"How could Jiang Yue be here, and what's her situation?!"

Jiang Yue's appearance seemed to disrupt Jiang Huai's plans, and his face showed a hint of discomfort.

Under Han Zhan's watchful gaze, he could only speak truthfully: "Jiang Yue has been infected, not just a simple infection, but an anomaly within her body has been activated. However, due to the infection not being long enough, it's in a delicate balance."

"This is your real intention, isn't it? To conveniently take the Little Returning Pill from me, then track Jiang Yue to uncover the deeper secrets behind the infection. Clan Leader Jiang, your calculations are quite impressive."

Han Zhan was no child; there was no need to rush over in the middle of the night for the crafting of the Little Returning Pill, regardless of success or failure, as it would be an unnecessary waste of a pill, not worth it.

The only reasonable explanation was that Jiang Huai's purpose wasn't here with him.

It wasn't until Jiang Yue appeared that the truth became clear.

Jiang Huai's schemes were laid bare, and he said no more, stealthily trailing not far behind Jiang Yue.

Han Zhan hesitated no longer and followed Jiang Huai in pursuit.

He also wanted to see what Jiang Yue, after being contaminated, was up to going out at night.

Jiang Huai at the front had a steady pace, as if he wasn't tracking for the first time.

The Jiang Clan was settled beside a remote mountain, with a large mountain nearby.

The dark mountain at night was pitch black, like a huge dark cloth blending into the night.

Also merging into the night were the three of them, including Han Zhan.

Leading in front, Jiang Yue, though small, walked smoothly through the terrain, giving off an unspeakably eerie vibe.

Trailing behind, Jiang Huai was the first to falter.

At night, his strength was less than ordinary; after walking for over half an hour up the mountain, he was already gasping for breath.

Seeing this, Han Zhan asked in some surprise, "You're so weak, how did you track her before? Didn't you risk losing her due to fatigue?"

Jiang Huai panted slightly. "No, because I've only tracked her once before, and she returned before even entering the mountain. I don't know why she's been persistent today."

Perhaps it has something to do with me? Hearing this, Han Zhan thought with a slight sense of guilt.

The Creation of Living Beings, a talent of the Shennong Cauldron, has the effect of healing all wounds on the body, restoring it to its original state.

So if the strange ailments entangling the Jiang Clan weren't ailments or even a curse, but rather 'wounds'?

Just as the two finished speaking, Jiang Yue, who was walking briskly ahead, completely vanished into the night.

"Not good! We lost her!" Jiang Huai cried out in alarm.

He wanted to say more but was abruptly pulled aside by Han Zhan.

In that instant, a massive shadow fell from the sky, landing where Jiang Huai had just stood.

It revealed its original form out of the night.

It was a monster!

Resembling a tiger in shape, it bore three different head shapes, each with a gaping maw showing sharp teeth.

Its fur was entirely black, with a pair of bone wings on its back, a true 'adding wings to a tiger.'

What was even more unexpected was that Jiang Yue, who should have been missing, suddenly appeared atop a tree, watching Han Zhan and Jiang Huai with crimson eyes in chilling silence.

"That's not Jiang Yue," Han Zhan asserted, "from the beginning, it's been imitating Jiang Yue to draw us out of the Jiang Tribe."

"The Jiang Tribe has not been attacked, proving that even after Shennong's downfall, it still protects its people."

"You're clever, outsider. Thanks to you, otherwise, it would take decades to activate the seal within this little girl. You allowed me to revive early, and I must thank you greatly."

A sinister voice came from Jiang Yue's mouth.

The body maintaining Jiang Yue's appearance suddenly transformed into a dense mist.

This black mist spun and gathered, as if it was meant to be this way.

"It's the curse!" As the clan leader, Jiang Huai naturally recognized this form, distinctly reminiscent of the black mist that appeared swallowing Jiang Clan members at age thirty-five!

He never imagined he'd see this sight prematurely.

This black mist was more aggressive and terrifying than ever before.

"Don't lose your composure; it's deliberately revealing its original form to panic and mislead you."

The black mist's impact on Jiang Huai was far greater than on Han Zhan, who remained calm enough to analyze the reasons behind its actions.

"It's stalling time for the Little Returning Pill!" Han Zhan suddenly realized, revealing the truth.

The Little Returning Pill, one of Shennong's pill formulas, surely had more to it than described.

The ability to walk at night, unaffected by rules, was itself a new rule!

The power of rules is fearsome and unimaginable.

The Little Returning Pill's rule protects from nighttime erosion, encompassing any threats within the night itself.

The black mist opposite, and the Bone-Winged Black Tiger it commands, cannot harm us now!

With Han Zhan's reminder, Jiang Huai suddenly understood.

"It wants to wait out the Little Returning Pill's time, then make a move against us!"

What are we waiting for? Run! Jiang Huai thought, turning immediately, running towards the Jiang Tribe without a word.

But in the next moment, the black tiger blocked his path.

With Han Zhan's perceptive eyes, he couldn't even see how it moved.

Tier Nine, another Tier Nine! The terrifying power of the nighttime creature was just like the daytime Jiang Clan people, instilling a sense of powerlessness, with no desire or spirit to resist.

"So what if you see through it? The moment you left the Jiang Tribe, your fate was sealed. There's no use in struggling meaninglessly."

The cold voice chuckled from the dense black mist.

Jiang Huai's composure was shattered.

This time, he only took one Little Returning Pill, lasting three hours. Once that time is up, the night's erosion will be unstoppable.

It's just past nine now, with a long time until daylight.

What to do? Claiming to be unafraid of death would be a lie. Jiang Huai instinctively cast a help-seeking glance beside him, where the outsider Han Zhan remained unruffled.

"You have a way, don't you?"

"You must have a way; outsiders are cunning. You must have a backup plan."

As if Jiang Huai's words were true, Han Zhan stopped hiding.

He extended his hand, palm open, revealing seven or eight smooth, white pills, emitting a gentle glow—Little Returning Pills, no doubt?

Seeing so many Little Returning Pills, a glimmer of hope ignited in Jiang Huai's despairing eyes.

Just as he reached to take one to extend his time, Han Zhan suddenly retracted his hand.

"You! How could you have so many Little Returning Pills?! They require life to create; it's not something easily made!" The voice in the dense black mist also carried disbelief.

"Oh, you know quite a lot. But do you recognize what this is?"

As soon as Han Zhan finished speaking.

He performed a spell with his hands, and a giant cauldron with an ancient aura appeared as a phantom overhead.

The Shennong Cauldron!

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