Chapter 78: The Culprit

"Senior Sister, what happened just now? Why did you suddenly scream and run away?" Ye Xin crouched down, helping the terrified Liu Yueqian to her feet. "If it weren't for the token that Xiao Qian gave us, you might have been lost in the thick fog."

Lin Qian, also curious, looked at Liu Yueqian, waiting for her explanation.

Earlier, as they were walking together, Liu Yueqian had suddenly let out a piercing scream, her soul power flaring as she rushed madly into the fog. If not for the tactical map and the token that Lin Qian had given her, allowing them to track her position, she might have been lost in this eerie land.

The fog in the Dead Lands was so dense that it made visibility nearly impossible, and even for those who had broken through to the Nirvana Realm and could extend their soul senses, the fog limited their range to just a few meters. Without the token and tactical map, finding Liu Yueqian would have been like searching for a needle in a haystack.

"I... I felt someone watching me from behind. When I turned around, I saw a child, about three years old, smiling at me," Liu Yueqian recounted, still shaken. "Then, I noticed you all moving further away, so I tried to catch up, but you suddenly sped up and left me behind."

"When I looked back again, that child was right behind me, and then you all disappeared in front of me."

Her words cast a shadow over the group's mood. Ye Xin, Wang Lanxin, and Zhu Xiaojia all turned pale.

Lin Qian frowned, shaking his head slightly. "We would never abandon you. After you screamed, you suddenly ran off into the fog. It was only because of the token I gave you that we could find you."

Liu Yueqian's face turned ashen as she whispered, "So... the people I saw before weren't really you?"

Lin Qian's expression turned cold as he scanned the fog surrounding them. "It seems there's something in this fog, playing tricks on us."

The unsettling noises that filled the air—those eerie whispers and cries—now seemed even more sinister.

Yet, Lin Qian remained unshaken. The thunderous soul power of his Lightning Night Sword naturally repelled all things evil. The imperial soul power he had awakened in the Nirvana Realm was supreme and unyielding, making him immune to such ghostly influences.

"I think these disturbances are caused by something in the fog, even if there aren't any undead wandering around during the day," Lin Qian speculated, looking at Liu Yueqian. "You were likely under the influence of some kind of illusion."

Ye Xin, still worried, asked, "Xiao Qian, what should we do? If Senior Sister hadn't noticed it in time, what would have happened?"

Lin Qian nodded thoughtfully. "Good point. Here's what we'll do: I'll use my soul power to shield all of you. With my thunderous soul power, it should prevent this from happening again."

But as soon as Lin Qian suggested this, Ye Xin grabbed his hand, concern evident in her eyes. "But won't that drain your soul power too much? Can you really keep it up?"

"Sister-in-law, don't worry about that. Boss's soul power seems endless," Lei Qian said with a chuckle, amused by Ye Xin's concern.

Ye Xin turned to Lei Qian in surprise. "Is Xiao Qian's soul power really that abundant?"

Lei Qian sighed and pointed to the others. "Before we came here, the five of us fought against Boss every day, from dawn till dusk. He never once needed to rest, and his soul power never ran dry."

Ye Xin looked back at Lin Qian, astonished, while he simply shrugged innocently.

With the limitless spiritual energy of the Huaxia Empire constantly refining his body and converting into pure soul power, Lin Qian never had to worry about running out of energy. As long as the empire stood, his power was virtually infinite.

Standing at the forefront, Lin Qian released his soul power. The air crackled as golden lightning intertwined with his soul energy, forming a protective dome around them.

With Lin Qian's thunderous soul power shielding them, they continued deeper into the Dead Lands. Time passed, and the group, now under Lin Qian's protection, experienced no further disturbances.

Liu Yueqian, who had been shaken earlier, finally began to relax. The earlier encounter had been terrifying, but now she felt safe.

Suddenly, Lin Qian's expression changed, and he rushed off in a specific direction.

Surprised, the others quickly followed.

"Xiao Qian, what is it?" Ye Xin asked, concerned by his sudden urgency.

Before Lin Qian could respond, Ye Xin saw what had caught his attention—a soldier from his swift unit lay on the ground, lifeless. A gruesome wound pierced through his chest, and blood trickled onto the blackened earth.

As the group stared at the fallen soldier, their expressions turned grim, except for Lin Qian, who remained composed.

Before their eyes, the soldier's body and armor suddenly ignited in flames, burning fiercely until all that was left was a pile of black ash.

The others were baffled, but Lin Qian understood. The soldiers of the Huaxia Empire were not truly alive but advanced constructs, intelligent machines with bodies resembling flesh and blood. Upon death, they, along with their equipment, would disintegrate into ashes, much like in the world Lin Qian had come from.

Though the loss of a soldier was not a major concern, it indicated that there was indeed danger lurking in these lands.

"Wasn't there supposed to be no undead activity during the day? So why did this happen?" Ye Xin asked, confused and worried as she stared at the ashes.

Lin Qian scanned the area, then, with a knowing smile, he said coldly, "I know who the culprit is. And it's quite surprising."