On the path to immortality, I can see destiny.

Fuling Mountain, the Su family.

When Zhao Fan and Su San returned to the courtyard, the sun was about to set, leaving only the afterglow of sunset in half the sky.

After a long day of running around, everyone was exhausted, but none of them had the mind to rest.

Su San sat by the stone table, silent for a long time, then suddenly stood up.

"We can't wait any longer."

Zhao Fan looked up at him.

"Fellow Daoist Su, do you have a solution?"

Su San did not answer, but turned and walked into the house. A moment later, when he came out, he had an ancient bronze lamp in his hand.

The lamp was only the size of a palm, its body mottled and covered with intricate runes, but the wick was blank and had not yet been lit.

Zhao Fan had never seen this thing before, but he could guess that since it was being taken out now, it must be something very important.

"This is……?"

"Bloodline Tracking Lamp"

Su San's voice was low and deep.

"By using one's own essence and blood as a catalyst, one can ignite the shared bloodline and find one's relatives."

Zhao Fan's heart tightened.

"I imagine the price must be quite high."

Su San did not answer, but instead bit her fingertip and dripped the blood into the lamp.

The blood fell into the lamp and was instantly absorbed. The lamp began to glow, and the intricate runes lit up one after another, as if they had come to life.

Su San's face turned pale at a visible speed, and the veins on her forehead throbbed, clearly indicating that she was enduring great pain.

"Fellow Daoist Su!"

Zhao Fan instinctively tried to stop her, but Su San raised her hand to stop him.

"It's alright, it will only damage my cultivation a bit."

His voice was hoarse, yet unusually firm.

Finally, a faint light appeared at the wick, a pale golden light that flickered on and off, as if it might go out at any moment.

But as Su San continued to drip blood, the light grew brighter and brighter, eventually condensing into a thin golden thread that drifted southeast.

"Found it!"

A flicker of joy flashed in Su San's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper weariness. He swayed and almost fell, but Zhao Fan caught him.

"Hurry... Zixuan is still alive... in that direction..."

His voice was broken and intermittent, clearly indicating that he had lost a great deal of energy.

Without hesitation, Zhao Fan helped him onto the flying boat and sent a message to Su Minglu and his sixth uncle.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the five regrouped and sped off in the direction indicated by the golden thread.

The airship glided through the morning light, with rolling mountains and a gradually awakening forest below. The golden line of light always pointed southeast, growing closer and clearer.

"It's on that mountain up ahead."

Su San's voice was weak, but her eyes were fixed on the front.

The mountain was not high and the vegetation was sparse. A dark cave entrance could be vaguely seen on the mountainside. The group landed on the flying boat and quickly approached the cave entrance.

The cave entrance was wide open and unobstructed. Several pebbles were scattered on the ground, as if it had just been knocked open by something, and there were two corpses on the ground as well.

Su San glanced at the corpses and immediately recognized that the two men were from Yulin Mountain.

Seeing this, Su San frowned. It seemed that someone had attacked the place, and she wondered if Su Zixuan was alright.

Su San raised his hand, signaling everyone to slow down. He walked in front, followed closely by Zhao Fan. The three late-stage Qi Refining cultivators spread out in a fan shape, blocking all escape routes.

The cave was deep and grew darker as you went in. A faint smell of blood and the burnt smell of burning talismans filled the air.

Finally, they arrived at a spacious cavern.

In the center of the cave, a pitch-black coffin sat silently, its lid open, and the inside empty.

The remains of four white puppets were scattered on the ground, along with a pool of dark red blood. There was a huge hole in the ceiling, through which moonlight streamed in, illuminating the entire cave.

Su San's gaze swept around and finally landed on the pool of blood. He quickly stepped forward, squatted down, and the oil lamp in his hand became brighter as he approached the pool of blood.

"It's Zixuan's blood."

His voice trembled, but then he frowned.

"And... other people's blood, not just one."

Zhao Fan walked to the coffin and examined it carefully. The inner wall of the coffin was covered with strange patterns, which swirled to form a vortex that made one feel disoriented at first glance.

"Search! Search carefully! Look for any trace of Zixuan!"

Su San immediately spoke up.

The four of them spread out and searched every corner of the cave.

But apart from that pool of blood, there was nothing else—no body of Su Zixuan, no clothes, no trace of her leaving.

"She's gone."

Uncle Liu's voice was old and heavy.

"Neither alive nor dead has anyone been found."

Su San stood in the center of the cave, his face as pale as paper. His gaze was fixed on the pool of blood, and he remained silent for a long time.

A moment later, he bit his fingertip again and dripped his blood into the ancient bronze lamp.

The lamp lit up again, the runes flashing, but this time, only a faint light shone from the wick before quickly dimming and finally going out completely.

Su San's face turned even paler, and a look of despair flashed in her eyes.

"I can't sense her anymore... Someone has used some means to block her presence."

Zhao Fan's heart sank.

"Any method that can block bloodline tracking is at least a Foundation Establishment stage technique."

Uncle Liu's voice was deep.

"Zixuan... has probably fallen into the hands of some powerful figure."

Su San closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, there was no despair in them, only a cold calm.

"No matter who it is, as long as she is alive, there is still hope."

He put away the ancient bronze lamp and turned to walk out of the cave.

"Let's go back."

"If someone from Yulin Mountain comes over now, we won't be able to explain ourselves."

The five people left the cave in silence, and the flying boat slowly rose in the morning light, heading towards Mount Fuling.

No one spoke on the road.

Su San leaned against the ship's railing, gazing into the distance, lost in thought.

Zhao Fan tried to speak several times, but didn't know what to say. He knew that any words of comfort would be futile at this moment.

When they returned to Mount Fuling, it was already midnight. The group exchanged glances and silently departed.

Su San returned to his courtyard and sat down at the stone table. He remained silent for a long time before suddenly speaking.

"The Song family."

His voice was soft, yet it carried a chilling killing intent.

Su San raised her head and looked into the distance, towards the direction of Yulin Mountain.

"One day, I will make them pay the price."

His voice was calm, but Zhao Fan could hear the suppressed anger beneath that calm.

……

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away on the official road, an ordinary carriage was slowly traveling north.

Inside the carriage, the woman in purple sat cross-legged, closing her eyes to regulate her breathing. Beside her, Su Zixuan lay quietly on a soft quilt, her face still pale, but her breathing had become much more steady.

The wound on my neck had been carefully bandaged and the cloth had been changed to a clean one; I could faintly smell the refreshing scent of the ointment.

The carriage swayed gently, its wheels making a rhythmic sound as they rolled over the road.

Suddenly, the woman in purple opened her eyes.

A strange light flashed in her purple eyes, then returned to calm. She reached out and gently touched Su Zixuan's brow, a wisp of purple spiritual energy seeping in.

A moment later, she withdrew her hand.

"They even have tracking technology."

Then, she made hand seals, and streaks of purple spiritual light flew from her fingertips, forming a faint purple mist around Su Zixuan.

The purple mist slowly seeped into Su Zixuan's body, completely severing a certain hidden connection.

"alright."

She withdrew her hand and closed her eyes again.

"Now, nobody can find you."

The carriage continued northward, gradually disappearing into the night.