The eyes of the master of the forbidden zone shone and her entire body emitted a monstrous ferocity. Faintly, from the depths of this forbidden zone, there came a sharp sound of a zither.
The sound of the zither resonated throughout the entire forbidden zone, causing the domain to tremble. From within the trees emerged skeletal figures, and from the vegetation emerged malevolent spirits, one after another.
They erupted with killing intent toward Xu Qing.
The appearance of this place also changed drastically under the zither music.
If the entire forbidden zone had been concealed by a veil previously, it was now lifted, revealing its true form. Many of the plants and vegetation here were formed by malevolent spirits, and a number of the towering trees were composed of piles of skeletons.
Normal plants and trees constituted about forty percent of the area, while the remaining sixty percent of the forbidden zone was pervaded by skeletons.
Those were the countless beings who had perished here over many years.
"This forbidden zone isn't yet at its peak strength, only halfway through its transformation. When it reaches its full transformation, it will be a truly formidable forbidden zone. At that point, it will be beyond our capability to suppress, requiring even more manpower."
"Right now though, we can attempt to seal it."
Daoist Sima's figure walked out of the great wing. He looked at the master of the forbidden zone and spoke to Xu Qing.
Daoist Sima's words caused the zither music in the depths of the forbidden zone to become even sharper. The surrounding skeletons also let out roars.
The shadow also revealed the emotions of desire to Xu Qing.
However, Xu Qing didn't bother with these. After he bowed to Daoist Sima, he looked at the master of the forbidden zone and calmly spoke.
"Please reveal the person I want to see. This is the rule of this forbidden zone."
The sound of the zither reverberated with determination as the master of the forbidden zone spoke coldly.
"The dignity of the forbidden zone is inviolable!" She declared, raising her hand, and the entire forbidden zone began to reinvigorate, repelling and expelling, erupting in full force.
The battle was about to begin.
Xu Qing lifted his right hand and pointed at the sky.
"Taboo!"
In the capital city of the county, which was extremely far away from here, the Taboo magic treasure trembled. A golden light flashed in the sky and it instantly headed in the direction of the Nanhuang Continent.
Marquis Yao, who was handling official business in the County Governor's residence, sensed something. He looked up and smiled, not minding it.
In an instant, the golden light appeared in the sky above the Nanhuang Continent and above the scavengers' forbidden zone. It transformed into a large golden net that enveloped the forbidden zone, emitting a terrifying suppression.
The zither music stopped abruptly.
For the first time, the expression of the master of the forbidden zone changed. She abruptly lifted her head and stared fixedly at the golden net in the sky. The fog behind her churned because of the shock she felt.
The skeletons and evil souls that occupied 60% of the forbidden zone also paused.
A long time later, the master of the forbidden zone retracted her gaze. She fell silent for a moment before waving her hand. Immediately, a red fog separated from her body and began to gather at the side.
This fog seemed to be formed from her source, as she appeared a little blurry after separating it.
The process of gathering wasn't fast, as though there was some unwillingness. However, in the end, it still slowly formed a pair of sandals.
Those were the sandals Captain Lei wore before he died.
A wave of emotions surged within Xu Qing as the fog distorted, gradually forming Lei's figure. Separated by the fog, their eyes met, locked in a silent exchange.
His expression revealed relief and emotion.
Xu Qing's eyes turned slightly red.
"Captain Lei…"
Captain Lei smiled and nodded at Xu Qing. After that, he looked around and seemed to sigh softly. He then slowly retreated until he turned into fog again and dissipated.
The pair of sandals also gradually retreated until they disappeared into the fog.
Xu Qing fell silent.
He recalled something Captain Lei had said back then.
"Don't wait, for waiting till the end will ultimately result in emptiness…"
"Emptiness?" Xu Qing mumbled. He was still waiting as he looked at the fog.
He was waiting for the figure that might appear next.
Since the legend of this forbidden zone allowed one to see the person they wanted to see after hearing the singing voice for the second time, Xu Qing felt that other than Captain Lei, he also wanted to see Grandmaster Bai and Lord Sixth.
He also wanted to see his parents.
However… as time passed, and after waiting for a while, Xu Qing didn't witness the appearance of the second pair of sandals. This left him feeling somewhat desolate, his mood heavy and somber as he gazed towards the master of the forbidden zone.
"Senior, aren't there other figures?"
The eyes of the master of the forbidden zone narrowed as she stared fixedly at Xu Qing.
Qingqin let out a deep cry, the great wing spread out its might, and the Taboo net shone.
The master of the forbidden zone fell silent.
Gradually, Lord Sixth's figure appeared in the fog.
Lord Sixth's expression was a little blank at first before he fell into deep thought. Finally, his gaze landed on Xu Qing.
He smiled.
Looking at Lord Sixth, sadness rose in Xu Qing's heart. He cupped his fists and bowed heavily.
Lord Sixth smiled and returned the greeting. His figure slowly blurred until he disappeared into the fog.
The fog began to return.
"I wonder if Senior can lure Grandmaster Bai and my parents out. If there's a certain price, I can pay it."
Xu Qing spoke politely.
However, his politeness was ignored by the master of the forbidden zone. The dignity from the forbidden zone caused the sound of the zither to rise again. It was incomparably sharp. The expression of the master of the forbidden zone was extremely cold and her cold voice echoed.
"The Flame Phoenix has decreed that the Nanhuang Forbidden Zone shall not be violated, and those who trespass upon the Nanhuang Forbidden Zone shall be suppressed by the Phoenix Forbidden!"
The surrounding skeletons all roared.
Even though the Taboo net in the sky, Qingqin, and Daoist Sima's pressure erupted at this instant, the brutality here still rose.
The forbidden zone could be suppressed and sealed but its dignity couldn't be violated.
However, at the next instant, a purple-red light flashed from Qingqin's entire body. The head in the center revealed pride and disdain. With a sway of its, a red feather appeared in its mouth.
