165: Earth Spirit Orb and Empty Station

Night fell once more. The carriage stopped at a sheltered clearing beside the official road. A bonfire was lit, driving away the chill that deepened in the mountain night, as well as the faint shadow of bloodshed lingering in their hearts.

Exhausted from continuous fierce battles and travel, everyone was weary. Xia Ya leaned against her Massive Shield, closing her eyes to regulate her breathing, hoping to stabilize her Half-Step Martial King Realm soon, or even Break through that barrier. Xiao Chun meticulously checked and sorted everyone's remaining Medicinal Pills. Ji Ruxue was like a statue blended into the night, yet her Spiritual Sense constantly enveloped the perimeter of the camp.

Qin Feng sat cross-legged by the fire, his mind calm, waiting for the daily Intelligence update. Although the battle at Green Ox Village was a narrow victory, it exposed many shortcomings. He needed more information and confidence for the trip to Medicine King Valley.

[Ding! The zi hour has arrived! Daily Intelligence updated!]

[Today's Intelligence:]

1. [White Intelligence]: The Host severely injured the Corpse Demon Sect's Southern Altar Master (True Name: Wuli) at Green Ox Village. Two Martial King Deacons under his command, along with a large number of elite Corpse Puppets (including thirty Silver Corpses, two hundred Bronze Corpses, and two thousand Walking Corpses), were completely annihilated. This incident severely frustrated the Corpse Demon Sect's southern forces, and their recent joint “Corpse Tide Siege” pilot program with the Yin Demon Sect was completely ruined. The upper echelon of the Yin Demon Sect is quite displeased about this.

2. [White Intelligence]: Xia Ya (favorability 80) is growing deeper in gratitude and trust toward the Host. Having found her own value and place within the Four Symbols Battle Array, her emotional knot is gradually untying, and her fighting spirit is soaring. Her favorability toward the Host has surpassed that of an ordinary companion; she harbors secret affection. However, due to her straightforward and strong personality, she is poor at expressing herself, and believing her background and talent are inferior, she suppresses her feelings.

3. [Red Intelligence (Top Secret)]: The “Ancient Bead” gifted to the Host by the Green Ox Village Village Chief is actually the “earth spirit pearl” (Earth Rank Advanced Heaven And Earth Treasure). This pearl was accidentally condensed from the essence of the great earth after thousands of years of nourishment, containing pure Earth and Wind attribute Spiritual Charm. Long-term wear or refinement can slightly increase the wearer's affinity for Earth and Wind elements, significantly enhance the effects of defensive Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills, and provide approximately a thirty percent probability bonus when attempting to Break through to the Martial Emperor Realm (only effective for the first attempt). Note: The energy of this pearl is contained internally and must be activated by a specific method or sufficiently strong Earth/Wind attribute True Qi to reveal its miraculous nature.

The three pieces of Intelligence brought three completely different emotions.

The first piece made Qin Feng feel slightly relieved, even somewhat delighted. “Wuli? Corpse Tide Siege pilot program?” A cold light flashed in his eyes. The Yin Demon Sect was indeed plotting something massive, wanting to use the Corpse Demon Sect to create mobile “natural disasters” to attack cities! He had inadvertently destroyed a critical plan of theirs. This grudge was now deep, but he had also eliminated a menace to the people. He imagined the Yin Demon Sect and Corpse Demon Sect must be furious right now. A cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The second piece made him pause slightly, and he looked towards Xia Ya, who was Cultivating nearby with tightly furrowed brows, seemingly striving to Break through a barrier. The firelight illuminated her heroic and resolute profile, and her blood-stained armor. 80 favorability, harbors secret affection? Qin Feng smiled bitterly in his heart. He wasn't made of wood; he had noticed the occasional flash of fervor and dependence in Xia Ya's eyes. However, the road ahead was perilous, powerful enemies surrounded them, and his Master was trapped in Medicine King Valley. Now was truly not the time to consider personal romantic feelings. And Xia Ya's personality... He shook his head, temporarily suppressing this complex emotion, only hoping that time and shared battles would allow everything to happen naturally, or at least, prevent any estrangement.

The third, red piece of Intelligence, however, made his breath hitch and stirred up monstrous waves in his heart!

The earth spirit pearl! Earth Rank Advanced! Increases defense and boosts the probability of Breaking through to Martial Emperor!

He almost subconsciously reached into his robe and grasped the cool bead he hadn't paid attention to before. The texture was the same, but in his perception now, this small bead felt as heavy as a thousand jun!

“This...” Qin Feng was deeply shaken. He had merely intervened when he saw injustice, saved people, and offered some financial compensation within his means, yet he had received such a Heaven-Defying treasure! The villagers had worshipped it for generations, only believing it to be an Ancient Object Warding Off Evil—a pearl covered in dust—but it ultimately ended up in his hands.

“Karma cycling, retribution is inevitable... Could this truly be the feedback from accumulating good Karma?” He recalled the System's explanation regarding the paths of Dao Cultivators and Evil Cultivators. Saving hundreds of lives in Green Ox Village and thwarting the evil sect's conspiracy was a Great Act Of Virtue. And the reward of the earth spirit pearl was unimaginably generous.

He carefully took out the earth spirit pearl and placed it in his palm, examining it closely under the bonfire light. The pearl was still dull, and the natural patterns seemed unremarkable under the firelight. But when he tried to slowly inject a trace of True Qi, which contained the unique deep charm of the Daoist Primordial Chaos Art, an anomaly occurred!

Buzz... The bead vibrated ever so slightly. The dull color on its surface seemed to melt away a little, revealing a warm, mellow yellow light and a wisp of light, agile green Qi from within. Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, the pure, ancient, and profound aura instantly revitalized Qin Feng, who was close by, and even his depleted True Qi seemed to recover a tiny bit faster!

“As expected!” Qin Feng was ecstatic, and immediately stopped injecting True Qi. Do Not Flaunt Wealth, especially in the wilderness. He suppressed the urge to immediately study how to utilize the bead, and carefully tucked it away close to his body. This was one of the keys concerning his future attempt to Break through to Martial Emperor! The trip to Medicine King Valley might now have an extra layer of confidence.

The next two days of travel were peaceful. Qin Feng traveled while quietly and imperceptibly using his Hunyuan True Qi to nourish the earth spirit pearl, sensing the subtle resonance between it and his Cultivation Technique. Xia Ya Cultivated even more diligently. Ji Ruxue's Alert Range seemed to have expanded slightly. Xiao Chun, meanwhile, often looked toward the northwest, hiding deep worry in her eyes.

On the afternoon of the third day, according to the map and their estimates, they needed to make one last routine resupply stop at a Post Station beside the official road ahead, after which they would enter the sparsely populated outer regions of the Mist Mountain Range.

However, as the carriage approached the “Wild Sheep Post Station,” which should have been bustling and perhaps even noisy, an unusual sense of silence washed over them.

It was too quiet.

There was no neighing of horses, no chatter of Merchant Travelers, and no shouting of Staff/Waiters.

The carriage stopped outside the Post Station courtyard gate. The wooden gate was ajar, swaying slightly in the wind, letting out a soft creaking sound.

Qin Feng and Ji Ruxue exchanged glances, both seeing vigilance in the other's eyes.

“I'll go in and take a look.” Ji Ruxue's figure flickered. She swooped down from the carriage roof like a weightless feather, silently approached the gap in the courtyard gate, peered inside for a moment, and then gently pushed the door open.

A moment later, she returned to the carriage side, a hint of solemnity added to her usual cold expression: “It's completely empty. The tea on the tables is cold, the Stove Fire hasn't gone out, and luggage and goods are scattered, but there are no signs of struggle or blood.”

Completely empty?

The tea is cold?

No traces?

A chill quietly crept up everyone's spine.

This was far more bizarre than encountering a powerful enemy.

Qin Feng jumped down from the carriage, gripping his sword hilt, and said in a deep voice, “Everyone be careful. Let's go in together and take a look.”

The four formed a simple Formation—Qin Feng and Xia Ya in front, Ji Ruxue on the flank, and Xiao Chun in the center—and cautiously stepped into the eerily silent Post Station.

Inside the Post Station Main Hall, everything was as Ji Ruxue had described. Several square tables held half-drunk bowls of coarse tea. The Firewood in the kitchen stove was still weakly burning, emitting residual heat. Several opened bundles were scattered on the ground, revealing clothes and Dry Rations inside. In the Stable, several horses were nervously stamping their hooves, and the feed in their troughs was unfinished.

Everything remained in a “present continuous” state, as if many people had been active here just moments ago.

Yet, there was not a single person.

It was as if every living person had been silently... erased by some unknown force at the exact same moment.

The mountain wind blew through the Empty Post Station, swirling the fallen leaves on the ground, making a sound like sobbing.

Qin Feng raised his Spiritual Sense to the maximum, his gaze slowly sweeping every corner of the Post Station. The unease in his heart grew stronger and stronger.