On the path to immortality, I can see destiny.

Zhao Fan remained silent for a moment, then took out a communication talisman from his pocket.

He released a burst of spiritual energy from his fingertips, recording the dried corpse, the dress, and the pair of jade pendants he saw here into a talisman.

Zhao Fan paused for a moment, then added another sentence.

"The clothes do belong to Su Zixuan, but the body is unrecognizable, so it is difficult to make a complete identification. Please allow me to take them back for further identification."

The talisman transformed into a streak of blue light and vanished into the depths of the night.

Behind him, the young master was still there. Under the moonlight, his handsome face was somewhat heavy, and his gaze was fixed on the dried corpse, remaining silent for a long time.

"Beauty is often short-lived."

He finally spoke, his voice low and tinged with a sigh.

"When we first met in the market that day, Miss Zixuan was so cheerful and lively. I never imagined that our parting that day would be our last."

Zhao Fan glanced at him sideways. The young master's face was full of pity, and his eyes were even slightly moist. His sorrowful expression looked exceptionally genuine.

Zhao Fan didn't speak, but simply turned his gaze back to the corpse.

Her gaunt face was unrecognizable, but the dress and the jade pendants were indeed Su Zixuan's.

But what does this prove? Clothes can be changed, jade pendants can be stolen; in the world of cultivation, there are too many ways to destroy evidence and shift blame.

The Su family must identify everything themselves.

"Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Zhao."

The young master suddenly turned around and faced him, his tone so solemn it was almost like an oath.

"Since this matter occurred near Yulin Mountain, I, Song, will investigate it thoroughly. If that demonic cultivator dares to appear again, I will make him pay for his crimes in blood and avenge Miss Zixuan!"

As he spoke, his gaze was intense, fixed on Zhao Fan, as if he wanted him to see the determination in his eyes.

When Zhao Fan met those eyes, he felt that the gaze was too sincere, so sincere that he couldn't find a single flaw in it.

"Friend Song, I, Zhao, thank you on behalf of the Su family."

He nodded slightly, his tone indifferent.

Footsteps sounded behind them again, and the Zhou family cultivator arrived with the other five people.

When they saw the mummified corpse, their expressions varied; some frowned, some glanced sideways, and some remained expressionless.

The Zhou family cultivator stepped forward, squatted down to examine the area carefully, and stood up with a furrowed brow.

"It was indeed that demonic cultivator's method."

His voice was low and heavy.

"The blood was drained, the flesh withered, and it looked exactly like the previous corpses."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"That demonic cultivator should still be nearby; tonight is the perfect opportunity to pursue him."

Upon hearing this, everyone tensed up. Some instinctively gripped their magical artifacts, while others looked around as if the demonic cultivator might pounce out of the darkness at any moment.

The Zhou family cultivator pondered for a moment and quickly made a decision.

"The terrain here is complex and not suitable for large-scale operations. We will split into four groups, searching in pairs to expand the search area."

His gaze swept across everyone's faces as he distributed the tasks.

"Fellow Daoist Song and I will each lead one group. The remaining four will split into two groups. If any are discovered, give a signal immediately and do not act without authorization."

He pointed to the hillside to the east.

"I'll go that way, Fellow Daoist Song, you take the men and head west."

The young master nodded, his gaze naturally falling on Zhao Fan.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, how about we team up and search the western ravine?"

His tone was casual, as if it were only because Zhao Fan was relatively close to him.

Zhao Fan nodded calmly.

"it is good."

The remaining four quickly split into two groups, one heading north and the other south.

The Zhou family cultivator, accompanied by one other person, vanished behind the eastern hillside in a flash.

Young Master Zhao Fan nodded and took the lead in walking westward.

Zhao Fan followed closely behind, his gaze fixed on that figure's back, his mind churning with thoughts.

From the moment the assignments were made, Zhao Fan had a vague feeling that the young master of the workshop had deliberately chosen to be in his group.

Zhao Fan quietly placed his hand on the storage bag, his fingertips touching the cool surface of the Netherworld Mirror.

The spiritual energy within the Cloud-Stepping Boots was also flowing secretly, ready to be activated at any time.

In any case, it's always better to be cautious.

The ravine to the west was deeper than I had imagined.

The two walked slowly along the bottom of the ravine, with steep rock walls on both sides. The moonlight could only reach the entrance of the ravine, and the further they went in, the darker it became.

The young master walked ahead with a leisurely pace, occasionally raising his hand to push aside vines or branches blocking his way, as if he were quite familiar with the terrain.

Zhao Fan lagged half a step behind, his gaze fixed on him, while carefully spreading his divine sense to cover the surrounding area of ​​several feet.

The ravine narrowed further and further, with the rock walls on both sides almost closing in, leaving only a narrow gap that was barely wide enough for a person to pass through.

The young master suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Zhao Fan's heart tightened, and his spiritual power instantly surged into his palm.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao."

The young master turned around, looked at Zhao Fan, and spoke.

You seem very nervous.

Zhao Fan remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.

"The demonic cultivators should be nearby, so we must be on guard."

"Yeah?"

The young master smiled slightly, a smile that carried an indescribable meaning.

"That's good."

He turned around and continued walking forward.

As Zhao Fan watched his retreating figure, his vigilance intensified.

As they ventured deeper into the ravine, the rock walls on both sides almost pressed together, leaving only a narrow gap.

Only a thin line of sky remained overhead, barely letting in any moonlight. The surroundings were pitch black, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the silence.

Zhao Fan spread his divine sense even wider, leaving no inch of space unexplored. At the same time, he quietly took out the Golden Marrow Thorn, held it in his palm, and was ready to activate it at any time.

Ahead, the young master's pace suddenly quickened.

Zhao Fan felt a chill run down his spine and immediately followed.

Just then, a slight strange noise came from ahead.

It looked like something was moving in the darkness.

The young master suddenly stopped, raised his right hand, and a beam of spiritual light shone from his palm, illuminating an area of ​​several feet in front of him.

Using the light of his spiritual energy, Zhao Fan saw that at the end of the ravine ahead was a naturally formed stone chamber.

The stone chamber was small, about two zhang square, with smooth walls, as if it had been washed by water.

In the center of the stone chamber, on the floor, lay a pile of ashes.

Someone has stayed here.

The young master withdrew his spiritual light and slowly walked into the stone chamber, with Zhao Fan following closely behind, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

The ashes had been cooled for some time, and a thin layer of dust had settled on them.

Scattered among the ashes were a few gnawed animal bones and two empty wine gourds.

A pile of dry grass lay in the corner, with a few strands of long hair remaining on it.

Everything here is exactly the same as the previous campsite in the mountain valley.

The young master squatted down, brushed aside the ashes, and examined them carefully. After a moment, he stood up and his gaze fell on the pile of dry grass in the corner.

"That demonic cultivator stayed here."

His voice was deep.

"And not just for one day."

Zhao Fan didn't speak, but walked to the dry grass, squatted down, and reached out to push the dry grass aside. His fingertips touched something hard.

It was a piece of scrap cloth.

He picked up the piece of cloth and examined it closely in the dim light. The cloth was pale blue with jagged edges, as if it had been torn off. There were a few streaks of dried blood on it, the color of which had turned black.

Zhao Fan's heart sank.

The color of this piece of fabric is exactly the same as the dress Su Zixuan is wearing.

He put the cloth into his pocket, stood up, and scanned the entire stone chamber with his eyes. Apart from these, he found nothing else.

The young master walked to his side, glanced at the piece of cloth he had put away, and said nothing.

After a moment, he spoke.

"This place is only about 20 miles from where the body was found. That demonic cultivator must have used this place as a base to move around."

Zhao Fan nodded, but his mind was racing.

If this is indeed Zhang Tie's stronghold, then his area of ​​operation is far too large.

From Yulin Mountain to Fuling Mountain, his presence can be found over a radius of hundreds of miles.

What exactly is he trying to do? Is he simply hunting down cultivators to cultivate his demonic arts? Or does he have some other purpose?

The young master seemed to sense his doubt and said softly.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, there's no need to overthink it. The most important thing right now is to find the demonic cultivator's trail as soon as possible and avenge Miss Zixuan."

As he spoke, he took out a communication talisman from his pocket, recorded the discovery of this place, and sent it out.

Zhao Fan watched the blue light disappear into the darkness and suddenly spoke.

"Fellow Daoist Song seems to be very familiar with the terrain around here."

The young master turned around and smiled slightly.

"Yulin Mountain covers an area of ​​several hundred miles. I grew up here since I was a child, so I am naturally familiar with it."

"Let's go, keep searching."

Zhao Fan nodded slightly, not pressing the matter further.

The young master watched his retreating figure, a fleeting, inscrutable look in his eyes before returning to normal and following after him.

The two of them, one after the other, disappeared into the darkness once again.