On a mountain path, a withered leaf fell to the ground, only to be crushed into tiny fragments by an unseen force, making a crisp sound.
Yan Shi, who was walking at the front, turned around impatiently and glared at Chen Buming, who had made a noise again.
Chen Buming shrank his tall frame and made an apologetic gesture to Yan Shi.
The group was gradually approaching their destination, and a small village began to appear in the distance.
The sun was about to set, and the sky was dim. Not a single house in the village had a lamp lit, and apart from the occasional chirping of an unknown bird, there was no other sound in the mountains.
It was eerily quiet.
A faint, fishy smell drifted on the evening breeze and reached everyone's noses.
Qi Yuxin's heart tightened, and a heavy look appeared in her eyes.
Something happened.
The closer the group got to Yushan Village, the stronger the fishy smell became.
The temperature in the mountains is low. Logically, after cultivators cultivate, their physical condition should improve, so this low temperature should not affect them at all. However, Wu Shuyi couldn't help but rub her arms, feeling that the place was gloomy.
She grabbed Yan Shi, who was walking faster and faster at the front, and whispered, "There's no one here anymore. Most of those medical cultivators are probably gone too. Let's go back and report."
Yan Shi looked at her coldly, "Peak Master Xingxing has ordered that we must see her alive or dead."
His gaze, almost tangible, swept over Wu Shuyi, causing her to flinch.
She realized what was happening and said with dissatisfaction, "I'm not from Xingxing Peak. It's obvious that everyone is gone. What do you want us to investigate? What if the murderer is still here and waiting for us to come to them?"
Yan Shi took a deep breath and said, "If you can go back by yourself, then do as you please."
The distance from here to the Flying Star Sect is not short, and the group was able to arrive so quickly because they were traveling on Yan Shi's flying artifact.
"Do as you please?" Wu Shuyi snorted heavily and said, "You don't think you're the only one with a flying artifact, do you? I can go back without you."
She tossed a small boat-shaped magical artifact from her sleeve, chanted an incantation, and the boat instantly grew larger.
Wu Shuyi sat on the small boat, glanced triumphantly at Yan Shi, and then said to the green-clad woman who had remained silent, "He Miao, are you coming or not? I'll give you a ride."
He Miao held his sword, not even glancing at her.
Qi Yu couldn't help but let out a smile.
Wu Shuyi glared at her angrily, then turned to Chen Buming and said, "Senior Brother Buming, are you leaving?"
“…Junior Sister Wu, I am from Xingxing Peak.”
Aman and the others were his disciples, so he naturally couldn't just sit idly by.
Wu Shu felt ignored and thought her good intentions had been wasted. She said fiercely, "I really don't know what you're thinking. The person is definitely dead. What's the point of investigating? You'll regret it when you lose your lives."
After uttering those harsh words, she formed hand seals and slowly propelled the small boat toward the Flying Star Sect.
"Hmph! They're all idiots!"
"..." Qi Yu looked at Yan Shi and said, "Continue?"
Yan Shi nodded and continued walking towards Yushan Village.
When they reached the village, the stench was so strong that it felt as if they had been plunged into a blood-filled pit, overwhelming everything.
Qi Yu frowned as she observed her surroundings.
Although the smell of blood was strong, strangely, she didn't see any bloodstains anywhere around her.
The group realized something was wrong and were about to continue exploring deeper when He Miao suddenly swung his sword diagonally in one direction.
The sword was wreathed in a faint golden spiritual energy, seemingly already possessing the form of sword intent.
With a whoosh, it was as if a hole had been torn in the air, from which a rustling sound leaked out.
Yan Shi's expression changed, and he said, "It's a barrier!"
He drew his twin swords as if facing a formidable enemy, his eyes fixed warily on the opening.
Everyone held their breath and gripped their weapons tightly to guard against enemy attacks.
After a while, nothing happened.
Qi Yu listened intently for a while, then whispered, "Is this a small space that someone created?"
Yan Shi said with a solemn expression, "Most likely."
“I’m going in to investigate. Your cultivation levels are too low, so you should go back first.” He took out a flying artifact from his storage ring. “Go and explain the situation to the peak master. She won’t make things difficult for you.”
Chen Buming hesitated and said, "Senior Brother Yan, we don't know what's going on inside. Do you really want to go in?"
Yan Shi nodded.
Chen Buming gritted his teeth and accepted the flying artifact.
He turned to look at Qi Yu and He Miao and said, "Shall we go?"
Qi Yu looked thoughtfully at the opening, and with some guesses in his mind, he said, "I am, after all, Yan's elder, so naturally I can't just leave him alone."
Yan Shi's tightly clenched lips twitched, clearly not expecting Qi Yu to say such a thing at this moment.
Chen Buming then looked at He Miao.
He Miao stood beside Qi Yu without moving, and his meaning was quite clear.
"This..." Chen Buming felt embarrassed to leave, and said, "Then shall I come along? I am a medical cultivator, I should be able to help."
Yan Shi said, "The situation inside this space is still unclear. If we get separated as soon as we go in, and Senior Brother Chen doesn't have the ability to protect himself, we should go back. Junior Sister He, you should go back too."
He Miao finally spoke, uttering her second sentence after her self-introduction.
"I can protect myself."
"I, I..." Chen Buming wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at Yan Shi and Qi Yu, then at He Miao, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Then I'll go back and explain the situation to the peak master first. You all must be careful."
Watching him board the flying artifact, just to be on the safe side, Qi Yu took out the communication jade scroll and sent a message to Venerable Canglang, telling him about the situation here.
Xu Canglang did not reply immediately, presumably because he was busy with other things.
In the quiet Yushan Village, only Qi Yu and two others remain.
She waved the communication jade talisman in her hand and said, "Can we exchange contact information? It'll be easier to keep in touch once we're inside."
He Miao also took out a communication jade talisman and gently touched it with Qi Yu's.
Qi Yu looked at Yan Shi, and after Yan Shi touched his communication jade tag with his own, Qi Yu put his communication jade tag back into his sleeve.
She looked at the spiritual energy symbolizing Yan Shi displayed on the communication jade talisman and smiled slightly.
Previously, when they were at the Duobao Pavilion in Wucheng, Yan Shi had already exchanged contact information with her.
However, in order not to reveal her previous identity, she bought a new communication jade talisman.
"Let's not delay, shall we go in now?"
The three of them got ready, opened the opening, and crawled in one after another.
As Qi Yu passed through the gap, she felt dizzy for a moment. When she regained her balance, everything in front of her had changed.
She was surrounded by darkness, as if she were standing in a corner.
Neither Yan Shi nor He Miao were to be seen. Just as Yan Shi had said, they would be randomly teleported to different locations upon entering.
I pray they are thrown into some inconspicuous corner like she was.
Not far away stood a magnificent building that resembled a palace, bustling with people coming and going.
……No.
It's not just people.
Qi Yu's pupils contracted slightly as he looked at the tall, abrupt figures that resembled skinned humans.
There are also monsters.
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