Chapter 904: Why Not Escape

Geng Wu Wang, as the captain of the enforcement team, saw the sword-wielding old man arrive. Forgetting about rest, he quickly stood up and briefly reported the situation.

The short old man was naturally extremely surprised by what he heard.

He never expected that these people could actually kill a Divine Sea Realm master of the second layer!

Although it was hard to believe, the evidence was right before his eyes.

However, there were many suspicious points about today's events...

The short old man pondered for a moment, then tapped his battlefield mark, sending a message.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, a streak of light, like a rainbow piercing the sun, flew swiftly towards Xianxia Mountain, moving with the speed of thunder.

The figure enveloped within that stream of light was Qian Wudang, the Head of the Law Enforcement Department!

At this very moment, Qian Wudang no longer wore his usual nonchalant expression; his face was grim.

Who could have imagined that Ning Hu, the Grand Elder of Xianxia Mountain, was not only a hidden agent of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge but also a Divine Sea Realm master of the second layer! For so many years, he had never been exposed. Moreover, in recent years, he had lived a reclusive life, rarely seen by others, which led to such a serious error in intelligence.

When Qian Wudang received this news from below, a thought immediately popped into his mind: he was finished!

Now, it was likely that not only Nian Yuexian would come to hold him accountable, but Shui Yuan would also come along...

How could he be a Divine Sea Realm master?

While quickly mobilizing nearby Divine Sea Realm masters for support, he also set off from Haotian City, rushing towards Xianxia Mountain.

In all his years as Head of the Law Enforcement Department, this was the first time he had left Haotian City, as there was usually nothing that required his personal intervention.

But this time was different: Lu Yiye, who had been conscripted, was also in Squad A-3. If anything happened to that fellow, Qian Wudang would surely face dire consequences later.

However, Haotian City was not close to Xianxia Mountain. Even as a Divine Sea Realm master, pushing his speed to the limit, he couldn't arrive instantly.

In his heart, he could only secretly pray, "Lu Yiye, please don't let anything happen to you..."

Midway through his flight, a message suddenly arrived.

Qian Wudang quickly checked it, his heart in his throat, fearing to see news he didn't want.

A moment later, however, his body suddenly paused in mid-air, his expression turning peculiar. He quickly sent a message back.

"Are you certain Ning Hu has been slain?"

"I saw it with my own eyes. Ning Hu's life force dissipated. He had experienced a fierce battle before death, and the fatal wound was in his chest," the sword-wielding old man replied. A minor detail that puzzled him was that Ning Hu appeared to have been burned by a large fire before dying; all his hair was gone, and even his exposed skin felt charred.

Immediately after, he reported the intelligence he had gathered to Qian Wudang.

He added, "There are three suspicious points regarding this matter. Firstly, after Ning Hu's identity was exposed, why didn't he flee? Instead, he went on a killing spree within Xianxia Mountain."

Logically, once Ning Hu's identity was exposed, the first thing he should have done was escape. Whether he could succeed would depend on his own fortune.

Yet, not only did he not flee, but he also slaughtered many disciples of Xianxia Mountain.

"Secondly, during the battle, An Mofeng did not intervene; he merely stood in place, seemingly valuing their past brotherhood."

"Thirdly, during the battle, Ning Hu's spiritual consciousness seemed to have been shattered, leading to confusion, which then provided an opening for others. The item that shattered his spiritual consciousness was likely a unique treasure in the possession of Lu Yiye from the Bi Blood Sect."

"A unique treasure?"

"Yes. I'm not clear on the exact nature of the unique treasure, as I didn't witness it firsthand. However, according to Geng Wu Wang's description, it appears to be a small, hiltless sword about the length of a finger. I suspect it's the legendary Divine Exterminating Sword."

"The Divine Exterminating Sword!" Qian Wudang's expression turned stern. "This item hasn't appeared for decades. The last time it was seen was in that person's possession, and after that person's death, it vanished without a trace."

"Lu Yiye and that person share the same sect, so it's not surprising he would possess this item. It's likely that old man Tang Yifeng gave it to him for protection."

"Hmm, if that boy truly has the Divine Exterminating Sword, then that makes sense. Putting this aside for a moment, what do you think about the other two matters?"

The short old man pondered briefly before replying, "Based on my understanding of Ning Hu, his actions were a way of pressuring An Mofeng, trying to force him to advance to the Divine Sea Realm. When his identity was exposed, he didn't immediately flee; instead, he slaughtered the Xianxia Mountain disciples. Witnessing this, An Mofeng's mind would undoubtedly be agitated, and his spirit would tremble, potentially finding an opportunity to advance to the Divine Sea Realm from it."

"That explanation makes sense."

"This is also why An Mofeng remained inactive from the start of the battle. He must have sensed an opportunity to advance to the Divine Sea Realm, but judging by the outcome, he likely failed."

"So, Ning Hu went to great lengths, it seems."

"After all, he was sent here by Ten Thousand Demon Ridge when he was very young. Although he had ties to Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, he grew up in Xianxia Mountain and spent almost his entire life there. As the saying goes, 'Humans are not plants; who can be heartless?'"

"Hmph! If he truly had feelings, how could he go on a killing spree against his own disciples? I think the most important point is that he knew he couldn't escape, which is why he made such a choice. For now, stay there and oversee things. Leave only after everything has been properly handled."

"Understood!"

Ending his communication with the sword-wielding old man, Qian Wudang gazed in the direction of Xianxia Mountain, exhaled heavily, and murmured to himself, "The Divine Exterminating Sword has appeared, but what about the Soul-Slaying Blade?"

Back then, that blade and sword had left an indelible psychological scar on many Divine Sea Realm masters of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge.

He slowly shook his head, changed direction, and returned the way he came.

At Xianxia Mountain, the disciples suppressed their grief and, under the guidance of the True Lake Realm elders, cleaned the battlefield and collected the bodies of their fellow sect members.

Lu Yiye and the others were also settled on a spiritual peak by Xianxia Mountain for recovery.

The sword-wielding old man did not leave; instead, he stayed, which made Geng Wu Wang a little curious.

The sword-wielding old man, logically speaking, given his elusive nature, had no reason to stay and look after them. Furthermore, the situation here was largely resolved; all that remained was for them to recover from their injuries and return to Haotian City to report.

But since he chose to stay, Geng Wu Wang couldn't say much, especially since this was still Xianxia Mountain's territory.

Among the group, Lu Yiye's injuries were the lightest. Coupled with his powerful physique and abundant vitality, he recovered the fastest, nearly fully healed in just one day.

On the spiritual peak, outside a small courtyard, in a pavilion, Lu Yiye took out the Divine Exterminating Sword to examine it.

This realm treasure had played a miraculous role in the battle against Ning Hu. Without its sudden burst of power, it would have been impossible to shatter Ning Hu's spiritual consciousness, and there would have been no subsequent turning point.

Although he himself had nurtured a soul body and developed spiritual consciousness, it was ultimately different from a true Divine Sea Realm master; he had taken an unconventional path.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, he dared not casually use his spiritual consciousness to directly confront a Divine Sea Realm master. This was also why he hadn't activated his own spiritual consciousness during the previous battle; it wasn't out of selfishness, but out of caution.

After its power was unleashed that one time, the Divine Exterminating Sword seemed to have undergone some changes. On the surface, it still appeared as a transparent, colorless small sword about the length of a finger. However, previously, there was a faint glow flowing within it, which was now gone.

That faint glow had been activated by the Divine Exterminating Sword and surged into Ning Hu's spiritual sea.

Even though he knew that most unique treasures were one-time use, Lu Yiye still felt a sense of regret. After all, he had exchanged this item for 26,000 merit points from the Merit Pavilion. He wondered if the gains from this trip would be enough to compensate for his loss.

"It should be... enough, right?"

Suddenly, a shadow fell before him. Lu Yiye was startled, instinctively leaping backward and drawing his blade.

Looking closely, he saw it was the sword-wielding old man, standing there, smiling as he watched him.

"Don't be nervous, young man," the old man said. "I mean no harm. Your sect master and I do have some connection, after all."

Lu Yiye cautiously asked, "The connection you speak of, Senior... is it friendship... or animosity?"

The sword-wielding old man chuckled, "It seems you understand your sect master quite well."

Lu Yiye remained silent. His sect master seemed to have many friends outside, but also many enemies, so he had to be cautious.

"Whether it's friendship or animosity, matters concerning the older generation are for the older generation to handle; they don't concern you younger ones." The sword-wielding old man did not give a clear answer.

Lu Yiye understood, however. Even if this old man had some connection with his sect master, their relationship was likely not very harmonious.

As for his statement that matters of the older generation should be handled by the older generation... perhaps he was such a person, but others might not be.

Lu Yiye hadn't forgotten that when he set off from the Bi Blood Sect for Haotian City, he encountered many incidents one after another along the way. If his Second Senior Sister hadn't secretly protected him, he probably wouldn't have been able to report within the stipulated time.

If he failed to report, the regulations would be as unyielding as mountains.

Clearly, powerful individuals harboring resentment against the Bi Blood Sect were secretly causing trouble. Lu Yiye still didn't know who was behind it, and perhaps he never would.

"May I see the item in your hand?" the sword-wielding old man asked.

Naturally, Lu Yiye was reluctant, but with the clear disparity in cultivation, it was pointless to resist. So, he readily tossed the Divine Exterminating Sword over.

He casually added, "This item has lost its power and is now useless. It's just special in its material. It's quite good for an artifact, though."

"It really is the Divine Exterminating Sword!"

The old man's words startled Lu Yiye. "Senior, you recognize this item?"

That made no sense. This item was exchanged from the Merit Pavilion. He had specifically searched for it in the Heavenly Mechanism Treasure Vault but hadn't found the Divine Exterminating Sword there.

How could this old man know about a treasure unique to the Merit Pavilion?

"Indeed, I do!" The old man nodded. "But I haven't seen it for decades. Did Tang Yifeng not tell you how to use it when he passed it to you?"

"What does this have to do with the Sect Master?" Lu Yiye's heart was filled with suspicion as he slowly shook his head.

"That old..." The old man chuckled, then casually tossed the Divine Exterminating Sword back to Lu Yiye. "Although I don't know the exact subtleties of this item, it's not a one-time use unique treasure; it can be used multiple times. Decades ago, it was a treasure in the hands of your Senior Brother, a lethal weapon that struck fear into the hearts of Divine Sea Realm masters of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge. Now that it's in your hands, I hope you won't let its prestige be forgotten."