“Who are you?” Seeing the figure of the black-robed, masked old man, Cao Tian Chao and the other four became instantly wary, their powerful auras radiating out as they all turned their gazes toward the stranger.
“We are not enemies,” the masked old man said calmly. “I’ve just seen that the two women, the ones you mentioned as transformed spirit beasts, have already joined Lin Xiao and his group. They’re heading toward the Zi family’s City Forty-Eight. If you don’t act soon, you might not catch up.”
“Why should we trust you?” Cao Tian Chao frowned.
He could sense that this old man’s aura was also at the Ninth-Rank Martial Lord level. However, it was distinct from the Zi family elders or Shi Jin Dou and the Ninth-Rank Martial Lords he had brought, meaning this was definitely someone unfamiliar.
For someone they had never met, who didn’t even dare show their face, they naturally wouldn’t trust him. If this was a Zi family expert or someone sent by Lin Xiao to lure them away, wouldn’t they fall right into a trap?
“Some people don’t want you to enter the Zi family so easily,” the masked old man continued in a calm tone. “If I were helping Lin Xiao and his group, I could have scouted ahead, discovered your ambush, and then returned to guide them to another city. I wouldn’t need to deceive you like this.”
As he spoke, the masked man completely suppressed his aura. Though he stood close to Cao Tian Chao and the others, their divine senses couldn’t detect him at all.
This made Cao Tian Chao and the others frown. Among Ninth-Rank Martial Lords, it was rare for someone to conceal their aura so perfectly at such close range, leaving them with no sense of his presence.
If this masked man had passed by cautiously at a slower pace, he could have noticed them and left silently without being detected.
“If you don’t believe me, I can show you something. But once you see it, you must act as if you never did, or you might bring disaster upon your clans.” With that, the masked man flipped his palm, revealing a token.
“This is…” Seeing the token, the expressions of Cao Tian Chao and the others changed drastically, their faces turning grave.
Quickly putting the token away, the masked man said calmly, “You’d better hurry. If you’re too late, you might miss your chance.”
After a pause, Cao Tian Chao nodded. “Thank you, sir. Let’s go!”
Lu Yuan and Xu Zi Lan also cupped their hands in respect, and the five of them swiftly flew toward the Zi family’s City Forty-Eight.
“Letting Zi Ling disappear while you take the blame saves a lot of trouble,” the masked man muttered to himself as he watched them leave. “Tracking those two spirit beasts for tens of thousands of miles wasn’t for nothing!”
With that, he glided off, following the direction Cao Tian Chao and the others had taken.
…
Not long after Lin Xiao and his group set out for City Forty-Eight, Mei Tian Mo suddenly stopped them. “Something’s not right.”
“What’s wrong?” Lin Xiao’s brow furrowed at her tone.
“Back tens of thousands of miles ago, someone was tracking us,” Mei Tian Mo said. “Their ability to conceal their aura was exceptional, following us without us sensing a thing.”
“What? Someone followed us for tens of thousands of miles?” Xiao Mao, perched on Lin Xiao’s back, looked shocked. With her divine sense, she could detect even a Ninth-Rank Martial Lord within dozens of miles.
Someone had tracked them for so long, and she hadn’t noticed?
But if Mei Tian Mo said she hadn’t sensed anything, how did she know?
“Though their aura concealment was strong, possibly aided by some treasure, our Heavenly Demon Scorpion clan has a keen sense of smell. I could pick up their scent. I’m certain we’ve never met this person,” Mei Tian Mo explained.
This eased Xiao Mao and the others’ concerns. They hadn’t expected Mei Tian Mo to have such an ability.
Lin Xiao and Ling Hu immediately recalled that before coming to the Southeast Region, Mei Tian Mo had mentioned she could sniff out experts from the Temple of Destiny.
“I deliberately took Xiao Mao on a few detours, but they still followed us closely. Their speed was no less than ours, and their strength is likely beyond what we could handle. So, I didn’t alert them, wanting to see what they were up to,” Mei Tian Mo continued. “But when we shifted from heading to City Forty-Five to City Forty-Eight, their scent disappeared, heading toward City Forty-Five.”
“If this person has ill intentions, I’m worried they might inform the three major families’ ambushers.”
Lin Xiao’s brows knitted tightly. If that expert had been tracking them nearby, they would have overheard their earlier conversations.
If they had malicious intent, they would surely alert the ambushers near City Forty-Five.
If that happened, a group chasing them would put them in a bad spot.
“That person definitely isn’t from my Zi family,” Zi Ling said. “If they were, knowing we might be in danger, they wouldn’t have left.”
This ruled out the possibility of the tracker being a Zi family expert. A Zi family member wouldn’t need to avoid them and could either show themselves or protect her in secret.
After all, she was a direct disciple of the Zi family patriarch and a key figure they nurtured.
But then Zi Ling shook her head. “It’s not entirely impossible… Even if they’re from the Zi family, they might not be on my side.”
Due to her unique bloodline awakening, she would inevitably threaten certain people’s positions in the future, making it a possibility.
However, compared to someone from the rival Jin family, it seemed less likely.
What puzzled her was why a Jin family expert would head toward the area where the Cao, Xu, and Lu families were.
Regardless, based on their actions, this person was certainly not on her side and might even be a threat.
Mei Tian Mo’s guess was spot-on.
“Then let’s change course and head to City Forty-Two!” Lin Xiao decided immediately.
Mei Tian Mo, Zi Ling, and the others nodded. City Forty-Two was the next closest Zi family city after Forty-Five and Forty-Eight.
This way, if the tracker was hostile and rallied the three families’ ambushers to pursue them, they could avoid them.
Even if they weren’t, heading to City Forty-Two would only mean a slightly longer journey, with no real loss.
With that, the group changed direction and flew toward the Zi family’s City Forty-Two.
Meanwhile, in a certain city, a distinguished young man in golden robes, about twenty-five years old, sat on a golden chair in the main hall of a grand palace.
His presence faintly exuded an air of commanding authority, his aura imposing.
“Elder Jiang, any news of Zi Ling?” the young man in gold asked, his voice carrying a sharp edge, his entire being like a piercing spear.
“Young Master, the two elders haven’t returned yet, but with their strength, dealing with Zi Mo should be no issue. They should be back soon,” a grey-robed elder beside him replied. The elder, who had the aura of a Ninth-Rank Martial Lord, spoke with respect toward the young man.
“If I obtain the Substitute Saint Spirit Vein, my talent and strength will soar, and catching up to the prodigies of the Eight Great Sects will only be a matter of time,” the young man in gold said, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
“I hope Uncle Mu can bring Zi Ling back. Otherwise, if the Zi family learns we know about Zi Ling’s Substitute Saint Spirit Vein, catching her next time will be much harder,” he added, a trace of worry crossing his face.
