As soon as these words were spoken, the room instantly fell silent; even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard clearly.

Qin An narrowed his eyes slightly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table: "What do you mean by that?"

The mission clues from the Evil Extermination Bureau clearly indicated that the Sect Leader of Xuanxin Sect was still alive, yet Li Ruoyue insisted that he had already passed away.

This matter became increasingly intriguing.

Xiang Yingtian furrowed his brows, but seeing Qin An speak up, he held back his questions.

Li Ruoyue sneered coldly: "I recently took on another task and encountered a traveler in the martial world. This person had a close relationship with the Sect Leader of Xuanxin Sect and revealed that the leader failed to break through to the Inner God Realm three months ago and died on the spot."

Xiang Yingtian pondered for a moment before asking: "Then where did the Evil Extermination Bureau's mission come from?"

Such secrets, the Evil Extermination Bureau's intelligence not being updated would still be understandable.

But would the entire Xuanxin Sect be unaware?

If the Sect Leader is already dead and yet a Toad Demon is causing havoc, they can certainly speak out directly.

Yet now, they are still issuing tasks in the name of the Sect Leader, which surely contains something suspicious.

Li Ruoyue shook his head and said: "I don't understand either, but since we've come to this point, it wouldn't hurt to watch quietly as things unfold, and the truth will eventually reveal itself."

Qin An and Xiang Yingtian exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.

Amidst the dense fog, only through stillness could motion be overcome.

The three remained silent, sharing a room but engaging in no more conversation.

...

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, night had fallen.

The night was as dark as ink, with moonlight pouring down.

Li Ruoyue leaned against the table, playing with a teacup.

Xiang Yingtian was repeatedly polishing the long sword at his waist.

Qin An pondered for a moment, then stood up and walked to the door.

Two pairs of eyes suddenly turned towards him.

Li Ruoyue raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile: "Where is Mr. Qin going?"

Xiang Yingtian said nothing, but his intention was clear.

Qin An said indifferently: "I have business."

The two exchanged a glance and said no more.

The matter of the Mountain Patrol General was already private, and besides the mission, there was no reason to interfere in other matters.

Qin An said nothing more and walked outside.

Outside on the platform, the moonlight washed over him.

The purpose of Qin An's trip was not only to complete the task but also to find the Heavenly Spirit Grass.

With no movement from the mission currently, he could take this opportunity to go out for a search.

A disciple outside the door saw Qin An coming out and hesitated slightly before respectfully asking: "I wonder what business you have, sir?"

Qin An shook his head slightly and said: "Just taking a walk, no need to follow."

Upon hearing this, the disciple respectfully stood at the door and said no more.

After determining the direction, Qin An used the Dragon Roar Shadow Step and quietly left the place.

...

The night was sparsely marked with stars, silver spread across the ground.

Within the mountains and forests, a figure was running swiftly, moving through the woods.

According to the mission, the scorched land was not far from Xuanxin Sect.

Thus, Qin An was able to roam at night and save himself from traveling back and forth.

Ahead loomed a dense forest, intertwined like teeth.

The deeper he went, Qin An could smell a burnt odor.

This was like something scorched by intense fire, producing a pungent smell.

After passing through this dense forest, the scene in front suddenly cleared.

Qin An stopped at the front, holding Cold Star, slightly furrowing his brows.

Only to see that in the open space ahead, the forest was as black as ink, the ground as yellow as sand.

Looking up, even the surrounding trees appeared dried like firewood.

In the very center, a broken stem appeared before Qin An.

Qin An hurried forward, examined closely for a moment, and then slightly furrowed his brow.

"This is the broken stem of Heavenly Spirit Grass, someone has harvested this grass, who could have done it?"

No sign of others around, but everything before him informed Qin An that the whereabouts of the Heavenly Spirit Grass have already vanished.

Qin An scanned the surroundings, thinking quickly: "This place is adjacent to Xuanxin Sect, and the mission is issued by them. Those who know that Heavenly Spirit Grass is the main ingredient of Divine Spirit Pill must belong to the sect's high ranks... if not the 'deceased' Sect Leader, then it must be an elder."

To be able to inspect here, and to know that the Heavenly Spirit Grass is an important material for the Divine Spirit Pill, their status is undoubtedly high.

Qin An stood up, clapping his hands.

His trip was fruitless, but he had found a goal for later.

This place is not suitable to stay long; earlier Li Ruoyue mentioned the Sect Leader of Xuanxin Sect is long gone, perhaps the Heavenly Spirit Grass is involved in this mission.

Qin An no longer wasted thoughts, prepared to turn and leave.

But just at that moment, a trace of Evil Qi flowed in the pitch-black forest.

Soon after, Qin An heard a strange sound.

"Quack!"

The sound resembled a frog croak, but within this voice, aside from Evil Qi, there was a hint of weakness.

Qin An drew Cold Star, glanced back at the depths of the dense forest, stepped slightly aside, employed Dragon Roar Shadow Step, and vanished on the spot.

...

The dense forest ahead crisscrossed like canine teeth, Qin An raised his hand for a slash.

The Five-Colored True Essence flowed on Cold Star, and as the cold light flashed, all trees shattered, flying out.

Within a few conflicting steps, Qin An passed through the forest, arriving at its depths.

The deeper area was a clearing, but the clearing was filled with stench.

On the ground was covered with black slime, with traces of Evil Qi flowing atop, nauseating to smell.

Wrapped in the slime, a black toad with bulging growths on its back lay exposed.

The toad's eyes were lifeless, its body covered with a mass of scars, inhaling and exhaling True Essence.

Upon sensing someone approaching, the Toad Demon opened its eyes, and upon seeing the token on Qin An's waist, a hint of fear flashed in its eyes, it wanted to flee.

But before it could take two steps, Qin An swiftly waved a slash.

The terrifying blade light flashed, illuminating the entire clearing.

The slime on the ground was struck by the blade light, spluttered and scattered, a clean path wide enough for a person appeared linking the Toad Demon and Qin An.

Qin An paced forward, his voice sinister like a Shura: "Move one inch further, and you'll die right here."

The demon stiffened like wood or stone, turning to kowtow frantically: "Spare me, my lord, spare me! This little demon did not know you were here. If I have offended in any way, I beg your forgiveness. Please spare me!"

Qin An smiled faintly, approached the demon, and kicked it over.

The demon howled in pain, rolling twice on the ground filled with black poison, struggling to get up.

But its injuries were too severe, making it unable to move at all.

Qin An squinted: "Who hurt you?"

"The Sect Leader of Xuanxin Sect!" the demon trembled, "I fled here heavily wounded and discovered the Heavenly Herb. That Sect Leader abandoned the chase for the treasure, picking the herb and leaving. I used the remaining roots to heal, not expecting to run into you... Please show mercy!"

Upon hearing this, Qin An frowned slightly.

What the demon said, along with what Li Ruyue mentioned, greatly differed from the intelligence given in the task.

If the Sect Leader, who had long passed, could heavily injure the demon, why would there be a need to issue a task?

It all indicated something fishy was going on.

"Anything else you're hiding?" Qin An asked again.

The toad shook its head frantically: "I dare not hide anything; this little demon swears not to hide a single fact. If I do, I'll accept being sliced a thousand times without frowning!"

Qin An tapped Cold Star with his fingertip: "Good."

Upon these words, the demon suddenly lifted its head.

Before it could react, a bright flash of the blade came before its eyes.

"If you want to kill me, you'll have to pay the price!" the demon roared.

Knowing it faced certain death this time, it decided to use all its poisonous nature in retaliation.

But before it could trigger it, the blade light passed through its body.

The Five-Colored True Essence surged over its entire body like an overwhelming tide.

The demon widened its eyes, looking down at its injuries, stiff as wood, unmoving.

In just a moment, it let out a scream of pain, its limbs torn apart, scattering into pieces on the ground.

A demon pill fell upon it.

Qin An stepped forward, picked up the demon pill, and absorbed it into himself.

At this moment, the clearing was deathly silent, the sound of a pin drop could be heard.

"It seems everything points to the Sect Leader of Xuanxin Sect..." Qin An sheathed his blade, pondering: "This matter isn't simple. Best to wait for the situation to develop, and in the meantime, find the Heavenly Herb."

As of now, the whereabouts of the Heavenly Herb were clear—picked by the long-deceased Sect Leader.

With this settled, Qin An chose to watch and wait, not only completing the task but also unveiling the large secrets hidden within Xuanxin Sect.

With this thought, Qin An lingered no more, employing Dragon Roar Shadow Step, heading toward Xuanxin Sect.

...

By the time he returned to the room, night had fallen deeply.

As Qin An pushed the door open and entered, Li Ruyue and Xiang Yingtian both turned their gazes toward him.

Xiang Yingtian frowned slightly: "Mr. Qin still exudes Evil Qi; did you slay demons at night?"

Li Ruyue said with interest: "It's the Mountain Patrol General's duty to exterminate evil, but Mr. Qin being so swift and decisive is truly rare."

Qin An sat in front of the two, his fingertips tracing across the table: "I killed a demon frog outside the mountain and learned something interesting. Would you two like to hear it?"

Li Ruyue and Xiang Yingtian exchanged glances; though they did not speak, the meaning in their eyes was clear, waiting for Qin An to continue.

Qin An did not dawdle, recounting all he had encountered.

The three had come for the same task, Mountain Patrol Generals sometimes pitted against each other for missions but could also cooperate.

Now it seemed there was a greater chance they would cooperate.

Thus, Qin An did not hide anything.

After hearing Qin An's account, the two furrowed their brows.

Xiang Yingtian said in a low voice: "If so, Mr. Qin, do you still think we should hold our positions?"

Qin An remained silent.

What Xiang Yingtian suggested was one of the methods he considered.

Li Ruyue shook her head lightly, suddenly laughed softly: "Why wait in vain? Why don't we directly explore the Sect Leader's retreat?"

Upon this suggestion, Xiang Yingtian wore a look of confusion.

Li Ruyue continued smoothly: "The Mountain Patrol Generals are busy, I'm busy, and you both are busy. The Sect Leader is in retreat, and we don't know when it will end. Now that we have enough clues, why not take the initiative? After all, the Mountain Patrol Generals are not bound by worldly regulations. If we want to see, what opinions can they dare have?"

With these words, Qin An and Xiang Yingtian fell into contemplation.

Moments later, Qin An nodded: "This method is feasible. What does Lord Xiang think?"

Xiang Yingtian, after a bit of thought, agreed: "Since both of you are willing, I have no objections."

In Qin An's view, Li Ruyue's approach was indeed appropriate.

He urgently wanted to find the Heavenly Herb, so he could refine the Divine Spirit Pill and exchange it with Long Tianxing for the Water Element Divine Sense.

Therefore, time was indeed pressing for Qin An.

The three reached an agreement swiftly.

Li Ruyue stood up, "Since we have decided, let's set off now."

At this moment, moonlight was as bright as dawn, the night as dark as ink.

With the moon dark and wind high, it was the perfect time for action.

Without further words, the three quietly left the room.

Outside, a few disciples were guarding, but to Qin An and the two other Mountain Patrol Copper Generals, these guards were merely decorative.

In no time, the three easily bypassed these disciples, heading towards the cave.

...

The cave was on a cliff face, impossible for ordinary people to access.

But for the three, masters of the Outer Elixir Realm, a few steps on the wall and advanced body techniques allowed them to leap into the cave.

Xiang Yingtian, seeing Qin An create shadowy afterimages with his techniques, landing without a sound, exclaimed, "Besides that blade skill, Mr. Qin seems to have prowess in body techniques as well?"

Qin An nodded slightly in response.

Li Ruyue suddenly recalled: "I've heard of another Qin An, famed for his dual prowess in blade and fist at the Ancient Battlefield ruins. Could it be the same Mr. Qin?"

Qin An nodded again.

There was no need to hide these matters.

Xiang Yingtian, upon hearing this, showed a surprised look: "So Blade and Fist Master is actually Mr. Qin; we certainly failed to see the real person."

Qin An gently shook his head: "Let's leave reminiscing for later, and continue our exploration, my lords."

The two exchanged glances, surprised by Qin An's prowess, but aware of the grave danger, refrained from further discussion.

The cave was pitch black, utterly dark.

But For the three Outer Elixir Realm individuals, it mattered not.

They proceeded forward until nearing the exit when a faint sound was heard.

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, the three have been properly arranged, what should we do next?"

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