The Sky Patrol Immortal Boat, this silver colossal city tempered by the fires of war, was now shrouded in an invisible atmosphere of tension. Though Xuan Nü and Li Wuyang's return had not been made public, the upper ranks already knew. It was like a dose of reassurance injected into their restless hearts, yet it also made the hidden undercurrents all the more cryptic.
Deep within the Cardinal Hall, in a secret chamber covered in isolation and anti-surveillance arrays, Xuan Nü, Li Wuyang, the Inspector, the urgently recalled Ling Xiao Sword Master, and Wonderful Sound Bodhisattva's projection had gathered together. The atmosphere was so heavy it seemed ready to drip water.
The Inspector gave a detailed report on the strange incidents that had recently occurred aboard the immortal boat, including the disappearance of an elder from the core furnace, the theft of texts from the Secret Treasure Pavilion, and damage to the Sword Sect liaison's memories. Every incident was suspicious, their implications clear, yet no traces could be found.
"...The other side acted with extreme sophistication. They knew everything about the immortal boat's internal structure, defensive vulnerabilities, and even personnel habits. We secretly investigated everyone who could have come into contact with these core areas. We even used certain unconventional methods to examine their Divine Soul Origins, yet found nothing. It was as though... an invisible pair of eyes had been watching every move we made." The Inspector's voice carried deep exhaustion and frustration.
Ling Xiao Sword Master frowned tightly, his fingers tapping against his sword sheath. "Such precise sabotage and theft could not have been carried out by an ordinary traitor. Either they occupy a high position, or... their very form of existence exceeds our ordinary understanding." His sharp gaze swept over everyone present. Though he did not say