Chapter 112 Leaving Together

"Ah! The Supreme Elder is actually dead. No wonder the Sect Master sealed off the Forging Valley. We must wait for the Sect Master's return; I believe he will have a way."

Duan Xin stood up from the ground and walked toward the exit. After leaving the cave, he saw that the formation had already been activated. Finding no issues, he headed toward the main hall.

Two black-robed men searched the area for an hour, ultimately finding nothing, though they did recover the skeletal remains of an ancient spirit beast, which they brought aboard the flying ship.

The leader, standing on the deck, watched the two subordinates busy themselves below. Zi Chenyu had been waiting for half a day and was growing anxious, clamoring to activate the magical flying ship and head for the Ziyun Mountain Range.

"Let's go! I feel this place is too sinister; we cannot stay here any longer. Everyone, pack your things and leave!"

Guo Meng watched Zi Chenyu’s frantic state clearly and laughed even louder.

"Reporting to the Captain," the two black-robed men flew up, took a set of ancient spirit beast remains from a storage bag, and tossed them onto the deck. They whispered something into the leader's ear, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Good, I can now start the ship and leave this place."

After saying this, the leader ran into the cabin, while the other black-robed men remained on the deck, staring motionlessly at Guo Meng.

"You old geezer, what are you laughing at? Do you know something? I advise you to spill it, or I'll beat you to death!"

No sooner had he spoken than Zi Chenyu ordered Steward Liu to go up and strike Guo Meng across the face. Guo Meng's face was already swollen, and this strike made it even worse; now, he couldn't even manage a laugh, as the pain made it impossible.

The two black-robed men stood before Steward Liu, shielding Guo Meng.

"His life must be preserved. We haven't found Dao Sansheng yet, so Young Master Zi cannot harm him."

The middle-aged, square-jawed leader entered the cabin, took out a command token, and slowly relayed what he knew, word for word.

Lin Zhi, who was in the middle of cultivation, felt his token vibrate. When he took it out, the voice of the black-robed leader transmitted through.

"The Forging Valley has vanished, leaving behind ancient spirit beast remains. I speculate that the Forging Valley may have been a sect passed down from a power in the Upper Realm. Its disappearance is likely linked to that faction. We can no longer locate the Forging Valley; it is no longer within this space of the Fengxing Continent."

After hearing this short report, even Lin Zhi found it incredible. The Forging Valley possessed such a profound origin, yet he had been completely unaware. It seemed he would have to find another way; he absolutely had to obtain that item.

The flying ship continued its journey, and everyone retreated into the cabin, leaving the deck empty and silent.

Meanwhile, Dao Sansheng was roasting fish again, with the Unicorn Dust Rat and Du Xuetao sitting quietly beside him. They both stared at Dao Sansheng’s hands as he turned the fish, drool gathering in their mouths.

"Once I finish roasting this fish, I’ll be heading to a mysterious place. Once I’ve retrieved what I need, we’ll leave this place together. I’ll take you both out, and you can leave this place forever."

As he spoke, Dao Sansheng turned the fish. Du Xuetao’s gaze, previously fixed on the food, shifted. Upon hearing about their departure, his face lit up with surprise and his eyes shone, but then he grew silent. He looked back at the thatched hut and every blade of grass nearby, feeling a deep, melancholy sense of sorrow.

"Are you sure we are leaving today?"

"Then I’ll go back and prepare. Let me know when it’s time to go, and I’ll come to assemble."

With those words, Du Xuetao stood up and headed toward the thatched hut, taking his gourd from his waist and drinking, gulping down mouthful after mouthful of wine.

"The fish isn't done yet, it’ll be ready in a moment."

Dao Sansheng called out to him. The man had just been drooling, but as soon as he heard they were leaving, he walked away, abandoning his favorite roasted fish. It was unclear what he was thinking.

"I don't want it. Give it to the Unicorn Dust Rat!"

Du Xuetao’s voice drifted back from inside the hut, sounding weary and frail.

Upon hearing they were leaving, the Unicorn Dust Rat spun in circles with excitement. Chen Xiaofeng had long wanted to escape this hellish place; he hoped to find an opportunity to break free from the control of these two, but for now, eating the fish was the priority.

Dao Sansheng grilled the fish slowly, his mind filled with the wealth and resources he had discovered. He wished he could take it all, but his storage bag and hairband had limited space. He would have to assess the situation once he returned.

"Little guy, this fish is for you; the rest are mine."

Dao Sansheng placed one roasted fish in front of the Unicorn Dust Rat and kept five for himself. The little creature nibbled on its fish, casting glances at the five in Dao Sansheng’s hand from time to time.

"Friend, do you have a lot of questions?"

"Look at how small you are; one is enough. I’m an adult, so I should eat more."

Shaking the roasted fish in his hands, Dao Sansheng explained to the Unicorn Dust Rat.

Dao Sansheng finished his five fish quickly, and the Unicorn Dust Rat had already vanished. Dao Sansheng headed toward the outskirts, following his previous route to look for traces left by the tornado.

After over an hour, Dao Sansheng reached the gap he had found before. The area was even more chaotic than before, but he carefully cleared away the debris, revealing a dozen storage bags. These were his previous findings, but it appeared there were many more items this time.

Piles of spirit beast carcasses lay in a corner. Dao Sansheng walked over, split open their skulls to retrieve the spirit cores, and then harvested their hides. These would fetch a fortune, enough to make him very wealthy.

Fortunately, this place had not been discovered by others. Since he was leaving, he had to hide the location. Dao Sansheng pondered for a long time; he had never studied arrays, but he could manage a simple fog formation. Thinking of the materials needed, he took out several of the spirit cores he had just collected.

Finding the right spots, Dao Sansheng buried the cores. Soon, a patch of mist appeared over the gap. From the inside, Dao Sansheng could not see the outside. He walked out following his memory, then stood outside the gap, looking back. A thick layer of fog obscured the area, and with the constant tornadoes, ordinary people would certainly not dare to enter.

There were few people here to begin with, and he had only set up the formation to keep out spirit beasts. Satisfied, Dao Sansheng retreated.

Back at his dwelling, someone was already standing outside the thatched hut. Du Xuetao was examining the hut, not even noticing Dao Sansheng’s arrival.

"If you're ready, we can go. I’ve packed my things. Once you’re ready, we can set off."

Dao Sansheng reminded Du Xuetao, who was lost in thought and nostalgia. The man had been trapped here for thirty years, and yet, upon leaving, he felt a strange attachment to the place.

Du Xuetao closed the door of the thatched hut with a sense of reluctance, then turned and followed Dao Sansheng toward the pool.

Dao Sansheng walked in front, Du Xuetao trailed behind, and the two hurried toward the water. Suddenly, the cry of an unknown bird echoed from the distance—call after call, desperate and laced with a desolate tone.

Both men had stayed in this place for too long and rarely heard the sound of birds. This was the first time in a month they had heard such a sound, and both turned their heads to look.