Chapter 336 - 300: Helpless, Nowhere to be Found

Chapter 336: Chapter 300: Helpless, Nowhere to be Found

Then, he saw the ground was pocked with tunnel entrances.

Jiang Zuo, of course, hadn’t left just a single entrance for them to follow him directly.

These tunnels led in all directions. Anyone trying to track him would have to rely on luck.

Venerable Red Fox was just about to search for the culprit.

But at that moment, a cyan beam of light descended heavily from the sky.

"Fellow Daoist Red Fox, what is the meaning of this?"

He Daozhen gazed down coldly at Venerable Red Fox from above.

He only knew that a great catastrophe had befallen the Divine Wood Sect and had rushed back at once.

However, he was still unaware of the specific details.

The moment he returned and saw Venerable Red Fox below, he subconsciously assumed the incident was related to the Venerable.

’Venerable Red Fox must have attacked the Divine Wood Sect while I was away.’

"You jest, Fellow Daoist He. Extracting East Divine Mountain’s Spirit Vein is not something I could accomplish in a mere moment."

Venerable Red Fox did not get angry, simply stating calmly.

"The Spirit Vein?"

He Daozhen’s expression changed drastically. Only then did he realize that East Divine Mountain’s high-grade Spirit Vein had been forcefully extracted.

However, since so little time had passed, the residual Spiritual Qi on East Divine Mountain was still dense.

In a few days, the Spiritual Qi on East Divine Mountain would drop drastically.

"Sect Leader, this has nothing to do with Venerable Red Fox."

"It was Gu Changqing. He suddenly awoke not long after you departed."

"He had somehow laid out a grand formation to extract the Spirit Vein, summoned a monster resembling a mountain of flesh that no one had ever seen before, and forcefully drained the vein."

Ge Fangrong hurriedly explained to He Daozhen via voice transmission.

’Gu Changqing?’

He Daozhen’s gaze darkened as countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

He never would have imagined that Gu Changqing was the mastermind behind it all.

"All disciples, hear my command! Mobilize at once and find Gu Changqing!"

Thinking that Jiang Zuo couldn’t have gotten far, He Daozhen roared in a deep voice.

Many of the Divine Wood Sect disciples still didn’t understand what had happened, but soon, a portrait of Jiang Zuo was delivered to them.

All the Divine Wood Sect disciples frantically scattered in every direction, searching for Jiang Zuo.

It wasn’t just Jiang Zuo they were looking for; at this point, anyone in the vicinity was subjected to harsh interrogation by the Divine Wood Sect.

He Daozhen and Venerable Red Fox weren’t idle, either. Together, they spread their Divine Senses, scouring the entire area around the Divine Wood Sect.

But after the better part of half a day, the two of them had practically turned the entire area upside down.

Yet they still came up with nothing.

As darkness fell, the two ceased their search.

"Sect Leader, a report just came in. Someone claims that this afternoon, they saw what looked like a streak of fire flash through the forest, heading southwest."

"However, this flame was moving incredibly fast. According to the witness’s description, its speed seemed comparable to a great Cultivator of the Manifestation Realm."

Ge Fangrong approached and reported the news to He Daozhen.

"Understood. Have the disciples continue their search."

He Daozhen waved his hand.

"Fellow Daoist Red Fox, your presence at the Divine Wood Sect is no coincidence, is it?"

"Could it be that you know something?"

He Daozhen looked toward Venerable Red Fox.

Even though Venerable Red Fox had destroyed the monster of flesh, in He Daozhen’s eyes, he was still a major suspect.

’It’s highly likely that Gu Changqing colluded with Venerable Red Fox—one on the inside, one on the out—to orchestrate this whole incident.’

’If it weren’t for the fact that Venerable Red Fox might be stronger than me, I would’ve dispensed with the pleasantries and captured him already.’

"It’s not entirely a coincidence. I originally came seeking Gu Changqing’s help with a small problem, and never expected to stumble upon this incident."

"But please rest assured, Fellow Daoist He. I can swear a Dao Heart Oath that this matter has nothing to do with me."

Venerable Red Fox explained, shaking his head.

’Of course I’m not going to reveal my true reason for being here. To fail in my objective and also needlessly provoke the Divine Wood Sect? That would be an absolutely terrible outcome.’

"In that case, if there is nothing else, please take your leave, Fellow Daoist Red Fox. I am in no position to be a host right now."

After a brief silence, He Daozhen asked him to leave.

’A Dao Heart Oath isn’t always binding, but there’s no reason for someone of his standing to make one so lightly.’

’The Red Fox Sect isn’t one of the Ten Great Sects, but its disciples are few and elite. In an open conflict, the Divine Wood Sect would gain no advantage.’

’Without proof, I don’t want to get bogged down in a meaningless conflict.’

Venerable Red Fox cupped his hands in a farewell gesture, transformed into a streak of red light, and vanished from the sky.

He Daozhen gazed down at the devastated East Divine Mountain, his expression growing ever more grim.

He never would have imagined that in the less than a day he was gone, his sect would suffer such a catastrophic upheaval.

’A grand formation for extracting a Spirit Vein isn’t something that can be set up overnight.’

’In other words, he was never brainwashed at all?’

’Or did he recover his memories shortly after being brainwashed and decide to play along with our plan?’

’But how did he even resist the possession attempt from the Upper Realm?’

’What in the world gave a mere Three Flowers Realm Cultivator the confidence to successfully resist possession by a Divine Soul from the Upper Realm?’

Question after question flashed through He Daozhen’s mind.

The thing he found most incomprehensible was the failed possession by the Divine Soul from the Upper Realm.

Even he himself wouldn’t dare claim he could guarantee a one-hundred-percent success rate in fending off possession by a Divine Soul from the Upper Realm.

’The ability to summon that monster of flesh, and for a Three Flowers Realm Cultivator to possess speed rivaling the Manifestation Realm... these things are all unheard of.’

’It seems his claim—that his master was someone from the Descent Realm—was not a lie.’

’No matter. Before news of this spreads, I should go find Tantai Feixue. Perhaps she knows something.’

With a flicker, He Daozhen shot off toward the Cyan Simurgh Sect, moving with the speed of a Ten Thousand Miles Manifestation.

’So he came after all, just as I expected.’

At the Cyan Simurgh Sect, Tantai Feixue gazed at the cyan light streaking across the sky, not feeling the least bit surprised.