Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 231 Investigation Team
The inauguration ceremony continued under the guidance of Master Ji He, with all the rituals proceeding in an orderly manner.

However, the newly discovered clue stirred up ripples in everyone's hearts, and their worries about Tianxu Palace and Wanzhong Mountain lingered in their minds.

After the ceremony, Master Jihe invited representatives from various sects to the main hall to discuss in detail strategies for confronting Tianxu Palace.

Inside the hall, everyone sat together in a solemn and tense atmosphere.

"Master Gao, tell me, what clues have you discovered?"

Master Ji looked at Gao Yongxiu, a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Gao Yongxiu cleared his throat and said, "Palace Master, seniors. Our disciples discovered during their investigation that there is a faint evil aura in an ancient forest northeast of Yougu Palace. Upon further investigation, we found some strange rune marks there, which are similar to the Tianxu Palace-related runes we saw in the library."

“Ancient forest? I remember that forest. It has always been considered a dangerous place, and few people have ventured into it. I never expected it to be related to Tianxu Palace.”

Song Hongyuan frowned and fell into deep thought.

"Master Gao, have you found any trace of Wan Chongshan?"

Wu Yunxian, the head of the Fanyin Sect, asked.

Gao Yongxiu shook his head: "We haven't found any trace of Wan Chong Mountain yet, but there are indeed some unusual places in that forest. We speculate that it might be a secret stronghold or contact point of Tianxu Palace."

“In that case, we should send people to investigate as soon as possible.” Gu Changzhou clenched his fist, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes. “We cannot allow Wan Chongshan and Tianxu Palace to take advantage of this.”

“What Marquis Molin said is very true, but that forest is fraught with danger, and we cannot act rashly,” Xu Hechen said. “We need to make full preparations and formulate a detailed plan.”

"I suggest that a survey team be formed by selecting elite disciples from Yougu Palace, Tianji Pavilion, and various sects to go to that forest together. This will not only enhance our strength but also allow us to support each other."

Master Ji He said, a hint of authority in his eyes.

“Palace Master Ji’s suggestion is good. Our Heavenly Mystery Pavilion is willing to send ten elite intelligence personnel to assist in the investigation,” Leng Xuan said. Although his face still showed a trace of fatigue, his eyes were full of determination.

After Leng Xuan finished speaking, Teng Lihui immediately stated, "Our Yaohua Palace will also send eight disciples to follow Palace Master Ji's arrangements."

Not to be outdone, the Misty Palace offered to send ten elite disciples.

Upon hearing this, Teng Lihui glanced at Gong Linghan indifferently and thought to himself, "This old fellow has always been eyeing the position of the head of the three palaces of Yaohua Palace. He always tries to outdo me, just like a child."

With Yaohua Palace and Piaomiao Palace cooperating so well, other sects readily agreed to send two disciples to serve them.

After some discussion, the composition of the investigation team was finally determined.

Led by Gao Yongxiu, the investigation team consisted of Leng Xuan, Xu Hechen, Gu Changzhou, Liu Sijun, and elite disciples selected from various sects, totaling more than forty people.

Before setting off, Liu Sijun and others made detailed divisions and arrangements for the investigation team.

Liu Sijun and Gu Changzhou were in charge of command and combat, while Xu Hechen was responsible for deciphering runes and analyzing clues.

The other disciples also each took on their respective tasks.

Gao Yongxiu: "Everyone must be careful. Tianxu Palace and Wanchong Mountain are definitely not benevolent. If you discover anything unusual, notify the others immediately."

"Yes!"

The members of the investigation team responded in unison and then set off towards the ancient forest.

As the investigation team set off, Yougu Palace strengthened its defenses to prevent Tianxu Palace and Wanchong Mountain from launching a sneak attack.

Master Ji He and the other elders guarded Yougu Palace day and night, closely monitoring the surrounding movements.

But danger was creeping into that ancient forest. The investigation team stepped into the ancient forest, where a thin mist hung in the air, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, creating dappled light and shadow.

The fallen leaves underfoot rustled softly, as if the forest was whispering secrets to the world.

"Everyone stay alert, spread out, and pay attention to your surroundings."

Gao Yongxiu gave the order softly, and the team members began the search in an orderly manner according to their previous assignments.

Holding the Taixu Mirror, Liu Sijun carefully observed the surrounding environment, trying to capture a trace of unusual energy from the mirror.

The Mirror of Emptiness trembled slightly, and a faint halo appeared on its surface.

The atmosphere here is very strange; it seems like an evil force is lurking somewhere.

she whispered.

Gu Changzhou gripped the Xuan Tie sword tightly, the power of the stars flowing through its blade, ready to deal with any potential dangers at any moment.

His sharp eyes scanned the surrounding trees and bushes, not missing a single detail.

Xu Hechen focused intently on searching for those strange rune traces.

He squatted on the ground, carefully observing the faint runes on a stone, his brows furrowed.

“These runes are more complex than we’ve seen before; they appear to be a powerful restrictive rune used to hide and protect a place.”

Leng Xuan, along with the intelligence personnel from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, used their unique sensory abilities to search for clues in the surrounding area.

They would sometimes crouch down to examine the marks on the ground, and sometimes look up to observe the unusual movements in the sky.

Just then, a disciple from Yaohua Palace suddenly cried out in alarm, "Watch out!"

A black shadow suddenly darted out of the bushes and pounced on him.

Gu Changzhou reacted quickly, his figure flashing as he blocked the disciple's path. He swung his Xuan Tie sword, unleashing a sharp sword aura that slashed towards the dark figure.

The dark figure nimbly dodged through the air, emitting a sharp cry.

Only then did Liu Sijun realize that it was a monster covered in black scales, with eerie green eyes that radiated ferocity.

"Everyone be careful, this is an evil creature from the Heavenly Ruins Palace!"

Liu Sijun loudly reminded him.

The members of the investigation team quickly formed a defensive circle, ready for action.

More and more black monsters emerged from all directions, roaring as they pounced on the investigation team.

Gu Changzhou wielded the Xuan Tie sword, its blade flashing as he continuously slashed and killed the approaching monsters.

Liu Sijun manipulated the Taixu Mirror, and beams of light shot out from it, repelling the evil creatures that tried to approach.

While fighting, Xu Hechen kept an eye on his surroundings, trying to find the origin of these monsters.

He discovered that these monsters seemed to be continuously emerging from one direction deep within the forest.

Xu Hechen: "Master Gao, these monsters came from over there. Perhaps we can find the stronghold of Tianxu Palace by following this direction."