The last trace of relief at reaching his destination vanished from Qing Chen's face.
Just as he was about to investigate further, footsteps suddenly came from inside the cave abode.
A black-robed cultivator emerged, half his left ear missing, with several unhealed magic power burns on his neck.
He first glanced at Qing Chen, then turned his gaze to the furnace wall fragment where Qing Chen had just lingered. His expression immediately changed somewhat.
At the same time, a figure appeared on either side of the suspended beam.
One wore gray robes and had high cheekbones. He held a White Bone Demon Banner, and his cuffs still bore scorch marks from lightning and fire; the other had a waxy yellow face, with a high-grade scarlet saber hovering beside him, baleful light flickering along its edge.
Two at the Nascent Soul late stage.
One at the Nascent Soul middle stage.
The three had clearly been guarding this place for quite some time. All were injured, their expressions exceedingly grim.
After detecting Qing Chen's arrival, they actually did not retreat. Instead, they tacitly shifted their positions, blocking his way back as well.
Qing Chen looked at the three. "Where is the person who was here before?"
The black-robed cultivator did not answer, asking instead, "You're looking for that alchemist from the Nanhua Realm?"
Qing Chen's gaze instantly turned cold. Those words alone made many things clear at a glance. "Where is he?"
The black-robed cultivator stared at him, his expression somewhat twisted. "So you really are together. I said there had to be someone coming to meet him, since he would rather circle around the Stone Forest several times than leave. That fellow ran fast enough, but now that you're here, it makes no difference."
The gray-robed cultivator spoke next. "What is