Kakumei nodded, “Yes, not only are there monsters roaming this valley, but the thick fog alone is enough to cause people and beasts to lose their way and perish.”
As the three of them were contemplating, a faint, terrifying roar echoed from within the valley.
Leo and his companions exchanged glances and without hesitation, shouted, “Let’s go!” and sprinted towards the source of the sound.
As they advanced, they encountered more and more skeletal remains. In some places, the bones were piled so high they formed small mounds, a truly shocking sight.
Leo was secretly horrified. This eerie place had devoured countless lives over the centuries; it was more hellish than hell itself.
While he was lost in thought, Kakumei suddenly exclaimed, “Wait! Stop!”
Leo and Zephyr halted immediately. “What is it? Are there zombies?”
“No,” Kakumei pointed ahead with a puzzled expression. “Look, what is that?”
Following Kakumei’s direction, Leo was also taken aback.
Not far away was a large flat area surrounded by four small mounds. On each mound stood a giant stone pillar.
“Master, these mounds and pillars seem man-made, and they look like some kind of array.”
“Indeed, it appears so. Let’s go take a closer look, but be very careful,” Kakumei cautioned.
Leo and Zephyr nodded. The three of them cautiously approached the mounds and pillars.
Upon reaching the base of a mound, Kakumei looked up at one of the stone pillars and gasped, “By the Buddha! It’s a Soul Lock Array!”
Zephyr asked, “Master, what is a Soul Lock Array?”
Kakumei’s face turned grave. “A Soul Lock Array harnesses the power of the Four Sacred Beasts to suppress powerful demonic entities.”
Leo frowned slightly. “Why is this here? Could we have been wrong from the start? Is this not the burial site for those who died in the Battle of Fort Tiger but something else entirely?”
Kakumei pondered for a moment. “It’s possible. We might have overlooked something. Blackwood Valley is over twenty miles from here.”
“Why would they go to such lengths to transport bodies so far for burial instead of burying them on-site?” Zephyr wondered.
“Master, if we were wrong, why do we hear zombie cries here? What exactly is this array suppressing?” Zephyr asked.
Kakumei was equally puzzled. “There are many mysteries we can’t solve right now. Until we find clear answers, we can’t draw any conclusions.”
“Let’s carefully search around for any stone tablets but avoid entering the array to prevent triggering it,” Kakumei instructed.
Zephyr nodded but was curious. “Master, why are we looking for stone tablets? Do they serve a purpose?”
Kakumei explained, “Yes, ancient arrays designed to subdue demons usually have stone tablets nearby to prevent accidental activation. If we find such a tablet, all mysteries will be solved.”
The three of them began searching the grass around the Soul Lock Array.
After a short while, Zephyr called out, “Master, Mr. Bloomer, come quickly! I found a stone tablet!”
Leo and Kakumei were overjoyed.
They hurried over and found a large stone tablet lying in deep grass.
The tablet was weathered and covered in green moss, indicating its age. The inscriptions were also somewhat blurred.
“Quick, see what it says,” Leo urged.
The three of them crouched down and carefully cleared the moss from the tablet to read the inscriptions.
Kakumei tried to decipher it. “After the Battle of Fort Tiger, countless people perished here. At night, ghostly wails often terrified the troops.”
“The king feared future harm and ordered me to bury five hundred soldiers in this valley and set up a Soul Lock Array to suppress them.-Ty Garrett!”
After reading it, the three of them looked at each other in astonishment.
“So that’s what happened,” Leo murmured.
“But something doesn’t add up,” Kakumei said with a puzzled expression.
Leo was taken aback. “Master, what doesn’t add up?”
“Ty Garrett was a legendary figure of The Divination Path, skilled in numerology and highly proficient in Daoist arts. If he set up this Soul Lock Array here, how could his five hundred soldiers turn into zombies and cause harm? Unless…” Kakumei trailed off.
“Unless the array has failed?” Leo and Zephyr said almost in unison.
Kakumei’s eyes gleamed. “It’s very possible. Step back and let me test if this array is still functional.”
Leo and Zephyr nodded and stepped back. They watched as Kakumei solemnly flicked his robe sleeve and shouted, “Go!”
With a sharp clang, a small golden flying sword shot out from Kakumei’s sleeve. It grew several times larger in mid-air, its blade shimmering like a rainbow as it flew towards the array.
As the flying sword approached the Soul Lock Array, it activated, emitting blue, white, red, and black beams of light to intercept it.
To their surprise, the golden sword easily shattered the beams and joyfully entered the array.
However, this wasn’t due to Kakumei’s prowess but because the array was too weak.
After testing it, Kakumei confirmed, “This Soul Lock Array seems to have failed.”
Leo thought for a moment. “This array is over a thousand years old. It’s not surprising that it has lost its effectiveness over such a long time.”
Kakumei nodded. “Let me examine it more closely.”
He carefully inspected the array.
When he reached the northern position marked by the Black Tortoise pillar, Kakumei suddenly shouted, “I found it! Come look at this pillar.”
Leo and Zephyr hurried over to examine the pillar engraved with the Black Tortoise.
The seemingly sturdy pillar was actually riddled with cracks and on the verge of collapse, explaining its weakened power.
Kakumei sighed. “The foundation is cracked, possibly due to an earthquake. This is fate.”
Back then, those five hundred soldiers might have died with unresolved grievances. Although dead, their resentment caused ghostly wails at night.
Ty Garrett was ordered by King Qin to find a suitable place to suppress these restless spirits.
Whispering Valley was chosen for its remote location, hidden entrance, and perpetual fog that deterred intruders.