chap 29: Darkhall disciples

Underground, inside a pocket chamber.

Silvan was sitting in the middle of the pool, continually absorbing Qi with his "Qi Shipon" skill.

[Qi Shipon (LV.1): Continually drains Mana from a grasped entity]

He was strengthening a considerable amount of Qi strings continually. This was their second Qi pool. It was also located underground, but its entrance was inside a cave. Weirdly, there weren't any beasts inside the cave, so there was no problem.

Meanwhile, YunYun was at the side. This little fellow was going for another breakthrough after absorbing a considerable amount of Qi from the pool.

Silvan focused and strengthened the Qi strings. The principle was simple: the more Qi he put in, the sturdier this thing became. He could use them in so many ways. Also, during their path coming here, Silvan found an herb with poison attributes. He planted it near the Verdant Heart Pool. Making the ring would not only allow it to absorb the fire essence from the existing herbs but also add mild poison attributes.

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, two hours had gone by. YunYun had finished breaking through to the third stage.

Silvan was also done strengthening the strings. They were thicker and sturdier. He put them in the pouch and threw them into the dungeon. They would come in handy for creating another golem this time, perhaps a real one that moved.

Silvan opened the world map. "YunYun, come here."

Hearing that, YunYun flew toward him and looked at the map. Silvan pointed toward one of the locations. "Is this the place you're talking about?"

YunYun nodded his head. "Yes, that's the one Master told me about. He said he had a few of the seniors plant a bunch of herbs in that cave somewhere for me."

Silvan nodded and looked at the map. The place YunYun was referring to wasn't far from here, but it wasn't on plain land it was on a hill. And the place his Master had mentioned was at the top of the mountain.

Where a monster named "Poison Blood Bats" lived.

They were weak in terms of Cultivation ranks ranging from 3rd stage to 4th stage but what set them apart and dangerous was their numbers.

But that's what Silvan needs more than the herbs he would be able to kill them and gain dungeon points increasing his authority too somehow.

And matter of fact. Those bats are afraid of fire. Making this place a treasure trove for him. If he handles this properly.

"So let's go. I'm done here "

They made their way toward the mountain. As they approached the base, Silvan's sharp ears picked up voices echoing through the trees. He raised his hand, signaling YunYun. "Hide,"

YunYun tucked himself into Silvan's robe, which was loose enough to conceal him, silvan hide behind a tree.

The voices grew clearer. Footsteps crunched through fallen leaves, drawing closer.

"You sure it's this way?" a male voice grumbled. "We've been walking forever."

"Stop whining," another replied "The master said it's just ahead. We can't afford to mess this up."

Silvan's eyes narrowed as the figures emerged from the trees. There were four of them, all dressed in black robes with crimson trim.

Recognition flickered in his gaze. "Dark Hall disciples", he thought.

Leading the group was a tall man with vivid red hair.Beside him on either side were two identical individuals. Their silver hair was cut short, The last disciple, trailing behind, had messy black hair. He walked lazily with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

"Wait," the red-haired leader suddenly said, halting the group. His gaze swept the trees before locking onto Silvan's hiding spot.

"Someone's here. Come out. No point in hiding."

Silvan's mind raced thinking what should he do next. "Just tag along with them" then YunYuns voice echoed in his mind.

Silvan decided to do just that and came out.Silvan exhaled slowly, then stepped out from behind the tree, adopting a neutral expression. "Relax," he said evenly. "No need for hostility."

The black-haired disciple tilted his head. "Huh, one of us"

But the leader raised his hands. "Who's disciple are you?"

Silvan didn't panic, as there's no need to. YunYuns voice, "Say Elder chu"

"I'm Elder Chu's disciple."

"Prove it," the leader said.

Silvan nodded, activating Infernal Demonic Claw not completely, but somewhat. Still, it startled them a bit, seeing the flame darken slightly. That was a trace of him almost mastering it.

"Apologies. We are Elder Qin's disciples. We had to be sure... I'm Ren Su."

As if to confirm his words, Ren lifted his right hand. A vibrant green flame erupted around his palm, swirling like a serpent. The twins followed suit, their hands igniting with the same verdant flame.

And for the last person, he lifted up his palm, revealing five blue needles.

"I'm Elder Ling's disciple."

Silvan's gaze sharpened. "Green flames and needles?"

YunYun's voice echoed in his mind. "That's Elder Qin's signature technique, the Poison Serpent Flame. It's known for its corrosive nature. The flame doesn't just burn it eats away at whatever it touches, leaving a lingering poison that corrodes flesh. It's deadly in prolonged fights. As for the other one, that's the most tricky one. Those needles have paralysis poison be aware."

Silvan nodded, gazing at the techniques. His plan to kill them solidified. He needed those skills.

"Since you're one of Elder Chu's disciples, that makes us allies," Ren said, the earlier tension easing. "If you're heading toward the herb garden, we'll tag along. The more hands, the better."

Silvan deactivated his flames. "Agreed," he said calmly.

They advanced as a group. Silvan moved casually, hands in his pockets, while the other four remained alert as they walked up the narrow paths.

It might look like they were just being cautious in case of monster attacks, but that wasn't the case. He could see clearly that they had their guards up even among themselves. It was obvious none of them trusted each other.

The black-haired one was called Shin Wei. He had the most carefree personality, or rather, he used that to stay on guard at all times.

As for the twins, they were active but weren't very good at hiding their intent Leon Lin and Daen Lin.

As for their cultivation stages, as YunYun had said, stronger ones would come when the gate opened completely. For now, they were at the same stage as him.

[Demonic Human, 7th Stage of Body Tempering](Ren Su)

[Demonic Humans, 6th Stage of Body Tempering] (The twins, Leon and Daen)

[Demonic Human, 5th Stage of Body Tempering] (Shin Wei)

YunYun had warned him to be wary of Shin Wei, despite him being a stage lower than both Silvan and the leader.

Slowly, they started to climb upwards, ignoring the sharp rocks along the path. It wasn't man-made, making it harder to traverse.

Soon, they reached a slope a slightly flattened area and also met some guests.

Darkfang Wolves, to be precise.