Chapter 419 - 255: Investigation

Chapter 419: Chapter 255: Investigation

"How is the investigation going?"

Su Xing asked.

"We know far too little about these puppets. Although that Demoness possesses a sequence for this, she must also have a unique method for controlling them. If we could understand it, perhaps we’d have a better chance of winning against her."

The disciple replied earnestly.

"That makes sense. But I’m curious about something. Those puppets that day were already dead, but could they still use the powers they had in life?"

Su Xing asked.

"That’s right. That’s the real reason we’re so wary. If one of our experts dies, they could become an expert on the enemy’s side in the blink of an eye. It’s a very troublesome situation."

The disciples speaking with Su Xing looked grave. They had been inside the Cyan Cloud Sect’s Secret Realm for some time, so these ordinary disciples had no idea about the major waves Su Xing had caused at Desperate Gorge and in the Dragon Gate Secret Realm. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be worried at all.

’Yin Crow and Li Ye... while powerful, they ultimately haven’t produced any Source Essence. At best, their strength is comparable to Chi Yu and his right hand. Su Xing had defeated opponents of that caliber before—and now, he was even stronger.’

"Who is in charge of this?"

Su Xing scanned the area, but he only saw disciples in ordinary Cyan Cloud Sect robes; no one looked like a steward. His gaze returned to the group as he asked the question.

"Oh..."

"This is being handled by Steward Gong. If Elder Su wants to find him, you can look for him in the forest over there," the disciple said, pointing.

Su Xing’s gaze followed the direction he was pointing, finally settling on a patch of woods. Su Xing nodded, bid a simple farewell to the group, and walked straight toward the forest.

Soon, Su Xing found Steward Gong in the woods. The steward was standing with a grave expression, a corpse lying beside him.

When he saw it was Su Xing, he let out a long sigh of relief and congratulated him, "Congratulations, Elder Su. It seems you’ve made another breakthrough on the Martial Dao. Truly a cause for celebration."

Sixth-Stage...

’Su Xing could tell the man’s strength with a single glance. Judging by how the disciples addressed him, this Steward Gong wasn’t a Cyan Cloud Sect Elder, so it was normal for his strength to be below the Seventh Stage. What was unusual, however, was that he could actually sense Su Xing’s own strength.’

"Heh, how could you tell?"

Su Xing asked with a faint smile, "Could it be that because I just broke through, some of my aura is leaking out?"

’Every breakthrough brings a massive surge in power, and it takes time to adapt to such a surge,’ Su Xing guessed inwardly. ’It was perfectly normal to leak a trace of one’s aura if they hadn’t adapted quickly, allowing others to sense it. It was just that Su Xing had never experienced this before, since he had always relied on the Sword Saint system.’

"Not at all."

"Elder Su’s aura is very stable."

Steward Gong shook his head. "However, I was born with exceptionally sharp senses. That’s why the Sect sent me to handle this matter."

"I see."

Su Xing said with a flash of understanding, "Well then, Steward Gong, have you discovered anything here?"

"The Cyan Cloud Sect Elder killed by the Yin Crow that day was named Lou Fuzhao. He was an Elder of the Cyan Cloud Sect’s Qi Sect and held a significant position."

Seeing that the man was beginning to explain the deceased’s identity, Su Xing didn’t rush him but listened quietly without a word.

"Elder Su may not know this, but while the Cyan Cloud Sect’s entry requirements are high, the recruitment standards for the Sword and Qi Sects are completely different."

"Cultivating in the Qi Sect requires a vast amount of resources and time, so its members are often from wealthy and powerful backgrounds. However, these people don’t necessarily train diligently after joining the Cyan Cloud Sect."

"This is because the effects of Qi Sect cultivation are not obvious at the beginning, though its power becomes extraordinary in the later stages. But few people can persevere that long. When Elder Lou joined, he was also wealthy and powerful, yet he still trained diligently. That’s how he eventually reached the position of a Cyan Cloud Sect Elder."

"Furthermore, Elder Lou was very close with Elder Lu, but he did not get along with Elder Ling."

"I’m not sure what use this information is for now, but I felt I should tell you everything related to the deceased."

Steward Gong said seriously.

"Indeed. Thank you for your hard work, Steward Gong. Do you know when and by whom Elder Lou was last seen?"

"If we can figure that out, we might be able to get a lead on the Yin Crow—or even find her ahead of time," Su Xing said.

"Good point. Elder Su, do you know how sect forces like ours, located within a Secret Realm, have managed to survive until now?"

Steward Gong asked with a smile, but his words left Su Xing a bit baffled. He had always thought, ’For a sect like theirs, isn’t it enough to just focus on their own cultivation?’

"Hahaha, it seems Elder Su knows very, very little about us. While it’s true that high-level experts can go into seclusion for decades at a time, our sect is still composed mainly of low-level disciples. If we want them to live safely and peacefully, we need sufficient resources."

"Resources..."

Su Xing didn’t quite understand why Steward Gong had suddenly brought this up. He asked tentatively, "Could it be that the last time Elder Lou appeared, he was on his way to collect resources?"