As two figures vanished, a rapid silhouette arrived. Xiao Man saw clearly that it was the old City Lord, heading directly towards Yangming Valley. Xiao Man and Elder Qin exchanged glances. Where was the old City Lord going in Yangming Valley at this time?
Xiao Man immediately decided to follow and see.
Upon reaching Yangming Valley, the old City Lord did not enter. Instead, he circled the exterior of the valley before turning back. Xiao Man was utterly perplexed.
The old City Lord wouldn't inspect Yangming Valley for no reason. Could there be a secret hidden within? Xiao Man traced the old City Lord's path around Yangming Valley and unexpectedly discovered a formation outside. The runes on the formation were complex and ancient, as if concealing immense power.
"Old Ancestor, is this a formation?" The formation, hidden beneath the soil, was fully exposed. Xiao Man reached out to touch it but was repelled. She had spent the longest time in Yangming Valley when she was in the Land of No Return, yet she had never realized that Yangming Valley was at the center of a formation, possibly even its core!
Did the old City Lord come to inspect Yangming Valley because she intended to move Yangming Valley into the Tongtian Pagoda, thus disturbing the formation and alerting the old City Lord?
"Old Ancestor, can you tell what this is?" Xiao Man looked at Elder Qin expectantly. Elder Qin had been a top existence on this continent; such a massive formation and what lay within it were likely no small matter.
"It looks familiar, but I can't recall what it's for." Elder Qin stared at the formation for a long time. It seemed familiar, yet he couldn't quite remember. "I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."
"Could this formation be protecting Yangming Valley or providing it with spiritual energy?"
"It doesn't seem like it," Elder Qin frowned. "I recognize spirit gathering formations, as they are common in noble families and sects. But this is not a spirit gathering formation. It looks more like it's suppressing something."
"Is something formidable being suppressed beneath Yangming Valley?" Xiao Man murmured to herself. "The Land of No Return is resource-scarce, its spiritual energy almost depleted. Only Yangming Valley is rich in spiritual energy, but its spiritual treasures have all become poisonous. Could this be related to what is being suppressed beneath the formation?"
"It's highly possible. Whatever is suppressed beneath, it's definitely not something you can handle now. Let's go. We need to return to the city. Aren't you still supposed to heal Xiang Jian's injuries?"
Xiao Man nodded, restored the formation to its original state, and quickly departed.
Night turned into day, and a thin mist rose in the city. The old City Lord ambled towards the City Lord's mansion through the mist. Just as he reached the entrance, he felt a disturbance in the barrier and hastily turned back. However, upon returning, he found nothing. This, however, only amplified his already uneasy heart.
If a single disturbance could be dismissed as an illusion, then successive sensations of disturbance could not be. Could there be anyone else in Wuji City capable of opening the barrier? No, absolutely impossible, unless it was a cultivator of the Soul Transformation stage. And why would the formation in the Land of No Return suddenly loosen?
"Old City Lord!" The Zhang family head, unable to sleep, had come out for a stroll and accidentally encountered the old City Lord walking outside. His surprise was evident. Wasn't he supposed to be struggling for his life in the City Lord's mansion? Why was he out?
"Zhang family head." The old City Lord narrowed his eyes. The pressure of the Golden Core stage emanated from him, pinning the Zhang family head to the ground.
The Zhang family head resisted with all his might, but the more he resisted, the less the old City Lord was willing to let him go. He was forced to his knees, his gums bleeding, yet he refused to beg for mercy.
"Why are you out so early, Zhang family head?" The old City Lord treated the Zhang family head this way, partly because Zhang Sheng had wronged Yan Yan, but more so because he suspected the Zhang family head was the one who had disturbed the barrier.
"Because I've been worried about the cultivation of my two children recently, I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk." The Zhang family head said calmly. Had the old City Lord's poison been cured? Had his injuries recovered?
"Oh, is that so?" The old City Lord withdrew his pressure. It couldn't be him. If he had a way to open the barrier, he would have found a way to replace the City Lord's mansion long ago. Why would he cooperate with the Five Poisons Sect? If not him, then who disturbed the barrier?
While the old City Lord was pressuring the Zhang family head, Xiao Man had returned to the City Lord's mansion and fallen asleep. Ze Fang, sensing Xiao Man's return, breathed a sigh of relief, but an unsettling feeling lingered in his heart. He didn't have much time left here, but there were some things he had to remind Xiao Man about, lest her audacious nature lead her into trouble.
As soon as Xiao Man woke up, she saw Ze Fang sitting in her room and immediately sat up. "Ze Fang, are you hungry?"
Ze Fang shook his head. "It's almost time for the Seven Great Sects' recruitment. Have you decided which sect you'll join?"
"Hundred Herbs Hall," Xiao Man said without hesitation. She had Elder Qin to guide her cultivation, so that wasn't a concern. However, Elder Qin couldn't refine medicine, and she still needed to learn that from the people at Hundred Herbs Hall.
"Hundred Herbs Hall is indeed a good choice," Ze Fang said slowly. "Where will you go after Hundred Herbs Hall?"
"To find my friends," Xiao Man said frankly. "I've been separated from my friends, and the most pressing matter is to find them first."
Ze Fang nodded repeatedly. Finding them was the priority, especially since Xiao Man's friends weren't strong. In a place filled with cultivators, they could easily encounter powerful individuals and lose their lives.
"How is Xiang Jian doing?" Seeing Xiao Man get up, Ze Fang picked up a nearby piece of clothing and handed it to her.
"He's much better." Xiao Man took it, paused, and then looked up at Ze Fang. "What did you eat last night?"
"I ate the dinner prepared by the City Lord's mansion last night. We ate the same things. What's wrong?"
"Why do I feel like you've grown quite a bit taller overnight?" To prove it wasn't her imagination, Xiao Man walked forward, almost stepping into Ze Fang's embrace, and measured their heights. She found that she should have been a head taller than Ze Fang originally, but now she was a head shorter!
Ze Fang felt Xiao Man's head brush against his chin, sending a tingling sensation from his chin throughout his body. He involuntarily swallowed. He slightly raised his chin, and Xiao Man's hand, still not resting, touched his jaw. Ze Fang felt his entire body stiffen. After a moment, he cursed himself for being foolish. They were both men; why was he so nervous? Su Dan Novel Network
"Didn't I say I would grow taller?"
"To grow this much overnight, even if you gnawed on bones every day, you couldn't grow this fast!" Xiao Man stared at Ze Fang curiously. "Huh, you've even reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Did you gain cultivation along with your height?"
Ze Fang smiled. "It has nothing to do with height. When you wish for me to become stronger, I will strive to become stronger."
"Well done!"