"Whoosh whoosh!"
The seven masters each used their own methods to pursue the woman in blood-red clothes in the forest under the blood-red setting sun.
However--
The speed of that blood-red figure far surpassed that of the seven people.
She was like a red leaf swept up by a gale, rapidly drifting away into the twilight.
She appeared unhurried, but with each breath, the distance between her and the grandmaster behind her increased by several feet.
Lei Lie gritted his teeth and unleashed his inner Internal Qi without reservation, increasing his speed once again.
But it didn't work.
The distance between them and the blood-red figure continued to widen.
After chasing for ten miles, the distance between the two sides had increased to nearly two miles.
After chasing for twenty miles, the blood-red figure had become just a blurry dot, appearing and disappearing on the hazy twilight horizon.
A moment later, the small dot disappeared completely into the rolling hills and forests.
Lei Lie stopped first, his massive black sword planted on the ground, the blade cutting into the rock several inches with a dull thud.
"Such speed..."
He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his voice hoarse.
Gu Changqing stopped beside him, his green robe fluttering slightly in the evening breeze.
He gazed in the direction where the blood-red figure had disappeared, a shallow furrow forming between his brows. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke:
"The speed of Grandmaster Late-Stage is beyond Non-Self reach."
As they were talking, Huiming, Bai Yujing, Liu Meiniang, Chenmo, Li Hanjiang arrived one after another and landed beside the two.
Lei Lie frowned and said:
" Grandmaster Late-Stage... When did Qingyang Prefecture produce such a figure?"
Huiming clasped his hands together, and a rare look of solemnity appeared in his half-open eyes.
He slowly moved the prayer beads, his voice low and deep:
"Amitabha Buddha, this woman's aura is exactly the same as Yan Wuji's. She also cultivates demonic arts, and her cultivation level is even higher. I'm afraid... Yan Wuji's demonic arts come from her or the force she belongs to."
Upon hearing this, everyone present tensed up.
Bai Yujing's moon-white robes fluttered gently in the breeze. He gazed at the distant horizon and spoke:
"A force capable of wielding master-level demonic techniques is far beyond the reach of ordinary forces. If such a secret organization truly exists, then..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was self-evident.
"Whether such a secret organization exists is another matter, but this woman's cultivation has reached the Grandmaster Late-Stage, and she is also a Grandmaster who cultivates demonic arts."
Liu Meiniang put away the small flower formed from her Gang Qi. The usual smile on her face vanished completely, replaced by an unusual solemnity.
"If it were to wreak havoc within the prefecture, its destructive power would likely be even greater than that of Yan Wuji."
"We must find this woman; we cannot allow her to wreak havoc in Qingyang Prefecture."
He stood silently on a cracked bluestone, his eyes, calm as still water, reflecting the last rays of the setting sun, and spoke.
"Finding him is easy; isn't there a martial artist nearby who's skilled in tracking?"
Li Hanjiang stood with his hands behind his back, his wide black robe billowing slightly in the mountain wind, and said in a hoarse voice.
"Master Gu, it seems we'll still have to rely on the tracking techniques of your sect's True Disciple, Fang Han."
Huiming looked at Gu Changqing and said.
"Let's go back to where we fought before. We might find some clues on Yan Wuji's corpse."
Gu Changqing said.
Immediately, the seven grandmasters retraced their steps and returned to the place where they had fought before.
Fang Han stepped forward and bowed to the six grandmasters.
Fang Han greets all the grandmasters.
"Junior Nephew Fang, thanks to your timely warning, we were able to prepare. Thank you very much."
Huiming said in a gentle voice.
"Master, you flatter me. This is what I should do."
Fang Han did not take credit for it.
"That unfamiliar grandmaster is too fast; the seven of us have already lost him. Fang Han, try to track him using your tracking techniques."
Gu Changqing said.
"Yes, Supreme Elder."
Fang Han immediately used the Nether Guide to search for the remaining aura of the unfamiliar grandmaster.
Soon, he found the remaining aura of the unfamiliar grandmaster.
This is not surprising. If the unfamiliar master's concealment skills were so advanced that he couldn't detect them, he wouldn't have been able to discover and warn him in advance.
He looked at Gu Changqing and said.
" Supreme Elder, with my tracking skills, I should be able to track her down."
"Very good, you go ahead and keep tracking. The seven of us will accompany you."
Gu Changqing nodded in satisfaction.
"Whoosh!"
Fang Han didn't say much. With a swift movement, he used the < Wind God Step >, and his green robe transformed into a pale blue stream of light, following the aura as it went.
Seven grandmasters followed closely behind, their figures moving silently through the fading twilight in the mountains and forests.
Night fades, and the first rays of dawn break through.
Fang Han led the seven grandmasters on a swift journey, traversing mountains and valleys without a moment's rest.
When Internal Qi is depleted, it is restored using the Qi Recovery Pill Internal Qi.
In the afternoon, the rolling mountains gradually leveled out, and a wide plain appeared at the horizon.
A wide boundary river stretches between the plains and the Fang Shan. Its waters are muddy and yellow, flowing ceaselessly, shimmering in the afternoon sun.
Across the river stretched endless hills and dense forests, a landscape completely different from that of Qingyang Prefecture.
"Here it is?"
Looking at the great river ahead, Lei Lie slowed his pace.
" Songquan Prefecture."
Gu Changqing stopped beside Lei Lie, looked towards the opposite bank, and said.
"This river is the boundary between Qingyang Prefecture and Songquan Prefecture. After crossing the river, you will be in the territory of Songquan Prefecture."
Fang Han also stopped in front of the boundary river.
In the perception of < Nether Guide >, the aura belonging to the unfamiliar grandmaster crossed the boundary river and extended into the depths of Songquan Prefecture.
She has crossed the river and entered Songquan Prefecture.
Fang Han reported the truth.
The seven masters exchanged a glance.
Huiming clasped his hands together and whispered a Buddhist chant:
"Amitabha Buddha, this woman has left Qingyang Prefecture and entered Songquan Prefecture, so there is no need to worry about her causing trouble within Qingyang territory."
Bai Yujing stood with his hands behind his back on the riverbank, gazing at the lush green hills on the opposite bank, and said:
"Since this woman has already escaped Qingyang Prefecture, I suggest we drop this matter."
Liu Meiniang nodded slightly and said:
"Our original intention in pursuing her was to prevent her from causing trouble within Qingyang Prefecture. Now that she has left the county, there is indeed no need to pursue her anymore."
He remained silent, gazing at the vast, desolate mountains and forests on the opposite bank, and slowly nodded.
Li Hanjiang stood to one side with his hands behind his back. A faint glint of cold light flashed in his deep eyes before returning to calm. He nodded as well.
It's impossible for them not to be wary of the secret organization that could possibly be behind the woman.
The reason for choosing to pursue them was because they were worried that the enemy would cause trouble within Qingyang Prefecture.
Now that the other party has left Qingyang Prefecture, there is naturally no need to pursue them relentlessly.
Gu Changqing naturally understood this principle as well, and withdrew his gaze, turning to Fang Han:
" Fang Han, you've worked hard. You don't need to continue the pursuit."
"Yes, Supreme Elder."
Fang Han showed no emotion on his face and nodded in response.
After the seven grandmasters talked for a while, they divided up what they had obtained from Yan Wuji and then dispersed.
Before leaving, Gu Changqing turned to look at Fang Han, his voice calm yet gentle:
"You've done a great job this time, go back and get some rest."
Fang Han bowed and replied, "This disciple understands."
Watching the last grandmaster's figure disappear, Fang Han let out a long breath.
He has barely slept these past few days.
From receiving the tracking mission and leaving the sect, to finding Yan Wuji's hiding place and sending a message to the sect, to tracking down that mysterious female master.
In total, I slept for less than three hours.
Even with the physique of Second Grade martial artist, he felt an overwhelming drowsiness at this moment, surging up from his limbs and bones like a tide.
"Let's find a place to sleep first."
Fang Han muttered to himself.
Upon entering the city, Fang Han inquired briefly before heading straight to the inn.
In the inn's lobby, several tables of guests sat scattered about, conversing in hushed tones.
Behind the counter, an elderly shopkeeper with gray hair and beard was working on an abacus. Seeing someone enter, he glanced at them and then put on a smile.
"Sir, would you like to eat or stay at the inn?"
"A superior room."
Fang Han took out a piece of broken silver from his pocket and placed it on the counter.
The shopkeeper quickly accepted the money, then solicitously called over a waiter to lead the way, before lowering his head to fiddle with his abacus.
Fang Han followed the waiter up to the third floor and pushed open the door to a guest room.
The room was small and simply furnished, with a bed, a table, a chair, and an oil lamp on the windowsill, its flame flickering gently in the breeze.
He placed the Cloudsplitter Sword on the table, took off his outer robe and draped it over the back of the chair, then lay down on the bed.
The moment his head touched the pillow, drowsiness engulfed him like a bottomless whirlpool.
I slept very soundly, without any dreams.
The light in the guest room changed from a dim yellow to complete darkness, and then from darkness to a faint morning light.
Fang Han slowly opened his eyes as sunlight streamed through the window, casting bright patches of light on the floor.
He lay quietly for a moment, feeling the abundant energy within him.
The fatigue from days of travel finally dissipated completely after a deep sleep.
Fang Han sat up, stretched his limbs, and his joints made a series of fine cracking sounds.
He straightened his robes, picked up the Cloudsplitter Sword and held it at his waist, then pushed open the door and went out.
After breakfast, he walked at a leisurely pace along the official road towards the Azure Profound Sect.
Two days later, the majestic outline of Azure Profound Mountain appeared at the edge of the field of vision. Fang Han quickened his pace and soon arrived at the mountain gate.
Upon seeing Fang Han, the disciples on duty immediately bowed in respect.
"Senior Brother Fang!"
Fang Han nodded slightly, his steps unwavering, and continued along the bluestone path towards the Sect Master's Hall at the mountain peak.
Sect Master's Hall, Sect Master Chen Tianyuan sat upright on a large rosewood chair at the head of the table.
"Disciple Fang Han greets Sect Master."
Fang Han stepped forward and bowed.
"No need for such formalities."
Chen Tianyuan waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down on the pear wood chair below.
Fang Han took his seat.
"You must have had a long and tiring trip."
Chen Tianyuan spoke.
" The Supreme Elder has already informed me of the outcome of this trip. I never expected that although Yan Wuji is dead, a mysterious female grandmaster would suddenly appear."
Fang Han said in a deep voice:
"There must be a secret organization behind the female grandmaster, and the demonic arts of the Iron River Gang should originate from this organization."
"Even from just a few scales and claws, it's easy to see that this organization is extraordinary."
Chen Tianyuan's expression was serious.
He paused, then tapped his fingers lightly twice on the armrest, making a soft tapping sound.
"Before, you discovered Qi Zhen's cultivation of demonic arts; this time, it was you who tracked down and discovered Yan Wuji."
"After accounting for all the merits, the sect has decided to reward you with two Major Merit."
Fang Han stirred slightly.
If he receives two Major Merit merits as a reward, his total number of Major Merit will be restored to four.
He stood up and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting.
"This disciple thanks the sect master and the sect."
Chen Tianyuan waved his hand, his voice gentle:
"This is what you deserve. Go back to the True Transmission Courtyard and get some rest. You must be tired after these past few days of traveling."
Fang Han bowed again:
"Yes, disciple takes his leave."
He turned and left the Sect Master's Hall.
Deep in the mountains, underground.
A magnificent palace stands silently.
There were no windows, no natural light; only the Night-Luminescent Pearl embedded in the stone walls emitted a soft, cold glow, illuminating the entire palace as if it were daytime.
The dome inside the hall is over ten feet high, supported by rough and ancient stone pillars. Each pillar is carved with ferocious beast faces in different poses, which are interspersed with light and shadow under the glow of the pearl, as if they might come to life at any moment.
This is the headquarters of the Dark Sacred Cult.