Chapter 221: Source Lockman

Learning from the past, everyone quickly retreated, moving far away from the lake, fearing they would perish there.

After retreating several hundred meters, the eight people turned back to observe. The more they looked, the more their hearts trembled. A blood-red mist rose gently like tendrils of vengeful spirits. The small lake, only a dozen meters across, was so red it made hearts palpitate, so vibrant it was suffocating. That pool of water seemed capable of swallowing the heavens and earth.

"What kind of lake is this? Why is it so terrifying?" one person shivered uncontrollably. It wasn't that he was timid, but the atmosphere here was utterly unsettling. Facing the blood lake, one couldn't help but tremble.

Far from the "Fire Dragon Tomb" and "Dragon's Blood," they stood on higher ground. The others also noticed something unusual. Looking at the great rift valley and the small bloody lake as a whole, they immediately identified their shape.

"This is truly a bleeding earth dragon! How could such a terrain exist?" someone exclaimed, cold sweat pouring down their body. It was incredibly similar—a work of supernatural craftsmanship! This mountain terrain looked as if it had been meticulously carved, not a natural formation at all. Several cultivators were drenched in cold sweat. Seeing such a landscape, they were somewhat stunned, but more than that, they were filled with fear.

Ye Fan checked the sky. The sun was setting in the west, casting its glow. His expression suddenly changed, and he shouted, "We need to retreat further!"

The Source Heavenly Scripture recorded that the "Fire Dragon Tomb" and "Dragon's Blood" were most perilous during the transition from day to night. Seeing Ye Fan's urgency, everyone's expressions changed dramatically. They followed him, sprinting wildly.

When they had run several li, as the sun skimmed the horizon, about to set, a terrifying dull sound emanated. The great rift was shaking, and the water in the blood lake surged, gushing from the ground and rising into the air.

The cultivation levels of the eight survivors varied, with the weakest falling behind by a full li. A heart-rending scream pierced the air. The seven survivors turned back, watching as he was instantly flung into the air, caught by a mysterious force, and directly plunged into the blood lake. Not even a ripple appeared; he simply vanished.

The others were scared out of their wits but dared not fly. Instead, they ran at full speed, chasing after Ye Fan and Old Man Daozi, who were fast disappearing on the horizon.

Ye Fan finally stopped when they were over ten li away. The others gradually caught up, one by one, sweating profusely—not from exhaustion, but purely from fright.

"If I could choose again, I would never come to this dreadful place. Even if I were given a mountain of source stones, I wouldn't be tempted," a young cultivator said, his voice trembling with tears. The others shared the same feeling, their faces pale, looking as if they regretted it too late.

"This Primordial Restricted Zone is too extraordinary. We're still far from the ancient mine, yet we've encountered such a perilous place. If we had rashly continued forward just now, we might all be dead there," one of them said, trembling.

"That's a supremely ominous land formation – the True Dragon's Coughing Blood!" Old Man Daozi's face was grim.

"You've heard of it, old man?" Ye Fan was inwardly shocked but kept his expression calm.

"Young man, you seem to know more than I do. If not for your warning, perhaps few of us would be left," Old Man Daozi glanced at him.

"I just sensed danger by instinct. I don't understand it. Old man, please tell us more in detail," Ye Fan asked.

"I'm not very clear on it myself. I've only heard fragments," Old Man Daozi shook his head and said, "I don't know how many years ago, I think at least seven or eight thousand years, or even ten thousand years." In the past, someone had encountered such terrain in the Northern Region. At that time, countless people died, many of whom were great figures of that era. Ultimately, a Source Heavenly Master emerged and managed to decipher that kind of terrain. However, he paid a huge price, nearly dying, and within half a year, that Source Heavenly Master mysteriously disappeared.

"Does one have to break open such a mountain formation? Is there something hidden underneath?" one of the cultivators asked, very perceptively.

"Of course, otherwise, who would go to their death?" Old Man Daozi stopped speaking, saying no more.

Ye Fan sighed inwardly. Both the "Fire Dragon Tomb" and "Dragon's Blood" contained divine sources, at least two pieces, just over ten li away. Unfortunately, he had no way to retrieve them. This was the first time he had clearly detected divine sources. If he possessed world-shaking combat power and fully comprehended the Source Heavenly Scripture, perhaps he could try to come here. For now, he could only compose himself. Just being able to leave alive would be the greatest success.

As darkness fell, the group of seven walked slowly. Even though their strength was considerable, they dared not walk quickly. They looked in all directions, carefully observing the terrain, fearing they might accidentally enter a deadly trap. Because terrain like the "Fire Dragon Tomb" and "Dragon's Blood" was certainly not unique; there must be other dangerous places.

"Old Man Daozi, are you sure this path leads out of the restricted zone? I feel like we're heading towards the ancient mine," a cultivator said tremblingly. The sun had long disappeared, and the sky was dark. There were no stars or moon, and a faint mist rose from the vast red earth, making it impossible to discern their direction.

Old Man Daozi also frowned. The further they walked, the more disoriented they became. This seemed to be a confounding area. The surroundings were silent, and the atmosphere was eerie. Red grit covered the ground, crunching softly underfoot with a 'kaka' sound that echoed far in the quiet and empty night. The seven dared not be careless. They walked without their feet touching the ground, fearing they might disturb something, as there were too many legends about the Primordial Ancient Mine.

After walking for a quarter of an hour, they completely lost their sense of direction, as if they had entered a labyrinth. The sky grew darker and darker. The mist swirled, initially like a thin veil, then growing thicker and thicker, getting so dense that they could barely see their own hands.

"I think we can't go on," a cultivator stopped, his heart pounding. "I just feel like the direction is wrong."

"I have that feeling too. This doesn't seem to be the way out," another person echoed, fear in his eyes. "If we walk into the Primordial Ancient Mine, we'd be truly stranded, unable to call upon heaven or earth for help." Everyone's hearts grew heavy. Losing their way and unable to find the path back meant as good as losing half their lives in this Primordial Restricted Zone.

Old Man Daozi was silent for a long time, then sighed. "We can't just stop either. Otherwise, I'm worried something might happen."

"We absolutely cannot go any further! Otherwise, we might really step into the ancient mine, and by then, there will be no chance to regret it!"

"Let's wait until sunrise tomorrow before we move."

"Stopping isn't right; this place is unnerving!"

The opinions varied, and they began to argue.

"What do you think, young man?" someone asked Ye Fan, and Old Man Daozi also looked his way.

"Let me think, let me consider..." Ye Fan was troubled, unable to calm down, always feeling that this area was eerie. He looked up, but there were no stars or moon, only a dim, oppressive sky, like a black cloth draped over it. Looking out, he couldn't see the ground, only mist swirling around them, as if they were trapped in a box. This was strikingly similar to the 'Ghost Mist' recorded in the Source Heavenly Scripture. One could fix mountains and dragon veins to lock divine sources; conversely, evil sources could also seal off heaven and earth, trapping and killing people.

The rising Ghost Mist was an extremely ominous sign. They had very likely entered a dangerous land and would be sealed to death here. If sources trapped people, it was the most perilous; it was a death trap! Ye Fan cursed. After learning the Source Heavenly Scripture, he hadn't yet found and locked sources, but instead found himself trapped. At any moment, it could be fatal.

The Ghost Mist permeated the air, its murderous intent hidden. Once triggered, everyone would instantly be reduced to a bloody pulp. It could be said that the gates of hell had opened for them. Now, he finally understood why, since ancient times, only five Source Heavenly Masters had appeared in the Northern Region: the dangers they faced were too terrifying. This profession rarely ended well.

"Everyone, we've encountered a huge problem. Who can go back the way we came?!" Everyone's hearts were heavy; this was the news they most dreaded hearing.

"This place is like a maze; we've long lost our sense of direction. How can we find our way back?"

"I did leave some marks, but when I tried to sense them, I found the connection was lost," Old Man Daozi sighed.

Ye Fan felt a chill. Trapped and killed by an evil source, it was almost impossible to break; it was practically a death trap. He had never fixed veins or locked sources in his life, yet he was about to be trapped to death. This truly frustrated him. He was probably the most unfortunate Source Heavenly Master apprentice in history.

Ye Fan squatted down and drew on the ground, calculating something. "There's still a chance. We haven't entered the central area, only the periphery. There's only ghost mist, nothing else. Perhaps we can get out."

"What are you saying, young man? Is there still a way out?"

"Daoist, we're all counting on you. You must think of a way." Everyone gathered around.

Ye Fan looked at them seriously and said, "Think carefully, and each of you draw me a route map. Based on your feelings, draw the area you've walked through along the way."

Everyone sensed the gravity of the situation and didn't dare to delay. They all squatted down and drew diagrams on the red sand. Just as Ye Fan expected, everyone's maps were vastly different, as if they hadn't walked together but had come from different directions and paths.

Ye Fan pieced the seven maps together, studying them carefully. Occasionally, he would stand up and continually measure distances within a hundred-meter radius, moving from one position to another. Half an hour later, he finally let out a long breath. They hadn't fallen into a death trap; he had thought of a way to escape.

However, when he stood up, he was suddenly stunned. There were seven figures sitting not far away. Counting him, there should only be seven people. Why was there an extra person?

"Who...who is that?!" Hearing his low shout, everyone was alarmed. Five figures stood up, quickly moving away from that spot.

The sixth figure shot up, swift as a phantom. In a blink, it vanished into the thick mist, its form elusive, its face unseen. The people present all turned ashen, cold sweat pouring down. In just a brief moment, their clothes were drenched. What was that thing? They hadn't even seen it clearly! One person's teeth were chattering, his whole body trembling. "I vaguely saw it. It wasn't human; its body was covered in animal fur!"

Hearing this, everyone's scalps tingled. That fur-covered thing had just been sitting not far from them, yet they had been completely unaware. This terrified everyone.

"What...what happened to him?!" One person remained seated on the ground, like a weathered stone statue. The others stepped forward to reach him. All their expressions changed; it was truly horrific to behold. The person's skull had been pried open, and the brain matter inside was like bean curd, white and viscous. Most of it had been consumed, with only a small portion remaining.

"Hiss!" Old Man Daozi pointed with a backhand motion. A seven-colored rainbow ray shot out, piercing into a patch of thick mist. A shadowy figure swiftly vanished there, darting into the depths of the darkness.

The others pressed forward together. At that spot, they found a small puddle of brain matter, with two black animal hairs stuck to it. Clearly, the brain matter had dripped from the creature's mouth and belonged to the deceased person; only the animal hairs were from the mysterious creature.

"Let's leave here. Don't worry about it." Ye Fan stepped forward. The most crucial thing now was to get out of this confounding area. Divine sources were buried beneath this land; if they stayed too long, they might truly be unable to leave.