The patrol soldiers' gazes were sharp as hawks, constantly sweeping every corner. The special instruments in their hands scanned each faint spatial ripple, as though they meant to see through everything hidden within them.
The air was thick with heart-pounding vigilance. Even core disciples passing one another spoke far less than before. When their eyes met, there was an added measure of scrutiny and an indescribable estrangement. Only those who knew each other extremely well would nod in greeting before hurrying away.
The nine crimson stars hanging in the sky seemed to have drawn their light further inward, quiet as if they had fallen asleep.
Although the abnormal aura left behind in the area where the battle had erupted that night had been forcibly wiped away, and the spatial structure forcibly repaired—
Jiang Shu, relying on the Heart of Space's keen sensitivity, could still catch faint traces of chaos and chill, like dying embers, suffusing the finest cracks in space. They clung there stubbornly, proving that it had not been an illusion.
Worried that Jiang Shu's questions might expose something, Liu Yue became even more taciturn.
She still respectfully delivered high-quality spirit food and cultivation resources on time every day, attending to him with meticulous care. Yet her movements carried an air of excessive caution, and her eyes remained lowered, scarcely daring to meet Jiang Shu's gaze.
Whenever Jiang Shu casually asked about Zhan Feng's whereabouts or the situation in the Ancestral Land, her body would stiffen slightly, and her answers would be watertight.
"Reporting to Elder, this servant is lowly in status and knows nothing of the inside matter."
"The Alliance Leader is still handling the aftermath. I believe things will return to normal soon."
If it had been anyone else, Liu Yue's words would naturally have been convincing.