Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3249: Death Obscuring Torch

Daoist Chu’s brows furrowed. "So to make a torch... you need to be near the very marshes that kill anyone who enters?"

"That is the paradox of it," Lin Mu admitted. "It is both the source and the key."

A quiet murmur passed among the group. The task sounded almost impossible, yet there was something reassuring in Lin Mu’s calm voice. He had faced impossible odds before, and prevailed.

Still, Cattaleya frowned. "That means we will have to rely on that single torch first, doesn’t it?"

"Yes," Lin Mu said. "At least one of us will need to enter the outskirts of the marsh with it, gather the correct Baleful Energy samples, and return. Once we have them, I can replicate the torch’s essence."

Meng Bai clenched his fists, determination lighting his face. "Then we will do it. Whatever it takes."

The Elder Ice Drake had been silent until now, his deep eyes focused on the small torch. His aura slowly grew heavier, filling the chamber like the pressure of an ancient glacier. When he finally spoke, his voice rumbled like thunder beneath ice.

"Then it is decided," he declared. "We shall prepare. The time for patience has ended. The Ice Drakes of the Silent Lotus World will join this cause and march as the vanguard when the day comes. The Ephemera Sect will pay for their crimes in blood."

The others nodded solemnly.

Lin Mu looked at the elder and gave a respectful bow. "Your strength will be invaluable, Elder. Let us begin preparations immediately. The faster we act, the sooner this world will be freed from their corruption."

Daoist Chu clasped his hands together. "I will contact the Xian Sword Sect and relay everything we have learned. They will need time to gather their forces."

Monk Hushu added, "And I will talk to the Silent Lotus Temple. The monks must prepare purification relics and spirit-sealing talismans. The Baleful Energy and the malevolent beings within are not something to face unprepared."

Cattaleya turned to Lin Mu. "And what about you?"

Lin Mu’s gaze hardened slightly. "I will begin studying the torch’s structure and formation inscriptions. If I can understand how the Ephemera Sect made this, I might be able to replicate it. Once I enter the marsh, I will gather the rest of the necessary materials."

The group exchanged firm nods before dispersing. The hall soon emptied, leaving Lin Mu alone with the faint flicker of the Death Obscuring Torch resting in his hand.

He turned it slowly, the black liquid reflecting the faint blue light of the glacial crystals. Despite its crude appearance, he could feel the complex network of runes hidden beneath its surface, pulsing faintly in response to his spiritual sense.

He exhaled, a long and weary sound that misted the cold air. "This will not be easy," he muttered to himself.

There was more to the torch than he had revealed.

He had seen in the Right Elder’s memories that even the Ephemera Sect struggled to create these devices.

The ritual required not only Baleful Energy, but also the essence of a soul willingly sacrificed within the marshes. It was a cruel price, one Lin Mu would not allow to be paid again.

"I will find another way," he said quietly, setting the torch on a table of frozen crystal.

But he didn’t begin working on the torch right, away as there was one more thing he needed to do. Among the memories of the Right Elder he had killed, Lin Mu saw something from a while ago.

He saw himself and his companions from the perspective of the Right Elder.

’He was there when we killed the Greater Ice Elemental...’ Lin Mu furrowed his brows.

Of course, Lin Mu knew why the man hadn’t attacked them as he had to prioritize their goals, and had no guarantee in dealing with the entire group. But what intrigued Lin Mu was the fact that the man could observe him without making him sense it, or even Lin Mu’s Sword Heart.

His sword heart could sense hostility from a distance, even if his Immortal Sense didn’t feel it. Lin Mu knew that this was due to the Spatial Stealth Talismans the man used, but he wished to know just what the limit of it was.

To confirm this, Lin Mu called out to the Saintess.

"Saintess... Are you there?"

He waited a minute before feeling her voice in his ears.

"I am..." The Saintess’s voice drifted over.

"Did you notice anyone watching me from back when I killed the Greater Ice Elemental?" Lin Mu asked.

"..." Hearing that, the Saintess went silent.

She could tell what Lin Mu was implying. He wasn’t guessing that someone was watching him, he already knew. and if he was being watched, she should have known it.

"I didn’t... Who was it?" the Saintess asked with suspicion in her voice.

"The Right Elder of the Ephemera Sect, a Spatial Cultivator." Lin Mu replied, before giving her a detailed explanation of all he learned.

After a minute of silence, the Saintess finally spoke again.

"Looks like the Spatial Talismans he used managed to evade my perception. I’d have to be actively watching that area to know if he was there." The Saintess replied, much to Lin Mu’s surprise.

"Hmm... Just means we’ll have to be more careful now." Lin Mu didn’t blame the Saintess at all, rather he was now thankful for getting a better insight into the Ephemera’s sects people and their capabilities.

Even if he had the memories of the Right Elder, this was still getting the perspective from a Celestial.

"You are going to be going after Ephemera now... Entering that marsh will be risky." The Saintess stated.

"I’ll be careful." Lin Mu said with assurance.

"Just know that if things get truly bad, ask the twins to trigger their ward." The Saintess stated. "I won’t be able to see you all in there, but the ward will transcend it all." She warned before her presence faded away.

"I will, Saintess.... Hopefully it’ll never come to it." Lin Mu said as he looked at the Death Obscuring Torch in front of him.

The faint light from the torch head cast a trembling glow across his face. Lin Mu closed his eyes, his thoughts already turning, his mind working to devise a method that would save lives instead of taking them.

Outside the hall, the Ice Drakes roared their renewed strength into the sky, their cries echoing across the icy valleys. Inside, Lin Mu sat alone in silence, preparing for the storm that was about to begin.

A full week passed in a blur of ceaseless effort and quiet intensity.

During that time, Lin Mu secluded himself within a glacial chamber deep beneath the Ice Drake’s hall. The sound of cracking frost echoed faintly through the cold corridors as he experimented, tested, and adjusted his methods again and again.

The others respected his silence, though their curiosity gnawed at them. They all knew Lin Mu would not remain withdrawn unless the task demanded every ounce of his focus.

When at last he emerged, there was a quiet confidence in his eyes.

His hair was a little unkempt, and his aura carried a subdued pressure that made even Daoist Chu and Monk Hushu take notice. The Death Obscuring Torch hung at his waist, its head faintly darkened as though it had drunk in something during the week of research.

"You’ve found the way, haven’t you?" Daoist Chu asked, breaking the tense silence that hung over the group.

Lin Mu gave a single nod. "I have. The method is workable now. It is not complete, but it should be enough for us to begin. I’ll have to adapt the details when we’re actually there."

Meng Bai’s eyes brightened with hope. "Then it’s finally time?"

"Yes," Lin Mu replied, his tone steady. "But I will explain the rest once we reach the Marshes. The method must begin there, and only there."

The others exchanged uncertain glances. It was not that they doubted him,none of them did, but the Marshes of the Silent Skies were infamous throughout the empire. Even the bravest cultivators avoided it unless they had a death wish.

The name alone carried the weight of countless disappearances and the whispers of souls that never returned.

Still, there was resolve in the air. Daoist Chu was the first to step forward. "Then let us not delay."

Lin Mu nodded, and together they left the icy domain of the Drakes.

At the heart of the glacial range lay an official teleportation array, one commissioned by the Darkhan Dynasty itself. Its grand circular platform was made from an arrangement of special Spatial qi-infused jade that shimmered faintly in the dim light.

These were very expensive and only Darkhan Dynasty could afford to use them. Though even for them, not all their teleportation arrays were made with it. Only the one in the Capital City, and the one in the Glacial Ranges were made with them.

This was due to the fact that the maintenance needed for arrays made with them was quite low. And since entry into the Glacial Ranges was very limited, they’d rather not take on that extra work.