72: Chapter 72 Mysterious Man, Footprints

Bai Qi frowned, jumped down from the rock, and walked in that direction.

The toxic gas in the poison array area was thicker at night, but it had no effect on Bai Qi, who was immune to poison.

He walked to the spot he had just sensed and looked down; there was a footprint on the ground.

The footprint was deep, as if someone had stepped down hard. Bai Qi compared it with his own foot; it was slightly larger, and the blurred figure he had sensed didn't seem like a woman.

He felt around and found a faint trace of Soul Power near the footprint. The aura was cold and somewhat overbearing—a dominance that was hard to detect without careful sensing.

Bai Qi's expression changed.

Although he felt the Rank hadn't reached Titled Douluo, he hadn't been able to discern the specific figure earlier.

Even Dugu Bo's figure was something he could sense. This meant the person's actual strength might be greater than Dugu Bo's, or they were intentionally hiding.

Bai Qi no longer hesitated and pushed his Mental Energy and spatial perception to their limits. His Soul Power spread out in all directions like ripples, instantly covering the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well valley and even extending beyond the poison array set by Dugu Bo.

Unexpectedly, within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, there was no one besides Ah Yin, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Meng Yiran, Ye Lingling, Zhu Zhuqing, and Dugu Yan sleeping in the tents, and Hua Mulan in the shadows.

There was no sign of life in the poison array area further out. Outside the poison array, only a few Spirit Beasts wandered in the distance; they were all low-level and not a concern.

Other than that, there was nothing.

Bai Qi opened his eyes, his brow furrowing deeper. He looked down at the footprint again. Its edges were clearly visible under the moonlight, not formed by wind or rain. This was definitely not an illusion.

That cold aura had no scent of blood or resentment; it was just pure cold. Not an Evil Soul Master, but not exactly a righteous figure either.

For now, Bai Qi called this person a "Fallen One"—someone who had abandoned the Righteous Path but hadn't fully fallen into becoming an Evil Soul Master. Such a person would be harder to deal with than an ordinary Evil Soul Master; they had intellect and plans, wouldn't expose themselves easily, and seemed to be observing.

Bai Qi stood for a while and then called out to the air.

"Sister Mulan."

"Present."

As soon as he finished speaking, a woman with a ponytail dressed in martial attire appeared silently before Bai Qi.

Bai Qi smiled at Mulan, but then his smile vanished, and he said seriously,

"Sister Mulan, you should have noticed it. I need you to search Sunset Forest for anyone with this aura."

Hua Mulan nodded and was about to leave.

"Wait a moment."

Bai Qi called out to her, and Hua Mulan turned back to look at him in confusion.

"Sister Mulan, release your spirit rings."

Hearing Bai Qi's words, Mulan understood and immediately released her spirit rings—six black and three red.

Seeing this, Bai Qi took out six Spirit Ring Upgrade Tickets and upgraded Hua Mulan's spirit rings to nine reds. The red light appeared exceptionally bright in the dark night.

Bai Qi curled his lip at this scene, unable to help but complain about the System in his heart. Why didn't it give him some Spirit Ring Upgrade Tickets he could use himself? Why did they have to be for subordinates?

However, after this upgrade, Mulan's Soul Power Rank also reached Rank 98, faintly touching the threshold of Rank 99.

Bai Qi urged Mulan,

"You can go now, Sister Mulan. Above all, prioritize your safety."

"Understood."

With that, Mulan retracted her spirit rings and vanished into the night.

After Mulan disappeared, Bai Qi returned to the camp. He didn't go directly into his tent but sat down on the rock again.

He stared toward the valley entrance. Bai Qi felt that the person who had disappeared hadn't gone far. Although their Soul Power wasn't as high as the Old freak's, their strength should definitely surpass his.

Moreover, that footprint was certainly left there on purpose.

Bai Qi watched for a long time. The toxic gas and mist grew thicker at night until the valley entrance was completely obscured. Only then did he withdraw his gaze and return to his tent.

The next morning, Bai Qi was woken up by Xiao Wu.

"Xiao Qi! Wake up! Sister Yin has cooked some fresh soup!"

Xiao Wu pulled back his tent flap, her hair tied in a ponytail, her face carrying that specific energy of someone who had woken up early.

Bai Qi rubbed his eyes and sat up. He clearly hadn't slept well last night, but his spirit was still alright.

After washing up, he walked to the campfire. Ah Yin had already served the soup for everyone. Ning Rongrong held her bowl and blew on the steam, Dugu Yan leaned against a rock yawning, and Ye Lingling quietly sipped her soup.

Zhu Zhuqing and Meng Yiran were still cultivating, one practicing Hidden Weapons techniques and the other practicing Mysterious Heaven Skill. They would come to drink once the soup cooled a bit.

"Brother Xiao Qi, did you not sleep well last night?"

Ning Rongrong was sharp-eyed and saw the faint dark circles under Bai Qi's eyes.

Bai Qi shook his head.

"It's fine, I was just thinking about some things."

Xiao Wu leaned in close to Bai Qi and said,

"What are you thinking about? Is it about finding spirit rings for Yanzi and Lingling? Don't worry, I'm here. I guarantee it'll be a piece of cake!"

Dugu Yan gave her a sidelong glance.

"Who wants your 'piece of cake'? We can do it ourselves."

"Without me this time, let's see if you can take them down so quickly."

Xiao Wu stood with her hands on her hips.

Dugu Yan, silenced by that one sentence, didn't argue. After all, this was the fourth spirit ring, not the third, and the main force really would depend on Xiao Wu. Still, she gave Xiao Wu a roll of her eyes.

Ning Rongrong laughed nearby, and even the corner of Zhu Zhuqing's mouth curled slightly as she came over to drink soup.

Bai Qi watched them bickering, and his own lips curled upward. These girls had only known each other for a few days, yet they could joke around so freely. To Bai Qi, this was indeed a good sign.

But that cold aura from last night still lingered in his mind, as if it had taken root. He didn't tell everyone about it.

Telling them would bring no benefit other than making everyone worry.

Who the owner of that footprint was, why they came here, and whether they were friend or foe were all still unknowns. Before figuring it out, there was no need to make them nervous.

He still needed to investigate that footprint further.

After finishing the meal, Bai Qi walked alone to yesterday's spot.

The toxic gas of the poison array was much thinner during the day, but the footprint was still there, not eroded by the gas.

Bai Qi crouched down and lightly touched the soil at the edge of the footprint with his fingertip.

After a night, the outline of the footprint was still clear, indicating that the person had left it calmly, not in a hurry, and that it was intentionally left behind.

However, the Soul Power aura on it had mostly dissipated after the night, though a very faint residue remained.

Bai Qi closed his eyes and concentrated his Soul Power at his fingertips, attempting to use Mental Energy to track the source of this aura.

Logically, the path to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was only known to the Old freak and himself. It was impossible for a stranger to come here. Ordinary passersby wouldn't even enter, yet this person seemed as if they had come specifically to watch him.

Intentionally letting Bai Qi discover them, and then vanishing into thin air. No point of origin, and no path of departure.

Bai Qi carefully inspected the ground around the footprint; there was no second footprint. It was as if the person had simply stood here for a moment and was then erased from the World.

No, not erased, but departed of their own accord without leaving any trace—as if they had flown away?

As soon as this thought appeared, Bai Qi immediately opened his eyes, looked at the solitary footprint, and then looked up at the sky.

Furthermore, the position of this footprint was too precise; it was directly facing the rock where he usually sat in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, as if it had been meticulously calculated.

If they were just passing by, it wouldn't be such a coincidence.

This footprint was intentionally left for Bai Qi to see.

That person wanted Bai Qi to know: I have been here.

And I can come and go as I please within your perception, and you don't even know who I am.

This silent declaration was also a form of testing—testing Bai Qi's perceptive abilities and reactions, testing whether Bai Qi would panic.

However, Bai Qi wasn't intimidated. With his current strength, he simply found it a bit interesting.

He stood up and brushed the dust off his knees. No matter who that person was, since they hadn't made a move, it meant they had no intention of fighting for now, or perhaps they knew Bai Qi had a trump card and didn't dare to attack lightly.

This suggested it was someone Bai Qi might know. Having a guess in his mind, Bai Qi turned and walked back to the camp.

For the next two days, Bai Qi wasn't in a hurry to take Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling to find their fourth spirit rings.

On one hand, it was to give Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling enough time to stabilize the medicinal power of the Immortal Plant and to wait a bit longer for Meng Yiran. On the other hand, he needed to observe more.

To see if that person would come again. Bai Qi didn't plan to actively search for them, as that would be too passive. He chose to wait for the other party to emerge.

During these two days, Bai Qi led everyone in resting and reorganizing within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Every morning, he routinely absorbed Purple Qi by the spring.

Once the sun had fully risen, he bought some herbs from the System shop and called everyone over to set up a medicinal garden right there at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

He taught them how to identify various herbs: which ones could be used in medicine, which could be used for tea, and which were poisonous and needed to be avoided.

Ning Rongrong studied the most seriously, taking dense notes in her notebook, planning to bring some back for her father, Grandpa Sword, and Gu Bone next time she went home.

Meng Yiran found it troublesome, but when she heard Bai Qi say, "Applying the juice of this herb to flying daggers can make wounds harder to heal," she decisively pulled out her notebook and flying daggers, leaving Bai Qi between laughter and tears.

Because of her grandfather, Dugu Yan already knew most of the herbs and didn't need to learn.

Ye Lingling was also following along and learning.

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, meanwhile, were sparring.

Having been told by Bai Qi to show mercy, Xiao Wu's Soft Skill combined with Teleportation and Waist Bow made her fighting style flexible and varied.

After the evolution of Zhu Zhuqing's Nine Nether Spirit Cat, her speed, attack, and stealth capabilities had all significantly improved. The two of them fought back and forth on the open ground, locked in a stalemate.

Every time a spar ended, Meng Yiran, who came over to watch the fun, would offer a few comments. Sometimes she said Xiao Wu's moves were too fast and left no room for retreat, and sometimes she said Zhuqing's attacks were a bit slow.

Zhu Zhuqing, who was at a disadvantage in both Soul Power and physical fitness, finally replied with rare exasperation.

"You do it then, if you're so good."

Meng Yiran chuckled and scratched her head.

"I'm not an agility-attack system Spirit Master."

Ning Rongrong, who never missed a chance to stir up trouble, clapped and cheered from the side.

Dugu Yan rolled her eyes and said, "Childish," while the corner of Ye Lingling's mouth also turned up in a smile.

Bai Qi leaned against a large tree, watching them play around. Ah Yin walked over with a teacup and sat down beside him.

"Is that person still around?"

Ah Yin asked softly, her gaze falling on Bai Qi's face. For now, Bai Qi had only told Ah Yin, since with her current strength, there weren't many people who could threaten her.

Bai Qi took the tea Ah Yin handed him and shook his head.

"They haven't come back."

Ah Yin glanced at him, didn't press further, but simply patted the back of Bai Qi's hand before getting up to busy herself with dinner.

Over these two days, Bai Qi's relationship with them grew even closer.

Ning Rongrong also began to actively learn how to help him brew tea. The first thing she did every morning upon waking was to boil the water; however, her goal wasn't just for Bai Qi, as she loved drinking it herself.

Although Zhu Zhuqing still didn't say much, every time they ate, she would vie with the others for the spot next to Bai Qi. Now, the seat beside Bai Qi at meals was basically first-come, first-served.

During these two days, Meng Yiran learned Heart Separation Control from Ning Rongrong. When using flying daggers to hit fruit placed all around her, although she was still unskilled, the fruit in two directions were always perfectly split in half, which she then proudly shared with everyone.

Dugu Yan hadn't changed much, but every day by the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, when harvesting mature herbs, she would gather them and arrange them neatly for Bai Qi.

Ye Lingling's change was the most significant. Although she still didn't speak much, when Xiao Wu pulled her along to play, she would give a slight nod.

Ah Yin saw all of this but said nothing, simply using the recipes Bai Qi gave her to change up the meals and desserts every day.

Most of the ingredients were brought from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, so supplies were ample.

Every time they ate, everyone sat around the fire. The steam of the soup mixed with the fragrance of the herbs, making their stomachs feel warm. Bai Qi held his bowl, listening to them chattering away, feeling very comfortable.

But late at night, Bai Qi would sit alone by the spring again.

He held his teacup without drinking.

His gaze fell on the direction where that person had stood. He wanted to see if that person would appear again. Bai Qi still vaguely remembered the shape, size, and depth of the footprint, as well as that cold and overbearing aura.

Afterward, Bai Qi closed his eyes and spread his Mental Energy once more.

There was no dark figure. Likewise, there was no abnormality.

But Bai Qi guessed that the person should still be around. They were just hiding deeper.

Then Bai Qi opened his eyes, looking at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well under the moonlight.

The icy blue spring water reflected his image—a young face, a calm expression, and a hint of alertness hidden in his eyes.

"No matter who you are, no matter what your purpose is."

Bai Qi said in a low voice, so soft only he could hear.

"If you dare to come again..."

He didn't finish. But his fingers tightened slightly around the teacup, his knuckles turning white. He didn't like this feeling of being threatened.

Bai Qi sat by the spring for a while longer, then tilted his head back and drained the now-cold tea in one gulp. He stood up and brushed off his clothes.

As he turned to walk back to his tent, he looked back once more toward the poison array, as if looking right at that person.

Tomorrow, it would be time to find the fourth spirit rings for Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling. Meng Yiran had also reached Rank 39, so it seemed he would have to bring her specifically another time.

Since that person hadn't appeared, it meant they wouldn't make a move within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well either.

No matter what they were waiting for, Bai Qi wouldn't let them have their way.

Afterward, Bai Qi crawled into his tent, lay down, and closed his eyes. Suppressing those messy thoughts, he slowly drifted into sleep.