Upon hearing this, several academy disciples trembled; such a thing was still too cruel for them.

Zuan shook his head: "That shouldn't be the case. If a monster ate it, there would still be some remains or pieces of clothing left. There aren't any around here."

"Where did they go?" Ji Xiaoxi blinked her big eyes and subconsciously moved closer to Zu An. This eerie place made her a little scared. Only with Brother Zu could she feel enough warmth.

"I'll take you out first. The imperial court will send people here to search the area later," Zu An said in a deep voice. The most urgent task was to get these people out safely, and he would investigate later. It seemed that the situation at Tongluo Mountain was quite serious.

Upon hearing that they could leave, the disciples of the academy were all invigorated; they didn't want to stay in this awful place for another second.

Only Lu Bei hesitated: "Why don't we search around here some more? Brother Wang and Brother He came in with us. They warned us and saved us. If we leave them to die in the wilderness while I escape alone, I'll feel bad."

Upon hearing his words, Yao Fang and the others all looked ashamed.

At this moment, Zu'an spoke up: "There's no need to search anymore. I've already searched the area. My divine sense covers a wider range than yours, and I still couldn't find it. Your search will be futile. The most important thing now is to return safely and take the information out of here. What happens next is beyond your control."

As he spoke, he pondered that he should first discuss it with Yan Xiangu and the others when he returned, and at the same time see if there were any elders in the imperial court who knew the origin of this Purple Flame Ghost.

Hearing him say that, Lu Bei naturally couldn't say anything more.

Soon the group walked out, and the fog in the mountains gradually thickened again. Unlike the white fog at the beginning, this fog had a faint purple tinge.

"Brother Zu, it seems to be getting dark," Ji Xiaoxi said timidly.

Zuan nodded, then suddenly asked, "By the way, have you seen your father?"

"My dad's here too?" Ji Xiaoxi was surprised.

“Of course, he must be worried sick about you not going back for so many days. I heard from your aunt that he came to Tongluo Mountain to look for you,” Zu An replied.

“I didn’t see him. Oh no, it’s so dangerous in these mountains now. Father…” Ji Xiaoxi’s eyes welled up with tears. “It’s all my fault. I insisted on coming to gather herbs. Otherwise, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Don’t worry, your father is a man of few words and should be able to protect himself,” Zu’an said with some curiosity. “You’re not the kind of willful girl, so what kind of herb is worth you picking?”

Tongluo Mountain has some good medicinal herbs, but it's too close to the capital, and people often come here, so it's hard for it to produce any rare and precious herbs. So what exactly does she value?

Ji Xiaoxi blushed slightly and said softly, "I came here to pick Shouyang grass."

"Shouyang Grass?" Zu'an was taken aback. "This is a medicinal herb used to strengthen the body and replenish vital energy for men. What are you going to do with it?"

"Wow, Brother Zu, you actually have such a deep understanding of medicinal herbs now?" Seeing his professionalism, Ji Xiaoxi's eyes lit up.

Zu'an couldn't explain the "Baopu Zhenjing" to him right now, but suddenly he had a sudden realization: "That old fellow Ji Dengtu is too outrageous. He made himself weak, and he actually made his daughter concoct this kind of medicine for him!"

Ji Xiaoxi hurriedly waved her hand: "It has nothing to do with Father, it was specially picked for you, Brother Zu... for you."

Zuan: "???"

He looked completely bewildered. What does this have to do with me?

Ji Xiaoxi lowered her head and whispered, "Father said you... he said you're a womanizer, with one woman after another around you, and they're all the kind with an alluring body that drains a man's essence the most. He said your body must be severely depleted. My father is a very good doctor, so he must have his reasons for saying that, which is why I..."

The others nearby immediately looked strange, each wanting to laugh but not daring to, never expecting that the chief priest would have this side to him.

Zuan looked indignant and resentful: "That's your father smearing me! I'm perfectly healthy, why would I need this thing!"

He also understood why Ji Dengtu deliberately smeared him in front of his daughter. He guessed that Ji Dengtu was worried that he would get close to Xiao Xi and wanted Xiao Xi to know that he was a womanizer so that she wouldn't be "deceived" by him.

What a bastard!

I even wrote so many wonderful novels just to give to him!

Ji Xiaoxi said considerately, "Brother Zu, you don't need to worry. Actually, many patients with similar conditions are embarrassed to admit it. But you are still young, and I can help you take care of yourself so you can recover."

Zuan: "..."

Seeing the serious and professional look on her face, Zu'an knew that she was now fully in doctor's mode.

That bastard Ji Dengtu, there's no way he can explain this kind of thing!

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he looked toward the northwest.

"What's wrong, Chief Priest?" The others were already on edge, and upon seeing his reaction, they immediately gripped their weapons tightly.

"There seems to be some chaotic fluctuation of spiritual energy over there; there must be a battle going on," Zuan said in a deep voice.

"Could it be my dad?" Ji Xiaoxi grabbed his arm nervously.

Zuan thought it was indeed possible. Although Ji Dengtu had slandered him, he couldn't just stand by and watch Xiao Xi die for her sake.

However, the battleground is quite far from here, and it would be too late for so many people to get there in time.

With a thought, he took out an array plate and waved several flags, planting them in the eight directions around him. Soon, a transparent light shield enveloped everyone.

He handed the array plate to Ji Xiaoxi: "You guys wait here. As long as you don't leave the array's range, you'll be safe. I'll go check over there first."

The Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation is quite formidable in its defense. Those monsters just now couldn't break through it in a short time. Even if there were more powerful monsters, the formation could hold out for a while, and by then I would have returned in time.

After thinking for a moment, he handed her another yellow talisman and whispered a few words in her ear.

Then, with the help of the other academy disciples, Ji Xiaoxi took to the air and flew towards the northwest.

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