"Everything follows the Thirteenth Prince's orders!"
Everyone naturally could only comply with Yun Kaige's words.
Of course, they didn't want to abandon a strong companion like Shi An. In these ruins, opportunities need to be seized, but they are also accompanied by many dangers. Having a powerful ally is obviously better.
Thus, everyone headed in the direction where Shi An had previously left.
After traveling tens of thousands of miles east, they arrived at a place and discovered traces of battle all around.
"There is the aura of Senior Brother Shi An here. Such battle traces suggest that the enemy Shi An encountered is exceptional." Wang Shuo looked at the battle marks around him and said with a slight frown.
"The battle was indeed fierce. Could it be that crazy woman Zi Ling?" Tan Yingping voiced his opinion.
"Unlikely. When Zi Ling fights others, she never uses weapons, only her fists. However, from the battle we see here, the opponent also used a sharp sword, and their swordsmanship is on par with Senior Brother Shi An's." Tong Hu, an old disciple of the Yunlong Heavenly Palace, understood Zi Ling quite well and could see at a glance that the battle here had nothing to do with Zi Ling.
"Could it be that guy Lin Chen?" Observing the battle traces and sensing the burnt smell of flames, Liu Yong immediately thought of Lin Chen, who excelled in the Fire Control Technique and the Flame Explosion Talisman.
"Unlikely. Although Lin Chen is adept at using talisman inscriptions to bomb enemies, his expertise relies on those talismans. His strength shouldn't be comparable to Shi An's. How could he engage in such intense swordplay with Shi An?" Having clashed with Lin Chen on Qingbi Island, Tan Yingping didn't think Lin Chen had such capabilities.
Even though Lin Chen had many tactics, in Tan Yingping's view, they were just side doors and not comparable to true strong fighters of the Yunlong Heavenly Palace. If Lin Chen didn't use those talisman inscriptions, Tan Yingping could take down Lin Chen in minutes.
So, no matter what, Lin Chen couldn't have fought Shi An with swordsmanship and caused such destruction around.
Upon hearing Tan Yingping's response, Liu Yong immediately shot a glare. If it weren't for Tan Yingping's strength and methods, he would have cursed him out loud.
In Liu Yong's view, this guy was simply brain-dead. He tried to drag this incident onto Lin Chen, wanting to make Lin Chen the scapegoat if anything happened to Shi An.
However, Tan Yingping, this bastard, went so far as to help clear Lin Chen's name. Those unaware might think he had a closer relation with Lin Chen.
"You're forgetting something. Back at the foot of the mountain, Lin Chen sold many talisman inscriptions to other martial artists, so the fire burns here might not have been caused by Lin Chen. It could very well be the work of those who bought Lin Chen's talisman inscriptions." After analyzing, Tan Yingping spoke up, his gaze turning toward Liu Yong, thinking he was brain-dead for not seeing this obvious reasoning. The person who acted was not likely Lin Chen.
Seeing Tan Yingping's condescending look as if taking him for an idiot, Liu Yong was full of anger. If not for Tan Yingping's strength, Liu Yong couldn't help but want to attack him.
"So, who do you think is most likely to have attacked Senior Brother Shi An?" Liu Yong asked Tan Yingping in an annoyed tone.
You like analyzing, don't you? Then solve this problem. Liu Yong thought secretly, wishing to tear Tan Yingping apart.
"Those who entered the canyon, excluding the people from Black Yan Hall, if only those who entered earlier, I, Thirteenth Prince, Ninth Prince, Sixth Prince, Zi Ling, you Liu Yong, and Bai Ze from Black Yan Hall are all potential suspects against Senior Brother Shi An."
"But before we arrived here, we signed a Blood Contract, agreeing not to attack each other until we reached the Water of Life, so we all can be ruled out as suspects."
"Moreover, Ninth Prince and Bai Ze from Black Yan Hall aren't in the same league as Senior Brother Shi An. Even if Shi An had that defensive magical treasure, they weren't his match, so they can also be ruled out."
"Earlier, Wang Shuo mentioned that that crazy Zi Ling never uses weapons in fights, so she can also be ruled out. That leaves Sixth Prince as the final suspect." After analyzing, Tan Yingping expressed his view.
Hearing Tan Yingping's analysis, Liu Yong rolled his eyes, thinking this guy was losing his mind. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ ⓝovelFire.net
In the Cloud Dragon Kingdom, everyone knew Sixth Prince Yun Feiyang was not competitive, gentle by nature, and friendly. Liu Yong would rather suspect Lin Chen than Sixth Prince.
Tan Yingping's theory seemed reasonable, but upon closer scrutiny, it was full of loopholes.
Although Lin Chen's strength was unlikely to pose a threat to Shi An, Liu Yong knew that Lin Chen's true capabilities should never be underestimated.
Lin Chen was exceptionally talented, so who knows if he had made a breakthrough in cultivation during this period?
"Enough. This isn't the time to pin down suspects. Let's find Shi An first, and then this question will resolve itself." Yun Kaige spoke calmly.
Yun Kaige wasn't interested in whether anyone attacked Shi An. As long as Shi An was alive, that was sufficient. He wanted to find Shi An quickly and then head together to that cave containing the Water of Life.
"Thirteenth Prince, judging by the intensity of the battle here, there's a high possibility that Senior Brother Shi An either suffered a fatal blow or is gravely injured. He might have hidden himself to heal due to heightened vigilance; otherwise, why hasn't he sought our help?" Tan Yingping continued to analyze in a calm tone while looking at Yun Kaige.
Hearing this, Yun Kaige furrowed his brow, finding Tan Yingping's analysis quite reasonable.
Given Shi An's character, although pride was significant, he was someone who held grudges. If seriously injured, he would come find them to deal with his opponent together.
But they hadn't seen Shi An for a long time, and this situation was unusual in itself.