Chapter 272

Chapter 272: Trouble During Training

“What happened?” You You froze, thinking she’d messed up the activation. She tried again. Huh! This time, the talisman didn’t even glow.

She frowned and immediately tried contacting Qiu Zhang, but the messaging talisman gave no feedback.

“Did something happen to them?” An uneasy feeling gripped her. Qiu Zhang’s cultivation was nearing ascension to ghost official status, needing only one breakthrough. That’s why she’d urged him to travel with the Soul Beast—to gain experience and learn the Nether Realm’s workings.

Years had passed without a single communication gap. Why now?

“Don’t panic, You You,” Yuan Qi said calmly. “They might’ve missed the signal, or the talisman malfunctioned. Ghost cultivators like Qiu Zhang and the Soul Beast, who dwell among souls, often disrupt spiritual energy-powered tools. Since Qiu Zhang regularly updates Ling Qi, let’s ask him.”

You You nodded. Before she could summon Ling Qi, a disciple hurried in and bowed. “Sect Master, Master Wu of the sword cultivators asks if Master Qiu’s final exam questions have arrived. The assessment is tomorrow.”

“His exam materials haven’t been sent back?!” You You’s eyes widened.

“Master Wu confirmed nothing was received,” the disciple replied.

Dread pooled in You You’s stomach.

“Sect Master!” Ling Qi burst in, arms full of scrolls. “Has Qiu Zhang contacted you? The five-year assessment starts soon. He promised to return, but the mountain gate guards haven’t seen him!”

“He spoke to you?”

“Three days ago,” Ling Qi said. “He claimed he’d rush back, so I stopped checking in.”

“……” The room fell silent. Everyone’s faces darkened.

Trouble.

Qiu Zhang would never abandon his teaching duties. If he missed the exam, he couldn’t return.

You You’s worry grew. Tracking him was impossible—he was a residual soul without a life marker, and the Soul Beast followed Nether Realm customs, incompatible with their cultivation methods.

“Ling Qi, did Qiu Zhang mention his location three days ago?”

“No. But two weeks back, he reported subduing vengeful spirits while soul-gathering in the Western Dense Forest.”

You You paused. “Do you have an Immortal Blessing Continent map? My System Map’s range is limited.”

Ling Qi rummaged through his storage bag and produced a detailed map. You You spread it on a table, circling Zhen Yan Sect’s location before pointing west. “Where’s that forest?”

“Here.” Ling Qi tapped the mountainous far west.

Yuan Qi and Feng Rong studied the distance. “If they left the forest half a month ago,” Feng Rong said, “they’d be within several thousand kilometers to return in two days.”

“Unlikely.” Yuan Qi shook his head. “They’d train while traveling back, slowing them. His mention of ‘rushing’ suggests sword control or a teleportation array from farther away.”

“Right,” You You agreed. “They might’ve detoured after the forest.”

“I’ll cross-reference recent suppression requests and question nearby sects,” Ling Qi offered. “Disciples might’ve spotted them.”

“Do it.”

Within two hours, Ling Qi returned. “They were seen three days ago near the Western Region’s edge—a vast marshland with few towns. Witnesses reported Qiu Zhang and a youth leaving southward.”

You You, Feng Rong, and Yuan Qi flew to the marsh. The three-day journey took mere hours.

“Ling Qi said they headed south from the closed city gates.” You You gestured past the dormant town.

The marsh stretched endlessly below. “I stabilized Qiu Zhang’s soul before,” Yuan Qi said. “A tracking spell might help, but this area’s massive…”

“Try it,” You You urged.

Yuan Qi formed seals. A white array bloomed, its light spreading like a net. A glowing orb shot from the center—streaking northeast without hesitation.

“Huh?!” Yuan Qi blinked.

“Failed?” You You asked.

“No.” He stared. “I… found him.”

You You: “……”

Feng Rong: “……”

That fast?!

（⊙_⊙）