Searching in All Directions

The core array artifact of the Shanglin Garden secret formation was retrieved, and the illusion array of the entire secret formation dissipated.

Looking at the secret place where the Zhongnan Mountains could be seen through the haze, the new emperor felt a complex mix of emotions.

Like a farmer who has acquired a fertile field, he is filled with joy.

The process of acquiring this land was fraught with difficulties, and his role seemed to be limited to providing a luminous pearl that had been submerged in water, leaving him somewhat embarrassed by his minimal contribution.

Being affected by the secret formation is far more terrifying than having ten nightmares, and the new emperor's mind has never been at peace.

What about Wei Qing and Qu Bing?

He was trapped under heavy, rotten wood soaked in water. After Zhang Xuezhou pulled him out, his body swayed several times before he remembered another important question.

"You're the first one I found; they haven't responded to me yet," Zhang Xuezhou said. "I've had Jin Wanliang search over there, and I'm also searching other areas."

Zhang Xuezhou pointed to the area where Jin Wanliang was being searched, and then indicated the area he was going to search for.

He also glanced at the huge pile of dead branches and leaves at the foot of the mountain.

The bad thing is that the withered branches and fallen leaves swept to the bottom of the mountain by the receding tide are very thick, piling up nearly twenty feet high around the bottom of the mountain.

The good thing is that the pile consists of withered branches, fallen leaves, and rotten matter. These things are not heavy, unlike those buried under soil and rocks, which could potentially lead to survival after being buried alive.

"Wei Qing's cultivation is not weak, he should be alright. Let's try to find Qu Bing first. This whole thing is my fault!"

The new emperor clenched his fist, stood up in a disheveled state, and began searching around.

The purple lingzhi and polygonatum lying on the ground did not attract his attention in the slightest.

Compared to the great medicines left over from the Heaven and Earth, Huo Qubing was undoubtedly his most precious possession.

He did indeed still harbor feelings of resentment.

If Huo Qubing hadn't been taken to Shanglin Garden, if Huo Qubing hadn't been entrusted to Zhang Xuezhou, if Huo Qubing hadn't been allowed to board the test flight...

If only he had been a little stricter, Huo Qubing wouldn't have suffered this disaster.

The thought of being buried in a dilapidated and decaying palace and nearly losing his life deeply shocked the new emperor.

If he is of sound mind, he will have no difficulty coping, but when he lacks the ability to control his limbs, some seemingly normal behaviors become dangerous.

If this was the case for him, then for Huo Qubing, who was only five years old, this situation would have been a death sentence.

The new emperor couldn't help but shout repeatedly, while glancing from time to time at Zhang Xuezhou was floating and searching in the air.

"We found Xiao Huo, and he's still alive!"

From afar, Zhang Xuezhou's shouts rang out, and the new emperor felt a great sense of relief.

After running more than two hundred meters, the new emperor could see Zhang Xuezhou pulling Huo Qubing down from a crooked oak tree.

Perhaps because he had drunk a lot of water when the water receded in the secret place, Huo Qubing's stomach was even more bloated than before. Just like Jin Wanliang stomach was stuck, Huo Qubing was also stuck upside down in the middle of the tree.

"Your Grain Avoidance Pill are great!"

Huo Qubing's head was facing upwards, his body stuck upside down. The new emperor could quickly imagine the situation when Huo Qubing fell into the water.

After drinking some water, Huo Qubing's abdomen swelled and bulged, causing his body to roll over. This bloating even created buoyancy, allowing Huo Qubing to float on the water and continue to descend until he stopped descent while hanging from the tree.

The Grain Avoidance Pill refined by Zhang Xuezhou had some minor flaws, but compared to the effects they brought, these minor flaws were not a problem.

As Zhang Xuezhou pressed down on Huo Qubing's mouth, a bunch of sticky liquid came out, and a series of coughs followed. Huo Qubing began to breathe normally again. The new emperor couldn't help but sigh that Huo Qubing was lucky to have survived a calamity by taking a Grain Avoidance Pill.

Would you like two?

"My Great Heaven and Earth contains Grain Avoidance Pill refined by the Office of the Inner Clerk; I have no need for your pills!"

Praise is one thing, application is another.

Not only did Jin Wanliang transform into a pregnant demon, but Huo Qubing's belly also became swollen and distended. The new emperor thought he must be out of his mind to take this kind of fasting pill that made him thirsty and caused abdominal Grain Avoidance Pill.

"I'll look for Wei Qing again!"

Seeing that Huo Qubing was breathing normally, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but feel that the capable should do more work.

He handed Huo Qubing over to the new emperor, then leaped up and used his Demonic Sound Technique to shout Wei Qing's name.

If the person is not hanging from a tree, the difficulty of searching by levitation and aerial maneuvers obviously increases.

Even with Zhang Xuezhou's sharp eyes, he couldn't see the area hidden beneath the layers of leaves; only through occasional gaps could he glimpse the ground.

"Jin Wanliang, have you found Wei Qing?"

"Didn't you see Wei Qing, the one who knocked me away?!"

Zhang Xuezhou also exchanged information with Jin Wanliang, who was searching. Hearing Jin Wanliang's sarcastic tone, Zhang Xuezhou felt that this guy might even ignore Wei Qing if he saw him.

"That Wei Qing knocked you away is the Grand Commander of Shanglin Garden," Zhang Xuezhou warned. "You're a demon slayer in Shanglin Garden. If you want to be more comfortable after you leave, hurry up and get to work. It's best to leave him with a debt of gratitude for saving your life, so you won't have trouble being comfortable later!"

"Godfather, even with your strength, you can't protect me?" Jin Wanliang asked in surprise.

I'll risk my life for you!

Zhang Xuezhou replied irritably.

Zhang Xuezhou's official position was for his own benefit. As a close advisor to the emperor, he had already achieved everything he sought, even though his position as Vice Minister of the Palace Attendants lacked real power.

But when it comes to power in foreign affairs, he has almost nothing to offer.

For example, Wei Qing could assign Jin Wanliang a minor position such as deputy stableman or stable boy in the Shanglin Garden. The duties of these positions are to carry meat to feed the Demon Beast and take the opportunity to collect Demon Core or medicinal parts from the demon beasts, thereby formalizing Jin Wanliang's demon beast identity.

Although Jin Wanliang will still be under jurisdiction, at least he won't be locked in a cave, and he will have the opportunity to leave when a suitable place becomes available.

Zhang Xuezhou couldn't settle Jin Wanliang. He couldn't possibly use the Imperial Shuttle to escort Jin Wanliang thousands of miles away, and there was no suitable place for Jin Wanliang to live thousands of miles away. If he were to send him to the Northern Kuru Continent, Jin Wanliang had previously fled back to the south because he couldn't stand the atmosphere of the Xieluosi River Holy Land.

After some explanation, Jin Wanliang obediently went to find Wei Qing.

In any case, as long as Wei Qing could offer him a minor official position to repay his life-saving grace, Jin Wanliang could live like a normal person, with enough to eat and drink.

As long as Wei Qing remains in power, Jin Wanliang can live a peaceful life as a minor official in the Shanglin Garden.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't guarantee Jin Wanliang, but he did find a way for him to make Jin Wanliang.

"Caw, Commander Wei, where are you?"

"Wei Qing?"

After examining the visible treetops, the search shifted to the interior of the forest.

Later, the new emperor's voice joined in, and every now and then Huo Qubing would let out a breathless shout.

"Won't I be buried in here?"

The group searched high and low, eventually finding their way back together through their shared voices.

After their search yielded no results, Zhang Xuezhou and the others inevitably turned their attention to the piles of dead branches and leaves at the bottom of the mountain.

Rotten wood becomes heavy when it absorbs water, and withered branches and leaves also gain weight when wet.

One piece, two pieces... eventually countless pieces, all accumulating into a heavy weight that crushes the body.

If Wei Qing had been buried in a shallow layer, it would have been fine, but being buried in a deep layer for a long time would undoubtedly have been extremely dangerous.

Should we send someone over or just search the place ourselves?

Zhang Xuezhou asked the new emperor.

The two people, the demon, and the little brat were undoubtedly insignificant in the face of the pile of debris that stretched for hundreds of meters and was twenty feet high.

However, it takes time to leave the secret location and redeploy manpower.

This was a difficult rescue option, one that even Zhang Xuezhou found challenging.

"If Wei Qing is buried inside, the only thing that can save him is the Four Gates Protective Formation!"

The new emperor pondered for a few seconds before offering another option.