Chapter 1786: Dark Undercurrents

Eliminating another enemy general would reduce one more obstacle for the upcoming major battle, and Miaozhantian's strategy was sound.

Miaozhantian also reminded him, "Focus on your task. Cross the lake."

"Understood." Bai Ziqi composed himself, gripped the glowing Silver Pearl Fruit, and quickly waded into Yaozi Lake.

He Lingchuan and his group, along with the main Illusion Sect forces, leaped into the sand table, arriving directly at the Yaozi Lake area, while Wenhuige returned to tranquility.

Xiao Wencheng, however, was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he respectfully bowed to the shrine, saying, "Immortal Venerable."

Qianhuan's voice echoed in his ear, "He Xiao, what's your take on this?"

"This person is far from simple and harbors malicious intentions," Xiao Wencheng mused. "It seems he has another motive for coming to Upside-Down Sea, not entirely for the task assigned by Spirit Mountain."

"What motive?"

"He seems to want to use your hand, Immortal Venerable, to eliminate Bai Ziqi, the Heavenly Palace Commander pursuing him. Bai Ziqi is also a rare prodigy, with great potential to become the successor to the next Chief Commander."

Qianhuan said indifferently, "Is that all?"

"Other motives have not yet become apparent. But the power behind He Xiao can actually contend with your rules in Upside-Down Sea, which is truly..." He paused. To say "contend" was an understatement; the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, representing Qianhuan's power, had been pried loose and shattered by the opponent. Every time Xiao Wencheng thought of it, it still seemed incredible.

"Spirit Mountain sent a message via the Eaves Bell: He Xiao caused a major disturbance in the Heavenly Palace and snatched the lid of the Great Square Cauldron from the Star-Picking Pagoda."

Xiao Wencheng hadn't heard the words "Great Square Cauldron" for so long that he was greatly astonished. "He's actually connected to the Great Square Cauldron? Has this divine artifact left the Coiling Dragon Desert?"

"No. Up to now, the Great Square Cauldron is still in the Coiling Dragon Desert. Spirit Mountain hasn't interrogated He Xiao; instead, Mou Nation has even helped him start a business." Qianhuan chuckled. "Spirit Mountain is getting worse every year."

He returned to the topic of He Lingchuan. "Given this, the power behind He Xiao is the Great Square Cauldron. I don't know how he managed to borrow its power; for the past 150 to 160 years, this divine artifact has never responded to anyone. Spirit Mountain entrusted him to come to Upside-Down Sea to find me, also to have me investigate him."

He, Qianhuan, always had to play the villain, he thought with a chuckle.

Xiao Wencheng suddenly realized, "No wonder Immortal Venerable mentioned General Hong."

"The Great Square Cauldron's temperament is unpredictable, but one thing is certain," Qianhuan said slowly. "The individuals it seeks out have always been those with profound strategies and unwavering perseverance, and—they are definitely not immortals!"

"I can sense that He Xiao has ulterior motives for this trip," he instructed Xiao Wencheng. "Once Miaozhantian and I begin our battle, I may not be able to pay attention to him. You must keep a close eye on this person."

If it were before his seclusion, he could take down such a person with a mere wave of his sleeve.

But now, with a powerful enemy attacking and the Illusion Sect heavily damaged, they had no choice but to rely on every bit of external help.

"Understood."

Finally, the Cave-Dwelling Infant King, flying over a stretch of low hills, discovered clues on the ground and quietly signaled its partner.

Qinggang was a considerable distance from the Heavenly Palace forces. According to Miaozhantian and Bai Ziqi's requirements, they could not hunt Illusion Sect immortals alone, for safety.

Miaozhantian was determined to capture Xutuo and immediately sent two subordinate deities, Jinna and Chizha, both in the guise of immortals.

After Jinna approached the low hills, it indeed found Xutuo hiding in the forest, recuperating from injuries.

Xutuo was the only demon immortal among the Illusion Sect elders. Its true form was a green ox, possessing immense strength and four horns sharper than sword tips.

Others thought the ox demon was simple-minded, but Xutuo was skilled in both water and earth escapes, frequently ambushing Heavenly Palace forces in wetlands and swamps, trampling countless to death or injury. It also enjoyed disemboweling people with its sharp horns before vanishing without a trace, making it difficult to track even from the sky.

Although Xutuo had enjoyed its recent killing spree, it had also sustained some injuries. Its hind leg had been struck by a Heavenly Demon's divine fire, and it was currently meditating to expel the fire poison.

To capture this creature, which was more cunning than a gopher, traps had to be set in advance.

Jinna's movements were very light, for fear of startling its prey. But just as it was setting up the second formation, the light from the sky dimmed, and the Cave-Dwelling Infant King suddenly swooped down.

"Caution, enemy directly ahead!"

"Directly ahead?" Jinna looked up. Sure enough, Xutuo had already discovered it, suddenly stood up, and charged fiercely.

The green ox's body expanded, becoming larger than a giant elephant. At the same time, it could release a Dharma form called the "Razor Lizard." This creature was about the size of a common chameleon but possessed a sharpened long tongue, also known as a "tongue-sword," capable of piercing more than a foot deep into a victim's skin.

The Razor Lizard ran like the wind; even if it scurried on a hippopotamus for a few breaths, it could strip off its flesh.

Since it was a Dharma form created by a demon immortal, it was unimaginable how fast and powerful it could be. Jinna had previously witnessed the Razor Lizard strip a living person down to a mere skeleton in just over ten breaths.

Not only was it too fast for the eye to follow, but it was also precise.

The green ox's true form was cumbersome, while the Dharma form it created was light and agile, complementing each other.

Therefore, Jinna was fully focused and prepared for battle.

The Cave-Dwelling Infant King folded its wings and swooped down, as fast as an arrow shot from a bow, its steel talons already extended. Jinna was ready to cooperate: the King would seize the Razor Lizard, while Jinna would engage Xutuo's main body.

However, as the Cave-Dwelling Infant King swept over Jinna's head, its body suddenly dropped, and its steel talons violently pressed into Jinna's skull!

This attack was completely without warning. Jinna was flipped forward and pinned firmly to the ground by the vulture.

Each of the Cave-Dwelling Infant King's steel talons was thicker than a human palm, and they clamped down on Jinna's head with a crunch.

Although immortals possess indestructible bodies, the Cave-Dwelling Infant King's talons emitted an ominous red light and actually pierced directly through Jinna's skull!

The next second, the Cave-Dwelling Infant King twisted its legs forward, intending to snap Jinna's neck, while its hooked beak descended to peck at Jinna's eyes.

It was merely a great demon recruited by Miaozhantian from the Glimmering Gold Plains, not yet a demon immortal. Jinna had never expected its attack to possess such power.

Chizha was also startled and turned to rescue Jinna, but the green ox in front lowered its head and charged forward at triple speed.

Red mist again permeated the thicket, making it impossible for anyone to see what was happening inside.

After about a quarter of an hour, the battle ended.

The Cave-Dwelling Infant King flew back into the sky, and Xutuo escaped by burrowing into the ground.

In the forest, besides traces of battle, nothing was left.

Originally, six Heavenly Demons and demon immortals remained in the Heavenly Palace, but subtly, only four were left.

The Cave-Dwelling Infant King circled in the sky for over a dozen times, closely monitoring the activity at Yaozi Lake.

Not until all the Heavenly Palace forces had entered the water did it descend from high altitude, fetch a Silver Pearl Fruit from the banks of Upside-Down Lake, and slowly glide into Yaozi Lake.

Time rewinds to one hour earlier.

He Lingchuan leaped into the sand table; his vision blurred for a moment, and he found himself standing by Yaozi Lake.

Before him was the clear, sparkling lake water. Beside him were Dong Rui, Granny Zhu, and the Yangshan guards, along with Illusion Sect disciples hurrying to and fro.