Chapter 1419: Zhong Tiandao

The Nine Nether Sect had eight Golden Core cultivators publicly operating in the Great Yan Dynasty. Fairy Hongchen had reached the Golden Core stage over a hundred years ago. According to intelligence gathered by Wang Tianwen, both Fairy Hongchen and Daoist Master Jinhu appeared in the Great Yan Dynasty at the same time.

If Wang Tianwen hadn't been working for the Myriad Immortal Division, this detail would have remained undiscovered.

"What if Fairy Hongchen wasn't involved?" Wang Qiuming questioned. "Or if a Nascent Soul cultivator placed a restriction on her, how could we make her talk? If she wasn't involved, killing her would only complicate the investigation."

"Once we capture her, I have ways to make her talk," Ye Haitang said confidently. "We just need to find a way to lure her out of the market."

Ye Haitang was full of confidence. As a formation master with a Nascent Soul-stage spectral entity at her command, she had plenty of methods to make a Golden Core cultivator cooperate.

"There's no need to rush this matter," Wang Qingling advised. "We've waited all these years; waiting a little longer won't be an issue."

Wang Qingling reminded them that the Wang family's priority now was stability.

The four of them deliberated for two hours, devising three alternative plans.

A nine-story red pavilion, with many cultivators entering and exiting, bore a plaque inscribed with the three bold red characters: "Skyfire Tower."

On the ninth floor, a curvaceous young woman in a red dress was speaking with a refined middle-aged man.

The red-dressed woman had a fair complexion and a voluptuous figure, possessing a cultivation of the seventh layer of the Golden Core stage.

This was Fairy Hongchen, Sun Linlin. She had participated in the attack on Green Lotus Villa years ago, though at that time she was only at the Foundation Establishment stage; she was now at the seventh layer of the Golden Core stage.

"Senior Brother Zhao, I'll trouble you to pay close attention to that matter," Sun Linlin said politely.

The middle-aged man nodded. "Junior Sister Sun, rest assured, I'll take care of this matter. By the way, the Myriad Immortal Division has been conducting strict investigations recently. It's best if you don't wander around, lest you be misunderstood by them. The Great Yan Dynasty is different from the Northern Border."

"Understood. I won't bother you any longer. Farewell," Sun Linlin replied without hesitation, turning and leaving.

After leaving Skyfire Tower, Sun Linlin headed out of the market.

She was under orders from a Nascent Soul cultivator to handle a very important matter, and had no time to waste.

The Myriad Immortal Division was apprehending demonic cultivators, which had nothing to do with her.

Once outside the market, Sun Linlin transformed into a streak of red light, soaring through the air. In a few flashes, she vanished into the horizon.

As dusk fell, Sun Linlin abruptly stopped and turned to look behind her.

"Who's there?" she shouted. "Why are you secretly following me?"

Sun Linlin cried out loudly, producing a shimmering red feather fan with a flick of her hand, her face etched with vigilance.

"Sneaky?" A contemptuous female voice suddenly rang out. "This queen always acts openly and honorably." A chilling spectral wind swept past, and Zhao Meier suddenly appeared before Sun Linlin.

"A Nascent Soul-stage spectral entity! Senior—" Sun Linlin began, startled. Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Meier's eyes glowed with a burst of green light. Upon seeing the light, Sun Linlin's gaze became vacant, and she stood motionless.

The air shimmered briefly, a black light flashed, and Ye Haitang materialized.

They had devised three plans, but before they could implement any of them, Sun Linlin had left the market on her own.

Luck was part of strength, and Ye Haitang truly hadn't anticipated such a smooth outcome.

"Come back now!" Ye Haitang instructed. "If anyone sees you, it'll be trouble."

Ye Haitang retrieved her Myriad Ghost Token, recalling Zhao Meier into it. Then, taking the vacant-eyed Sun Linlin with her, she submerged beneath the ground and vanished.

An hour later, Ye Haitang emerged in a hidden underground cavern, where Wang Qingling and Wang Qiuming had been waiting for some time.

Their expressions were somewhat agitated; after waiting so long, they were finally about to see results.

A surge of dark light erupted from Ye Haitang's body, accompanied by a cacophony of ghostly wails and wolf-like howls. Her eyes glowed with the dark light as she said, "I'm going to ask you questions, and you must answer truthfully, understand?"

Her voice was alluring, making listeners feel at ease.

"Yes," Sun Linlin replied, her gaze still vacant, answering truthfully.

"Your name, your origins, where have you traveled, have you been to the Eastern Barrens? Have you destroyed any cultivation families?"

"My name is Sun Linlin. I hail from the Nine Nether Sect, and my master is Daoist Master Jinhu, Zheng Tianbao. I've been to the Eastern Barrens and destroyed nine cultivation families, including the Chen family of Golden Spring Valley, the Li family of Skyriver Villa, and the Wang family of Green Lotus..."

Hearing this, Ye Haitang and the other two grew very excited, especially Ye Haitang, who had finally identified the perpetrators.

She pressed Sun Linlin for details about the destruction of the Wang family of Green Lotus. Sun Linlin answered truthfully, and many details aligned, confirming that only someone involved would know such specifics.

"It really was the Nine Nether Sect," Wang Qingling exclaimed. "Seventh Brother's theory was correct; Shangguan Wei moved the participants to the Central Plains cultivation world. No wonder Ninth Uncle and Ninth Aunt couldn't find any clues."

Wang Qingling suddenly understood, her face hardening with a murderous gaze fixed on Sun Linlin.

Confirming Sun Linlin as one of the culprits meant that by eliminating her, the power of their heart demons would significantly weaken.

"Why did you leave the market alone?" Ye Haitang asked, somewhat puzzled. "Why didn't you call on other Nine Nether Sect Golden Core cultivators, like your master?"

"Senior Uncle Chen instructed me to approach Elder Zhong's disciple," Sun Linlin replied truthfully. "Elder Zhong is one of the rebels, and the Nine Nether Token might be in his possession. He's extremely suspicious, so if I were to act with other Nine Nether Sect cultivators, it would be troublesome if he discovered me."

"Elder Zhong?" Ye Haitang pressed, her face full of anticipation. "Is he Zhong Tiandao?" Ye Lin had mentioned Zhong Tiandao to her; he was her grandfather's confidant. After their failed bid for power years ago, Ye Lin and Zhong Tiandao had broken through the encirclement but lost contact.

Sun Linlin nodded. "That's correct."

"The Nine Nether Token?" Wang Qiuming asked curiously. "What is that?"

"The Nine Nether Token is the sect master's token for the Nine Nether Sect," Ye Haitang explained slowly, her gaze firm. "It also serves as the formation plate that controls the sect's protective grand formation. Historically, only the sect master has been able to possess it."

She clearly understood the Nine Nether Token's importance. It wasn't merely a spiritual treasure; its value far surpassed that of any spiritual treasure.

The Nine Nether Sect's protective grand formation was a fifth-tier formation, personally set up by a Soul Transformation cultivator. The Nine Nether Token was its primary formation plate, though there were also several secondary plates.

She inquired about Zhong Tiandao's whereabouts. Sun Linlin admitted she didn't know his exact movements but had tracked down his junior disciple. She had disguised herself to contact the disciple and was on her way to meet them, hoping to use this connection to trace Zhong Tiandao.

Wang Qingling hesitated for a moment. "Cousin Haitang," she asked, "are you going to seek out this Senior Zhong?"

Since Zhong Tiandao was a rebel of the Nine Nether Sect, he was likely allied with Ye Lin.

Ye Haitang shook her head. "I don't know him. Who knows how he'd treat me? Our immediate priority is to take her back to Green Lotus Island and hand her over to Ninth Uncle and Ninth Aunt for disposal. We can use this opportunity to pin the blame on Zhong Tiandao."

Sun Linlin had been ordered by a Nascent Soul cultivator to investigate Zhong Tiandao's movements. Her disappearance could now be used to frame Zhong Tiandao.

The three of them, along with Sun Linlin, left the underground cavern and returned to the South Sea.