186: Chapter 186 Abandoned Village

The night was as dark as ink, and the air within the Immortal Cave was thick with the scent of blood.

Ye Tian sat cross-legged, his face pale, his aura withered to the extreme.

Gao Ling's insidious palm force was rampaging through his Meridians, eroding his vitality.

The full-strength strike of a True Martial Fourth Level Cultivator contained Yin-Fiend Poison Essence, which was far beyond a common injury.

"I must recover as quickly as possible!"

Ye Tian's eyes were cold. Enduring the intense pain, he sank his Divine Sense into his body, guiding the Five Elements True Essence to struggle against the foreign poison.

But the effect was minimal. The poison was like a tide, and his True Essence was retreating step by step.

Just as he felt a trace of exhaustion, the star core ring on his left index finger suddenly pulsed with warmth.

A stream of pure Astral Power flowed along the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, slowly injecting into his nearly depleted Dantian!

"Is this... the power of the star core?"

Ye Tian's heart jolted!

He had always known this ring, obtained from the depths of the Meteor Star Great Rift Valley, was extraordinary, but he found it difficult to actively mobilize its power. He hadn't expected it to protect its master on its own when he was heavily injured and in peril!

This Astral Power carried a gentle attribute that nourished all things.

As soon as it entered his body, it rapidly merged into the Five Elements True Essence!

The Five Elements True Essence instantly blazed with light!

The five-colored brilliance, which had been suppressed and dimmed by the insidious poison, was revitalized with vibrant life!

The sharpness of Gold severed the threads of poison; the vitality of Wood repaired the wounds; the endurance of Water washed away the residual toxins; the explosiveness of Fire incinerated the Yin-Fiend energy; and the stability of Earth reinforced his Foundation!

The speed of the Five Elements rotation suddenly accelerated, its efficiency increasing several times over!

"Buzz..."

Under the nourishment of the Astral Power, the damaged Meridians in Ye Tian's body recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The invading Yin-Fiend Poison Essence was enveloped by the Five Elements True Essence and converted into wisps of energy, replenishing his consumption!

Not only that, but the Astral Power was subtly tempering his Physical Body and True Essence!

His bones became more crystalline and resilient, and the power contained within his flesh became more surging. The True Essence vortex in his Dantian compressed and solidified during its high-speed rotation; although its volume didn't increase significantly, its quality underwent a qualitative leap!

The night passed quietly.

When the east turned the color of a fish's belly, Ye Tian suddenly opened his eyes inside the Immortal Cave!

His aura surged. Not only were his injuries fully healed, but his cultivation had also broken through the barrier in one go, stepping into the True Martial Realm Second Level!

Suddenly, the Immortal Cave's Restriction fluctuated, followed by a familiar voice.

"Senior!"

Hou Xiaojie had a hint of excitement on his face. "The Mission Hall has just released a new B-rank mission, and it's very special! It's to investigate suspected signs of activity by a dark sect!"

"A dark sect?"

A sharp light flashed in Ye Tian's eyes.

The Liuli Xuan Sect governed a vast territory, and occasionally evil paths and demons would be active within its borders. Exterminating these forces was an important task for the Sect to maintain its rule. Usually, the rewards were generous, but the danger was also exceptional.

"Yes! The location is near Luoxia Mountain, three thousand miles southwest of the Sect."

Rumor has it that Muyin Village at the foot of the mountain has become extremely eerie over the past six months. During the day, the village is empty, like a ghost village, but at night, it's bustling with the sound of people.

A passing Cultivator noticed the anomaly and reported it to the Sect.

The mission requires clarifying the root cause of the villagers' strange behavior and determining if it's related to a dark sect. If so, we must investigate their background and, if necessary, eliminate them."

Hou Xiaojie explained in detail.

"Empty village by day, voices at midnight?"

Ye Tian's brow furrowed slightly; this was indeed bizarre.

Usually, evil Cultivators hide their tracks. To make an entire village act so strangely and blatantly, they either possess formidable strength and have no qualms, or they have a grand scheme, or... there's another hidden reason.

"What are the mission rewards?"

"One thousand two hundred contribution points! Plus a bottle of Soul-Cleansing Pills!"

Hou Xiaojie's voice even had a tremor; this reward far exceeded a normal B-rank mission.

Ye Tian was tempted.

One thousand two hundred contribution points were enough to exchange for several types of spiritual materials he urgently needed to consolidate his cultivation.

The Soul-Cleansing Pill was an even rarer Medicinal Pill for nourishing the Divine Soul, which would be of great benefit to his Divine Sense training.

Moreover, investigation-type missions tested insight and wisdom more than direct combat, which perfectly suited his needs.

"The risk isn't small either."

Ye Tian pondered, "The force behind making an entire village behave abnormally is definitely not simple."

There might be Formations, illusions, or even more bizarre methods involved."

"Yeah, that's why many Senior Brothers are just watching and waiting."

Hou Xiaojie nodded. "However, Senior, you are meticulous and strong. Maybe you can solve the mystery!"

Ye Tian thought for a moment and decided to take on the mission.

He needed resources, and he also needed this kind of challenge full of unknowns to temper himself.

Arriving at the Mission Hall, he indeed saw the eye-catching mission scroll.

Many Inner Sect Disciples around were discussing it, but no one dared to take it lightly.

Ye Tian walked straight forward and, under the surprised gazes of the crowd, took down the mission scroll.

"Junior Brother Ye?"

A familiar voice sounded as Lei Zhen walked over. He looked at the scroll in Ye Tian's hand and raised a thick eyebrow. "You're taking this Muyin Village mission?"

This mission is quite fishy. I've been watching it for two days and was thinking of finding someone to go with."

Seeing it was Lei Zhen, Ye Tian smiled. "Senior Brother Lei is also interested?"

This mission is indeed eerie, and going alone might be inconvenient. If Senior Brother is willing to go together, it would be for the best."

Lei Zhen laughed heartily. "Exactly what I was thinking!"

The lightning-attribute Cultivation Technique I practice has quite a restraining effect on dark and evil things."

Besides, having another person means more support."

He had a frank and straightforward personality. Valuing Ye Tian's strength, he proactively suggested teaming up, and the two hit it off immediately.

Just as they were about to prepare supplies, a cool voice came over: "Count me in."

Luo Qiushui was standing nearby at some unknown point, her white clothes as pure as snow, her gaze calm.

"The twilight and mist of Luoxia Mountain might provide some insight for the Sword Intent I practice."

And such strange matters require careful investigation."

Ye Tian and Lei Zhen looked at each other, both feeling delighted.

Luo Qiushui was meticulous, had sharp perception, and possessed superb swordsmanship. With her joining, the team's strength and ability to handle situations would greatly increase.

"If Senior Sister Luo wants to come, she is naturally welcome!" Ye Tian cupped his hands.

Lei Zhen also nodded in agreement.

The three-person team was thus established.

They each prepared for a bit, exchanging for enough detoxification pills, Heart-Clearing Talismans, Evil-Warding Incense, and other supplies. The next morning, they left the Liuli Xuan Sect, riding the spiritual birds provided by the Sect, and headed toward Luoxia Mountain in the southwest.

A distance of three thousand miles was not considered far for True Martial Realm Cultivators.

The spiritual birds sped along, and the mountains and rivers below flew past.

Ye Tian sat cross-legged on the back of the spiritual bird, silently circulating his Cultivation Technique and feeling the flow of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, while also analyzing various possible situations in his mind.

Lei Zhen was wiping his Tyrant Blade, its blade flickering with lightning and brimming with Battle Intent.

Luo Qiushui closed her eyes to rest, her aura seeming to merge with the surrounding clouds and mist, cool and ethereal.

At dusk, the setting sun dyed the clouds at the edge of the sky a brilliant orange-red, and the silhouette of Luoxia Mountain was already in sight.

The mountain was not particularly steep, but it was shrouded in a hazy evening mist.

At the foot of the mountain, the silhouette of a village was vaguely visible; it was Muyin Village.

"According to the mission description, the village is empty during the day."

Our arrival now is exactly when the villagers 'disappear'," Ye Tian said.

"Do we go straight into the village to check?" Lei Zhen asked.

Luo Qiushui looked toward the silent village, a strange look flashing in her cool eyes: "The aura in the village... is very clean. No blood, no Death Qi, but... there's a strange sense of empty coldness."

Hearing this, Ye Tian's Divine Sense quietly spread forward.

Sure enough, within the village's range, the aura of life was so weak it was almost non-existent, as if it were truly an abandoned, desolate village.

But just as Luo Qiushui said, there was none of the eerie deathly silence of a typical ghost village. Instead, there was an abnormal 'cleanliness', as if all traces of life had been completely 'cleared' by some kind of power.

"Be careful. Let's go down and have a look."

Ye Tian controlled the spiritual bird to land in a small grove outside the village.

The three of them restrained their auras and stepped into Muyin Village.

The scene in the village was indeed as the mission described: the houses were orderly, the streets clean, and there were even clothes drying in some yards, unfinished meals on tables, and what seemed to be residual warmth in the stoves...

Everything maintained the atmosphere of daily life, except there wasn't a single person to be seen!

Chickens, dogs, cows, sheep, and even birds and insects had all disappeared!

The entire village was plunged into a hair-raising, absolute silence.

"This is truly wicked!"

Lei Zhen gripped the hilt of his blade, lightning dancing at his fingertips. "There isn't a single trace of a fight; it's like the people just evaporated into thin air!"

Luo Qiushui gently pushed open a half-closed courtyard door and walked in.

She carefully examined the items in the house, her fingertip brushing the tabletop and picking up a thin layer of dust. "The dust is very thin, meaning people were living here not long ago."

The items are placed naturally, not like they left in a hurry."

Ye Tian walked to an old well in the center of the village.

He extended his Divine Sense into the well but also found nothing.

"It's getting late, and it's not wise to move around in an unknown, dangerous place at night."

Let's find a spacious house to stay in for the night and search thoroughly tomorrow at dawn," Ye Tian suggested.

Night was when bizarre things were most likely to occur, and acting rashly was unwise.

Lei Zhen and Luo Qiushui both agreed.

The three of them found a courtyard on the edge of the village, tidied it up slightly, and moved in.

The courtyard had a main house and side rooms, just enough for the three of them to stay separately.