Time steadily flew by like the wind for a short three day period. But during this period of time, Necrotic City was anything but steady.

Several noticeable changes were taking a toll on the City.

The usual bustling City filled to the brim with energetic cultivators now had taken a more melancholic atmosphere.

A strange dreary feeling permeated throughout the City's air, affecting anybody who dared to walk around the less crowded streets.

Generally, the look upon people's faces was weary, and slight apprehension dread.

For cultivators, a short span of three days is nothing but a breeze of indoor cultivating. And yet, everything was changed upon its head in these short three days.

Observing all these changes with a keen eye was one ordinary-looking woman who exudes an unfathomable presence in stark contrast to her seemingly average appearance.

This woman stood in the outside courtyard of the Zakira Academy, where Darcel and Aniela had first arrived to take the entrance exams.

The woman could be no other than the majestic Vice-Principal Zelle!

No youths were currently standing around in the courtyard waiting to get tested, nor were there any youths lining up to get tested. This courtyard was used simultaneously for willing student takers and special guests.

Vice Principal Zelle had arrived here first thing in the morning and dreaded the worst while observing the outside world.

What Darcel and Aniela had told her was coming into fruition these past three days.

By her reports, she found out most who went to the Necropolis mysteriously never came back. To the Qi Foundation realm all the way up to mighty Innate Core warriors, most of them seem to just up and vanished into the Woods.

However, the ones who somehow manage to come back acted eerily similar to the horror stories of the Demesne Grave. None of them retained their original personality before going into the Woods.

In fact, Vice Principal Zelle's sources told her the ones that came back from the Woods seemed almost….vacant in the head.

Their eyes will be frequently unfocused, and this slightly strange, very faint blue tint would occasionally haze their eyes.

She was able to retain all this information from the City Lord governing Necrotic City.

As it's the City Lord's duty to at least protect the general well being of their citizens, these strange occurrences were all personally documented by his trained guards.

Gaining access to the City Lord information was but a simple snap for Vice Principal Zelle.

Not only their Academy is one if not the richest in resources in the entire City. They also ranked in the top three of overall strength out of every Sect and Organization in the City!

Though as Vice-Principal Zelle's thoughts turned to the other Sects, she couldn't help but put her mind on the Quicksilver Roc Sect.

Out of every Sect here, they were the one with the oddest reaction.

After their Elders didn't come back after the first day, the Quicksilver Roc Sect went dead silent. Vice Principal Zelle didn't even see any young disciples walking around the streets of the City now.

And unlike the information she could share with the City Lord, Vice Principal Zelle had zero clues on what caused this massive shift in their Sect.

Although Vice-Principal Zelle guessed it was most likely related to those vile creatures and ghosts.

Thankfully because of Principal Zakira, she was able to prevent any more strange occurrences like what happened with Jamas.

She had issued a temporary cultivation lockdown forcing all to stay in the Academy.

Moreover, this wasn't even necessarily a problem for the students and teachers. Their Academy was enormously vast enough for everyone to keep themselves busy for months.

What everyone did think about was where and what happened with Jamas's group and the Elders. And for how long would the cultivation lockdown will last.

It was all information neither Principal Zakira nor Vice-Principal Zelle disclosed in order to not cause panic.

Although, there was one event during the three days that did get everyone, including herself and Principal Zakira, to turn their heads.

And that event had transpired right in their Academy!

It had also gone down on the same day she first dropped Darcel and Aniela off at the Corridor of Heaven.

From the same Corridor of Heaven, hours later, Vice Principal Zelle felt an intense alluring, magnetic pull to go inside that place. It was akin to wanting to witness the birth of something spectacular.

And Vice Principal Zelle was sure she wasn't the only one affected.

Being in Principal Zakira's room during that odd pull, Vice Principal Zelle clearly witness a shift in Principal Zakira. She had taken her eyes from her floating purple crystal orb without so much of a second thought!

Though seemingly an ordinary action, there were several huge implications behind it.

Mainly it is that no matter what, Principal Zakira will rarely ever let herself get distracted when studying her crystal orbs.

And yet Darcel and Aniela did without their presence!

If even someone like Principal Zakira can get distracted. Vice Principal Zelle just knew every other teacher and student likely felt that same intense pull to the Corridor of Heaven.

'Truly, they're as much of a show-off as ever even when I don't physically see them. Still….achieving a Perfected Nascent Being state, what talented little freaks…." Vice Principal Zelle mirth to herself.

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Abruptly, Vice Principal Zelle's attention directly snapped her head to the sky.

As did many other cultivators that was drearily walking the streets. They all sensed an unfathomable aura descend down their City.

Vice Principal Zelle witness the sky shift apart, revealing two glorious figures. And then, a smooth voice slithered into her ears.

"Ah….Vice Principal Zelle. How wonderful it is for us to meet up again."

It was the voice of the Brass Spirit Sect third Heavenly King Elder, Leweyn Andres!

Pinpointing their location in the sky, Vice Principal Zelle shifted her head to see both Elder Leweyn and his disciple Erin graciously floating down to her.

Admittedly, Vice Principal Zelle was a bit surprised seeing them come so soon.

Their method of traversing several thousands of kilometers of distance would undoubtedly be handled by Mage's Association teleportation places.

But to get their City so quickly most obviously means Elder Leweyn spent a considerable sum for the fastest travels.

"Elder Leweyn, I thank you for coming." Vice Principal Zelle charitably nodded at Elder Leweyn as he and Erin smoothly landed in the large courtyard.

Being that they were still on the outside, many eyes stared with awe at the handsome and grand pair from the Brass Spirit Sect.

These two were an existence higher than even the top three Sects and Organization in their City!

Elder Leweyn, however, ignored the outsider's eyes on him and only charmingly smiled at Vice Principal Zelle.

"It's no problem. Once again, it's always a pleasure to land my hand to a beautiful woman needing some help."

Towards the shameless and bold slight flirting, Vice Principal Zelle only said, "It's appreciated. Follow me." While talking, she didn't have a single change in expression and already started turning to walk.

Elder Leweyn, though, didn't have a problem with Vice Principal Zelle's blunt attitude. His kind smile never left his face as he began to walk behind her.

Only Erin held a change in expression.

He breathed out a small sigh and slightly shook his head. This very attitude of Vice-Principal Zelle just reaffirmed his thoughts about her. Someone too prideful for her own good despite merely being a half titled Heavenly King cultivator.

Still, Erin didn't dare to utter any of his negative opinions and follow behind his master.

….

Under Vice-Principal Zelle's guide, it didn't take long before they ended up in Principal Zakira's office. When coming here, all eyes did focus on Elder Leweyn and Erin in slight awe and respect.

Though compared to the regular citizens or lower-level Sects people, the students and teachers of the Academy weren't that taken aback.

Even for all of Elder Leweyn and Erin's high status and power, they still have their own pride in being Zakira Academy people!

Although, for Elder Lewey and Erin, not a single one of Zakira Academy's students or teachers made it into their eyes. Even the top ranking geniuses of each level were barely worth consideration for them.

That is until they wound up in Principal Zakira's office.

Instead of their eyes latching on the stunningly beautiful Principal Zakira, their eyes had almost immediately fallen on a pair of youths.

This pair included one admittedly handsome black hair boy and one gorgeous long white hair girl.

Barring their appearances, there was something so alluring about their mere presence that called for their eyes to dart to them.

Although when Elder Leweyn and Erin sensed the duo's aura, their interest dipped quite a bit. They were merely at the seventh level of the Nascent Core realm.

And yet….for some reason, their eyes still linger on the pair.

Compared to any other peak Nascent Core genius, this boy and girl pair Nascent aura was vastly more powerful and profound!

It was like their aura reached a Perfected state allowing them the full use of their Nascent Core powers.

Of course, this was Darcel and Aniela, and they were slightly impressed by the Brass Spirit Sect.

Elder Leweyn held the same unfathomable might as Principal Zakira, clearly showing the majestic bearings of a titled Heavenly King powerhouse.

And the brown hair boy Erin exuded a far stronger natural aura than Joyce Ashless, the number one genius here!

But, Darcel and Aniela's eyes also noticed that slight disinterest in their eyes.

Immediately Darcel and Aniela linked it to them, sensing their low cultivation levels. And oddly enough, the duo felt a bit excited for what's to come.

For extremely prideful people like these two, it will never not be fun for the duo to destroy their common sense.

"These two….I presume they are the ones that will be working with us?"

Elder Leweyn quickly shifted his eyes off from Darcel and Aniela and asked Principal Zakira. Though seeing her again, Elder Leweyn and Erin were slightly enamored by her beauty.

"Yes. This is Darcel and Aniela. And we're getting down to business immediately." Principal Zakira swiftly told the two as she didn't want any mishaps to occur in this meeting.

"Darcel, bring out that creature's severed arm."

Doing as the Principal told, Darcel ignited his spatial ring. Quickly he fished out that putrid arms that undergo slight changes since the Principals last saw it.

"What the hell is that?!" Erin voiced out his astonishment.

Both he and Elder Leweyn eyes widen as they never once saw something quite grotesque as that single arm.

Some small portion of rancid green blood still dripped from the arm. But it obviously wasn't as abundant as when Darcel first brought it out. Though the arm appeared only to decay more putridly from the loss of blood.

During their training, Darcel and Aniela took the time to experiment with the severed arm and scalpel now that they weren't in enemy territories.

But they did remember Principal Zakira's words to not have it completely dry upon them.

"Is this a part of that creature you mention before, Vice-Principal Zelle?"

Elder Leweyn quickly asked after Erin voiced out his shock.

"It is one of the creatures that's been terrorizing the Necropolis Woods. And they will keep on growing until they terrorize the whole Province. If you would please, Elder Leweyn, I need you to sense the Blood Essence of this creature and track down every type of creature similar towards it."

Principal Zakira answered for him as Darcel set the arm down on her table.

Hearing the term Blood Essence, Darcel recalled what Principal Zakira told them just before Elder Leweyn and Erin showed up.

Blood Essence, as the name implies, is the purest and richest blood any being could produce. Though a little more complicated than that is how every drop of one's Blood Essence will contain a faint trace of their Soul Essence!

Every being's soul is connected to their veins, and any parts of the body that have veins such as the arms or legs will naturally produce Blood Essence as a cultivator grows in power.

"I see….this process won't take long." Elder Leweyn nodded, truly in slight awe about this creature.

He had then fished out an entirely gray blank amulet from his Spatial Ring and began surging his mighty soul powers.

One of his Sect's unique Arts uses various talismans, amulets, and other such magical tools. They specifically crafted their magical tools, allowing them to sense and see the flow of how one's bodies work.

Through the direct contact of these magical tools, masters of this Art can deeply examine every aspect of any person's body.

Of course, this method allowed them to sense the Blood Essence inside a person's veins and eventually track down their souls. And for Spirit Monsters, they would be able to track whole hordes of the same type of Spirit Monsters since they would share the same Blood Essence.

Although, out of their whole Sect, only Elder Leweyn and two other grand figures made it to this step.

Elder Leweyn was born with an extraordinary Spirit Sense as his soul power. Allowing him to quickly get the hang of the Brass Spirit Arts and become a dangerous tracker himself.

Still, this process wasn't instant and needed some time before Elder Leweyn could fully track the creature down.

Though as Elder Leweyn held the gray blank amulet on the creature's arm, it was already beginning to shine a slightly green hue.

While performing this process, Elder Leweyn suddenly asked the Principals,

"When I'm able to pinpoint these creatures down, what is your plan then?"