Chapter 278: Unusual Circumstances Always Indicate Something Amiss

Most people wouldn't notice such a detail, but Xu Qing, due to the peculiarity of his own shadow, also paid attention to the shadows of others while observing.

The moment Xu Qing looked, his shadow instantly exuded an excited aura.

"Kin... devour..."

This time, the Vajra Sect Patriarch didn't need to translate; Xu Qing already understood what his shadow was trying to convey, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

After a moment, he spoke slowly.

"When things are out of the ordinary, there's always something nefarious at play."

"Especially this diversion – it doesn't seem like a genuine attempt to intercept the river, but rather a ploy to get our attention."

The Captain observed the scene, smiled, and gave an order.

"Asking for help? Interesting. Someone, bring the ruler of this small nation here; I want to question him about this. Something feels off. They aren't ignorant of the Alliance's unwritten rules."

Before long, as a long streak of light approached, a Seven Blood Eyes disciple escorted a corpulent old man in yellow robes onto the ship. The moment he stepped aboard, the old man's body trembled; he fell to his knees with a thud and spoke in a quivering voice.

"Please, High Immortal, save my small nation!"

As the ruler tearfully recounted his story, Xu Qing and the Captain gradually came to understand the situation.

The small nation was called Chishuo. Its ancestor had once been a Foundation Establishment cultivator from a minor sect. With no hope of further breakthrough, he had migrated here, establishing a family that eventually gathered refugees and grew into a small nation.

Life was difficult for them, but by offering tribute to a minor sect on Mount Taisi Du'e, they enjoyed a reasonable degree of safety under its protection. Combined with sustenance that contained exotic matter, they could still survive.

Though their lifespans were generally short, in this world, they asked for nothing more.

However, all of this changed with the emergence of a branch of the Immortal River of Ages.

The catalyst for this change originated in Mount Taisi Du'e, where various factions were already entangled in chaotic, incessant battles.

The river's appearance led to an expansion of influence, and consequently, a month ago, the minor sect that had offered them protection was annihilated by three foreign rogue cultivators of other races.

After the entire sect, from its leaders down to its lowest members, was utterly slaughtered and consumed, these three foreign rogue cultivators seized control of the area.

Out of reverence for the Three Spirits Suppressing Dao Mountain, they called themselves the "Little Three Spirits" and demanded that all nearby small nations supply large quantities of river water in exchange for peace.

If the required quantity was not delivered within the stipulated time, they would come daily to consume a thousand people. This would continue until either an entire nation was devoured or enough river water was provided.

The "Little Three Spirits" clearly understood the Eight Sects Alliance's tacit non-interference with human affairs, which emboldened them to make such demands.

After all, the Eight Sects Alliance would not obstruct common folk from drawing water.

Yet, the quantity they required was immense, and they dared not openly divert the river. This led to their cunning scheme.

"We have now exceeded the deadline. The Little Three Spirits come here daily to consume a thousand people; they left this morning. If the river water quantity isn't sufficient by tomorrow, they will return. In my desperation, I had no choice but to divert the river to attract the High Immortals' attention."

The ruler himself was a cultivator, though only at the Qi Condensation stage, and he spoke with a tremor in his voice.

Xu Qing's earlier suspicion was correct: the river diversion was their desperate act of self-preservation.

At that moment, his gaze deepened as he swept over the ruler's shadow, cast upon the deck by the setting sun.

The ruler's shadow also lacked a left ear.

However, due to the angle, it wasn't particularly clear, especially as the ruler, perhaps intentionally, kept his head slightly tilted, making his shadow's details even harder to discern.

Only a truly observant person could catch the intricate details of the shadow with a fleeting glimpse of his head.

"Little Three Spirits?" The Captain squinted, and Xu Qing's eyes deepened. Both were highly experienced, especially the Captain, who was remarkably astute, and they could naturally discern the truth from falsehood in the ruler's words.

To Xu Qing, the ruler's story seemed truthful, but it was also evident that he was concealing certain details.

However, they did not make an immediate decision. Instead, after clarifying the location of the Little Three Spirits, they dispatched disciples for reconnaissance. After waiting several hours for the disciples to return with their findings, the Captain smiled and looked at Xu Qing.

"Their strongest are only three Two-Flame Foundation Establishment cultivators?" The Captain placed his right hand on the large ship. After activating its array, an invisible ripple instantly spread outwards, sweeping across the surroundings.

The array's coverage was vast, and the Captain precisely adjusted it to the specified area. After a second verification using the array, he confirmed the absence of any Core Formation cultivators within that region, and everything aligned with the disciples' reconnaissance report. Only then did he nodded.

"The Alliance's reconnaissance array is indeed very effective. Xu Qing, how about we send someone to eliminate those 'Little Three Spirits'?" As he spoke, the Captain directed the Seven Blood Eyes disciples behind him to go and deal with the matter.

Xu Qing suddenly spoke up.

"Senior Brother, I'll go along."

The Captain gave Xu Qing a meaningful glance, asked no further questions, and nodded.

"Do you need me to accompany you?"

"It wouldn't be very convenient," Xu Qing replied after a moment's thought, shaking his head. He had no intention of deliberately concealing anything.

Furthermore, Xu Qing believed that even if the Captain didn't notice anything now, he would surely discern clues upon reflection later.

After all, one should never underestimate anyone.

Instead of the Captain noticing and making wild guesses later, it was better to directly inform him that this was his personal secret.

Xu Qing's assessment was correct. After hearing Xu Qing's words, the Captain's smile deepened with understanding, and he asked no further questions.

Xu Qing's body swayed, and he rose into the air, summoning over a hundred Seven Blood Eyes disciples. The group immediately set off towards Mount Taisi Du'e in the distance.

Even after repeatedly confirming the reconnaissance was accurate, Xu Qing's cautious nature led him to summon even more people.

Watching Xu Qing's retreating figure, satisfaction flickered in the Captain's eyes.

"Little A-Qing truly doesn't consider me an outsider. If that's the case, I won't pry too much. Everyone has their own secrets."

The Captain took out an apple, then glanced at the shivering ruler, noting his shadow at his feet and the missing left ear of the shadow. He chuckled softly and ordered the fleet to halt its journey, awaiting Xu Qing's return.

Meanwhile, in the skies above Mount Taisi Du'e, Xu Qing, leading over a hundred Seven Blood Eyes disciples from various peaks, was soaring away at astonishing speed.

Thirty percent of these team members were at the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation, while the rest were all at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Those capable of joining the Security Special Division were naturally exceptional individuals, chosen from the elite. While most had not yet ignited their Life Fire, over twenty possessed one Life Fire, six had two, and one even had three.

Little Dumb was also among them; despite being at the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation, his ferocity was immense. He fought with a disregard for his own life, marking him as a standout among cultivators of his realm.

A force of this magnitude would essentially be capable of sweeping aside all opposition, unless confronted by a Core Formation cultivator of the Second Palace stage or higher.

As they drew closer, Mount Taisi Du'e came clearly into Xu Qing's sight. The mountain range was dotted with countless peaks, shrouded in dense forests. Under the twilight glow, these woods seemed to conceal malevolent spirits, appearing utterly grim and sinister.

Beneath the trees, sunlight barely penetrated, casting the ground in perpetual darkness.

The terrain was varied, with muddy patches and gaping fissures, harboring countless dangers and bizarre phenomena.

The moment they drew near, Xu Qing detected strange fluctuations emanating from the distant, dense forest. Though these ripples were far off and not their objective, Xu Qing merely glanced in that direction, and a wave of malevolence instantly surged from that area, enveloping Xu Qing and his group.

Almost the instant it revealed itself, the eerie malice vanished without a trace, as if startled.

Xu Qing paid no mind, flying onward towards their destination. Gradually, a foul, putrid smell wafted from the dense forests of the black mountain. Human, beast, and various foreign race heads hung from the trees, their blood dripping onto the decaying skeletons below.

The ground itself was marred by patches of mud made from putrefying flesh.

Everything was a grotesque imitation of the Three Spirits Suppressing Dao Mountain. Xu Qing frowned, his gaze chilling as he looked towards the middle of the distant mountain, where a large cave emitted boisterous sounds that carried far.

Moreover, several grotesque foreign beings, bearing charred human-beast corpses, were entering the cave.

This sight made Xu Qing's eyes grow even colder, and he spoke calmly.

"Storm inside. Leave no one alive, except for the principal culprits!"

"Understood!" The hundred-plus Security Special Division disciples behind him chorused, then transformed into streaks of light, surging forward to instantly reach the cave entrance.

The beings carrying food were utterly shocked and terrified; before they could even utter a sound, their heads were severed, and they died instantly.

The one who acted was Little Dumb. He held a dagger, which he now licked clean of blood, before crouching low and moving with incredible speed directly into the cave entrance.

The others rushed in as well. Immediately, angry roars and horrifying screams echoed from within the cave.

Xu Qing, expressionless, walked forward step by step. Black iron skewers floated around him, and shadows spread across the ground.

As Xu Qing entered the cave, corpses littered his path.

Occasionally, the Vajra Sect Patriarch would let out a grim chuckle, manipulating the iron skewers to instantly pierce through a corpse. Each time, the impaled body would shriek before truly dying.

Evidently, these were individuals feigning death.

Meanwhile, the shadow paid no attention to those feigning death. Instead, it exuded an intense craving, guiding Xu Qing deeper into the cave.

Soon, as the sounds of fighting ahead subsided, Xu Qing reached the deepest part of the cave. There, a vast grotto-heaven opened up, with a hole more than a *zhang* wide above, through which the twilight-faded night sky was visible.

The ground was strewn with shattered tables, scattered food, and numerous corpses of foreign creatures.

All the Security Special Division disciples were present, having captured over twenty foreign beings and subdued them into kneeling positions.

Terror filled the eyes of these foreign beings. Three of them, heavily wounded, were cultivators with two Life Fires, and they watched Xu Qing approach with profound dread.

"Esteemed Sect Master, we..." The speaker was a cultivator whose hair resembled flames and whose body was covered in scales; he was one of the three most powerful "spirits" in this place.

Xu Qing ignored him. With a wave of his hand, before the speaker could even finish his sentence, his head exploded, killing him instantly.

This sight caused the other subdued foreign beings to gasp, their fear palpable, none daring to speak.

Xu Qing remained silent. His calm gaze swept over the shadows of the foreign beings, finally settling on one with wings on its back.

This winged being was the second of the "Three Spirits."

He trembled as he looked at Xu Qing, just about to speak. But the next instant, his expression suddenly contorted. He inexplicably broke free from his restraints, shot upwards, and fled straight for the cave entrance above.

His speed was astonishing.

Yet, strangely, his eyes betrayed utter disbelief and horror, as if his own will no longer controlled his body.

Nor was it Xu Qing's shadow doing the controlling.

Instead, it was the foreign being's *own* shadow!