Dream-Eating Tapirs were a relatively rare type of demon beast. Dream-Eating Tapirs that could turn into soul beasts after death were even rarer.
Moreover, Dream-Eating Tapirs themselves lacked talent for cultivation. Out of ten billion Dream-Eating Tapirs, only one Holy Dream-Eating Tapir would break through to the Saint Realm. The probability of a Holy Dream-Eating Tapir's soul not dissipating after death and turning into a soul beast was only one percent.
Overall, the number of Dream-Eating Tapirs in the entire Spirit Mountain's Jing Province was pitifully small.
Of course, apart from Dream-Eating Tapirs, there were several other types of soul beasts that could devour souls.
However, everything so far was just a guess. If they wanted to understand the truth of the matter, they needed to continue investigating.
After leaving the palace, Xue Bin began to assign tasks to everyone.
Wu Cong would lead five Soul Masters to search for traces of soul beasts in the surrounding desert.
Su Chen would lead Hua Qian and the others to contact every Ascetic Cultivator of the Ascetic Practice Sect and ask for all possible clues.
Xue Bin, Meng Die, and Ka Lun, the three Soul Grandmasters, would continue to examine the corpses of the three dead Ascetic Cultivators. They would use the Soul Summoning Technique to try and summon the remnant souls of the dead. If they could find the remnant souls, then they would be able to directly read the memories of the dead from the remnant souls.
In addition, it seemed that not long after arriving at the oasis, he had already left alone. His home wasn't here and he wanted to continue deeper into the desert.
This was a very risky move. After all, even without the unforeseen event, the desert itself was a place where danger lurked everywhere.
However, Soul Grandmaster Xue Bin didn't say anything and let Fang Ru leave. He seemed to be very confident in Fang Ru's strength and wasn't worried that he would encounter any danger.
"Let's start moving separately. Remember, stay alert and don't sleep for the time being. If there really is a Dream-Eating Tapir nearby and you fall asleep, the Dream-Eating Tapir will have an opportunity to take advantage of you. In the world of dreams, even Heaven Pillar Realm powerhouses like us have no way of resisting."
After saying that, the three returned to the palace once more.
Wu Cong rode his Thorny Bull and looked down at Su Chen with contempt. He then left the oasis with the other five Soul Masters to search the surroundings.
Hua Qian clenched his fists in anger. It was as if he was the one being humiliated and not Su Chen.
"That Wu Cong guy is getting more and more rampant recently. Didn't he just subdue a Heaven Ascension soul beast? What's so great about that?"
Su Chen smiled. "If he likes to show off, then let him show off. It's nothing to show off for a while, but if he can show off for a lifetime, then I will admire him."
"The Holy Son is truly righteous. Hua Qian is deeply impressed."
The flattery caught him off guard.
"Cut the crap. Let's go visit the Ascetic Cultivators nearby," Su Chen said, holding the hand of Su Xiaoyao, who had just been woken up by him and was still in a daze.
Although he wasn't sure if the Dream-Eating Tapir really existed, he couldn't let Su Xiaoyao continue sleeping just to be safe.
Within the Ascetic Practice Sect, there were a total of over eighty Ascetic Practitioners.
Su Chen's group first found an Ascetic Practitioner named Zhou Dingan. He had just returned from the desert and was covered in sand and dust. His hair was disheveled and his face was dirty. His body was riddled with scars and he even had three fingers cut off. It was as if he had just experienced a fierce battle.
"Grandmaster, did you encounter some danger?" Su Chen wasn't in a hurry to inquire about the information of the three deceased. Instead, he first expressed his concern for Zhou Dingan.
Zhou Dingan smiled and shook his head. "I encountered a lost little beast. Seeing that its stomach was rumbling with hunger, I cut off three fingers and fed it with my flesh."
Su Chen and the others immediately felt deep veneration.
However, Zhou Dingan acted as if he had done something insignificant. He continued to smile amiably and said, "Everyone from the Hall of Souls, please come to Dingan's residence to rest and have a cup of herbal tea. I will tell you everything I know. Senior Huailong, Boyuan, and Zirong are all seniors that Dingan respects greatly. If you can contribute a little to investigating the cause of their deaths, Dingan will naturally do my best."
Su Chen's group followed Zhou Dingan to his residence.
Although it was called a residence, it was actually an adobe house. There were no doors or windows, and it was hot and dry inside. There was not a single piece of decent furniture, not even a bed. There was only a mat woven from hay on the ground. Su Chen's group did not even have a place to sit after entering the house.
However, Su Chen did not mind at all. Instead, he felt even more admiration for Zhou Dingan.
After drinking the herbal tea that Zhou Dingan had brought over, Su Chen did not waste any more time and began to ask in detail.
Zhou Dingan did as he said, and told him everything he knew in detail.
A month ago, before the deaths of the three ascetics, there were already some inconspicuous signs.
The night before the three ascetics died, a large number of fish died in the only water source in the oasis, a small lake at the center of the oasis. Their bellies floated to the surface of the lake overnight. The fish did not suffer any external injuries, nor were they poisoned. Their cause of death was the same as the three ascetics, losing their souls.
In addition, some strange things happened in the oasis.
Some people saw green will-o '-the-wisps.
Some people heard strange cries in their sleep.
Several ascetics were in seclusion and meditated. Their minds were stimulated by some unknown stimulus and they fell unconscious for several days. When they woke up, they had no recollection of what had happened.
After visiting Zhou Dingan, Su Chen's group split up and visited the other ascetics. The clues they obtained were all similar.
Before sunset, everyone gathered in front of the lake at the center of the oasis.
At this time, the dead in the lake had already been buried. The lake water was so clear that they could see the bottom. Not a single fish could be seen. There was no vitality. Even the aquatic plants had withered.
Hua Qian said, "I asked around. The will-o '-the-wisps are very strange. They seem to be right in front of us, but also far away. It does not seem to be a simple will-o' -the-wisps, but a projection of distorted space."
Cai Jing said, "I investigated the souls of the unconscious ascetics. There were obvious shadows in their souls. The six spirits were damaged, and the fetal light was dim. They were indeed attacked on the soul level."
Liu An said, "I asked the ascetic who heard the strange cries. He said that the cries were like a baby crying or a small beast whispering in its sleep. It was close and then far and then close."
Su Chen said, "It is indeed very strange. To be able to make so much noise under the nose of a Saint without being discovered, and to be able to kill the souls of the three ascetics without anyone knowing, the murderer is definitely not someone to be trifled with."
"Could it be … Could it really be a Dream-Eating Tapir?" Hua Qian asked nervously.
Su Chen frowned and said, "If it is really a Dream-Eating Tapir, then it is fine. No matter how strong a soul beast is, it is still a soul beast. I am more worried that this is man-made. The cultivator who can do this must be very powerful."