Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Layers of Mist

Yuan Papa had promised three days, and true to his word, he completed modifying the formation within that timeframe. You You and the others stood guard outside the sect for three full days. The endless waves of monsters kept coming, with new swarms emerging immediately after previous ones were cleared.

When the formation above finally shifted, the entire Zhen Yan Sect became semi-transparent as if pulled into another dimension. The monsters surging from below gradually dwindled. Their frenzy subsided, and after wandering the meadow aimlessly, they eventually dispersed.

You You sighed in relief. Blocking the scent had worked—without detecting the "bait," the monsters remained unaffected. Now they just needed to wait until the scent completely faded from Lin Feng and the others.

But first, they had to uncover the truth.

"I don’t know," Lin Feng shook his head blankly. He genuinely didn’t understand how the "bait" had been planted on him, nor had he even heard of such a thing before this incident.

In fact, apart from Yuan Qi and Feng Rong, no one else—including Nie Zheng—knew about it.

"During your travels, did you encounter anyone unusual? Consume anything suspicious? Especially involving other cultivators?" Yuan Qi pressed. "The bait requires at least seven days to mature after planting. Think carefully about that period."

"Seven days…" Lin Feng’s eyes suddenly widened. "Seven days ago, while returning to the sect, I assisted a cultivator from another sect with subduing a monster near the eastern town. We stayed there awhile."

You You tensed. "Which sect? What was his name?"

"I…" Lin Feng frowned, his memories clouded as if veiled. Even the man’s face had blurred in his mind. "I can’t remember."

Feng Rong stepped forward without hesitation. "Let me check." Forming a seal, he pressed fingertips to Lin Feng’s forehead.

Cultivators’ memories don’t fade so quickly—unless forcibly erased.

After a moment, Feng Rong withdrew with a grimace. "His Sea of Consciousness bears spell marks. Someone altered his memories."

The revelation darkened every face. This wasn’t accidental—Lin Feng had been deliberately targeted to destroy Zhen Yan Sect.

"The bait existed only during Ancient Times when Three Realms were united," Yuan Qi explained gravely. "So dangerous it drove both monsters and demon clans mad, causing great chaos. All races united to destroy it. Its reappearance now is… troubling."

The gravity deepened. Without Feng Rong’s knowledge, they’d have been blindsided by the beast wave. Worse, the bait could’ve spread through the entire sect. Even escaping disciples would’ve been hunted down.

"Who would devise such cruelty?!" Qiu Zhang’s spectral form flickered angrily. These disciples carried his Qiu Zhang Technique’s legacy.

Ling Qi frowned. "We’re a newly established sect. Why use Ancient-era bait against us?"

You You shared the confusion. From Lin Feng’s account, the perpetrator posed as another sect’s cultivator. But Zhen Yan Sect was insignificant in the Immortal Realm’s millennia-old hierarchy. What warranted such elaborate destruction?

If not another sect… Her thoughts turned to their recent actions. Besides destroying a den of evil years prior, their only notable act was investigating…

"Ling Qi." She whirled to him. "When did we begin investigating Grievous Spirit Forest?"

"After your return—less than a month ago." His eyes widened. "You think this connects to the resentful soul creators?"

"Who else would fear our investigation?" she countered. The culprits possessed divine artifacts and Soul Breath—obtaining Ancient-era bait fit their capabilities.

Ling Qi’s expression hardened. Their investigation must have provoked this retaliation—an attempt to silence them via "natural" disaster. Without Yuan Qi and Feng Rong, Zhen Yan Sect’s destruction would’ve been dismissed as misfortune.

"Moreover," Yuan Qi interjected, "This likely involves immortal sects."

Realization struck. Evil cultivators wouldn’t bother concealing crimes. Only immortal sects would fear exposure enough to orchestrate this.

"Ling Qi," You You ordered, "Recall all outer disciples immediately. Maximum vigilance until this resolves."

"Yes, Sect Master!"

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You You enforced three months of isolation until the bait’s effects fully dissipated—verified by testing Wen Ze. Only then did Yuan Qi reactivate the protective mountain formation.

The little monster remained cheerfully oblivious to its past rampage. It happily gathered monster materials for fluffy jackets, only throwing a grievance-filled tantrum when Lin’s mother refused to sew more. Its howls of protest echoed through the entire sect.