"Senior Sister Qiu, early this morning when I went to check, he was nowhere to be found. There was even frost inside the house; the main door must have been left open since last night."
The Wonderous Palace disciple standing before Qiu Yinger reported, sweat beading on his forehead.
He was the one ordered to monitor Wen Zhixing, responsible for reporting on Wen Zhixing's situation. But it was impossible for him to watch Wen Zhixing constantly.
Who could have anticipated Wen Zhixing actually disappearing?
This is the Wonderous Palace, after all!
It's surrounded by various array methods; a mere furnace couldn't possibly leave on his own.
"What about other places? Have you checked them?" Qiu Yinger's brow furrowed. A bad premonition stirred within her.
"Reporting to Senior Sister Qiu, we've searched everywhere within the palace but found no trace of Wen Zhixing."
Every peak in the Wonderous Palace was guarded by disciples, yet none had seen any sign of Wen Zhixing.
"Search! Continue searching! Alive, I want the man; dead, I want the corpse!" Qiu Yinger's expression was incredibly grim.
How could a mere Wen Zhixing vanish right under our noses?
If he was truly gone, how would she ever explain it to Si Nanyan?
Qiu Yinger felt a headache coming on.
Now, both Si Nanyan and Yun Xinyue were in closed-door cultivation. She had no one to discuss this with.
Soon, numerous Wonderous Palace disciples were dispatched to find Wen Zhixing.
The turmoil from Feng Ruoli being hunted hadn't yet subsided, and now the Wonderous Palace was even more agitated. It felt like sheer chaos and panic.
「Wonderous Palace, Wutong Peak.」
Within the grand hall on the peak, Ning Shan was guiding Wen Miner's cultivation.
Wen Miner, despite her youth, possessed considerable strength. At only thirteen or fourteen years old, she had already cultivated to the peak of the Qi Movement Realm. She was considered one of the most talented disciples in the Wonderous Palace.
"Senior Sister, people from Soul Devouring Peak are here. They say they're looking for someone named Wen Zhixing."
Just then, a disciple came forward to report.
With Feng Ruoli in closed-door cultivation, all matters of Wutong Peak, major or minor, had been entrusted to Ning Shan, the head disciple.
"Oh?" Ning Shan's eyes shifted, and she rose, asking, "Have you seen this Wen Zhixing?"
The disciple below faltered for a moment, then quickly replied, "No, I haven't seen him."
"Then tell them you haven't seen him," Ning Shan said with a satisfied nod.
"Yes!" The messenger was astute enough to understand Ning Shan's meaning.
Soon, the disciples sent to find Wen Zhixing returned empty-handed.
However, everyone merely assumed it was the usual friction between the Palace Master and the Deputy Palace Master, not thinking any deeper.
Seeing the people from Soul Devouring Tower return dejectedly, Ning Shan finally smiled.
"Senior Sister, what are you smiling about?" Wen Miner, who was meditating cross-legged, asked curiously.
"Your senior sister is happy," Ning Shan said, gently pinching one of Wen Miner's hair buns. BOING! BOING!
Such enviably thick hair!
"Oh." Wen Miner responded, seeming to understand yet not quite.
"Alright, continue your cultivation. Your senior sister has other matters to attend to." Ning Shan pinched the other hair bun, then stepped out.
She knew the people from Soul Devouring Hall wouldn't be so easily dismissed.
Eventually, they would come knocking again.
But now that he was in their hands, it wouldn't be so easy to make them give him up.
Ning Shan sneered, then turned and walked towards the secret chamber.
「Inside the secret chamber.」
After a night of essence absorption, Feng Ruoli's condition had significantly improved.
Her previously pale face now held a touch of rosy color.
The primordial yang within Wen Zhixing was more abundant than she had imagined.
It seemed inexhaustible.
No wonder Si Nanyan valued this Wen Zhixing so highly.
[Fortune Fragment detected. Spend one month of life-span to randomly collect it?]
"Collect the Fortune Fragment."
Wen Zhixing wasn't idle; while cultivating, he also remembered to collect Fortune Fragments daily.
[White Fortune Fragment +1.]
[White Fortune Fragments (2/2) collected. Consume one month of life-span to synthesize and obtain one of the following fortunes:]
[1. Acquire the secret skill: Unfounded Curse.]
[2. Acquire 5 Creation Points.]
[3. Acquire a fortune belonging to Feng Ruoli.]
"Huh?" Perhaps because Grey Fragments appeared so often, drawing a White Fragment this time was quite a surprise.
"I choose option one."
The next moment, his vision lit up as he directly chose the secret skill: [Unfounded Curse].
Although 5 Creation Points were tempting, an idea suddenly struck him.
He had always lacked offensive techniques.
Could the Unfounded Curse fill that void?
[You've had a burst of good luck and acquired the Epic Grade secret skill: Unfounded Curse!]
[Unfounded Curse:]
Quality: Purple
This secret skill uses one's own blood as a conduit and life essence as an offering. Simply having seen the target once allows for the immediate unleash of the blood curse's power, causing the target to suffer an unwarranted disaster, all while the spellcaster remains undetected.
[Drawback: This skill inflicts 800 damage on the enemy but 1,000 on oneself. Each use incurs backlash; the higher the target's cultivation realm, the stronger the backlash.]
[Usable only once per day.]
[Consuming 10,000 Creation Points can upgrade it to Blazing Gold Quality.]
An Epic Grade secret skill! My luck has finally surged again!
Wen Zhixing was overjoyed by the description of the Unfounded Curse; he had actually obtained an Epic Grade secret skill.
This secret skill is perfect!
It's precisely what I need right now.
The Unfounded Curse only required him to have seen the opponent to launch a curse attack, and it wouldn't even be detected.
It's perfectly suited for me.
If I can't win fair and square, I'll play dirty!
He wasn't afraid of the backlash. As long as I don't die, I can recover quickly.
I'll see who recovers faster, me or them dying!
Feng Ruoli slowly opened her eyes, seemingly sensing something unusual about Wen Zhixing.
Wen Zhixing also looked up, and their eyes met.
"Ngh..." Suddenly, Feng Ruoli felt a nudge.
Wen Zhixing blinked. I swear, it was an instinctive reaction!
"You... continue..." Feng Ruoli closed her eyes, murmuring, her cheeks flushing crimson.
Damn it! Wen Zhixing rolled over, taking control.
You wicked demoness, daring to distract me! Nothing will stop my cultivation of the Unfounded Curse!
Watch me multitask!
Of course, before starting his cultivation, he didn't forget to collect another Fortune Fragment.
Unfortunately, this time it was only a Grey Fragment.
[Creation Points +1]
「 」
"Senior Sister Qiu, no trace of Wen Zhixing at Lingshan Peak!"
"Senior Sister Qiu, Moon Viewing Peak reports no sight of Wen Zhixing!"
"Senior Sister Qiu, the Alert Array shows no signs of being triggered!"
"Senior Sister Qiu..."
"..."
Groups of disciples swiftly returned, reporting their findings.
This made Qiu Yinger's expression grow even grimmer.
A living, breathing person—could he have just vanished into thin air, or ascended on the spot?!
Just then, another group of disciples returned.
Seeing Qiu Yinger's murderous gaze, they shuddered but still mustered the courage to speak:
"Senior Sister Qiu... th-the people from Wutong Peak... they wouldn't let us enter to investigate."
"Hmm?" Qiu Yinger's eyes narrowed slightly. An idea began to form.
"Forgive us, Senior Sister! Our status is too low; we couldn't force our way in to investigate."
The disciples bowed their heads, their expressions fearful.
Qiu Yinger's expression was severe, but I can't blame them for this.
The people of Wutong Peak have always been at odds with us.
It would be a miracle if they cooperated.
Besides, Feng Ruoli is supposedly in closed-door cultivation for healing.
Healing?
Wait a moment... healing!
Qiu Yinger's eyes widened, a startling realization dawning upon her.