Alert! The Dragon Lord has emerged from seclusion!

The cool fingertips touched their skin; both of them were used to this contact.

"Your pulse is steady and strong; the newly formed meridians are no different from the old ones, and even... wider." A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. "Your cultivation is almost at the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment stage?"

"I think so." Lin Chen nodded, feeling a bit emotional himself.

"Breaking down and then building up, yin and yang are initially harmonized, as if all the previous bottlenecks have been broken through."

"However, the three elders instructed that we must solidify our foundation and consolidate it for at least another month before attempting a breakthrough."

"Yes, we can't rush it." Su Qingxue put down her hand and took out a document from her small bag. "The Su family's intelligence network and the Tianji Pavilion have news."

Lin Chen's expression turned serious: "About Kaiyang and Yaoguang?"

"It's mainly Kaiyang." Su Qingxue handed him the document. "The Kaiyang star points to the southwest Miao region, to a place called 'Luoyue Town'."

"Target person: Mu Qingyao, 22 years old, Miao ethnicity, currently a teacher at Luoyue Town Ethnic Primary School."

A candid photo was attached to the document.

The girl in the photo stands in front of a simple classroom, wearing brightly colored ethnic clothing, with a bright and cheerful smile and eyes as clear as a mountain spring.

She bears an eight or nine-tenths resemblance to the slightly shy girl in the portrait on the marriage certificate.

"Mu Qingyao..." Lin Chen murmured the name, his gaze falling on the "Special Records" section. "Suspected 'Gu Spirit Body'? Related to Miao Gu techniques?"

"Since ancient times, there has been a legend of 'Gu Women' in Miao territory. Those with special constitutions can develop an affinity and communication with Gu worms that far exceeds that of ordinary people, and are known as Gu Spirit Bodies," Su Qingxue explained.

"This is also a variant of the Nine Yin Body, belonging to the 'Wood' element, which governs vitality and manipulation."

"Intelligence shows that Mu Qingyao has been able to 'understand' the chirping of insects since she was a child. She has unintentionally stopped several incidents of poisonous insects attacking the village and is regarded by the locals as a 'child blessed by the mountain god'."

"But the problem is," she said, her voice slightly somber, "that about two months ago, we started seeing missing persons cases in the Falling Moon Town area, all of whom were young and middle-aged adults."

"Local rumors say it was the 'anger of the mountain god,' while others say it was the work of a 'witch doctor.' The Tianji Pavilion's undercover agents discovered that the scene of the disappearance contained a very faint trace of Yin energy, which was of the same origin as the Netherworld Sect's techniques, but the methods were more covert and more... 'localized.'"

"Has the Netherworld Sect's reach extended to Miao territory?" Lin Chen frowned. "Or are there other evil cultivators there who are connected to the Netherworld Sect?"

"I'm not sure. But Mu Qingyao's situation might be precarious." Su Qingxue looked at him. "The Miao region is xenophobic, especially towards cultivators."

"If we go directly like this, we'll likely be seen as enemies."

"We need to come up with a safer solution."

"What method?" Shen Qingqiu's voice came.

She walked over with Ye Qingcheng, Qin Yurou, and Chu Ling'er.

They had obviously heard the news as well.

Ye Qingcheng glanced at the document photo and raised an eyebrow: "This girl has a pretty sunny smile. She doesn't look like the kind of person who would be targeted by evil cultivators."

"The purer something is, the more 'delicious' it is for certain evil cultivators," Shen Qingqiu said calmly. Today, she was dressed in a neat tracksuit and carrying a medicine box, seemingly ready to set off at any moment.

"The Miao people are skilled in using Gu and poison, and my medicinal spirit body might come in handy."

"We can disguise ourselves as a botany or folklore research team going into the mountains."

"That's a great idea!" Qin Yurou's eyes lit up. "I minored in folklore in college, so I have a foundation!"

Chu Ling'er whispered, "I... I can pretend to be an art student sketching? My spiritual powers might be more sensitive to the ancient sacrificial sites and ancestral spirit remnants in the area."

Su Qingxue looked at Lin Chen: "What do you think?"

Lin Chen pondered for a moment: "To be on the safe side, let's first infiltrate Luoyue Town as part of the expedition team, contact Mu Qingyao, and find out the situation."

"If there are indeed evil practitioners causing trouble, then we will act according to the situation."

"The number of people should not be too large to avoid arousing suspicion."

He looked at everyone and said, "Miss Su needs to stay behind the scenes to coordinate things, and the business networks of the Qin and Su families also need someone to keep an eye on them."

"Miss Shen must go; her medical knowledge is the best disguise."

"Miss Ye is skilled and quick-witted. Miss Chu's psychic abilities might be able to find clues. As for me..."

"Of course you're the core," Ye Qingcheng said directly. "Without you, the 'sun,' it would be pointless for us 'moons' to go."

"But you have to act convincingly, don't look like you're some kind of expert."

Lin Chen chuckled: "I'll try to keep a low profile."

Su Qingxue nodded: "Then it's settled. Lin Chen, Shen Qingqiu, Ye Qingcheng, and Chu Ling'er will enter Miao territory under the name of 'Joint Expedition Team for Folk Culture and Rare Plants'."

"I will use my connections to prepare a full set of identity documents, letters of introduction, and equipment."

"Qin Yurou stayed in the valley to assist the three elders in continuing to analyze the clues about the Yao Guang star position, while maintaining communication with all parties."

She paused, her icy blue eyes sweeping over Lin Chen: "Safety is the top priority. Prioritize contacting and protecting the target, and uncover the truth."

"If there is a strong enemy, do not fight head-on; seek help in time."

"Understood," Lin Chen replied.

With the plan set, everyone immediately split up to prepare.

……

three days later.

A small "exploration team" appeared on the rugged mountain road leading to Luoyue Town.

Lin Chen was wearing a windbreaker, carrying a huge hiking backpack, and wearing black-rimmed glasses; he really did have the air of a young scholar.

Shen Qingqiu was dressed in outdoor attire, holding a notebook and camera, and occasionally stopped to photograph the plants by the roadside, displaying a professional demeanor.

Ye Qingcheng, dressed neatly for mountain climbing, with her hair tied high in a ponytail, was responsible for scouting and ensuring safety, her eyes alert.

Chu Ling'er carried her drawing board, walking and stopping, sketching the mountain range and village outlines in her sketchbook, quiet and focused.

Luoyue Town is nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains. The stilted houses are built against the mountainside and are shrouded in mist, making it seem like a paradise.

But as soon as they entered the town, they felt a subtle sense of oppression.

There were few pedestrians on the street, and most of them were elderly people, women and children, with few young and strong men.

The way people looked at these outsiders was full of wariness and a hint of fear.

As planned, they first went to the town's guesthouse—an old wooden building—to settle down.

The proprietress was a Miao woman in her fifties. She didn't speak fluent Mandarin, and her eyes darted around as she registered, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Boss lady, we're from the provincial folklore research institute, here to investigate the traditional culture and unique plants of Luoyue Town," Shen Qingqiu said in a gentle, professional tone, handing over forged documents and a letter of introduction.

"We've heard that Ms. Mu Qingyao in town is very knowledgeable about local customs, flora, and fauna. We'd like to visit her; would that be convenient?"

Upon hearing the name "Mu Qingyao," the proprietress's expression visibly changed, and she waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "That girl Qingyao... she hasn't been feeling well lately, she won't see any guests, she won't see any guests!"