Five Saint Realm experts—even a powerhouse organization like Cuihua Pavilion would consider that a significant force. In the blink of an eye, all five had been annihilated. This was undoubtedly a devastating blow to Cuihua Pavilion.
Among the five, one had even been a Heavenly Saint Realm expert. Moreover, all five were skilled in the art of combination combat.
Such a team could absolutely hold their own against even an early-stage Emperor Realm expert.
Even if one or two had been cut down, the rest should have been able to escape—at least a couple of them.
Yet the worst possible outcome had come to pass—total annihilation.
To wipe out a five-person team of this caliber, a common first or second level Emperor Realm expert probably couldn't manage it.
At the first or second level, one's Emperor Realm domain wasn't yet stable enough to completely suppress five Saint Realm experts across a wide area.
If even one slipped free of control, they could easily activate an Escape Talisman and flee.
And the moment they fled, they'd have the chance to send a distress signal, alerting their Cuihua Pavilion comrades.
But forget escaping—even the distress signal never had time to be sent.
The deaths had been sudden, thorough, and utterly clean.
In other words, whoever killed them was at minimum a third level Emperor Realm expert, possibly even an Earth Emperor Realm powerhouse.
In the Red Cauldron Central Region, Earth Emperor Realm experts weren't nonexistent, but every last one of them was a known figure. None should have had any reason to pick a fight with Cuihua Pavilion.
For a moment, the atmosphere at the scene grew extremely tense.
A senior Cuihua Pavilion figure frowned. "Could they have chased the wrong people?"
"That's impossible. They've been working for the Pavilion for a long time now. If we didn't trust their capabilities, would we have sent them as the vanguard?"
"But why would any outsider buy a few Origin Realm slaves here in the Red Cauldron Central Region? Besides, those Origin Realm slaves weren't particularly noteworthy. They weren't even disciples of the Six Great Sects of the Myriad Tribes Region."
"Could they be remnants of the Carefree Sect from the Myriad Tribes Region? Otherwise, how would the Young Mistress have been familiar with them?"
One senior figure after another voiced their doubts.
The Pavilion Master of Cuihua remained silent, lost in thought. This sudden news had caught him off guard.
"The Carefree Sect's master has already perished in battle. As for the rest of their leadership, only one Elder Wuhen escaped, reportedly fleeing together with Dan Qian Palace's Yun Nie. If it was Elder Wuhen, he's certainly a Saint Realm expert. But to kill all five of them at once—he'd have to have relied on poison."
The Pavilion Master spoke slowly.
At the mention of poison, everyone's expression grew somber. The Carefree Sect had indeed been a sect founded on the art of poison, specializing in its use above all else.
This realization seemed to strike a chord with the others.
The Pavilion Master raised his eyebrows, turning to look at a white-haired elder. "Grand Elder, this matter is highly suspicious. I'll trouble you to take a team and investigate. Whether or not you can track down the culprits, go to the scene and look for clues. Report back to me immediately with anything you find."
The Grand Elder nodded. "I'll head out at once."
"Bring plenty of people," the Pavilion Master added.
Another elder spoke up. "Pavilion Master, should we summon the Young Mistress for questioning?"
"No. That would alert the enemy and do more harm than good. If these really are people from the Carefree Sect, they'll surface again. All we need to do is wait."
…
Jiang Chen was now several thousand li away from the scene.
Along the way, he didn't linger. Two days later, the two of them entered the Myriad Tribes Region without incident. The region, still reeling from the devastation of war, had clearly fallen into severe decline.
Everywhere, the savage marks of battle were visible—ruins and destruction. Occasionally, dried-out bones and blackened bloodstains appeared along the road.
Some bones that hadn't yet fully dried still had carrion vultures circling around them, feasting greedily.
The sights and sounds gave rise to an overwhelming sense of desolation.
Mountains shattered, rivers broken, corpses strewn across the wilderness.
Although Jiang Chen hadn't felt any particularly deep attachment to the Myriad Tribes Region, seeing this scene stirred an irrepressible surge of anger within him.
Fortunately, Huang'er was by his side, gently holding his hand, offering quiet and unobtrusive comfort to soothe his emotions.
Passing through Dan Qian Palace's territory, he steeled his heart and chose not to visit the sect's gates. He feared that seeing it firsthand might unleash his hatred, driving him to slaughter everyone in sight.
Once he started killing, it would inevitably draw the attention of various parties, compromising his current mission.
Leaving Dan Qian Palace's territory behind, the number of rogue cultivators along the way noticeably increased. Clearly, after the fall of the Myriad Tribes Region, most of its territory had come under the control of various forces from the Red Cauldron Central Region. Control by outside forces was inevitably weaker than that of local powers.
As a result, the Myriad Tribes Region had ironically become a paradise for rogue cultivators.
Gradually moving beyond Dan Qian Palace's territory, Jiang Chen's restless and oppressive mood finally began to ease somewhat. Dan Qian Palace had already fallen—he had returned once before, and going again would change nothing, only adding to his grief.