Chapter 1691: Sand Old Lady

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Volume Nine: The Hundred Races of the Spirit World

"That's not necessarily true. The spy might also be skilled in the arts. It's possible that the people Brother Bai sent weren't capable enough and couldn't see through them, thus letting the person slip away," a figure shrouded in grey light, resembling a shadow, calmly remarked from the side.

"Hmph. When it comes to other cultivation methods, perhaps our clan wouldn't dare compete with other races for superiority. However, in the study of the arts, our clan is absolutely preeminent among the thirteen races. If Fellow Daoist Cangying believes the Yin Demon Clan is stronger than our Water Spirit Clan in this regard, then this matter can naturally be handed over to Brother Cangying," the white-haired person replied impolitely.

"I only said that out of caution. When it comes to mastery of the arts, how can our Yin Demon Clan compare to your esteemed clan's talent?" The grey figure chuckled, looking indifferent.

The white-haired person's gaze turned cold, and just as he was about to speak further, the young man named Weng's face darkened, and he suddenly began to speak:

"Alright, no more idle chatter. It's impossible for that Jiaochi Clan spy to escape. The moment the theft was discovered, I ordered all exits sealed. For the past few days, only entry has been permitted; no one can leave. Even a mosquito wouldn't be able to fly out of Cloud City. According to the only guard wounded by the spy, the person's cultivation is merely at the Refinement Void stage, making it unlikely they could deceive the investigation led by Fellow Daoist Bai. This suggests that the person most likely didn't infiltrate Cloud City recently, but has had another identity within the city for years. That's why the previous screening didn't focus on them."

Hearing the young man named Weng speak, the white-haired person and the grey figure respectfully assented and fell silent.

"If it's truly as Senior Weng says, then it becomes quite tricky. Once the scope of suspicious individuals extends to six months ago, it would be impossible to investigate them all. Furthermore, if this causes panic among other foreign residents, it might only create more problems," Qianjizi said, clearing his throat lightly.

"Indeed, Fellow Daoist Qianjizi makes a very valid point, and it's also my greatest concern. However, this person actually stole the recently deployed diagrams for our Cloud City's grand restriction formations. No matter the cost, we absolutely cannot let them leave Cloud City. Otherwise, if the Jiaochi Clan army besieges the city, a large portion of our city's restrictions would become useless," the young man named Weng said calmly.

"Senior Weng is absolutely right. As long as that Jiaochi Clan spy is still in the city, we certainly cannot let them leave. While mobilizing such a force for ten days, or even a month or two, wouldn't be an issue, what if that spy is determined to remain hidden in the city for several years, or even more than a decade? It seems we can't maintain this level of vigilance indefinitely," an elder with a several-foot-long black beard also said.

"Oh, Fellow Daoist Ning, judging by what you said, do you perhaps have a good idea?" The young man named Weng asked, his eyes flickering as he saw the elder speak.

"How could this junior possibly have a good plan? But isn't Fairy Cai here? With Fellow Daoist Cai's intellect, I imagine solving this matter would be effortless." The black-bearded elder waved his hands repeatedly, but then, his tone changed, and he suddenly mentioned Cai Liuying, who had been sitting quietly by the side.

The beautiful woman of the Crystal Clan, upon hearing the black-bearded elder's words, turned her exquisite eyes and lightly chuckled in reply: "Brother Ning, you jest. With Senior Weng and Mountain Lord Sha present, where would this junior have any room to show off her meager wit? I simply need to do my best to follow instructions."

"Fellow Daoist Cai, now is not the time for modesty. I want to hear your opinion as an elder of the Crystal Clan." The young man named Weng's expression became serious as he directly instructed Cai Liuying.

"Since Senior truly wishes this junior to offer some thoughts, then this humble one shall be presumptuous for once." The beautiful woman of the Crystal Clan furrowed her delicate brows, but then her expression returned to normal as she stood up and bowed respectfully to the young man named Weng and the old woman.

"Indeed, Fairy Cai, please speak freely."

"Yes, Fellow Daoist Cai, we trust you won't disappoint us."

Seeing the beautiful woman of the Crystal Clan speak this way, most of those present smiled and praised her. It seemed that although Cai Liuying's cultivation was among the lowest of the Sacred Clans present, her prestige was remarkably high. The old woman, who had previously kept her eyes almost half-closed, now slightly lifted her eyelids and gazed deeply at the beautiful woman. As for the young man named Weng, his gaze towards Cai Liuying revealed a hint of anticipation.

"In this humble one's opinion, since neither extreme strictness nor extreme leniency will work, it would be better to be outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant, to lure the snake out of its hole." Cai Liuying said, after glancing at everyone in the hall.

"Outwardly relaxed, inwardly vigilant," the young man named Weng repeated, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.

"Exactly. Regardless of how the spy managed to evade our search, it seems unlikely we'll apprehend them quickly. In that case, for the next month, we should deploy all our personnel and conduct another thorough search of the city. If we genuinely catch the spy during this period, that would be ideal. If we still find nothing, we can gradually withdraw our personnel, creating the impression that we are relaxing our efforts. However, in reality, the number of guards at the four gates will subtly increase rather than decrease. Additionally, we will organize another wave of elite personnel to continue secretly investigating all suspicious individuals who wish to leave Cloud City soon. This way, if the spy is eager to send the stolen item out, they will naturally walk straight into our ambush. If they truly intend to remain hidden in the city, seeing the relaxed atmosphere outside, they won't be able to maintain their vigilance indefinitely and will eventually expose themselves, allowing us to capture them," the beautiful woman of the Crystal Clan explained slowly.

"Indeed, it's a good method. But if the four gates are opened, and that person truly possesses astonishing abilities in the art of illusion, finding a way to bypass our detection, what if they seize the opportunity to brazenly slip away through the main gates?" The young man named Weng nodded initially after listening, but then shook his head. The others, who had initially thought Cai Liuying's method was good, couldn't help but exchange glances when they heard the young man named Weng's apparent disagreement.

"Heh heh, Senior Weng," the beautiful woman of the Crystal Clan said with a charming smile, "this humble one's method was actually only half-explained. There's another half I haven't revealed. Senior, please continue to listen." Following this, her lips moved slightly, yet no sound emerged from them. She was directly transmitting a message to the young man named Weng. The young man named Weng was initially somewhat surprised, but after listening to just a few sentences, he let out a soft "Oh?" with a hint of astonishment on his face, which then transformed into pleasant surprise. It took nearly the time it takes to steep a cup of tea before the beautiful woman of the Crystal Clan closed her mouth, ending the transmission.

"Is that truly so?" the young man named Weng asked Cai Liuying, taking a deep breath. Then, his gaze shifted, and he glanced towards Qianjizi.

"How could this junior dare to joke about such a matter?" the beautiful woman of the Crystal Clan replied with a solemn expression.

Seeing Cai Liuying and the young man named Weng behaving so mysteriously, the other elders present exchanged glances, their expressions varied. However, they were tactful enough, and no one spoke up to inquire about the content of the transmitted message.

"Hmm, since Fairy Cai has spoken so, how could I not believe it? Madam Sha, I imagine you also overheard Fellow Daoist Cai's recent transmission. What do you think?" The young man named Weng suddenly turned his head and asked the old woman who appeared half-asleep beside him, his manner quite polite.

"I have no opinion. These old bones of mine came out of seclusion this time, and I'm too lazy to do any thinking. My only responsibility is to lend these youngsters a hand when we encounter strong enemies. Other matters, I won't concern myself with, nor do I have the energy to. Alright, since you've almost finished discussing things, I'll go rest. Fellow Daoist Weng, you can make your own decisions regarding the matters that follow." After giving a faint chuckle, the old woman named Sha shakily stood up and spoke weakly.

Hearing the old woman's words, the young man named Weng wore a wry smile. But before he could say anything to her, she had already walked off towards a side door of the hall, seemingly abandoning him entirely. The other Sacred Clan members present naturally looked on with strange expressions. It was said that this old woman's origins were exceptionally mysterious. Although everyone knew that there was such a Great Ascension Stage expert among their thirteen clans, no one knew which clan she hailed from, or what great divine abilities she cultivated that allowed her to reach the Great Ascension realm. Furthermore, according to some rumors, this old woman was the longest-living of all the Great Ascension Stage experts currently existing among their thirteen clans, with her lifespan said to far exceed ordinary imagination. At the very least, these Sacred Rank cultivators present had known of Madam Sha's existence since they first achieved some minor cultivation breakthroughs. Therefore, despite the old woman appearing so frail that a mere gust of wind could blow her away, even the young man named Weng, himself a Great Ascension Stage expert, always treated her as a junior. The other Sacred Clan members in Cloud City naturally dared not show the slightest disrespect. However, after watching the old woman finally disappear through the side door, the young man could only sigh helplessly and avert his gaze.

"Since Madam Sha has already departed, there's nothing more to discuss on this matter. Let's proceed according to Fellow Daoist Cai's suggestion. Fairy Cai, Fellow Daoist Bai, I entrust this matter to the two of you to handle with full authority. Everyone else must cooperate fully," the young man named Weng commanded decisively after a brief moment of thought.

Everyone in the hall naturally had no objections and repeatedly assented.

"Alright, next, let's discuss the matter of the Guanghan Realm. Qianjizi, you explain it," the young man named Weng said, abruptly changing the topic and calling out a name.

Upon hearing the words "Guanghan Realm," everyone else's expressions subtly changed.

"Fellow Daoist Qian, what do you mean by that? Is the Guanghan Realm about to open?" an impatient individual couldn't help but ask directly.

Among them, Cai Liuying and Duan Tianren subconsciously exchanged glances upon hearing this, but immediately and subtly averted their eyes.

"Our Myriad Ancient Clan's Guanghan Instrument, located in the Spirit Communication Hall, showed a reaction two days ago. According to previous predictions, the Guanghan Realm is expected to open within a few months, or at most, three to four years," Qianjizi said unhurriedly.

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