234: Chapter 234 Shen Yunzhou

Wu Li stood up from the treetop, spreading his wings. His ink-purple feathers shimmered with a cold, ghostly luster under the moonlight, and with a single flap, he descended toward the scorched ground.

Bai Chi followed closely behind him, his gray wings tucked in as he glided down, landing slightly behind and to his side.

After landing, Bai Chi scanned the surroundings. His gaze lingered for a moment on the grayish-white powder scattered across the ground, then shifted to the flattened bottom of the pool, as if there were still some unsettled thoughts swirling in his mind.

He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Old Ancestor, did that Tortoise Demon really self-destruct? Or did he escape using some other method?"

There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice, "After all, that was a Peak Third-Realm Great Demon..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning behind it was clear.

A Third-Realm Great Demon.

That was a Realm he dreamed of, and to see it gone just like that felt surreal.

Wu Li also hadn't expected the old tortoise to be so reckless as to self-destruct immediately.

"Let's go."

Wu Li flew forward.

Bai Chi didn't ask again and followed closely.

The two figures moved one after the other.

Wu Li walked to the center of the shoal and opened his Three-Transformation Blood Pupil.

"Hum!"

"So that's how it is. No wonder he dared to self-destruct."

Wu Li looked down and discovered a small, dark cyan fragment of tortoise shell deep below. He didn't know what method the old tortoise had used, but it was emitting a strange power that protected the egg.

"Interesting."

Wu Li didn't linger. He waved his right claw, and Demon Power surged from his palm, forming an invisible hand of Demon Power that reached deep into the scorched mud, retrieving the small tortoise shell fragment along with the pale cyan tortoise egg beneath it.

Very quickly.

With his Demon Power wrapping around the tortoise egg and the fragment, they hovered steadily before him.

The grayish-blue patterns on the surface of the tortoise egg were still faintly flowing, while the fragment clung tightly to the top of the eggshell.

After retrieving the items, Wu Li didn't spare the egg another glance. His gaze fell directly on the fragment, and he extended his claw tip to gently remove it.

The fragment felt warm and smooth to the touch, and that faint sense of warmth continued to emanate from it.

Wu Li turned it over to examine it; the patterns on the back were clear, and the edges were intact.

"I've obtained another one."

Wu Li's mouth curled upward, but before he could put the fragment into his Stomach Storage, it suddenly emitted a very faint, crisp sound.

Then...

A hair-thin crack appeared on the surface of the fragment and immediately spread rapidly, as if it were being forced open from the inside, cracking more and more densely.

Wu Li's mouth still held the same curve, but his gaze was fixed on that crack.

Just as he intended to channel his Demon Power to stabilize it, the fragment shattered with a dull explosion, turning into a streak of grayish-white light that slipped from his claw tips and sank into the shell of the tortoise egg below.

The moment the grayish-blue patterns on the eggshell made contact with the stream of light, they seemed to ignite, glowing faintly for a second before returning to normal.

Wu Li looked down at his empty palm, remained silent for two breaths, and the curve of his mouth slowly flattened.

Bai Chi, standing behind him, was also stunned by this scene. His gaze swept back and forth between Wu Li's palm and the egg, as if he didn't quite understand what had just happened.

"Old Ancestor... what is this?"

Wu Li didn't answer. His gaze fell upon the tortoise egg, a trace of gloom flashing in his eyes.

"Playing this game."

His clean and decisive self-destruction wasn't just to drag those Cultivators down with him; it was even more so to ensure this fragment remained inside the egg.

If Wu Li wanted what was inside the fragment later, he had to keep this egg safe and wait for it to hatch.

There was no need for him to even worry about whether or not to keep any oaths.

Furthermore, according to Wu Li's current judgment, such a method certainly couldn't have been prepared on the spur of the moment. If he could, the old tortoise could have completely left earlier with his offspring.

If it was done in advance...

Wu Li couldn't help but wonder if the old tortoise had already started plotting back when he last spied on the location of the fragment.

"However, you have overestimated your own methods."

"Hehe..."

Wu Li now possessed the Three-Transformation Blood Pupil; as long as he was willing, breaking it was only a matter of time.

"Hum~"

Wu Li first put the egg away, then looked at Bai Chi, "Is your Bloodline connection still there?"

Hearing this, Bai Chi closed his eyes. A few breaths later, he opened them and said with a serious expression.

"It is."

"That's good."

"Do you have a specific sense of it?"

Hearing this, Bai Chi frowned slightly, as if he were blocked by something.

He was silent for a moment, as if re-confirming the direction of the connection, then shook his head, his tone carrying a note of uncertainty.

"The general direction is here, and my connection became stronger than before when approaching this area, as if something is fluctuating with the Earth Qi, it's just... I cannot determine the specific location."

Following his words, Wu Li glanced at the shoal that had been leveled by the self-destruction and was still covered in a layer of ash.

"Then we wait."

"After such a great battle here, if there is any hidden grotto-heaven, it is very likely to be exposed."

"Let's go; this matter shouldn't be over yet. Let's go hide elsewhere first."

After saying this.

The two transformed into two crows and flew elsewhere.

...

Meanwhile.

Tianyou City, Yuexuan Guard Hall.

Tianyou City is located in the northern border of the Youyue Dynasty. The land within a thousand miles, including Black Stone Ridge, is under the jurisdiction of this city.

Cultivators constantly came and went in the city, with spiritual light circulating between the streets and houses.

The Yuexuan Guard Hall is located in the eastern part of the city and is the most heavily guarded place in the city.

Commander Su Qin and Han Zheng stepped into the hall one after the other. Han Zheng's robe was tattered, the burn marks on his shoulder had not been treated, and blood had seeped into the dark black fabric, forming a dark patch.

Commander Su Qin's complexion was also poor; he walked behind him, as if reviewing the explanation he had prepared along the way in his mind.

Inside the hall.

A middle-aged man was already standing in the hall with his hands behind his back.

This man wore a grayish-white casual robe, with a golden token hanging from his waist, the edges of which were inlaid with a circle of dark red patterns. His face was proper, his cheekbones were slightly high, and there was a shallow vertical line between his eyebrows, as if left by years of frowning.

His name was Shen Yunzhou, the Deputy Commander of the Northern Border Division of the Yuexuan Guard. He was responsible for managing the affairs of the Yuexuan Guard in the northern border region, including Tianyou City. His cultivation was at the Golden Core Peak, only half a step away from the Nascent Soul.

It was rumored that his promotion was pushed by people from above, but exactly who it was, no one could ever confirm; even Commander Su Qin had only heard some fragmented rumors.

When Commander Su Qin and Han Zheng saw him, their footsteps faltered for a moment, then they each cupped their fists in salute, their voices falling almost simultaneously: "Deputy Commander Shen."

Shen Yunzhou did not return the salute. His gaze fell on Han Zheng, as if sweeping over the wound on his shoulder, but that gaze did not linger, as if that minor injury was not worth his time to examine closely.