Translator: CinderTL
Daoist Monarch Yongcheng's face was ashen, his spiritual power surging around him in a palpable display of fury.
"Fellow Daoist Yongcheng," Yuanrong, standing beside him, suddenly spoke. "The departed are gone. I urge you to temper your grief."
Yongcheng remained silent for a long moment before finally letting out a cold snort. "This matter will be settled later. We'll settle accounts with you all when we return to Crimson Cloud Province."
As Yongcheng's murderous aura dissipated, the crowd on the mountain peak collectively exhaled in relief.
Yongcheng's rage stemmed not from any particular affection for his disciples, but from the fact that in this unfamiliar foreign land, every member of their group was an invaluable resource.
With manpower, they could gather more intelligence; with eyes and ears, they could better understand this territory.
In this unknown realm, information was their most crucial assetβvital not only for the success of their mission but potentially for their very survival.
This was also why Yuanrong pleaded on behalf of Song Wen and the others.
Though the twenty-five individuals led by Song Wen were not members of his Myriad Swords Pavilion, Yuanrong and Yongcheng Daoist Monarch currently held the greatest power and the authority over life and death. Who would dare defy their commands?
"For now, our priority should be to quickly determine if this is indeed the Western Rong Continent," Yuanrong said, changing the subject. "We also need to investigate the surrounding blessed grotto-heavens and identify any heavenly materials and earthly treasures they might contain."
His words were met with silence.
Song Wen and the others were too intimidated by Daoist Monarch Yongcheng's oppressive aura to respond.
Daoist Monarch Yongcheng, still seething with anger, had no mind for rational thought.
Moreover, deep down, Daoist Monarch Yongcheng harbored resentment toward Yuanrong.
Though both were Great Ascension Stage cultivators, the Azure Flame Sect had suffered devastating losses, while the Myriad Swords Pavilion had emerged unscathed.
Yuanrong had protected every member of the Myriad Swords Pavilion, while Yongcheng had failed to save a single member of the Azure Flame Sect. The sole survivor, Tian Ming, had escaped on her own, owing nothing to Daoist Monarch Yongcheng.
This stark contrast made Yongcheng appear utterly incompetent.
As these thoughts churned within him, Daoist Monarch Yongcheng unconsciously glanced at Yuanrong's androgynously beautiful face, a flicker of darkness crossing his eyes.
Behind Yuanrong, Shangguan Ren noticed the lack of response to his Ancestor's words. His eyes flashed subtly as he spoke up at the opportune moment.
"Ancestor, in my humble opinion, to uncover the truth behind this matter, we must target the intelligent demon races, preferably those that dominate entire regions. They are both intelligent and powerful, with ancient lineages far surpassing the spider-bodied, human-headed demon beasts we encountered earlier. They undoubtedly possess invaluable intelligence."
Yuanrong nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the assembled cultivators on the mountain peak.
"Shangguan's suggestion has merit. Fellow Daoists, why don't we split up and search for the whereabouts of these intelligent demon races?"
As soon as Yuanrong finished speaking, a cultivator stepped forward from the crowd.
"Senior, on my way here, I captured a Demon Fox that appears to be quite intelligent."
Yuanrong's eyebrows arched, a flicker of curiosity crossing his beautiful face.
"Oh? Show me."
The cultivator tapped his Spirit Beast Pouch, and a six-tailed Azure Fox materialized.
The Azure Fox was several dozen feet long, each tail measuring three to four dozen feet. Before the assembled human cultivators, it was a colossal creature. Yet it displayed no arrogance, instead curling up among the jagged rocks on the mountain peak, its eyes filled with reverence.
"Huh?" Shangguan Ren exclaimed, his face filled with surprise and doubt. "Could this be the legendary divine beast, the Nine-Tailed Fox?"
Yuanrong examined the Azure Fox from head to tail, then shook his head slightly.
"I don't think so. It lacks the inherent majesty of a divine beast. Divine beasts are born with innate dignity and possess supernatural powers. Overcoming opponents of higher tiers is effortless for them. If this were truly a Nine-Tailed Fox, with its sixth-tier cultivation, none of us hereβexcept for Fellow Daoist Yongcheng and myselfβwould stand a chance against it, let alone capture it alive."
Yuanrong paused briefly before adding, "It likely only carries the bloodline of the Nine-Tailed Fox, hence its resemblance. Still, it's an intelligent demon race creature. Let's hope it can provide us with some useful information."
With that, Yuanrong's slender fingertip glowed with spiritual light as he gently pointed it forward.
The spiritual light detached from his fingertip and flew toward the Azure Fox, landing between its eyes.
The Azure Fox's lively eyes instantly turned dull, as if its consciousness had been stolen.
After a moment, the blankness in the Azure Fox's eyes vanished, replaced by its previous fear.
Yet Yuanrong remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Witnessing this scene, Daoist Monarch Yongcheng, who had been observing coldly from the sidelines, asked, "Fellow Daoist Yuanrong, what did you find? Were you able to extract any useful information?"
Yuanrong replied, "The secret art I used is called the Heart-Illuminating Seal. It allows me to read another's memories. While it doesn't inflict the same severe damage to the soul as the Soul Searching Technique, it only yields fragmented glimpses. Moreover, this technique isn't omnipotent; it can only access a tiny fraction of the vast memories stored within a person's mind. In the Azure Fox's memories, I only saw snippets of its life and found nothing of value."
A flicker of skepticism crossed Daoist Monarch Yongcheng's eyes.
Only Yuanrong was proficient in this Heart-Illuminating Seal technique. How could anyone verify the truth of his claims? If Yuanrong had obtained valuable information and kept it secret, no outsider would ever know.
Yet, lacking expertise in such spells, Yongcheng had no choice but to suppress his doubts.
"Are there any young friends here skilled in memory probing techniques?" Daoist Monarch Yongcheng's demeanor shifted from murderous to cordial. "Feel free to step forward and try."
"Senior Daoist Monarch, this junior is willing to give it a try," said an old woman from the Sun Moon Sect, her aura thick with ghost qi. She stepped forward from the crowd and clasped her hands in a bow toward Daoist Monarch Yongcheng.
"This junior has mastered a secret art called the Truth-Hearing Technique. It allows direct communication with any demon beast through telepathy, regardless of whether their languages align."
The crowd erupted in astonished murmurs. The old woman's spell seemed tailor-made for this very mission.
Daoist Monarch Yongcheng's eyes lit up briefly, but his expression quickly returned to its usual unfathomable calm.
"I remember you. You are You Ci, a disciple of Old Ghost Rakshasa from the Sun Moon Sect."
"This junior is honored by Senior Daoist Monarch's recognition. I am indeed You Ci, a disciple of Patriarch Rakshasa," the old woman replied.
"Then proceed without hesitation. During our expedition to the Western Rong Continent, I will ensure your safety," Daoist Monarch Yongcheng declared.
"Thank you for your trust, Senior Daoist Monarch," the old woman said, her face beaming with delight. "This junior will devote herself wholeheartedly to this task and will not disappoint your expectations."
With a solemn expression, the old woman turned to face the Azure Fox. A wisp of peculiar divine sense emanated from her brow, drifting toward the fox like smoke or mist.
The Azure Fox shuddered violently. Its emerald eyes contracted sharply, as if confronted with something utterly unbelievable.
(End of the Chapter)
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