Chapter 194: Aren ‘t You Dead?

Zheng Shijiu didn’t believe it. Senior Sister Ye Ji hadn’t even returned yet, so nothing was certain.

Two more days passed, and still, no one returned.

Ye Ji, Jiang Hao, and Lan Feng were nowhere to be seen. That was strange. It was unclear if they were delayed by something or if something unexpected had happened on the way.

The two people who had returned from the journey felt that they were superior to others because they had gone on a dangerous journey and returned safe and sound. They even mocked some of the other disciples for not being as brave as them. They even occasionally criticized Jiang Hao for being reckless, which had cost him his life.

Zheng Shijiu still felt it was unlikely for Jiang Hao to have died that easily.

The two disciples didn’t dare reveal more information. They were worried about the return of their companions, but they still wanted to be seen as brave.

Three more days passed, and there was still no news. No one returned.

The crisis had been long resolved. The group that went to the core to solve the problem should have arrived by this time.

Jin Long gathered everyone. “Those who have recovered, come with me to clear out the demons in the forest. Ye Ji and the others haven’t returned. They might be trapped. We’ll try to find them and assist them in any way we can.”

Nobody refused. They didn’t dare refuse a senior.

Those who were severely injured didn’t need to follow. Xin Yuyue and Yue You had recovered a bit from their injuries, so they decided to follow the group. Clearing out the demons had its benefits. Besides, they could do with more spirit stones.

Zheng Shijiu was also planning to follow the rescue group to the forest.

Two days later, they encountered many demons on their way. They fought with all their might.

Fortunately, the demons were fighting on instinct alone, so it wasn’t difficult to get rid of them.

Zheng Shijiu swung his paper fan and released fierce attacks. He took his time this time. He retreated a little to lure the demon to an empty area. Soon, he was fighting near Xin Yuyue and Yue You. They glanced at each other.

Everyone felt a bit awkward.

Zheng Shijiu smiled. ‘You two have worked hard,” he said. “These demons are formidable. ”

“True, Senior Brother Zheng,” said Xin Yuyue. “This time, the fights with these demons turned out to be truly unforgettable.” Yue You only nodded.

After that, they went into different areas. Zheng Shijiu was relieved. ‘Why did they have to retreat to the same area?’

Zheng Shijiu saw Jiang Hao. He was fighting near the edge while trying to evade another demon’s attack.

Xin Yuyue and Yue You also noticed him. How was he here? He was supposed to be dead!

Jiang Hao felt helpless. After intentionally delaying for a few days, he finally managed to make it back, only to find that they had already started clearing out the demons. He joined in anyway.

This time, he had no intention of killing the demons with one strike. He only wanted to hide between them. So, he dragged out the fight.

It seemed others were doing the same. A demonic sect was a demonic sect, after all. They lacked cooperation and a sense of unity.

To avoid notice, he had changed his location. He was just evading the demons to pass the time when he noticed Zheng Shijiu and the others.

Jiang Hao killed the remaining demons and greeted them. It had been so long since he had been gone. He asked them about the current situation at the defense line.

Yue You and Xin Yuyue were surprised to see that it was really Jiang Hao! But why was he here?

How was he here with their group? They didn’t recall him joining their group. They hadnt even seen him when they started this rescue mission.

“When did you return, Junior Brother Jiang?” Zheng Shijiu asked.

“Just a while ago. I saw that many of you were fighting the demons, so I joined in,” said Jiang Hao.

The three people were speechless. His explanation made sense, but it still felt strange.

When the two disciples in the Foundation Establishment Realm returned, everyone cheered for them. It was quite a scene. However, nobody even saw Jiang Hao return.

Zheng Shijiu hesitated briefly, then explained the situation of the past few days. He also mentioned the two disciples in the Foundation Establishment Ream who had returned recently.

“They said I was dead?” Jiang Hao was confused. When he thought about it, it made sense. He had disappeared early on, so they might have assumed he was dead.

“I can see why they might have thought that. I hid from the demons. I was lucky that I was able to recover from my injuries. When I finally felt strong enough to move, I was hesitant to find Senior Sister Ye Ji and the others. Instead, I decided to return to the defense line.”

Zheng Shijiu nodded. He didn’t know if Ye Ji and the others had gotten along with Jiang Hao. It was unclear whether Jiang Hao was telling the truth. From what the two disciples said, Ye Ji and her group might not have had it easy.

If they had targeted Jiang Hao, it was highly likely that they wouldn’t be coming back.

“So… we only have to clean up the remaining demons?” asked Jiang Hao. “Senior Sister Ye Ji and the others must have been successful then.” Zheng Shijiu and Xin Yuyue felt that something was strange.

Yue You didn’t say anything. She still remembered what Zheng Shijiu and Xin

Yuyue had said. She felt that something was not right. Jiang Hao was still in the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. ‘How did he escape and hide from the demons?’

After that, the group didn’t talk much. They focused on exterminating the remaining demons. This time, they cooperated and killed the demons quickly.

They advanced forward, with Jin Long leading the way.

They followed the path that Ye Ji and her group might have taken.

Half a month passed on the journey. They came across two corpses of disciples in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The group felt regret but didn’t slow their pace. Another month passed, and they focused on clearing out the demons. They found another corpse.

Thirteen people had gone into the forest. Among them, they found three corpses, while three had returned alive. Seven people were unaccounted for.

After another month of scouting, they found one more corpse. Six people remained.

Of course, most people didn’t know that Jiang Hao was still alive. They thought Jiang Hao had died early.

After another half a month, they discovered a relic and a severely injured corpse of Lan Feng.

A Golden Core Realm cultivator was dead! When the two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators returned, they were fearless and optimistic. However, seeing Lan Feng’s mutilated corpse made them afraid.

Perhaps there was a powerful enemy lurking in the shadows…

When they found the relic, many people wanted to explore it further. Jin Long was also tempted.

They thought that this was the place where Ye Ji and the others would be

found. Maybe there weren’t any dangers inside anymore.

“Junior Brother Jiang, do you want to go in to take a look?” asked Zheng Shijiu.

After two months, their injuries had healed. Yue You carried her huge sword on her back once again.

“No.” Jiang Hao shook his head. “These places usually tend to be dangerous.”

He really didn’t want to go inside. The oppressive force that he had encountered before made him uneasy. The pear was already in his storage treasure anyway. There was nothing in the ruin.

He had sealed the Misfortune Pearl every day. The time limit for the seal had reached two years.

However, for the past two months, there had been nothing amiss with the pearl. Perhaps the worst had passed.

The cleanup of the demons along the way was almost done by now..