From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

The bustling and vibrant Baiwei City.

Like a meticulously woven brocade, it covers every corner of the city.

However, beneath this splendor, Yao Mengkang and Li Han keenly sensed a few discordant elements.

Yao Mengkang appeared to be leisurely accompanying Xu Ziyi as they sampled snacks and admired the street scene.

However, his spiritual perception underwent a qualitative change when he opened the ancestral meridians and the chaotic chakra.

It had long since spread silently within a three-zhang radius around him, like invisible mercury.

Any malicious gaze or overly deliberate aura could not escape his almost instinctive vigilance.

They even took the initiative to contact "Stone Beads," but unfortunately, they didn't know that the distance between them was too far.

The "stone bead" was too weak and did not give any feedback.

Li Han was even worse.

He was almost completely integrated with his surroundings, his aura completely concealed.

His perception is not as broad as Yao Mengkang's.

Instead, it acts like the most precise probe, focusing on the places where danger is most likely to lurk.

The shadows under the eaves, the figures deliberately keeping their distance in the crowd, and the occasional glint of shrewdness in the eyes of those seemingly harmless vendors.

His hand was never more than an inch away from the short blade at his waist, and his muscles were in a subtle, semi-relaxed state.

It can unleash a thunderous strike at any moment.

He could even tell if someone was following him by the slightest vibrations from the ground.

Meanwhile, on another bustling street.

Mu Qingqing, who was sharing a delicate lotus-shaped pastry with Zhou Tiancan, paused slightly.

Her bright eyes inadvertently swept across a grocery stall across the street.

There, a worker who was wiping goods down quickly lowered his head when they looked over, his movements slightly stiff.

"Heavenly ginseng," Mu Qingqing said softly, as if whispering, with a faint smile on her face, as if she were only commenting on the pastry in her hand.

He waited patiently for Mu Qingqing to hand him the remaining half of the lotus flower pastry, his eyes slightly narrowed.

His massive body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment.

He may seem slow-witted, but when it comes to matters concerning Mu Qingqing's safety and combat, his reaction time is astonishingly fast.

He didn't turn his head to look immediately, but instead pretended to bend down to receive the pastry.

The corner of his eye, like the most precise ruler, instantly locked onto the area Mu Qingqing indicated.

He didn't understand how to observe details, but he trusted Mu Qingqing's judgment. It was an almost instinctive understanding.

"Um."

Zhou Tiancan responded in a muffled voice, indicating that he understood.

The blood and qi in his body began to flow faster in a slow and heavy manner.

Like a wild elephant about to awaken, it may seem clumsy, but it contains a terrifying power that can crush any threat at any time.

Meanwhile, Wang Le accompanied Huo Ling'er as they lingered at a stall selling various strange, glowing ores.

Huo Ling'er was captivated by a piece of crimson ore that seemed to have flames flowing inside, and was excitedly haggling with the stall owner.

Wang Le looked at Huo Ling'er with a gentle smile and doting eyes.

But his fingertips unconsciously twirled gently inside his sleeve.

Wind, formless and intangible, carries information.

As a wind-attribute cultivator, Wang Le's perception was not as strong as Yao Mengkang's.

Unlike Li Han, who focuses on murderous intent and danger, it is more ethereal and broad.

He caught a faint, unusual fluctuation in the air, one that didn't belong to the normal hustle and bustle of the city, a fluctuation that carried a subtle sense of probing.

The feeling was vague and intermittent, making him uncertain and even doubting whether it was his imagination.

Looking at Huo Ling'er's bright and innocent smile, Wang Le finally suppressed his doubts.

He secretly became more vigilant, and his spiritual energy quietly circulated within his body.

To ensure that Huo Ling'er can be protected immediately should any unforeseen circumstances arise.

He didn't want to spoil the girl's rare mood because of his uncertain premonition.

The two-hour limit, like sand flowing in an hourglass, quietly slipped away.

At the East Gate, disciples of Qinglu Academy began to gather in twos and threes.

Most of the disciples wore expressions of lingering excitement.

They showed each other the unusual gadgets they had bought.

Or they might be discussing the delicious food they've tasted, completely unaware of the undercurrents surging beneath the surface.

Yao Mengkang, Li Han, and Xu Ziyi also returned on time.

Almost simultaneously, Mu Qingqing and Zhou Tiancan, as well as Wang Le and Huo Ling'er, also arrived at the meeting point.

Their eyes met, and they all saw an indescribable solemnity in each other's eyes.

"Senior Brother Yao, Senior Brother Li,"

Mu Qingqing spoke first, her voice low, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

"Don't you guys feel that this city seems a little...too 'peaceful'?"

She used the word "calm" instead of "safe," referring to the sense of incongruity hidden beneath the apparent prosperity.

Yao Mengkang nodded slightly, his eyes sharp:

"Yes, there are some prying eyes, very subtle, and even if you are on your guard, it is difficult to find them."

His perception was the clearest.

Li Han spoke concisely and in an icy voice:

"There are mice. But we can't find them."

His judgment was direct and brutal.

Huo Ling'er also stopped laughing at this moment. Although she was a bit oblivious, she was not stupid.

Sensing something was off, she looked at Wang Le with a puzzled expression.

"Brother Le, you always seemed distracted when we were shopping before. Did you notice something?"

Wang Le sighed, nodded, and admitted:

"It was a vague feeling, like something was spying on me from a distance, but I couldn't pinpoint the source or its intention. I didn't say anything because I didn't want you to worry."

Now, even the slow-witted Huo Ling'er and the completely out-of-focus Xu Ziyi realized it.

Their seemingly enjoyable shopping trip is probably not as simple as it appears.

Just then, a faint yet calming aroma of food drifted closer from afar.

Then, Vice Dean Shangguan Hong walked over with a calm and composed gait.

Her face even had a blush of contentment after enjoying the delicious food.

He exchanged a glance with Qin Feng, who was leisurely sipping tea at the tea stall.

The moment their eyes met, the ease and leisurely feeling vanished, replaced by a solemnity that needed no words.

Qin Feng put down his teacup and slowly stood up. Shangguan Hong's eyes flashed like lightning as he quickly scanned the crowd of disciples gathered at the city gate, silently counting in his mind.

Once, twice.

His face darkened.

"The number of people is incorrect."

Shangguan Hong's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that instantly silenced the somewhat noisy disciples.

"Ninety-seven disciples went to the royal city to participate in the assessment, but now only seventy-four remain."

The scene was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Because of their formidable strength and the fact that most of the disciples acted in teams and looked after each other, all ten disciples were present and safe.

So, all twenty-three missing people were... ordinary disciples!

A chill instantly crept up the spines of all the disciples present.

The relaxed and pleasant feeling I had while shopping was completely gone, replaced by a chilling sense of lingering fear.

The disciples also felt as if they had thorns in their backs.

It was possible to make twenty-three disciples at the ninth level of the Qi Opening Realm disappear silently from this bustling city in a short period of time.

This is no coincidence; it must have been an organized and premeditated action by a powerful force.

It is important to know that these twenty-three disciples have gone missing.

They had all undergone trials in the Meteorite Secret Realm, and the academy also possessed profound foundations.

Disciples who are able to go to the royal city to participate in the assessment.

Although they cannot compare with Yao Mengkang and the other ten disciples, they are still among the best in their respective fields.

"Twenty-three..."

Shangguan Hong uttered the number softly, a layer of frost covering his usually carefree face.

"Twenty-three disciples of my Qinglu Academy have disappeared in one go in Baiwei City, right under the noses of the Crimson Flame Army... Excellent, truly excellent!"

Shangguan Hong's eyes were icy. He took a deep breath and suppressed the anger and a trace of self-reproach in his heart.

He knew that now was not the time to assign blame.

"The plan has changed."

Shangguan Hong made a decisive decision, and his voice echoed throughout the entire venue.

"All disciples, from this moment forward, are forbidden from acting alone! The Xuanhuang Boat is temporarily unavailable; we must remain in Baiwei City to search for the missing disciples."

His gaze swept over Yao Mengkang, Mu Qingqing, and other disciples who had noticed the abnormality, before finally settling on Qin Feng, and he said in a deep voice.

"The most urgent task is to find the missing disciple as soon as possible!"

"Elder Qin, I'll go pay my respects to City Lord Zhang Xinghan first!"

"Haven't seen him in years, might as well ask him, what exactly makes Baiwei City's 'excellent public security' so good!"

His words carried a hint of suppressed anger, but also an undeniable determination.

The once glamorous and prosperous Baiwei City has been torn open with a crack.

Qinglu Academy must find out the demons and monsters behind this rift!