Chapter 957: The Disappearance Of The Prodigies

Everything on Shadow Island was proceeding in an orderly manner.

However, significant challenges lay ahead, with many settings yet to be discovered and refined.

But across the various regions of Yunxing, things had recently become turbulent.

For half a month, despite clear skies, not a single ray of sunlight could be seen across Yunxing. The entire planet was shrouded in a gray haze, as if an invisible barrier loomed overhead, suffocating the people of Yunxing.

Coincidentally, during this time, the young prodigies and top talents from various regions had been frequently falling or disappearing.

Logically, these young prodigies were all nurtured by major factions, hailed as the future of their respective domains. Such individuals would undoubtedly possess numerous life-saving measures, yet they still met with misfortune. Everyone sensed that something unusual was afoot.

Moreover, the black mist connecting the various regions had recently shown frequent disturbances, occasionally leaking powerful auras, as if some great evil was about to awaken.

The Tianxia Hui (World Association) immediately responded to these events. First, they intensified efforts to investigate the reasons behind the prodigies' deaths and disappearances. Second, they instructed all regions under their jurisdiction to closely monitor the black mist and listen for any signs of activity, ensuring they could react promptly to any sudden developments.

Additionally, they notified the sages of each region to remain vigilant.

On Heavenly Island, Qin Lan, the sage of the Qin family, set down the letter in his hand, his expression grave.

Although he was not a member of the Tianxia Hui, he would cooperate with them in such matters.

"The world is becoming unstable," he murmured. "If only we could find that senior."

Thinking of that person, Qin Lan felt as though he had found his anchor.

He took out a jade slip and contacted Qin Nan and Qin Zhiyu, who were out searching for that senior.

First, he urged them to expedite their search for the senior's whereabouts.

Second, he wanted to remind them to be cautious, as the disappearances and deaths of many prodigies in other regions had also made him sense something amiss.

However, there was no response from the jade slip for a long time.

"What's going on?" Qin Lan felt a sense of foreboding and immediately stood up, releasing his sage aura. His divine sense swept across the entire Heavenly Domain, searching region by region for the auras of Qin Zhiyu and Qin Nan.

Sensing Qin Lan's divine sense, Qin Yi, the head of the Qin family, and other high-ranking members hurried over, their expressions grave as they awaited Qin Lan's findings.

After a moment, Qin Lan opened his eyes, his face heavy.

"Zhiyu and Nan'er have disappeared."

"What?" The words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving everyone pale.

Qin Nan and Qin Zhiyu were the future of the Qin family, both highly likely to succeed Qin Lan as the family's sage.

"Ancestor, what exactly happened?" Qin Yi asked anxiously. "Nan'er and Zhiyu were carrying the divine blade you gave them. With their own strength and the blade, unless a sage intervened, even a semi-sage couldn't have made them disappear without a trace!"

Qin Lan's expression darkened. "It must have been a sage. My divine sense swept the entire Heavenly Domain, but I couldn't detect their auras."

"A sage?" Qin Yi jumped up, cursing. "What kind of sage would stoop so low as to attack juniors? And our Qin family has always kept a low profile, never having deep-seated grudges with other sages."

"It's likely related to the Black Domain," Qin Lan said, handing over the letter from the Tianxia Hui.

"Many prodigies from other regions have also disappeared or died?" Qin Yi's face turned even more anxious as he read the letter. "Is this the work of the Black Domain's demons? Their actions are clearly aimed at cutting off the roots of humanity, destroying our future. How despicable!"

"Hmph, in a war between races, they won't care about being despicable," Qin Lan said grimly.

"Ancestor, what should we do next? We must save Nan'er and Zhiyu!"

"Yes, Ancestor, those children have always been obedient. We've watched them grow up. We can't let them just..."

"We must save them."

"Given the involvement of the Black Domain, this won't be easy," Qin Lan said, frowning. "The Tianxia Hui is currently investigating this matter. For now, we can only wait for their updates."

"Fortunately, their soul lamps are still lit."

Everyone clenched their fists, nodding silently.

They understood Qin Lan's words. Even as a sage family, dealing with the Black Domain made rescuing them far from simple.

For now, the only comfort was that their soul lamps were still burning.

But this sense of helplessness was truly unbearable.

Several days passed.

The disappearances of Yunxing's prodigies continued, drawing even greater attention from the Tianxia Hui and causing widespread unease across the planet.

On the calm sea, a large ship bearing a red flag floated on the water.

"Brother, all the guards are dead," Qin Zhiyu said gravely as she approached Qin Nan on the deck. Her face was pale, her expression heavy. "Less than one in ten of the crew remains. If this drags on, not only will we fail to find the senior, but we might all die here."

"Ugh!" Qin Nan slammed his fist against the cabin wall, turning to reveal a pale face, his eyes bloodshot, his spirit utterly exhausted, and his expression one of deep fatigue.

Following Qin Lan's instructions, they had been searching the Heavenly Domain for the senior's whereabouts. But after sailing to this point, it felt as though they had entered a strange loop.

No matter which direction they headed, they always ended up back where they started.

But that wasn't the most terrifying part. The most terrifying thing was that ever since entering this sea, a mysterious force in the air had been draining their cultivation and life force.

It felt like parasites were attached to their bodies, impossible to shake off, slowly sucking their blood and watching them die.

The guards Qin Zhiyu mentioned had fallen one by one in this manner.

Now, apart from the two siblings, fewer than ten people on the ship were still clinging to life.

"No matter what, we have to try again. We can't just die here," Qin Nan said, his voice filled with determination.

With that, he quickly entered the cabin and took the helm himself.

The ship, bearing the red flag, sounded its horn and set sail, cutting through the waves as it headed toward the sea ahead.

In reality, such attempts had been repeated many times over the past few days, but the result was always the same.

This time was no exception.

No matter how hard they struggled, they couldn't escape this sea. Their cultivation and life force continued to drain away with every passing moment.

"Ah!"

"Ahhhhh!"

"Whoever is behind this, show yourself! Fight me if you dare!"

On the verge of a breakdown, Qin Nan roared wildly, swinging his sword. Explosions rang out, and the surrounding sea churned with massive waves, shaking the ship violently.

But once the waves subsided, the sea returned to its calm state, offering no response to Qin Nan's challenge...

Beside him, Qin Zhiyu, her face pale, clenched her fists tightly, biting her bloodless lips, her eyes filled with despair.

This feeling was unbearable.

She would rather have a fierce battle and die by the sword than endure this slow, helpless decline, watching herself wither away.

Yet, just as the siblings were on the brink of despair, a figure appeared faintly on the distant horizon...