"Let's go, stay alert, and check it out!"
Cao Ritian had to admit, although somewhat arrogant, he was indeed reliable when it came to business.
He led the way into the village.
Luo Yu glanced at the stele engraved with ancient Qin Dynasty seal script, a smirk curling up at the corner of his mouth. The big brother of the Qin Dynasty was right within himself; he wondered if this Secret Realm had any connection to it.
Probably not.
After all, what stature the Emperor held, a mere mountain village Secret Realm could hardly compare to the Ancestral Dragon of Great Xia legend.
Over a hundred people strode into the village with a grand momentum, and despite encountering the eerie army of green corpses and earthy vines, not a single person was injured or lost.
The elite squad from Martial University, pillars of their community, proved they were the real deal with true skills at hand.
"Strange, what's that sound?"
Zhu Qing frowned.
Luo Yu said, "That sound, is it like a suona?"
"Are there people alive inside?"
Everyone looked incredulous, as most had ventured through several Secret Realms and had never heard of one containing living people.
"Sixth!" Cao Ritian called out.
"Understood."
The young man who had previously flown to scout the situation stepped forward, his eyes capable of night vision, an expert at gathering intelligence in the dark.
A few breaths passed.
Yet the young man stood still, his expression grim.
"What the hell are you dawdling there for, kid?" Zhu Qing, with his explosive temper, couldn't help but curse.
"Sixth, what's going on?" Cao Ritian noticed that this veteran team member's expression was off.
"Big brother, something's off about this place, I can't fly up anymore," Sixth said.
"What?"
Hearing this, everyone was shocked, Martial Artists above Third Rank tried to mobilize their Spiritual Power.
Zhu Qing leaped upwards, only to thump back to the ground.
"Damn it all!"
"What's going on, I really can't fly."
Cao Ritian, Pan Ren, and all the team captains and members exchanged wary glances, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.
"There's something odd about this village."
The captain from Qing Province Martial Arts University, Song Bida, took a deep breath, "This place must have a 'No-Fly' Domain. Not being able to fly is one thing, but if we couldn't mobilize the Spiritual Power within our bodies and were unable to execute our attacks, that would be truly terrifying."
"Everyone calm down, what's there to panic about, your damn mother's eggs, a little oddity means we've found the right place. If there were no clues, what would we even be exploring for?" Zhu Qing cursed irritably, instantly calming the restlessness in the surrounding teammates.
Luo Yu observed this scene, nodding inwardly.
Zhu Qing might appear rough and ready, but he was nuanced underneath. Just one sentence had settled the mood of these teammates. There was good reason for him being a captain.
Luo Yu also quietly mobilized his Spiritual Power, and finding it unaffected, he too felt at ease.
He looked up at the sky.
That giant eye continued to watch over them, mysterious and unfathomable.
The enemy was hidden, and they were exposed. Luo Yu didn't plan to make a move until he figured out who was behind that eye.
Better not to startle the snake.
And surprise whatever strange thing might be lurking in the dark.
The group proceeded once more, but as they entered the village, they were almost disbelieving of the scene before them.
It was not too terrifying, but rather too festive.
The village was decked out in lights and colours, with large red lanterns hung at the entrance of each house, and the word "喜" glowing blood-red in the light of candles. A dedicated rural band was beating drums and gongs, dozens of large red round tables set up in the open space in the village, laden with steaming food and filled with plainly dressed villagers.
"Holy crap!"
"A wild party in the dead of night, eh?" Zhu Qing was a bit shocked.
Pan Ren sneered, "With all the monsters outside, these villagers still have the mood to hold a celebration?"
Luo Yu also frowned; he'd never seen a wedding held in the middle of the night, especially not when the outside was teeming with ghostly green corpses.
His eyes subtly glinted with golden light as he scrutinized the villagers, finding them all to be living beings, devoid of any aura of death.
The feasting villagers seemed to be startled by the sudden appearance of a hundred or so Martial Artists.
"Ah!"
"The monsters are invading the village."
"The Heaven Stele is no longer working."
The villagers started to cry out in panic, scrambling to their feet and scattering in all directions.
The band was even quicker to drop their suonas and run for it.
This scene took the Martial Artists completely aback.
Zhu Qing couldn't help but swear, "Damn it, we haven't even panicked yet, and these folks are treating us like ghosts?"
"It can't really be just ordinary villagers, right?" Pan Ren found it hard to believe.
"Everyone stop!"
"Boom!"
Cao Ritian unleashed the full aura of a peak Third Grade Martial Artist, pressuring everyone within reach, his voice echoing like thunder through the sky.
The villagers trembled with fear, immediately prostrating on the ground.
"Monster Lord..."
"Don't kill us..."
"Shut up, move again and I'll kill you," Cao Ritian spat out, his Qinggang Sword flickering with a chilling light.
Yuan Guangyi from Ning Province Martial University spoke up, "Cao Ritian, don't be so intimidating. These might just be ordinary folks."
Cao Ritian glared, "In a Secret Realm, don't trust anything. Don't tell me they're ordinary villagers, even if my own father appeared in front of me, I'd still brandish my sword and strike him down."
"I agree," Zhu Qing stated in support, "It's so dangerous outside, and this village is throwing a celebration in the dead of night. It all seems fishy, they're clearly not up to any good."
"Hear me out," Pan Ren interjected, "We can't let any oddity slip by, but we can't wrongfully kill a group of innocent people either."
"My subordinate Liu Lin told me that these villagers are speaking in standard Qin dialect. There could be some hidden truth here, so don't act rashly," Pan Ren added.
Luo Yu was not unfamiliar with the name Liu Lin; he was the one who translated the ancient Qin characters at the entrance of the village.
Cao Ritian scoffed:
"You're not suggesting that these villagers are all from the Pre-Qin period, are you? What a joke."