The Science of Cultivation [Xianxia]
Chapter 312: Lost in the Mist

Rushing over to the main hall, Li Lang found the rest of his students already there, whispering in low voices. It was obvious that everyone was unsettled. It was at times like this that he really wished Wei Ping were here to calm them down.

Shaking his head, Li Lang resolved himself to take charge alone.

Striding into the scene at a measured pace, everyone turned to him and quieted down immediately.

“Who was the one to receive the message from Rolling Tide?” he calmly projected his voice.

“I did,” answered a girl with fiery red hair.

“Shi Yan, tell me the exact words you heard.”

“‘Your emissary, Long Yi, is currently missing. We have dispatched all our disciples to search for him, and will keep you updated,’ is what they said.”

“That’s it? No details about what he was doing before he went missing?”

Unable to meet her headmaster's eyes, Shi Yan nodded.

"That's right."

The news made Li Lang’s mind race. There was just too little information and too many possibilities.

Was this incident caused by the Abductress and her faction? Could it be other deviators? Or was it possible that the enemies of the Rolling Tide Sect were looking to undermine them? With over a dozen reasons why Long Yi would go missing, Li Lang sorely needed more information.

“Teacher Li, we should head over there to join the search immediately!” Xiao Dong cried.

“Calm down, you muscle head,” Wu San reprimanded. “If Teacher Long can be found so easily by us, then the elders from the Rolling Tide Sect would’ve done so already. Acting without thought in such a situation will not help. We need to act with a plan, not emotion.”

“Y-yes,” the timid boy in the corner, known as Ouyang Jie, chimed in. “We should remain calm and wait for Teacher Wei to come back first. He’ll know what to do.”

Like a dam breaking, more and more of the students voiced a piece of their mind. Li Lang listened silently to their heated discussion without a word, not showing his agreement or disagreement.

They are mostly right. The Rolling Tide Sect should be earnestly trying to solve the issue themselves, since an incident happened in their territory. With so many Foundation Establishment cultivators and Violet Core experts at their disposal, if they can’t find Long Yi, then rushing there won’t change anything.

But should we really just stand around when Long Yi could need our help? The chances of the Rolling Tide Sect being in on his disappearance are low, but not entirely zero.

“I alone should go aid in the search efforts,” Li Lang quietly muttered as his students continued their heated discussion.

However, as the Headmaster, his words were important. They instantly paused their conversation and looked over at their leader.

“Teacher Li, if anyone shouldn’t go, it would be you,” Wu San calmly stated, as if it were a matter of fact. “Nominally, the area where Teacher Long went missing can be considered a hostile zone to our forces. Plus, we don’t have enough information about the situation at all. It would be a foolish mistake to let our leader venture there blind.”

“He’s right,” Shi Yan supported. “The Rolling Tide Sect already has numerous cultivators both in the Foundation Establishment Realm and Violet Core Realm that are likely more experienced than any of us. I don’t mean to be disrespectful in any way when I’m saying this, but what can you do that they couldn’t, Teacher Li?”

Up until that point, Li Lang operated on the premise that there was no good reason for him to be the one to go as well, but hearing his students’ words, he was instantly reminded of a particular technique he had put in the back of his mind until now.

“The Tracing Origin Art!” he suddenly blurted out. “How can I forget about it just because it was created by someone close to the Abductress? Both Teacher Wei and I have Teacher Long tracked in case we get split up.”

Perhaps due to all the research, Li Lang had been losing himself over, or due to subconsciously avoiding the technique that was supposedly created by an enemy, he had somehow let the all-important technique they employed in situations exactly like this slip.

While the Tracing Origin Art wasn’t perfect in that it could be disrupted, having the target tagged would make it a lot easier for Long Yi to be located. In fact, Li Lang channeled the technique right away to check Long Yi’s heading, and the results turned up empty.

Wherever he was, it somehow blocked the technique. However, Li Lang was confident he just needed to get closer in order to pick something up.

***

Making haste to the border of the Azure Mist province, it wasn’t long before a Skyrunner appeared on the horizon. It was white with a granulated texture, accented by golden platings on the rims.

As soon as Li Lang came to a stop near it, a woman with the appearance of being in her late twenties suddenly appeared before him. A moment later, a man of a similar age flew out of the white Skyrunner to join her, positioning himself deferentially behind her.

The abruptness of the woman’s arrival made it clear that she was a Violet Core expert.

“Greetings, Headmaster Li,” she greeted. “I am Lu Fengxian, an elder representing the Rolling Tide Sect. This is my disciple, Chen Kan, who will be at your service during your stay in our territory.”

Li Lang took a second to get a good look at his welcoming party. The woman’s youth wasn’t surprising, considering how easy it was for cultivators to control their appearance. However, her long hair was definitely eye-catching. Its color wasn’t set in stone. It kept flickering between white and blue every few seconds. A cruder Li Lang would’ve asked for a lock of hair already.

In contrast, the supposed disciple was a lot plainer. Short hair and average build. The man had a forgettable face.

“Thank you for welcoming me in person, Elder Lu,” Li Lang formally replied with his fist clasped. “Pardon my directness, but could you give me the details regarding the situation with the member of my academy? Surely, if your sect could spare a powerful elder like you to come greet me, you should’ve made good progress by now?”

“Yes, that is what would’ve happened in a perfect world,” the elder said with a wry smile. “Unfortunately, the place your delegate went missing complicates things. Have you perchance heard of the Magnolia Forest of our Azure Mist province?”

“No.”

“Then my disciple here will tell you all about it as we travel. It would be more efficient that way.”

“Very well. I am in your care.”

Stowing his Skyrunner into his space ring, Li Lang boarded his escort’s Skyrunner. As a property of a Violet Core elder, it was undoubtedly much faster than his own. While they headed further into the province, Li Lang got a rundown on the events leading up to Long Yi’s disappearance and the Magnolia Forest.

“You’re saying your powerful experts can’t help because you suspect he was taken deeper into this dangerous forest yours? How is that even possible? If he wandered so deep into it, he surely would’ve succumbed by now to all the powerful Qi beasts!” Li Lang inadvertently raised his voice as he frowned.

“The Magnolia Forest isn’t so simple,” the disciple, Chen Kan, explained. “It is rare, but some of the trees in the forest sometimes become sentient, becoming Qi beasts known as treants. They pull their prey underground where their network of roots is, slowly using them as sustenance. We’ve searched the parts that are known to us without any results, so we concluded it is likely they were forced to the depths of the forest where beasts as strong as my master reside. The moment any of our elders set foot in the area will attract a lot of attention.”

“So what? The only way is to go through this underground network with experts below the Violet Core Realm? In the first place, why did your disciples allow Long Yi to venture into someplace so dangerous?”

“This—usually doesn’t happen. The last incident was over eight hundred years ago. We suspect the cause this time is that they decided to venture into the forest during its mating season. His guide, Han Zemei, should've warned him, but evidently not enough. During this period, everything in the forest is more active, including the treants.”

“The cause isn’t important right now. Does your sect have a plan for finding them? If you don’t, I may have a way to locate them.”

Channeling the Tracing Origin Art again, Li Lang felt a faint presence—a direction. It wasn’t nearly as precise as he liked, but it was a start.

Instead of responding, Chen Kan glanced over at his master for instruction.

“I’m not sure if our sect could permit that, but I’ll make the inquiry.”