As he spoke, Chi Mu raised his hand, and a pale silver brush appeared in his grasp. A sheet of faint golden paper materialized before him.
After all, it had been many years since those memories, so Chi Mu took a long time to recall before sketching out the place from his mind.
Especially the coastal towns—those had to be marked clearly to ensure Little Wei wouldn’t take the wrong path.
And it had to be further inland.
To avoid arousing suspicion, Chi Mu artificially aged the map. By the time it reached Little Wei’s hands, He Lianchi and the others had already finished setting up the barrier.
There was no other way—the entrance to Sunset Forest wasn’t just one, and its range was vast, so naturally, the barrier took longer to establish.
Moreover, it had to be one that only allowed exit, not entry, to avoid cutting off the retreat paths of any cultivators.
Little Wei tucked the map into her storage bracelet.
"Alright, given the circumstances, Miss Gu, you’ll have to stay here," He Lianchi said, seated in the spirit-gathering array as he replenished his spiritual energy.
"No, I won’t stay," Little Wei quickly stood up.
If she remained outside, completely unaware of the situation, she wouldn’t even be able to explain things properly if the Huaiyang Sect’s help was truly needed.
"Listen, don’t be stubborn. This matter is far from simple," He Lianchi was both exasperated and amused.
"I’ve reached the early Nascent Soul stage. Besides, this little one only listens to me," Little Wei rubbed the small tiger in her arms.
He Lianchi glanced at the cat in her embrace. If Little Wei hadn’t mentioned it, he might have forgotten about it entirely.
"Fine, you can go. Elder Dan, you’ll be responsible for protecting this girl," He Lianchi had no choice but to assign the Dan Peak’s master to watch over Little Wei, ensuring her safety.
"Good," Little Wei’s eyes curved in satisfaction.
"But what about these disciples…?" He Lianchi hesitated, looking at the group.
Though their cultivation wasn’t weak, leaving them all outside would leave everyone uneasy.
When they left the sect, He Lianchi had assumed Little Wei would look after the disciples, but now that was clearly impossible.
"We can’t have them tagging along either," the Grand Elder sighed, rubbing his temples at the sight of the youngsters.
"How about sending them to the Liu Family first? The investigation isn’t urgent anyway," Little Wei suddenly suggested.
"Is that appropriate?" Elder Dan frowned.
"I’ll escort them. It won’t take long."
The Liu Family members probably hadn’t left yet.
"Fine. We’ll have to trouble the Liu Family to watch over them temporarily. Miss Gu, give them plenty of spirit stones—we’re not lacking in those."
He Lianchi pulled out several high-grade spirit stones, only for Little Wei to refuse them.
"No need, I’ll handle it."
With the token the Liu Family had given her, Little Wei had no trouble arranging this. Liu Ruo hadn’t returned to the Liu Family yet, so Little Wei entrusted the disciples to her and returned to Sunset Forest without wasting much time.
As for Li Yu, after the demonic creatures appeared, he had long since vanished to who-knows-where.
"Let’s go," He Lianchi said as soon as Little Wei returned, unwilling to delay any further.
Little Wei tightened her grip on her sword, her expression sharp with determination.
He Lianchi had even brought a treasure passed down by their ancestors—one capable of detecting demonic energy.
The group flew for a long time before landing in a devastated area.
"This is where those demonic eagles appeared earlier," the Dan Peak’s master said.
"Which direction did they come from?" He Lianchi asked.
"Well…" The Dan Peak’s master furrowed his brows, unable to recall immediately.
"Southeast," Little Wei remembered the direction clearly.
Without hesitation, the group flew southeast, no longer concerned about inner or outer regions.
But they encountered no more demonic creatures. Instead, the treasure in He Lianchi’s hands pointed them toward a specific location. After flying for an unknown length of time, they finally descended.
Before them stood a well.
Its surface was covered in intricate, ancient sigils, exuding a sinister black aura that sent chills down their spines.
"Is this a sealed well? This is clearly a barrier," Elder Dan frowned.
The barrier looked ancient, as if it had existed for centuries.
"Indeed. It was probably sealed in ancient times. Who would’ve thought it’d be in Sunset Forest? But then again, we’re deep in the inner region now—few people have come here before."
The Grand Elder nodded in agreement.
"Then the demonic energy must be the issue. Who knows if there are other wells like this in Sunset Forest?" He Lianchi glanced around.
Fortunately, this demonic well seemed so malevolent that no spirit beasts lingered nearby.
"The good news is, those eagles were probably just contaminated after accidentally stumbling here. The bad news is, the barrier shows signs of weakening."
He Lianchi took a step back, pulling the others with him.
"Best keep our distance. This is the first time we’ve dealt with something like this—no idea how to handle it." He Lianchi was genuinely stumped.
"Si, do you know how to suppress demonic creatures?" Little Wei asked.
"Of course. The system shop has items that can absorb demonic energy."
Little Wei paused. She hadn’t paid much attention to that before, never expecting to encounter demons.
"But you know the rules. For this mission world, the shop can’t provide you with anything."
Si’s words were blunt.
Little Wei sighed.
Even if the shop granted her access, it would depend on the type of demonic creature.
It was like treating an illness—only the right remedy would work.
"If the demons emerge, this guy has a way. But if they’re still sealed, and it’s just the barrier weakening, he can’t do anything."
Little Wei exhaled in frustration.
To reinforce the seal, they’d have to make a trip to the Huaiyang Sect.
"But can the Huaiyang Sect even strengthen the seal?" Little Wei was skeptical.
Given this world’s lore, demons hadn’t been seen in ages. Even if the Huaiyang Sect had methods to suppress them, it would likely come at a deadly cost.
Little Wei refused to let that happen.
Her father’s resentment stemmed from sacrificing his divine soul for the Canglan Continent—otherwise, he would’ve been the Huaiyang Sect’s pride.
She understood the Huaiyang Sect’s mindset.
This time, no one else would die.
"Not sure, but they probably can. Still, this seal looks ancient. Beneath this well must lie the so-called demon realm. Honestly, for me, this would be simple."
Chi Mu rubbed his temples. His identity made it difficult to interfere.
Each world had its own course of development. The emergence of demons was just a way to balance this plane.
After all, cultivators couldn’t multiply endlessly—the world’s spiritual energy was finite. Too many cultivators would burden the plane.
Chi Mu explained all this to Little Wei.
"It’s just evolution. If spiritual energy dwindles, the world would revert to antiquity before advancing into technology. I don’t think demons are necessary," Little Wei had her own views.
What kind of nonsense Heavenly Dao was this? Might as well hang itself with noodles.
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