125: Chapter 125, The troops split into several groups, and Jing Wuming died!

Mo Ling, Zhao Feng, Han Li, and Su Yuwei also each indicated that they had recovered more than half of their strength.

“Very good.”

A sharp glint flashed in Murong Bai's eyes.

“In this way, we have the confidence to continue exploring. The original plan was to investigate the ruins of the ‘Falling Star Lake Outer Outpost’. Now that we have stumbled upon this place to rest, it can be considered a stroke of luck.”

“For the next step, I suggest we use this place as a temporary base and radiate outward to explore. We should focus on finding clues to the entrance of the Ancient Medicine Garden, as well as the traces of the ‘Shadow Fiend’ and that Black-robed Man. This place has abundant Spiritual Qi and is relatively hidden, allowing us to advance or retreat as needed.”

Everyone nodded, having no objection to this.

After experiencing repeated life-and-death situations, everyone knew that in this Falling Star Lake, acting alone or rashly venturing deep was no different from seeking death.

Only by sticking together would there be a glimmer of hope for survival.

“However, before we leave this place to explore, we need to confirm the surrounding environment and eliminate any hidden dangers.”

Murong Bai continued.

“Junior Sister Mo Ling, I’ll trouble you to set up more rigorous early-warning and defensive Formations at the cave entrance and near this Spiritual Eye.”

“Senior Brother Shi Yue, Senior Brother Lei Zhen, you two are responsible for exploring the outer perimeter of the cave, especially the upper and lower reaches of the waterway, to see if there are other exits or potential threats.”

“Senior Brother Jing, come with me to carefully check the interior of this cave again, especially near the Spiritual Eye spring, to see if there are any other abnormalities.”

“Junior Brother Ye, Junior Brother Bai Yu, your injuries have just begun to heal, so stay here for now to adjust your breathing and consolidate your state. Meanwhile, keep an eye on any movement inside the cave.”

“Zhao Feng, Han Li, Su Yuwei, you three assist Junior Sister Mo Ling in setting up the Formations.”

“Yes!”

Everyone took their orders and acted accordingly.

Mo Ling immediately began to set up the Formations.

She first set up a composite Formation at the cave entrance that integrated early-warning, illusions, and defense.

Then, around the Spiritual Eye hot spring pool, she set up a small-scale Spirit Gathering and Isolation Formation to prevent excessive leakage of Spiritual Qi and avoid attracting unnecessary trouble.

Zhao Feng and the other two assisted from the side, handing over Materials and helping out.

Shi Yue and Lei Zhen carefully explored a distance upstream and downstream along the waterway they had come from.

Upstream led to the cave where the Ghost-head Fish had appeared when they arrived; for now, there was nothing unusual.

Downstream was winding and deep, leading to parts unknown. The two cautiously explored for a hundred zhang, and after finding no danger, they retreated.

On both sides of the waterway, a hundred zhang away from the cave entrance, they set up several simple warning traps.

Murong Bai and Jing Wuming returned to the side of the hot spring pool once more.

This time, they dived into the water and carefully inspected the jade platform and rock walls around the spring eye.

After the Restriction was broken, only some faint patterns remained on the jade platform.

The rock walls also showed no abnormalities.

That fragment had disappeared without a trace, with not even a hint of its aura remaining.

It was as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

“Strange... did that fragment really just disappear like that?”

Back on the shore, Murong Bai's brow furrowed slightly.

“The power of space is profound and unpredictable.”

“Perhaps it was teleported to a very distant place, or perhaps it has already been annihilated in the turbulent flows of the Void Realm. There is no point in overthinking it.”

Jing Wuming said indifferently.

Murong Bai nodded; that was the only possibility.

Ye Chen and Bai Yu sat cross-legged near the Spiritual Eye, consolidating their cultivation while keeping an eye on the cave.

Bai Yu didn't seem to care much about the disappearance of the fragment; he closed his eyes to adjust his breathing, his breath long and steady.

Ye Chen, on the other hand, sank his Divine Sense into his Wheel Sea again, carefully observing that Dark Red Ember.

Ever since it came into contact with the spatial coordinate fluctuations, this ember seemed... a bit brighter and more active than before?

Although the change was extremely subtle, Ye Chen's Divine Soul was powerful and his perception keen, so he still noticed it.

Furthermore, he vaguely felt that the connection between himself and this Dark Red Ember seemed to have deepened by a fraction.

It was as if those spatial fluctuations were some kind of... key, or catalyst.

Just what was the origin of this Dark Red Ember?

Was it related to his parents?

And what was its connection to the disappeared fragment?

One question after another lingered in his mind.

But Ye Chen knew that now was not the time for deep investigation.

He could only suppress his doubts and focus on recovering and improving his strength.

...

Two days passed quickly in peaceful cultivation and vigilance.

With the help of the pure Spiritual Qi continuously provided by the Spiritual Eye, everyone's injuries finally recovered to eighty or ninety percent.

Their True Essence was abundant, their spirits were full, and many even felt that their cultivation had slightly improved.

Especially Su Yuwei, who was a Water Attribute Cultivator.

Cultivating beside this Water Attribute Spiritual Eye gave her the greatest benefit, and her aura had clearly grown much stronger.

She seemed to be only a step away from the Peak of the Fourth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm.

“It’s time to go out and explore.”

...

On this morning, Murong Bai gathered everyone together.

“We have stayed here for three days. Although it is temporarily safe, Falling Star Lake is unpredictable, and we must act as soon as possible. I plan to divide our forces into two routes.”

“One route will be led by me, with Senior Brother Shi Yue, Senior Brother Lei Zhen, Junior Sister Mo Ling, Zhao Feng, and Han Li. The six of us will head northeast along the lakeshore to explore the area marked on the map as possibly having ancient ruins.”

“The other route will be led by Senior Brother Jing Wuming, with Junior Brother Ye Chen, Junior Brother Bai Yu, and Su Yuwei. The four of you will head northwest to explore the edge of the dangerous land known as the ‘Soul-Confusing Mist Marsh’.”

“It is said that someone once saw strange Spirit Medicines growing there, and the terrain is complex and easy to hide in. It might be a place where the ‘Shadow Fiend’ or that Black-robed Man might appear.”

“Dividing into two routes?”

Ye Chen's brow twitched slightly.

“Won't our strength be too scattered?”

“It doesn't matter,” Murong Bai explained.

“We are not going deep into the core of the dangerous land; we are just exploring the edges, gathering information, and looking for clues. The two teams will maintain a distance within a hundred miles of each other and keep in constant contact using Communication Jade Talismans.”

“If anything is discovered or if danger is encountered, we will immediately rendezvous. In this way, the exploration efficiency will be higher, and we can also avoid being too large a target and attracting attention.”

“I agree.”

Jing Wuming was the first to state his position. He didn't like to talk much anyway, and leading a team alone might suit him better.

Bai Yu shrugged indifferently.

Ye Chen glanced at Su Yuwei and saw that although she was a bit nervous, her eyes were firm, so he also nodded.

“Good, then it's settled.”

Murong Bai took out two specially made Communication Jade Talismans that could transmit messages over short distances in the harsh environment of Falling Star Lake. He gave one to Jing Wuming and kept the other for himself.

“Remember, safety first. Focus on exploration and try to avoid combat as much as possible.”

“If you encounter a strong enemy or find important clues, send a message immediately.”

“We will set a limit of three days. Regardless of whether there is any harvest, everyone must return here to rendezvous in three days.”

“Understood!”

Everyone responded in unison.

After a simple pack-up and replenishing their Medicinal Pills and fresh water,

The two teams split up at the cave entrance.

Murong Bai took Shi Yue and the other four, using their movement techniques to silently vanish into the thick mist to the northeast of the lakeshore.

Jing Wuming nodded to Ye Chen and the other two, then took the lead in heading northwest.

Ye Chen, Bai Yu, and Su Yuwei followed closely behind.

Toward the northwest, the terrain gradually became lower, and the mist became thicker and more viscous, carrying a sweet, sleep-inducing scent.

The ground also changed from hard rock to damp, soft marshland, where various venomous flowers and grasses of gaudy colors and strange shapes grew.

The air was filled with a faint stench, as if from rotting corpses.

This was another dangerous place on the outskirts of Falling Star Lake—the Soul-Confusing Mist Marsh.

It was said that within the marsh, not only was there toxic Miasma everywhere, but there were also natural illusion Formations that could bewilder the mind.

Once one went deep, it was extremely easy to lose one's way and eventually die of exhaustion in the mouths of poisonous insects and fierce beasts, or be swallowed by the swamp.

The four did not dare to be careless. They each took detoxification and mind-clearing pills, restrained their auras, and cautiously traversed the hard ground at the edge of the marsh.

Jing Wuming walked at the very front. His footsteps were extremely light, leaving almost no trace. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, constantly scanning the surroundings.

Ye Chen and Bai Yu were on the left and right, protecting the slightly weaker Su Yuwei in the middle.

Su Yuwei held a Water-blue thin sword, her expression tense but relatively calm.

They walked for about an hour.

Ahead appeared a wall of even denser, almost solid gray-white mist.

Behind the mist wall, some twisted shadows of black withered trees, looking like ghost claws, were vaguely visible.

“The core edge of the Soul-Confusing Mist Marsh is just ahead; the toxic illusion Formations are strongest there.”

“We will explore horizontally along the edge; do not go deep.”

Jing Wuming stopped and said in a low voice.

Everyone nodded and was about to turn.

Suddenly.

Ye Chen's eyes narrowed as he looked at the marsh not far to the left.

There, beside a patch of strange, deep purple vines shaped like human hands that were slightly writhing, there seemed to be a small piece of cloth that did not belong to this place.

The cloth was dark red, with charred edges as if it had been scorched by something.

Ye Chen's heart stirred. He walked over and carefully picked it up with the tip of his sword.

It felt slightly heavy in his hand. The material of the cloth was special, neither silk nor hemp, but exceptionally tough, and it carried a very faint, almost imperceptible residual aura of heat and cold intertwined.

This aura... felt somewhat familiar?

“Is this... the material of a ‘Shadow Fiend’ assassin's attire?”

Bai Yu had also walked over at some point. He glanced at the cloth and said in a low voice.

"And it's a high-level assassin, at least at the leader level, to use this special fabric mixed with 'Tinder Silk' and 'Yin Nether Spider Silk,' which has both fire resistance and Yin attribute affinity."

People from "Shadow Fiend" had been here?

A battle had even occurred?

Ye Chen carefully sensed the residual aura on the fabric; besides the heat and cold, there seemed to be a trace of sharp Sword Intent.

And, a tiny, almost imperceptible trace of pure Death Qi similar to that of the Netherworld Corpse General from before.

Could it be that the Black-robed Man and someone from "Shadow Fiend" had fought here?

"There are bloodstains."

Jing Wuming's voice suddenly came over.

He pointed to the edge of a darker swamp several zhang ahead.

There, one could vaguely see a few spots of blood that had long since dried and blackened, seeping into the soil.

In the air, that faint scent of blood mixed with the rot of the swamp, making it even harder to distinguish.

"The bloodstains extend toward the depths of the fog marsh..."

Ye Chen looked in the direction of the bloodstains, his brow furrowing.

The bloodstains were intermittent, pointing into the thick gray-white mist of the fog marsh.

Had one of the combatants fled into the Soul-Confusing Mist Marsh after being injured?

"Should we pursue?"

Bai Yu looked at Jing Wuming.

Jing Wuming was silent for a moment, then looked at Ye Chen and Su Yuwei.

"You two stay here on guard. Bai Yu and I will go in to investigate.

If anything is wrong, retreat immediately.

Ye Chen, you take care of Junior Sister Su."

Ye Chen originally wanted to say they should go in together, but seeing Su Yuwei's somewhat pale face, he knew her cultivation was the weakest; leaving her alone outside would indeed be dangerous.

"Alright, be careful."

He nodded.

Jing Wuming said no more and gave Bai Yu a look. Their figures unfolded like two wisps of light smoke.

They silently vanished into that thick wall of gray-white mist, quickly disappearing from sight.

Only Ye Chen and Su Yuwei remained at the edge of the swamp.

"Senior Brother Ye... will they be alright?"

Su Yuwei looked toward the mist with some concern.

"Senior Brother Jing and Senior Brother Bai are powerful and experienced. It's just a peripheral investigation, so they should be fine. Let's stay alert and watch our surroundings."

Ye Chen comforted her while spreading his Divine Sense to cover the surrounding area of dozens of zhang.

Time passed minute by minute in the wait.

Deep within the fog marsh, it was silent; not even the sound of insects could be heard.

Only that sickly sweet, sleep-inducing Miasma drifted silently.

Ye Chen suddenly felt a slight dizziness.

His heart tightened, knowing the toxicity of the Miasma was beginning to erode him.

He quickly circulated his Hunyuan True Essence to neutralize the invading toxins, while also taking another Heart-Clearing Pill.

Su Yuwei's face also changed slightly; she clearly felt the discomfort and quickly took her medicine.

However, the toxic Miasma of this Soul-Confusing Mist Marsh seemed even more bizarre than imagined.

Even after taking the pill and circulating true essence, the dizziness and inexplicable irritability continued to slowly worsen.

It was as if countless tiny whispers were echoing in his ears and heart, interfering with his mind.

Ye Chen quickly operated the Great Sun Visualization Method. In his Sea of Consciousness, the phantom of a blazing sun hung high, emitting pure Yang righteous qi and dispelling the dark evil illusions, making him feel much better.

Su Yuwei also practiced the heart-calming technique of Zixia Peak, barely managing to steady her mind.

"This fog marsh is indeed strange."

Ye Chen whispered, becoming even more vigilant.

Another quarter of an hour passed.

Deep in the fog marsh, there was still no movement.

Jing Wuming and Bai Yu were like clay oxen entering the sea, with no word from them.

The transmission jade talisman also had no response.

"Something's not right..."

The sense of unease in Ye Chen's heart grew stronger and stronger.

Even if they were investigating, they should have come out by now.

Could some accident have happened inside?

"Senior Brother Ye, should we... go in and look?"

Su Yuwei also sensed something was wrong and said hesitantly.

Ye Chen pondered.

Going in carried extreme risk.

But if he didn't, what if Jing Wuming and Bai Yu really were in danger?

Just as he was hesitating.

A sudden change occurred!

The thick gray-white wall of mist ahead suddenly churned and surged violently!

It was as if some massive creature was rapidly moving through it.

Immediately after, a figure shot out from the wall of mist like an arrow from a bow, crashing heavily onto the edge of the swamp and splashing a large amount of mud and water.

It was Bai Yu!

His face was pale, blood was at the corner of his mouth, and only half of his iron fan remained.

There were multiple corroded and burned wounds on his body, and his aura was withered; he had clearly suffered significant injuries.

"Senior Brother Bai!"

Ye Chen and Su Yuwei cried out in alarm and rushed forward.

"Quick... leave!"

Seeing the two, a flash of anxiety appeared in Bai Yu's eyes. He struggled to stand but aggravated his injuries and coughed up another mouthful of blood.

"There's an ambush inside... Senior Brother Jing, he..."

He hadn't finished his sentence.

The wall of mist churned violently again.

A pitch-black, tall figure shrouded in thick netherworld death qi slowly stepped out of the mist.

It was the mysterious Black-robed Man who had appeared with the Netherworld Corpse General before!

In his hand, he held a bloody head with wide-open eyes full of resentment.

It was Jing Wuming's head!

Jing Wuming's head was held casually in the Black-robed Man's hand like a piece of trash.

Blood dripped from the severed neck into the deep purple swamp, quickly swallowed by the foul mud.

Leaving only spots of dark red.

On the head, those eyes that were once indifferent were now filled with shock and resentment.

And a pair of eyes filled with disbelief stared hollowly at the gray sky.

Dead.

Jing Wuming, the taciturn and powerful Core Disciple, had actually... died just like that.

His head had been cut off by this mysterious Black-robed Man.

Ye Chen's heart felt as if it were being gripped hard by an invisible hand, suddenly contracting.

A bone-chilling cold instantly rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Su Yuwei let out a scream, her face turning deathly pale. She stumbled back, almost unable to stand, her eyes filled with terror and tears.

Bai Yu struggled to block the path in front of Ye Chen and Su Yuwei.

Although heavily injured, the flames of anger and determination burned in his eyes.

"Jie jie jie... little bugs of the Tianyun Sword Sect, we meet again."

The Black-robed Man casually tossed Jing Wuming's head into the nearby swamp like throwing away a stone.

He looked up, and under the hood, two points of crimson light lit up like the pupils of a venomous snake, locking onto Ye Chen.

That raspy, cold, and venomous voice rang out once more.

"Last time, you ruined my plans, destroyed the Netherworld Profound Yin Vein, and killed my corpse general. This time, I waited here specifically. I didn't expect to only catch two medium-sized fish and one that slipped through the net..."

His gaze swept over the heavily injured Bai Yu and landed on Ye Chen, the crimson light flaring up.

"However, the main prey has delivered himself to the door.

Boy, your Divine Soul, that annoying yet delicious power of yours... I'm taking it."

Before his voice had finished, his black robes fluttered without wind, and a burst of netherworld death qi—more massive, pure, and chillingly evil than before—erupted.

Like a black tide, it instantly spread, dyeing the space for dozens of zhang in a thick ink-like color.

The air instantly became viscous and cold, carrying a bone-piercing chill and a scent of decay.

The toxic insects and plants in the swamp withered and died under the shroud of this Death Qi.

"Dao Palace Realm..."

Bai Yu squeezed out three words from between his teeth, his voice strained.

The aura this Black-robed Man was now emitting without reservation was clearly that of a true Dao Palace Realm!

Moreover, he was by no means a novice; he was at least at the Second Level of the Dao Palace Realm, or even higher!

Above the Wheel Sea is the Dao Palace.

Opening the Dao Palace and condensing a Dao Seed is another massive leap in the level of life.

A Dao Palace Realm Cultivator, whether in terms of total true essence, quality, control over Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, or comprehension of the 'Dao,' is far beyond what someone in the Wheel Sea Realm can compare to.

It is no exaggeration to say that one Dao Palace Realm can easily crush ten Cultivators at the Peak of the Wheel Sea Realm.

Furthermore, this Black-robed Man practiced a bizarre and overbearing Netherworld Cultivation Technique.

In this Falling Star Lake where Death Qi is concentrated, it is like adding wings to a tiger.

And on their side, Jing Wuming was dead, Bai Yu was heavily injured, and Ye Chen and Su Yuwei were only at the Fourth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm.

The disparity in strength was extreme.

"Junior Brother Ye, Junior Sister Su, run! I'll hold him back!"

Bai Yu roared, forcing his remaining true essence to circulate. A blinding cyan-black light suddenly lit up on his broken iron fan.

Sharp wind blades instantly condensed, surrounding his body.

He was going to fight with his life.

"Run? Where can you run to?"

The Black-robed Man grinned hideously, and his withered palm slowly rose.

"Netherworld Ghost Domain, manifest!"

As his voice fell, with him as the center.

The thick netherworld death qi suddenly began to spin and condense frantically. In the blink of an eye.

It formed a translucent, bizarre Domain over fifty zhang in diameter, composed entirely of pitch-black Death Qi!