Chapter 3059: Going To The Exchange Location

The mountain path leading to the valley grew more treacherous with every step.

Towering ridges rose on either side like jagged fangs, casting long shadows over the narrow trail. Mist coiled low to the ground, fed by unseen streams deep in the crags, and a chill wind blew from the south—sharp and dry, carrying the scent of dust and old bones. Birds no longer sang in this region. Even beasts avoided it.

The group pressed forward, Lin Mu at the front with Little Shrubby keeping pace beside him. Meng Bai rode atop the flame beast, occasionally glancing to their sides for signs of ambush.

Elyon brought up the rear, his gaze shifting from shadow to shadow as though he could sense the intentions of the cliffs themselves. Daoist Chu kept a few talismans ready at hand, while his Immortal Sense was active.

Eventually, they reached a narrow cliffside trail that led to a natural alcove between two rocky ridges. There, tucked away behind some overgrown shrubbery, was a small cave—little more than a cleft in the stone, but wide enough for a grown man to crawl through.

"This is it," Elyon said quietly.

Meng Bai frowned. "We’re just leaving the horn here?"

"That’s the arrangement," Elyon replied, pulling the jade box out of his satchel. "Anonymous delivery. No faces, no words. Just the item, and the payment already paid in full."

Meng Bai eyed the dark cave. "How did you even convince the messenger that we’d deliver it ourselves? Wouldn’t they be suspicious?"

Elyon let out a short laugh. "Bit of luck, mostly. That courier’s worked with me before, though he didn’t recognize me outright. Still, my name carries weight in certain circles. Besides—this is a black-market trade. They already paid the middleman for the item. They don’t care who drops it off, as long as it gets here. Risk is part of the price."

Daoist Chu examined the terrain. "Then let’s not risk being caught. I’ll set up the illusion."

They entered the cave briefly and found a stone platform at its rear. There, an empty stone box awaited—likely placed by the opposing party days in advance.

The moment Elyon placed the jade box containing the Illusory River Unicorn Horn within it, a low pulse ran through the ground. A signal, faint but unmistakable. Like an old formation activating to acknowledge the delivery.

"Time to go," Lin Mu said.

They retreated two kilometers north, weaving through craggy terrain and taking up a position on a high outcrop overlooking the cave.

Daoist Chu moved his hands in intricate gestures, weaving layers of illusory energy around them. A shimmering dome cloaked their location, bending light and qi alike. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than part of the cliff face.

"And now we wait," Daoist Chu said, settling into a meditative pose. "As many hours as it takes."

Time passed slowly.

The sun crept across the sky, casting long shadows over the rocky terrain as silence reigned. No one spoke much. Every member of the group watched, waited, and listened.

Then, as dusk approached, a rustling movement in the valley caught Lin Mu’s eye.

"Movement," he whispered.

Everyone snapped to attention.

Down below, from a trail to the east, a group of five figures emerged. They were dressed in rough traveler’s clothes—brown and gray cloaks, nothing remarkable. Their faces were covered by masks, and each of them moved with practiced discipline, never straying too far from formation.

At first glance, they didn’t resemble members of the Ephemera Sect. Their robes bore no crest, no talismans, no flowing elegance. Their qi, too, was strange—dense, coiled, and earthy. It reminded Lin Mu of damp, decaying places. Like old cellars and mold-covered ruins.

"They don’t look like Ephemera," Meng Bai murmured.

"No... but they feel wrong," Lin Mu said. "That aura... like a wet cave. Foul and musty."

"They’re hiding something," Daoist Chu said. "But it’s cleverly concealed. I’d wager illusion arts or false identities."

Elyon narrowed his eyes. His vision, gifted with the darkness of his lineage, pierced deeper than most. As the men approached the cave, he studied every detail—gait, posture, expression.

Then, one detail caught his attention.

One of the men—the leader, perhaps—reached out to take the jade box. His gloved hand briefly lifted into the light, and Elyon froze.

"Wait," he said sharply. "That symbol—on his glove!"

Lin Mu turned. "What is it?"

Elyon’s expression darkened. "It’s the Hidden Cave Sect."

Daoist Chu stiffened. "That’s not possible. The Hidden Cave Sect was eradicated thousands of ago."

"Clearly not all of them," Elyon said. "That sigil—a cracked stalactite surrounded by blind eyes. No one else dares use that mark. I’ve seen it before. Years ago."

Meng Bai frowned. "Another evil sect returning from the grave... First the Drowned Crescent Cult, now this?"

"Looks like they’re working together," Lin Mu muttered. "And if they’re tied to the Ephemera Sect... this runs deeper than we thought."

The figures below retrieved the box, then performed a quick inspection. Satisfied, they nodded to each other and retreated in the direction they had come, disappearing into the rocky mist.

The group above waited a few more minutes to be sure, then slowly withdrew from the illusion barrier.

"They didn’t detect us," Daoist Chu confirmed.

"But they’ll return soon," Elyon said. "Probably with reinforcements or to make use of the horn. We need to move fast."

"They’ll want to test the horn," Lin Mu added. "Likely in that hidden mountain site where they brought the blood essence crystals. That’s where they’re building whatever ritual they’re planning."

"Then we’re heading there next," Meng Bai said, tightening his gloves.

Lin Mu looked southward, eyes sharp.

The pieces were falling into place now—evil sects once thought destroyed were resurfacing, connected by old alliances or new ambitions. The Ephemera Sect, cloaked in silence for so long, seemed to be at the center of it all.

This wasn’t just about stolen crystals or forbidden rituals.

This was about a revival.

A resurgence of something ancient, dark, and buried.

And Lin Mu intended to dig up every root and sever it before it bloomed.

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