Chapter 599 - 606: Monster Outbreak

"If the Song Family yields, the other families will also be forced to hand over their resources. Then the Hidden Clans will be the sole power, and our Song Family will once again face the same passive situation as in the past!"

Song Qingyun’s sharp gaze swept across the room. "My opinion is that we should lead the other families in resisting the Hidden Clans. Even if we have to offer some concessions, at least we know these families inside and out. It’s better than giving everything to the Hidden Clans!"

At this thought, Song Qingyun gritted his teeth in frustration.

Those few Hidden Clans were cunning and treacherous. They were currently only targeting the Song Family, ignoring the other powers.

Their goal was to prevent the other families from supporting the Song Family, lest they all band together to resist the Hidden Clans.

So, if they truly wanted to rally the other powers now, they would probably have to make some painful sacrifices.

The elders fell silent at his words. This was indeed the worst-case scenario.

Once the two sides went to war, both would surely suffer heavy losses, and the Song Family’s position would remain unstable.

Just as everyone was feeling disgruntled about this prospect, a disciple suddenly rushed in to report, "Clan Leader! Clan Leader! Something has happened to the Hidden Clans!"

The disciple ran in hurriedly, covered in dust. It was clear he had just returned from a long journey.

"What happened?"

Song Qingyun’s expression remained unchanged, but the surrounding elders all rose to their feet.

Even Li Rao stood up, looking anxiously at the reporting disciple.

Although she was a disciple of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect, she had grown up in the Song Family and had long considered herself a true member. She could not stand by and watch the Hidden Clans bully the Song Family.

The disciple didn’t even pause to rest, saying excitedly, "Reporting to the Clan Leader! Monsters have appeared among the Hidden Clans! These monsters specialize in devouring people’s hearts, and many disciples of the Hidden Clans have fallen victim."

"According to the rumors, the monsters are enormous in number and seem impossible to kill completely. Right now, everyone in the Hidden Clans is in a state of panic, and they are desperately trying to eliminate the creatures!"

As he spoke, he took out a Memory Stone, which contained scenes he had secretly recorded when he infiltrated the Hidden Clans’ territory.

When she saw the familiar monster, Li Rao’s eyes widened in an instant.

’It’s that monster!’

She immediately stepped forward and said to Song Qingyun, "Clan Leader, I have seen this monster before, when I was a child!"

"Back then, I was almost captured by one of these monsters, but my Master saved me. Later, I heard my Master say she had tracked it all the way to an abandoned mine owned by the He Family. At the time, she even suspected the He Family was raising them..."

Li Rao’s brow furrowed. The monster back then had been incredibly fast, and even her Master hadn’t been able to catch it. For so many to appear now... something was very wrong.

After hearing Li Rao’s words, the hall fell completely silent.

Song Qingyun was also silent for a long time, his expression growing more solemn.

"If that’s true, then these monsters have probably been spreading for a long time. They’ve just broken out among the Hidden Clans ahead of schedule."

He exchanged a look with the elders, and they all thought of the same terrible possibility.

"For now, we’ll have to put aside the matter of dealing with the Hidden Clans."

Song Qingyun immediately took out a Communication Talisman and sent messages to the other families and the Sect Master of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect, informing them about the monsters.

After doing all this, he immediately had someone spread the news about the monsters, asking all Cultivators to watch for any sign of them. Anyone who found them and reported it to the Song Family would be handsomely rewarded.

"Send out a notice immediately! All disciples are to focus their full attention on this matter. There is no room for carelessness!"

"If you spot one, you must report it at once! Don’t try to be a hero and capture it yourself!"

He was no longer concerned with the Hidden Clans’ affairs, but he wouldn’t repay their injustice with kindness by helping them, either. However, he had to manage the threat in the outside world. Otherwise, the Song Family disciples would face grave danger whenever they went out.

For a time, the search for the monsters began throughout the Lower World.

It was only through this investigation that they learned just how many Cultivators had gone missing over the years. At the same time, many people had also discovered corpses with their hearts torn out.

When Song Qingyun received this news, a chill ran down his spine.

He was filled with lingering fear.

He couldn’t wait any longer. He went out himself to begin searching for traces of the monsters.

...

In the Spirit Realm, Song Wanning was still oblivious to the changes in the Lower World, but she had a vague, uneasy premonition.

’The monsters appeared in the Lower World so long ago. Could they have already run rampant and become a plague by now?’

’Is this all the work of the Wooden Sculpture World’s Heavenly Dao?’

Song Wanning silently clenched her fists and looked up at the blue sky, as if trying to peer through it to see the Heavenly Dao itself.

This realm’s Heavenly Dao, even after its collapse, had never thought of invading other worlds. Instead, it was slowly repairing itself.

But the Wooden Sculpture World’s Heavenly Dao would resort to any means necessary, just to eke out a meager existence by slowly devouring other Heavenly Daos to repair itself. It was truly despicable.

It had long since deviated from its own Heavenly Dao Rules. Even if it succeeded, could it truly be repaired?

’No.’

’Even if it gets its way, the Wooden Sculpture World’s Heavenly Dao will only march toward its own destruction.’

A murderous glint flashed in Song Wanning’s eyes. Just as she was about to head out, she heard a knock at the door.

She turned from the window and, with a wave of her hand, the door swung open.

"We have news."

Baili Shang walked in with a cold and solemn expression. He did not look pleased.

"The location isn’t far from the Demon Palace. If it’s as you suspected, then the enemy has been dancing right under our noses!"

And yet, the Demon Palace had never discovered it before.

"Let’s go take a look!"

Song Wanning nodded and left the Demon Palace with Baili Shang without hesitation.

The two of them brought no one else, simply boarding a Flying Artifact and heading for the location.

"I didn’t let anyone alert the enemy. The disciple reported it immediately after the discovery and didn’t go investigate further."

"But I looked at the images he sent back. It is indeed the Medicinal Herb you mentioned."

Baili Shang gave a brief explanation. Thankfully, the disciple hadn’t acted on his own, or it would have been troublesome if they had alerted their target.

"Mm."

Hearing this, the feeling of unease in Song Wanning’s heart grew stronger.

Her mind was now filled with images of the Golden Dragon Clan sacrificing themselves one after another to exterminate the monsters. She could only pray silently that the number of monsters wasn’t too large.

At the very least, she hoped it wouldn’t be like the situation the Golden Dragon Clan had once faced, so they would still have a chance of victory.

...

Several hours later, Song Wanning and Baili Shang came to a stop.

They jumped off the Flying Artifact, landing amidst a patch of Medicinal Herbs.

A gentle sniff confirmed it was the same scent Song Wanning had detected before.

"This is the place."

Song Wanning’s Divine Sense spread out rapidly, not missing a single spot.

Baili Shang also used his Divine Sense to search continuously, not even sparing the depths of the earth.

Because no one was refining Spirit Pills here, this patch of Medicinal Herbs was extremely lush.

Among the dense Medicinal Herbs were some small pits. Next to each pit was a mound of earth, which looked a little strange.

Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the pits were arranged in a rather regular pattern, and they were all close to one another.

The two exchanged a look, a thought occurring to them. They chose the nearest pit and crouched down beside it.