"I'm getting a chill down my spine, why do I always feel like something's watching me?" Wen Hongyi rubbed his arms.
Sun Jianning looked up at the rising moon. "Perhaps it's just the temperature dropping as night falls."
After watching Bai Ran stand up, having successfully extracted the fangs of the Ten Thousand Year Python, Bai Ran said, "It's getting late. Let's return to our camp from yesterday."
"Understood!"
The disciples rose one by one. Ma Huai, carrying Ran Shuang on his back, led the group towards the clearing where they had rested the previous day.
Mist swirled, and the surroundings were shrouded in darkness, filling them with a sense of dread.
"Stay close to the group, don't get separated," Bai Ran instructed, walking at the rear to prevent anyone from falling behind.
"Captain Bai, the fog is too thick, we can't tell which way is which. Perhaps you should lead the way?" a worried voice called out from the front of the group.
Bai Ran glanced at the rapidly thickening fog, then moved to the front of the procession. "Quicken your pace."
"Has your spiritual energy recovered?" Ma Huai asked, following at the very back with Ran Shuang on his shoulders.
Wen Hongyi shook his head. "Not yet. I was busy detoxifying the fangs of the Ten Thousand Year Python and didn't have time to recover. What about you?"
Ma Huai sighed. "I was watching over Ran Shuang, and my spiritual energy is completely depleted with little recovery."
Then, his face lit up as if he'd remembered something. "Right! We should ask the captain to buy us some spirit recovery pills later!"
Ma Huai turned around excitedly, only to find himself facing an empty stretch of forest, eerily silent...
"Wen Hongyi..." His body trembled slightly. "Wen Hongyi!"
"Captain Bai! Wen Hongyi is gone!"
Bai Ran was startled and immediately released her spiritual sense. Gone... there was no trace of Wen Hongyi within a five-kilometer radius.
She spun around sharply. "Everyone stop! Be alert!"
The mist billowed, and the damp air sent a chill through their bodies. In the darkness, every landscape was painted in shades of black.
"Wen... Wen Hongyi vanished?"
"How could this happen... I'm so scared."
The unsettling atmosphere... Bai Ran's expression grew grim. Some of the more timid disciples had already cowered down.
"You can put me down," Ran Shuang said. "I'm fine now."
Ma Huai tightened his grip around the person on his back. "Don't you know how badly you're injured?"
Ran Shuang felt a sense of helplessness at his resolute profile.
"Ahhhhh!" a piercing scream echoed, sending the disciples' hearts into a frenzy.
"What is it?" Bai Ran called out.
"Gone..." a female disciple stammered, collapsing to the ground in terror. "The person next to me is gone!!!"
Bai Ran furrowed her brow. Another disciple had disappeared. What was going on?
Sun Jianning's face was grim. "Why are the disciples going missing from the rear of the group?"
"Rear..." she murmured, and suddenly, Bai Ran's face changed drastically. "Did you just ask me to come to the front?"
The disciples at the front exchanged glances, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. "No..."
"We heard that voice too..."
"But... none of us spoke up..."
Whose voice was it?
Bai Ran clenched her fists. "Everyone stay put. I'll count everyone."
The disciples quickly sat down, too afraid to even take a deep breath.
"One..." "Two..." "Three..."
Bai Ran lightly touched their shoulders, counting them.
"Four..." "Five..." "Six..."
There were originally nine qualified members in the guild. Zeng Rou and Gu Ke had left, and with the two who had just disappeared, there should only be five remaining.
There was one extra... In the darkness, even Bai Ran felt a prickling sensation on her scalp.
The disciples squeezed their eyes shut in despair, not daring to look at the person beside them.
Vermilion Bird Divine Fire ignited, and Bai Ran guided the flames closer to each person.
Under the firelight, each disciple's face became clear.
Suddenly! A black figure darted into the distance. Just as Bai Ran was about to give chase, Sun Jianning grabbed her arm.
"Captain Bai, don't leave us..." his hand trembled.
Bai Ran sighed. Indeed, she couldn't abandon them.
"Little one, did you get a clear look at that figure just now?" Xiao Zi's voice chimed in. Bai Ran shook her head; it was too fast, she hadn't seen clearly.
"It had a human shape, acted like a spirit beast, and could speak human language."
"Speaking human language, so... it's likely a divine beast?" Bai Ran lowered her gaze.
Xiao Zi nodded. "You must have noticed, the spiritual energy fluctuations in the air are very unusual. It might be related to something deep within the forest."
Bai Ran pondered. "Could that divine beast have been protecting something?"
"It's highly possible. Having developed sentience, it's very likely trying to scare you away to protect it."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ran raised an eyebrow. "So, there might be a treasure about to be born deep in the forest?"
Xiao Zi looked at her expression and knew what she was thinking. "Fine, you won't listen anyway, no matter what I say."
"Captain Bai, will Wen Hongyi be in danger?" Ma Huai's voice pulled Bai Ran back to reality.
Just as Bai Ran was about to reply, she heard a surprised female voice. "They're back! Wen Hongyi and the others are back!"
The female disciple in front of them pointed. Wen Hongyi and the other missing disciple lay unconscious on the ground.
Bai Ran approached and felt their pulses. They were steady and strong, indicating they had merely fainted from fear.
Furthermore, a note lay beside Wen Hongyi. She picked it up and opened it: "Head east, and get out of this forest."
Bai Ran smiled slightly. They didn't want them to get close, did they?
...
Meanwhile.
"What! The spiritual energy in the Scattered Soul Forest is acting up!" Sect Master Xiong exclaimed, standing up abruptly.
Elder Lin looked at him in disbelief. "You don't know about this, Sect Master?"
"Know what the hell! I don't know anything!" Sect Master Xiong rushed out.
No wonder! Those young ladies had been in the forest for half a month with no news!
Elder Lin hurried to catch up. "The sect ranking competition is tomorrow! Could something have happened to them!"
"What could happen! Don't speak such disheartening words!" Sect Master Xiong clenched his fists. "And why wasn't this major issue reported to me!"
"That's strange, we elders all received the message. We thought you knew," Elder Lin said, full of confusion.
After so many days of no news from the Sect Master, they had assumed it was his plan.
Seeing that the sect ranking competition was tomorrow and the disciples hadn't returned, he had come to inquire with the Sect Master.
Who knew the Sect Master had no idea about the Scattered Soul Forest?
"Let's go to the Scattered Soul Forest first!" I'll settle the score when we get back!
Sect Master Xiong angrily headed for the Scattered Soul Forest, with Elder Lin following close behind.