This isn't right, is it

Before the old man could finish speaking, his eyes reddened, and he said with a trembling voice,

"My daughter's name is Lin Qingyue. Half a month ago, she went to the Misty Valley west of the city with a few companions to gather spirit herbs."

"But only her companions returned that day, saying Qingyue got separated from them in the valley... I sent people to search the entire outer area of the valley, but couldn't find even a trace of her!"

Ye Chuan wasn't a local after all and didn't know what kind of place the Misty Valley was.

He glanced at Mu Qianqian beside him, who immediately explained—

"The valley is perpetually shrouded in thick mist, but it's a common low-level spirit herb gathering ground for cultivators near Xuanjing City. However, incidents of cultivators going missing are extremely rare."

Ye Chuan thought for a few seconds, "Old... sir, did your daughter's companions mention the specific location where they got separated?"

The old man nodded hurriedly, "They said it was near that thousand-year-old ancient pine tree in the valley. The fog was too thick, and she was gone in the blink of an eye."

"In that case, let's discuss the shop matter after I find her," Ye Chuan stood up,

"I'll go to the Misty Valley first."

Hearing that Ye Chuan was willing to search for her, the old man's eyes instantly lit up, "Truly?"

Seeing this, Mu Qianqian also stood up, "Immortal Ye Chuan, the terrain of Misty Valley is complex. I'll have the people from Treasure Pavilion prepare a map for you."

Ye Chuan, however, waved his hand, looking rather unenthusiastic, "No need."

Before his words faded, he had already vanished from the courtyard, leaving only the phrase "Wait a moment, I'll be back soon."

Spatial Art?!

A flash of surprise passed through Mu Qianqian's eyes. No wonder Ye Chuan could obtain so many cultivation techniques from the Qingyun Sect, he actually possessed such means.

The old man beside her, seeing Ye Chuan disappear instantly, also realized he might have encountered a mighty cultivator, and his expression became excited.

"My daughter is saved!"

...

In a matter of seconds, Ye Chuan appeared at the so-called entrance to Misty Valley.

"Is this it? Misty Valley?" Ye Chuan's gaze swept over the place—

The valley mouth was wreathed in swirling mist, visibility less than fifty feet. The air carried a mix of spirit herbs and damp earth.

He spread out his spiritual sense, ignoring the obstruction of the thick fog, and directly probed towards the direction of the thousand-year-old ancient pine within the valley.

This mist was nothing like the deathly aura of the Xuanjing Abyss; it couldn't hinder Ye Chuan's spiritual sense at all. After a simple sweep, Ye Chuan also located the position of that ancient pine.

Another teleport, and Ye Chuan landed beneath the ancient pine—

This pine tree would require three people with arms outstretched to encircle its trunk, which was covered in cracked patterns like wrinkles on an old man's face. Its lush branches and leaves stretched out in all directions.

In a place full of mist, such an emerald green ancient pine was somewhat peculiar.

Ye Chuan keenly seemed to sense something, his gaze falling on a spot not far away. Several trampled spirit herbs were scattered on the ground, their leaves still stained with mud. Faintly visible beside them was a trail of a young girl's footprints, though they were quickly obscured by the thick fog and fallen leaves.

"Hmm?"

Ye Chuan crouched down, his fingertip lightly brushing the ground, a wisp of spiritual power seeping into the soil.

Soon, he sensed a faint trace of a young girl's aura, along with an unfamiliar cultivator's spiritual power. The girl's aura was most likely that old man's daughter, while the cultivator's aura...

Was she taken?

The Xuantian Continent had numerous cultivation methods; abducting someone to use as a cauldron didn't seem like an unusual thing.

Ye Chuan leaned more towards the idea that the woman had been taken away.

But since he was already here, finding someone was still quite simple for Ye Chuan, though he couldn't guarantee whether the person found would be dead or alive.

Following the aura trail, the deeper he went into the valley, the thicker the fog became, and that cultivator's spiritual power grew clearer.

Upon reaching the depths of the valley, a hidden cave suddenly appeared before him. The entrance was concealed by vines; without careful observation, it would be nearly impossible to discover.

And this was also a place Ye Chuan's spiritual sense had not detected.

"Seems like this is the place."

Spiritual power fluctuations came from within the cave. Ye Chuan's figure flashed, and he silently infiltrated the cave.

His spiritual sense began probing forward, instantly mapping the interior layout into Ye Chuan's mind.

The cave was narrow and damp, with glowing luminous stones embedded in the rock walls on both sides, illuminating the scene ahead—

Several cultivators in gray robes surrounded a young girl bound by spiritual restraints. The girl wore pink robes; it was the old man's daughter, Lin Qingyue.

"Let me go! I've already told you, I have no grudge against you at all!" Lin Qingyue's aura was weak. Though her eyes were full of fear, she still shouted stubbornly.

The leading gray-robed cultivator glanced at Lin Qingyue bound by spiritual power and merely sneered,

"Let you go? Little girl, you don't seem to know what kind of constitution you have."

"You're a naturally excellent cauldron, a precious treasure to be offered to the Black Wind Sect later. How could we possibly let you go easily?"

Hearing "excellent cauldron," Lin Qingyue's face paled somewhat,

"I'm just an ordinary person, but I have money. How about... could you exchange my safety for money?"

The cultivators exchanged glances and smiled, as if hearing something amusing, and did not respond to Lin Qingyue.

"Please, I beg you. I'm still an untouched maiden. I haven't even found someone I like yet, I'm still young..."

Lin Qingyue continued, "Someone as pretty as me, being a cauldron is such a waste."

"Pretty is exactly what makes you suitable as a cauldron, hahahaha!"

"You...!"

"Shut up! If you keep talking nonsense, we'll rip out your tongue! Then send it to that old man!"

That one sentence made Lin Qingyue shudder.

Though fuming with anger, she was helpless.

"Seems my guess was right, she was indeed captured." Just then, a voice suddenly rang out. The gray-robed cultivators in the cave all changed expression, turning to look.

The leading cultivator immediately stood up and shouted, "Who is it? How dare you intrude upon our base!"

The next moment, Ye Chuan appeared like a phantom. He smiled without answering, merely raising his hand and waving it. Invisible spiritual power instantly immobilized the several gray-robed cultivators.

"A high-level cultivator?!"

They discovered, to their horror, that they couldn't mobilize their spiritual power at all, their bodies unable to move.

Not only that, that spiritual power was rapidly consuming the power within their bodies. In just a few breaths, these cultivators turned into dust, completely vanishing.

Ye Chuan walked up to Lin Qingyue and raised his hand to undo the spiritual restraints binding her.

Lin Qingyue was stunned for a moment. Looking at the young man who had suddenly appeared before her, her eyes were full of confusion, "You are..."

"I want to rent your old man's shop. He said he didn't want to talk because his daughter was lost, so I came to find you." Ye Chuan said, seeing Lin Qingyue in this state, he added,

"Come with me."

"Really?!" Seeing that someone had actually come to save her, Lin Qingyue's eyes lit up!

"Mhm."

"But I have no strength..." Having been starved for so many days, Lin Qingyue had long been without energy.

"It's fine, I'll take you back." Ye Chuan smiled.

"A hug?"

The next second, however, Ye Chuan grabbed Lin Qingyue by her waistband and lifted her whole person up,

"Let's go."

"W-wait, wait, this isn't right, is it?!"