Translator: CinderTL
Song Wen suddenly remembered that Gou Jun's true identity was that of a rogue cultivator.
So...
This wasn't an "unforeseen calamity" at all. Yuanrong had stumbled upon the truth by sheer luck.
Song Wen couldn't help but consider leaving the group. Otherwise, even if his true identity remained hidden, Yuanrong would eventually toy with him to death.
Perhaps sensing Song Wen's anxiety, Yuanrong's voice echoed again.
"Rest assured, as long as you bring back some useful intelligence this time, I will treat you fairly in the future and cease targeting you."
"Junior obeys. I will exert my utmost effort," Song Wen replied, clasping his hands in a fist salute, though his expression remained strained.
He naturally didn't believe Yuanrong's words.
Judging by Yuanrong's past actions, the man was indeed forthright. However, Song Wen dared not entrust his life to another's benevolence.
The feigned reluctance on Song Wen's face was deliberate; appearing too eager would only arouse suspicion.
However,
Just as Song Wen finished speaking, Daoist Monarch Yongcheng's sinister voice suddenly cut through the air.
"Boy, don't try any tricks. The teleportation array disk is in my hands. If you linger and fail to return promptly..."
A cold smile curled on Daoist Monarch Yongcheng's lips as he continued,
"...I'll ensure you remain trapped on this continent forever, never to return to the Eastern Profound Continent."
Song Wen froze momentarily, then quickly replied,
"Senior, your wisdom is clear. This junior would never dare harbor such intentions!"
Yuanrong abruptly waved his hand.
"Enough talk. Depart immediately."
"Yes!"
Song Wen turned and left with decisive efficiency.
As he turned, his gaze inadvertently swept over Daoist Monarch Yongcheng.
The teleportation array disk on Yongcheng's person was indeed crucial.
Song Wen soared into the sky, ascending to the Nine Heavens, and swiftly exited the deep valley.
After leaving the deep valley, Song Wen moved through the dense mountain forests like a phantom, traveling over ten thousand li before stopping in a ravine.
A surge of gray baleful qi erupted from Song Wen's body, spreading along the forest floor through withered branches and fallen leaves, then climbing up the side of a nearby mountain.
At the mountain's peak, a fifth-tier azure fox lay sprawled on a rock, inhaling and exhaling heaven and earth spiritual qi.
The azure fox remained completely unaware of the approaching malevolent qi until the icy energy touched its body, jolting it awake. Before it could even cry out, the qi engulfed it.
Like a receding tide, the malevolent qi retreated along its original path, dragging the azure fox before Song Wen.
Song Wen stared directly at the fox, a wisp of strange divine sense rippling from his brow and drifting toward the fox's head.
He was casting the Truth-Hearing Technique.
This spell wasn't particularly difficult; he had mastered it during his journey from the Ghost-Faced Spider territory to the Azure Jade Fox Clan's domain.
The azure fox's eyes, previously wide with terror, suddenly narrowed, then filled with pleading.
"Master, please don't kill me," the fox's voice echoed in Song Wen's mind.
Its language was peculiar, completely incomprehensible to Song Wen, yet he understood its meaning perfectlyβa testament to the Truth-Hearing Technique's extraordinary power.
"I won't kill you," Song Wen said. "I just want to ask you a few questions."
"Master, please ask," the azure fox replied.
Song Wen then questioned the fox about the Azure Jade Fox Clan and their forbidden territory. The answers he received were identical to those given by the previous azure foxes.
"It seems their claims are likely true," Song Wen mused inwardly.
He asked two more questions, but neither yielded the information he sought.
True to his word, Song Wen didn't kill the azure fox. Instead, he stored it in his Spirit Beast Pouch.
This wasn't out of adherence to his promise, but rather because he feared the Azure Jade Fox Clan might possess artifacts similar to the human race's soul lamps. Killing the demon could alert the entire clan.
In fact, the cultivators hadn't slain any of the azure foxes they had captured earlier.
Song Wen turned and glanced back toward the deep valley where Yuanrong and the others were waiting.
A Great Ascension Stage cultivator's sensory range extends approximately ten thousand miles. By now, he should have been beyond the reach of Daoist Monarch Yongcheng and Yuanrong's divine sense. Yet he dared not lower his guard even slightly.
Although Yongcheng and Yuanrong claimed they were sending Song Wen to investigate the Azure Jade Fox Clan's forbidden territory, he suspected they were likely following closely behind.
With Song Wen leading the way, drawing the attention of the Azure Jade Fox Clan's experts, Yongcheng and Yuanrong could follow behind without fear for their safety, while also observing the clan's forbidden territory firsthand. What could be better?
Though this was merely Song Wen's deduction, he was eighty to ninety percent certain it was true.
His reasoning was simple: if he were in Yongcheng and Yuanrong's position, he would undoubtedly make the same choice.
After a moment's hesitation, Song Wen continued forward, but his pace slowed to a crawl as he cautiously felt his way through the terrain.
The frequency of azure fox sightings increased dramatically, forcing him to remain vigilant.
After half an hour, he had only advanced thirty to forty thousand li.
Suddenly, Shadow Void's voice echoed in his mind:
"Master, there's a seventh-tier azure fox approaching from about six thousand li ahead, heading directly toward you."
Song Wen's heart tightened. Has my presence been discovered? he wondered.
Yet he remained calm.
He was already close to the Azure Jade Fox Clan's heartland. Any hasty movements would only attract more foxes.
With a flick of his wrist, a yellow-brown talisman appeared in his palm.
The talisman shattered, releasing an earthy-brown light that swirled around Song Wen's body.
Song Wen's figure instantly sank into the earth beneath his feet, vanishing without a trace.
He descended vertically for five hundred li before stopping.
This depth was the limit of the fifth-tier Earth Evasion Talisman. Continuing further would cause the earth-brown spiritual light coalesced by the talisman to shatter and dissipate under the immense pressure of the earth.
Song Wen suppressed his aura and remained motionless.
Moments later, a cyan figure streaked overhead without pausing.
Song Wen exhaled in relief.
It seemed his presence hadn't been detectedβat least, not yet.
Instead of returning to the surface, he harnessed the power of the Earth Evasion Talisman to continue his stealthy approach toward the Azure Jade Fox Clan's forbidden territory, significantly increasing his speed.
After another fifty thousand li of uneventful progress, Song Wen began to ascend.
In a thicket of withered leaves and tangled shrubs, a head silently broke through the earth. Startled, a perched bird on a nearby branch took flight, scattering a few drops of grayish-white excrement that landed squarely on Song Wen's forehead.
Ignoring the filth sliding down his face, Song Wen remained underground, merely tilting his neck slightly. Through the gaps in the tangled foliage, his gaze fixed westward.
Just a few zhang ahead, the thicket abruptly ended.
Beyond lay an unobstructed view.
A lush, verdant grassland stretched out, extending for thousands of feet.
At the far end of the grassland, two towering mountains rose majestically from the earth.
Between the two peaks, a deep, winding ravine snaked inward, leading to a mountain valley encircled by towering peaks.
This ravine faced Song Wen directly and served as the entrance to the Azure Jade Fox Clan's forbidden territory.
However, the ravine was shrouded in a dense Mist, obscuring any view of what lay beyond.
(End of the Chapter)
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