"Hmm? Are you the owner of this inn?" Yun Tian senior brother asked, looking at the man.

"Yes, indeed, I apologize, I overheard your conversation, so I couldn't help but speak up." The innkeeper's tone was full of apology.

"No problem!" Yun Tian senior brother said with a smile, "I didn't expect the shopkeeper could know someone from the immortality cultivation world and even have an array cast for you; it seems you have a good relationship with that person!"

"Indeed, I saved him once back then, nothing worth mentioning." The shopkeeper smiled, seemingly feeling an immense pride for being able to save a cultivator in the past.

Yun Tian senior brother nodded with a smile upon hearing this, "Your friend was really lucky to have met you in a crisis; this is indeed fate between both of you."

"Yes, I see that you all have an extraordinary aura, not like ordinary people; you must also be from the cultivation world, right?"

Although the shopkeeper used a questioning tone, Ye Tianfan and his companions could hear the certainty in his words.

Ye Tianfan and his companions smiled upon hearing this but did not speak. After all, who knows if the other party is good or evil, revealing one's identity brings no benefit and might invite disaster, so none of them spoke. Noticing their silence, the shopkeeper hurriedly apologized, "I was reckless, I apologize." After speaking, he instructed a nearby waiter that he would cover the cost of Ye Tianfan's table; after finishing his instructions, he again apologized to Ye Tianfan and his companions before turning aside and leaving.

Yun Tian senior brother, seeing the figure of the shopkeeper leaving, whispered to Ye Tianfan and others, "I sense that shopkeeper is not simple, he seemed to be trying to probe us. Let's eat, rest for a night, and set off early tomorrow; I have a feeling something is strange here."

"Really?" Ye Tianfan looked around in confusion, but finding nothing unusual, he let it go.

Ye Tianfan and his companions, after finishing their dinner, returned to their lodging satisfied, and Yun Tian senior brother said at the doorstep of his room: "Everyone, stay alert tonight. I feel more and more uneasy, though I can't say exactly why; it's always better to be cautious."

"Understood." Ye Tianfan and his companions nodded, even though they didn't feel anything wrong, but since Yun Tian senior brother felt uneasy, staying alert would be wise in case anything occurred; they could react in time.

As Ye Tianfan and his companions rested on their beds, they were unaware that two figures were watching them from their courtyard entrance.

One of them was the shopkeeper who approached them today, and the other was a veiled woman.

The shopkeeper lowered his head and ingratiatedly said to the veiled lady, "Honored Hall Master, those four are from the Taichu Sect, I overheard their conversation. However, they were very cautious and didn't mention their destination."

The veiled woman glanced lightly at the shopkeeper, a subtle nod apparent from the movement of her veil, she said, "I understand, hopefully, they won't affect the Sect Leader's plans."

Her voice was deep and resonant, though gentle, it carried a hint of ferocity.

The shopkeeper seemed oblivious to that ferocity, still ingratiatingly asked, "Hall Master, why not..." The shopkeeper didn't finish his sentence but made a slashing motion across his neck, clearly expressing what he meant.

The veiled woman frowned slightly, "No, that would alert them. The Sect Leader's plan can't afford any mistakes. Keep an eye on them, see what they're planning, and report to me anytime."

After saying that, the veiled woman disappeared in an instant.

The next day, Ye Tianfan and his companions got up, and after washing up, they gathered in the hall for breakfast. Yun Tian senior brother proposed, "Polo Cave is three to four thousand kilometers from here, if we hurry, it would take a day. I suggest we take two days, no need to rush, this way if any emergency arises, we'd have the energy to deal with it, and we still have several days before meeting with other sects. Arriving early, we could scout ahead, how about that?"

Upon hearing Yun Tian senior brother's suggestion, Ye Tianfan and the other three had no objections, so they decided to follow the plan. After purchasing some dry rations, they checked out and set off.

However, they were unaware that after they left, the shopkeeper retrieved a small yin-yang fish from behind the counter and whispered to the yin part of the fish, "Hall Master, I heard their conversation, they're heading to Polo Cave."

Soon, a gentle voice came from the yin fish, "Alright, got it."

After that, no more sounds emanated, and the shopkeeper reluctantly placed the yin fish back in its original place.

Ye Tianfan and his companions traveled by sword flight, taking five full days to cover the several thousand miles, rather than the planned two days. Along the way, they encountered several waves of Demon Sect members, whose origin was unclear, seeming to wait for them on purpose.

It wasn't just Ye Tianfan who felt something was off; everyone felt their whereabouts had been leaked, and those Demon Sect members were specifically waiting for them. However, on this day, Ye Tianfan and his companions finally arrived at Polo Cave's entrance. Seeing the surrounding environment, they were all greatly astonished, especially Ye Tianfan. If he hadn't been here before, he wouldn't be so shocked. It was precisely because he visited once before that the current scene was unbelievably startling. Within a five-mile radius, animal bones were scattered everywhere, he even spotted several human-like skeletons, vastly different from the many rocks and sparse vegetation he witnessed last time, now even more desolate and horrifying than before.

Yun Tian senior brother glanced at Ye Tianfan, then asked, "Was it like this last time you were here?" He asked Ye Tianfan this way because, in the Taichu Peak, Ye Tianfan never mentioned this, and such obvious impressions would be unforgettable.

"No, it wasn't like this last time. When I came before, all I saw were rocks, there were none of these bones." Ye Tianfan frowned. He wasn't sure what was happening now, only that they seemed to have arrived too late; whatever needed to be done had already been completed here.

Moreover, he could feel a deep resentment emanating from these bones.

Ye Tianfan and his companions exchanged looks, understanding clearly that those who hindered their journey must have done so because of this scene.

"Damn it, we seem to have arrived too late." Ma Feiyun said as he stomped fiercely on a pile of bones.