Chapter 4424: Ambush on the Snow Fang Clan Cultivators

Jiugong Peak was a vast estate.

Wang Qiulin sat beside a cyan tea table. Wang Zhijie stood respectfully at his side. Through years of Wang Qiulin's guidance and his own diligent efforts, Wang Zhijie's divination and deduction abilities had greatly improved, making him a key protégé of Wang Qiulin.

"These few divinations are well done, but you could do even better. For instance, these points could be improved by..." Before Wang Qiulin could finish speaking, Chu Yurou and Wang Qingbai entered.

"Qiulin, we have a significant discovery that requires you to deduce the whereabouts of a Golden Immortal," Wang Qingbai said.

"Zhijie, please return for now and re-deduce these divinations. I will explain in detail later," Wang Qiulin instructed.

"Yes, Patriarch Qiulin," Wang Zhijie replied, then bowed and withdrew.

Wang Qingbai briefly explained the circumstances of the matter. He did not mention Wang Chuanming, only referring to information obtained by secret agents. The last time Wang Chuanming transmitted intelligence to the family, Wang Qingshan and others successfully acquired the Nine Dragons Cauldron. Given Wang Chuanming's crucial role, even high-ranking members of the Wang family rarely spoke his name, referring to him instead as "the secret agent."

"Without a birth chart, or any personal belongings, and with only a name, a Law, and an immortal artifact, it will be difficult to deduce his whereabouts. Still, I can try," Wang Qiulin said. A name could be a homonym or an alias; one incorrect piece of information would lead to errors at every step.

"We have already sent word to our clan members in the lower realms, dispatching them to investigate his background and birth chart. There's no news yet. Please try to deduce it first; if you succeed, we won't need assistance from our lower realm kin," Wang Qingbai explained.

Wang Qiulin nodded, then stood and walked towards a nearby pavilion. Chu Yurou took out tea leaves to brew tea, serving Wang Qingbai, and they began to chat. The Chu family, allied with the Wang family through marriage, had also prospered significantly over the years. When Chu Yurou visited her maiden home, her relatives were always very welcoming.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, Wang Qiulin emerged from the pavilion, shook his head, and said, "I can't deduce it. He isn't using his real name. We need to send people to uncover his true identity."

"Not his real name?" Wang Qingbai frowned.

"I've tried deducing it several times with no success. It must be an alias, and he might not even be an ascension from the lower realms. With the information we currently have, I can't deduce anything," Wang Qiulin stated. The information was too scarce, and even the name was false. He couldn't make a deduction, let alone anyone else.

Wang Qingbai nodded and said, "I will immediately dispatch someone to contact the clan and inform our members in the lower realms. Now, we only have his appearance. I hope that much is real." He took out a communication plate that shimmered with green light, cast a spell into it, and made a series of gestures. "If there's any new information, someone will inform you," Wang Qingbai said.

Wang Qiulin rarely performed divinations for outsiders anymore. This was mainly because the Taiyi Golden Immortals who sought his services found it difficult to offer anything that truly satisfied him. Nowadays, Wang Qiulin was a well-traveled individual, befriending core disciples of the Nangong Immortal Clan and engaging in discussions with the descendants of the Kunlun Dao Ancestor. The Wang family had forged some Jiugong Tokens. If an immortal provided significant assistance to the Wang family, they would be granted a Jiugong Token. This token allowed them to request one divination or deduction from Wang Qiulin, as the token was recognized, not the person. Currently, not a single Jiugong Token had been issued.

In addition to the Jiugong Tokens, there were also Azure Lotus Tokens. With an Azure Lotus Token, the Wang family could perform one task for the recipient or provide them with one item. These, too, had not yet been issued. Scarcity conferred value. The outside world knew of the existence of the Azure Lotus and Jiugong Tokens, but no immortal had ever obtained one.

Wang Qiulin agreed. After chatting for a while, Wang Qingbai bid farewell and departed.

The Hundred Flowers Market was the largest market in the Hundred Flowers Sea. Its streets were bustling with people, creating a lively atmosphere. In a secluded small courtyard with green tiles, a man and a woman sat in a cyan stone pavilion, conversing. Their physical features clearly identified them as members of the Snow Fang Clan.

"The Blood Essence Plate shows no reaction. He must not be in this sea region," said a tall young man in a white robe, holding a magical plate that shimmered with bloody light. The Snow Fang Clan's Golden Immortal-stage diviners had attempted to deduce Baty's whereabouts but failed. Divination using essence blood had distance limitations, and Baty had escaped the range. The most reliable method was still to ascertain his birth chart, as divination using it was far more accurate. The Snow Fang Clan had divided Baty's essence blood into three portions and refined them into three mid-grade immortal artifacts: Blood Essence Plates. Within a certain range, these plates could sense his presence. The Northern Sea Immortal Realm was vast, making this search akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Unless Baty remained in one place without moving, it would be difficult for them to locate him. Furthermore, the restrictions in some perilous areas could also block the Blood Essence Plate's sensing ability.

"Then let's try our luck in other sea regions! We must find him; the patriarch has issued a death order that he must be found at all costs," said a graceful young woman in a white dress.

After leaving the market, they transformed into two streaks of light, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the horizon. Shortly after they left, Wang Chuanming pursued them out of the market.

Half a day later, Wang Chuanming appeared over an endless expanse of azure sea, where the sea breeze gently stirred. "They vanished!" Wang Chuanming frowned. The two individuals had suddenly disappeared from his divine sense's detection range. His eyes glowed with dazzling golden light as he searched for his targets.

Just then, a white light flashed in the sky above him, and a colossal seal materialized, plummeting down towards him. Wang Chuanming reacted swiftly. Golden lightning flashed on his back, and a pair of shimmering golden wings appeared, wreathed in lightning. With a gentle flap of his golden wings, he vanished from his original position.

Two streaks of white light appeared in a certain part of the void, revealing the young woman in the white dress and the young man in the white robe. Wang Chuanming also reappeared, ten thousand zhang away from them.

"Who are you, and why are you skulking behind us?" the white-robed young man asked with a cold expression.

Wang Chuanming did not reply. Golden light erupted from his left hand, and a shimmering golden long saber materialized. He swung it at the void, sending a massive golden saber light sweeping forth directly towards the white-robed young man and the young woman in the white dress. The white-robed young man hastily conjured a white, shimmering shield, positioning it in front of himself. The golden saber light struck the white shield, emitting a muffled thud.

A flash of golden light, and a shimmering golden pagoda appeared above their heads, spewing a golden mist that enveloped them. Before they could evade, a loud bell rang out, reverberating through the heavens and earth.

"A Soul Immortal Artifact!" The white-robed young man frowned, his body trembling. The young woman in the white dress reacted similarly. Before they could recover, they were enveloped by the golden mist and drawn into the golden pagoda.

Wang Chuanming flew into the golden pagoda. The pagoda shook rapidly, and in less than a quarter of an hour, it ceased shaking. Wang Chuanming emerged from within, holding a bloody magical plate—the very Blood Essence Plate. He had eliminated the two individuals and, using a secret soul technique, had performed soul searches on their nascent souls, acquiring a significant amount of information.

Wang Chuanming did not place all his hopes on the family. He dispatched his subordinates to keep an eye out for Snow Fang Clan cultivators. He ambushed Snow Fang Clan cultivators, hoping to obtain important clues. If he could find Baty and seize the Heaven's Secret Box, it would be his personal fortune. While cultivation techniques and ancient texts could be submitted to the family, other items would be handled as circumstances dictated. Wang Chuanming had a sense of public duty, but also his own private desires; he was not so selfless as to act solely for the common good.

"The Blood Essence Plate! Let's try my luck!" Wang Chuanming muttered to himself, then put away the golden pagoda and white seal, and departed from the area.

(End of chapter)