104: Chapter 104 This mission is a bit like suicide.

"Shhh! Just know it, don't spread it!" The Disciple who spoke first changed his expression, looked around nervously, and then whispered, "I'm telling you, don't ask too many questions. That person has already been refined into blood essence and used as nourishment for the Formation!"

"Hiss..." The young Disciple gasped, a look of horror on his face.

"Alright, everyone, shut up!" The leading Disciple reprimanded, "Remember, the grand Formation being built in the valley concerns the rise and fall of our Sect for the next hundred years!

Elder said that the day the Formation is completed will be the day our Blazing Fire Sect rises! Anyone who dares to peek will end up like that fertilizer!

Everyone, cheer up! There must be no more mistakes!"

After speaking, the few of them skillfully began to process the wild boar's corpse, seemingly to erase all traces from the area.

Li Ming and Wang Yue, hidden behind a huge rock several hundred meters away, used their Spell to hear the conversation clearly.

Their backs were now soaked with cold sweat.

Zhang Hu, used as fertilizer for some Formation?

They hadn't expected the Blazing Fire Sect's methods to be so vicious and cruel!

Although they didn't know what kind of Formation it was, the fact that it used living people as fertilizer and was said to be related to the Blazing Fire Sect's century-long plan made its wickedness and importance self-evident.

This intelligence must be brought back immediately!

The two dared not linger any longer.

They held their breath, silently retreating from the miasma, and cautiously headed back the way they came.

Inside the cave, the Jade Slip in Chen Tai's hand flashed, and the light dots representing Li Ming and the other person were approaching their location.

Half an hour later, Li Ming and Wang Yue appeared at the cave entrance, their faces pale from their narrow escape and filled with unconcealed horror.

"Elder!" As soon as Li Ming entered the cave, he eagerly repeated the conversation they had overheard, word for word.

Upon hearing the words "living people as fertilizer" and "century-long plan," the remaining four Disciples in the cave all changed color, their eyes revealing deep fear.

Chen Tai and Deacon Lin's expressions also became solemn.

"Using living people for sacrifice, what a vicious Evil Path Formation!" Deacon Lin said angrily, lowering his voice.

Chen Tai's mind, however, was racing.

He connected this intelligence with what Liu Xing from the Zhenpin Pavilion had revealed about the Blazing Fire Sect's contact with outside Prefecture Cultivators, and a terrifying conjecture formed in his mind.

"The Blazing Fire Sect has probably invited trouble upon themselves," Chen Tai's voice was low. "A grand Formation that they would go so far as to use such evil arts to build, its purpose is likely enough to overturn the entire Qinghe Prefecture's structure. Once this Formation is completed, our Tiangang Sect may bear the brunt of it!"

This deduction made Deacon Lin gasp.

Before coming here, he had harbored some greed, but now he had many unknown worries. This secret mission might be much more difficult than he had imagined.

"Elder Chen, this matter is no small feat; it's probably beyond what the two of us can handle," Deacon Lin said urgently. "We must immediately send this intelligence back to the Sect and ask the Sect Master and Grand Elder to decide!"

Chen Tai agreed profoundly.

At once, he dared not harbor any selfish thoughts and immediately took out a specially made emergency communication talisman from the Sect.

Such Talismans were extremely precious, and he had only brought a pair on this trip out of the Sect.

He imprinted all the intelligence gathered by Li Ming and the other person, along with his own conjectures, into it. Then, with a surge of spiritual power, the communication talisman instantly vanished inside the cave.

After doing all this, Chen Tai breathed a sigh of relief and said to everyone, "Rest here and await the Sect's reply."

Just half an hour later, the other jade Talisman at Chen Tai's waist lit up.

It was the Sect Master's reply.

Chen Tai's Divine Sense probed into it, and a moment later, his face turned ashen, with a hint of struggle in his eyes.

Seeing this, Deacon Lin had an ominous premonition and quickly asked, "Elder Chen, what did the Sect say?"

Chen Tai slowly raised his head and said, "The Sect Master has issued a death order."

"A death order?"

"The Sect Master requires us to continue deep investigation," Chen Tai's voice trembled slightly. "We must ascertain what kind of Formation the Blazing Fire Sect is building, what its specific purpose is, and who exactly are the outside Prefecture forces they are colluding with!"

"What?!" Deacon Lin was greatly surprised and couldn't help but say angrily, "They want us to investigate further? This, isn't this sending everyone to their deaths? This matter should be personally verified by the Sect Master and Grand Elder!"

The few Disciples in the cave were even more terrified, their faces drained of color.

Chen Tai closed his eyes, his face full of bitterness.

Since it involved the Blazing Fire Sect's century-long plan, how could the defensive forces behind it be something a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him could handle?

But the Sect Master's order could not be defied.

He could imagine the shock and apprehension of the Sect's high-ranking officials upon receiving this intelligence.

And as the discoverers and reporters of this matter, the two of them naturally became the most suitable pawns to continue the deep investigation.

Recalling his somewhat flamboyant behavior regarding the Medicinal Pill transactions with the Zhenpin Pavilion in the Sect a while ago, a hint of regret welled up in Chen Tai's heart.

If he hadn't been so high-profile, perhaps the Sect wouldn't have specifically assigned this task to them.

But regret was useless. Since he was already involved, he could only brace himself and continue.

What the two of them found most unacceptable was being marginalized by the Sect and losing their current status and power.

"Elder Chen, we can't go! If we go back now and report what we've seen and heard clearly, it will already be a great merit!" Seeing Chen Tai's conflicted expression, Deacon Lin quickly grabbed his arm and said urgently.

The atmosphere in the cave began to grow heavy, and the remaining six Disciples all looked at Chen Tai with hopeful eyes, wishing he would adopt this seemingly only reasonable suggestion.

Chen Tai, however, did not hesitate. He was old, and he was about to have a new child. He couldn't bring himself to defy the Sect's orders, abandon the mission, and then return to the Sect to lose his high position.

His Cultivation Realm would probably remain as it was for the rest of his life, so he had to think for his descendants.

After prying Deacon Lin's hand off his arm, he looked up at him.

"Go back?" he quietly retorted, "Go back and do what? Wait to die of old age in obscurity?"

Deacon Lin was stunned: "Elder Chen, you..."

"The Sect Master issued a death order!" Chen Tai's voice suddenly rose. "What do you think the consequence of defying orders is? They will only see us as cowards who fled the battle! They will completely marginalize us. Don't you know what being marginalized in the Sect means? Do you think we are solitary individuals?!"

At these words, Deacon Lin's lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

In the face of the Sect's grand scheme, these Foundation Establishment Cultivators, whose paths forward were almost cut off, would become useless once labeled as such and as disobedient.

"But, but going forward is probably also a dead end!" a female Disciple finally couldn't help but say.

"Shut up!" Chen Tai sternly cut her off, his unquestionable gaze sweeping over everyone. "This matter is decided!"

He took a deep breath, and after calming down, he began to ponder how to handle this matter well.

Since he had to go, he had to ensure he could return alive.

The Sect only needed accurate intelligence, not for them to clash head-on with the Blazing Fire Sect.