Upon hearing Lei Jun's question, Zhang Yuan appeared bewildered.

He reflected carefully for a moment. "Previously, I left the mountain with my fellow disciples for training, but to my recollection, nothing out of the ordinary happened. It was only after returning to the base of the mountain that I vaguely sensed something was amiss. At the time, I planned to head back to the Hall of Steward to complete the handover before asking my master to take a look. However, after reaching the Hall of Steward, my head felt even more dazed and groggy. I am unclear about what specifically transpired afterward..."

Lei Jun said, "Don't panic. There's no serious harm."

His demeanor and grace were unlike that of Master Yuan Moba, who was warm and made one feel as if basking in a spring breeze.

Yet, his calm and composed attitude naturally calmed Zhang Yuan as well, soothing his mind and spirit.

"The task you previously undertook at the Hall of Steward was related to Fan Mengshan, right?" Lei Jun asked.

Zhang Yuan reported, "Yes, we were tasked with a mission to the outlying estate at Fan Mengshan. We made a round trip, delivering a batch of high-grade Talisman Paper and Talisman Ink there. We also brought back some special produce from Fan Mengshan to the Ancestral Courtyard of the Sect. Nothing particularly unusual occurred on the way."

Lei Jun asked, "Did you go anywhere else during your journey, or come into contact with anyone?"

Zhang Yuan shook his head repeatedly.

Lei Jun fell into contemplation.

If I hadn't been working at the Hall of Steward, I wouldn't have been able to make contact with Zhang Yuan immediately. Since Zhang Yuan first went to the Hall of Steward for the handover, the first high-ranking person from the Celestial Master Mansion he would have encountered was the Elder on duty there. Given that Zhang Yuan was afflicted by that shadow entity and was in dire straits, any Celestial Master Mansion Elder encountering this situation would naturally deal with it immediately. If the Elder couldn't resolve it themselves, they would report it to a High Merit Elder. Whether Lin Shan or Ke Sicheng was the Elder on duty at the Hall of Steward, if they sought assistance, they would likely prioritize their own masters—Shangguan Ning and Yao Yuan. Regardless of how they eventually dealt with it, I wouldn't have been present and would naturally have missed out on the matter. But now that I am the Elder on duty at the Hall of Steward, I can handle this myself.

"Elder Lei, about this..." Zhang Yuan said worriedly, looking down at his chest.

Lei Jun said, "It's a Spell from the Southern Barbarian Witch Sect Curse-Zhu Lineage, or what some people refer to as Decapitation Arts."

He reassured Zhang Yuan, "Rest assured, I have already removed the curse the other party placed on you. You just need to return, focus on contemplation, and recuperate quietly for a few days to recover."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuan instantly sighed in relief.

Lei Jun further instructed, "To be safe, have the others who accompanied you to Fan Mengshan come in. I need to examine them as well."

"Yes!" Zhang Yuan agreed and quickly went out to call the others.

Once everyone had arrived, Lei Jun conducted a thorough examination but found nothing else amiss.

Only then did everyone completely relax.

Lei Jun instructed Zhang Yuan and the others to disperse, then proceeded with the related record-keeping.

Many people were aware of Zhang Yuan's recent discomfort, so Lei Jun didn't intend to keep the incident completely hidden.

However, as the one who handled the situation firsthand, his official record naturally attributed it to a Curse Technique from the Southern Witch Sect.

Afterward, he discussed the actual situation with his master, Yuan Moba.

Yuan Moba had already been informed about the Celestial Book and even the Seven Luminaries within it.

Hearing of these new developments, the young man in purple ruminated, "Publicly, the explanation should attribute it to witchcraft from the Witchcraft Curse Lineage. However, inquire with the outlying estate at Fan Mengshan to see if anyone else exhibits similar symptoms.

"Additionally, it would be good to investigate the path Zhang and his companions took to Fan Mengshan and back."

Lei Jun replied, "Disciple has the same intention."

No abnormalities were reported from Fan Mengshan.

However, upon hearing of Zhang Yuan's misfortune, the people at the outlying estate also conducted inspections. They were wary of the unfathomable members of the Southern Witch Sect, among whom it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe.

However, no further discoveries were made at Fan Mengshan.

Later, Lei Jun secretly left the mountain without alarming anyone.

He had already inquired about the route Zhang Yuan and his companions had taken.

After retracing their journey, Lei Jun did not encounter any other shadows.

The Celestial Book within the True One Altar Cave Heaven also showed no reaction.

Along the way, he discovered an area where the earth veins were distorted. The ground had trembled, causing a rift to appear, though it was not as extensive as the one at Qiluo Valley where Lei Jun had found the Celestial Book years ago.

Upon inspecting the valley, he discovered that Earth Vein Spiritual Qi had once flowed at its bottom. However, due to the twisting and distortion of the earth veins, this spiritual energy had slowly dissipated and relocated.

Perhaps the shadow entity moved along with the Earth Vein Spiritual Qi. However, because the distortion and changes in the earth veins led to the depletion of Spiritual Energy, the shadow was left lingering nearby. When Zhang Yuan and his companions passed by, the shadow must have accidentally attached itself to Zhang Yuan.

But there was a problem. Given Zhang Yuan's cultivation at the Lower Three Heavens realm, being possessed by this shadow should have caused discomfort quickly. Both his Spiritual Soul's thoughts and his physical body's qi and blood should have become clouded.

Lei Jun exited the valley and stood on the ground, looking back toward Dragon Tiger Mountain.

There was still some distance between this place and Dragon Tiger Mountain.

According to Zhang Yuan and his companions, everything had been normal along the way.

Zhang Yuan only felt discomfort after returning to the base of the mountain. He managed to reach the Hall of Steward before he could no longer endure it, which didn't take long.

Lei Jun had carefully searched the vicinity of their own Dragon Tiger Mountain but found nothing unusual.

Indeed, the shadow most likely attached itself to Zhang Yuan in this valley area.

Setting aside human factors, I need to consider other possibilities. The most likely scenario is one of two situations. The first is that the shadow was previously dormant and was stimulated by Zhang Yuan's vitality. It then slowly revived and began to affect Zhang Yuan after some time.

But if that were the case, the timing—Zhang Yuan being affected just as he returned to the base of the mountain—is too coincidental.

"Then it must be the second possibility." Lei Jun raised an eyebrow. "The two initially coexisted without issue, but as Zhang Yuan approached Dragon Tiger Mountain, something in the vicinity of the mountain must have stimulated the shadow..."

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