Warning! A hidden dragon has emerged!

At the same time, in the deep mountains and dense forests five kilometers outside the Gu Poison Sect.

A short, stout, and bloated figure with a face full of fat staggered and ran wildly. Despite his large size, he was extremely fast.

He was none other than Huang Lüdeng, the leader of the Gu Poison Sect.

Behind him was the night sky dyed red by fire, with the continuous sound of gunfire and artillery.

The heatwave was intense, and the earth trembled.

Huang Lüdeng was heartbroken; the Gu Poison Sect's millennia-old foundation had been destroyed in an instant.

He stopped and looked back at the crimson sky, a mix of emotions welling up inside him: anger, fear, and regret.

"Just how much trouble has Qiu Qianren caused in Jincheng that the Hidden Dragon Sect is willing to exterminate our entire sect?"

This was not a conventional martial arts confrontation at all, but a one-sided massacre with no suspense whatsoever.

How could such a calamity befall a major martial arts sect in the Southern Frontier?

"Fortunately, I was alert and made arrangements to escape in advance, otherwise I would already be cannon fodder!"

He felt secretly lucky, but was still shaken.

Suddenly, a rapid panting sound came from the dense forest behind him.

"Master!"

Huang Lüdeng's nerves tensed instantly. He turned his head sharply to the side, and the short knife at his waist was drawn in the same motion, its cold light flashing as it slashed out, exuding a chilling killing intent.

"Master, it's me!"

The newcomer hastily raised his hand to block, deflecting the blade's force, and announced his identity: he was the Fourth Elder, who had fled in panic from the Misty Ghost Forest, and the Third Elder, who had escaped from Camel Peak.

Their clothes were tattered, their breathing was disordered, and there were dried bloodstains on their faces.

Upon recognizing the newcomers, Huang Lüdeng sheathed his sword, his brows furrowed as he stared intently at the two men.

"Third brother, fourth brother, weren't you ordered to guard the Misty Ghost Forest and Camel Peak? Why did you come here alone?"

The Fourth Elder looked ashamed, downplaying his embarrassing desertion.

"Old Ghost died in battle, all the evil spirits were wiped out, I fought desperately to break through the encirclement, but was seriously injured and unable to fight anymore."

He dared not admit that he had fled out of fear of battle, and could only use his injuries as an excuse.

The Third Elder also gave this explanation.

As they spoke, the two of them turned to look at the Gu Poison Sect's headquarters, which was engulfed in flames, and felt a wave of fear wash over them.

"Master, weren't you supposed to be holding down the fort at the rear? Why did you also abandon the sect and flee?"

"Not escape? Or stay put and wait to die?"

Huang Lüdeng stared at the blazing fire, his face filled with dejection.

"There will be no more Gu Poison Cults from now on."

The Third Elder and the Fourth Elder secretly rejoiced that they had run fast enough to escape the deadly traps of the Misty Ghost Forest and Camel Peak, and even more so, to avoid this devastating bombardment.

"Master, things have come to this, where should we go next?"

Huang Lüdeng pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said:

"Go to Mount Shu, seek refuge with Tang Feng, and once things have calmed down, come with me to Nanyang to find my senior brother."

"Very well, we are willing to accompany the leader!"

"Walk!"

The three dared not linger, turned around and disappeared into the deep forest, fleeing quickly.

……

The headquarters of the Gu Poison Cult was engulfed in flames.

Qin Quan stared intently at Miao Cuihua in front of him, trying to catch a clue from the subtle changes in her expression.

"Where do you think Huang Lüdeng and his men could have escaped to?"

Miao Cuihua pondered for a moment, then said with great certainty:

"The terrain of the Ten Thousand Mountains is complex, with countless hiding places. If they deliberately conceal themselves, it is like looking for a needle in a haystack, extremely difficult to find."

"Where else could they go besides the Ten Thousand Mountains?"

Qin Quan pressed for an answer.

"Both destinations are possible."

Miao Cuihua presented her analysis clearly and logically, step by step.

"First, there's the Tang Clan; second, there's Southeast Asia. Huang Lüdeng has a close personal relationship with Tang Feng of Shushan, so he can seek refuge nearby. In Southeast Asia, he has a senior brother named Gui Wangde, nicknamed Uncle De, who is proficient in Maoshan magic, black magic, and Gu magic. He has deep roots in Southeast Asia, so if he goes abroad, he will definitely go to Southeast Asia."

Qin Quan nodded slightly, immediately sorting out all the clues, and then turned to Jiang Yao and instructed her:

"Pass down the order: have our people focus their surveillance around the Tang Clan. If Huang Lüdeng is spotted, monitor him but do not report it or alert him. At the same time, notify all border crossings nationwide to maintain strict vigilance and prevent him from smuggling himself out of the country."

"I'll contact headquarters immediately for instructions!"

Jiang Yao complied immediately.

With all emergency dispatches completed, everyone rested and awaited further instructions.

As dawn broke, the morning light pierced through layers of thick fog.

Qin Quan began assigning tasks, ordering Xie Bi'an and Gu Changming to lead a team to dismantle and process the giant snake's corpse and properly collect all the materials.

He then led Zhang Qingshun, Jiang Yao, Lin Wanrou, and Miao Cuihua back to the Misty Ghost Forest, preparing to explore the hidden secrets beneath the earth.

"Miao Cuihua, how much do you know about the Misty Ghost Forest?"

Qin Quan got straight to the point.

Miao Cuihua looked at the miasma-shrouded mountains and forests, her tone tinged with awe.

"According to the ancient records of the Gu Poison Sect, this place is the tomb of Chi You, the God of War, and has been guarded by the Ghost King Sect for thousands of years."

"Chi You? Ghost King Sect?"

Qin Quan, Lin Wanrou, and Jiang Yao were all shocked.

These names, which only exist in ancient myths and legends, have actually appeared in the real world, which is shocking and unbelievable.

Zhang Qingshun, standing to the side, stroked his beard, looking rather mysterious.

"Myths and legends are not fabricated out of thin air; it's just that ordinary people have no chance to see the truth."

"Oh? You know the inside story?"

Qin Quan glanced at him sideways, her eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.

He was certain that the old man knew some untold secrets.

"The old Taoist priest once studied at the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain and was fortunate enough to peruse the ancient secret scrolls in the Sutra Repository."

Zhang Qingshun stroked his beard and slowly began to speak.

"The scroll clearly records the beginning and end of the great battle between the Yellow Emperor and Chi You, and also records the traces of Chi You leading his remaining troops into the Ten Thousand Mountains after his defeat and settling there."

"So, this place might be the ancient tomb of Chiyou, the God of War?"

Qin Quan confirmed in a deep voice.

"50% certainty."

Zhang Qingshun is very meticulous. "Legends are not necessarily true, but they are not all lies either. They are a mixture of truth and fiction, and cannot be generalized."

Qin Quan nodded slightly.

He had seen similar records in the ancient books of Yuquan Temple in his early years. The two records corroborated each other, which confirmed that this place had a very deep connection with the Ghost King Sect and Chi You.

The old ghosts who have lived here for half their lives have mostly obtained the incomplete inheritance of the Ghost King Sect, which is why they have been able to take root in this strange place for decades and possess a body full of sinister cultivation.

Qin Quan looked up and surveyed the surrounding mountains, combining his observations of the stars from the previous night with a feng shui mantra in his mind.

"The meridians determine north and south, the east and west divide east and west. The eight trigrams are arranged in the nine palaces, and the gold is divided to determine the burial site. The Azure Dragon is on the left, the White Tiger is on the right, the Vermilion Bird is in front, and the Black Tortoise is behind. The four symbols support the eight trigrams, and the seven stars surround the moon."

Amidst layers of miasma and dense fog, Qin Quan moved swiftly, precisely avoiding chaotic magnetic fields, and following the excellent feng shui pattern of "Seven Stars Surrounding the Moon," instantly locking onto the core location of the "Ze" character in the entire mountain forest.

"Everyone, follow me, I've found the entrance to the tomb."