The Soul Division Martial Soul, like an invisible ghost, watched the last batch of students disappear into the night.
Its perception was connected to Xiao Yan's physical body, and every detail was clearly transmitted back to Xiao Yan's mind.
Only after those figures were completely swallowed by darkness and the camp became an empty flat ground did the Soul Division Martial Soul turn around and rush towards the Blood Sect camp.
It moved silently through the shade of the trees, faster than it had come.
He quickly caught up with Instructor Lei and his group, and used the same trick again. However, this time, Xiao Yan did not hide his presence, but spoke directly from the dense forest.
Tell Instructor Lei to lead his men to retreat.
After speaking, without waiting for the other party's reaction, Xiao Yan directly controlled his Soul Division Martial Soul to leave.
Blood Sect Camp.
Xiao Yan stood behind Fan Lao, his expression calm.
A night breeze blew by, carrying the damp scent unique to the woods, and the occasional cry of a night bird drifted from afar.
Fan Lao sat on a large rock, toying with a dagger in his hand, his gaze constantly fixed on the dense forest in the distance.
Behind him, dozens of the Blood Sect disciples were scattered in the woods, some squatting by tree roots, others leaning against tree trunks, their weapons gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
Everyone remained silent, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects.
" Brother Tang, why hasn't that group entered the valley yet?"
Fan Lao lowered his voice and asked, his tone tinged with impatience.
Xiao Yan glanced at the sky; the moon had risen above the treetops, its silvery light spilling into the forest and casting a cool, serene hue over everything.
"They might have been delayed on the way. Sect Leader Fan, please wait a little longer; haste makes waste."
Unfortunately, thanks to the warning from the Soul Division Martial Soul, they probably won't be coming.
The Blood Sect's ambush was destined to end in vain.
Fan Lao nodded and continued toying with the dagger in his hand.
Time passed by, second by second.
Through the perception of his Soul Division Martial Soul, Xiao Yan clearly "saw" that the training camp had been completely cleared out, and that Instructor Lei's group had changed direction and evacuated together after his reminder.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed.
Xiao Yan calculated that Elder Mu's team should have completely moved away from the Blood Sect's search area.
He then regained his composure, a look of confusion appearing on his face.
" Sect Leader Fan," he suddenly spoke.
Fan Lao turned to look at him. "What's wrong?"
Xiao Yan frowned, a hint of uncertainty in his voice:
"They haven't arrived yet after so long, could something have happened?"
There's no point in us waiting any longer. Why don't we just go and take a look?"
Xiao Yan took the initiative to speak up in order to clear himself of suspicion, even though he had been with Fan Lao all along.
Fan Lao thought for a moment, then stood up and tucked the dagger back into his waistband.
"Let's go take a look."
With a wave of his hand, the Blood Sect disciples all stood up and followed Fan Lao and Xiao Yan in that direction.
The group moved swiftly through the night, their footsteps ringing out clearly in the silent woods.
Xiao Yan walked beside Fan Lao, his eyes scanning the surroundings, while he was calculating his next move.
When they reached the spot where Instructor Lei's group had been, they only saw messy footprints on the ground and a pile of ashes from a recently extinguished campfire.
Not a single person was seen.
Fan Lao's face instantly darkened.
Where are they?
He crouched down and touched the ashes of the campfire; they were still warm. This meant that someone had been there not long ago.
Search! Search them! They can't have gone far!
The Blood Sect disciples scattered and searched the woods.
The torchlight flickered in the darkness, casting long shadows of the surrounding trees. Some people crouched on the ground to check the direction of the footprints, some climbed to the treetops to gaze into the distance, and some scattered in all directions, trying to find any clues.
Half an hour later, everyone returned one after another.
There was no one there. There wasn't a soul in sight within a ten-mile radius.
Fan Lao's face turned completely black.
"Damn it! Where did they go?!"
He slammed his fist into a large tree beside him, and the thick tree snapped in two with a loud crash, sending splinters flying and startling a flock of night birds. Several Blood Sect disciples took a few steps back in fright, lowering their heads and not daring to utter a sound.
Xiao Yan crouched down to examine the footprints on the ground, lost in thought.
" Sect Leader Fan, look at these footprints. They left in a hurry, and the direction... is towards the academy. They didn't go back to the camp; they retreated directly."
Fan Lao gritted his teeth. "Did they find out about our plan? Who leaked the information?"
Xiao Yan stood up and dusted off his robes.
"It's hard to say. But one thing is certain—they definitely received the information in advance."
Moreover, their retreat was not impromptu; it was an organized withdrawal.
Look at these footprints. Although they're messy, they all point in the same direction and aren't scattered. This means someone is directing them.
Fan Lao took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his nails almost digging into his flesh.
"Let's go! Let's check out the training camp! I refuse to believe they can move the entire camp!"
The group turned and headed towards the training camp.
When they arrived at the camp, they found only an empty, flat area.
The people have disappeared, and even the supplies have vanished.
Only messy footprints and ashes from the campfire remained on the ground. The flagpole in the center of the camp still stood, but the flag on it had been taken away.
Several broken ropes lay scattered on the ground, remnants of the dismantling of the tent.
Fan Lao's face turned completely black.
"They ran away? They all ran away?!"
He turned abruptly and kicked away a pile of campfire ashes beside him, sending black ash flying in all directions.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
He cursed three times, burning with rage. His chest heaved violently, and the murderous intent in his eyes was almost overflowing.
The Blood Sect disciples looked at each other, none of them daring to utter a sound.
Xiao Yan stood to the side, looking at the empty camp, his heart as calm as still water. But a solemn expression appeared on his face.
" Sect Leader Fan, it seems Jia Nan Academy has indeed received the news. We must inform Medicine Emperor Han as soon as possible. This is a serious matter and cannot be kept secret."
Fan Lao took a few deep breaths to suppress his anger. His chest heaved violently for a while before he gradually calmed down.
"You're right. Han Feng needs to know about this."
He turned around and gave an order to his disciples:
"Pass down the order: the rest of the disciples, disperse and search for any trace of the Jia Nan Academy members. No matter where they've gone, find them!"
"Yes!"
Maple City, Bamboo House.
It was already late at night, but the bamboo house was brightly lit.
Han Feng sat in the main seat, his face ashen.
The Gold and Silver Elders, stood behind him. Elder Jin closed his eyes to rest, while Elder Yin played with two silver beads in his hands.
Elder Ban still stood in the corner like a ghost, his entire body shrouded in a gray cloak.
Fan Lao stood below, head bowed, and reported the whole story to Han Feng.
His voice was somewhat hoarse, clearly a lingering effect of his anger.
"When we arrived, the camp was already empty."
Everyone has left, and even the supplies have been taken away completely. Your subordinate is incompetent; please punish me, Alliance Leader.
Han Feng remained silent.
His fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound.
The sound wasn't loud, but it made everyone present feel a tightness in their chest.
"You mean, the people from the Jia Nan Academy received the news in advance?" Han Feng finally spoke, his voice eerily calm.
Fan Lao nodded. "Yes. And they retreated very quickly, clearly they were prepared. I've already sent men to expand the search area, but we haven't found anything."
Han Feng turned his gaze to Xiao Yan.
" Brother Tang, what do you think?"