Chapter 1997: Lurking Shadow

"Yes, Grandfather!" Yin Yue opened her mouth a few times, but ultimately swallowed her words obediently.

Just as Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao was about to say more to his granddaughter, his expression shifted. He suddenly turned his head, his gaze directed towards the main entrance.

A moment later, footsteps were heard, and a young maid appeared outside the door, speaking respectfully.

"Reporting, Master, two elders from this island are here to request an audience!"

"Oh, they're quite swift. Let them in," Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao said, his expression softening as he nodded.

The maid naturally acknowledged and left to carry out the order.

A short while later, the man named Xu and the white-haired elder entered from outside. Upon seeing Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao, they immediately stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Greetings, Senior. We wonder what task you require your juniors to undertake with this summons," the man with the fair complexion asked solemnly.

"No rush. Both of you, please sit down and speak," Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao said with a smile, gesturing towards a nearby chair.

The two Body Integration stage cultivators, one human and one demon, naturally dared not defy Ao Xiao's will. After expressing their gratitude, they obediently sat down on opposite sides.

"Both of you have some connection to me. One is a descendant of an old friend, and the other is a registered disciple of Fellow Daoist Mo. There's a major task at hand that needs to be done, and I can only truly trust it to the two of you," Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao said, observing them with a concerned but kind expression.

"Please give us your orders, Senior!"

Facing the Grand Ascension stage cultivator, the man named Xu and the other felt somewhat overwhelmed by the honor.

"Fellow Daoist Mo told me that in his absence, Fellow Daoist Luo is the one who can make decisions on Saint Island. In that case, I need your help to collect some items. Some are magical artifacts, others are materials. These items are quite rare; some already have known locations, while others you will have to find yourselves. The only condition is that all of this must be done discreetly, and the sooner the better!" Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao stated directly after a brief contemplation.

"Yes, Junior will immediately dispatch trusted individuals to handle this separately. Outsiders will certainly not be informed," the white-haired elder replied, momentarily stunned, then readily agreeing.

"Very well. I have a list here; please keep it safe." Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao nodded, flicked his sleeve, and a jade slip flew towards him.

The white-haired elder immediately stood up, caught the jade slip, and, without even looking at it, placed it into his sleeve.

He clearly conveyed that he would do his utmost to complete the task, regardless of what was recorded inside.

Seeing this, Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao's face showed a hint of satisfaction. He then turned to the man named Xu and instructed him:

"Nephew Xu, I need you to make a trip to the Barren World to meet several powerful beings of other races. What you are to do upon meeting them is also detailed in this jade slip, which you'll understand once you read it. This matter, too, must not be known to anyone else on the island."

"This junior will certainly act cautiously," the man named Xu replied respectfully, also rising to his feet.

"Hmm, both these matters concern the three Demon Ancestors, as Fellow Daoist Mo is aware. I can give you a maximum of five years.

Exceeding that time would jeopardize a crucial undertaking. Do you understand?" Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao's expression suddenly turned stern.

"Please rest assured, Senior. Even if it costs us our lives, we will complete the task on time."

Upon hearing that the tasks were related to dealing with the Demon Ancestors, the white-haired elder and the man named Xu exchanged glances, their faces showing a mix of surprise and delight. They were almost ready to swear an oath immediately.

"I summoned you because I naturally trust you. Now, there are no other matters; go and attend to these immediately. It's better to do this sooner rather than later!" Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao said, raising a hand and tossing another jade slip to the man named Xu, indicating their dismissal.

The two elders dared not say anything more. They bowed deeply and then left the pavilion.

"Grandfather, are these two trustworthy? Haven't demon spies already infiltrated Saint Island?" Yin Yue asked, frowning slightly, once the two had left.

"Heh heh, if even these two aren't reliable, then no one else can be trusted. Fellow Daoist Mo Jianli personally recommended them to me because they have both resided on Saint Island for a millennium without ever leaving. Besides, do you truly believe demon spies could escape your grandfather's sight? At the very least, the Saint Island elders we saw earlier in the great hall should be fine. That's not bad news at all," Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao said, a faint smile flashing across his remarkably youthful face.

"Since Grandfather has a clear understanding, Linglong is relieved. I will go upstairs to rest for a while," Linglong said, her expression relaxing, as she curtsied to Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao.

"You've been on the move for several months; you certainly need a good rest to recover. Go ahead, then," Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao nodded, speaking with a touch of tenderness.

"Grandfather, you should also rest early. After all, you've only recently recovered your vital energy, so please don't overexert yourself," the silver-haired woman advised with concern.

"Haha, do you think your grandfather is truly old?" Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao grinned, saying carelessly.

"With Grandfather's appearance, if you said you were my elder brother, most people wouldn't even doubt it. How could anyone speak of 'old'?" Yin Yue chuckled lightly and walked upstairs without looking back.

Her steps were a little lighter, as if her mood had instantly improved significantly!

"That girl! I truly hope she doesn't have to cultivate the Heartless Art." After watching the silver-haired woman's back disappear from the staircase, Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao's relaxed expression vanished, replaced by a soft sigh.

Strangely, after the long-haired man finished speaking, he closed his eyes and remained motionless in his chair, showing no intention of getting up or going upstairs.

After the time it takes to eat a meal, he opened his eyes and suddenly spoke faintly:

"Since you're already here, why not reveal yourself?"

"Your subordinate greets Master Ao Xiao!"

Before the words fully faded, the nearby space rippled. A nearly transparent phantom figure flashed out, appearing only a few dozen feet from Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao.

As soon as the phantom appeared, its form gradually solidified and became clear, finally transforming into a slender woman clad in a tight-fitting black robe.

This woman wore a bronze wolf-head mask on her face, and her hands were covered by dark, mysterious gloves, not a single inch of skin visible on her entire body.

"Liaoying, after all these years, your attire hasn't changed in the slightest," Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao said, his eyebrow twitching slightly, revealing a hint of interest.

"Master, your demeanor is just as it was! When I heard that you were injured during your tribulation, I was truly worried for a long time. Now that I see you are unharmed, your subordinate is relieved," the masked woman replied respectfully after bowing, not daring to be remiss.

"Heh heh, a mere heavenly tribulation couldn't possibly claim my life, could it? Enough idle talk. Many years ago, I ordered you to infiltrate Saint Island as a contingency. Now, tell me in detail about the current situation on Saint Island. I need to understand the true state of affairs before I can guard the island for a period..." Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao's expression grew solemn.

"Yes, the situation on Saint Island is actually not very good, primarily due to the actions of the demon race..." Upon hearing this, the bronze-masked woman began to recount without hesitation.

Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao listened very attentively, and whenever he encountered something unclear, he would interrupt the woman's narration to ask for clarification.

The woman answered what she could, and for what she didn't know, she merely shook her head.

Finally, after speaking her last sentence, the woman abruptly stopped and fell silent.

Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao, with a pensive expression, began to ponder in his chair!

"Liaoying, you've done well. It seems your time on Saint Island these past years hasn't been wasted. However, regarding the matter I asked you to investigate in my last message, do you have any results?" Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao finally emerged from his thoughts with a satisfied expression, but then suddenly inquired about something else.

"If Master Ao Xiao gives an order, how could Liaoying not put her heart into it? However, the person you asked me to investigate has never actually visited Saint Island. While there are many rumors about him, there is very little more detailed, specific information. Furthermore, this individual seems to be a reclusive cultivator who rarely interacts with others apart from his cultivation. This might be one reason why he managed to ascend several stages in such a short time. I have already compiled his information. Would Master like to see it now? Most of it is merely hearsay and not necessarily accurate," the masked woman replied honestly, a hint of difficulty appearing in her voice for the first time, after thinking for a moment.

"Regardless of whether it's true or false, I want to see it. I'd like to see just how capable this person is, to have garnered such a reputation in only a little over a thousand years since ascending from the lower realms to the Spirit Realm. And to have become Linglong's main inner struggle!" Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao's face darkened, and he spoke with a hint of severity.

"Yes, Master!" The black-robed woman raised her hand, sending a ball of green light forward.

Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao caught the green light in his palm with a single grab, then squeezed his fingers, sending his spiritual sense to probe within.

"Why is there so little, and most of it mere speculation? Hmph, a cultivator who just entered the early Body Integration stage can contend with a late Great Perfection cultivator? How likely do you think such a thing is to be true!" In just a short while, Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao finished reviewing the information in his hand. He let out a cold snort, seemingly quite dissatisfied.

"Your subordinate merely collected the relevant information according to Master's command. Whether it's true or not is for Master to judge. After all, Master did not order me to personally investigate the details at the time. However, if Master were to give such an order now, it would be a bit late. This person recently encountered a pursuit by the demon race and has since gone missing."

The black-robed woman spoke with utmost seriousness.

"Missing in action. Is this true? If so, then that human brat got off easy. His name is 'Han Li,' correct? A mere cultivator who ascended from the lower realms dared to disturb Linglong's state of mind, preventing her from progressing smoothly. Even dying a thousand times wouldn't be a pity for him," Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao said slowly, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.