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After leaving the city, the deathly smog surrounded Ye Zichen and his companions.

In the Divine Realm, it was difficult to absorb divine power outside of cities. If you used up your energy, it was hard to replenish it. As such, they could only rely on medicine to support themselves.

However, since the situation was rather terrible outside, they had to use some of their divine power to resist the smog despite their unwillingness.

"The steward said the city lord went northwest, so this should be the right way. But we've flown for at least two hours already, and I've yet to see them," said Jiang Yong with a frown.

"Let's keep looking." Murong Xue focused on the world below. The others all took position on all four sides of the vessel and kept a lookout as well.

"There's a village below." Suddenly, one of the flowers of the Appearance Association, Dai Xiaoyan, pointed at a village below. The others immediately looked over.

"This is the first village we've seen in a long time. Should we go down and take a look?" asked Luo Zi.

After a few moments' hesitation, their mission leader made up her mind. "Let's go down and take a look. Regardless of whether there are people there or not, we're here to investigate. Let's explore and see if we can uncover any clues.

Jiang Long was currently performing the exhausting work of controlling the ship. When he heard Xue Mo's decision, he accordingly lowered the ship.

"It's hard to even imagine how the villages near Barren Sands City survive out here," muttered Xue Mo as she surveyed the nigh-endless wastes.

You couldn't fly for long on the divine mountains until reaching the diviner level, but traveling through the sand was exhausting. Xue Mo and the others had a flying machine, but such auxiliary divine artifacts were incredibly expensive. Indigenous people who wouldn't even afford to move to cities had absolutely no hope of using such a tool.

"They naturally have the skills needed to survive." Jiang Yong said flatly, then narrowed his eyes at their surroundings.

The buildings in the village were all tents. However, although the students didn't know just how they'd done it, the tents were far sturdier than they appeared.

Jiang Yong and the War God Pan Sheng took position at the front and back of the group. Luo Zi and Li Hu took up positions at the sides.

The others stood in the center. Together, they advanced and investigated.

"So many dead people…" Chen Guangfa looked around, eyes wide and alert. He was obviously the bulkiest of the team, but from his anxious expression, it seemed he was even more scared than the beauties of the Appearance Association.

"Wait a moment," said Ye Zichen. The entire time came to a stop, only to Ye Zichen dash up to a corpse, then traced his fingers over it and flipped it over.

The others frowned at his behavior. It's true that there were a lot of corpses around, but none of them were willing to touch them. After all, they didn't know the cause of death. Anyone would have worried that the corpses were contaminated with something they'd best not touch.

"Ye Zichen, don't touch them!" said Xue Mo in concern. "We'd be better of looking for survivors, or rather, meeting up with the city lord and getting a detailed overview of the situation."

Ye Zichen continued squatting beside the corpse. He didn't move at all. This time, he didn't just flip the corpse; he even removed it's clothes!

Instantly, the corpse's naked body was on full display for all to see.

Xue Mo and the two golden flowers of the Appearance Association shut their eyes. However, Queen Murong simply took a good look at the corpse and lightly shook her head.

It seemed that the thing that had caught this mighty queen of the Appearance Association's attention was beneath the corpse's waist, but above its legs?

"Brother Ye, what are you doing?" Jiang Yong couldn't quite figure out what he was up to and couldn't help but ask.

Ye Zichen knit his brows at the corpse's body, then dashed up to another and similarly destroyed its clothes. "Everyone, back away."

Ye Zichen got up from his crouch, then gestured for everyone to retreat. His companions all took a few steps back, then looked at Ye Zichen and the demigod artifact sword he was carrying.

"A demigod artifact." Murong Xue and Jiang Yong couldn't help but frown. Although they had demigod artifacts too, they both hailed from famous sects. Furthermore, they'd only received their demigod artifacts from their families after becoming sky supremes.

Shortly after arriving at Skyspan Academy, Ye Zichen stirred up quite the commotion.

As such, these two society heads had both secretly investigated him and discovered that he was an ascender.

He'd been on the Divine Mountains for less than two months, but he had a demigod artifact? Had Xue Mo given it to him?

Murong Xue glanced thoughtfully at Xue Mo.

However, that actually wasn't all that important. A mere demigod artifact wasn't enough to make them all that curious about Ye Zichen. Instead, they were more interested in just what he'd taken his sword out for.

Next, they saw Ye Zichen stand and bow deeply to the corpse, followed by a flash of sword light.

"Retreat!" Jiang Yong, who'd remained on edge this first time, instantly shouted. Pan Sheng bit through his finger and smacked the ground.

Countless spiritual inscriptions appeared on the ground they'd passed and glowed with dazzling blue light.

A spiritual formation!

The War God of the Aspiration Society was actually a formation master!

Pan Sheng's spiritual formation was naturally intended for defense. The marks intercrossed and formed a transparent, airtight fortress. Jiang Yong instantly appeared beside Ye Zichen and dragged him by the collar and into the formation's range.

"Not bad at all, Jiang Yong. To think your society managed to recruit a formations master!" Murong Xue crossed her arms and chuckled, but her gaze was a bit jealous.

Formation masters were rare talents in the God Realm. Their numbers were even lower than pill refiners; less than one in ten million.

Every faction would vie for even an ordinary formation master. Their status was lofty throughout the God Realm.

To think the Aspiration Society had a spiritual formation's support! It was only natural that Murong Xue would be a little jealous.

"I just got lucky," said Jiang Yong flatly, but his gaze was locked on the corpse. Ye Zichen had just chopped its arm off. "What's that…?"

The blood flowing from the stump of the corpse's severed limb was pitch-black, and seemed extremely corrosive. When it touched the golden sand, it corroded and blackened. Furthermore, as it splattered against the sand, a huge volume of dark purple smog floated up and spread outward.

"This isn't death qi; death qi is supposed to be reddish grey," shouted Li Hu.

"Brother Ye, did you discover something?" asked Jiang Yong.

Ye Zichen had inexplicably walked up a corpse, stripped it, then severed his arm. This entire series of events was rather strange; obviously, he'd sensed something about the corpse or uncovered something that his companions hadn't.

"Right now, it's just a hypothesis. I have no definitive proof." Ye Zichen narrowed his eyes at the purple smog, then at the dimly discernable buildings. "Let's go inside and have a look."