A Compendium of One Hundred Demons: My Path to Immortality in a World of Demons and Monsters

Deep within the cave, Xu Yuan stood at the crossroads of three paths, his eyes revealing a sense of calm.

The passage on the right leads out of the mountain, the same path he took when he chased Zhang Biao last time, and he has already explored the altar in the middle passage.

Now, his gaze fell on the leftmost passage that he had never set foot in before.

The entrance to this passage is the narrowest, allowing only one person to pass sideways. The cave walls are damp and slippery, and you can even faintly hear the sound of flowing water coming from deep within.

"An underground river..."

Xu Yuan took out the Netherworld Guide and brought it close to the entrance of the passage on the left.

The surface of the black iron sheet had a dim, eerie glow and showed no directional reaction.

"It seems this passage isn't connected to the Underworld, but perhaps... it leads somewhere else!"

Compared to the two known routes, Xu Yuan no longer hesitated and squeezed into the leftmost passage.

The passage was narrow and cramped at first, but after walking about a hundred steps, it suddenly opened up, and the sound of rushing water came from ahead, and the surrounding air became humid.

Before long, an underground river appeared before Xu Yuan's eyes.

The river was about three zhang wide, and the current was rapid; its destination was unknown.

The river water was a deep black color, and under the dim light of the cave, it shimmered with an eerie glow, giving it a somewhat sinister appearance.

Xu Yuan squatted by the river and reached his hand into the water.

A bone-chilling cold spread from my fingertips; the water temperature of this underground river was abnormally low.

Even more strangely, there seemed to be a faint trace of yin energy mixed in with the river water, which he could hardly detect if he were not extremely sensitive to yin energy.

This yin energy is of the same origin as the yin energy in the altar stone chamber in the central passage, but it is much thinner.

"This underground river... might run through the entire mountain range, even flowing deep into the mountains behind Shuangshan Village," Xu Yuan speculated. "If we follow the river downstream, we'll most likely find a path leading to the rear of the Xiongnu!"

He took out a rope from his storage bag and tied it around his waist, so that he could find the right direction in the rapids later.

After making all these preparations, Xu Yuan took a deep breath and jumped into the river.

"Thump—!"

A bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped my entire body.

Xu Yuan circulated his Qi and blood, forming a thin protective film on his body surface to resist the low temperature.

With his martial arts cultivation at the ninth level of Blood Refinement, he was able to project his Qi and blood outwards. Although he couldn't maintain it for long, he could withstand the cold without worry for a short time.

Xu Yuan drifted downstream, weaving through the darkness like a fish.

Although the effect of the [Mountain Trekking] ability is weakened when he enters water, it still allows him to draw strength from his surroundings. Furthermore, [Yin Qi Perception] helps him avoid many hidden reefs and whirlpools in advance.

The entire underground river meanders and twists, sometimes as wide as a lake, sometimes as narrow as a slit.

Xu Yuan memorized the direction in his mind and discovered that the underground river generally flowed to the northwest.

And this is precisely the direction where Qingyang County meets the Xiongnu grassland!

"really……"

About half an hour later, a faint light appeared ahead.

It wasn't firelight, but a natural glow—moonlight refracted through the water.

We're almost at the exit!

Xu Yuan slowed down, untied the rope around his waist, and silently approached the light.

There was an underwater cave entrance, about ten feet wide, which was covered by dense aquatic plants.

Xu Yuan parted the water plants, held his breath, and carefully poked his head out of the water.

What came into view was a completely unfamiliar river valley.

The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the winding river surface.

Sparse poplar forests line both banks, while the outlines of rolling hills can be seen in the distance.

Clearly, this is no longer within the territory of Qingyang County, but rather... on the edge of the grassland!

Xu Yuan quietly went ashore and hid among the water plants.

He activated the [Conceal Breath] property, suppressing his aura to the extreme, while simultaneously unleashing the full power of [Yin Qi Perception].

After a moment, he confirmed that it was safe to be around.

"This place is at least fifty li away from Qingyang County." Xu Yuan carefully observed the surrounding terrain. "If we go north along the river valley, we should be able to circle around to the rear of the Xiongnu camp!"

Instead of taking immediate action, he took out dry rations and water from his storage bag and began to replenish his strength.

The underwater journey had taken a toll on him, and he needed to recover to his best condition as soon as possible.

After resting, Xu Yuan began to sneak north along the river valley.

The valley's complex terrain, with its jagged rocks and dense poplar forests, provides excellent cover for concealing one's movements.

Xu Yuan moved through the shadows like a ghost, his steps light and swift, making almost no sound.

After walking for about half an hour, a commotion of voices and the neighing of horses suddenly came from ahead.

Xu Yuan crouched low and quietly climbed up a high slope.

Below the slope lies an open area.

There, a Xiongnu force of about five hundred men was stationed, and they were currently cooking.

Judging from the number of tents and the military equipment, this appears to be a logistics and supply unit.

In the center of them, more than a dozen siege weapons were being escorted—the very catapults and battering rams used by the Xiongnu to besiege the city!

"Found the target!" A cold glint flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes, but he did not act rashly.

Although this supply corps is not strong in combat, it would be a waste to alert the main force of the Xiongnu and attract their reinforcements.

Xu Yuan remained hidden on the high slope, observing the layout of the camp below, the patrol routes, and even the changing of the guard times.

At the same time, [Yin Qi Perception] was operating at full capacity, attempting to pinpoint the exact location of the Ancient Shaman Blood Sacrifice Altar.

He quickly sensed it.

About three miles northeast of the supply camp, an extremely strong evil aura rose into the sky.

Unlike what he had sensed on the city wall of Qingyang County, this aura now contained not only blood, resentment, and fear, but also some ancient and eerie divine fluctuations that were beginning to brew and gather within it.

Blood sacrifice altar!

Xu Yuan could even "see" that faint blood-red clouds were gathering in the sky above, and within the clouds, distorted human faces were vaguely emerging, emitting silent wails.

"Has it already progressed to this point...?" Xu Yuan's heart sank slightly.

The blood sacrifice requires three days to prepare: the first day gathers resentment, the second day condenses blood evil, and the third day summons the gods.

Judging from the intensity of the resentment, Guza Shaman's progress is faster than he expected.

We must act quickly!

Xu Yuan noted down the location of the altar and quietly retreated down the slope.

Instead of returning to the valley, he circled around to the west side of the supply camp, taking the only route to the blood sacrifice altar.

He found a secluded spot in the shadows, dug a shallow pit, buried himself in it, leaving only a breathing hole.

This is a common stealth technique used by hunters in the mountains, which can hide their movements and scent to the greatest extent possible.

All that's left to do is wait.

Waiting for the best opportunity to strike!

Time passed by, second by second.

Xu Yuan closed his eyes and regulated his breathing in the pit, while simultaneously circulating the "Netherworld Soul Refining Technique".

This newly acquired soul cultivation technique was incredibly profound. In just a few hours, Xu Yuan not only did not feel the passage of time, but his soul became more solid and his perception of the surrounding environment became more acute.

He could even faintly "hear" snippets of conversation carried on the wind:

"...The shaman said the blood sacrifice must be completed tomorrow night..."

"...When the Eternal Heaven descends, none of those two-legged sheep of the Great Qian will escape..."

"...They thought they could hold out, how laughable..."

Despite the contemptuous remarks of the Xiongnu soldiers, Xu Yuan remained unmoved and continued to lie in wait silently, like the most patient hunter.

ridiculous?

Let's wait until midnight tomorrow and see who has the last laugh.