Overwhelmed by the Sect Leader’s aura, the Steward hastily bowed and recounted the details from Yan Yaoyang and Li Lei’s secret report. He described how they had tracked the Zhu Family to an inn at Black Water Pier, encountered masters from the Demon Sect, and how the inn had filled with Black Evil Qi, followed by horrific screams... Yan Yaoyang and Li Lei, unable to even fend for themselves, had been forced to flee.

After hearing the account, Sang Yanping pondered for a moment before stepping forward. "Brother Sect Leader, Yan Yaoyang and Li Lei didn’t witness Chen Qing’s death with their own eyes, nor did they see a body. The Demon Sect’s methods are treacherous. Perhaps something else happened; there might still be a sliver of hope."

A glint flickered in He Yuzhou’s eyes as he slowly nodded.

He immediately said in a low voice, "Junior Brother Sang, this matter concerns an important disciple of our Sect; there is no room for error. You will personally lead a team of elite Stewards and depart for the Black Water Pier area at once. Scour the ruins of that inn, and conduct a thorough search for me within a ten-li radius! Make sure to ’handle it appropriately’."

Sang Yanping accepted the order solemnly, a look of tacit understanding in his eyes. "Yes! Brother Sect Leader, I’ll see to it at once!"

He Yuzhou gave a slight nod. His gaze met Sang Yanping’s for a moment, and the latter gave a small nod in return before turning to leave.

Without a moment’s delay, Sang Yanping gathered a team of capable Stewards and traveled through the night, rushing to Black Water Pier at top speed.

However, when they arrived at the inn, now a pile of ruins, all they found was scorched earth, broken walls, dried and blackened bloodstains, and mangled, unrecognizable limbs.

A faint, burnt smell hung in the air, a testament to the brutal battle that had taken place.

With a grave expression, Sang Yanping ordered his men to search the ruins inside and out several times. They even expanded the search area, conducting a meticulous grid search of the surrounding woods. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Aside from a few scraps of a Wutai Sect disciple’s uniform and the fragmented casings of a few Thunder Fire Bombs, they found nothing else of value.

There were none of Chen Qing’s personal belongings, no remnants of the Cloud-Coiling Spear, and not even... a single complete body that matched his build.

The Demon Sect was known for its brutal methods, often using things like Corpse-Dissolving Powder to clean up a scene. Adding to that, Wandering Martial Artists had likely heard the commotion and come to loot the battlefield, leaving the site almost completely compromised.

Gazing at the ruins, Sang Yanping stood in silence for a long time before finally shaking his head.

’Judging from the traces at the scene, the battle was exceptionally brutal, far surpassing the level of the Embrace Pill Realm... The Nether and Ghost Guards are notoriously fearsome... Though Chen Qing was exceptionally talented, he was still young, after all...’

He let out a long sigh and ordered his team to withdraw.

Upon returning to the Sect, Sang Yanping reported his findings to He Yuzhou truthfully. Although he didn’t state it explicitly, the information between the lines allowed the Sect Leader and the other Deans to reach their own conclusions.

He Yuzhou simply let out a long sigh upon hearing the report and said nothing more.

Nie Shanshan watched the expressions of the Wutai Sect members, her brow tightly furrowed. ’Something about this feels wrong,’ she thought, ’even bizarre.’

Before long, rumors began to circulate within the Wutai Sect.

Li Wang returned from his mission, weary and covered in dust.

He had just finished his debriefing at the Li Fire Institute when he heard the news from a junior brother he knew—a bolt from the blue.

He froze at first, as if he hadn’t heard correctly. But after his junior brother repeated the news, adding the testimony of Yan Yaoyang and Li Lei and the results of Elder Sang’s investigation, the smile on Li Wang’s face instantly froze.

He remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a slow breath. "...How could this happen... Junior Brother Chen... He was so exceptionally talented, with such a calm and steady temperament. I truly thought... *Sigh*. It’s true what they say—the brightest flames burn out the fastest. Life is so unpredictable..."

.....

When the news reached the Cyan Wood Institute, it caused an even greater uproar.

"Our Senior Brother... is dead?!"

"For real?! No way! He was perfectly fine just a few days ago!"

"Chief Yan and Chief Li said so themselves, and Elder Sang went to investigate but couldn’t find him..."

"The Nether and Ghost Guards... Those guys are the Demon Sect’s most ruthless killers..."

The rumors spread like wildfire, quickly making their way through the disciples.

On the Martial Arts Training Ground and in the corridors, disciples could be seen everywhere in small groups, whispering amongst themselves. Every face showed a mixture of shock, sorrow, and a trace of fear.

Luo Xinyi was in the middle of instructing a few new disciples when she overheard the discussions and froze on the spot.

Standing not far away, Xu Qi took in everyone’s reactions, his own face a mask of astonishment mixed with a hint of lingering fear.

He shook his head and lamented, "The Demon Sect is so vicious, and another genius has fallen... What a waste."

’Good thing I didn’t come back sooner.’

Zhao Stone, too, was filled with lingering fear.

’If even someone with Chen Qing’s skills died at the hands of the Demon Sect, what chance would we have stood?’

"I don’t believe it!"

Just then, Yu Bao’Er cried out, her eyes red, "Unless I see our Senior Brother’s body, I will never believe he’s dead just like that! He’s so powerful, how could he possibly...?"

Hearing this, Hu Lei, who was standing nearby, curled his lip and said in a low voice, "Junior Sister Yu, you have to accept reality. Chief Yan and Chief Li brought the news back themselves, and Elder Sang’s investigation turned up nothing. How could it be fake? Have there been few geniuses who have fallen outside the Sect recently? Didn’t Brother Xiao Ruize from the Li Fire Institute also..."

He trailed off, but his meaning was clear.

Yu Bao’Er bit her lip, her expression growing even more somber. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she lowered her head and fell silent.

Seeing this, the surrounding disciples also shook their heads and sighed. The atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive, and the crowd gradually dispersed.

Xu Qi shook his head and also prepared to leave.

He had only taken a few steps when someone caught up to him from behind.

"Brother Xu, wait a moment."

Xu Qi turned around and saw it was Hong Liangcai, a more senior disciple from the institute.

The man was known for being quite shrewd and an opportunist.

"Junior Brother Hong, what is it?" Xu Qi asked, stopping in his tracks.

Hong Liangcai hurried forward a few steps, putting on a mournful expression as he lamented, "Brother Xu, Brother Chen’s unexpected passing is truly a great loss for our Cyan Wood Institute. It’s deeply regrettable."