128: Chapter 128 Investigating the Unexpected Changes

"There are also Disciples disappearing over at the Piaomiao Sect," Dan Qingzi continued.

"It is said that nearly fifty Disciples have gone missing while training in the east. Daoist Yunlan has already sent people to investigate, but no news has been returned yet."

Zhou Tianchen was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Senior, this Junior is willing to help."

Dan Qingzi was slightly taken aback, his gaze falling upon him: "Little Friend Tianchen, this is a matter for Medicine King Valley; it has nothing to do with you."

"Senior, that is incorrect," Zhou Tianchen interrupted him, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of indisputability.

"Medicine King Valley once guided me into the Dao of Alchemy and bestowed upon me the grace of entering the Dao. The affairs of Medicine King Valley are, therefore, my own affairs."

"Moreover, my Revered Master once taught me that those who cultivate the Dao should have the welfare of the world at heart. If one encounters injustice, one should help where one can."

He paused, then continued: "Though this Junior lacks talent, I am willing to investigate this matter alongside Medicine King Valley. If I can uncover the truth and seek justice for the missing Disciples, then this journey will not have been in vain."

Dan Qingzi looked at him, pondering for a moment.

Behind Zhou Tianchen stood the unfathomable Revered Master of Kunlun. If Kunlun were to assist, perhaps the person behind this could be found quickly.

"If Little Friend Tianchen is willing to assist, this old man is extremely grateful." Dan Qingzi bowed slightly towards him, his posture solemn.

"However, the situation in the east is treacherous and unpredictable. If Little Friend Tianchen goes, you must be careful."

Zhou Tianchen returned the bow: "Senior, rest assured."

Dan Qingzi nodded slightly, took a Jade Slip from his sleeve, and handed it to Zhou Tianchen: "This contains the locations where the Medicine King Valley Disciples went missing, as well as the place where the first group of investigators last sent back news."

Zhou Tianchen took the Jade Slip and tucked it into his sleeve.

Dan Qingzi turned and walked back into the valley; a moment later, he returned with three young Disciples.

All three were Inner Sect Disciples of Medicine King Valley—two men and one woman—with cultivation levels around the Soul Transformation Stage.

The leader was a young man with delicate features, whose aura was the most composed among the three.

"There is no need to introduce Shen Cihui," Dan Qingzi said, gesturing towards the young man, then pointing to the other two.

"These are Chen Mo and Su Xiaowan, both outstanding members of the younger generation in the valley. The three of them will accompany you so that you can look out for one another on the road."

Zhou Tianchen was already acquainted with Shen Cihui; coming here this time was also to catch up with him.

Zhou Tianchen nodded slightly and bowed to the three: "I will have to trouble the three of you."

Shen Cihui returned the bow and smiled: "Fellow Daoist Tianchen is too polite. If we can uncover the truth, it will also be seeking justice for our missing fellow Disciples in the valley; we will certainly do our best."

Chen Mo and Su Xiaowan also returned the gesture, their expressions carrying a touch of solemnity.

Dan Qingzi stood beneath the Myriad Spirit Tree, watching the four of them depart, his clouded eyes filled with complexity.

He had lived for tens of thousands of years and had seen countless storms, but this time, the ominous premonition in his heart was stronger than ever before.

Outside Medicine King Valley, the mountain path wound onward.

Zhou Tianchen walked in the lead, his pace steady, his gaze constantly noting the movements around him.

Shen Cihui walked by his side, while Chen Mo and Su Xiaowan followed behind. The four of them traveled eastward along the mountain path, gradually moving further away.

After leaving the vicinity of Medicine King Valley, the surrounding scenery gradually became desolate.

The originally lush forests began to thin out, replaced by craggy, strange rocks and dried-up creek beds.

The concentration of Spiritual Qi in the air also dropped significantly, shifting from the dense Spiritual Mist of Medicine King Valley that was almost solid to a desolate Qi so thin it was nearly imperceptible.

"The further east we go, the thinner the Spiritual Qi becomes," Shen Cihui said in a low voice, his gaze sweeping across the desolate wilderness.

"It's no wonder those small and medium-sized factions in the east cannot develop; cultivating in a place like this, it would be strange if one's progress were fast."

Zhou Tianchen nodded slightly without replying. His Divine Sense remained projected outward, and every blade of grass, tree, insect, and bird within a radius of several miles was within his perception.

This was a habit his Revered Master had taught him: no matter where he was, he must have a thorough understanding of his surroundings.

After walking for about an hour, the mountain path ahead became increasingly narrow, and the peaks on both sides grew steeper.

The sunlight was blocked by the towering mountain ridges, casting long shadows on the ground, adding a sense of eeriness to this already desolate mountain road.

"Fellow Daoist Tianchen," Su Xiaowan's voice came from behind, carrying a hint of hesitation. "Do you not feel that the aura around here is somewhat wrong?"

Zhou Tianchen paused, and his Divine Sense swept through the surroundings even more carefully.

He sensed it—a faint, lingering scent of blood permeating the air. The scent was extremely faint, so faint that it would be impossible to detect without deliberately searching for it.

Yet its existence caused the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to become somewhat stagnant, as if something was secretly devouring the vitality of this land.

"It is indeed wrong," Zhou Tianchen retracted his Divine Sense, his gaze directed towards the looming mountains in the east.

"It seems we have not gone in the wrong direction."

Shen Cihui also sensed that faint, lingering scent of blood, his expression becoming slightly more solemn.

He had trained in various places in the Southern Wastelands and had seen many scenes of devastation after Yao Beast rampages, as well as the aftermath of Cultivator battles, but he had never sensed this kind of aura anywhere.

It was not purely the smell of blood, but rather a void left behind after something deeper and more essential had been extracted.

"This feeling..." Shen Cihui said in a low voice, his brows tightly locked. "It's like something is devouring the vitality of this land."

Chen Mo and Su Xiaowan exchanged glances, both seeing the same solemnity in each other's eyes. As Inner Sect Disciples of Medicine King Valley, they were more sensitive to changes in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi than ordinary Cultivators.

Standing on this desolate mountain path at this moment, they could clearly feel that the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was leaking away at an extremely slow rate.

It was not dissipating naturally; it was being sucked away by something.

"Let's go," Zhou Tianchen pulled back his thoughts and continued to step forward. "Once we arrive, we will naturally know."

The four of them quickened their pace, continuing eastward along the mountain path.

After walking for about another half an hour, the mountain path ahead suddenly widened. The peaks on both sides receded, revealing a somewhat flat valley.

The valley was not large, only a few hundred zhang in radius. The ground was covered with thick layers of withered branches and fallen leaves, feeling soft and squishy underfoot, emitting a rustling sound.

In the center of the valley, a long-dried creek wound down from the mountain ravine, leaving only a shallow trace.

Zhou Tianchen stopped at the edge of the valley, took the Jade Slip given to him by Dan Qingzi from his sleeve, and probed it with his Divine Sense.

The Jade Slip marked the location where the first group of Medicine King Valley Disciples went missing, and it was precisely this valley.

"This is the place."

Zhou Tianchen put away the Jade Slip and swept his gaze across the entire valley.

"The place where the first group of missing Medicine King Valley Disciples last sent back news is this valley."