Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

Ning Che fell into deep thought, analyzing the news Hu Xianxian had brought back—the coffin in Xishan.

It was still a blood-stained coffin.

Surely Mu Qingming can't just switch careers and become a tomb raider, can he?

"That's all we've discovered. If there are no further instructions, I'll take my leave now," Hu Xianxian whispered.

Ning Che waved his hand, ignoring her, and continued to ponder.

What if Mu Qingming really was tomb raiding? As far as Ning Che knew, at least before reaching a very high level, cultivators' lifespans were not much longer than those of mortals.

If there really is a powerful cultivator's tomb in Xishan... no, that has nothing to do with it.

What matters is not what Mu Qingming is doing right now, but his longer-term goal. That's what's relevant to Ning Che himself.

He asked Lin Caiwei if she knew anything about this, but she shook her head.

She was born with divine insight, understanding certain things from birth, but not the schemes and plots created by humans. She simply looked at Ning Che with her dark eyes, allowing him to find his own reflection within them.

A strong impulse surged within him; he wanted to rush to West Mountain immediately to see for himself what that coffin was and what Mu Qingming intended to do with it.

But he can't.

Xishan is now Mu Qingming's territory, heavily guarded. Even Hu Xianxian's sparrow demons cannot get close to the core. As an eighth-rank squad leader, he trespassed and was killed on the spot, which is in accordance with procedure.

There must be a legitimate reason.

A reason that would allow him to act under Mu Qingming's nose, and that the other party would not be able to refuse.

Looking across the entire mountain-guarding camp, there was only one person who could give him this reason.

Yu Congrong.

But how can I contact her? Should I go directly to the deputy commander's residence and ask for an audience, saying that I have obtained a shocking secret from a fox demon of unknown origin?

This is clearly inappropriate.

He recited the Ice Purification Mantra again to calm his turbulent and mocking emotions.

Don't rush.

Since Hu Xianxian was able to find out the news, it means that the Qingqiu Pure Fox Clan has already spread its spies. What he needs to do now is wait, wait for the most suitable opportunity to hand this deadly thorn to Yu Congrong.

He returned to his cubicle, closed the window, and unusually, did not practice his cultivation. Instead, he lay flat on the bed, preparing to take a nap to maintain his energy and spirit at their peak.

Hunters must be patient.

……

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Boom, boom, boom.

A steady, firm knock sounded on the door.

Ning Che opened his eyes, his gaze showing no sign of drowsiness, a sharp glint flashing within them.

He stood up, picked up the Crescent Moon Blade, and opened the door.

Standing outside the door was a man with a burly build, as imposing as a mountain, with a resolute face and calm eyes; it was none other than the unseen Shi Bingzhu.

"Brother Shi." Ning Che was somewhat surprised.

"Ning Che." Shi Bingzhu nodded, his voice as deep as ever, "Come with me, Deputy Commander Yu has given orders."

Ning Che's heart skipped a beat. Could this be a case of someone offering a pillow when you're sleepy?

On the surface, he remained calm and did not ask any questions on the way out, and followed Shi Bingzhu out of the medicine warehouse.

The two headed straight into the mountains, passed through the camp where people were doing morning exercises, and came directly to a secluded corner of a martial arts training ground.

Shi Bingzhu stopped and turned to look at Ning Che, getting straight to the point: "Something's happened over at Xishan."

Ning Che's pupils contracted slightly, but his expression remained unchanged: "What is it?"

"Mu Qingming reported that an ancient monster's lair was discovered in Xishan. During the excavation, a backlash from a restriction was encountered, resulting in the deaths of several people." Shi Bingzhu's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Tell me, do you believe it?"

They arrived as expected.

Ning Che understood immediately; this explanation perfectly corroborated Hu Xianxian's intelligence. Mu Qingming was covering up the truth, and Yu Congrong clearly didn't believe it.

"Of course I don't believe it. What does Commander Yu mean?"

"She needs a trustworthy pair of eyes to see what Mu Qingming is really up to. So, I'm taking you and Nanmu as an elite team and transferring you to Xishan, ostensibly to assist in the exploration. Do you understand?"

Ning Che did not answer immediately.

Going there is exactly what I wanted.

But there was something strange about this whole thing; his quick agreement only made him more suspicious.

So he asked, "What information do we have now, and why did the commander choose me?"

Shi Bingzhu looked at Ning Che. He understood that words like "I trust you" wouldn't convince this rather intelligent young man. So, after a moment's hesitation, he told the truth:

"Commander Yu chose you because your combat strength is extraordinary."

Because the commander was still in the mountains, some things couldn't be made too ugly. The final decision was that a three-person elite team could be sent over as a precaution. That is, one seventh-rank and two eighth-rank soldiers.

As for the intelligence, Mu Qingming was dismissive, seemingly believing we posed no threat, and readily agreed to hand over the files. However, I haven't looked at them yet; I'll analyze them on the way.

The more Mu Qingming acted this way, the more worried Ning Che became.

As the deputy commander of the mountain guards, and one of the few sixth-rank experts in Feihu City, even Zhao He wouldn't believe that he was already at the mercy of others. So why hadn't he made any response, appearing to be completely resigned to his fate?

"I understand." He slowly exhaled. "When do we depart?"

Shi Bingzhu turned around immediately and said, "Right now, Shi Zhongyu is already waiting for us."

Jade in stone?

Ning Che followed up: "What is her strength? What is she good at?"

"He is the genius of this generation of the Shi family. He was born out of wedlock but was adopted by the eldest son. Now he works with me in the mountains as a form of training. His cultivation is already close to the seventh rank. He is proficient in all five elements of magic and his combat strength is also extraordinary."

The genius of this generation of the Shi family?

Ning Che followed Shi Bingzhu to the outside of the mountain, and right at the entrance, he saw that person.

Although Shi Bingzhu had not yet introduced himself, he was confident that he would not make a mistake.

In the dim morning light, a woman dressed in silver soft armor stood quietly, her posture as upright as a pine tree, her long hair tied up with a simple jade hairpin.

She carried a uniquely shaped broadsword, its blade twice as wide and thick as an ordinary sword, with a faint earthy yellow sheen flowing across it, clearly not an ordinary weapon.

Seemingly noticing Ning Che's gaze, the woman turned around, her phoenix eyes sharp as swords, and swept directly at Ning Che.

There was no contempt in her eyes, only pure scrutiny. When Ning Che met her gaze, he could tell that this person's strength was definitely extraordinary.

"Brother Shi, is this the one you mentioned with extraordinary combat power?" Shi Zhongyu asked, his voice clear and crisp, carrying an undisguised arrogance.

She didn't look at Ning Che, but asked Shi Bingzhu directly.

"Not bad," Shi Bingzhu said succinctly.

Shi Zhongyu then turned his gaze to Ning Che. Without any formalities, he raised his hand and unleashed a beam of white light. The white light flashed only briefly before it was upon them.