Spirit Core Dug Out

When Ji You entered the front hall of the Affairs Management Courtyard, the dim hall was already filled with people.

There were team leaders who had gone out searching, instructors who participated in the search, and Ban Yangshu, whose arm was in a sling. To his left sat Ji Qirui, his shirt half-undone, his chest tightly bandaged.

Ban Yangshu's shoulder had been injured by an iron fist, fracturing the bone. Ji Qirui's left chest had been grazed by Lightning Law, scorching his arm.

Seeing Ji You walk in, both men wore complex expressions.

It was the same battle, so why did he seem as if he hadn't participated, and was still dressed so handsomely...

However, after a silent grumble, they both stood up and solemnly thanked Ji You.

The three stewards also stood up upon seeing this, expressing their concern with genuine emotion, as if Ji You were more severely injured than Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui.

"Where were you guys chatting just now?"

Ban Yangshu saw the opportunity and said, "We were talking about Evil Seeds."

Ji You was slightly taken aback. "Yesterday I heard you shouting about Evil Seeds. What exactly is that thing?"

"In the Primordial Era, the rulers of the Qingyun World were not our human race, but a race later known as the Primordial Remnant Race. This race had powerful physiques and innate magical abilities. They fed on humans and enslaved all living things, eventually angering the Heavenly Dao."

"The Heavenly Dao then bestowed the Seven Sect Dao Artifacts, which were wielded by the Seven Sages of the human race, leading to the extinction of the Primordial Remnant Race."

"These Evil Seeds are what the Primordial Remnant Race became after death, turning to evil."

Ji Qirui added upon hearing this, "After the Primordial War, the Qingyun World was left with many Primordial ruins scattered everywhere. Some are vast and immense, so much so that even those in the upper five realms dare not enter. Others are as small as abandoned houses and are called relic temples by the common folk. Evil Seeds appear around them, preying on passing woodcutters and scholars."

Ji You's eyes widened as he heard this, thinking, So that's how it is.

No wonder Kuang Cheng said that if those going to the capital for the imperial examination traveled by land, only two out of five would survive. It wasn't an exaggeration.

It wasn't Little Qian in the temple, but a whole house full of grandmothers and monsters.

With such things around, it would be hard for Old Kuang not to die on the road.

Ji You pondered for a moment, then frowned. "You said Evil Seeds like to eat humans raw, but why did the people brought back become mummified corpses?"

Steward Qin nodded after hearing Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui finish their story. "Ji You is indeed sharp. This is one of the suspicious points we need to investigate. Do you have any clues?"

"That ghastly thing has immense strength."

"The Primordial Remnant Race has a different physiology than humans, and was naturally incredibly strong. Even after death, their physical strength does not diminish. This is not new."

Ji You pondered for a moment, then looked up. "Just a physical body, can it think?"

Steward Qin shook his head. "Evil Seeds born from corpses are extremely bloodthirsty, but as for thinking, there have been no such instances yet."

"No, that ghastly thing was afraid of death when it fought me. After I drew my second sword, it started dodging constantly, its eyes filled with terror."

"?"

Hearing this, the Affairs Management Courtyard buzzed with discussion.

The reason why the Evil Seeds, mutated from the corpses of the Primordial Remnant Race, were not terrifying and why no immortal sects had gone to eliminate them was because they lacked intelligence.

Even if they ate some passing woodcutters and scholars, it wasn't worth an immortal sect's intervention.

But Ji You claimed the one he fought understood fear, and an ominous aura spread throughout the courtyard.

Steward Ji interrupted everyone's speech. "Putting aside the Evil Seed, do you have any clues about that swordsman and that black-clothed cultivator in the Dao Integration Realm, Young Master Ji?"

Ji You pondered for a moment and said, "That swordsman is a skilled killer, likely accustomed to fighting, unlike the disciples of immortal sects who hide in the mountains cultivating."

"And the one in the Dao Integration Realm?"

"I only encountered him indirectly, so I have no information to offer."

Steward Ji nodded. "Do Yangshu and Qirui have anything to add?"

Ban Yangshu clasped his fists in salute. "That person only used basic Lightning Law, clearly intending to hide his identity, and left no clues."

Ji Qirui, after listening to everyone's discussion, suddenly interjected, "I have something to add."

"Go on."

"When we left the building, we stopped because we sensed a malevolent aura. However, at that time, the malevolent aura first passed by the side road, and after it moved away, it suddenly circled back. I suspect their attack on us was spontaneous."

Hearing Ji Qirui's words, Ban Yangshu's eyes lit up. "That's right, the cultivator in the Dao Integration Realm also arrived after the Evil Seed."

Steward Qin frowned slightly. "So, you're saying they didn't plan to attack you beforehand? It was the Evil Seed that lost control?"

"It should be so."

Hearing this, Ji You couldn't help but frown.

The Evil Seed had lunged, seemingly to grab Lu Qingqiu, but as the person involved, Ji You knew it wanted to kill him.

If Ji Qirui was correct, then the attackers had intended to bypass them and leave, but the Evil Seed, for some unknown reason, had lost control and fixated on him.

Ji You's frown eased.

The Evil Seed was a woman, and she was attracted to beauty.

Case closed!

No, wait, if she was attracted to beauty, her claws wouldn't have been scratching at his face the whole time.

Ji You looked up at the three stewards seated above. They exchanged glances and nodded profoundly, as if they already had a clue.

However, in reality, they had no idea what to do.

When they first received the news, they assumed some immortal sect was secretly targeting the Celestial Academy.

But after finding the bodies, they discovered the deceased weren't just disciples of the Celestial Academy. Two of them were royal relatives with decent cultivation talent, and the identity of another was still unclear.

When searching for clues, one needs to find common ground. Currently, the only commonality among the five victims was that they were cultivators, and that was it.

After all the information was reviewed and everyone dispersed, the three managers moved to the back hall.

The back hall had only a small window and was dimly lit. The tables and chairs were removed, and five desiccated corpses lay in the empty hall. A Taoist priest in a long robe was examining them closely, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

"Hall Master Zuo Qiu."

Zuo Qiuyang turned to look at them. "Any findings?"

Manager Qin cupped his hands. "It's difficult for rogue cultivators to reach the Dao Integration Realm, so that person must be within the Immortal Registry. As for the swordsman, there's a possibility they're a rogue cultivator. The strangest thing is that Evil Seed."

"How strange?"

Manager Qin lowered his voice. "The world knows that Evil Seeds cannot leave the Primordial Ruins by more than ten li, yet it appeared in Shengjing City. That's one thing. Secondly, Ji You, who fought it, said it was afraid, which is even stranger."

Ji Jingyao looked at the five corpses at this moment. "Hall Master Zuo Qiu, have you found any clues?"

"This Qingyun World is likely headed for great chaos."

Zuo Qiuyang looked at the five corpses, and his words left the three managers stunned.

The bodies were indeed drained, not eaten by the Evil Seed, but that wasn't the main point.

The main point was that all five were cultivators, and all had reached the stage of condensing their Spirit Core, yet their Spirit Cores had been completely dug out.

Simply killing people wasn't a huge problem, but when something beyond comprehension occurs, it foreshadows a greater disaster.

Even more crucially, the fact that you've noticed this means it's no longer something that can be easily kept hidden.