Each night, Lin Mu used the opportunity to meditate and refine his Immortal qi and essence, while Elyon maintained his surveillance arrays to keep track of any disturbances nearby.

As the seventh day dawned, a massive skyline appeared before them. The view stretched so far that even Lin Mu’s sharp immortal sense had to expand to take it all in.

"There it is," Elyon said, pointing ahead. "Pale Dusk City."

The sight was truly impressive.

The city sprawled across the horizon, easily spanning a hundred kilometers in area. It was encircled by a wall of pale gray stone that shimmered faintly under the sunlight. From above, it resembled a giant wheel, with dozens of main roads radiating outward from the central district like spokes.

Lin Mu’s eyes widened slightly as he took in the scale. "It’s almost as big as the main area of Dao Wind Capital," he murmured. "Though the Dao Wind Capital might still surpass it, considering its sub-cities and farmlands."

Daoist Chu smiled faintly. "Indeed. But Pale Dusk City’s beauty lies in its architecture. Look at that central spire, it’s outer layer is made from translucent Dusk Light crystals. It’s said to glow at night, reflecting moonlight across the entire city. It’s said that the central spire alone reduced their power consumption for lighting the city by half."

"They certainly don’t skimp out on the infrastructure." Meng Bai muttered.

Cattaleya let out a low whistle. "For a place so far from the capital, it’s impressive. No wonder it’s considered the second-largest city in the dynasty."

Little Shrubby flew lower, circling slowly as they admired the view.

Below them, they could see sprawling districts, each with its own unique character. To the north were the merchant quarters, filled with countless shops and trading houses. To the west lay the cultivation districts, marked by large courtyards and qi gathering arrays.

The eastern side was dotted with farmland and markets, while the southern outskirts merged into a vast river port, teeming with boats and barges carrying goods.

"It’s more than just big," Elyon said, narrowing his eyes. "The density of Qi here is higher than I expected. Someone has reinforced the city’s foundation with powerful Qi concentrating formation arrays."

"That might explain its importance," Lin Mu replied. "A city this large and spiritually stable could be a perfect hiding spot for someone like the Ephemera Sect. Too much activity, too many people... it’s easy to blend in."

Monk Hushu clasped his hands together, his tone calm but serious. "Then we will have to proceed carefully. If this city holds clues, they will not be found easily."

Lin Mu nodded. "Agreed. Let’s find a place to stay first. Once we settle, we’ll begin investigating Elyon’s list and see if any of the disappearances trace back here."

As Little Shrubby descended toward the grand city gates, the group steeled themselves for what awaited them inside. Though they had already seen much horror in the snowfields, something about the atmosphere of Pale Dusk City made Lin Mu uneasy.

Beneath the grandeur and bustle, he could sense faint traces of something else... a subtle distortion in the flow of Qi, something almost imperceptible, but not natural.

Whatever it was, Lin Mu knew they were about to uncover another layer of the Ephemera Sect’s web.

.

.

.

A full month had passed since Lin Mu and his companions had first arrived in Pale Dusk City.

The sprawling settlement was one of the largest in the central region of the Darkhan Dynasty, a city where it rarely got dark during the night. Even its name seemed fitting for the kind of place it was—a city where even the dusk turned pale.

During this month, Lin Mu and his companions had done little else but work, investigating the many disappearances that had been troubling the people of Pale Dusk City.

Some of these cases were whispered about in taverns and markets, while others were quietly brushed aside by the authorities. The group had come here looking for traces of the Ephemera Sect’s involvement, yet despite their efforts, they had found nothing to tie these disappearances to the elusive enemy.

Since they could not afford to miss even the faintest clue, Lin Mu had decided that they would investigate all of them, regardless of how trivial they might seem. To do that efficiently, they split into smaller groups whenever a case appeared simple enough.

When the matter seemed more complicated or required extra power, they joined forces. Their teamwork had only improved since arriving, and even the most evasive criminals in the city found it difficult to escape their pursuit.

Cattaleya handled the more physical cases with a direct approach.

If a criminal refused to speak, her glare alone was often enough to make them talk. Elyon worked the shadows, gathering secrets in the dark places of the city that few dared to enter. Little Shrubby was indispensable when it came to tracking, using his keen sense of smell to follow trails invisible to the human eye.

The twin snakes, Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang, served as subtle scouts, moving unseen through cracks and alleys while sensing the faint fluctuations of Yin and Yang Qi. Even Ashy was great at gathering rumors and gossip with her abilities.

Meanwhile Lin Mu himself remained the calm center of the group, coordinating their efforts and stepping in whenever a case took a complex turn.

The city’s disappearances had many faces.

There were the wealthy merchants kidnapped for ransom, snatched by desperate gangsters or rival traders hoping to weaken their competition. Then there were the poor, dragged into the shadows by debts they could never repay.

Gambling dens flourished in Pale Dusk City, and many of those who vanished were last seen walking into those smoky halls, never to return.

Though some cases were not crimes at all.

A few people had simply run away from their lives, fleeing from debt, ruin, or broken families. The team even found a handful of supposed "disappearances" that were nothing more than people hiding from their own misdeeds.