The Boundary-Breaking Talisman failed to transport Zheng He, and in the massive explosion, he vanished without a trace, though he should have been teleported to an absolutely safe location.

"Bah!"

The old man spat heavily at the scene before him.

That fool! Not only did he get himself killed, but he also ruined the mission, truly deserving of his fate!

In the face of the spatial collapse, it wasn't just Zheng He, a mere Golden Core cultivator, who perished— even someone like the old man, on the verge of Divine Transformation, would be pulverized and reduced to ashes.

To die in such a way was almost too merciful for that idiot. The only regret was that the stone his master wanted had disappeared along with him, and now his master would inevitably be enraged once more.

With a wave of his hand, the old man vanished instantly, and in the blink of an eye, the bustling street returned to its lively state as if he had never been there at all.

...

"Huh, why did the wind suddenly blow so hard?"

As the wind died down, Zhu Qing rubbed his eyes, nearly filled with sand, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease. "Boss, what do you think..."

He turned to ask Zheng He, who had been standing next to him, but suddenly realized that he was gone.

"Huh? Where's the boss?" Zhu Qing instinctively looked around, but the bustling street showed no sign of any disturbance, except for the fact that Zheng He had disappeared.

"Wasn't the boss just right next to you?" Zhou Ren noticed Zheng He was missing too but didn't seem too concerned. "Maybe he didn't want to drink with you, so he left early."

"Don't joke around. That wind must've been strange!" Zhou Yi cut off his brother's teasing, his expression immediately becoming wary. "Uncle Guan, do you have a way to confirm where the boss is right now?"

"Young Master may be in trouble. I must return to the City Lord's Mansion immediately!"

Uncle Guan couldn't contact Zheng He and sensed faint spatial fluctuations in the area, his face changing dramatically.

In the blink of an eye, Zheng He had vanished right under the noses of so many people. It was impossible not to be alarmed.

Seeing this, Zhu Qing and the others didn't dare to waste any more time and quickly followed Uncle Guan back to the City Lord's Mansion to search for Zheng He.

However, none of them expected that Zheng He's disappearance would become permanent. From that day forward, he was never heard from again. And in their lifetimes, they never saw their childhood friend, their boss, ever again—a parting for eternity.

Zhang Yiyi had no idea about the major events that had occurred after she left Jiagu Guan City, nor did she know that Zheng He had been implicated because of her and was now missing, his life or death unknown.

As for the stone she had acquired for ten spirit herbs, each five thousand years old, it was immediately swallowed by the bronze mirror the moment she placed it in her storage ring, showing no sign of activity in the short term.

Upon safely returning to her sect and completing her external mission, she could finally return to the First Peak of the inner sect to meet her master and senior brothers.

The elder in charge of the mission hall met with Zhang Yiyi personally. After listening to her account of the disappearance of the three outer disciples, he couldn't help but feel relieved.

Who would have thought that such a seemingly insignificant matter of a few missing outer disciples would be hiding such a complex conspiracy, with a level of danger that was truly terrifying?

Had this task not been taken on by True Saint Jiang Heng's last disciple, who had multiple life-saving means at her disposal, the sect might have lost another disciple without even knowing why.

"Elder, this is some kind of unknown substance I discovered in the Liuyun Mine. I suspect that it's related to why those ants mutated and grew stronger."

Zhang Yiyi handed over a portion of the black substance she had collected from the Liuyun mine to the elder in the mission hall. If this substance had any value or potential for research, the elder would report it to the sect for further handling.

"You mean you found all of this in the Liuyun Mine?"

The moment the elder saw the black powder, his entire expression changed, clearly shocked.

"That's right. Is there a problem?"

Zhang Yiyi watched as the elder snatched the black powder from her, secretly wondering if she had brought back some kind of major trouble.

"Yes, and it's a serious problem... But it has nothing to do with you. You've done well. The sect will take over from here."

The elder, visibly distracted, carefully stored the substance before preparing to leave. "This matter is urgent. I must immediately see the sect master. Your mission points and rewards will be doubled. Go claim them yourself."

After hurriedly explaining, the elder rushed off to the inner Five Peaks to find the sect master, though he at least remembered to double Zhang Yiyi's rewards before he left.

Seeing this, Zhang Yiyi could easily deduce that this wasn't the first time the black substance had been discovered. Otherwise, the elder wouldn't have reacted so dramatically and run off without further explanation.

After exchanging her mission points and rewards, Zhang Yiyi returned to the First Peak.

After meeting with her master, Zhang Yiyi recounted everything that had happened during her trip.

Compared to the dry, brief report she had given to the elder, her retelling now was much more detailed and vivid.

She spoke of her experience in Jia Fang's abode, about Maoqiu, the details of the mutated ant colony, the life-and-death dangers at the Bai family's cave, and every little moment from the auction house.

Zhang Yiyi shared everything she couldn't speak of with others freely and comfortably with her master. It was both a moment of sharing and a release of emotions.

Only at times like these did Zhang Yiyi feel like she truly had a home, a place where she belonged as a child or a junior. There was no need to be on guard or constantly careful.

"It seems you've gained quite a lot from this training experience," Jiang Heng said, looking at Zhang Yiyi with affection and satisfaction.

If there was one thing this child was lacking, it was that she was still too young and inexperienced. As a result, her methods of handling certain situations were sometimes a bit immature, and she tended to be overly kind.

However, these were things that couldn't be changed overnight. She would need to gradually understand and improve on her own over time.

"Yes, Master, you're absolutely right! Cultivation isn't just about sitting at home and meditating all day. One has to go out and explore the world."

Zhang Yiyi wholeheartedly agreed with her master. Sitting at home all the time, no matter how strong one's fate with immortality was, opportunities weren't just going to fall into one's lap. The more she traveled, the more experiences she gained, and as her mind was tempered, she would naturally be better able to find the opportunities meant for her.

"Oh, and Master, these are gifts I've brought for you. Though they might not mean much to someone of your stature, they're my first gifts to you after my trip, and they represent my respect and gratitude. Please, you must accept them! I've also set aside gifts for Martial Uncle, Senior Brother, and Second Senior Brother."

Zhang Yiyi quickly took out some of the best heavenly materials and treasures she had collected to offer her master as a token of her appreciation.

Over the years, she had received so much from her master and the others, but this was the first time she had the chance to give back.