He had to set out for Huangque Valley that very night to investigate the clues at the scene in time.

「At 5:00 AM, the sky had just begun to lighten.」

Xiao Chen had already slipped into the valley.

As far as he could see, the ground was littered with the bodies of his fellow Qi Refining disciples. They had all been drained of blood, leaving only shriveled husks behind.

Clearly, the worst-case scenario had occurred: a Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator had gone on a killing spree.

However, Xiao Chen was still puzzled. Outposts like this were always equipped with a Defensive Array.

Even if it wasn’t kept active at all times to conserve Spirit Stones, there should have been more than enough time to activate the array to stall an attacker.

At the very least, it would have bought them time to use a Light Stone and signal the sect for help.

And yet, the disciple on duty at the Observatory Hall had detected no anomalies.

If not for Su Dechang’s unique circumstances—abusing his connections to neglect his duties—the Li Huo Sect might still be in the dark, completely unaware that the outpost had fallen.

’This is going to be tricky.’

Xiao Chen frowned slightly. This undoubtedly meant the Demon Cultivator was highly skilled, having taken down Huangque Valley without giving Su Dechang time to call for help.

With this in mind, he formed a Hand Technique, cast the Golden Armor Technique, and preemptively cast a layer of Defense over himself.

Still, while it paid to be cautious, and this enemy was likely formidable, Xiao Chen was no pushover himself.

And with the Vertical Earth Golden Light as his trump card, he had more than enough courage to go inside and investigate.

.

He cautiously made his way into the depths of the Spirit Vein.

However, he found no trace of any Demon Cultivator, nor any sign of Spirit Stones being illegally mined.

’Could he have left already?’

Xiao Chen returned to the highest point in the valley, where Su Dechang’s courtyard was located.

Due to various previous delays, his progress in mastering the *Eye of Truth* was still a bit behind.

The only Investigation-type Magic he had at his disposal was his old *Stargazing and Qi Observation Skill*.

This magic had a flaw: it could only provide a rough estimate of a target’s Spiritual Qi concentration. While useful as a reference, it was easily misled by various interferences.

Right now, for instance, Xiao Chen felt that something was off.

Through the lens of his Qi Observation Technique, he saw only a single mass of Spiritual Qi in the courtyard, at the level of an Early Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Moreover, it was highly unstable, its Spiritual Qi fluctuating wildly.

At its peak, it was close to the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, but at its lowest, it was only around the first level.

’How could a Demon Cultivator of this level possibly kill Su Dechang?’

Su Dechang may not have had Top Grade Magical Artifacts, but he certainly didn’t lack Upper Grade ones.

Given their similar Cultivation levels, Su Dechang might have even been able to gain the upper hand in a one-on-one fight, thanks to the advantage his Magical Artifacts provided.

After a moment of thought, Xiao Chen came to a swift conclusion. ’He must have an accomplice.’

So he cast the *Sealing Acupoint Concealing Qi Technique* and hid just outside the courtyard wall, planning to wait for the Demon Cultivator’s accomplice to return and then take them all down in one fell swoop.

For the next two days.

He lay in ambush, watching the Demon Cultivator in the courtyard cultivate by refining and absorbing Essence Blood.

A Cultivator’s true Cultivation level is impossible to hide while they are actively cultivating.

The man was clearly only at the fourth level of Foundation Establishment. His aura was shallow and unstable, indicating he had recently forced a breakthrough using a Demon Technique.

’Honestly, judging by his performance, he’s obviously not one of the elites from the Divine Fire Sect.’

’He’s more like a local Loose Cultivator who fell to the Demon Dao—not much stronger than Su Dechang was.’

But that was the strange part. Xiao Chen waited for two full days, yet he never saw an accomplice appear.

On the contrary, he could only watch as the Demon Cultivator in the courtyard was about to break through to the fifth level of Foundation Establishment.

’Forget it. Looks like his accomplice won’t be back anytime soon.’

Seeing the man begin to refine Essence Blood again, Xiao Chen stopped hesitating and stepped out into the open.

He immediately sent the Flowing Color Golden Light Pearl soaring into the air, cutting off any chance of escape.

Only then did he kick open the dilapidated gate. "Hey! Are you with the Divine Fire Sect or the Luotian Sect?"

The Demon Cultivator in the courtyard reacted instantly.

The moment he sensed something was amiss, he threw up a Protective Spiritual Light.

He then dipped his left hand into a small bowl he held in his right.

He smeared the Essence Blood over his eyes, which immediately began to glow with a dark red light—clearly some kind of Investigation Skill.

After seeing that Xiao Chen was only at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, the man actually snorted. "Hmph, another one of the Li Huo Sect’s lapdogs!"

"Just my luck! The quality of the Essence Blood I have on hand is a bit lacking!"

"Let’s see how your blood tastes today!"

As he spoke, he drew a Flying Shuttle from his robes. Raising his index and middle fingers, he guided it through the air.

The Flying Shuttle instantly transformed into a streak of crimson light, shooting toward Xiao Chen’s heart.

Xiao Chen, of course, had come prepared. He had already taken out the Fringed Tassel Brocade Handkerchief before even entering the gate.

When the Flying Shuttle struck the handkerchief, it was not only stopped in its tracks but instantly enveloped by the fabric.

No matter how its owner tried to command it, the shuttle remained firmly suppressed, completely immobilized.

Still thinking about the accomplice, Xiao Chen decided not to kill the man just yet; he wanted to take him alive.

"Cyan Thorn Technique!"

At his command, thorns erupted from the ground, twisting and coiling toward his opponent.

Unfortunately, the Cyan Thorn Technique was only a Tier One Magic.

The mass of thorns was blocked by the Protective Spiritual Light, failing to effectively restrain him.

The delay, however, gave his opponent a chance to assess the situation.

Seeing Xiao Chen’s overwhelming strength, the man decisively pulled a strange Talisman from his robes. He then took out a vial of pre-refined Essence Blood and flung its contents over the Talisman.

A brilliant crimson light immediately flared. The next moment, the old man himself transformed into a streak of blood-red light, bursting through the thorns and fleeing for the outside.

He watched as his opponent used the Blood Escape Technique.