Ancient trees towered into the sky, their shadows swaying.
At dusk, the lingering rays of the setting sun spilled down from the mountaintops, dyeing all things with a layer of golden sunset glow.
Beneath the stone bridge, flowing water murmured, tinkling clear and bright.
The entire secret realm appeared tranquil and beautiful. Ye Jingcheng lay hidden beneath the ground, suppressing his aura to the utmost. Under his Spirit-Isolating Robe, one hand gripped the Imperial Guard Shield while the other rested on the spirit beast pouch containing the Earth Dragon Demon Emperor.
At the same time, the Soul Attendant Blood Escape secret art within his body was ready to be activated at any moment.
At his waist, another spirit beast pouch remained open.
Inside it, the Jade Ring Rat wore a grave expression, its ears pricked and faintly trembling as it strained every nerve to listen closely.
"Could it be that I thought it through incorrectly?" As Ye Jingcheng watched the evening sky grow steadily darker and the spirit mark on his body gradually fade away, there was still no change at either the secret realm entrance or outside the secret realm.
He could not help but grow suspicious.
He took out another jade talisman and glanced at it, only to find that the Shadow Wood puppet still showed no trace whatsoever of Zhang Zhiqiu.
It was as though all his guesses had been wrong—or perhaps the other party feared Prefecture Lord Wang and Prefecture Lord Xiao.
After all, he was headed toward the Upper Immortal Realm, and Prefecture Lord Wang and Prefecture Lord Xiao would certainly be drawing closer to the Upper Immortal Realm as well.
Ye Jingcheng pondered for a while but found no solution, so he could only continue waiting.
One day, then two.
A full five days