"Your guess is right, it was planted with the Order in mind. The karma of the bandits who attacked them had been completely erased by someone, and when we sent inquisitors to trace whatever was left of the bandit group, they didn't find anything it was like they had disappeared, despite them having over 100 members.
Not one of them was left, and there was not a single clue to follow, even from the region where the master and disciple duo from the Silver Rhino sect were attacked.
Though considering the level of skill involved in creating the fern, those who did it, should have been more than capable of covering their tracks considering they were able to sneak such a thing into the Valley without any of the sensory measures placed reacting to it.." said Ren Shu as his face turned frosty.
The Medical Valley was one of the most integral places to the Order and could be considered one of its hearts, and it was also one of the few integral places within the Order that was open to outsiders, as such it was filled with all sorts of protection mechanisms, from arrays to treasured artifacts to hidden sentinels that involved cultivators with special physiques or spirit beasts and spiritual plants all aimed at guaranteeing the security of the valley.
Of course, the level of security was not the same throughout the valley, some were more stringent than others especially key core regions of the valley, but in general, the Medical Valley was well protected, and it was ensured every measure could at the very least provide protection and containment against something that was at the level of the domain realm.
Of those the measures put in place, the bulk were meant to prevent infiltration, however, the fern had clearly escaped that net, which as one ofthe standing leading figures of the Valley, Ren Shu felt he was culpable and he wasn't the only one who felt that way.
Yang Qing could detect a flash of suppressed fury within the eyes of the valley master. Luckily the fern was detected in time, which was only by sheer luck, because if Yang Qing had not been there, and coincidentally triggered and sealed it. None of them would have ever known something like that had made its way into the Order.
"What's the use of the fern?" asked Yang Qing.
Even after realizing that the Order was likely the reason the fern had been planted in the seventeen-year-old youth, he couldn't detect anything frightening from the fern. It seemed utterly benign.
"It's dormant but that little thing has the ability to kill a soul formation expert.." Fan Ru grimly said which prompted Yang Qing to almost drop the bead in fear.
"What?!"
Valley master Fan Ru sighed as she picked up the bead from Yang Qing who was all too glad to let go of the hot potato.
If it could kill a soul formation expert, what about a puny little palace realm expert like himself?
"Am I cursed?" he wondered in fright.
In just one week he had faced things that were above his level to handle or comprehend. He almost got slaughtered by a tree that looked like it had come from the abyss, and said tree had the abilities of a soul formation expert.
Barely a few days have passed, and there was yet another one.
"How am I even alive?" he thought.
"When I first laid eyes on it, I knew it was a peculiar nasty piece of work, it was only when I got to the council that I knew by how much.
This little thing is the culmination of four different schools, and it was done by those close to or at the peak of their levels.
There was a formation master who based on the numerous arrays implanted in it, and how seamlessly they merged with one another, was at the very least a peak gold-grade formation master, with knowledge in symbiotic arrays, isolation arrays, killing arrays, curses, chaining arrays and so forth.
Then there was a herbologist probably at the purple grade because that is the only way they can handle material from two different saint-grade spiritual plants without damaging them, then an alchemist likely at the same level for combining the materials together, and lastly a weapon artificer to finish it all up.
Who should at the very least be a peak gold grade weapon artificier..."
Yang Qing felt like his mind exploded when he heard that, even his grandfather who seemed nonchalant about everything else except the bead, had his look change to one of shock.
"From what we have deduced, the fern's purpose was likely to inhabit someone or something from the Order and lie silently in wait, until it was triggered.
This fern seems to be one part of another, and we don't know how many. There is a resonant linking array on it, which means there are likely others already planted around the valley or well on their way, and we can't tell for how long this has been happening.
This particular fern has a profound curse attack embedded in it. If there are others, we are not sure if the attack type will be similar to this one, or if the materials being used are the same. Though we feel strongly the materials used are likely to be similar, even if the array patterns would be different, especially, when it comes to the golden thread tree and the saint-grade heart vine.
The golden thread tree can isolate traces including even karma so finding out will be difficult, especially if it's working concurrently with the heart vine, which will help the fern blend seamlessly with the host it parasitizes be it human or artifact, but because of you, we have a way.." said valley master Fan Ru.
"Me? How? Valley Master, I don't even know how any of these happened?"
"You know your body better than anyone and instantly tell if something is off. You already have a guess, don't you?"
Yang Qing paused solemnly before he said, "You suspect my physique had something to do with it?"
"It's more than suspect at this point. We are certain of it. Your physique triggered it and what happened after was likely antecedent atavism..."
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