Although these planks wouldn't be able to hold back any demonic beasts, they would certainly help to establish Zhang and Cai Cao's territory, this would help ward off regular animals and keep demonic beasts wary of them. There was also the added sense of security one gets when surrounded on all sides by walls. As the day went on a circular fence was slowly erected and two tents were eventually set up.
"Rest early, we're going to have to get up early tomorrow and have a look at the surrounding area." Cai Cao said to Zhang before entering his tent and going to sleep for the night.
Late in the night while Zhang and Cai Cao were fast asleep, elsewhere within the graveyard, underneath the moonlight, a group of six people were making their way through the woods, some with frantic expressions on their faces.
"I-I don't know!" Another young man also dressed in the standard Misty Mountain Sect's robes.
"Shut up Kong Sun! You didn't have to come here with Brother Cheng!" A scholarly looking young man yelled, oddly enough of the group he was the only one who was able to remain calm.
As they weaved through the labyrinth of trees, the enormous shadow continued to close in on them. Within the seemingly never ending darkness, countless blood red eyes emerged. It seemed that whatever or whoever this silhouette seemed to be without shape or form because the shadow itself moved through the woods with blinding speeds, without having to evade the trees at all.
Soon enough the group of six found themselves outside of the woods and in a clearing, but to their horror the shadow was no but a few steps away from them.
However unlike their expectations, where they fight to the bitter end against the silhouette turned out to be, once the moonlight struck the silhouette, nothing was revealed. It was as if the moonlight itself was absorbed, as only darkness darkness continued to be present.
Like mist, the darkness enveloped the six and seeped into their very pores. From their mouths, ears, noses and eye, an endless amount of darkness gushed into their bodies.
"Incompatible…" Said Lu Gong as his very own shadow rose up from the ground and engulfed him and the five corpses laying on the ground, leaving nothing behind but six skeletons and some magical weapons.
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Outside was Cai Cao, who was hunched over by the stove that Zhang made. In front of him was a sizzling pan with succulent looking fish on it. From where Cai Cao got this fish, Zhang did not care because the only thing on his mind right now is when he can take a bit out of it. Thus he stood behind Cai Cao with drool dripping out of his mouth as he eyed the juicy looking fish that looked like it would be ready to be eaten at any moment.
Like most people who entered the Graveyard, few knew of the true dangers that lurk within, much like the group of six that had met their unfortunate end last night.
Rather they are somewhat looking forward to their little adventure that they are currently on. The thrill of exploring and possibly finding things and places that few have seen, is always an enticement for adventure seekers.
Since there was nowhere else that either of them currently needed to be, Zhang and Cai Cao could take their time here. Of course there was the assembly that they had to attend, but that was a while away and they did not need to worry about it.
With a grin, Zhang took the lead and the two of them made their way through the woods. Generally the animals in the outer ring of the Graveyard were regular animals that possed little to no threat to cultivators. Of course if a tiger or something of the sorts popped up it would be somewhat of a challenge for someone with Zhang's cultivation, but for someone such as Cai Cao, it would be only a matter of time for him to dispatch the tiger.
"Oh yea it's time to use one of those magical items that we got from the shop." Cai Cao said as he pulled out a scroll from his robes. This of course was the painting of a chicken that he had bought.
"Isn't it a bit early to be thinking of dinner?" Zhang asked.
"Those things seek out treasures?" Zhang asked.
"That scroll can temporarily summon a low tier golem. Keep it just in case." He said to Zhang.
"This please is a treasure trove for rare plants." Zhang said as he plucked one herb after the other as they continued moving through the woods. They had not even made a total of fifty steps and Zhang and Cai Cao had both collected dozens of herbs already.
It could be said that places like the one that they were going to enter soon have been combed through by other people countless times, but occasionally treasures would still appear and it was rare for people to bring magical items like the ones that Cai Cao had brought.
Being the oldest forbidden zone within the sect, many people believed that most of the treasures within the Graveyard have already been taken anyway so few come here and even fewer bring magical scrolls to use. The few that come here are mostly made up of adventure seekers and hopefuls such as Zhang and then there are people who come here to train, such as the group of six that had meet their demise.
"You could imagine the intense battle that happened here, the attacks were so powerful that the earth has remained scarred and barren for countless years." Zhang said as they made their first steps into the ancient battle zone.
"Search." He commanded.
"It seems that it has found something." Cai Cao gestured to Zhang as he pointed at the chicken.
"Wow" Zhang said as he saw the object gleam underneath the sunlight.
"It's an iron boot." Zhang said as he picked up a rusty iron boot from the ground.
"I guess had we found this hundreds of years ago, it could be considered a treasure." Cai Cao said with a sigh as he looked at the rusty iron boot in Zhang's hand.
Of course hopes are usually dashed and dreams were usually crushed because a while later, Zhang now had three rusty boots laid out on the ground in front of him.