Chapter 00167: Strange Events
# Strange Events
Chapter 167
Novel: After the Myth
Chapter 167: Strange Events
Night quickly fell.
Due to the unsettling events involving the Heavenly Art Sect and the Great Sword Sect, the members of their group remained on edge within their tents, unable to find sleep.
After all, the occurrences surrounding the Heavenly Art Sect and the Great Sword Sect were too chilling.
Han Weicheng stood guard on the left, accompanied by a living elder disciple from the Heavenly Art Sect.
“Hello, Elder Han,” Ding Huan approached, greeting Han Weicheng first.
“Hello, Dao Friend Ding,” Han Weicheng replied without hesitation.
He found it strange; only a fool would willingly take on watch duty at such a tense time.
He had to do it because it was his responsibility.
But why was this Ding, a mere chef hired by the Yan Moon Sect, volunteering for such duty? He truly couldn’t make sense of it.
With a smile, Ding Huan added, “Elder Han must be wondering why I am willingly taking the watch, right?”
Han Weicheng chuckled lightly, confused by Ding Huan’s choice, but not particularly curious to delve deeper.
“I’m not from the Yan Moon Sect,” Ding Huan explained, his tone sincere. “I am only a chef hired by them in the mortal realm. Once this journey ends, I plan to leave.”
Han Weicheng listened silently, thinking to himself, what does that have to do with me?
“I admire the Heavenly Art Sect greatly. I would like to ask Elder Han if there are any requirements to join the Heavenly Art Sect,” Ding Huan continued.
At this, Han Weicheng finally understood.
So, this chef wanted to join a sect for cultivation! Perhaps he thought it would be easier to join the Heavenly Art Sect than the Yan Moon Sect.
However, that clearly wasn't the case.
He could only shake his head. “Sorry, but the Heavenly Art Sect has high standards for disciples. I can’t make decisions on this.”
Ding Huan was not naive enough to believe he could actually join the Heavenly Art Sect.
He simply wanted to use this as an excuse to get closer to its outskirts.
“Elder Han, I have confidence in my cooking. If I cannot join the Heavenly Art Sect, is there a way to stay near it?” Ding Huan asked earnestly.
Regardless of whether Qi Xinyue could leave the divine clan to find him, he needed to wait outside the Heavenly Art Sect for a while; after all, one must leave a trace before departure.
Han Weicheng did not respond.
After all, he had no ties to Ding Huan, and he didn’t consider it worth his while to befriend a mere chef.
Even if this chef seemed able to chat with Elder Gu, what did it matter? If he was a chef who made delicious food along the way, he too could share a few words with the elder.
“Yoghar, can you take a look over there? Isn’t that...”
Han Weicheng felt a sense of unease as he glanced over at the Heavenly Art Sect disciple beside him, realizing something was off.
“Yoghar...” A chill of fear seeped into his bones.
Yoghar, who had been following him closely, had vanished.
“Dao Friend Ding, have you seen Yoghar?” Han Weicheng asked urgently, locking eyes with Ding Huan.
He knew Yoghar would have informed him before leaving for any reason.
Furthermore, Yoghar didn’t disappear so suddenly.
It was clear there was something wrong.
Ding Huan waved a hand, signaling for Han Weicheng to be quiet, then stepped outside the safety line.
Unlike Han Weicheng, who was engaged in conversation, Ding Huan had been using his spiritual sense to keep watch over the surroundings, and Yoghar had remained within that scope.
He had seen clearly that Yoghar had walked out of the safety zone, as if entranced by something.
“Dao Friend Ding, what are you doing?” Han Weicheng called out in fear as he noticed Ding Huan moving out.
Before he could catch up with Yoghar, an icy presence surged toward them.
It was a form of neurotoxin.
Although Ding Huan wasn’t afraid of such toxins, he didn’t want to linger.
With a swift motion, he struck Yoghar, who was lost in confusion, knocking him unconscious and dragging him back.
Han Weicheng, who intended to notify Elder Gu, felt relief wash over him when he saw Ding Huan return with Yoghar.
Upon grasping Yoghar, Ding Huan realized the poor fellow had been poisoned.
“I’m not going to detoxify him, but Elder Han, he’s poisoned. Do you have an antidote?” Ding Huan inquired.
Hearing Ding Huan’s words, Han Weicheng quickly produced a pill and administered it to Yoghar.
Ding Huan kept a close watch on Yoghar, sensing that the antidote might not be effective.
However, after Yoghar returned, the toxin seemed to actively dissipate, which was quite strange.
After a few minutes, Yoghar opened his eyes, immediately calling out, “Elder Han!”
“Yoghar, what happened? Why did you walk out alone earlier?” Han Weicheng questioned eagerly.
“I don’t know. I thought I saw Elder Zhen Feng. He wanted me to come over, so I went,” Yoghar replied, still looking a bit dazed.
“Elder Han, is everything alright on your end?” Elder Gu’s urgent voice came, followed by his arrival.
“We're fine; it's just that Yoghar almost walked out,” Han Weicheng quickly explained.
Elder Gu’s expression turned grave. “Two of our guards have gone missing. Be cautious; something feels off here. Do not leave the protective line.”
Han Weicheng immediately shivered at those words.
If it weren’t for Ding Huan, Yoghar would have also disappeared next to him.
After Elder Gu finished speaking, he seemed to recall something and turned to ask, “Elder Han, what do you mean Yoghar almost walked out?”
Han Weicheng promptly replied, “I noticed Yoghar was missing, and Dao Friend Ding went out to bring him back.”
“Ding Huan? How did you know where Yoghar was?” Elder Gu looked at Ding Huan, puzzled.
Ding Huan explained, “I was following Elder Han closely when I happened to see Yogar walking out, appearing a bit dazed. I rushed over and brought him back without much thought.”
Elder Gu nodded, increasingly impressed with Ding Huan’s abilities.
The night passed in a state of anxiety and fear.
The next morning, as everyone packed up their tents, they discovered two individuals were missing.
Elder Qiong’s face darkened; after all, the two disciples from the Yan Moon Sect had gone missing right after he had been beside them.
“Elder Gu, the disappearance happened close by. If we just head there like this...” Han Weicheng expressed his concerns.
“Let’s set off at noon,” Elder Gu declared decisively.
Everyone assumed Elder Gu chose to depart at noon to take advantage of the strong Yang energy, which kept malicious spirits at bay.
Only Elder Gu himself understood he was waiting for other sects to unite.
Despite their group of over thirty, their strength was still lacking.
Only by joining forces with other sects could they bolster their strength and navigate through this peculiar area safely.
Before it was noon, they spotted a group approaching from a distance.
“It’s the Twin Souls Sect and the Zixia Valley...” Elder Qiong exclaimed in excitement.
Both the Twin Souls Sect and the Zixia Valley were formidable sects, and this time, they were led by elders.
“Elder Gu, why have you stopped here?” A striking middle-aged woman greeted Elder Gu from afar.
Following her was a young man.
Elder Gu returned the greeting with a fist clasp. “Greetings, Elder Liu from Zixia Valley, Elder Qu from Twin Souls Sect.”
Ding Huan observed from a distance, noting that Elder Qu from the Twin Souls Sect was indeed young.
Ah, a soul-transferring sect.
“Yes, Brother Gu, why hasn’t the Yan Moon Sect moved forward?” Elder Qu inquired curiously.
Elder Gu summoned Han Weicheng over. “Elder Han, please tell them what happened yesterday.”
Stepping forward, Han Weicheng greeted them and recounted the near-total annihilation of the Heavenly Art Sect and the Great Sword Sect.
“What a strange event!” Elder Liu from Zixia Valley frowned.
The Grand Gap Canyon was indeed fraught with danger, but most of it stemmed from beast attacks or wandering astray, either getting killed by demonic plants or falling into a bog.
Such bizarre occurrences while traveling had never happened before.
Elder Gu suggested, “Now that we have more people, it would be wise to travel together.”
Both the Twin Souls Sect and the Heavenly Art Sect agreed with Elder Gu’s proposal.
The more companions there were, the stronger their collective power.
Originally, their group of thirty swelled to around fifty more.
With almost a hundred members traveling together, the presence of several elders and stewards watching over them provided a sense of safety.
However, with over a hundred people, their pace slowed considerably.
There were too many strong individuals here, and Ding Huan didn’t dare to let his spiritual sense wander freely.
Instead, he focused on probing downward.
An hour passed, and Ding Huan sensed something was off.
The soil beneath seemed disturbed.
There were even bloodstains buried under the dirt along with some tattered clothing.
Ding Huan carefully expanded his spiritual sense, confirming that this indeed was the place where the Heavenly Art Sect and the Great Sword Sect had met with trouble.
Since it was the site of the incident, why did it look so undisturbed, as if all traces had been buried properly beneath the ground?
Furthermore, Han Weicheng seemed unaware of any abnormalities.
A bad feeling crept into Ding Huan's heart.
He could no longer afford to worry about being detected by the stronger individuals, so he expanded his spiritual sense wide.
What sent chills down his spine was the realization that they were not on a road but rather moving through a dense forest.
Elder Gu, Elder Liu from Zixia Valley, and Elder Qu from Twin Souls Sect all stayed vigilant, attentively scanning their surroundings as they continued deeper into the woods.
Ding Huan withdrew his spiritual sense.
Where his eyes fell, there was indeed a well-trodden path from years of travel.
This realization made him gasp.
Surely, everyone else must see the same as he did.
Was it because his spiritual sense was refined in the cosmos, nearly a tangible existence, that he could perceive their location was not on the road?
Rubbing his eyes, Ding Huan was astonished that this time, his sight also revealed they weren’t on the road but in the depths of the forest.
What was going on?
Why could he see clearly when others could not?
No, it seemed that what he saw was still on the road; only after observing through his spiritual sense that they were off the main path did his vision return to normal.
With a sigh, Ding Huan realized he could not trust these sect elders at all.
If they continued following, they would be led straight to the gates of hell.
(End of Chapter)