“Chen Ping, what about that demon in your sea of consciousness? Why isn’t he helping you?”
Hu Mazi asked, puzzled.
Chen Ping was the vessel. If Chen Ping died, the soul of Crimson Cloud Demon Lord would be finished too!
Yet, despite Chen Ping facing danger after danger, Crimson Cloud Demon Lord had been completely silent!
“I don’t know…” Chen Ping frowned, trying to call out to Crimson Cloud Demon Lord again: “Senior, Senior…”
But after several calls, there was no response!
“He’s probably playing dead. We can’t rely on him,” Chen Ping said.
“What about your Fire Qilin? Can you summon it?”
Hu Mazi knew Chen Ping had other tricks up his sleeve.
“The Fire Qilin, the Divine King Bow, those and my other trump cards can’t be used unless absolutely necessary.”
“But if those Black Demon Palace guys keep chasing us relentlessly, I’ll try the Demon-Whipping Lash. I’m not sure if it can handle these Heavenly Realm demon cultivators,” Chen Ping said.
After all, the Demon-Whipping Lash was a divine weapon obtained in the Celestial-Human Realm. Chen Ping wasn’t confident it could deal with Heavenly Realm demon cultivators.
Heavenly Realm demon cultivators were incredibly powerful. If the lash’s power wasn’t enough, it would be useless!
Hu Mazi clenched his fists, a trace of unwillingness in his eyes: “Are we just supposed to keep running like this?”
“Of course not.”
Chen Ping opened his eyes, his gaze resolute. “Running won’t solve anything. We need to take the initiative.
The words of Black Wind Demon and the black-robed figures confirm that more than one faction was involved in the clan extermination. Our task is to identify these factions, gather evidence, and take them down one by one.”
“But we don’t even know our next target,” Hu Mazi sighed. “There are so many factions around Jiupan Mountain. We can’t investigate them all one by one, can we?”
“No need.”
Chen Ping pulled out the beast hide map from his robes and spread it on the ground. “Black Wind Demon mentioned a grudge between Green Snake Valley and Black Demon Palace. Since the Green Snake Valley Lord is dead, we might start with their remnants to gather information on other factions.”
He pointed to a mark next to Green Snake Valley on the map: “Here’s the Crimson Training Sect. It’s said to be closely tied to Green Snake Valley, both belonging to the snake demon lineage.
With the Green Snake Valley Lord killed, the Crimson Training Sect won’t sit idly by. We can check it out, maybe find some leads.”
Hu Mazi looked at the mark on the map, a hint of hesitation in his eyes: “What’s the strength of the Crimson Training Sect? In our current state…”
“The Crimson Training Sect’s leader is supposedly a third-grade Earth Immortal, but likely not as strong as Black Wind Demon’s master,” Chen Ping said. “We won’t barge in. We’ll scout the outskirts first, and if things look bad, we retreat immediately.”
Hu Mazi nodded, knowing now wasn’t the time to hesitate. Only by finding leads quickly could they avenge their clan.
The two rested by the ravine for half a day, recovering their stamina and spiritual energy, then set off towards the Crimson Training Sect as guided by the map.
The Crimson Training Sect was located on a mountain range called “Snake Coiling Mountain,” its winding, twisting shape resembling a giant python, hence the name.
The mountain was covered in dense jungle, with poisonous snakes everywhere, exuding a dangerous aura.
Chen Ping and Hu Mazi cautiously infiltrated Snake Coiling Mountain, avoiding several Crimson Training Sect patrol teams along the way.
The patrol members were all snake demons, varied in form, with strengths mostly around first-grade Earth Immortal, and highly vigilant.
“The Crimson Training Sect’s defences are even tighter than Black Wind Stronghold,” Hu Mazi whispered to Chen Ping. “It seems the news of the Green Snake Valley Lord’s death has reached them, and they’ve heightened their guard.”
“That’s good. It means they’re paying close attention to Black Wind Stronghold’s actions, making it easier for us to gather information,” Chen Ping said. “Let’s find a lone snake demon to capture and question.”
