Rumors Abound
Chen He and the other two were instantly intrigued by Song Wen's words.
"What strange thing is this?"
Song Wen looked around and said mysteriously.
"This place is too crowded and noisy; it's not a good place to talk."
The more Song Wen tried to hide it, the more interested Chen He and the other two became.
Chen He first dismissed the five courtesans, then waved his hand, and a soundproof barrier appeared, enveloping Song Wen, Wang Wu, Qian Cheng, and himself.
"Brother Cui, rest assured, no one in this market dares to eavesdrop on the conversations of our Baleful Qi Palace disciples."
Song Wen said, "Since the three of you are so interested, then I will tell you. About fifty miles east of Cold Corpse Valley, there is a steep mountain that is a thousand feet high. Are the three of you familiar with this mountain?"
Chen He nodded in agreement, "I know this mountain. It's called Flying Cloud Ridge. It's majestic and imposing, but its Spiritual Qi energy is weak. Apart from some low-level Demon Beast, there's nothing worth mentioning."
Song Wen said, "Brother Chen, you are mistaken."
"Could it be that Brother Cui discovered some secret in Flying Cloud Ridge?" Chen He asked with a curious expression.
Song Wen said, "I travel far and wide, and I especially enjoy exploring all kinds of magnificent and beautiful places. You know, it's in these places that you're most likely to find relics left behind by High Antiquity cultivators. When I first Flying Cloud Ridge, I was immediately attracted by its magnificence. I searched for several days in Flying Cloud Ridge, and guess what I found?"
Chen He and the other two looked anxious. "Brother Cui, tell me quickly, what have you discovered?"
"On the cliff face to the east of Flying Cloud Ridge, there is a waterfall cascading down, beneath which lies a bottomless pool. Deep within the pool, there is a Cave. The Cave is winding and long, initially submerged by the pool, but later becoming a dry area. The Corpse-Baleful Qi within is extremely dense, truly a blessed land for you corpse cultivators."
Upon hearing this, the interest on Chen He and the other two's faces greatly diminished.
"Brother Cui, what we have in abundance in this Cold Corpse Valley is the Corpse-Baleful Qi. There's as much as you need; it's inexhaustible."
Song Wen said, "Gentlemen, don't rush, I haven't finished yet. Deep inside the cave, I faintly saw a precious light emanating from it."
Chen He and the other two were once again intrigued.
"What kind of precious light?"
"It's a deep blue color. This precious light can only be seen at midnight each day, and it only lasts for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Once the time is up, the light will disappear," Song Wen said.
"What is emitting this precious light?" Chen He continued to ask.
Song Wen shook his head, looking regretful.
"I don't know either. The Corpse-Baleful Qi in the cave was too dense. I didn't stay there for long before I was poisoned by the evil spirits. To prevent the evil spirits from invading my internal organs, I had no choice but to leave."
Song Wen changed the subject and asked.
"Brother Chen, Brother Wang, Brother Qian, since you three work at the Baleful Qi Hall, you must have access to the Sha-Cleansing Rejuvenation Pill. I wonder if you could spare one for me? Don't worry, you won't be shortchanged on the price."
"Sha-Cleansing Rejuvenation Pill? This is a third-tier pill, not easy to find. What do you need it for?"
A bitter look flashed across Song Wen's face.
"I am poisoned by a deadly poison; this is to cure it."
A slight smile appeared on Chen He's lips.
He finally understood why Song Wen had taken the initiative to befriend the three of them. It turned out to be for the Sha-Cleansing Rejuvenation Pill.
"We can't get our hands on the Sha-Cleansing Rejuvenation Pill either, Brother Cui, you'd better think of another way," Chen He said.
"Brother Chen, you can't just stand by and watch someone die. Please help me think of a way."
Chen He said, "Brother Cui, I'm truly sorry, but we are powerless to help."
"Well!"
Song Wen looked dejected, making no attempt to hide his disappointment.
Chen He and his two companions bid farewell to Song Wen and began their journey back to Cold Corpse Valley.
"Wang Wu, Qian Cheng, what do you think of what Cui Huo said?" Chen He asked.
Wang Wu said, "In my opinion, what Cui Huo said is probably true. However, what exactly is in that Cave? Is it a treasure or something dangerous? That's hard to say."
Chen He pondered for a moment, a resolute look flashing in his eyes.
"After returning to the Baleful Qi Hall, we will split up and try to obtain as many Sha-Cleansing Rejuvenation Pill as possible."
"Senior Brother Chen, do you want to explore the Cave?" Wang Wu asked.
Chen He retorted, "What! You don't want to go? If you don't want to go, I'll go alone. But you can't reveal this matter. If I gain anything in the cave, I can share some of the benefits with you."
Qian Cheng suddenly interjected, "I'll go."
Wang Wu glanced at the two of them and said, "Alright, I'll go too."
The next day.
Yin Pan, the Baleful Qi Hall, received a report from his subordinates that more than twenty disciples had gone missing, including three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, such as Chen He.
"Have their Soul Lamp gone out?" Yin Pan asked.
"Reporting to the Hall Master, the Soul Lamp of these disciples are all intact," the subordinate reported.
"Bring me the Soul Lamp of Chen He and the other two Foundation Establishment cultivators. I will use my magic to locate their positions," Yin Pan commanded.
At the same time.
News of the discovery of a treasure in Flying Cloud Ridge has already spread throughout the market.
Many people, including disciples of the Baleful Qi Hall and Rogue Cultivator, were drawn to this place.
A large number of monks stood at the edge of the deep pool, watching.
The reason they didn't go in was that dozens of people had already gone in, but none of them had returned.
This instilled fear in everyone, causing them to retreat. But it also proved that a treasure was hidden in the Cave deep within the pool.
Yin Pan's figure appeared above the deep pool.
He swept his gaze across the crowd with disdain and said in a deep voice.
"All disciples of the Baleful Qi Palace, return to Cold Corpse Valley immediately, without fail."
As a Golden Core cultivator, Yin Pan's authority was not to be violated. Upon hearing this, the members of the Baleful Qi Palace all used their abilities to leave the area.
Seeing this, some Rogue Cultivator also left, leaving only a few daring individuals behind.
Yin Pan ignored these Rogue Cultivators and directly disappeared into the deep pool.
Several hours later.
Bao Yuan, the deputy leader of the Baleful Qi Hall, discovered that he could no longer contact Yin Pan.
Yin Pan, like the other cultivators who entered the deep pool, disappeared, but his Soul Lamp remained.
Bao Yuan suspected that Yin Pan and the others were trapped.
He dared not venture into the deep pool again and could only report the matter to his sect.
One hour later.
A large spaceship appeared above the icy pool.
Elder Pang Heng, accompanied by six Foundation Establishment Realm disciples, landed on the edge of the icy pool.
"Bao Yuan, how long has Yin Pan been inside?"
"Reporting to Elder Pang, it has been five hours," Bao Yuan said, bowing.
"Why did it take you so long to report this to the sect?" Pang Heng asked.
"Your subordinate... Master Yin, he..."
Bao Yuan looked troubled, as if he didn't know how to explain.
"Speak! Now that things have come to this, do you still want to hide anything?" Pang Heng said coldly.
"It was Hall Master Yin who ordered me not to report this to the sect," Bao Yuan.
"Why did he issue such an order?" Pang Heng asked.
Bao Yuan then recounted the rumors circulating in the market.
Pang Heng looked disdainful upon hearing this.
"Yin Pan's strength is mediocre, but his ambition is considerable. He probably wants to get his hands on the so-called treasure in the deep pool, but he didn't expect that his strength was insufficient, and he has trapped himself in it."