"Captain Xia, does this mean... our mission failed?"
Zhang Tie and Xia Rui sat cross-legged side by side atop the Blood Corpse Puppet transformed from the White Flood Dragon, speeding toward Tian Yuan City.
The White Flood Dragon was enormous. Its scales gleamed with a cold iron-gray sheen beneath the sunlight, and a faint layer of Blood Qi coiled around it as it flew. From afar, it resembled a crimson rainbow tearing through the sky.
Hearing this, Xia Rui turned to glance at Zhang Tie, helplessness in his voice. "Yes. Fellow Daoist Zhang was unable to preserve an image as evidence. Words alone are indeed difficult to substantiate. After all, the hidden agent's life plaque has yet to shatter, and whether he is alive or dead remains unknown. By the rules, our evidence is insufficient."
As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily dropped to the broad, hill-like back of the White Flood Dragon Puppet. His tone carried undisguised envy. "That said, Fellow Daoist Zhang, this flood dragon puppet of yours is truly remarkable. Judging by its aura, it can probably rival an early Spirit Transformation cultivator, can't it?"
Zhang Tie remained calm and merely said, "It is only a means of travel, nothing worth mentioning. Captain Xia, what are the consequences if the mission fails?"
"Nothing too serious," Xia Rui explained as he withdrew his gaze. "We simply made the trip for nothing and will not receive any merit points. By custom, the City Guard Office will assign our team a new mission within a month."
Zhang Tie nodded and said nothing further.
The White Flood Dragon Puppet beneath them let out a low hiss, then increased its speed by another thirty percent. The clouds on both sides were violently torn apart and rushed backward.
Three days later, the towering, majestic