Xu Qingtong did not hurry forward, but continued searching the village carefully. After half an incense stick's worth of time, he withdrew his divine sense and said quietly to Ding Jiayue and Chen Qian, "Jia Yue, at the easternmost end of this village is an abandoned courtyard, with white walls, blue tiles, and an enclosure of rammed earth and mud. Weeds fill the courtyard. There are five people inside: one at the middle stage of foundation establishment, two at the eighth layer of qi refining, and two at the seventh layer of qi refining."
"In a moment, I'll turn invisible and leave first. You two will need to do this..."
Once the arrangements were made, Xu Qingtong took out the Invisibility Cloak, draped it over his head, concealed himself, and carefully crept toward a small grove on the eastern side of the village.
Only after seeing that Xu Qingtong had entered the grove did Ding Jiayue call to Chen Qian. The two slowly walked toward the eastern side of the village.
After walking for about half the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Ding Jiayue spotted the courtyard Xu Qingtong had described. From a distance, its blue tiles and white walls exuded an air of desolation.
Ding Jiayue deliberately extended her divine sense into the courtyard. A sweep revealed the figures inside, just as expected. The cultivator at the foundation establishment middle stage reacted first. His tightly shut eyes snapped open, and he looked toward Ding Jiayue.
Seeing that he had discovered her, Ding Jiayue grabbed Chen Qian and ran toward the grove east of the village.
The cultivator at the foundation establishment middle stage sprang up and chased after the fleeing pair. The others also rose, fully on guard.
Xu Qingtong had been monitoring their movements