Chapter 169 - 166 Puppet Demon General

Chapter 169: Chapter 166 Puppet Demon General"Lu Yan, send disciples now to spread the news, and make sure by dawn tomorrow that both the Wildfire Sect and all the other great sects are aware of the cave’s location." Ling Qianxue instructed Lu Yan and the others. "Yes." With a nod, Lu Yan left the tent with several disciples. "Elders, please stay in the camp tonight and rest well, nursing your injuries. Early tomorrow morning, our team will set out." After Lu Yan had left, Ye Xuan also turned to the two external hall elders. The news would spread tonight, and by tomorrow action would need to be taken. When the other forces received the news, they would likely rush to the cave’s location. By then, as the various forces arrived, if they wanted to compete for the Heavenly Origin Ancient Seed, they would have to show their true abilities. "We must patrol vigilantly tonight to avoid any surprise attacks from the Black Demon Sect." After speaking, Ye Xuan’s gaze fell back on Ling Qianxue. Given the Black Demon Sect’s true colors, it was feared that they would not miss an opportunity to attack the major sects. Although it was improbable that the Heavenly Martial Hall had been chosen as a target, necessary vigilance was still needed. "Mm." Ling Qianxue nodded her head. This was also her first time leading a team on a Purple Gold Level mission. To avoid any mistakes, it was better to be cautious. That night, the moon was half-revealed, and stars were sprinkled throughout the sky. Outside the tent, not far away, Ye Xuan was seated on a giant boulder in the mountains, looking up at the stars overhead, slowly absorbing the spiritual energy around this piece of heaven and earth under the desolate night sky. Ye Xuan, skilled and courageous, was sitting there. With his sharp perception still present in the dark of night, he was cultivating, and at the same time, helping stand guard. As long as there was a slight disturbance nearby, he would be able to detect it. Shasha shasha... Suddenly, the rustling of footsteps came over, and the eyes of Ye Xuan, who had been tightly closed, slowly opened, and a cold light flickered, focusing on the approaching figure. The figure entering his sight was dressed in white; it was Ling Qianxue, which quickly dispelled the vigilance on Ye Xuan’s face. "This isn’t Heavenly Martial Hall; this is the wilderness. The remnants of the Black Demon Sect are wreaking havoc, and you’re out here alone in the middle of the night. That’s quite bold of you." Ling Qianxue approached and then looked at Ye Xuan indifferently, speaking faintly. "This place isn’t far from the camp. Even if the Black Demon Sect’s people came to attack, they couldn’t take me down without anyone noticing. I still have that much confidence. The Black Demon Sect has been destroyed for a long time; there’s no need to be overly apprehensive." Ye Xuan smiled lightly. He had once killed the Yama Ghost General, the Vampire General, and the Heart Demon Witch. These evildoers, in the eyes of many righteous disciples, were wicked as if they had three heads and six arms. But in his view, the Black Demon Sect wasn’t as terrifying as the rumors suggested. At least for now, there hadn’t appeared anyone from the sect that he needed to be too wary of. "The Black Demon Sect isn’t as simple as you think. The Eight Demon Generals may have a fearsome reputation among the disciples of the great sects, but what they don’t realize is that within the Black Demon Sect, the Eight Demon Generals are not the strongest. Above them, there are even higher-level figures like the Four Great Ming Kings. Although there may not be individuals occupying all the positions of the Four Great Ming Kings now, hundreds of years ago, each of the Black Demon Sect’s Four Great Ming Kings was an existence no less formidable than my father, Ling Jingtian." Ling Qianxue shook her head. "Oh? The Four Great Ming Kings?" Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow. He only knew a little about the Four Great Ming Kings, that during his previous encounter at Black Annihilation Ridge, in the underwater stone chamber, he had found skeletal remains. The owner of those remains was referred to as the Heavenly Demon Ming King. Ye Xuan remembered that this title belonged to one of the so-called Four Great Ming Kings of the Black Demon Sect. So, above the Eight Demon Generals were the Four Great Ming Kings. At this thought, Ye Xuan’s face showed a trace of emotion. It was imaginable just how terrifying the Black Demon Sect was at its peak. There were as many as four powerhouses whose cultivation could rival Ling Jingtian’s, not to mention the Sect Hierarch of the Black Demon Sect, who was feared to be even more formidable. A Fourth Grade Sect was indeed a Fourth Grade Sect, incomparable to a Third Grade Sect. At this thought, Ye Xuan considered Nangong Yao’s destination, Xuanbing Mansion, which was also a Fourth Grade Sect, presumably no less inferior to the Black Demon Sect, replete with high-level Martial Sect masters. If a Fourth Grade Sect was as such, let alone Wanxiang Mountain, a Fifth Grade Demon Clan force. To uncover the truth of what happened back then and to seek vengeance against his enemies, his path was still long... Ye Xuan couldn’t help but feel a sense of reflection. Whimper... At that moment, from not too far away in the mountain forest, a sound emerged, plaintive like a sob. Although not loud, Ye Xuan detected it, and his eyes shifted. He immediately leaped down from a huge rock, landing on a large tree nearby, looking in the direction of the sound. In the area captured by his gaze, between the trees, faint wisps of green fire emerged, similar to will-o’-the-wisps. They appeared briefly above the forest, then vanished as quickly as they had appeared. "What’s wrong?" Ling Qianxue followed swiftly, noticing the change in Ye Xuan’s expression. But by the time she looked over, there was nothing left to see. "Follow me." With a slightly grave expression, Ye Xuan touched the ground lightly and darted into the woods below like a bolt of lightning. Ling Qianxue, her pretty face changing slightly, hesitated for a moment before turning into a white streak of light and rapidly following after him, disappearing into the trees. They moved swiftly through the forest, leaving large swathes of trees behind. After about twenty minutes, Ye Xuan abruptly raised his hand to stop Ling Qianxue, who was speeding ahead. She stumbled back with flushed cheeks, embarrassed and annoyed at the intimate contact, about to question Ye Xuan when he covered her cherry-like mouth with his hand. "Don’t speak." Ye Xuan felt a bit helpless about the prior soft contact, which had been unintentional. However, the delightful sensation truly shook him. He was also somewhat taken aback, as he hadn’t expected Ling Qianxue, not much different in age from him, to have such an exceptional figure. She could rival even the Heart Demon Witch in her allure. Just as Ling Qianxue was about to burst out, the sight of three black-garbed men ahead made the color of embarrassment fade from her face. She understood why Ye Xuan had stopped her. The conversation between the three in black quickly reached their ears. "This time, people from the Six Great Sects have gathered at Wanxiang Mountain. While all are here for the Heavenly Origin Ancient Seed, another of their objectives is to use this opportunity to sweep clean our Sect’s followers, aiming to deal a heavy blow to our forces here in Wanxiang Mountain." "The Six Great Sects are divided; they have conflicts among themselves. Each sect wants the Heavenly Origin Ancient Seed. Let’s wait for them to fight to the death and then reap the benefits like a fisherman." "Hmph, the Heavenly Origin Ancient Seed was first discovered by our Sect. Unexpectedly, the Six Great Sects are well-informed. While they aim to strike us hard, we also intend to use this opportunity to weaken their power to the greatest extent." "With three Demon Generals in command, we will surely inflict heavy damage on the masters of the Six Great Sects. Just yesterday, the forces from the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect were no match at all. Even their Martial Sect Level Elder was captured by the Puppet Demon General and turned into a corpse puppet, becoming the General’s slave. Truly pitiful." "Tonight’s target should be Green Leaf Valley. Let’s set out quickly; if we’re any later, we’ll miss the window for a night raid. If the Puppet Demon General blames us, we’re as good as dead." After exchanging a few words, the three men in black prepared to depart, scanning their surroundings before heading towards the north. After the trio had gone, Ye Xuan slowly released his hand, then his brows furrowed. "These Black Demon Sect people... they seem to be planning a surprise attack on the troops from Green Leaf Valley tonight. What should we do? Should we get involved?" Ling Qianxue had been planning to question Ye Xuan, but the situation had suddenly turned urgent. She didn’t care about what had just happened and quickly asked him. "We have to help now that we’ve discovered it. You go back for reinforcements; I’ll follow them and see what’s going on." Ye Xuan didn’t take long to decide. Elder Xi of Green Leaf Valley had once saved his life. Now that their troops were in trouble, he couldn’t sit idly by. Even on the grounds of morality, he couldn’t ignore such matters, or it would only empower the remnants of the Black Demon Sect and lead to more losses for the righteous coalition at Wanxiang Mountain. "Are you sure you can handle this? According to those men in black, the Puppet Demon General is involved. He can control even Martial Sect Masters. Don’t do anything reckless." Ling Qianxue voiced her concern. Ranked fourth among the Eight Demon Generals, the Puppet Demon General was slightly more powerful than the Heart Demon Witch. His methods were as bizarre as hers, dealing in arcane and insidious arts, but quite possibly even more sinister. "Don’t worry, I’ll take action according to the circumstances. And thanks for your concern." Ye Xuan grinned. His skill in stealth was such that no one would notice him unless he was very close. "There’s no need. I’m just worried on behalf of the Sect. Just be careful." Ling Qianxue’s face changed subtly before quickly returning to its usual coldness. She turned and rapidly retreated in the direction they came from, quickly vanishing into the night. Ye Xuan touched his nose at Ling Qianxue’s final words, and after an ambiguous smile, his gaze followed the direction the three men in black had taken. A fierce gleam flashed in his eyes, and then he moved, shadow-like in the night, following in that same direction.