After much analysis, Ling Xiao finally made up his mind. He estimated that among the vanguard of this Storm Legion, the strongest were likely at the Cave Heaven Realm.
Facing someone at the Cave Heaven Realm, he might have no chance of fighting back, but he should be able to avoid detection.
Fortune favours the bold!
This had always been his philosophy. Without taking risks time and again, he wouldn’t have achieved what he had today.
Whoosh!
Following the path Xu Dao had taken, he slipped inside.
In the fog, it was impossible to discern direction, let alone track Xu Dao’s whereabouts. Wandering aimlessly for nearly an hour, Ling Xiao found himself in a strange jungle.
Someone’s here!
Whether it was good luck or bad, he wasn’t sure.
When Ling Xiao could make out his surroundings, he saw Xu Dao speaking with someone.
This person looked peculiar, with a face like a fish but a body seven parts human.
It shouldn’t be the Yin-Yang Demon King.
The Plague Demon King Martial Soul and the Ferocious Beast Demon King Martial Soul within Ling Xiao showed no reaction, which was enough to confirm this person wasn’t the Yin-Yang Demon King.
“Demon General, didn’t the Demon King say when he’d return?”
Ling Xiao released his True Essence Ball, and with his powerful soul force, he could clearly hear their conversation.
“The Demon King won’t be back for a while. He’s gone to the Blue-Eyed Empire, where the True Demon Empire once rose. It’s said two other Demon Kings are waiting there, and it will be built into a true forward stronghold for the Storm Legion. This place, however, is gradually being abandoned.”
The Demon General replied.
“Abandoned?”
“Don’t worry, it won’t be completely abandoned. Three Demon Generals stronger than me are stationed here, continuing operations. Your Ninja Clan can still serve the Sea Clan.”
The Demon General explained.
“That’s a relief, that’s a relief.”
Xu Dao let out a breath, but he was still somewhat dissatisfied. The Ninja Clan might have a small territory, but to be looked down upon even by the Storm Legion was infuriating.
Hmm?
At that moment, a strange lantern-like object on the Demon General’s head flickered with an eerie light, glowing a ghostly blue, emitting waves of soul ripples that spread outwards.
Ling Xiao, startled, quickly retracted his True Essence Ball.
The Sea Clan was too strange. The Moonlight Sect’s records had no mention of this. What was that lantern-like thing?
How could it emit such powerful soul ripples?
It felt somewhat like his True Essence Ball, but far stronger.
“Could this be the Sea Clan’s innate ability? It’s quite possible, or else it’d be too extraordinary.”
As he pondered, the soul ripples enveloped him completely.
In that instant, Ling Xiao felt as if he were in a massive black hole, the surrounding space seeming to collapse.
Terrifying!
Not daring to be careless, Ling Xiao channelled his soul force to resist!
In terms of soul strength, he was confident he wouldn’t lose to anyone in the Mortal Realm, as his soul strength was comparable to that of a Celestial Realm expert.
Crack!
As their soul forces clashed, the opponent’s soul ripples seemed to tear apart, bypassing Ling Xiao and flowing to either side.
Ling Xiao breathed a sigh of relief but felt wary.
This Sea Clan Demon General didn’t seem particularly strong, with a cultivation roughly equivalent to Dai Tai Lingzi’s, about one-tenth the strength of a Half-Step Heavenly Venerable. Yet, his soul strength was comparable to a Celestial Realm expert, not inferior to Ling Xiao’s at all.
If the opponent’s soul force hadn’t been so dispersed, Ling Xiao might not have found a weak point and could have been obliterated by that formidable soul force.
“The human race is a vast group. Narrowly speaking, it includes only the Holy Dynasty humans, Blue-Eyed Clan, Ninja Clan, and Barbarian Clan of the Heavenly Dragon Continent. But broadly speaking, all thirteen continents might be considered part of the human race, including the Soul Clan!”
Ling Xiao mused, “The Sea Clan is similar. Though collectively called the Sea Clan, it likely encompasses thousands of different races, some as adept at soul attacks as the Soul Clan. This Demon General is one such example.”
His analysis wasn’t far off. Strictly speaking, apart from primordial giant beasts, both the human race and the Sea Clan shared a common ancestor, one evolving on land, the other in the sea, resulting in entirely different civilisations.
But these matters touched on ancient secrets, far beyond Ling Xiao’s current level to comprehend or unravel.
“What’s wrong, Lord Demon General?”
Xu Dao asked, puzzled.
“Probably just my imagination.”
The Demon General shook his head, “Alright, head back. Remember, go to the Demon Fortress and find the Fortress Master. Only he can get you out. As for that kid you mentioned, if he dares come in, I guarantee he won’t leave alive.”
“I obey!”
Though puzzled, Xu Dao turned and left.
“I should head back too. It was probably just a false alarm.”
The Demon General was always confident in his soul detection. When his soul lantern lit up, no living being in the vicinity could escape his soul ripple search.
Unless that being’s soul force was stronger than his.
But he thought that impossible.
In the entire Demon Fortress, no one’s soul force surpassed his, let alone those foolish humans outside.
“Looks like I wasn’t detected!”
Ling Xiao nodded silently, slightly relieved.
He didn’t want to start a fight right upon entering, as exposing his presence would likely prevent him from investigating anything, and he’d be the one in trouble.
Boom!
Suddenly, a brilliant sword light flashed through the dense black fog, and a figure descended from the sky. In that instant, the entire dark forest trembled.
A Celestial Realm expert?
It seemed to be a warrior at the First-Line Celestial level!
And if he wasn’t mistaken, likely from the Sword King Sect. Only their experts wielded such abundant, terrifying sword light.
From that sword light, Ling Xiao instantly deduced a wealth of information.
Though he didn’t know why a Celestial Realm expert from the Sword King Sect would venture into the fog, their presence was advantageous to him.
At the very least, this warrior could help him probe the Demon Fortress’s true strength.
Crack!
The ground split open, a sword light crashing down, and a white-bearded figure appeared.
Standing there, he seemed like an unsheathed sword!
Beside him was a youth, about sixteen or seventeen, with a cultivation at three-tenths the level of a Half-Step Heavenly Venerable.
That level, in the Moonlight Sect, would rank among the top three of the ten core disciples.
The youth’s blue hair stood high, looking quite strange.
But noticeably, he was missing an arm.
“Damn it, how did a Celestial Realm expert get in? Did that Xu Dao lead them here?”
The Sea Clan Demon General cursed under his breath, dodging the sword light’s attack, then stared intently at the two figures.
