Chapter 112: THE HORSES HAD BEEN SLAUGHTERED

Li Yan left the mythical space and returned to his room, where he quickly took a bath and changed into a fresh set of clothes before making his way toward the sect gates.

The thought that only three days had passed in reality still felt strange to him because inside the space, he had spent ninety days training from morning until night.

His cultivation had advanced and his body had undergone another growth spurt, yet the disciples outside had only experienced two days since they last saw him.

When Li Yan arrived at the sect gates, it was still early, and the area was quieter than he had expected. Only Li Hanye and Cui Ahjun had arrived before him, while the remaining disciples were nowhere to be seen. Cui Ahjun had been standing beside Li Hanye and making conversation with him, clearly enjoying the attention he received from the core disciple, but his expression immediately became less pleasant when he noticed Li Yan approaching.

"Junior Brother Li, you were supposed to arrive before us. How can you allow older disciples to wait for you?"

Li Yan did not feel the slightest bit guilty about the accusation. A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked at Cui Ahjun, and the change in his appearance was obvious even to someone who had seen him two days ago. His hair had grown longer, his voice had become slightly deeper, and his body was taller than before, yet the expression he wore remained as calm as ever.

"Older Brother Cui, how can you say that I kept you waiting when the group is not even complete? Are you not being unfair? As an inner sect disciple, is it really wrong for you to wait for your juniors when several of them have not arrived?"

Cui Ahjun’s lips twitched as he searched for a response. There was no reasonable way for him to argue with Li Yan’s words without making himself look petty, especially when the others had not even arrived yet, so he could only force a laugh and try to brush off the matter.

"Aiha, just come earlier next time."

"Tell that to the others. I am not the one who arrived late."

Li Yan left the matter there and found a corner where he could sit while waiting for the others. Cui Ahjun watched him move away with his teeth clenched, and the irritation he had been suppressing since Li Yan joined the mission grew stronger.

In his mind, this outer disciple had become far too bold simply because he had a core disciple for an older brother. Cui Ahjun was ranked sixtieth in the sect and had spent years cultivating to reach his current position, yet Li Yan had casually exchanged words with him without showing the slightest concern.

Li Hanye had watched the exchange from the side with a small smile before walking over to where Li Yan had settled. Only two days had passed since they last met, but Li Hanye could immediately see that his younger brother had changed. Li Yan’s height had increased, his features had matured slightly, and even the way he carried himself seemed different from before.

"You have gotten taller, and your form has changed as well. You must have been training vigorously these past two days."

Li Yan raised his head when he heard his brother’s voice, he had been lost in his thoughts and had not noticed Li Hanye approaching.

He glanced down at himself before answering with a calm expression, "I only practiced a little. Two days is barely enough to do anything tangible."

Li Hanye considered his words and nodded. The explanation was reasonable from his perspective because two days was indeed too short for an ordinary disciple to make any significant improvement. Even so, Li Yan clearly looked different from when they had last met, which meant that he had made good use of whatever time he had available.

The remaining disciples arrived one after another, and once the entire group had gathered, Li Hanye checked that everyone was present before turning toward the formation at the sect entrance. The guards were already waiting beside it, and the formation itself had been prepared for their departure.

"We will take the Heaven’s Path to Kunlong. There will be horses waiting for us when we arrive, the sect has already provided them for the mission."

After giving the guards a nod, Li Hanye watched as they began activating the formation. The Heaven’s Path was a teleportation array capable of carrying its passengers across a long distance within a short period, which made it far more convenient than travelling to Kunlong by ordinary means.

The disciples entered the formation one after another, and once the final person stepped inside, the guards completed the activation. The formation closed around the group, and the surrounding scenery disappeared as the Heaven’s Path transported them away from the sect.

The journey through the pathway did not feel as quick as Li Yan had expected. Although the formation was designed to shorten the distance between locations, the path itself still seemed to stretch endlessly before them, and after walking for what felt like a very long time, Li Yan began to find the journey increasingly boring. He wiped the sweat from his forehead while continuing forward with the others, not because he was exhausted, but because the seemingly endless walk had begun testing his patience.

His hunger also became harder to ignore. He had not eaten for two days, and while his cultivation allowed him to endure it, Li Yan still preferred having a proper meal over relying on spiritual energy to suppress his appetite. He silently hoped the exit would appear soon so that he could finally find something to eat once they reached Kunlong.

Fortunately, after several more steps, the distant exit finally came into view, and the group naturally quickened their pace as they approached it. Li Yan’s attention immediately shifted toward the opening ahead, but the relief he felt at finally reaching their destination disappeared the moment they stepped through the exit.

The horses provided by the sect were supposed to be waiting for them near the pathway, yet instead of finding the animals alive and ready for the journey, the group was confronted by their slaughtered remains. Every horse had been killed, and their bodies had been chopped into pieces and scattered around the area.

One of the female disciples immediately covered her mouth after seeing the scene, the sight was too much for her to endure, and she turned away before gagging and throwing up.

The other disciples stared at the remains with varying expressions, while Li Yan remained silent and studied the area rather than focusing only on the bodies.

The female core disciple did not show the same reaction. She calmly examined the slaughtered horses and the surrounding area, her attention moving across the ground as though she were searching for any sign that could reveal who had done this before their arrival. After taking in the scene, she finally addressed the group in an even voice.

"It seems we are not the only ones after the lizard demon’s treasures."