616: Next steps

Yao Delong's eyes were deep as he transmitted his voice: "This junior dares to speculate... I fear that this Old Demon Hundred Refinements is hiding within your sect! The way he cut off the connection to the Puppet just now was so decisive and rapid; it would be difficult to achieve unless he were in close proximity! Although the residual Devilish Qi was annihilated, that 'immediacy' of control could not be hidden from me!"

Mo Qingxian's delicate body trembled imperceptibly. Although she had guessed as much, having Yao Delong point it out so definitively still made her heart feel heavy.

She gave Yao Delong a deep look, her voice transmission carrying a hint of gravity and killing intent: " 'Darkness under the lamp'... what a clever Old Demon Hundred Refinements! Thank you for the reminder, Young Friend Yao! I will investigate this matter to the end! I will absolutely not allow this devil to stir up trouble within my sect!"

Yao Delong nodded and said no more. He cupped his hands toward Mo Qingxian and Kuang Wutian: "Hall Master, Saint, Ling'er. Now that matters here are concluded, I have urgent business to attend to, so I shall take my leave!"

Having said that, he did not linger. Under the gaze of countless eyes filled with awe, admiration, and complexity, ripples appeared in the space around him. His figure blurred instantly, as if merging into the Void Realm, and he vanished.

He left behind only the massive crater on the square, the faint scent of pills and Evil Qi lingering in the air, and the heavy shadow of a demonic figure lurking in the dark.

Almost at the exact moment he vanished!

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Two streaks of light, one black and one white, like shooting stars chasing the moon, shot out instantly from an inconspicuous corner of the spectator stands. Without hesitation, they tore through space and gave chase in the direction Yao Delong had departed!

It was none other than the long-restless Qiong Shuang and Old Black Mu!

A hundred miles away, above the clouds.

Yao Delong's figure had just solidified when the two streaks of light arrived, transforming into the beautiful figure of Qiong Shuang and the sturdy body of Old Black Mu.

"Big Brother!" Qiong Shuang excitedly pounced forward, hugging Yao Delong's arm, her large eyes blinking. "That was too amazing! You refine pills so well! And your sword skills are incredibly cool! You plucked that old devil's Puppet out in one go! Hehe!"

She was like a proud little peacock, as if it were she who had just displayed such Divine Might.

Old Black Mu also let out a respectful low roar, his eyes filled with awe: "Master's Divine Might is peerless!"

Yao Delong ruffled Qiong Shuang's hair, but his gaze turned toward the distant northwest, his eyes deep: "The Moyang Sect is safe for the moment, but the hidden danger remains. Old Demon Hundred Refinements is like a maggot on the bone; he must be dealt with as soon as possible. Since Hall Master Mo mentioned that the Mad Extreme Old Devil is colluding with the Nine Nether Sect..."

A cold light flashed in his eyes, "Perhaps I should infiltrate the Xuan Ye Dynasty directly! I might find clues, or even run into that Mad Extreme Demon Lord!"

"The Xuan Ye Dynasty?" Upon hearing this, Old Black Mu's massive dragon eyes shrank abruptly. He hurriedly tried to dissuade him in a muffled voice: "Master! You must not enter lightly! Xuan Ye is not like the Hegemonic Summer! The entire Dynasty is a flesh and blood pasture raised by the Nine Nether Sect! From top to bottom, it is completely controlled by the Nine Nether Sect!"

"The security inside is extremely tight, with special Bloodline sensing and Demon Soul Restrictions. Outsiders without a guide or special means are like a bright lamp in the dark night the moment they step inside, making them extremely easy to expose! Once discovered..."

"I have my own methods." Yao Delong's tone was calm but carried unquestionable firmness. "Old Black Mu, tell me, what is the high-end combat power of the Nine Nether Sect?"

Seeing that his master's mind was made up, Old Black Mu could only smile bitterly. His massive dragon head lowered, and his voice carried gravity and a hint of trepidation: "Master, the Nine Nether Sect's power is vast and unfathomable. Their top forces on the surface are the Twelve Hall Masters who terrorize the Demonic Path!"

"Among these twelve, the one with the lowest cultivation is at the Void Refining Early Stage! Several of them have even reached the terrifying Late Void Refining Stage! The Vice Sect Master who leads punishment and conquest—Ye Wushang—is an old monster at the Half-step Integration Stage!"

"As for the Sect Leader, Abyssal Heaven Hero... he has been in seclusion for years and rarely appears, but there have long been rumors within the Demonic Path that he has already broken through the barrier of the Body Integration Stage! He has become a titan who truly looks down upon the Azure Cloud!"

He paused, his tone becoming even heavier: "And that is just what is on the surface... Within the Nine Nether Sect, there are several Grand Elders who have lived for unknown ages and have been in closed-door cultivation for years, aiming for higher Realms! Each one is an existence capable of stirring up the world! Master, that place... is a true dragon's pool and tiger's den!"

Yao Delong listened quietly. There was no fear in his eyes; instead, a sharp glint flashed. "Twelve Hall Masters... the structure is quite similar to the Eleven Peak Masters of the Yin Yang Sect. Half-step Integration... Body Integration Stage old monster... truly troublesome."

He felt the surging spiritual power within his body, which was already full and ready to pierce through that layer of window paper at any moment. He had already made up his mind: "It seems that before stepping into that devil's den, I must first solidify this Perfected Spirit Transformation Stage... thoroughly!"

He turned to look at the chattering Qiong Shuang beside him, his tone gentle but unquestionable: "Qiong Shuang, this trip to infiltrate the Nine Nether Sect is exceptionally dangerous, far exceeding anything before. Luo Yan is still receiving the Legacy and needs someone to protect her. You must take her and return to the Yin Yang Sect first."

"Big Brother! I..." Upon hearing that he wasn't taking her, Qiong Shuang immediately pouted, her eyes turning red as she prepared to act spoiled and throw a tantrum.

Yao Delong gently tapped her forehead and said softly: "Be good. Yan'er needs you more. I promise you, when all this is over, I will take you out to eat all the delicious spiritual fruits in the Azure Cloud Realm."

At the mention of Luo Yan, the wilfulness in Qiong Shuang's eyes was instantly replaced by worry. She looked at the beast taming pouch at Yao Delong's waist that contained Luo Yan, then looked at Yao Delong's firm and concerned gaze. Finally, she pouted and replied unhappily: "Alright... alright, Big Brother... then you must be careful! Come back early!" Her aggrieved little expression was just like a child who had had their favorite toy snatched away.

Yao Delong felt a warmth in his heart. He took out the beast taming pouch and carefully carried out the sleeping Luo Yan. At this moment, Luo Yan was shrouded in a faint layer of moonlight, her aura dense and calm; clearly, the Legacy had reached a critical point.

Yao Delong gently placed her on the back of Qiong Shuang, who had revealed her massive white dragon true form.

"Take good care of her," Yao Delong said softly. He then took out several exquisite jade bottles and stuffed them into Qiong Shuang's claws: "These contain the freshly refined 'Spirit Concentrating Pill' and 'Body Tempering Spirit Liquid', which will be of great benefit for stabilizing your cultivation and tempering your dragon body. Go back and Cultivate well, and don't be gluttonous anymore!"

Qiong Shuang's massive dragon head nodded, and she let out a low dragon roar: "Mm! Don't worry, Big Brother! I will take good care of Sister Luo! And I will Cultivate well!"

She rubbed her massive dragon horn against Yao Delong with reluctance, then let out a long cry. Her snow-white dragon body soared into the air, whipping up a cold chill like a sky full of snow. She transformed into a dazzling white streak of light and tore through the air toward the direction of the Yin Yang Sect! The speed was such that she vanished into the horizon in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only a few crystalline dragon scale phantoms slowly drifting down.

Yao Delong watched Qiong Shuang leave, then withdrew his gaze, which became as sharp as a knife. He identified the direction and flew toward the nearest large gathering place for cultivators—Tianque City. Crossing large regions to head to the Xuan Ye Dynasty, using a large teleportation array was undoubtedly the fastest method. But before that...

"Old Black Mu, go to the teleportation array in the city and wait for me," Yao Delong instructed. He needed an absolutely quiet environment to break through. Old Black Mu responded, concealed his aura, and turned into an inconspicuous black light, disappearing into the city. Yao Delong then concealed his aura, appearing like an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator, and stepped into the bustling and noisy Tianque City.

He did not delay in the slightest and went straight to one of the most magnificent and imposing buildings in the city—the White Cloud Merchant Guild! As a large merchant guild spanning many regions, its background was deep and its reputation was excellent; it was the perfect choice for closed-door Breakthrough. Entering the merchant guild, Yao Delong ignored the enthusiastic attendants and walked straight to the VIP reception area. With a flick of his finger, a purple-gold token inlaid with intricate cloud patterns appeared before the manager.