Translator: CinderTL
Concealed among the mountain ridges, Song Wen calmly made his way toward Yangning Island.
Occasionally, he encountered Third-Tier members of the Demon Race, which he swiftly dispatched with thunderous efficiency.
Before long, he reached the coast and plunged into the deep sea.
Suddenly, he stopped.
He sensed multiple streams of Spirit Sense sweeping the area above him.
Song Wen's heart skipped a beat. Before they could detect him, he hastily suppressed all traces of his aura. Then, extending his own Spirit Sense skyward, he discovered Ye Hua and four others hovering in the air.
Ye Hua led the group, holding a soul lamp as they scoured the sea surface hundreds of miles away.
Song Wen immediately recognized the soul lamp in Ye Hua's hand as the one he had left behind when he joined the Wu Ji Sect.
Of course, the soul within the lamp didn't belong to Song Wen himself, but rather to a soul sealed within his Sea of Consciousness.
Are they searching for me? Why would they be here? Could this mission to eliminate Third-Tier demons have a hidden purpose?
Ye Hua has the soul lamp. If they can't find me, he'll undoubtedly grow suspicious.
After careful consideration, Song Wen confirmed that he hadn't revealed his true strength earlier. He immediately recalled his two Shadow Gu, released a deliberate trace of his aura, and resumed his journey towards Yangning Island.
Moments later, Yin Shuo's Spirit Sense was the first to detect Song Wen.
The next instant, Song Wen received Yin Shuo's telepathic message:
"Gou Jun, this Demon Lord is southwest of your position. Come at once."
Song Wen's expression flickered with surprise before he immediately replied, "Yes, Demon Lord."
He swiftly surfaced and spotted Yin Shuo and the others to the southwest. He hurried over to them.
"Greetings, Demon Lord. Greetings, Demon Sovereign. Greetings, Senior Cui..." Song Wen bowed respectfully to each in turn.
Although Gou Jun had never personally met Xuan Chengzi or Daoist Yun Xu, it was hardly surprising he recognized them, given their status as top cultivators in the Chaotic Sea.
"Gou Jun, have you slain any Third-Tier demonic beasts?" Ye Hua asked.
"Your Majesty, this subordinate has slain three Third-Tier demonic beasts," Song Wen replied, his tone barely concealing his pride.
"Show them to me," Ye Hua ordered.
"Yes!"
With a slight movement of his finger bearing the Storage Ring, three demonic beast corpses materialized in the air: a tiger demon and two wolf demons.
All three shared a common trait: they were terrestrial creatures.
"Gou Jun, where did you slay these three demonic beasts?" Ye Hua asked with a smile.
Song Wen understood perfectly that Ye Hua's seemingly casual question concealed a trap.
If Song Wen hadn't known that the five Nascent Soul cultivators were monitoring him with soul lamps and were aware of the tracking mark on the Third-Tier Peak Corpse Puppet, he might have chosen to conceal certain details, giving Ye Hua and the others a pretext to seize upon.
"Your Majesty," Song Wen reported, "these three demonic beasts were slain by this subordinate deep within Fangzhudao."
Ye Hua stared intently at Song Wen, his tone skeptical. "Fangzhudao teems with demonic beasts. Weren't you afraid of encountering unforeseen dangers by venturing so far inland?"
Song Wen replied, "With the Human Race Alliance Army pressing at the borders, the Demon Race's attention is focused on the coastal regions of Fangzhudao. Deep within the island, their vigilance has slackened, providing this subordinate with an opportunity to strike."
Ye Hua nodded slowly. "You possess both courage and cunning. Did you encounter any Fourth-Tier demonic beasts during your journey, or any other unexpected incidents?"
"This subordinate's mission proceeded smoothly without incident," Song Wen answered. "Had I encountered a Fourth-Tier demonic beast, how could I have possibly returned alive?"
Upon hearing this, the five Nascent Soul cultivators couldn't hide their disappointment. They had initially believed that Gou Jun was the most likely to attract a Fourth-Tier demonic beast. However, after thoroughly scouring the surrounding thousand-mile area, they found no trace of such a creature.
When Song Wen confirmed that he hadn't encountered any Fourth-Tier Demonic Beasts or faced any unexpected incidents, the Nascent Soul cultivators' hopes were immediately dashed.
Observing their reactions, Song Wen became even more convinced that this mission was far more complex than it appeared and that these Nascent Soul cultivators undoubtedly had ulterior motives.
He suddenly recalled the reason for the Liangyi Sect's retreat, and a suspicion formed in his mind.
"Reporting to the Demon Sovereign," Song Wen said hesitantly, "while slaying the mid-stage Third-Tier Tiger Clan demon beast, I extracted some intelligence from its mouth. I'm unsure of its value."
"What intelligence? Explain in detail," Ye Hua replied casually, showing little interest.
Song Wen reported, "Before its death, the tiger demon revealed that the Demon Race had recently birthed two Fourth-Tier mermen."
"Two Fourth-Tier mermen!"
The five Nascent Soul cultivators simultaneously gasped and turned to stare at Song Wen.
"Is this true?" Ye Hua demanded.
"This humble subordinate would never dare deceive the Demon Sovereign and esteemed Seniors," Song Wen assured them. "The tiger demon personally divulged this information as a final plea for mercy."
"You completed this mission admirably," Ye Hua said. "Upon our return to the sect, I will personally deliver the promised rewards. Store these three demon beast corpses and return to Yangning Island immediately."
"This subordinate will take his leave!"
Song Wen bowed to each of the five individuals before turning and heading toward Yangning Island.
Once Song Wen was out of earshot, Cui Xuanjing asked, "Fellow Daoists, how credible do you find this man's words?"
Xuan Chengzi replied, "I closely observed Gou Jun's demeanor as he spoke. In my opinion, he didn't appear to be lying."
Ye Hua chimed in, "Although Gou Jun has only been a member of the Wu Ji Sect for a few years, he has demonstrated unwavering loyalty to our sect. Unless he has betrayed the Human Race, he has no reason to deceive us. Therefore, we should trust his account."
Cui Xuanjing nodded. "If that's the case, then the report of two Fourth-Tier mermen being born within the Demon Race is likely true. How do you propose we respond?"
After a leisurely journey of over two hours, Song Wen finally returned to Yangning Island.
As he approached the flat clearing where the Wu Ji Sect disciples were stationed, Le Liang hurried toward him, his face etched with worry.
"Fellow Daoist Gou Jun, you're finally back! Something terrible has happened!" Le Liang exclaimed.
"What is it?" Song Wen asked, genuinely puzzled.
His first thought was that the Demon Race had launched an attack.
But Yangning Island was tranquil, with no signs of demonic activity or any evidence of a recent battle.
"Jiang Yan is dead," Le Liang announced.
Song Wen's brow furrowed slightly. Jiang Yan was a minor character, her life and death hardly significant.
Yet her grandfather, Jiang Lu, had selflessly ventured to Fangzhudao to slay demons for the greater good of the Human Race.
Moreover, before departing, Jiang Lu had secured a personal promise from Ye Hua himself to ensure Jiang Yan's safety.
Now, less than a day later, she had perished within the Human Race Alliance Army's own stronghold—a chilling betrayal of trust.
What cultivator would risk their life on the front lines if such a promise could be broken?
"How could she die here on Yangning Island?" Song Wen demanded. "Who did this?"
"Meng Cao," Le Liang replied.
(End of the Chapter)
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