Immortal Remains

The Immortal Remains scene had been left exactly as it was. When the male cultivator saw the deep pit, he was startled.

Judging from the deep pit and the surrounding conditions, the power of that strike had been astonishing, even surpassing that of an ordinary Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivator.

His figure flashed, and he arrived beside the pit. He lightly patted his Storage Bag, and a Jade Ruler appeared in his hand.

He lightly tapped the Jade Ruler around the pit and its surroundings. The ruler showed no reaction whatsoever, causing him to frown deeply, confusion entering his eyes.

"Senior Brother Zhao, did you find anything?" the female cultivator asked from the side.

"Strange. This strike left behind no trace of Spiritual Qi!" The male cultivator looked at the Jade Ruler and replied uncertainly.

Though powerful martial artists existed in the secular world, unless they reached the Innate realm, cultivators regarded them as beings they could dismiss with a wave of the hand.

Even Innate Martial Artists, who could threaten Qi Refining Stage cultivators, could only possibly inflict severe injuries on them by launching a surprise attack and catching them off guard.

As long as a Qi Refining Stage cultivator had time to prepare and the two sides kept some distance between them, even an Innate Martial Artist could not threaten a Qi Refining Stage cultivator.

"Could it have been the work of an Innate Martial Artist?" the female cultivator offered her opinion.

"No. Though this strike was powerful, its force was scattered and lacked solidity. It was definitely not an Innate Martial Artist's attack!" The male cultivator was more knowledgeable and answered with certainty.

The reason Innate Martial Artists could threaten Qi Refining Cultivators was that they could concentrate their Innate Qi at a single point, using a point to break through a surface and pierce a Qi Refining Cultivator's defenses.

This was a manifestation of an Innate Martial Artist's control over their innate power. Martial artists were still martial artists; they did not have so much Innate Qi to waste.

If an Innate Martial Artist had made an attack like this, the amount of Innate Qi in their body would have been so abundant as to be almost beyond belief. At the very least, the male cultivator had never heard of such an Innate Martial Artist appearing before.

The power of this strike exceeded Late-Stage Qi Refining. Judging by how it had manifested, it was more likely the work of a cultivator.

But the problem was that whether a powerful Talisman had been used or a powerful Spell had been cast, even after several days, the Magical Item in his hand should have been able to detect traces of residual Spiritual Qi at the scene.

The male cultivator carefully recorded the conditions at the scene. This needed to be filed when he returned, and he would have to submit this information to complete the mission.

"Prefect Li, prepare lodging for the two of us. We will remain in Nanling City for some time. It would be best if the residence is close to here, as I will need to return for further inspections!" Having finished everything, the male cultivator turned to Li Wenyuan and said.

Originally, this mission had been very simple. A cultivator causing trouble in the secular world could not have been very strong.

The secular world was deficient in Spiritual Qi, and ordinary cultivators avoided it like the plague. Unless they had some need, no cultivator was willing to remain in the secular world for long.

The two Mid-Stage Qi Refining cultivators had accepted this mission, only to learn upon arriving that the troublemaking cultivator was already dead. Their mission had become an investigation into what had happened and the search for whoever had killed that cultivator.

The things recorded in their hands now would absolutely not pass review if brought back. Even the male cultivator himself would not have believed what he had written if he had not investigated the scene in person.

"There are two Guest Courtyards in the residence. If you two do not mind, you may stay there!" Li Wenyuan said with a smile.

"Good!" The male cultivator did not stand on ceremony and nodded.

Only after sending people to escort the two cultivators to the Guest Courtyards did Li Wenyuan finally let out a breath.

"Father, why have immortals come here? Were they sent by Central Capital?" Li Shiming asked curiously.

"They carry an Imperial Decree, but Central Capital has sent no official documents regarding this matter!" Li Wenyuan replied softly.

Great Xia's administration was highly developed. Under normal circumstances, when Central Capital sent someone, aside from the identification documents they carried, official correspondence would also arrive through another channel.

But considering that the two were immortal cultivators and the Imperial Decree in their hands was genuine, Li Wenyuan could only receive them while also sending an inquiry to Central Capital.

"I suppose they bear no ill intent!" Li Shiming said in reassurance.

Though the two cultivators were arrogant, they remained polite. Evidently, they were not evil people—at least not like the cultivator who had slaughtered thirty-five people in succession.

Li Shiming also felt helpless. That sense of powerlessness when facing powerful beings made him want to possess strength.

Senior Brother Zhao and Junior Sister Zheng arrived at the Guest Courtyards, the two courtyards adjacent to each other.

"Junior Sister Zheng, the cultivator who appeared this time is stronger than us. During this period, we cannot act separately!" Senior Brother Zhao said with a grave expression.

"I will follow Senior Brother Zhao's instructions!" Junior Sister Zheng replied with a light smile.

Senior Brother Zhao Took Out an Array Plate shaped like a Compass. When activated with Spiritual Qi, the Array Plate emitted a White Light that spread outward and covered both courtyards.

The two cultivators were not Dual Cultivation Partners, so when conditions allowed, they would not live together.

No matter how good the relationship between cultivators was, they still needed to maintain distance for each other's safety.

Cultivators needed to concentrate their minds while cultivating. During cultivation, they had virtually no defensive ability.

No cultivator would expose themselves so completely before another cultivator, placing their safety in another's hands.

Of course, Senior Brother Zhao had brought Junior Sister Zheng on this mission. His strength was greater and his wealth more substantial, so he contributed more by setting up a Defensive Formation over both courtyards.

Junior Sister Zheng entered her room and Took Out a Talisman from her Storage Bag. After activating it with Spiritual Qi, it emitted a red glow that settled over the doors and windows.

As long as anyone outside Came into Contact With the doors or windows, the Talisman's effect would activate and warn her.

Junior Sister Zheng's wealth was far inferior to Senior Brother Zhao's, and with Senior Brother Zhao protecting her, she saved wherever she could.

Of course, what she saved on was defense. When it came to cultivation, she did not stint in the slightest.

She had spent more than half her fortune on cultivation. She Took Out a round disk from her Storage Bag, then Took Out four Spirit Stones and placed them within it.

She sent a stream of Spiritual Power into it, activating the disk. The Spiritual Qi within the four Spirit Stones surged out, and the disk lit up with profound, intricate Rune Patterns.

Junior Sister Zheng sat atop the disk. Feeling the Spiritual Qi around her, a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

Unlike those cultivators who constantly strengthened their offensive abilities, Junior Sister Zheng had saved Spirit Stones for years to exchange for this Spirit Gathering Disk, all so she could increase her Cultivation Speed and stand out among her peers.

On the other side, Senior Brother Zhao entered his room and sensed the surrounding Spiritual Qi. He could not help but helplessly take a Spirit Stone into his hand.

"We should find the clues quickly and return soon. The cultivation environment here is far too poor!" Senior Brother Zhao muttered to himself.

The next day, Senior Brother Zhao and Junior Sister Zheng inspected Nanling City from all directions, but found not the slightest trace of any cultivator. They planned to remain for one more day, and if they still found nothing, they would return.