Having agreed on the matter, the four decided to conduct a thorough investigation and eliminate all risks!
After a long day of questioning, all eighty-two Qi Refining stage disciples at this mine were questioned one by one.
After piecing together all the information, it was discovered that the demonic cultivator had most likely infiltrated the mine using disguise and illusion techniques.
Because everyone involved was a cultivator with an exceptionally strong memory, they were able to recall the detailed events of a month prior and discover that there was an eighty-third person in the mine that day!
It seems that this demonic cultivator is not only skilled in array formations, but also extremely proficient in techniques such as disguise and illusion.
Now, after several checks, the number of people in the mine, apart from them, matches up, so it seems that the other party has indeed left.
However, just in case, the group then went to different locations under Zhang Zhenghai's arrangement to check for anything unusual or to look for any traces left behind.
However, it seemed that the other party had indeed left long ago, just as Xu Hua had said, without harming anyone. It was as if they had left directly because they were afraid of the power of the Cloud Soaring Sect.
After several days of searching, they found nothing, not even a trace.
On this day, after the group worked together to help the cultivator surnamed Liu suppress the poison, they found that his condition had improved. With the help of several Foundation Establishment level mana spells, the effect was quite significant, and he might wake up soon, which was good news.
However, as he walked out of the cave, Xu Hua couldn't help but complain, saying;
"See? All our hard work has been for nothing. It shows how wise Senior Brother Zhang's original plan was."
However, before Lin Xiuyuan could speak, Zhang Zhenghai smiled and spoke up for him, saying, "Back then, I didn't know about the situation on the Nine Kingdoms Alliance side, that so many demonic cultivators would be passing through Dayue. If I had known, I would have had the same thoughts and opinions as Junior Brother Lin. As cultivators, it's naturally good to be vigilant."
Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan didn't say anything. He said the same thing: although it was busy, as long as safety was guaranteed and risks were isolated, it was not a waste of effort!
Upon hearing Zhang Zhenghai's words, Xu Hua's displeasure vanished, and he nodded in agreement, saying, "Alright, that makes sense."
Lin Xiuyuan glanced at her speechlessly, and then Zhang Zhenghai continued, "Although we haven't found anything these past few days, it has certainly put our minds at ease. There are still some areas left to search thoroughly, and then we can finally relax completely."
"Under our combined efforts, the poison in Junior Brother Liu's body has been contained, and his condition has improved considerably. He might even wake up, at which point we'll be able to learn more about the situation from him!"
"After all, if we can get some clues and work together to capture that demonic cultivator, this mission will have extra rewards, and we will eliminate any future troubles, so we won't have to stay here for another cycle."
The group nodded in agreement; these words reflected their own thoughts.
After all, if they successfully capture that demonic cultivator, they can return to their sect sooner to continue their peaceful cultivation and receive additional rewards.
Otherwise, while the rewards from the summoning quests seem plentiful, the requirement to guard this place for a full cycle, or ten years, makes it less worthwhile. At most, you'll receive double the resources during your absence, but the gold pills and spirit stones are no match for the cave dwellings and cultivation environment within the sect.
So they have been searching diligently these past few days. However, Lin Xiuyuan's initial intention was out of caution, and he also had the thought of returning to his sect to cultivate as soon as possible.
Thus, they were now somewhat hoping that the cultivator surnamed Liu would wake up and learn about the demonic cultivator, hoping to find a clue to investigate.
Once the demonic cultivator is dealt with and the crisis in the mine is completely resolved, the talisman summoning mission will be successfully completed. There will be no need to remain here for another cycle; we can return to our sect and continue our peaceful cultivation. Furthermore, the rewards for the talisman summoning mission will be doubled, providing an extra bonus, which is quite good.
After recovering their magical power, the group left the mine and continued their search in different directions.
After searching for the past few days, we've covered about 90% of the surrounding area. Today is the last day, and we'll be able to thoroughly check the area. If we don't find any traces, we'll just have to wait for the cultivator surnamed Liu to wake up and see if there are any clues!
Lin Xiuyuan was flying slowly in a dense forest, his divine sense surging out as he carefully examined every inch of the land to see if there were any traces left by the demonic cultivator, which he could use to pursue him.
Even the slightest trace of a scent can be used to track and capture it!
Unfortunately, as time went by and the search was gradually completed, no trace was ever found.
"It seems that the demonic cultivator is quite cautious. But that's not unexpected; after all, he dared to steal the spirit stones from the Cloud Soaring Sect, so naturally he's very careful. It seems there's little hope in this direction. We can only wait for that cultivator surnamed Liu to wake up and see if he can provide any clues!"
Lin Xiuyuan thought about the others and figured they probably wouldn't be able to find any clues either. Most likely, they could only wait for the man surnamed Liu to wake up. If he didn't wake up for a long time, they would have to send him back to the sect for treatment, which would completely cut off the trail. They could only stay here, guard the area for a period of time, eliminate any future troubles, and ensure the safety of this place.
Just as Lin Xiuyuan was heading home, the communication jade talisman emitted a fluctuation.
Lin Xiuyuan picked it up curiously and saw that it was a message from Dai Haoran. After glancing at it, a look of joy flashed across his face.
"Senior Brother Liu is awake?"
Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but show a hint of joy. He immediately flew back to the mine on his sword. If he could get some clues from him, he would have a direction to follow up and there would be a certain probability that he could successfully complete this talisman summoning mission without having to stay here to guard for so long.
The search was only in the nearby area, not far away. In just a short while, Lin Xiuyuan arrived at the mine and soon saw Feng Hao standing at the cave entrance to greet him.
"Uncle Lin, please come in. Uncle Liu has woken up, and the other uncles are already inside."
Feng Hao said respectfully.
Lin Xiuyuan nodded lightly and quickly walked into the cave.
However, as soon as Lin Xiuyuan pushed open the door, his expression changed.
Although the cave appears somewhat empty, it is easy to take it all in at a glance.
The cultivator surnamed Liu was still lying in bed, unconscious, while Zhang Zhenghao and the other two were slumped on the ground, pale-faced and weak, looking as if they were being controlled.
"Junior Brother Lin, watch out! Watch out behind you..."
Upon seeing Lin Xiuyuan walk in, the others quickly offered a reminder!
Upon seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan's expression changed drastically. Just as a bad feeling arose, he felt a surging and somewhat familiar aura of power coming from behind him.
Before he could react or make any move, the opponent suddenly unleashed an attack that swept over him and landed on his back...
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