Chapter 105: The Painting of the Nine Walls

Having overcome the immediate obstacle, Qin Feng hurriedly pursued the path up the mountain.

Along the way, he encountered several ambushes, all of which he swiftly dispelled using the Heavenly Demon Blood Qigui Coffin technique.

The Heavenly Demon Blood Qigui Coffin is the progenitor of all coffins; to corpses and coffins alike, it is a natural nemesis, sweeping through without restraint. The Earth Corpse Sect specializes in coffins and corpses, so facing Qin Feng—a superhuman anomaly—was their misfortune. He ascended steadily to the mid-slope of the mountain peak.

Yet here, Qin Feng faced a new dilemma.

The path before him suddenly split into three.

His eyes shimmered with a violet glow as he observed closely, furrowing his brow.

Among the three paths, only the middle one was free of ambushes.

Moreover, a strong scent of blood emanated from the middle path—someone must have recently fought there.

Without hesitation, Qin Feng stepped onto the middle trail ascending the mountain.

The Tianhuan Mountain Range stretches endlessly, with thousands of such peaks. Yet this particular summit was heavily guarded, suggesting hidden secrets.

Even though the Tianhuan Mountains contained veins of mystical stones, such caution was unusual. Could there be other hidden mysteries?

Regarding Huo Siyuan’s capture, Qin Feng harbored some doubts. Qiu Huzi had told him that Li Haoran had taken her, not the Earth Corpse Sect. Could there be a connection between the two?

Still, the fact that she was captured alive suggested she was not in immediate mortal danger. Li Haoran must have designs on her, which is why she was taken alive up the mountain. If the captors were from the Earth Corpse Sect, the encounter would have been lethal with no chance for capture alive.

“What does Li Haoran really want?” Qin Feng’s anxiety quickened his pace.

This time, the journey was free of danger. Numerous corpses of the Earth Corpse Sect’s disciples lined the path, confirming Qin Feng had chosen the right route.

The path narrowed gradually into a winding trail that eventually disappeared.

Just then, beneath a broken cliff, Qin Feng spotted a dark cave entrance, well concealed behind several large trees.

As expected!

Qin Feng felt relief, suspecting there was indeed some trickery involved.

He sent forth a black snake clone, which swiftly slithered into the cave. Moments later, Qin Feng raised his brow and leapt in after it.

Inside, there was nothing extraordinary—just a deep tunnel with walls clearly carved by human hands. Along the way were fragments of raw mystical stones, confirming it was a mine.

Qin Feng pressed forward for a long time until reaching the deepest part of the cave.

Here, he halted.

The little black snake also stopped, nervously flicking its tongue as it stared at a tall figure standing with his back to them.

Qin Feng called back the snake clone and looked up.

Before him stood a man in white robes, carrying a flying sword on his back. Despite his elegant scholar-like appearance, he exuded a faint aura of demonic malevolence. He was intently examining a massive, intricately patterned mural, his expression thoughtful.

This attire was unmistakably from Shu Sword Mountain, but the aura belonged to only one person—not Li Haoran—but his sworn life-and-death friend, Zhan Bai.

“Could I have taken the wrong path? Yet encountering Zhan Bai amidst this chaotic battlefield isn’t bad; at least I can persuade him to seize this chance and escape Shu Sword Mountain swiftly.”

Zhan Bai sensed Qin Feng’s arrival and turned to look.

“The moment that little black snake entered, I knew it was you! Come, take a look!” Without hesitation, Zhan Bai pointed to the strange mural.

Qin Feng lifted his gaze and studied the mural carefully. It depicted an ancient battlefield strewn with corpses and countless mystical treasures. Most strikingly, in the southeast area of the battlefield, there was a peculiar enormous azure pool, within which a flickering purple light pulsed continuously.

Surprise flickered across Qin Feng’s face, his eyes gleaming with violet light.

At that very moment, seven huge blood-red eyes within the pool in the darkness snapped open.

Qin Feng was startled, and his violet glow instantly vanished.

“This mural is incredibly eerie!” Qin Feng sighed, still shaken.

He wasn’t sure if Zhan Bai had noticed what he saw, but given his cultivation and insight, he likely discerned something extraordinary in the mural.

“Yes,” Zhan Bai said, “From what I learned from a slain Earth Corpse Sect member, there are nine such murals scattered throughout the Tianhuan Mountains. Each one depicts a scene of war, but each scene is different. Only by combining all nine can one see the complete ancient battlefield. So far, only two of these murals have been discovered; this is one of them.”

“Nine murals?” Qin Feng murmured, deeply shocked.

He examined the edges of the mural again; the fractures were jagged, as if torn apart by tectonic forces.

“Mural, mysterious demon, Li Xingjian…”

Recalling the sect invasion battle three days ago, and the subsequent war between Shu Sword Mountain and the Earth Corpse Sect, Qin Feng suddenly understood.

So it was all about these nine strange and mysterious murals!

That explained why even a vein of mystical stones couldn’t justify such fierce conflict between the two sects. Their strength was roughly equal. Over a thousand years, there had been minor skirmishes but both sides remained cautious, never escalating to full-scale sect warfare.

But this time was different—oddly so.

What did sect warfare signify? At best, it meant heavy losses in strength, at worst, it could lead to annihilation. Furthermore, other top sects and powerful families in Yunqi Country were watching closely. Even if one side won by luck, maintaining a top-three position in the future was uncertain.

What drove them to take such risks?

The answer must lie within these strange murals!

“But what is the mural’s purpose? What secret does it conceal? What value could make two sects go mad over it?”

One question after another rose in Qin Feng’s mind, perplexing yet unanswered. He looked to Zhan Bai for answers.

Zhan Bai smiled, an inexplicable and mournful smile.

Qin Feng was stunned but sensed a hint of mockery in his laughter—not aimed at him, but likely directed at Shu Sword Mountain.

The bitterness and sorrow in Zhan Bai’s heart were understood by no one in Shu Sword Mountain but Qin Feng alone.

Zhan Bai’s feelings for Shu Sword Mountain ran deep—deep enough to cherish every tree, every person within. Yet those he loved had deeply hurt him.

Now, Shu Sword Mountain was at war, countless sect disciples and old friends falling before his eyes—not at the hands of enemies but victims of conspiracy and unseen puppeteers.

Qin Feng knew this pain well. If it were him, seeing one Qin family disciple after another fall would be even more agonizing.

Yet Zhan Bai remained relatively strong inside.

Qin Feng firmly believed Zhan Bai would ultimately make the right choice.

These were the emotions stirring within two men’s hearts. In an instant, Zhan Bai regained his composure and asked Qin Feng, “Are you here to rescue Huo Siyuan?”

Qin Feng’s heart leapt. He had not taken the wrong path. But where was Huo Siyuan?

Zhan Bai did not answer directly. Instead, he fixed his gaze once more on the giant mural and said gravely, “I saw Li Haoran enter the cave with Huo Siyuan. When I arrived here, they were gone. So I suspect this mural is involved.”

Qin Feng nodded. He suspected the same.

Zhan Bai continued, “I studied this mural for a long time. I believe it is a door.”

Qin Feng was surprised and asked, “A door? Leading where?”

Zhan Bai nodded, “Yes, a door! What is painted here likely shows where it leads.”

“Oh? Could it truly be, as the mural depicts, an ancient battlefield?” Qin Feng mused. If so, the entire Tianhuan Mountain Range would be a burial ground for an ancient war—a vast treasure trove. Its value would far exceed that of the mystical stone veins. Perhaps the very existence of this ancient battlefield caused the spiritual energy to seep out slowly, forming the veins.

Few had discovered this secret. The miners who worked here were likely silenced. Or until this war ended, few would know.

Because this was the true treasure within Tianhuan Mountain.

The ultimate goal of the sect rivalry and the object coveted by those mysterious figures.

As they spoke, Zhan Bai stepped forward and stopped before the mural, reaching out toward the lake in the southeast section.

“Zhan Bai, don’t touch it!” Qin Feng exclaimed, alarmed.

Too late. The moment Zhan Bai’s palm touched the mural, rippling waves spread outward from his hand.

His arm was drawn into the mural as if sucked in.

Startled, Zhan Bai tried to withdraw, but the immense force was overwhelming. In moments, he plunged entirely into the mural.

Suddenly, Qin Feng instinctively rushed forward, managing to grab Zhan Bai’s feet. But the force was too great; both were pulled into the mural.

After some time, inside the cave, a middle-aged woman appeared briefly, glanced at the mural, then plunged into it as well...