strange plant, resembling both a tree and a spirit herb, about two meters tall, its pale branches like skeletal fingers, a single, fist-sized, crimson fruit hanging from its only branch. The faint sound of a baby’s laughter echoed from the fruit, a chilling sound that sent shivers down their spines.
But instead of fear, their eyes lit up with greed.
“The Infant Soul Demon Fruit! It’s really here!”
“We’re rich! We’re rich!”
“Hahaha! We’re going to be so rich!”
Some of the disciples surged forward, eager to claim the treasure.
“Hold on!” Senior Brother Yan called out, his brow furrowed. “Something’s not right. The color… it’s wrong. It’s not ripe yet.”
“I’ve seen illustrations of a mature Infant Soul Demon Fruit in ancient texts. It should be blood-red and radiate a holy aura.”
“If we consume it before it’s ripe, it’ll be useless! We’ll be consumed by Yin energy!”
“Then what do we do?”
“We can’t stay here and wait for it to ripen! We don’t have that much time!”
“Should we just take it and go?”
They huddled together, their voices a mix of excitement and uncertainty.
Rumble… Rumble…
Four crimson pillars of light erupted from the ground, encasing the disciples in a radiant, shimmering barrier.
Senior Brother Yan’s face paled. “A trapping formation! We’re trapped! Run!”
He transformed into a blur, attempting to escape, to descend the mountain.
Thud!
He slammed into an invisible barrier, his body flung back, the impact knocking the air from his lungs.
The formation closed, sealing them within.
A crimson mist began to seep from the ground, filling the air.
The disciples, their weapons drawn, prepared to attack the barrier, but the mist, as if alive, flowed into their mouths and noses, invading their bodies.
Their eyes, once bright with excitement and greed, glazed over, then turned blood red.
“An illusion formation…” a female disciple screamed, her voice filled with terror.
Slash!
One of the disciples, his face twisted in a mask of rage, beheaded the woman, his laughter echoing through the mist.
“You… you monster! You killed my mother! Die! Die! Die!”
“The Infant Soul Demon Fruit is mine! Kill! Kill! Kill!”
“That heavenly treasure… it’s mine! You don’t deserve it! Die!”
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Heads flew through the air, blood spraying like a fountain, the once pristine summit of Yin Demon Mountain transformed into a gruesome abattoir.
Senior Brother Yan, his mind still clinging to a sliver of clarity, watched the carnage unfold, his face contorted in horror and disbelief.
“No… stop… don’t do this… stop it…”
But his pleas were lost to the wind, swallowed by the crimson mist, unheard by those trapped within the illusion.