Chapter 3031: Confirmed Location

"And Little Shrubby?" Daoist Chu asked, glancing around.

"Staying here," Lin Mu replied. "The Earth Flame essence helps him cultivate too. Let him rest while you two handle this. I’ll need him to rush over anyways."

With that, Meng Bai adjusted the straps of his spatial pouch and turned toward the corridor leading out of the Ember Hollow Hall. Daoist Chu followed after him, pausing only once to glance back at Lin Mu.

"This may lead to something," he said. "Or it may lead to nothing. But either way, we’re not leaving any stone unturned."

Lin Mu nodded, the divine sheath across his back pulsing with a faint glow—silent, watchful, ever-ready.

As Daoist Chu and Meng Bai departed into the ash-veiled streets of Ash Crown City, Lin Mu returned to the Earth Flame Hall, settling once more amid the raw elemental energies that surged beneath the floor. Yet now, a new anticipation buzzed through him. The Hooded Tracker had entered the field.

And the game had just changed.

Lin Mu settled once more into the Earth Flame chamber. The doors closed behind him with a low thud, muffling the outside world.

The ambient heat greeted him like an old friend—radiating from the walls, the floor, and the arrayed conduits of glowing red stone. He inhaled deeply, and his spirit sense once more harmonized with the dense elemental presence in the room.

The Earth Flame flowed into him like molten silk—thick with power, yet refined enough not to burn. It nourished the Earth and Fire cores of his Omnicore Ascendancy Technique, each flicker of energy enriching his meridians, slowly etching new pathways into his body’s foundation.

This kind of opportunity was rare. Pure elemental essence, especially in dual-elemental forms like Earth Flame, was difficult to find in abundance. Most cultivators had to rely on refined ores, spiritual herbs, or pills that lost potency after repeated use.

But here, in the heart of the Verdant Ash Basin, the energy was ever-present and regenerating. No wonder people braved the lawlessness of this place—its bounty was worth the risk.

Lin Mu, however, had other worries on his mind—especially the Hooded Tracker. Daoist Chu and Meng Bai had left to approach the location discreetly, while he stayed behind to avoid alerting their target.

And now, with his senses connected to the flame, he let his consciousness half-drift into cultivation while keeping another thread tethered to the outside world, waiting for any signal from his companions.

Elsewhere in the city, Daoist Chu and Meng Bai moved through the back alleys of Ash Crown City.

The air was dense, filled with the scent of scorched minerals and ancient soot that never truly settled. Even the breeze here carried the taste of burnt stone. The deeper one went into the city’s lesser-known corners, the more it became clear—this was a place where secrets nested like vermin.

Daoist Chu kept his expression neutral and his spirit sense tightly suppressed. He glanced over his shoulder at Meng Bai. "Conceal your aura completely," he instructed. "Let your spirit sense contract inward—only within your body. The Hooded Tracker may not be here right now, but if he’s as sensitive as the stories say, even a faint ripple might let him mark us."

Meng Bai gave a serious nod. "Understood."

He turned to the beasts. "Ashy, tell Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang to keep their spiritual emissions suppressed. And try to keep your own to a minimum."

Ashy chirped, her wings rustling softly, and relayed the message. The twin serpents made a low hissing sound of agreement and slithered deeper into Meng Bai’s sleeves, their presence vanishing almost entirely from sight.

Soon, the group reached a narrow street nestled behind a row of run-down shops. The air here was dry and stagnant, and the ground beneath their feet felt oddly soft—a thin layer of ash dampened their steps. At the end of the lane stood a crooked little building wedged between two collapsed structures.

"This is it?" Meng Bai whispered.

Daoist Chu nodded. "Looks like no more than five rooms. And it’s not exactly in prime condition."

Indeed, the place looked like it had been abandoned and partially rebuilt with salvaged fly ash bricks. A faded sign hung crookedly above the door, barely legible through the grime. Cracks ran along the walls, and the windows were clouded with soot from years of neglect. The aura around it was quiet, but unsettling in its silence—like the building itself was holding its breath.

The twin serpents stirred under Meng Bai’s sleeves. They flicked their tongues and let out a soft hiss. Ashy interpreted immediately.

"They smell a single person inside," she said, perching on Meng Bai’s shoulder. "A man. He smells of wine and sweat. No one else."

Daoist Chu narrowed his eyes. "Hmm... Let’s go in."

They entered cautiously.

Inside, the smell of stale alcohol, burnt wood, and damp ash overwhelmed the senses. The reception area was small and cluttered. Behind the counter sat a man who looked half-asleep, his head bobbing slightly as he nursed a half-empty bottle of wine. A cracked clay cup sat beside him. His robes were stained, and his beard was unkempt.

As the door creaked open, the man blinked, slowly raising his head. "You... here to stay?" he slurred, his voice hoarse and dry.

Daoist Chu didn’t answer immediately. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small pouch, placing a handful of low-grade immortal stones on the desk with a clink.

The man’s eyes lit up instantly. "Ah... customers," he said, his demeanor changing like a puppet’s with strings pulled.

Daoist Chu’s voice was calm but firm. "We’re a different kind of customer."

He leaned forward slightly. "We’re looking for someone. Hooded figure. Been staying here recently."

The man’s eyes narrowed warily. "Haven’t seen anyone like that."

Another clink. A few more stones joined the pile.

The man glanced at them, then back at Daoist Chu. "I said I haven’t."

Daoist Chu added a few more.

A moment of silence. Then, with a sigh and a greedy glint in his eye, the man relented.