Chapter 167: Shadow Traces of the Heavenly Demon Sect

Early morning on the second day of the third month, in Jiangzhou City.

Meng Chuan, as usual, began his 'city patrol.' He seemed like an ordinary bladesman, holding and eating a few hot meat buns. There was nothing outwardly special about him, but his Soul Domain sensed everything within a two-mile radius.

Since the great migration began, Meng Chuan had been patrolling the city five times a day – three times during the day and twice at night. Both the sects and Godfiends like Meng Chuan believed that the demon race, having repeatedly attacked city passes over long periods, sacrificing numerous demon kings without remorse, would not remain indifferent now that they knew provincial and prefectural cities were vulnerable. This was a rare, once-in-a-millennium opportunity for them.

With humanity exposed and the demon race hidden, Meng Chuan dared not slacken his vigilance.

"Hmm?" Meng Chuan suddenly felt a jolt.

At the edge of his two-mile Soul Domain, he distinctly sensed two faint demonic energy signatures.

"After so many days of patrolling, I've finally found some Heavenly Demon Sect disciples," Meng Chuan thought. He quickly finished his meat buns, walked a few steps to the corner of an alley, then vanished into thin air. He had instantly covered a two-mile distance, reappearing on a rooftop two miles away.

Inside that ordinary residence, the door was tightly shut.

However, a man and a woman were sitting apart inside.

"The sect records long ago stated that Marquis Godfiends possess vast supernatural powers. Even if we completely conceal our demonic energy, a Marquis Godfiend can still detect us within several miles," the woman in yellow grumbled. "Normally, we hide on the island and secretly send merchant escorts to scout Jiangzhou City. But now, they've ordered all of us disciples to enter Jiangzhou City for reconnaissance. If a Marquis Godfiend discovers us, we'll be dead for sure."

"Our superiors also said there are no Marquis Godfiends in Jiangzhou City," the thin man replied.

"Hmph, Yuanchu Mountain has so many Godfiends. Where exactly are they hiding? Can our Heavenly Demon Sect really uncover all of them? What seems real might be fake, and what seems fake might be real. There might secretly be a Marquis Godfiend in Jiangzhou City," the woman in yellow said.

"What can we do about it? Can we disobey orders?" the thin man asked.

"Hmph, they're sending us to our deaths; those old geezers obviously don't care," the woman in yellow said, a cold glint in her eyes.

"Let's hurry and act. Our superiors instructed us to report back within three days," the thin man urged. "If we don't gather enough intelligence for them, we'll face severe punishment."

The woman in yellow felt a pang of fear at the mention of 'severe punishment.'

The Heavenly Demon Sect's punishments were notoriously cruel.

From the rooftop, Meng Chuan was within twenty zhang of the two individuals inside the house, allowing him to clearly hear their conversation. He wasn't in a rush to apprehend them; instead, he listened to their discussion.

"An entire group of their disciples has entered Jiangzhou City? It seems there are far more than just these two!" Meng Chuan mused. "They must report back within three days?"

"Creak."

Just as the two Heavenly Demon Sect disciples opened the door to leave the house, an invisible wave of true essence swept over them, instantly rendering them unconscious and causing them to collapse.

Meng Chuan appeared beside them.

Controlling two mortals was, of course, incredibly easy for a Godfiend.

"Let's go." Grabbing one person in each hand, Meng Chuan swiftly and silently departed. He moved across the rooftops as a blurred phantom, so fast that he far exceeded the speed of sound, his control over the forces of heaven and earth so precise that he didn't even create a whisper of wind. At such terrifying speed, ordinary mortals, even if they stared intently, couldn't have seen Meng Chuan.

In two breaths' time.

Meng Chuan returned to the manor.

"Junior Brother Meng," Yang Fang and Zhang Junfeng, who were in the courtyard, both stood up and looked at the two Heavenly Demon Sect disciples Meng Chuan was carrying.

"Heavenly Demon Sect disciples?" Zhang Junfeng exclaimed in surprise. He had also condensed a Soul, allowing him to sense the energy within the two individuals.

For a Great Solar Godfiend to condense a Soul at a relatively 'young' age was extremely difficult; it was a major hurdle to becoming a Marquis Godfiend. However, without age restrictions, there were still several dozen among the century-old disciples who had managed to condense Souls. They had cultivated for a longer time, and though their bodies were aging, their cultivation realms were indeed higher. Still, compared to the total number of Yuanchu Mountain disciples, those who had condensed Souls were very few.

"Yes, two Heavenly Demon Sect disciples I just found," Meng Chuan said. "I overheard them saying that a group of Heavenly Demon Sect disciples has entered Jiangzhou City, and they need to gather enough intelligence to report back within three days."

"Report back within three days?" Zhang Junfeng's eyes lit up. "Don't capture all these Heavenly Demon Sect scouts. Leave two or three to secretly follow them. See if we can uncover more information."

"Alright."

Meng Chuan nodded. "Senior Brother Zhang, quickly find someone skilled in illusionary arts to swiftly interrogate these two."

In fact, with his second-level Soul, Meng Chuan could also perform some Soul mystic arts, such as 'Enchantment Art,' making it quite easy to control two mortals. However, he needed to continue catching more scouts and didn't have time for a slow interrogation.

"Leave it to me, I also know some illusionary arts," Zhang Junfeng said with a slight smile. Being old and experienced, he naturally cultivated various techniques.

"I'll continue the search then."

With that, Meng Chuan vanished again.

"What incredible speed," Yang Fang marveled. "And he's adept at detection. I wonder if it's because he condensed a Soul or possesses a special mystic art."

"The most important thing is his youth," Zhang Junfeng sighed. "Junior Brother Meng and Godfiends like him are the hope of Yuanchu Mountain, the hope of our human world. We old folks are already close to the grave."

Yang Fang nodded slightly.

Both of them were at the pinnacle of Great Solar Godfiends, but with their aging bodies, they couldn't become Marquis Godfiends; their lives were set. Meng Chuan, however, was like a rising sun.

"If he encounters danger, even if it means risking both of us, we must try our best to protect Junior Brother Meng's life," Zhang Junfeng said.

"Don't worry, as long as we buy him some time, with Junior Brother Meng's movement speed, he can naturally protect himself," Yang Fang replied.

Zhang Junfeng nodded, then turned and walked towards a nearby hall. The two Heavenly Demon Sect disciples floated horizontally, following him into the hall.

Meng Chuan now accelerated his pace, covering two to three miles with each burst, quickening his city-wide patrol.

After all, knowing there were many scouts throughout the city, he naturally had to be fast.

On the street, an ordinary pedestrian was walking.

Suddenly, with a 'whoosh' of wind, the pedestrian vanished.

Inside a teahouse, two customers were enjoying morning tea in a private room. Suddenly, the window silently opened, puzzling the two guests. Then, a gust of wind swept through, and the two customers disappeared, leaving only their breakfast on the table.

"Boiled shredded tofu, steamed dumplings!" the waiter's loud voice announced as he pushed open the private room door. On his wooden tray sat a basket of steamed dumplings and a plate of boiled shredded tofu. The teahouse waiter stared in astonishment at the empty room, then glanced at the window. "Eating morning tea and dining and dashing?" The waiter immediately ran downstairs to report to his manager.

Meng Chuan's city patrol was highly efficient. Coupled with the power of his Soul Domain, he continuously apprehended scouts. He caught them in various locations and repeatedly sent them back to the manor.

By the fifth time he returned.

"This is the ninth Heavenly Demon Sect disciple," Meng Chuan said, tossing a famous courtesan from a brothel aside.

"Junior Brother Meng, we've already interrogated five Heavenly Demon Sect disciples," Zhang Junfeng reported. "This time, it was the Heavenly Demon Sect Master who personally gave the order. None of them dared to disobey. All seventeen mortal disciples from their branch entered the city for reconnaissance. However, the high-ranking Heavenly Demons did not risk coming in themselves."

"The Heavenly Demon Sect Master personally gave the order?" Meng Chuan was surprised. "I heard the Heavenly Demon Sect is divided into seven lineages, and it's quite rare for the Sect Master to issue personal commands."