78: When the nest is overturned, no eggs are left intact

During a joint short-range patrol with a Cultivator from the Third Watchtower, Lin Feng “accidentally” complained to Sun Yan, a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivator with a square face from a small Family in the Eastern Sea Region, who appeared honest and simple: “Fellow Daoist Sun, when will these days end? It’s bad enough that the demon brats are so elusive, but I always feel… some of our own people are also not quite right; their Qi is strange, making one’s heart pound…”

Sun Yan, who was controlling the flying shuttle, heard this and the smile on his rough face stiffened slightly. His eyes instantly became sharp as knives, and he turned sharply to stare at Lin Feng! That gaze was no longer honest, but filled with scrutiny, vigilance, and a hint of… barely perceptible shock!

Lin Feng’s internal alarm bells rang loudly! Yet, on the surface, he pretended to be startled by the sudden gaze, scratching his head a bit awkwardly: “Uh… Fellow Daoist Sun, I was just speaking casually, rambling… Maybe the pressure is too much, haha…”

Sun Yan stared intently at Lin Feng for a few breaths, his sharp gaze seemingly wanting to penetrate his skin and reach deep into his Soul.

After a long while, the sharpness on his face slowly receded, replaced by an honest smile, but a hint of solemnity and inquiry appeared deep within his eyes: “Fellow Daoist Lin is joking. Everyone on our island is a brother who lives and dies together; there’s nothing wrong. However… the Devilish Qi erosion is severe, and it’s normal for some Fellow Daoists to have unstable Qi after being injured. Don’t overthink it; just focus on the patrol.”

Despite his words, Lin Feng clearly caught the fleeting abnormality of the other party. This Sun Yan definitely had a problem! Or rather, he very likely had also noticed something!

At night, the sound of waves at Duan Ya Reef was like an unceasing war drum. Lin Feng silently left his quiet room, like a ghost merging into the night, and once again snuck towards the sheltered reef area where he had found Chen Yao’s tracks during the day.

He wasn’t trying to re-explore the grotto but wanted to see if Chen Yao would still go to that contact point, or if there were other clues.

Just as he approached the rugged reef area, a dark shadow flashed out from behind a giant reef like a phantom, and a fierce gust of wind attacked Lin Feng’s back! The speed was as fast as lightning!

Lin Feng’s hairs stood on end, and the Demon Slayer Divine Ability was instantly passively activated. His body twisted bizarrely to the side as if boneless, narrowly avoiding this fatal blow!

At the same time, the Qingfeng Thorn had silently slipped into his palm, its dark edge poised to strike!

“It’s me!” A deliberately lowered, urgent voice sounded.

The dark shadow missed its attack and did not pursue. Instead, it quickly retreated a step and pulled down the mask on its face—it was indeed the square-faced Cultivator from the daytime patrol, Sun Yan!

Lin Feng’s movement paused, the Qingfeng Thorn still pointed diagonally at the opponent’s vital spot, his eyes as cold as frost, and his entire body tense, without the slightest relaxation: “Fellow Daoist Sun? What is the meaning of tailing and ambushing me in the dead of night?”

Sun Yan’s face no longer held the honesty of the daytime, only solemnity and a hint of lingering fear. He vigilantly scanned his surroundings, lowering his voice and urgently saying: “Fellow Daoist Lin, the situation is urgent; allow me to be brief! The person whose ‘Qi was strange’ that you mentioned during the day, I also sensed something! I suspect there are Demon Cultivator moles lurking on the island!”

Lin Feng’s eyes flickered slightly, but his vigilance did not wane: “Oh? How does Fellow Daoist Sun know? Just by feeling?”

Sun Yan took a deep breath and carefully took out an ancient bronze mirror from his懷, palm-sized, with ancient beast patterns carved on its edges, but its surface showing a chaotic, misty state.

He bit his fingertip, squeezed out a drop of vital blood, and dripped it onto the mirror surface. The mist on the mirror surface churned, and a faint, yet extremely eerie dark red light spot appeared in the center!

“This is my Sun Family’s ancestral secret treasure, the ‘Demon Revealing Mirror’!”

Sun Yan’s voice was urgent, “Although its grade is not high, it can sense extremely subtle Demon Qi Origin! When I was patrolling today, as I approached Fellow Daoist Chen Yao, this mirror showed this anomaly! There is a trace of a demon seed on her body!”

“Chen Yao?”

Lin Feng understood in his heart, but on his face, he appropriately showed a look of shock, “It’s her? No wonder… no wonder I always felt her eyes were strange! Fellow Daoist Sun, why do you trust me? And why are you showing yourself now?”

“Because you said ‘Qi was strange’!”

Sun Yan’s eyes burned, “To be able to detect the disguise of the Heart Demon seed, one either possesses a unique treasure, or… their perception is far superior to those of the same stage! When you probed me during the day, I knew you had also discovered something! As for trusting you… I have no choice!

This matter concerns the survival of the entire island chain! My Sun Family’s Foundation is in the Eastern Sea Region; how can an egg remain unbroken when the nest is overturned?

I need help! Fellow Daoist Lin, your physique is strong, and your understanding of formations is extraordinary; you are definitely not an ordinary Loose Cultivator! If you and I join forces, there might be a glimmer of hope!”

Lin Feng silently looked at the Demon Revealing Mirror in Sun Yan’s hand, then scrutinized the desperate resolve in his eyes.

The other party’s words were logically clear, and the anomaly of the Demon Revealing Mirror also confirmed his own judgment.

Most importantly, the other party voluntarily exposed his Family’s secret treasure, which showed sufficient sincerity and risk.

“We can join forces.”

Lin Feng slowly put away the Qingfeng Thorn, but his eyes remained sharp,

“But how should we proceed? How many more infiltrators are on the island? Who is that Purple Mansion Demon Cultivator? Where is the Etching Spirit Demon Mark? Does Lord Rock Immortal of the main island… know about this?”

He recounted what he had seen and heard in the grotto, omitting the details of his tracking Chen Yao, only saying that he had accidentally discovered clues, and told Sun Yan the key points.

Sun Yan listened, his face pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead: “A Purple Mansion Demon Cultivator lurking on the main island? Etching Spirit Demon Mark? Nine Nether Demon Tide? This… this is a hundred times more terrifying than I imagined!”

He suddenly clenched his fists, “Lord Rock Immortal… I dare not speculate! But this matter must be investigated thoroughly! The immediate priority is to confirm whether other Foundation Establishment Cultivators on the island have been demonized! Especially… Situ Ying in your team!”

The two quickly reached a consensus: Sun Yan would use the Demon Revealing Mirror to secretly investigate other Foundation Establishment Cultivators during subsequent joint patrols or interactions.

Lin Feng, on the other hand, would be responsible for observing the movements of Chen Yao and Situ Ying within the Third Watchtower and using his understanding of formations to try and find clues about potential demon mark nodes on the island.

Before sufficient evidence was gathered and Iron Sword Shangren’s reliability confirmed, they would absolutely not act rashly, and certainly not alarm the main island!

“How do we contact each other?” Lin Feng asked.

Sun Yan took out a jade talisman carved with simple wave runes: “This is a ‘Tidal Talisman’; injecting spiritual power into it can emit a faint fluctuation, and another holder within ten li can sense the general direction. If there’s an emergency or a discovery, use this to contact!”

Lin Feng took the jade talisman; it felt warm and smooth in his hand.

His thoughts were somewhat heavy; how could he cope with such a perilous life?

In the following days, Lin Feng and Sun Yan walked as if on a knife’s edge.

Sun Yan utilized opportunities during rotating patrols and material exchanges, acting like the most cautious scout, quietly approaching Foundation Establishment Cultivators from other watchtowers.

On the surface, he remained hearty and talkative, even a bit rough around the edges, but with every seemingly accidental approach, the Demon Revealing Mirror in his sleeve was frantically operating.

The results were shocking!