Chapter 895: Forty-Eight Characters

Void Island Rift.

Teng Shan Hai, clad in the Azure God Armor, his single eye as sharp and cold as a hawk's, resembled a war god guarding the area.

But his aura seemed to be missing something.

If he had a great spear or halberd in hand, Teng Shan Hai would undoubtedly be even more awe-inspiring.

Alas, he had nothing.

The Divine Spear Xiao was lost, a matter of varying significance. At its worst, it was a loss of face, inviting ridicule from his peers; at best, it could serve as a contingency plan to locate Holy Slave Xu Xiaoshou. A divine artifact from the Ancient Mark Stele, once lost, would always return eventually if its master remained alive. It was largely harmless.

While Teng Shan Hai had been somewhat unconcerned about previous missions, the loss of the Divine Spear Xiao made him significantly more cautious. However, what truly elevated the mission's danger level in his mind was the latest intelligence that had just arrived from Mount Gui Zhe in the Central Region.

“Yi is dead in battle, his soul lamp extinguished, with no possibility of resurrection.”

These twelve simple words conveyed a message that would soon shake the entire Holy Divine Continent. Yi, one of the Six Department Chiefs, was gone, without explanation! The Yunlun Mountains were suspected to be the battlefield, yet not a single ripple of battle had emanated from the battlefield. Who would believe it?

From his high vantage point, Teng Shan Hai could see everything in the Yunlun Mountains. Even if control of the Cloud Realm World had been seized, a Grandmaster's spiritual senses were not to be underestimated; they could still survey all directions. Yet, despite this, throughout Yi's death, Teng Shan Hai received no signals and witnessed no anomalies.

They say a person's death is like a lamp extinguishing. But a Grandmaster's death shouldn't be so silent. Even if it wasn't earth-shattering, at the very least, a distress signal should have been sent before his demise, right? The result... A Grandmaster had died in battle, leaving no trace!

“Night Owl...” Teng Shan Hai thought of Night Owl, the Chief of the Dark Department, and felt a chill. If one were to ask who all the officials in the Holy Divine Palace feared the most, aside from the "Gui Zhe Holy Inspector," it was only Night Owl, the Chief of the Dark Department! Among the Six Departments, this was the only one where no intelligence or information was leaked, where even the cultivation realm of its chief remained unknown, only vaguely categorized as Grandmaster level based on the department's overall capabilities.

Night Owl, a person shrouded in mystery. To the outside world, people didn't even know if Night Owl was male or female. This was because the head of the world's largest intelligence agency, Yi, her man, had sealed all information about her, allowing her to ascend to the supreme throne of the dark world! The King of Assassins... The Master Assassin... Some in the dark world even ranked her alongside the two Ruling Sovereigns of the Holy Divine Palace, calling her the invisible third — the Dark Sovereign!

Ostensibly, problems the Holy Divine Palace couldn't solve, the Dark Department could. Dark forces the White-clad couldn't overcome, the Dark Department could. Ghost Beast hosts the Red-clad couldn't eliminate, the Dark Department could. In short, the Dark Department had the authority to handle matters of the righteous path, as well as those of the dark underworld. Anything or anyone in the world that couldn't be resolved by overt means, if a portrait was provided, the Dark Department would resolve it when no one was looking.

Even among the Six Departments, the Dark Department was the most unique. Others needing to deploy the forces of the other five departments for a mission only had to apply to the Holy Divine Palace headquarters and secure half of the votes from the highest authority, the "Heavenly Ladder Council," for a successful application. However, to mobilize the Dark Department's power, it required not only ninety percent of the "Heavenly Ladder Council" votes but also the consent of at least one "Gui Zhe Holy Inspector," and finally, approval by the "Red Mark Edict" of Dao Qiongcang, the current Palace Lord of the Holy Divine Palace, to successfully mobilize the Dark Department.

The Holy Divine Palace operated on evidence. But once a situation spiraled out of control and the Dark Department truly needed to act, the Dark Department acted solely on suspicion. If I suspect you, you die. It was that simple! Of course, immense power and authority also came with immense oversight. In reality, given the current world situation, the Dark Department rarely had to act at full strength, less than a few times a year. Each operation underwent strict approval processes and confidentiality procedures, ensuring the Dark Department never caused a worldwide stir. To outsiders, the Dark Department seemed like mere window dressing. No one knew when this department was established, when it had acted, or how many troubles it had resolved.

However, among the Six Departments, the Dark Department was currently the only one maintaining a hundred percent mission completion rate. The members of the Dark Department did only two things a year, each for six months — half was waiting, and half was killing!

“Yi is dead; Night Owl will probably go insane.”

“If Night Owl goes insane and no one can suppress her, how many will die?”

As Teng Shan Hai pondered, a shiver ran down his spine. He would rather believe he himself would die, or that the world-renowned Eighth Sword Immortal would die. He had never anticipated that Yi, who specialized in intelligence work, would lose his life in this seemingly simple mission. Those in the open were easy to kill; just focus fire. But how could those who operated in the shadows, elusive as snakes and rats, die? How could they possibly die?

Yi, Night Owl. This pair was acknowledged on Mount Gui Zhe as the hardest to kill. One dealt with intelligence, the other with assassination, and they were also Dao companions. Complementing each other, who could possibly kill them? But now, Yi was dead...

Setting aside the Dao companion relationship between Night Owl and Yi, just the countless residual traces of assassinations that Yi had erased for Night Owl over the years... This debt of gratitude, surely it had to be repaid? Moreover, the Dark Department didn't operate like Rao Yaoyao or Gou Wuyue, requiring undeniable evidence for all to see. They could kill simply based on suspicion. The Chief of the Dark Department even possessed a power that none of the other five department chiefs or the two Ruling Sovereigns of the Holy Divine Palace had ever held, and which Night Owl herself had never used... the power to kill first and report later!

Teng Shan Hai's head was spinning with thoughts. He had never thought the Dark Department would face trouble; after all, it was the Holy Divine Palace's ultimate trump card. But now that Yi was dead... If Yi had been an ordinary Grandmaster, it would have been fine. But he wasn't! Yi's death involved too many, too significant matters. If no one stepped forward, the Holy Divine Palace itself might partially descend into chaos. The immediate priority was clearly to prevent Night Owl from learning about Yi's death!

“Beep.”

The deputy order of the Cloud Realm World's Heaven's Will Array trembled, interrupting Teng Shan Hai's train of thought. He quickly scanned the images transmitted by Yu Zhiwen as usual, then sent them to Rao Yaoyao, who had already entered the Void Island Rift. Rao Yaoyao, being inside the Void Island Rift, couldn't communicate directly with the outside world. Teng Shan Hai's purpose was twofold: to guard the area and to act as an intermediary. He used the Grandmaster's World to communicate with Rao Yaoyao's mind, relaying all of Yu Zhiwen's reported information to her, and vice versa.

Footage of Mu Xiaogong and her guard Xiao Qing's actions in the Yunlun Mountains was sent. Soon, Rao Yaoyao's voice came through the Grandmaster's World:

“First, as I previously stated, expand the Cloud Realm World's search radius to a hundred miles around the location where Yi was before his death, looking for suspicious individuals, regardless of their cultivation realm.”

“Second, Yi is dead, and the Mimicry artifact is lost. This doesn't rule out the possibility of someone impersonating him. Mu Xiaogong is a primary suspect, and so is her guard; recall that Yu Lingdi previously suspected him of being a Heaven's Will Arcanist.”

“Third, investigate Young Master Xu from the First Heaven's Pavilion. Activate external personnel to ascertain the origin of his Heaven's Will Arcana, including the Xu family of Taixiang in the Northern Region. Whether his surname is Xu or not is irrelevant; I want all information on any semi-saint families who have secretly studied Heaven's Will Arcana.”

“Fourth, Situ Yongren has confirmed, by tracing the Heaven's Will Arcana traces in the Cloud Realm World, that the arcanist who previously seized control of the Cloud Realm World is the same one he fought remotely in the Eastern Heavenly Imperial City. Based on their Heaven's Will Arcana abilities, the suspect is likely Xuan Wuji, a ghost beast that escaped from within Void Island, with a seventy percent probability.”

“Fifth, Xuan Wuji and Yi had a personal feud, so the possibility of a crime of passion cannot be ruled out. Situ Yongren mentioned that Zhiwen's Pearl Jade Star Pupils, while currently inferior to Xuan Wuji's Heaven's Will Arcana, could certainly hinder him and waste most of his time during a killing process. Therefore, if Xuan Wuji was involved, it wouldn't have been a solo operation; he must have had accomplices. Focus suspicion on the major dark forces.”

“Sixth, activate the various dormant informants who have been tracking major dark forces at the Lingque Exchange, but have not yet acted. Focus on monitoring and following up with large dark forces. For local forces in the Eastern Heavenly Imperial City, with a Holy Divine Palace search warrant, I grant only fifteen minutes. If no information is extracted, bring me their heads. As for the rest – Yama, who has had disputes with the semi-saint Jiang family; the Holy Slave, who has declared war on the Holy Divine Palace; and the Xuanyue Ash Palace, which has intricate ties to ghost beasts – I want the locations of their key members, ranging from an entire region down to the specific street or alley they are on. If there's any information, present it all.”

“Seventh, instruct Wang Dachui to investigate all locations Yi passed through from the moment he received the mission until his death. Every battle leaves traces. Yi must have left crucial clues behind, whether in the form of realm-specific imprints, Grandmaster's World anomalies, soul will residues, or spatiotemporal traces that could override Heaven's Will capabilities. Pinpoint the exact battle location and provide a list of suspects, also within fifteen minutes.”

“That is all.”

Seven directives! Within minutes of the Cloud Realm World footage being sent, these directives were relayed, one after another, in an orderly fashion.

Teng Shan Hai listened in astonishment. Was this the operational capability of a Red-clad Ruling Sovereign? In just a few minutes, under such circumstances, Rao Yaoyao could still calmly provide such specific execution plans. From within the Yunlun Mountains to the outside Eastern Heavenly Imperial City, all suspects progressed from minor to major. Then, through thorough investigation, the scope of suspicion would be reduced from major to minor. It was foreseeable that after fifteen minutes, regardless of the replies from below, the suspects would inevitably be narrowed down to a few specific individuals, because within the Eastern Heavenly Region, there were only a handful of powerful figures capable of killing Yi.

“Understood!” Responding, Teng Shan Hai relayed Rao Yaoyao's seven directives to Yu Zhiwen, entrusting her with their execution.

Another message came through the Grandmaster's World.

“The previous directives were for Yu Zhiwen. What I'm about to say now is for you,” Rao Yaoyao's voice grew heavy.

Teng Shan Hai's heart tightened, with a vague premonition of what the other person was about to say.

Rao Yaoyao: “The intelligence above has only been shared with the three department chiefs—excluding the Dark Department—as well as Situ Yongren and me. Night Owl currently doesn't know about Yi's death. I need you to find a way to keep her by your side for now, ensuring she doesn't leave your sight.”

Upon hearing this, Teng Shan Hai's eyes widened in disbelief. Keep Night Owl by his side? Wasn't that like plunging a knife into his own chest and waiting for someone to push it further? Who knew if Night Owl, insane after learning the truth, would even assassinate him, Teng Shan Hai? It was well known that there was no shortage of overt animosity and hidden grudges among the Six Departments.

“She is rational,” Rao Yaoyao said, knowing what Teng Shan Hai was thinking.

“She might be rational now,” Teng Shan Hai added.

“The higher-ups have cut off all intelligence exchanges between the Dark Department and Yi's department, severing all connections. There's no way Night Owl could know about this.”

“Have you forgotten? Night Owl and Yi are Dao companions...” Teng Shan Hai's single sentence said it all.

The connection in the Grandmaster's World then fell into a prolonged silence.

Then, Rao Yaoyao's voice came through again. “This is an order!”

Teng Shan Hai sighed inwardly, then said solemnly, “Alright, I'll contact her now.”

The Grandmaster's World connection was severed.

He pressed the communication bead. On the other end, there was a silence, clearly waiting for him to speak. Teng Shan Hai braced himself mentally and calmly said, “Rao Yaoyao sent word that there's a change in the Void Island Rift. Come over to my location immediately to help guard it.”

“Rao Yaoyao?” Night Owl's voice, still gender-neutral and devoid of any discernible emotion, replied, “She hasn't sent me any message. The Dark Department doesn't accept deployment orders from the War Department.”

Teng Shan Hai: “Rao Yaoyao is currently inside the Void Island Rift and can only establish a Grandmaster's World connection with me.”

Night Owl: “I am also a Grandmaster, and I'm connected to the Grandmaster's World battle channel.”

Teng Shan Hai chuckled, “You haven't been involved in a Void Island Rift mission before, have you? Come here, step halfway in, and you'll understand why Rao Yaoyao can only relay orders through me to the rest of you.”

Night Owl fell silent. After a long pause, a voice came from the other side of the communication bead.

“How much time?”

“Fifteen minutes.”

“Alright, I'll be there in fifteen minutes.”

With a soft click, the communication bead disconnected.

Teng Shan Hai's hand, holding the communication bead, trembled almost imperceptibly before he slowly lowered it and let out a long breath. He looked around. The night in the Yunlun Mountains was quiet and profound. In the distance, the Eastern Heavenly Imperial City still twinkled with signs of human habitation. The ancient majestic city floating above it, despite still being bound by the Heavenly Dao chains, was slowly pulling itself out of the spatial currents, like a wild horse straining to break free... The night was too beautiful. Lives were as cheap as grass.

Teng Shan Hai re-established the Grandmaster's World connection. His lips parted, but he suddenly found himself unable to speak.

“How did it go?” Rao Yaoyao's telepathic message conveyed a hint of urgency.

“Forty-eight words,” Teng Shan Hai said after a long sigh.

“What do you mean?” Rao Yaoyao asked, puzzled.

“I mean!” Teng Shan Hai clenched his fist and spoke gravely, “Night Owl spoke 'forty-eight words' to me! She hasn't spoken that many words to me in ten years, yet the communication bead was connected, and the voice was hers... So, who was I just talking to? A ghost?!”

Suddenly, the other side of the Grandmaster's World fell into dead silence.

One breath...Two breaths...Three breaths...

After three breaths, the Void Island Rift vibrated with a hum.

Rao Yaoyao's beautiful hair was slightly disheveled, and her clothes had minor tears, but she burst out in that very state.

Grandmaster's World connection in progress...Connection successful!Battle channel connecting...Connection failed!

Rao Yaoyao's eyes instantly lost focus. All that met her gaze was the nightscape of the mountains, nothing more.

“Night Owl, she's out of contact.”