Chapter 5: The Disappearance

It was the season of spring, with flowers in full bloom and the mountains draped in verdant green. As he set foot on the mountain path, memories of his first encounter with Qingling—and the circumstances that forced him into these mountains—flashed through Lei Yan’s mind. Recalling how Qingling had constantly sparred with him back then, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Things truly are unpredictable."

Han Li and Han Yi paused, exchanging a confused glance. Seeing that neither understood what Lei Yan meant, they remained silent and followed close behind.

At the mountainside, there was a fork in the path. The left led to the Ghost Doctor Sect, the right to the Poison King Valley, and the path straight ahead led to the Ghost Poison Sect. Lei Yan turned directly toward the right, eager to reunite with Qingling as soon as possible.

This was his first time entering the Poison King Valley. As they ventured deeper, a faint, lingering miasma appeared before them. Unlike the miasma in the Poison Miasma Forest, which was naturally occurring, the miasma in the Poison King Valley was clearly man-made. Although it appeared thinner than that of the forest, Lei Yan knew it was far more lethal.

In nature, everything has its counter. Amidst the swirling miasma, Lei Yan spotted the dark green, triangular-leafed "Lingqing" plant. With a flick of his hand, several leaves flew into his grasp. He turned and handed them to Han Li and Han Yi. "Hold these leaves in your mouths."

The two men, guessing the purpose of the leaves, did not hesitate to take them and followed Lei Yan deeper into the valley.

"No one here." Lei Yan’s brow furrowed. As they pushed further, his psychic perception had already detected several small huts nearby. However, when he scanned them, he found the houses and their surroundings completely deserted. Not only was Qingling gone, but his Uncle-Master Jing Hui was also missing.

"Wait for me here." Before the words had fully left his lips, Lei Yan’s figure vanished.

"Did you catch the young master’s movement just now?" Han Li asked Han Yi in astonishment.

"No. The young master has truly changed, and he is very strong. Perhaps we have become a burden to him," Han Yi replied with a faint smile.

"Third brother, do not forget our duty," Han Li scolded him with a glare.

While they spoke, Lei Yan had already reached the huts.

"What on earth happened here?" Lei Yan frowned, surveying the scene. The ground was churned up, scarred by long, trench-like gouges. The doors of the huts were gone, and piles of splintered wood lay scattered across the ground.

An ominous feeling gripped his heart. There had clearly been a fierce battle here, yet there were no corpses. This meant Qingling and the others had likely been abducted. "Ling'er, please, let nothing have happened to you." With a few flashes of movement, he returned to the side of Han Li and Han Yi. "Go to the fork in the road ahead and wait for me."

No sooner had he spoken than Lei Yan disappeared again. Moments later, he appeared before the thatched huts of the Ghost Doctor Sect. Seeing the collapsed structures, his anxiety spiked. "How can this be? It’s the same here."

Like a headless chicken, the red-clad figure raced across the entire mountain range. Yet, all three locations were in shambles—collapsed walls and upturned earth everywhere—each sight tugging painfully at his heart.

"Calm down, stay calm," he repeatedly told himself, but the thought of Qingling being captured made it impossible to find peace.

"Ah!" A roar of rage erupted from the mountaintop, echoing through the hills.

"That sound..." Han Li looked at Han Yi in surprise.

"It’s the young master. Has something happened to him?" Han Yi’s expression changed, and he channeled his inner energy to rush up the mountain alongside Han Li.

Upon reaching the summit, they found Lei Yan standing at the edge of the cliff. His desolate silhouette sent a tremor through them.

"Young master, what is wrong?" Han Li asked.

"I don't know. Everything was fine just a moment ago," Han Yi replied.

Deep within the Five Elements Tower, Qing He wore a sinister smile. "An opportunity, a golden opportunity. Perhaps I won't have to wait for him to refine the tower to possess this perfect body. Hahaha..." His laughter stopped abruptly. "No, I must provoke him further."

"Child, what has happened to make you so sorrowful? Tell me, perhaps I can help you," Qing He’s voice resonated in Lei Yan’s mind.

"Right! An ascended immortal—his spiritual sense must be able to track Ling'er’s whereabouts." Desperate, Lei Yan didn't hesitate. "Grandmaster, you must help me. I know an immortal’s spiritual sense is powerful. I need you to find someone for me."

"Finding someone? That is not a significant problem, but..." Qing He’s brow furrowed. Others might not understand spiritual sense, but he did. It was the perception of the outside world born from a powerful soul, and every use consumed soul energy. Ordinary cultivators could recover, but he could not. Each use diminished his soul; after three thousand years without a physical vessel, his soul was on the verge of dissipation. He dared not risk the consequences of using it again.

"It seems I must attempt a limited search," Qing He thought. He could not resist the temptation of Lei Yan’s body. "Tell me the person's appearance, age, and other details. Hmm... no, I have a better way." A spirit stone flew out of the Five Elements Tower and began to circle Lei Yan.

"Imprint the image of that person into this stone, and I will investigate immediately," Qing He transmitted.

"There is such a method?" Lei Yan was slightly surprised; he had never imagined this. He raised his right hand, and the stone drifted into his palm. Clutching the glowing gem, he projected his psychic energy into it, imprinting the likenesses of Qingling, Jing Hui, and the Flower Demon.

"It is done," Lei Yan muttered.

The stone drifted back to Qing He. A sweep of spiritual sense confirmed the images within. Just as Qing He prepared to unleash his power, he felt something was amiss, though he couldn't pinpoint what. Frowning, he expanded his spiritual sense. In a blink, it covered dozens of miles. If he wished, his range could span half the continent.

An hour passed.

Qing He’s sense had covered thousands of miles. "Damn it, is this as far as I can go?" Feeling the faint drain on his soul energy, he dared not push further. Yet, within this range, there were four areas shielded by arrays that his sense could not penetrate. Other than those, he found no trace of the people Lei Yan sought.

"Child, the person you are looking for is not within a range of several thousand miles," Qing He’s voice echoed in his mind.

"What? Not even within thousands of miles? Ling'er, where have you gone?" Lei Yan cried out.

"Do not fret. During my search, I discovered four locations protected by arrays. My spiritual sense cannot permeate them. We can go and investigate those four places," Qing He explained.