Deciding to follow Ding Huan, Yan Mei would come to him with various questions whenever he saw Ding Huan available.
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As time passed, Ding Huan simply assigned the hunting tasks to Yan Mei.
Before each of Yan Mei’s departures, he only needed to ask Ding Huan where to go and how far he could travel at most.
Recently, Ding Huan had also been in a very good mood; he had learned how to remove simple prohibitions and could readily apply them.
Only now did he understand that his Star House had taken him over a month to grind because it had a prohibition.
That month was merely spent removing the prohibition, not to mention the iron pot—since he couldn’t open it, it indicated that the prohibition inside was more advanced than that of the Star House.
If it couldn’t fit inside the Star House, it also meant that the pot’s rules were superior to those of the Star House.
These were not Ding Huan’s concerns; what worried him most at the moment was his own Star House.
His Star House lacked a prohibition; any skilled individual with Divine Will could scan over him.
If they noticed the Star House and their Divine Will penetrated into his clothes, they would realize that the Star House was a vast space.
Fortunately, at Qu Yueshan, in front of Elder Gu and Elder Liu, he still had some face; they did not probe him from head to toe with Divine Will.
Elder Liu and Elder Gu would not stoop to such dishonorable deeds.
Once he left the Great Ravine Canyon and met various people, that could no longer be guaranteed.
If he applied a prohibition to his Star House and others’ Divine Will couldn’t penetrate it, then there would be no problem.
After all, it was common to wear protective amulets that carried prohibitions.
Because of this concern, Ding Huan almost spent day and night researching prohibitions.
When he developed his first defensive prohibition, he immediately applied it to his Star House.
Once a certain skill was triggered, the knowledge points in Ding Huan’s mind would activate.
Half a month later, while leading the way through the Great Ravine Canyon, Ding Huan would occasionally enter the woods, then wander a bit before returning to the main path.
But no one raised any objections anymore; wherever Ding Huan went, everyone followed.
Everyone truly admired Ding Huan; they had walked for such a long time and had not encountered a single Heavenly Cave Trap, nor even a group of Demon Beasts.
It was as if these dangers intentionally avoided them.
In half a month, Ding Huan’s prohibition level had advanced to the Second Level.
His Star House’s prohibition also upgraded to a Second Level prohibition.
Ding Huan was certain that this time the Second Level was indeed the Second Level of this world, not the false Second Level he initially thought.
The issue with the Star House made him urgently need to improve his prohibition level.
Now that his prohibition level had reached the Second Level, his array level had also improved.
Although he still couldn’t set up a Second Level Array, Ding Huan believed that with an Array Flag, he could now set up a First Level defensive array and simple First Level attack arrays.
Every time Elder Gu set up an array, Ding Huan would watch by the side.
He now could tell that Elder Gu’s Array Dao level was only capable of setting up Second Level Arrays.
Just a little more time, and once he could refine real Array Flags, surpassing Elder Gu would be very easy.
Gu Youchang had a good impression of Ding Huan, and so every time he set up an array and Ding Huan was observing, he would give some advice.
In his mind, even if he gave Ding Huan an Array Formation Jade Scroll, Ding Huan wouldn’t be able to enter the threshold of array methods without ten or eight years.
The fact was that since obtaining his Array Formation Jade Scroll, Ding Huan had never approached him for advice; he knew that Ding Huan would not be able to set up a First Level Array in ten or eight years.
Without a master’s guidance, that time might likely need to be doubled.
He also did not remind Ding Huan; since Ding Huan was not selected as a disciple, his Spirit Root aptitude must be insufficient.
Since the Spirit Root aptitude was insufficient, becoming an Array Master wouldn’t be bad.
As long as he became a First Level Array Master, at least he would have a livelihood.
Because he did not intend to recommend Ding Huan anymore, Liu Yinzhu had also seldom come to talk to Ding Huan recently.
However, she still admired Ding Huan a lot; ever since Ding Huan took over leading the team, their numbers had not decreased.
Actually, even Elder Gu couldn’t see through the Second Level prohibition of the Star House.
But Ding Huan’s sense of crisis was very strong, he felt it was still not safe, there wasn’t much he could do with low cultivation, especially since he still hadn’t found the path to Foundation Establishment.
If someone discovered the secrets from his Star House, then he deserved to die.
With this notion in mind, even while traveling, Ding Huan continued pondering various issues concerning prohibitions.
"Mr. Ding, we can’t go any further ahead," Liu Yinzhu timely stopped the contemplative Ding Huan.
"What’s the matter, Elder Liu?"
Ding Huan asked casually, only then did he notice the issue—there seemed to be no path ahead, only a swamp.
Looking across, the swamp stretched endlessly on both sides, with no visible end.
On the opposite side, faintly discernible woods could be seen.
Liu Yinzhu looked at Ding Huan somewhat speechlessly; was this guy leading the way without looking at the road? They had clearly reached the Lost Swamp, and now they needed to scout the path.
"Mr. Ding, this ahead is the Lost Swamp. Every year, one-tenth of the new disciples fall into the Lost Swamp, never to emerge again,"
Elder Gu also came over, his tone somewhat solemn.
Under normal circumstances, several Sects joining hands to cross the Lost Swamp wouldn’t pose much of an issue.
Now it was an abnormal situation. Yanyue Sect had only thirteen new disciples left. Purple Mist Valley still had five new disciples, and as for Dual Soul Sect and Heavenly Artifact Sect, they each had only one new disciple.
"Please enlighten us, elders." Ding Huan clasped his hands together, speaking sincerely.
Liu Yinzhu could only say:
"In the Lost Swamp, there are some places where one step means certain death, so each time new disciples are required to scout the path. Normally, most Sects wait here after arriving.
When all the Great Sects gather, they form teams on their own to enter the Lost Swamp, usually forming groups of a hundred to advance..."
Ding Huan indicated he didn’t understand.
Gu Youchang added:
"That means, after scouting a new path, a hundred people can pass without issues. If there are more people, the path needs to be scouted again."
"Why? Isn’t the path already scouted? Can’t others just follow it?" Ding Huan was puzzled.
Liu Yinzhu sighed, "This Lost Swamp is very strange, not only can you not fly over it, the path that has been scouted changes after more than a hundred people have walked it."
"Then who should be the one to scout the path?"
Ding Huan’s position in the team was second only to the two elders. When he asked this, no one felt it was abrupt.
"The possibility of death in scouting is only fifty percent; if one survives, upon returning to the Sect, the resources gained are tremendous," Liu Yinzhu continued to explain.
Ding Huan looked at Gu Youchang with a strange expression:
"Elder Gu, when the Sect was recruiting disciples, did I not even qualify to scout?"
Gu Youchang gave a bitter smile, he knew once this was explained, Ding Huan would understand the intricacies.
Liu Yinzhu also sighed, wondering, Is Ding Huan really just a young cook?
Each time the Sect recruits disciples, they recruit a few whose talents are not particularly outstanding, specifically for scouting paths in the Lost Swamp.
This time was exceptional. Not only were there no Sects gathering here, but the disciples from their Sects were also almost all dead.
Not a single Sect had selected Ding Huan, indicating his talent wasn’t even enough for path scouting duty.
Ding Huan knew he had no talent, the reason he asked this was to let Gu Youchang and Liu Yinzhu know he wasn’t talentless, just low on talent.
"I have another question, did you also need to scout on your way here?"
Ding Huan wondered, if scouting was required to come here, then who should be the one to die?
Elder Gu explained, "Lost Swamp has two periods each year when safe zones appear, allowing direct passage without scouting. This is also why the Taoist Realm recruits disciples from the Mortal World twice a year."
"I see," Ding Huan understood.
Liu Yinzhu’s tone became much more solemn:
"Elder Gu, that we could arrive here, and even have a few disciples survive, might be the most fortunate amongst those who went to the Mortal World this time to recruit disciples.
The other Sects, I fear..."
Liu Yinzhu didn’t finish, but everyone understood her implication.
With Ding Huan leading them, other Sects might have perished to the cold Illusion Poison or been killed by Swallowing Foot Corpse.
This journey was so dangerous, even if the other Sects weren’t entirely wiped out, few likely remained.
Ding Huan was shocked; he knew Qi Xinyue was also coming to the Taoist Realm, and others he knew like Lou Buzhi and Ku Qi as well.
"Mr. Ding, what is your opinion on this?" Liu Yinzhu looked towards Ding Huan.
Actually, Yan Mei was the best choice for a scout, but recently Yan Mei was close to Ding Huan, and she did not know Ding Huan’s attitude.
Ding Huan had no mood to deal with that but asked urgently:
"Elders, must we take that same route from the Mortal World to the Taoist Realm?"
Gu Youchang shook his head:
"Not necessarily. It is true that to reach the Taoist Realm from the Mortal World, one must pass through the Great Ravine Canyon. From there to the Lost Swamp, there are seven paths, and we just took one of them."
"Then, do the other Sects traveling through different paths to the Lost Swamp also converge here?" Ding Huan asked further.
"Not necessarily, the Lost Swamp stretches for millions of miles, truly endless. But one thing is common, they also have to send people to scout the paths from wherever they enter the Lost Swamp."
This time, Liu Yinzhu helped answer.
Ding Huan breathed a sigh of relief, now he was at ease.
"Elder Gu, Elder Liu, I am just a cook, let me scout the path."
Ding Huan knew these two elders wanted to have Yan Mei scout, and Yan Mei herself was planning on that too; he had no choice.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, Ding Huan volunteered to scout.
"Mr. Ding, this is no joking matter." Gu Youchang was reluctant to see Ding Huan perish in the Lost Swamp.
Ding Huan sighed, then addressed everyone with clasped hands:
"Everyone here is talented and about to become new disciples of the Sect, potentially even becoming the pillars of the Sect in the future.
Being able to reach this point shows you all carry great fortune. My talent is inferior, and I am just a cook, so let me take on this task of scouting.
As long as I live, I won’t let anyone with a bright future perish in the Lost Swamp."
Ding Huan would never do a good deed and not take credit.
The purpose of his speech was not to grandstand, but to hope that these people have some conscience, and once they reach the Sect, they would send his message promptly to Dual Soul Sect.
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