Chapter 1959: Disappearing Corpse

"Tell me, what are you?" Zu'an demanded. Creatures that powerful usually possess sentience.

However, the Purple Flame Ghoul did not reply. Instead, it opened its mouth and let out a shrill, piercing scream that made everyone around wince in pain.

Anger value from Purple Flame Ghoul +404404404...

Zu'an was momentarily stunned by the message from the Anger Value System. So this monster was called a Purple Flame Ghoul. He mused that sometimes, this system could indeed be surprisingly effective. He didn't seem to have heard of such a creature before; there were no records of it among either humans or demons. He decided to have Xiulou investigate it thoroughly once they returned.

Just then, a purple light suddenly shot out from the Purple Flame Ghoul's mouth, striking like lightning towards Zu'an's glabella. The hearts of those nearby instantly tightened. They couldn't even see what it was. At such close range, even a powerful cultivator could be in danger if ambushed.

At that moment, Zu'an raised his finger. To everyone else, his movement seemed incredibly slow, like an ordinary person raising a hand, and they were certain he couldn't intercept it in time. Yet, despite moving later, he arrived first, catching the purple light at the very last second.

Zu'an focused his gaze. It was a rhomboid, crystal-like object, as thin as a cicada's wing yet incredibly hard. Launched from such close range, its power surpassed that of an arrow. The Purple Flame Crystal emanated a deep violet glow. In that instant, Zu'an realized that the ghoul's entire essence seemed to originate from this object.

Upon seeing this, the Purple Flame Ghoul struggled even more violently. Its hollow eyes seemed to radiate fear, and the purple flames covering its body noticeably diminished.

"So this is why you're immortal," Zu'an scoffed. With a forceful grip, akin to a mountain pressing down, the monster let out a shriek and disintegrated into ash, completely vanishing into the air. Only the Purple Flame Crystal still faintly glowed.

Zu'an frowned slightly. This object wasn't a living creature. Nor was it like a ghost; he had encountered various types of ghosts in the secret realm before. This thing seemed to be a life form beyond his understanding—he couldn't even be sure if it counted as life at all.

"Sacrificial Wine is truly amazing!"

"That monster was terrifying. Thankfully, Sacrificial Wine arrived in time, or we would have been dead."

The surrounding academy disciples chattered excitedly. Zu'an put away the Purple Flame Crystal, intending to ask around at the academy if anyone knew what it was.

After talking with the others, he learned that the two male disciples were named Lu Bei and Chang Tian, and the two female disciples were Yao Fang and Mei Rou. They were all promising students hoping to enter the academy's inner mountain, and this expedition was part of their assessment. They hadn't expected to encounter such a bizarre situation. Several other classmates had come with them, but tragically, they had all fallen victim.

"Thankfully, we met Miss Xiao Xi. If it weren't for her elixirs, we probably wouldn't have lasted this long," Yao Fang said gratefully. "Her elixirs are much better than those issued by the academy." Little did she know that Ji Xiao Xi's father was the Second Master—the Physician—who had been missing from the academy's inner mountain for a long time.

Ji Xiao Xi's face flushed slightly. "If it weren't for the protection of my seniors, I might have died long ago. For some reason, that monster seemed completely immune to my poisons." As she spoke, she still felt a bit of lingering fear. Her cultivation wasn't high, but she often ventured alone into deep mountains and wild forests to gather herbs, relying on the poisons she carried. Whether facing humans, demons, or fierce beasts, she had never encountered such a situation.

"That monster is indeed very unusual." For some reason, an ominous shadow fell over Zu'an's heart. He asked the remaining academy disciples, "Where are your companions' remains? We'll take them home." As the academy's Sacrificial Wine, he felt a responsibility, almost like a parent to these disciples, and naturally wanted to do his part.

"Thank you, Sacrificial Wine!" The disciples were overjoyed and quickly led the way. The two male disciples improvised a stretcher to carry Sun Hai. Although Copper Gong Mountain was eerie and the purple monsters terrifying, with Sacrificial Wine present, they felt absolutely safe. As academy disciples, the recent Meng family incident, which had caused a huge stir, was the hottest topic at the academy. Everyone was speculating about the extent of Sacrificial Wine's cultivation. Some even speculated that his strength surpassed that of the late Emperor. While many refuted this, it was widely acknowledged that he was at least at the Earth Immortal level. With an Earth Immortal by their side, what danger could there be?

On the way, Zu'an suddenly remembered something. "By the way, when I came earlier, I passed a camp. Is that where those disciples got into trouble?" He then roughly described the camp.

"Yes, that's the place," the disciples said, surprised and delighted. They hadn't expected Sacrificial Wine to have been there too.

Zu'an's heart sank. "But I didn't see any disciples' remains just now."

The disciples were startled. "How can that be? Our companions were indeed killed by the monster there. Thankfully, they warned us before they died, otherwise we would have all been wiped out." As they spoke, their eyes reddened slightly.

"There really weren't any," Zu'an said with a grave expression. "Let's go back there and check."

Soon, the group arrived at the former campsite. The female disciple, Mei Rou, gasped and pointed to a broken tent. "Wang Shao was lying here before! How is he gone?"

"And He Lu, he fell here earlier," Chang Tian pointed to another spot, utterly perplexed.

Yao Fang's face turned pale. "Could it be that the monster ate them all?" At her words, the academy disciples shivered. Such a possibility was too cruel for them to bear.

Zu'an shook his head. "That's unlikely. If a monster had eaten them, there would still be some remains or clothing fragments, but there's nothing of the sort nearby."

"Then where did they go?" Ji Xiao Xi blinked her large eyes and instinctively moved closer to Zu'an. This eerie place made her a little scared; only by Brother Zu's side did she feel enough warmth.

"I'll take you out first. Afterward, the imperial court will send people here specifically to search," Zu'an said gravely. His top priority was to safely escort these people out; he could investigate the situation at Copper Gong Mountain more thoroughly later. It seemed the situation was quite serious.

Hearing that they could leave, the academy disciples were visibly relieved. They didn't want to stay in this cursed place for another moment. Only Lu Bei hesitated. "Perhaps we should search a bit more around here. Brother Wang and Brother He came in with us, and their warning saved us. If we just leave their bodies exposed in the wilderness and escape alone, I'd feel a bit uneasy." Hearing his words, Yao Fang and the others showed expressions of shame.

At this, Zu'an spoke. "There's no need to search. I've already searched the vicinity. The range of my divine sense is much greater than yours, and even I couldn't find anything. Searching further would be futile. The most important thing now is to return safely and bring out the information about this place. What happens next is not something you can be involved in." As he spoke, he mused about discussing the matter with Yan Xian'gu and others upon their return, and also checking if any elders in the imperial court knew the origin of the Purple Flame Ghoul. Hearing him say that, Lu Bei naturally found it difficult to argue further.

Soon, the group started walking out. The mist in the mountains gradually grew denser, and unlike the initial white fog, this time it had a faint purple tint.

"Brother Zu, it seems to be getting dark," Ji Xiao Xi said timidly.

Zu'an nodded and then suddenly asked, "By the way, have you seen your father?"

"My father came too?" Ji Xiao Xi was surprised.

"Of course. You haven't returned for so many days; he must be worried sick. Your aunt said he came to Copper Gong Mountain looking for you," Zu'an replied.

"I haven't seen him! Oh no, it's so dangerous in these mountains now, Father..." Tears welled up in Ji Xiao Xi's eyes. "It's all my fault for insisting on coming to gather herbs. Otherwise, none of this would have happened."

"Don't worry, your father keeps a low profile; he should be able to protect himself," Zu'an said, feeling a little curious. "You're not usually an impulsive girl. What kind of herb was worth coming all this way for?" Copper Gong Mountain did have some decent herbs, but it was too close to the capital and frequently visited, making it difficult for rare treasures to grow. What then was it that she sought?

Ji Xiao Xi's face flushed slightly, and she whispered, "I came here to collect Shouyang Grass."

"Shouyang Grass?" Zu'an was startled. "That's an herb used for strengthening a man's foundation and cultivating vitality. Why are you collecting that?"

"Oh, Brother Zu, you have such deep knowledge of herbs now?" Seeing his professional demeanor, Ji Xiao Xi's eyes sparkled.

Zu'an found it inconvenient to explain the "Baopu True Scripture" to her at the moment. Suddenly, a realization dawned on him. "That old rascal Ji Dengtu is outrageous! He probably weakened himself and is making his daughter refine this kind of medicine for him!"

Ji Xiao Xi quickly waved her hand. "It has nothing to do with Father. It's specifically for you, Brother Zu... I picked it for you."

Zu'an: "???"

He looked utterly bewildered. What did this have to do with him?

Ji Xiao Xi lowered her head and whispered, "Father said you... that you're a philanderer, always surrounded by women, and they're all those 'innately charming' types who drain a man's vital essence the most. He said your body must be severely depleted. My father is very skilled in medicine, so he must have a reason for saying that, which is why I..."

The other people nearby immediately wore strange expressions, wanting to laugh but not daring to. They hadn't expected Sacrificial Wine to have such a side.

Zu'an's face was filled with indignation. "Your father is slandering me! My body is perfectly fine. I don't need this stuff!" He also understood why Ji Dengtu deliberately slandered him in front of his daughter. He probably worried about Zu'an getting close to Xiao Xi and wanted her to think Zu'an was a philanderer, so she wouldn't be "deceived" by him. What an absolute scoundrel! And I even wrote so many wonderful novels just for him!

Ji Xiao Xi said considerately, "Brother Zu, you don't need to be anxious. Actually, many patients with similar conditions are too embarrassed to admit it. But you're still young. I can help you recover with some conditioning."

Zu'an: "..."

Looking at her serious and professional expression, Zu'an knew she had fully entered her "doctor" mode. That scoundrel Ji Dengtu! How could he possibly explain this situation now?

Just then, his heart stirred, and he looked towards the northwest.

"What's wrong, Sacrificial Wine?" The others were already like startled birds. Seeing his reaction, they immediately tightened their grip on their weapons.

"There seem to be some chaotic energy fluctuations over there. Someone must be fighting," Zu'an said in a deep voice.

"Could it be my father?" Ji Xiao Xi nervously gripped his arm.

Zu'an pondered that it was indeed possible. Although Ji Dengtu had slandered him, for Xiao Xi's sake, he couldn't just stand by. However, the battle location was still quite far from here, and they wouldn't make it in time if everyone went together.

With a thought, he took out a formation disk and then waved out several flags, placing them in eight surrounding directions. Soon, a transparent light barrier enveloped them. He handed the formation disk to Ji Xiao Xi. "Wait here. As long as you stay within the formation's boundary, you'll be safe. I'll go take a look over there first." This Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation was quite powerful defensively. The type of monster they just encountered wouldn't be able to break through it quickly. Even if there were stronger monsters, the formation could hold for a while, and he would have returned in time.

After thinking for a moment, he handed her a yellow talisman and whispered a few words into her ear. Then, he instructed the other academy disciples to cooperate with Ji Xiao Xi before soaring into the sky and flying towards the northwest.