Chapter 273

Chapter 273: Trouble for Master Qiu

“It’s just a few kilometers ahead,” Yuan Qi said, halting the formation to point forward.

The group immediately flew toward that direction via sword control. Below stretched endless marsh wetlands. The further they went, the sparser the vegetation became until only black mud remained, its glinting water surface revealing dark soil beneath that emitted an indescribable stench and bone-chilling cold.

Wait!

Was there always this much black mud?

You You froze mid-flight, squinting downward. Was it her imagination, or did the sludge seem to writhe?

“This is the spot!” Yuan Papa declared, stopping abruptly.

“But there’s nothing here?” Feng Rong scanned the area, finding no trace of Qiu Zhang or the Soul Beast.

“The tracking formation detected Qiu Zhang’s presence here,” Yuan Qi frowned, descending cautiously. As his feet touched ground, the black mud beneath quivered.

“Stop!” You You yanked him back. “The mud’s alive!” She’d seen it clearly—the sludge had surged upward like grasping hands.

Both men focused their divine senses.

“This…” Yuan Qi inhaled sharply. “Something’s buried beneath!”

“Overwhelming resentment!” Feng Rong’s face darkened as he pointed. “It’s trapped under the mud. And…” His eyes widened. “Qiu Zhang’s essence is in there!”

“Break it open!” You You ordered.

Yuan Qi summoned lightning, striking the marsh. The ground exploded, black mud shattering like glass.

Black energy erupted, plunging the area into winter’s chill. Thick resentment mixed with dark energy flooded the air, blackening the sky.

“Qiu Zhang’s at the core!” Yuan Qi shouted through the maelstrom.

A flickering figure materialized within the swirling darkness—translucent and fragmenting.

“Burn it away!” You You turned to Feng Rong.

He unleashed true fire. Flames licked at the resentment until it dissipated, revealing five near-transparent copies of Qiu Zhang, each threatening to split further—a ghostly echo of their first meeting in the ruins.

“The resentment’s tearing his soul apart!” Yuan Qi swiftly cast a soul-stabilizing formation. The fragments coalesced into one translucent form—weaker than his original body but intact.

“Qiu Zhang!” You You called as awareness returned to his eyes.

“Sect Master? Esteemed ones?” He blinked dazedly.

“What happened? Why were you trapped here?”

“Resentment… endless resentment outside the city!” He jolted upright. “I must warn the Soul Beast! Wait… where is this?”

“Your messaging talismans failed. We tracked you here,” You You explained. “Where’s the Soul Beast?”

“We… investigated a city near the Western Region. It vanished overnight. I searched, then tried leaving…” Qiu Zhang trembled. “The moment I exited, resentment attacked. It kept regenerating. I exhausted my energy… then woke here.”

“Strange,” Yuan Qi mused. “No cities exist near this marsh. Either he was moved, or the resentment itself shifts.”

“The real mystery’s that city,” Feng Rong growled. “If the Nether Realm’s hound sensed danger there, it’s likely still trapped.”

You You nodded. “Qiu Zhang, guide us back.”

“Deep in western woods, bordering swamps,” he confirmed.

She produced the Divine Calling Order. “Recuperate inside this artifact. We’ll fix your soul properly at the Sect.”

The ghost cultivator vanished into the relic. As the trio soared westward, one thought chilled them—would the Soul Beast still be whole when they arrived?