Chapter 900: Killing the Third Party in the Alien

"What?!"

At the fissure of Void Island, Teng Shanhai and several black-clad law enforcers were all utterly shocked. Just moments ago, as the clock struck, Rao Yaoyao promptly recalled all intelligence personnel who had been dispatched to track clues regarding Yi's death. However, no sooner had the group assembled than Wang Dachui's blunt statement stunned everyone.

"Yi, was he killed by the Storyteller?"

Teng Shanhai stared at Wang Dachui with his single eye, his gaze filled with disbelief. Rao Yaoyao had shared intelligence with the high-ranking combat personnel involved in this mission. Even the news of Yi's death in battle, which was still confidential to the outside world, was already known to all the black-clad law enforcers present. Therefore, everyone knew that the Storyteller's true form should still be in Sky City with Ba Zun'an at this very moment. How could he possibly find the time to quietly kill Yi?

"Impossible! I suspect foul play. Perhaps another faction stole the power of Yin-Yang Life and Death and framed the Saint Slave to divert attention!" a black-clad man blurted out.

No sooner had he spoken than someone beside him immediately retorted: "You've been gathering intelligence on the Saint Slave Storyteller's Yin-Yang Life and Death for years. Have you even begun to comprehend his abilities? If you can't grasp them, how can you claim that someone in this world could steal them?"

"Your point isn't entirely without merit, but how do you explain the Storyteller's main body being in Sky City, yet still being able to teleport out to kill Yi?"

"He has an external avatar!"

"An external avatar? Ridiculous! Setting aside that the Storyteller's external avatar isn't that of a Half-Saint, and its cloned abilities are vastly inferior to the true form, do you honestly believe the Storyteller, even in his true form, could kill Yi?"

"While the Storyteller is a Severed Path cultivator, his power might rival that of a Grand Void. As for the strangeness of his spiritual techniques, he is unmatched. Perhaps he could have allied with that Heavenly Machine Diviner to successfully slay Yi!"

"Perhaps? Absurd! Severed Path is Severed Path, and Grand Void is Grand Void. You can blur boundaries when comparing a genius to an ordinary person... But who is Yi? Is he an an ordinary Grand Void? No matter how strange the Storyteller's spiritual techniques are, could they possibly be stranger than Yi's?"

"Perhaps it was a sneak attack?" Another voice ventured cautiously.

The first black-clad man shook his head, his voice deep: "Grand Voids possess a blood-heart sense. Unless critically weakened, who could successfully launch a sneak attack? Yi was at his peak strength when he undertook the mission. Is it conceivable that the Head of the Yi Division, at full power, couldn't defeat a Severed Path Saint Slave's seventh-in-command?"

The scene fell silent for a moment. Everyone was subdued by the black-clad man's presence. Teng Shanhai slightly narrowed his single eye. Wang Dachui's face was full of impatience. But Rao Yaoyao remained silent, so the two of them, unwilling to overstep in the tense atmosphere, opted to merely observe.

Arguing in front of Rao Yaoyao, the Red-Clad Enforcer Lord, seemed utterly illogical, yet the black-clad men showed no inclination to cease. After a brief pause, one individual, having gathered their thoughts, immediately spoke up.

"What you said is true; the Storyteller's abilities are indeed strange, but not as strange as Yi's. While he might have cooperated with the Heavenly Machine Diviner in a deceptive assassination, he lacks the ultimate power to kill Yi. Therefore, he might not be the killer, but the appearance of his Yin-Yang Life and Death power at Yi's death site is far from the simple 'outsider' scenario you proposed. My conjecture is that, in addition to the Storyteller, there must have been a third person at the scene, perhaps even a fourth or fifth!" He paused, then emphatically added: "A Grand Void!"

"Heh heh..." The first black-clad man scoffed, a mocking tone in his voice. "Aside from the Yin-Yang Life and Death ability, it seems you've forgotten about that Heavenly Machine Diviner? Situ Yongren stated that his abilities rank among the top five, possibly even top three, on the continent!"

"You mean the Heavenly Machine Diviner possessed the power to finish him, and Yi was killed by him?"

"You can understand it that way."

"Didn't you previously believe Yi was killed by someone else?"

The first black-clad man, his mind remarkably calm, stated: "The Heavenly Machine Diviner could be an outsider, and others could be too. My point is, we have no concrete evidence whatsoever regarding the connection between the Heavenly Machine Diviner and the Saint Slave. Speculation without proof is meaningless. Perhaps he allied with another organization and framed the Saint Slave; it's a distinct possibility."

Everyone fell silent again. Indeed, this bold possibility was not to be dismissed. No one possessed conclusive proof that the Heavenly Machine Diviner and the Saint Slave were working in tandem. No one knew which side this 'swing' figure leaned towards during Yi's assassination, or to whom they handed the butcher's blade... No one knew!

"You are wrong." Just then, after a moment of calm, someone else spoke up to refute. "Yi absolutely could not have been killed by the Heavenly Machine Diviner. Don't forget that Yu Zhiwen was in charge of the Cloud Realm World at the time. Her abilities might not yet rival the Heavenly Machine Diviner's, but..."

"The Pearl Star Pupils!" someone immediately chimed in.

"Precisely, the Pearl Star Pupils. The power of these eyes can decipher heavenly secrets. In a struggle for control over the Cloud Realm World, even the Dao Hall Master himself couldn't completely ignore it; he would have to exert pressure and force Yu Zhiwen to break it. But if that were the case, the Heavenly Machine Diviner would surely be held up, wasting a lot of time. Therefore, Yi could not have been killed by him. At the scene, there was definitely a third party, perhaps even a fourth or fifth!"

The 'strongest king' of the black-clad men, who had spoken first, was finally silenced by the collective argument. The individual who had first suggested the presence of a third party at the scene excitedly added: "A Grand Void! The third party must, at minimum, possess Grand Void cultivation to wield such decisive power!"

Wang Dachui's eyelids twitched wildly as he listened from the side. These guys, they don't even care about the setting when they argue, do they? After Yi's death, the situation was in chaos. Rao Yaoyao's thoughts, too, were likely a jumbled mess at this point. Are these individuals simply enjoying the chaos and adding fuel to the fire?

"Shut up!" Thinking of this, Wang Dachui immediately shouted. As Head of the Physical Division, he felt it his duty to intervene on behalf of Fairy Rao and quell the disruptive behavior. "Argue, argue, haven't you had enough? Don't you find it incredibly noisy?!"

All the black-clad men immediately held their breath, so quiet that only their breathing could be heard. Rao Yaoyao massaged her temples, her head aching, then slowly turned her gaze to Wang Dachui.

"Wh-what now?" Wang Dachui was startled by Fairy Rao's unsettling gaze.

"You're the one who should shut up!" Rao Yaoyao retorted curtly, then turned to the intelligence personnel, gesturing with her slender finger. "Continue your debate."

The intelligence personnel exchanged glances. Soon, the suppressed indignation within them erupted anew.

"Well, speak up, are you speechless? You just mentioned a third party, and now you have nothing to say, do you? I knew your mind was flawed; the power of Yin-Yang Life and Death appeared, and you still claim it wasn't the Storyteller's doing?"

The black-clad 'King of Oratory' seemed to have ignited everyone's fury, now facing the collective argument of many. Yet he remained unfazed, merely frowning slightly and tilting his head in thought, as if grasping for a crucial detail.

Teng Shanhai, from the side, finally understood. These intelligence officers weren't adding fuel to the fire; they were providing vital aid, helping Rao Yaoyao clarify her thoughts! Yi's death was suspicious, and clues were scarce. Only a brainstorming session among these shrewd minds could possibly help Rao Yaoyao organize her thoughts and recall critical details.

It's just this method... Teng Shanhai couldn't entirely approve of it. Because he previously had the same mindset as Wang Dachui. Arguing? Are they mad! Now that Wang Dachui had been reprimanded, Teng Shanhai calmed down and realized that these intelligence specialists were indeed as cunning as devils. They started by presenting an impossible conjecture, provoking anger, and then letting everyone follow their lead. As a result, through this heated debate, the situation had progressed from initial confusion to a point where it felt like the clouds were parting to reveal a clear sky.

Teng Shanhai looked at the black-clad 'King of Oratory,' who was still deep in thought. He made an effort to identify him and finally recalled that this individual was Rao Yaoyao's favored subordinate, whom he had encountered a few times during prior missions. Strictly speaking, this person was the leader of the intelligence group present, and just over an hour ago, he was responsible for the crucial interrogation of Mu Xiaogong, which related to Yi's mission. He seemed to be called... Huan Yi?

Huan Yi, the black-clad 'King of Oratory,' remained in thought, and the others, with unspoken understanding, did not disturb him. Just as Teng Shanhai thought, this group of them was using an alternative method to help Rao Yaoyao clarify her thoughts. Similarly, they were also using this argumentative method to consolidate the various intelligence details each of them possessed.

It was well known that, among the Six Divisions, the Heads of the Physical and Combat Departments were generally strong-limbed and simple-minded individuals. They never expected these two to discern anything insightful. Their greatest concern was not to be disturbed. The arguments of fools were like shrewish brawls, utterly unreasonable. The arguments of the wise, however, were like court proceedings, meticulously unraveling threads. Amidst his subordinates' repeated challenges, Huan Yi, the black-clad man, found his mind racing. He had presented a hypothesis that he personally deemed impossible, yet initially treated it as the correct answer. Then, for his subordinates to refute this 'impossible' scenario, they would have to propose a 'possible' alternative. Huan Yi didn't seek the truth. He merely wished to use this 'debate' to stimulate thought through verbal sparring and uncover that hidden 'possibility'.

"The third party..."

"At least a Grand Void..."

Huan Yi pondered. After a long moment, as if he had finally discovered a crucial clue, his eyes lit up.

"I acknowledge your argument about a third party. The Heavenly Machine Diviner was occupied, and while the Storyteller possesses abilities, they aren't enough to deliver a finishing blow. Therefore, a third party must have been present at the scene!" Huan Yi stated with conviction.

"Hmph," his subordinate beside him hummed triumphantly.

"But that third party was absolutely not a Grand Void!" Huan Yi turned to face him, his words hitting like a hammer, utterly certain.

"Are you mad? Your brain's clearly faulty! Not a Grand Void? If not a Grand Void, then who killed Yi? Is Yi so easily killed?" His subordinate was so stunned that his face took on a greenish hue.

Huan Yi did not explain. He turned his gaze back to Teng Shanhai and respectfully asked: "Senior, may I ask, if you encountered the Storyteller and a Heavenly Machine Diviner, and they wanted to kill you, what would you do?"

Teng Shanhai paused, then turned his head to look at Rao Yaoyao. Rao Yaoyao nodded gently at him. Teng Shanhai then said: "Fight!"

"And if you couldn't fight them?" Huan Yi asked again.

"If it were just those two, I wouldn't be unable to defeat them. I've fought the Storyteller; his abilities are indeed peculiar, which explains how he evaded the White-Clad's pursuit for so many years. But in a true battle, he couldn't defeat me." Teng Shanhai asserted with certainty.

"What if you add one more person?"

"Add whom?"

"The Eighth Sword Immortal!" Huan Yi smiled. "Let's hypothesize that the Eighth Sword Immortal and the Storyteller who appeared in Sky City were both imposters, and their true forms covertly entered the Yunlun Mountain Range to set a trap for you."

Teng Shanhai's expression immediately soured, and he seemed about to speak, then stopped. Rao Yaoyao interjected coolly: "Tell the truth."

"Run," Teng Shanhai stated, his single eye fixed on the void, calm and unperturbed.

"Pfft, ha ha ha..." Wang Dachui slapped his thigh, roaring with laughter. He longed to make a few sarcastic remarks, but it seemed everyone else viewed this as a very serious moment. He didn't say much.

Huan Yi turned his head and looked at Wang Dachui: "Senior, what about you?"

"Me? What about me?" Wang Dachui's smile froze.

"Three people attacking you, and the third person is the Eighth Sword Immortal." Huan Yi smiled.

"You dog..." Wang Dachui reached out, ready to draw his hammer from his spatial ring and strike someone.

"Can you just calm down?" Rao Yaoyao restrained him with a single hand. "Can't you simply answer the question obediently?"

Wang Dachui: "..."

"Run," he said, deflating.

"Heh," Teng Shanhai chuckled, a dry sound like a robot, devoid of genuine mirth.

Wang Dachui's anger flared, and he nearly leapt up to hit Teng Shanhai's knee.

"Stop it!" Rao Yaoyao snapped at the two of them.

Huan Yi took a deep breath and asked again: "Suppose escape was impossible, the Heavenly Machine Diviner had sealed all escape routes, and Sword Immortal Rao, even through the Cloud Realm World, couldn't detect your abnormality because you were on a mission at the time, and no incident should have occurred."

Rao Yaoyao's fist clenched slightly, as if a sore spot had been touched. Perhaps that time she instructed Yu Zhiwen not to monitor Yi's domain, Yi was already engaged in a desperate struggle? If only I had noticed sooner... Rao Yaoyao felt a twisting pain in her heart.

Wang Dachui and Teng Shanhai, meanwhile, unconcerned and not dwelling on it, shook their heads in unison: "Run!"

"Still run?" Huan Yi asked.

"Still run!"

Wang Dachui declared: "Fighting is out of the question. Before I reach Half-Saint, I'll never fight that eight-fingered cripple. I'd even drink Saint Blood to escape! Do you actually think I'm a fool?"

Teng Shanhai added: "I am confident that if I run with all my might, they won't be able to stop me or kill me."

"Saint Blood..." Huan Yi murmured thoughtfully, glancing at Rao Yaoyao before turning back, his voice grave. "Yet Yi is dead."

The two division heads' hearts sank simultaneously. Indeed, all of them were Heads of the Six Divisions, confident that if they ran with all their might, no one could stop them. Why, then, was Yi still dead? Was Yi weaker? No one would think that.

Huan Yi offered no explanation. Instead, he shifted focus and asked again: "But what if the third person wasn't the Eighth Sword Immortal, but me? What if I arrived there, and I also wanted to kill you?"

"Just you?" Wang Dachui's eyes nearly bulged as he roared with laughter. "I'd first hammer you into a pulp, then deliver a second blow to that effeminate Storyteller, and the third would shatter the restrained Heavenly Machine Diviner. Why would I run? Isn't a fight more appealing?"

"Senior?" Huan Yi looked at Teng Shanhai.

Teng Shanhai's face remained impassive, his single eye sharp as an eagle's. He spoke indifferently: "You wouldn't even be able to withstand a single gaze from me."

In just an instant, Teng Shanhai's aura shifted, and Huan Yi recoiled repeatedly, as if struck by lightning. After recovering, he clutched his chest, panting heavily, and finally looked at Rao Yaoyao.

"Senior Rao," he gasped, "Huan Yi's knowledge is limited. Questioning further would exceed my capabilities."