Where Is He?

Many of those present were seeing a lord-grade Donao beast for the first time. Over five zhang—more than sixteen meters—in length, it resembled a colossal rhinoceros with a body as massive as a mountain. Charging forward like a locomotive, it shook the earth and mountains. It even bore a shield-shaped bone plate across its forehead; whether ramming into trees or boulders, it shattered them in a single blow. This Thunder-Wielding Behemoth was not necessarily larger than the Donao beasts behind it, yet its entire body crackled with crimson flame and lightning, countless globes of electricity bursting forth every second to astonishing effect. Its hide was also studded with crystals of assorted sizes and colors, appearing as though they had sprouted straight out of its flesh. The beasts stampeded in a pack, jostling and colliding with one another, sending dust and mud churning high into the air with unstoppable momentum. Even the seasoned garrison troops could only run for their lives before them; who dared step forward to block the way? Two slow-footed, unfortunate wretches demonstrated the brutal truth to everyone on the spot: Whoever lagged behind died! The legion trailing the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth was not limited to its own species. A so-called "lord" could typically command any other Donao beasts within its territory. The previous time the Wu beast leader had rallied a beast tide to assault the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth's nest, it had seized a rare window of opportunity: after laying eggs, the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth forbade any Donao beast from approaching the lair, including its own subjects, which was why none of them had answered the call to defend it back then. Now, circumstances were entirely different. With all its eggs gone, the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth had no offspring left to guard. National Preceptor Qingyang noticed that the behemoth's eyes were bloodshot, white froth bubbled at the corners of its mouth, and its heavy panting boomed like thunder. The creature was in a state of blind fury. Who could provoke it so easily and lure it into the Eye of the Storm? Her thoughts immediately leapt to the Mount Xu intruders. Those reckless madmen truly seemed capable of pulling off such a stunt. Yet the Donao beast herd led by the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth moved with immense speed; in a few breaths at most, they would plow straight into the crowd. Several soldiers were killed outright, either trampled into paste or gored and tossed into the water, while the rest scattered like birds and beasts. National Preceptor Qingyang and Baizhantian had no time to deliberate and could only dodge out of the path. Lingxu City had dealt with Donao beasts for centuries and knew that these behemoths were at their most terrifying when gathered in a herd; however, if they were separated and picked off one by one, the threat would decrease drastically. Though Baizhantian had no patience for these uninvited guests, amidst the utter chaos, where could the god even begin to hunt down the intruders? Besides, this mortal vessel had already begun to break down; the celestial god had no desire to waste additional energy. National Preceptor Qingyang suddenly said, "Get into the water." Donao beasts possessed no ability to swim or tread water; deep water would only hamper their advance. Furthermore, water was scarce in the Fu Realm, so they inherently disliked it and naturally would not venture into the depths of the Grass Sea. Baizhantian nodded and was just about to dart toward the deep water when, with a loud splash, the Water Spirit surfaced. "Found it." There were many soldiers in the water, but only one giant spider, making it rather easy to spot. Before the giant eel could finish speaking, another figure erupted from the lake and slammed heavily onto it. Zhu Erniang! She had indeed been hiding in the lake. Enraged that the giant eel had exposed her whereabouts, Zhu Erniang retaliated instantly: the sharp barbs on her legs gouged out the eel's eyes, and her mouthparts punctured its hide, pumping in venom! It all occurred in a flash. To onlookers, it seemed as if the giant spider merely landed on the eel demon's head, drew in her eight legs, and kicked off to bound ashore. With a resounding splash, water drenched everyone from head to toe, accompanied by the eel demon's agonizing shrieks. A spider immortal's dissolving toxin was not something just any Water Spirit could withstand. Splaying her eight legs, the giant spider sprinted toward the shore without looking back, moving faster than a galloping steed. Baizhantian gave chase without hesitation, practically grazing the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth's colossal hooves as the god dashed past. "Don't—" National Preceptor Qingyang frowned. With such turmoil sweeping the Grass Sea, the giant spider and the intruder could have easily slipped away; why choose this exact moment to show themselves? It reeked of a trap. Yet could she stop Baizhantian? The celestial god had eyes only for the intruder, not bothering to spare even a glance for the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth. From the water, she could also see clearly that the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth had not merely brought two or three hundred followers; hundreds more Donao beasts were continuing to leap out of the Eye of the Storm, charging in pursuit. The bellwether effect of this apex lord was remarkably powerful. "You stay behind!" Baizhantian's voice drifted back, though the god was already far ahead. "That brat is still in the water!" Swift though the giant spider had moved, Baizhantian possessed extraordinary eyesight and had already noticed that He Lingchuan was not on her back. The intruder was still in the water? By this point, the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth had come to a halt, sniffing and scanning the area as if searching for something. The other Donao beasts slowed down as well, though their tempers flared violently, ramming anyone in their path. The air of the mortal realm made them profoundly uncomfortable. Seeing this, National Preceptor Qingyang grew even more certain that it had been lured here on purpose. She looked around. Seven or eight soldiers were thrashing in the water—quick-witted men who knew the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth avoided deep water. Yet only one was swimming away with his back turned to her, and he was quite far off—at least one hundred thirty to one hundred forty zhang out. He was merely a tiny speck in the lake. Dawn had not yet broken, and the surroundings were dim and murky; had her vision not been so keen, she would have nearly missed him. This person was actually moving against the flow of the Donao beast herd, swimming straight toward the Eye of the Storm. The more National Preceptor Qingyang looked at the back of his head, the more suspicious she felt. It was an intuition that required no rational proof. Focusing her mind, the details of the figure rapidly enlarged in her sight. The armor plate on his left arm was missing, and a large hole was torn through his sleeve. That was it—earlier, a soldier had been gored and thrown into the water by a Donao beast, losing his armguard in the process. Could this be the same fellow? In other words, had this man been hiding among the ranks all along, guiding the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth straight to this spot? Without a sound, she trod across the waves in pursuit, a hazy green light shimmering beneath her feet to keep her from sinking. Yet the man acted as if he had eyes in the back of his head. The moment she set off, he dove beneath the surface, seemingly having just finished catching his breath. By the time National Preceptor Qingyang arrived, only undulating green ripples remained. The Grass Sea garrison troops previously scattered by the stampede had begun regrouping in front of the Eye of the Storm, many climbing dripping-wet onto the bank to rejoin their units. The intruder was unlikely to blend back into the army; that would be walking right into a snare. During muster and roll call, an unfamiliar face would stand out immediately. Besides, National Preceptor Qingyang saw none of the soldiers coming ashore missing an armguard on their left side. Suddenly, she caught an unusual rustle in the distance and snapped her head toward it. About ten zhang from the shore lay several sandbars, likewise carpeted with desolate reeds and dense thickets. The commotion caused by the Donao beasts was confined to the mainland and did not disturb the sandbars. Yet at that moment, several startled birds took flight with frantic wingbeats, their indignant squawks reaching National Preceptor Qingyang's ears. What had disturbed them? National Preceptor Qingyang spun around and bolted toward the sandbar. A powerful premonition seized her heart: her quarry was likely right there. Sure enough, after clearing a fir tree, she found a figure standing directly ahead, clad in soaked light leather armor and wearing that mask. The man stood ramrod straight, half of his body veiled in tree shadows, and spoke unhurriedly: "National Preceptor Qingyang!" Caught at last! Qingyang exhaled a quiet breath and lunged forward to seize him! No matter what he said, she would subdue him first. The crimes this fellow had committed were far too severe; he had to be captured without delay. When striking out, she anticipated his counterattack and layered several contingencies into the maneuver, any of which would give him far more than he could handle. For this man to dare stop here was the greatest mistake of his life. To her surprise, he neither dodged nor parried. Instead, he abruptly raised both hands and yelled, "I surrender!" —whereupon her staff drove hard into his chest, sending him staggering back onto the ground. Fortunately, National Preceptor Qingyang pulled her force back at the last second; otherwise, he would have been killed outright at worst, or crippled at best. Sweeping her gaze over him, she rested her staff on the ground and traced a circle around him. "This restriction is called Draw the Ground as a Prison. If you attempt to step outside this circle, you will end up bruised and bloodied." Sure enough, a faint green light flowed along the trench carved into the dirt. The man held his hands high. "I said I surrender, so I won't resist." Ignoring him, National Preceptor Qingyang channeled her movement technique and swept around the entire sandbar in the blink of an eye. The sandbar was not particularly large, spanning roughly three to four thousand square meters of overgrown vines and branches. Refusing to give up, Qingyang searched every nook and cranny, flushing out countless gulls and egrets, yet found not a trace of another soul. On the entire sandbar, there was only this single captive who had given himself up without a fight. So close! Just by a hair! How could she accept this! National Preceptor Qingyang slammed a fist into a tree. With a sharp crack, the small trunk had no time to snap in two; the entire tree disintegrated into fine powder. When she marched back, the prisoner was still sitting obediently within the circle, not moving an inch. Suppressing her boiling fury, National Preceptor Qingyang demanded, "Take off the mask!" The man raised his hand halfway, but let it fall before touching the mask, suddenly saying, "National Preceptor Qingyang, I have a question to ask of you." National Preceptor Qingyang struck a nearby boulder with her staff. Without her appearing to exert any force, the stone collapsed abruptly, crumbling into a pile of gravel and sand. "Take off the mask." From the look on her face and the tone of her voice, she was on the verge of erupting. The man had no choice but to reach up and remove the mask, revealing a youthful face. National Preceptor Qingyang's glare bore into him as if burning a hole through his skull. "You are not him." "Him" referred to the intruder—the culprit who had thrown all of Mount Xu into chaos, and her only key to redeeming herself through meritorious service. The prisoner asked in surprise, "How did you know?" National Preceptor Qingyang naturally gave no answer. This captive's armguards were completely intact; though he wore a lava mask, he was not the true quarry she sought. Having confirmed this, her heart sank straight to the bottom. Damn it! That bastard slipped away after all! "Are you his accomplice? Where is he?" Was this a diversion? At least she had captured a living soul; hopefully she could pry some useful information out of him. The prisoner smiled again. His smile looked somewhat grotesque due to the stiffness in his facial muscles. "Gone. He's already gone. You won't catch him now." His voice was equally dry. "I want to ask: do you possess a flute crafted from celestial centipede bone?" A bone flute? National Preceptor Qingyang's eyes narrowed slightly. "How do you know about that?" Had this man seen her wear or play it in person, or did he learn about it from Xi Yunhe's paintings? If the latter, he had at least seen the standing portrait Xi Yunhe painted of her. That was one piece of evidence in the elixir of immortality case. Despite the myriad rumors circulating outside, how many people had actually laid eyes upon it? The prisoner stared straight at her, a hint of nervous tension buried beneath his voice. "I want to ask: where did that bone flute come from?"