828: Demon Sect?

Liu Hanyan's smile froze slightly, a sharp light flashing in her beautiful eyes. She paused for a moment, seemingly organizing her words and weighing how much information she could reveal:

"In response to the Elder, regarding this 'Sun Moon Divine Cult'..." She lowered her voice, her tone carrying a hint of gravity, "Our branch has mobilized many secret channels, and through various cross-verifications, it is highly likely that the force behind it is related to the 'Heavenly Demon Sect'!"

"Heavenly Demon Sect?!" In the depths of Yao Delong's calm eyes, a sharp light finally flickered! This answer was completely contrary to his previous estimation! He had originally thought that the Sun Moon Divine Cult might be a power Luo Tianying was secretly developing within the Xuan Ye Dynasty!

"Oh? Tell me in detail." Yao Delong remained impassive, but the level of interest in his tone had clearly increased.

"Yes!" Feeling the invisible pressure, Liu Hanyan did not dare to be negligent and continued: "A few months ago, shortly before the Sun Moon Divine Cult appeared, the 'Venerable Hundred Refinements' of the Heavenly Demon Sect secretly visited the Nine Nether Sect's headquarters, the Nether Rift Valley!

This matter was handled extremely discreetly, but one of the moles we planted still managed to catch a trace of it. Not long after, the Sun Moon Divine Cult began to pop up like mushrooms after rain across the Dynasty, acting ruthlessly and expanding rapidly! They seem to have a very precise understanding of the Nine Nether Sect's power distribution in the Xuan Ye Dynasty, striking with extreme accuracy!"

"Currently, this is all the concrete information we have collected for now," Liu Hanyan added respectfully.

Venerable Hundred Refinements... Nine Nether Sect... Sun Moon Divine Cult... Heavenly Demon Sect!

In a flash, it was as if a thunderclap had exploded in Yao Delong's mind! Countless clues instantly connected, and a clear picture emerged!

A few months ago, he and Old Black Mu had set a trap in Fengdu City, killing the Nine Nether Sect's Law Enforcement Hall Master, Permanent Nothingness, in one fell swoop! Later, Old Black Mu devised a plan to take out Venerable Dry Bones! And Mad Extreme Demon Lord, facing his daughter Luo Tianying's defection to Yao Delong, did not hesitate to use a forbidden technique, ultimately meeting his end!

Old Black Mu had been lurking in disguise within the Nine Nether Sect!

So, in the eyes of the Nine Nether Sect, the only one with both the motive and the strength to eliminate Permanent Nothingness and Venerable Dry Bones could only be the Mad Extreme Demon Lord. The greatest suspicion naturally pointed toward the giant of the Demonic Path in the Demon Realm—the Heavenly Demon Sect!

Conversely, as a key figure of the Heavenly Demon Sect's hidden forces in the Eastern Region, the 'disappearance' of the Mad Extreme Demon Lord and his daughter would inevitably cause the Heavenly Demon Sect to first suspect the Nine Nether Sect!

Thus, the conflict intensified!

The Heavenly Demon Sect sent Venerable Hundred Refinements to the Nine Nether Sect, likely to demand accountability or to test them! The result was clearly an unpleasant parting!

Therefore, the Sun Moon Divine Cult appeared! This was essentially a vanguard secretly supported by the Heavenly Demon Sect to replace the Nine Nether Sect's influence in the Xuan Ye Dynasty! The goal was to completely uproot the Nine Nether Sect's Foundation in this place!

"Heavenly Demon Sect, what a clever move!" Yao Delong sneered inwardly, everything suddenly becoming clear. His guess that Luo Tianying had founded the Sun Moon Divine Cult was instantly overturned.

At this moment, Liu Hanyan respectfully presented a token with both hands. The token was dark gold, with the cloud pattern emblem of the White Cloud Merchant Guild on the front, while the back was inscribed with the four ancient seal characters for 'Xuan Ye Inspection,' with a faint ripple of a special Restriction flowing through it.

"Elder, this is the 'Xuan Ye Inspection Token' of my branch's highest authority! With this token, one can pass through any city in the Xuan Ye Dynasty without hindrance. Every branch in each city will treat the bearer of this token as a special envoy from the headquarters and will provide full assistance! Even the Nine Nether Sect will show some modicum of respect."

She paused, her tone carrying a hint of a warning, "However... recently, due to the Sun Moon Divine Cult stirring up trouble, there is a sense of panic everywhere in the Dynasty, and inspections are extremely strict, especially for unfamiliar faces. Although the Elder's status is noble, please still be extra careful."

Yao Delong took the token; it felt slightly heavy, made of extraordinary material. He nodded slightly: "Thank you, Manager Liu, the information is very valuable."

"Not at all, it is Rumei's honor to be of service to the Elder." Liu Hanyan smiled charmingly, keeping her posture very low.

Yao Delong said no more and stood up to leave: "I have important matters to attend to and cannot stay long. Farewell."

Liu Hanyan hurriedly stood up to see him off: "Safe travels, Elder! If you have any needs, you can visit any branch of the White Cloud Merchant Guild within the Dynasty at any time!"

Accompanied by Qiong Shuang, Yao Delong quickly left the White Cloud Merchant Guild branch under Liu Hanyan's respectful gaze and Li Xiong's awe-struck stare.

Walking out of the merchant guild's main gate, Yao Delong looked up at the slightly gloomy sky of the Xuan Ye Dynasty.

"Big brother, where are we going?" Qiong Shuang asked curiously.

"Fengdu City!" Yao Delong's gaze was deep, his tone resolute.

He already had a plan: if he wasn't mistaken, after Old Black Mu's maneuvers within the Nine Nether Sect, he had likely successfully taken control of Fengdu City by now! That place was currently his most reliable foothold and source of information!

To make things more convenient, with a slight thought, the vast, abyss-like aura within Yao Delong's body slowly 'rose' like a tide. Late Nascent Soul Stage... Early Stage Spirit Transformation... Mid-stage Soul Transformation... and finally, it stopped steadily at the Perfected Spirit Transformation Stage!

This level of cultivation would not be as eye-catching as Void Refining or attract unnecessary scrutiny, yet it was perfectly consistent with his status as an Elder from the White Cloud Merchant Guild headquarters, carrying enough weight to handle most situations.

The sense of ordinary simplicity that had originally returned to nature instantly vanished, replaced by a steady and profound aura, like a mountain containing an inner Treasure Trove.

Feeling the change in her big brother's aura, Qiong Shuang's ice-blue eyes blinked, and she didn't ask much, just followed obediently.

The two went straight to the giant Teleportation Array plaza in the central area of Canghai City. Although the Xuan Ye Dynasty had closed all external teleportation coordinates due to the tense situation, the teleportation between cities within the Dynasty remained operational.

As soon as Yao Delong appeared at the perimeter of the Teleportation Array with Qiong Shuang, several guards dressed in the standard armor of the Nine Nether Sect, with cultivation at the Golden Core Stage, immediately surrounded them warily. The leader, sensing the unfathomable Perfected Spirit Transformation Stage aura on Yao Delong and the faint, piercingly cold Demonic Power from Qiong Shuang that made even his Soul ache, had a change of expression. His attitude instantly became incredibly respectful as he bowed:

"Greetings, Seniors! May I ask where you are heading? Please show your identification tokens so we can register and activate the teleportation."

Yao Delong's expression was indifferent as he casually revealed the dark gold 'Xuan Ye Inspection Token.'

The token was simple and ancient, with cloud patterns flowing on it, emitting a special ripple belonging to the core power of the White Cloud Merchant Guild.

"Hiss—!"

When the guards saw the token clearly, especially sensing that authoritative aura that couldn't be faked, they all sucked in a breath of cold air! Their backs bent even lower!

"So it is an esteemed guest from the White Cloud Merchant Guild! We were blind! Please wait a moment, my lord!" The lead guard hurriedly signaled his companions to clear the way, while he himself very eagerly led Yao Delong and Qiong Shuang toward the core area managing the Teleportation Array, where a middle-aged manager at the Early Stage Spirit Transformation was stationed.

That middle-aged manager was boredly supervising the operation of the Teleportation Array when he suddenly saw his subordinates leading two people with extraordinary auras toward him. Especially that green-robed man; his Perfected Spirit Transformation Stage cultivation was undeniable! He immediately perked up.