Transform into ancestral tablets and create a supreme immortal clan.

Zhao Kuo made a harsh statement, but the other party accepted a task that was neither good nor bad in a way that he couldn't understand at all, and then left.

His attempts to make things difficult were like punching empty air, making him look like a clown jumping around.

The gazes cast around them seemed to carry a hint of mockery.

"Damn it!" Zhao Kuo stared at Nan Shanyu's disappearing figure at the stairwell, gritting his teeth.

He then whispered to the people around him, "Follow him! Once we're out of the mountain gate, find a chance to teach him a lesson!"

Do you really think that accepting the mission means everything will be fine?

The Gu family has recently been secretly spreading the word that anyone who can help them solve their problems will be richly rewarded.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, it all boils down to these kinds of things.

Because of the jade from Nanshan, the Gu family lost an outstanding member, Gu Zongyi.

If we can solve the problem of the Nanshan Jade for the Gu family, it will surely be beneficial.

Zhao Kuo's henchmen understood, their eyes flashing with ruthlessness, and quietly followed him.

After leaving the General Affairs Hall, Nanshan Yu did not return directly to his cave. Instead, he went straight out of the mountain gate and then walked unhurriedly towards a relatively secluded mountain path, as if taking a casual stroll.

Zhao Kuo and his men trailed far behind. Seeing that the area was becoming sparsely populated, they realized it was a good place to make their move. They exchanged glances, quickened their pace, and prepared to surround the enemy.

Just then, Nanshan Yu, who was walking in front, paused slightly.

He didn't turn around, but his left hand, hanging at his side, subtly formed a strange hand seal, with a wisp of barely perceptible gray-black mist swirling around his fingertips, and he flicked it lightly in a certain direction behind him.

The wisp of mist dissipated into the wind and vanished without a trace in an instant.

Zhao Kuo, who was hurrying after him, suddenly felt a chill between his brows, as if a drop of icy water had seeped into his mind.

He shook his head, thinking it was just his imagination, and didn't pay any attention to it.

The others also felt a slight dizziness, but they didn't take it seriously.

They continued forward, and soon they were only a dozen feet away from Nanshan Jade.

Suddenly, Zhao Kuo, who was at the forefront, froze!

His eyes widened instantly, and endless fear surged deep within his pupils, as if he were witnessing the most terrifying sight in the world.

Its mouth was wide open, but no sound came out; only a strange "hoarse" sound came from its throat.

"Senior Brother Zhao? What's wrong?" The short, stocky cultivator next to him noticed something was wrong and reached out to help him.

The moment the hand touched Zhao Kuo's shoulder, Zhao Kuo's body convulsed violently, and the color drained from his face, turning into a deathly gray.

Not only him, but his three henchmen also developed the same symptoms at almost the same time!

The four stood frozen in place, trembling all over, their eyes rolled back, and a faint black mist, mixed with pain and resentment, emanated from their mouths and noses.

Their vitality vanished rapidly, as if being devoured by an invisible giant maw.

It only took two or three breaths.

"Thump!" "Thump!"...

Four lifeless bodies lay stiffly on the ground, their faces frozen in extreme terror and pain, as if they had endured unimaginable torment before their deaths.

The surrounding mountains and forests were silent, with no birds or beasts making a sound. Only the rustling of the wind through the leaves made the place seem even more eerie.

Ahead, Nanshan Yu's figure had already disappeared, as if he had never stayed there at all.

……

Half an hour later, in the punishment hall.

The hall master, Ni Xingzhou, stared grimly at the four neatly arranged, bizarrely deceased corpses on the ground.

He personally examined the body and found no injuries on its surface, no signs of external damage to its meridians or dantian, and even its soul seemed intact, at least according to conventional methods of examination.

But the very source of life has been completely depleted, as if some invisible force has drained all vitality and life force from the soul in an instant.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen someone die in such a way.

Two years ago, several people who were connected to the Gu family and died under mysterious circumstances seemed to... all have similar characteristics.

This time, however, the methods were far more sophisticated, cleaner, and more unpredictable.

It happened almost silently.

"The location of the death?" The voice of the person in the reverse boat was devoid of emotion.

"Reporting to the Master, there is a secluded path outside the mountain gate."

According to witnesses, the deceased Zhao Kuo and others had an argument with Nan Shanyu, a disciple of Yuheng Peak, on the second floor of the General Affairs Hall, and followed him away. "A steward of the Punishment Hall respectfully reported this."

"Nanshan Jade?" A sharp glint flashed in Ni Xingzhou's eyes. "Where is he now?"

"The mission 'Standing over the Immortal Pavilion in the Capital of Chu' has been registered and accepted. According to the gate guard's records, they left the mountain about half an hour ago and headed towards the Chu Kingdom."

"They moved quickly." Ni Xingzhou snorted coldly, walked to the corpse, squatted down again, and a wisp of probing spiritual light appeared on his fingertips as he carefully sensed it.

Gradually, his brows furrowed more and more tightly.

In the barely perceptible remnants of extinguished life, he caught a faint, chilling aura, a mixture of death and resentment.

This aura... seems to share a common origin with the remnants on those disciples from back then, as well as the vague clues in several suspected cases later on, but it appears to be purer, more ancient, and more vicious.

It's not magic, it's not martial arts, it's more like... some kind of forbidden curse power!

Moreover, this method, this style of killing without leaving a trace, leaving almost no mark...

Ni Xingzhou stood up, put his hands behind his back, and looked out the window with a deep gaze.

It's always like this.

When someone who had a grudge against the Gu family got into trouble, the clues vaguely pointed to some kind of underhanded method that the Gu family was good at, or suspected of possessing.

Is Nanshan jade a suspect?

Yes, the motive, time, and place all match.

But how did he do it?

How could a disciple in the early stage of Foundation Establishment instantly, simultaneously, and silently kill four Foundation Establishment cultivators, including one in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment?

This is no ordinary method.

If it really is him, this young man is so well hidden and his methods are so cunning that they are truly terrifying.

But... why is that trace of aura left behind somehow connected to the Gu family?

Was someone deliberately imitating and framing the Gu family?

Or perhaps... there really is one or more disciples within the Gu family who have cultivated some kind of unknown, insidious curse.

And because of certain grudges, he couldn't hold back again and killed the sect's disciples.

The Gu family has a history of offenses, and although it hasn't been confirmed, suspicion is still hard to dispel.

Ni Xingzhou rubbed his temples, feeling a surge of irritation.

Within the sect, undercurrents surged. The infighting among these powerful families always brought up various underhanded tactics, making even him, the head of the Punishment Hall, feel deeply troubled.

"Conduct a thorough investigation. Investigate all individuals who may be related to the Gu family, especially those skilled in sorcery or the arts of the soul, or those who have recently exhibited unusual behavior," Ni Xingzhou ordered in a deep voice.

"As for Nanshan Yu... issue a request for investigation and interrogation, ordering him to provide a detailed account of his whereabouts at the General Affairs Hall today and before and after leaving the mountain after arriving in the capital of Chu."

Also, inform our spies in Chu to keep an eye on this person's movements.

"Yes!" The steward accepted the order and left.

Ni Xingzhou remained alone in the hall, his eyes cold as he looked at the terrified remains of Zhao Kuo and the others on the ground.