External news is turbulent, Qingyang Ancient City

Time flowed like water, and more than a month passed quietly in the peaceful and hopeful atmosphere of Shiquan Village.

Under the dual nourishment of the Chaos Seed and the world tree seedling, Nightmare's injuries had mostly recovered.

His strength had stabilized at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, the Chaos Seed had grown larger, the speed at which it absorbed the chaos qi flow had increased significantly, the rule fragment had become more condensed, and those dark golden patterns were becoming clearer and more profound.

He still went to the hot spring behind the village every day, using the mineral energy of the earth's veins to temper his dao seed and Physical Body, while continuing to analyze the inert nature of the energy in this world.

His guidance for Stone Tiger and the other young hunters had also not ceased.

Under his guidance, the progress of these young people was nothing short of rapid.

Stone Tiger was already able to mobilize his blood and Qi more freely; when he threw a punch, he could faintly incite the surrounding air flow, doubling its power and almost touching the threshold comparable to the Late Stage of Qi Refining.

The other young people also made progress, and the entire village's hunting efficiency and self-defense capabilities had been raised to a new level.

The old village chief and Medicine Old Man saw this, and their hearts were filled with joy.

Shiquan Village was radiating unprecedented vitality at a speed visible to the naked eye.

However, the tranquility of this Land of Absolute Spirit always seemed to be short-lived.

On this day, the hunting party returned earlier than usual and brought back a strange face and some unsettling news.

The person brought back was a man who looked to be in his thirties, with a haggard face and tattered clothes. One of his arms was twisted irregularly, clearly broken, and he had many abrasions on his body, his eyes filled with exhaustion and fear.

"Village Chief, Medicine Old Man, Mr. Ye!" Stone Tiger, along with several hunters, supported the stranger to the ancient tree, his expression grave. "We found him on the outskirts of the West Mountain Stream. He was being chased by a few Vicious Beasts and was severely injured. He said... he escaped from 'Qingyang City'!"

Qingyang City?

The old village chief's and Medicine Old Man's expressions changed instantly.

Nightmare's rule fragment stirred slightly. He had also learned from the villagers' previous chats and those ancient records that Qingyang City was the closest ancient city to the Cangwu Mountain Range, and the only one within thousands of miles that still maintained a certain level of order and Legacy! It was one of the important gathering points for the Human Race in this Land of Absolute Spirit.

"Qingyang City... what happened?" The old village chief asked in a deep voice, signaling Medicine Old Man to treat the man's injuries first.

The man drank some water, caught his breath, and a lingering fear appeared on his face as he began to recount intermittently:

"It... it's a beast tide! A beast tide of unprecedented scale! I don't know where it came from, so many powerful Vicious Beasts... they are attacking Qingyang City like they've gone mad! The city walls are about to be breached! The City Lord's Mansion and several major Families are fighting desperately, suffering heavy casualties... I took advantage of the chaos and escaped through an abandoned secret passage... Many people have fled, but I fear that less than one in ten survived..."

A beast tide? Unprecedented scale?

The old village chief and Medicine Old Man looked at each other, both seeing the shock and worry in the other's eyes.

The Cangwu Mountain Range had just experienced a beast tide driven by the Eclipse Moon, and how long had it been since that subsided? The much larger Qingyang City in the distance had actually been attacked by a beast tide too? This was definitely not a coincidence!

"Do you know what caused the beast tide?" Nightmare's calm voice rang out, his gaze falling on the man.

The man felt Nightmare's gaze and felt a tremor in his heart for no reason. He quickly replied: "I don't know the specific reason... but, but there was a rumor in the city before that near the 'Black Wind Abyss' to the north, abnormal energy fluctuations appeared, and twisted light and shadows would sometimes appear in the sky... then not long after, the beast tide began..."

Black Wind Abyss? Abnormal energy fluctuations? Twisted light and shadows?

Nightmare's rule fragment stirred slightly, and he immediately associated it with the Eshi Yue Organization and the rule fragment they possessed! Could the beast tide in Qingyang City also be related to them? Is it another testing ground of theirs? Or is it that something new related to rule fragments has appeared at the Black Wind Abyss?

"Besides the beast tide, what is the situation in Qingyang City now? Are there... signs of outsiders active there?" Nightmare followed up with a question.

"Outsiders?" The man was stunned for a moment and tried to recall. "It seems... I heard that the City Lord's Mansion hired some mysterious helpers, wearing gray clothes, with very powerful methods, but I don't know the specifics... it was too chaotic at the time..."

Gray clothes! The typical attire of Eshi Yue members!

Nightmare's rule fragment could basically confirm that the changes in Qingyang City must have the shadow of the Eshi Yue Organization behind them!

Their tentacles reached much further than he had imagined! Perhaps driving the beast tide to attack Shiquan Village was just one part of their plan, and Qingyang City was the bigger target!

The expressions of the old village chief and Medicine Old Man became even uglier.

If even a large city like Qingyang City was in danger, the meager strength of Shiquan Village was simply like an ant in the face of this undercurrent sweeping through the Land of Absolute Spirit.

"Mr. Ye, what do you think..." The old village chief cast a hopeful gaze toward Nightmare.

Nightmare's rule fragment pondered.

Shiquan Village was safe for the time being, but he needed more information, needed to understand the true purpose of the Eshi Yue Organization, and needed to find the Opportunity to recover his strength and even achieve a Breakthrough.

Guarding a corner was by no means a good strategy.

Although Qingyang City was dangerous, it was also a place where information and resources converged.

Moreover, the growth of the Chaos Seed required more "resources" and tempering.

A confrontation with the Eshi Yue Organization might accelerate this process.

"Qingyang City... I might have to make a trip there," Nightmare said slowly.

Everyone was shocked.

"Sir, it's too dangerous!" Medicine Old Man said anxiously.

"No matter," Nightmare's gaze was deep. "Some things need to be clarified in person. Moreover, Shiquan Village also needs to know accurate news from the outside world to make plans early."

He had a plan in his rule fragment.

Although his strength had not fully recovered, relying on the mysteries of the Chaos Seed, as long as he did not directly encounter a Nascent Soul level existence, self-preservation should not be a problem.

This trip was mainly for investigation, not for a decisive battle.

"I will go with you, Sir!" Stone Tiger immediately stood up, his eyes firm.

Several other young hunters who had improved in strength also volunteered.

Nightmare looked at them and shook his head: "You stay in the village and protect our home. It is more convenient for me to go alone."

What he needed was concealment and efficiency, not burdens.

After instructing Medicine Old Man and the old village chief to continue strengthening the village's defenses and to take good care of the man from Qingyang City, Nightmare did not linger.

The next morning, amidst the worried and respectful gazes of all the villagers, Nightmare's figure quietly left Shiquan Village, heading in the direction of Qingyang City, embarking on a new journey.

Behind him was the temporarily peaceful village and their expectations.

Ahead was the turbulent ancient city and a bigger conspiracy hidden in the mist.

The Chaos Seed slowly rotated within his body, as if it were also full of "anticipation" for the coming storm.