Chapter 583: Mysterious Tracker

"Who's there?!"

Xu Yang's expression suddenly turned cold. He looked towards the northwest corner, specifically a narrow crevice within the giant spirit tribe's cave, where a black shadow unexpectedly flashed and disappeared.

"Trying to escape?"

Xu Yang gave a cool smile. He lightly raised his left hand and snapped his fingers at the empty space. As his thoughts stirred, a colossal, sharp-edged stone spiked appeared out of nowhere, completely blocking the black shadow's escape route.

Xu Yang was now increasingly skilled at wielding the Law of Earth. It had to be said, the ability to reshape the earth was incredibly effective for practical sealing. No matter how fast the opponent was, it was difficult to cope with this kind of earth-vein-level spatial sealing effect when caught off guard. At this point, the black shadow was trapped like a turtle in a jar, with nowhere left to flee.

Xu Yang and the other three immediately followed, approaching the crevice in the center of the solid rock.

"Well, well, you sly one, you've been secretly monitoring us for quite a while, haven't you? Confess! Where are you from, and what is your purpose in watching us?"

The black shadow inside snorted coldly, appearing completely ready for self-sacrifice. However, Xu Yang wasn't about to let him off that easily. He gave Shi Lingyun beside him a meaningful glance. The girl immediately understood. The Saintly Heavenly Sound artifact, a guqin, appeared before her. She focused sound waves into the crevice created by the Law of Earth. After just a dozen terrifying sound blades penetrated, the imprisoned black shadow was in agony, wishing for death, his eyes wide with pain.

To Xu Yang and the others, these sound waves were incredibly beautiful, even having a spirit-lifting effect. But for the target trapped in the stone crevice, it was an unimaginable nightmare!

"Heh, you wanted to be a hero, didn't you? Here's your chance. As long as you can listen to one complete song, I'll let you go immediately." Xu Yang, the boss, began setting the rules again. The poor fellow inside was now meat on the chopping block. How could his meager cultivation withstand a full song from Shi Lingyun? That was Heavenly Sound intensity capable of contending with divine-level experts.

"No, stop! I was wrong, I'll tell you everything, please don't play anymore!"

The black shadow quickly capitulated... If it had only been physical pressure, he was confident he could have maintained his resolve. But Shi Lingyun's sound waves were truly beyond what just anyone could resist. Unless one possessed Xu Yang's profound inner strength, it was almost impossible for anyone below the divine level to endure a complete song.

"I am a scout from the White Feather clan of Cloud Heaven City in this underground palace. I've been tasked with investigating the Crystal Scepter for several months. Besides me, eight other team members are on this mission. Ever since Kales fell and the Crystal Scepter changed hands, we have been following you."

Xu Yang raised an eyebrow. "If I'm not mistaken, you've already sent the others back to Cloud Heaven City to report, haven't you? I estimate it won't be long before a large contingent of your White Feather warriors comes to encircle and annihilate us."

"That's right." The black shadow no longer concealed anything, revealing everything he knew. He truly didn't want to endure that pain any longer.

"Tell me, why are you so fast? And you also have a method for masking your aura. Are these abilities unique to your White Feather clan?"

The black shadow nodded gloomily. "The Feather Venerable of the White Feather clan is a descendant of angels, and the Feather Empress is one of the Seven Historical Demons. Our Cloud Heaven City is among the top-tier powers in this entire underground palace. Normally, no one dares to provoke us. Our scouts, however, constantly monitor all major forces within the underground palace; no slight movement can escape our detection."

After hearing the black shadow's explanation, Xu Yang seemed to grow even more interested in this clan. Besides anything else, if he could control the White Feather clan, or establish a cooperative relationship with them, their journey through the underground palace would be spared a great deal of trouble. Especially the identity of the Feather Venerable as an angel descendant, which greatly astonished Xu Yang and the others. They even instinctively connected this individual with the Angel Soul Pillar Force.

"Boss, what do you mean?" Long Kun asked, wanting to clarify Xu Yang's stance on this clan.

"Need I say? Of course, we need to thoroughly investigate the ways of the White Feather clan, especially that Feather Venerable—I'm particularly interested in him. No rush, we'll just wait here for them to come to us."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Yang told Ling Yao to encase the individual inside in ice, turning him into an ice sculpture. While his life wasn't harmed, it rendered him unable to use any movement techniques, making escape utterly impossible.

When the surrounding stone and earth seals were removed, Xu Yang and the others discovered that the White Feather scout, now frozen into a statue, had a pair of remarkably translucent wings on his back. Though not very large, these wings undoubtedly granted him the ability to fly and a natural affinity for wind, bestowing them with extraordinary speed. For others to attempt to capture them was simply a fool's errand.

Rumble!

With a muffled roar, hundreds of white silhouettes rapidly descended from the sky. Each held a set of crystal bows and arrows, continuously unleashing wind blade arrows at the ground below.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Countless wind-element light arrows continuously struck, but Xu Yang and the others remained motionless, automatically raising a defensive light barrier that blocked all incoming light blades.

"Heh, have these guys been scared witless? They're not even trying to escape, just standing there foolishly waiting to die?"

Among the hundreds of White Feather warriors, the foremost individuals were the most conspicuous. The young man with dark blue long hair who spoke wore a defiant expression, while the leader of the group in front of him seemed relatively more composed.

"Yun Fei, don't be so impetuous! These people's aura is very strong. To remain so calm in the face of a great enemy, they are clearly no ordinary individuals. Didn't you see that our scout has already fallen into their hands?"

Only then did the blue-haired youth spot the ice sculpture nearby, and he quickly shut his mouth, daring not to speak carelessly again.

Hundreds of White Feather warriors rapidly descended, swiftly encircling Xu Yang and the others. The composed white-haired youth leading them took a few steps forward and respectfully clasped his hands towards Xu Yang and his companions.

"Feng He of the White Feather clan from Cloud Heaven City. May I ask who you distinguished individuals are? We apologize for not welcoming you sooner upon your arrival in the territory of Cloud Heaven City within the underground palace."

Xu Yang chuckled. "No need to be so polite. We are hardly guests. Your White Feather scouts have been eyeing our Crystal Scepter, and we have no intention of leaving just yet. If it's convenient, we'd like to visit your Cloud Heaven City and meet your Feather Venerable. What do you say?"

Xu Yang got straight to the point, stating his group's intentions. He didn't expect that as soon as he finished speaking, before the white-haired youth leading the group could respond, the talkative blue-haired youth behind him immediately erupted.

"Hah, what are you to think you can meet our Feather Venerable?"

Xu Yang chuckled. A phantom image flashed from his body, and in front of everyone, it delivered a resounding slap across the blue-haired youth's face, sending him flying dozens of meters away to lie on the ground.