Hearing Cattaleya’s words, the others couldn’t help but nod.

"Yeah, there’s no records of beasts that strong living in that area. The Imperial Highway patrol regularly culls beasts that get too close to major trade routes." Daoist Chu added.

Lin Mu nodded slowly. "Yeah. This sounds more like something else."

Elyon’s voice was low, almost a whisper. "The same chill we felt before, at the previous sites."

Everyone fell silent at that. They all remembered the previous incidents; the strange chill that had turned to frost overnight, the faint traces of unusual Qi that had lingered there. It had been faint, but unmistakably tied to the techniques used by the Ephemera Sect during their experiments.

Lin Mu’s expression darkened slightly. "I had hoped the chill would not return," he said. "We thought the Ephemera Sect had ended their tests after the last event was discovered. But if this is true, then perhaps they only paused."

Daoist Chu, who had been sitting quietly in the corner of the room, spoke again. "That is likely. If they stopped suddenly before, it might have been because their operations were at risk of exposure. If they are starting again now, it means they think it is safe to continue."

"Or they have changed locations," Lin Mu added. "We will need to confirm this quickly."

The group exchanged glances, each one understanding the weight of what this could mean. If the cold phenomenon was indeed caused by the Ephemera Sect, then the sect’s influence stretched farther than they had believed. It also meant that their goal was not complete.

Little Shrubby, who had been listening silently, spoke next. "Should we go right away?"

Lin Mu shook his head. "We will prepare first. Gather supplies, make sure the city remains under watch while we are gone. This could very well be a distraction tactic. Daoist Chu, keep the guards alert. Have them report any other signs of unusual cold or disappearances near the outskirts."

Daoist Chu nodded. "Understood."

As the group dispersed to make preparations, Lin Mu remained standing by the window, looking out toward the fading light of dusk. The air outside already carried a faint chill, though whether it was from the season or something else, he could not yet tell.

For weeks, they had chased after shadows, seeking hints of their hidden enemy. Now, at last, the shadows had begun to stir again.

The winds that swept through Pale Dusk City that evening felt different... colder, sharper, as if the world itself were warning them of what was to come.

The dawn sky had only just begun to lighten when Lin Mu and his companions departed from Pale Dusk City. The streets were still wrapped in early morning mist, and only a few merchants were awake to witness the faint glow of the red and blue light that streaked upward as the group soared into the air.

WHOOSH

Little Shrubby’s large form shimmered faintly with flickers of flame and lightning as he ascended into the clouds, his four limbs leaving crackling trails in the sky. Elyon, Daoist Chu, Cattaleya, Monk Hushu, Meng Bai, and the twin serpents sat behind Lin Mu, each wrapped in their own aura to resist the wind blowing in thier faces.

The Birchwind Logging Outpost lay far to the south of Pale Dusk City.

For most, it was a three-day journey by caravan along the imperial highway, but for cultivators like Lin Mu’s group, it was a matter of hours. The wind rushed past them in roaring gusts as the landscape below changed from plains to dense forests of pale, silver-barked trees that shimmered faintly in the light.

These were the Immortal Birch Trees

, a treasured resource of the Darkhan Dynasty.

The entire region was famous for these trees. It was said that more than half of the wood consumed across the dynasty came from the Birchwind forests.

The timber was prized for its strength, light weight, and spiritual conductivity, making it ideal for crafting spirit ships, buildings, and even weapon handles. Because of this, the empire had stationed patrols of highway guards and cultivators to protect the region from beasts and bandits.

The outpost itself was more than a single settlement.

It was a network of camps, storehouses, and waystations scattered through the vast forest.

Dozens of small villages surrounded a central hub, where the harvested timber was refined, cut and loaded onto caravans. Smoke from the lumber mills usually hung thick in the air, and the sounds of chopping, sawing, and shouting echoed across the woods.

But when Lin Mu and his companions descended through the clouds that day, they found an eerie stillness instead.

The moment they crossed into the region, they felt the change.

The air was sharp and biting, cutting against their skin like knives. Frost clung to the tips of branches, and the ground glittered with a thin layer of ice. Each exhalation left a visible mist in the air. Lin Mu narrowed his eyes, his spiritual sense spreading outward in a vast radius.

"It is colder than it should be," Daoist Chu murmured, his breath forming a white cloud before his lips.

"More than cold," Monk Hushu replied, his voice soft but tense. "This chill carries energy within it... malevolent energy."

Even Meng Bai, who usually smiled despite any situation, looked uneasy. "It feels like the calm before a storm."

Lin Mu nodded, scanning the surroundings. "This is not natural. Even with the shift of the seasons, autumn this early should not be below freezing. Be on alert."

He knew that if this phenomenon spread, it would not only harm people but devastate the ecosystem.

The frost would seep into the roots of the Immortal Birch Trees, draining their vitality. The microorganisms and fungi that nurtured the soil would die, and once the spiritual balance of the forest was broken, it could take decades for the land to recover.

He clenched his fists. "We cannot allow it to spread."

They began to move through the settlement, their footsteps crunching on frost-covered earth.