20demayo Chapter 448 Search
Chapter 448 Search
"Junior Brother? Elder Lei?"
When Liu Yanran saw the person in front of her, she was first confused, then suddenly remembered something, struggled to sit up, her face filled with fear: "There...there are enemies!"
"Senior Sister Liu, don't rush, tell me slowly, what exactly happened?"
Yun Chen quickly helped her up, trying to keep his voice steady, but his clenched fists betrayed his inner anxiety.
Shen Nan also propped himself up and sat up, his face pale as he recalled, "Shortly after you left, we were guarding outside the Jingwai Gate when we suddenly felt an extremely cold aura envelop the entire Zixiao Garden... Then, we saw several figures wearing black cloaks whose faces were obscured, appearing out of thin air like ghosts!"
Liu Yanran continued, her voice trembling with lingering fear: "They were incredibly strong, and their speed was unbelievable! We were just about to warn them when we were bound by an invisible force, and then... and then we knew nothing more."
Black cloak?
A ghostly figure?
"Could they be Japanese cultivators? The Shadow Serpent Group?"
Yun Chen frowned, a surge of rage spreading through his chest.
"maybe."
Elder Lei's expression was solemn as he slowly spoke.
Upon hearing this, Yun Chen, Liu Yanran, and Shen Nan turned to look.
"Could it be... someone else?"
Yun Chen frowned.
Elder Lei's expression darkened slightly as he said, "It could also be someone from Taixu Palace or Yuxu Palace, or even Chaoyin Pavilion."
Yun Chen suddenly looked up.
Elder Lei explained, "If Ruo Ruo were to reveal her innate Dao body today, it would be difficult for the other two Dao lineages to remain indifferent. Moreover, the black cloak and ghostly figure... are things that people from other Dao lineages can also do."
As he spoke, he raised an eyebrow: "For example, the Shadow Guards of Taixu Palace can also appear silently."
Upon hearing this, Yun Chen suddenly thought of Ying Qi.
With his ability to hide, he could indeed appear anywhere without making a sound.
"But with qualifying matches just around the corner, why would they do this?"
Yun Chen frowned, somewhat unable to understand.
Now that the Japanese cultivators are eyeing us covetously, even if the innate Dao body makes them feel threatened, surely they wouldn't start fighting amongst themselves right now?
"It's very simple. In order to... throw the Divine Thunder Palace into disarray, so that they won't be able to fully prepare for tomorrow's ranking competition."
"in other words."
Elder Lei lowered his voice even further, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "Even if they really are Japanese cultivators, do you think... they can really move freely in the heavily guarded Taixu Palace and kidnap people silently?"
"You mean, someone in the Taixu Palace or Yuxu Palace is secretly colluding with cultivators from Japan?"
Yun Chen's voice was deep and cold, filled with disbelief.
This speculation is far more alarming than a simple enemy attack.
Elder Lei nodded slowly, his face so solemn it could drip water: "If it weren't for inside and outside cooperation, even with their strange methods, it would be almost impossible for the Japanese cultivators to find Zixiao Garden so accurately in the heart of Taixu Palace, evade patrols, and even use teleportation artifacts to quickly hide."
"Moreover, the targets were so clear: first Qingluo, who was seriously injured, and then Ruoruo, who possesses an innate Dao physique and unlimited potential. This was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a premeditated plan, and they were fully aware of your situation!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yanran and Shen Nan's faces instantly turned even paler.
If news of a traitor within the sect colluding with external enemies were to get out, the ranking competition might not even be able to continue.
"So what do we do now? We need to find a way to save Second Senior Sister and Junior Sister."
Liu Yanran hurriedly said.
"I will search for her, even if I have to search every inch of the Taixu Palace, I will find Ruoruo."
Yun Chen spoke coldly, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
If there is indeed a traitor within the orthodox tradition, then this person must be rooted out and eliminated completely.
No matter who it is, if they dare to touch Ruoruo, he will kill them.
Elder Lei looked at him silently: "Where are you going to look? The Japanese are so cunning. Unless you are extremely familiar with their intelligence, you probably won't even be able to find out where they are."
Yun Chen gritted his teeth and said, "We must find them, no matter the cost, we must rescue them."
"Don't rush. Let me notify the other sect leaders and have them mobilize their disciples to search together. It's better than you doing it alone," Elder Lei said slowly.
Yun Chen was somewhat puzzled: "Isn't there a traitor within the sect? Can we trust them to find him?"
Elder Lei waved his hand to interrupt: "Precisely because there may be a traitor within, we must make a big show of it!"
Yun Chen was taken aback.
Elder Lei's eyes gleamed: "The other party is hiding in the shadows. If we investigate secretly, we'll be at a disadvantage. It would be better to make a scene and force them to panic!"
He lowered his voice: "If we search for someone with great fanfare, the mole will be eager to find out information or pass on intelligence. The more we do, the more flaws we will reveal! Moreover, with the three major sects joining forces to search for someone, it will be much more difficult for the Japanese and the mole to hide."
Yun Chen instantly realized that this was an attempt to use force to coerce the snake out of its hole!
“I understand.” He suppressed the urge to act immediately and said in a deep voice, “Then let’s follow the elder’s plan.”
"Alright, you two should rest and recover first. Yun Chen... come with me to find Sect Leader Lin and True Person Yu Shu..."
After Elder Lei finished speaking, he immediately set off with Yun Chen to head to the main hall of the Taixu Palace.
When they arrived, Lin Xuantong and Master Yushu were both there.
Upon hearing this, Lin Xuantong was shocked and then flew into a rage.
"How dare they! The Japanese actually dare to kidnap people so openly? Do they really think our three great Taoist traditions are made of clay?"
Such a heinous incident occurring on his territory, and involving a possible traitor colluding with Japan, is tantamount to a severe slap in the face to Taixu Palace.
"Someone, pass down the order: spare no effort to find those scum from Japan and save the disciples of the Divine Thunder Palace."
He immediately ordered the mobilization of all shadow guards and patrolling disciples to cooperate with the Divine Thunder Palace, conducting a thorough search of every corner of the Taixu Palace, both overtly and covertly. At the same time, all exits were strictly sealed off, allowing entry but not exit.
“Yu Xu Palace will also have an unshirkable responsibility. I will immediately send my disciples to search for the person together.”
Master Yu Shu also stood up and expressed his attitude.
Soon, they each left, and the search operation was launched with great efficiency.
Countless disciples of Taixu Palace, carrying lighting artifacts, moved among pavilions, towers, mountains, forests, and waterside terraces.
The Shadow Guards, like true shadows, infiltrate those unknown dark corners to investigate.
The disciples of Yuxu Palace also formed small teams to conduct a comprehensive search of the outer area.
The entire Taixu Palace was instantly brightly lit and bustling with noise, with a tense and oppressive atmosphere permeating the air.
Yun Chen followed Elder Lei, suppressing the urge to rush out and search personally. His gaze, however, was like that of a sharp eagle, silently sweeping over every high-ranking member of Taixu Palace and Yuxu Palace he encountered, observing their most subtle expressions and reactions.
He wanted to see... who the mole really was.
However, after observing for a long time, he found nothing unusual.
There was also no news about Zhao Xiruo and Bai Qingluo.
It was as if they had simply vanished into thin air, without leaving a single clue.
Yun Chen frowned, his face was grim, and he was extremely anxious.
Just as he was about to investigate in private, he saw a familiar figure at a corner.
"Wan'er? What are you doing here?"