Immortality and Cultivation: I can extract entries from all things.

The next morning.

Fang He had just finished his morning practice when someone knocked on the door.

They were members of the patrol team, saying that Zhou Qiang had asked him to go to the guard team's camp.

Zhou Tieshan wanted to see him.

Fang He had a vague idea in her mind; it must have happened yesterday.

He straightened his clothes and followed the person who came.

……

The guard camp is located on the outskirts of the town, near the coastline.

Fang He followed the team member who was leading the way through the camp gate.

He was familiar with the layout of the camp, but the atmosphere seemed a little different this time.

Patrol team members came and went, their steps hurried, their expressions solemn.

Some people were talking in hushed tones, some were organizing their equipment, and some were leading their horses out of the camp.

A tense atmosphere filled the air.

Fang He followed behind his teammates, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

A flagpole stood in the center of the camp, and the flag fluttered in the autumn wind.

The flag is embroidered with the character "周" (Zhou), and the edges are somewhat worn.

"Over here."

The team leader stopped in front of a detached house.

Zhou Qiang was standing at the door waiting. When he saw Fang He arrive, he nodded slightly.

"Go inside, the commander-in-chief is waiting."

He lowered his voice and said, "Tell me about yesterday in detail, don't leave anything out."

Fang He nodded and pushed open the door to enter.

……

The room was small and simply furnished.

A wooden table, a few chairs, and a map of coastal defense hanging on the wall.

The map clearly shows the topography of the sea area surrounding Qing'ao Island, including reefs, shoals, and deep waters.

The curtains were half-drawn, the light was dim, and only a single lamp emitted a faint glow.

The flickering lamplight cast a long shadow of the person behind the table.

There was a faint smell of the sea in the air, mixed with a hint of the smell of old paper.

Zhou Tieshan sat behind the table, his expression solemn, with an imposing aura between his brows.

On the table were several fragments of control artifacts, which were taken from the Iron-Shelled Turtle's body yesterday.

"Tell me about yesterday."

Zhou Tieshan's voice was low and emotionless.

Fang He calmed himself down and began to narrate.

"Yesterday at dawn, we patrolled westward along the coastline. When we reached the vicinity of the reefs, I began to feel uneasy."

He paused, then continued, "I had a vague sense of unease, so I ordered the team to be on alert. Then, using my spiritual sense, I discovered the aura of a sea beast behind the rocks to the east."

"Four iron-shelled turtles crawled out from behind the reefs."

"Their movements were perfectly synchronized; they all poked their heads out and locked their eyes on us."

"It's like they already knew we were there."

Zhou Tieshan listened attentively without interrupting.

Fang He recalled the scene at that time, speaking at a moderate pace.

"I sensed it carefully and found that their spiritual energy fluctuations were somewhat abnormal."

"Suppressed, unnatural. Stiff in behavior, yet with a clear goal."

"It doesn't resemble a wild sea creature; it's more like a puppet being manipulated."

"They're heading straight for us."

Zhou Tieshan nodded slightly, signaling to continue.

"During the battle, I used vine magic to control the field, while Team Leader Zhou and Lin Qingshan were responsible for killing the enemies. Han Laosan was injured, but it's not serious."

Fang He pointed to the broken pieces on the table.

"After the war, I opened the head of an iron-shelled tortoise and found this."

"It's about the size of a fingernail, with spiritual patterns on its surface. It's hidden among the flesh and blood, making it very difficult to detect."

"I believe it is part of some kind of control artifact."

"Afterwards, Team Leader Zhou inspected several other iron-shelled turtles and found similar findings."

After Fang He finished speaking, she remained silent.

He never wastes time, only saying what is necessary.

After hearing this, Zhou Tieshan picked up a fragment and examined it carefully.

The fragments gleamed faintly under the lamplight.

The spirit patterns are intricate and precise, as fine as a hair, winding and intertwining.

Zhou Tieshan frowned slightly.

"This spirit rune... I've seen something similar before."

He pondered for a moment, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

Fang He's heart stirred.

"Do you know where this fragment came from?"

Zhou Tieshan did not answer immediately, but got up and walked to the window.

The curtains were half-drawn, revealing the hazy sky and the distant coastline.

The waves crashed against the rocks, making a dull sound.

Several seabirds swept across the sky and quickly disappeared into the mist.

Have you ever heard of the Dark Abyss Pavilion?

Fang He shook his head: "I've never heard of it."

Zhou Tieshan turned around, his expression solemn.

"The Dark Abyss Pavilion is a secret force composed of rogue cultivators."

"Decades ago, some cultivators defected from various sects and families, forming secret alliances. They concealed their identities, operated on outlying islands, and created chaos."

Fang He was startled.

A force composed of defecting cultivators?

He had never heard of this before.

"There have been several incidents of sea monster attacks, all of which were later found to be related to the Dark Abyss Pavilion."

Zhou Tieshan continued, "They are skilled at controlling sea beasts and using them to attack human settlements."

"These fragments of control artifacts are very likely their doing."

Fang He processed this information.

A rogue cultivator takes control of sea beasts and attacks settlements.

He recalled the news he had heard before.

The settlement on Qingshi Island was destroyed, resulting in heavy casualties.

Ironbone Island suffered significant damage from the attack.

"What is their purpose?"

Zhou Tieshan shook his head: "It's not clear yet."

"But one thing is certain: they are not ordinary rogue cultivators."

"Those capable of creating such control artifacts are at least Foundation Establishment cultivators, and some may even be Core Formation cultivators. Moreover, there are quite a few of them, and the organization is very tight."

A chill ran through Fang He's heart.

Foundation Establishment cultivators are a tightly organized group.

This is beyond what he can handle.

Far exceeding...

He was only at the third level of Qi Refining, not even having touched the threshold of Foundation Establishment.

Facing such a force is like an ant facing an elephant.

Zhou Tieshan's gaze softened slightly: "Discovering these clues has already been a meritorious act. When the sect sends people, we will need your assistance in explaining the situation."

Fang He nodded: "Yes."

Zhou Tieshan walked back to the table and sat down, his expression becoming serious.

"The Zhou family is merely a Foundation Establishment family and is powerless to contend with the Dark Abyss Pavilion."

"This matter must be reported to the Qingyuan Sect and handled by the sect."

"Until the sect sends people, we can only strengthen our defenses and stabilize the situation."

Fang He listened silently, her heart heavy.

The Foundation Establishment families are already considered a powerful force on the edge of this inner sea.

But they seemed so powerless in the face of the Dark Abyss Pavilion.

"Today's events will remain a secret for now."

Zhou Tieshan's tone became serious.

"Do not publicize the affairs of the Dark Abyss Pavilion. Otherwise, it may cause panic and alert the enemy."

"If the Dark Abyss Pavilion finds out we're investigating, they'll probably speed up their actions."

Fang He nodded: "This junior understands."

Zhou Tieshan waved his hand: "Go, continue with the mission. Report any unusual activity to Zhou Qiang immediately."

"Yes."

Fang He took his leave and left the room.

……

Zhou Qiang was waiting outside the door.

He stood with his hands behind his back in the corridor, gazing at the distant coastline, as if deep in thought.

Seeing Fang He come out, he turned his head and asked in a low voice, "What did the commander-in-chief say?"

Fang He shook his head: "Let me continue carrying out the mission, and report any abnormalities immediately."

Zhou Qiang stared at him for a moment, seemingly trying to read something from his face.

But Fang He remained calm, revealing nothing.

"Alright, go back now." Zhou Qiang waved his hand. "Take care and get some rest these next couple of days. There might be new missions at any time."

"Yes."

Fang He said goodbye to him and walked out of the camp alone.

……

A sea breeze blew in my face, carrying a hint of coolness.

Autumn is deep.

Fang He looked up at the gray sea in the distance, her heart heavy.

The Dark Abyss Pavilion is a tightly organized Foundation Establishment cultivator group.

These words swirled in his mind.

In the face of such a force, a rogue cultivator at the Qi Refining stage is like an ant.

If it weren't for the Zhou family's protection, and if I hadn't just happened to be there...

He couldn't even imagine the consequences...