Unexpected

When Li Weiyi arrived at the Teleportation Hall, everyone from the Lesser Yang Division was already there.

The atmosphere was very tense.

The air seemed to freeze; some people had deep, brooding eyes, while others harbored anger. In this atmosphere, Li Weiyi felt that even the sound of her footsteps entering the room was a mistake.

Not only Mo Duanfeng and Bai Chuan, who were at the very top, were like this, but even Tang Wanzhou, who was standing to the side, had eyes like swords, revealing a cold light.

Li Weiyi realized that it wasn't his lateness that caused the problem, but rather some other unexpected situation. So, he quietly blended into the crowd, his gaze falling on Liu Ye beside him. Liu Ye whispered, "Tu Miangou is missing!"

"What?"

Li Weiyi's heart skipped a beat, finding this utterly ridiculous.

Having grown accustomed to the gatherings without Tu Miangou, he hadn't even noticed someone was missing when he came in.

The most important person in this operation, Hai Envoy of the Taiyin Sect, actually disappeared at the crucial moment. Li Weiyi had considered any possible accidents, but he never imagined that the sheep on the leash would run away.

Xu Daoqing, who was in charge of keeping an eye on the Tu Miangou, said with a solemn expression, "It's my fault. It was my dereliction of duty. I accept all punishments."

"It's my fault, I was the one staring at him."

The scholar Zhao Tang sighed deeply, "Everything will be done according to military regulations! I will accept any punishment."

"Is now the time to hold people accountable? The key is to bring him back," Tang Wanzhou said.

"All the sentinels we could send out have been dispatched. The Dongxu Camp has a drop of his blood, which can track his faint aura; he can't escape."

The Pipa Woman wore a white robe of the Lesser Yang Guard and a golden mask that covered the lower half of her face. A sharp and powerful purplish-red lightning mark was drawn between her fair and jade-like eyebrows, while her eyes were charming and full of tenderness.

She was born into an unorthodox sect, rarely spoke, and was quite distant from everyone. Li Weiyi still doesn't know her real name.

With a pipa slung over her back, her long hair cascading down her thighs, she possessed a tall and slender figure, exuding a powerful aura amidst her alluring charm, and her cultivation was remarkably profound. The fullness of her breasts was second only to Qing Ziqin seemed disproportionate to her slightly plump figure and delicate features.

After listening to Liu Ye's telepathic explanation, Li Weiyi quickly understood the cause and effect.

Originally, according to Mo Duanfeng and Bai Chuan's plan, they intended for Lesser Yang Division to enter the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin from near the Rainforest Realm. They planned to have Tu Miangou deliver this message to Chu Yutian, thus luring Chu Yutian Taiyin Sect there.

The two of them secretly followed, waiting for Chu Yutian to fall into their trap and reveal himself so they could kill him.

Now, as planned, Tu Miangou has indeed sent out the message.

But the person has disappeared!

This morning, Xu Daoqing went to Yuyu City to purchase supplies and asked the scholar Zhao Tang to keep an eye on things for him.

Everything was normal until the time of departure. Zhao Tang, who had been guarding outside the Tu Miangou, called out repeatedly but received no response. So he broke through the formation and rushed into the cave, only to find that it was already empty.

Zhao Tang felt guilty. "He only managed to escape for three hours at most! At noon, I even went into the cave and talked to him about some secrets of the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin."

"He must have discovered something during his conversation with you, realized he had been exposed, and that's why he slipped away," Chi Haohan snorted.

Zhao Tang tried hard to recall every word she had said, perhaps something had really gone wrong, and she was in pain, knowing that she had made a terrible mistake.

All the previous preparations and plans were in vain.

Mo Duanfeng struggled to suppress his anger, preventing himself from exploding. "With the help of the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin, Chu Yutian will soon break the fourth Longevity Lock. If we don't eliminate him quickly, and he breaks through to the next realm and becomes Great Longevity... you all should pray for your own good fortune."

Wherever there are people, there are social classes.

Throughout, only the third-realm martial artists present had a voice, as they were all powerful and far surpassed the others. Among them, Mo Duanfeng, Bai Chuan, and Tang Wanzhou held the most sway.

The youngest, including Li Weiyi, silently obeyed orders, not daring to interrupt. Any words they uttered were insignificant; the third-realm experts viewed them no differently than children.

But given the current special circumstances, it's natural to seize this opportunity to compete.

Chang Yujian spoke first, "This may not be a bad thing! The Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin is vast and expansive, stretching more than 100,000 li from north to south, and its borders extend for hundreds of thousands of li."

"We can change our entry point now. As long as Chu Yutian doesn't know where we're coming from, sending a dozen or so people in is like sending a dozen drops of water into the ocean."

"We're going there to seek opportunities and cultivate, so why must we fight the Taiyin Sect first? Shouldn't we also eliminate potential threats like the Demon Kingdom and the Demon Race, since they also possess the Years Ruins God Token?"

Li Weiyi said, "I also opposed the initial actions, but correcting the mistake now is actually a good thing."

Bai Chuan stood with the Pipa Woman, his gaze casually glancing at Chang Yujian and Li Weiyi. He was initially too lazy to pay them any attention, but after a moment's thought, he couldn't help but say, "Different cultivation levels lead to different ways of thinking. You are at the First Realm; in a battle at this level, you can't play any role or gain any benefit, so you don't want to take the risk."

"Not taking risks means that under our protection, you can enjoy the benefits of entering the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin with a clear conscience."

"But dealing with Chu Yutian is a responsibility that rests on the shoulders of us powerful individuals. If Chu Yutian finds us first in the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin, it will be us who deal with him, not you."

"When Mo Duanfeng and I left the Taixu Camp and the Ancestral Dragon Camp, we made a pledge to kill Chu Yutian. Were we doing this for ourselves? We were doing it to help the Sentinel Spirit Army regain the face that your Dongxu Camp had lost."

The entire Teleportation Hall fell silent.

Li Weiyi and Chang Yujian exchanged a glance, and the latter gently shook her head.

Mo Duanfeng looked at Tang Wanzhou: "Saint Si, what do you say? Tu Miangou definitely can't escape. Even if he does, he won't know about Bai Chuan and me, and he won't have time to send a message to Chu Yutian. We can continue to enter the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin from the Rainforest Realm as originally planned, wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, and kill them in one fell swoop."

Bai Chuan withdrew his gaze from Li Weiyi and Chang Yujian, regaining his calm and composure. "If we don't kill Chu Yutian, we will be under constant tension and pressure in the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin, and our cultivation will be much less effective."

Tang Wanzhou looked at the group of Lesser Yang Guard in the hall and noticed that over the past three days, some of them had been subtly won over by Mo Bai and his companion.

She stood up abruptly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Since you two have asked me, then I'll have to make the decision!"

"Change the plan. We'll choose a new location to enter the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin. This location won't be decided in advance. Everyone, follow me. We won't give the enemy any chance to anticipate our moves."

Mo Duanfeng and Bai Chuan frowned, their chests heaving with anger. They could only feel helpless, a deep sense of powerlessness welling up inside them. They secretly hated the Dongxu Camp for being such a bunch of idiots, allowing a Taiyin Envoy to escape right under their noses.

Executing the original plan now would indeed be much riskier, and they wouldn't be able to insist on it.

The group waited inside the Teleportation Hall for two days.

Tang Wanzhou forbade anyone from leaving the premises.

Messages kept coming back, but none of them reported the capture of Tu Miangou.

Mo Duanfeng and Bai Chuan sat in chairs, closing their eyes to rest, but gradually found it difficult to maintain a calm state of mind.

Mo Duanfeng slammed his hand on the table and said, "Holy Master, it's not that I'm in a bad mood, it's just that I really can't wait any longer. If we wait any longer, Chu Yutian will break through to the next realm in the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin. A difference of just one realm is like heaven and earth. How much longer do we have to wait? If your Lesser Yang Division doesn't dare to go, then please hand over the Years Ruins God Token to us, and we'll go ourselves."

Li Weiyi could see that Tang Wanzhou was under immense pressure, having to withstand the coercion from Mo Duanfeng and Bai Chuan while also being responsible for the lives of all the Lesser Yang Guard. She was usually decisive and swift in her actions, but this time she was extremely cautious and patient.

"Wait a little longer."

Tang Wanzhou stood at the entrance of the Teleportation Hall, as if waiting for someone.

Tu Nanfeng and Yuan Jingsan, the new recruit instructors of Dongxu Camp, arrived at the Teleportation Hall, Tang Wanzhou immediately stepped forward to pay his respects.

After the three exchanged greetings, Tang Wanzhou walked towards the Spatial Teleportation Array: "Everyone, let's go."

"Whoosh!"

The light from the teleportation array faded.

Li Weiyi walked out of the platform with the others, looked around, and found the scene in front of him to be very familiar. It was the main outpost that had to be passed through on the way to the Ye City Sentry Post.

"Instructor Tu, I'm leaving this to you. Our whereabouts are top secret," Tang Wanzhou said.

Tu Nanfeng nodded gently.

For the next period of time, he would be stationed at the main outpost to prevent anyone from leaking the whereabouts of the Lesser Yang Division. Although he felt that this Holy Division was a bit too cautious!

Led by Tang Wanzhou, Mo Duanfeng, and Bai Chuan, the group rode their Departed Spirit Soul Beast and officially entered the dark and cold Netherworld of the Departed, heading towards the southern border of the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin, thousands of miles away.

Yuan Jingsan, Fourth Realm Saint Mind Master, was at the very back of the group. He was invited by Tang Wanzhou to help conceal the group's presence.

Three days later, the group finally saw the legendary Withered-Prosperous Belt.

Endless darkness, barren mountains, and vast stretches of red earth, devoid of any sign of life.

A grayish-white cloud appeared in the field of vision, running from east to west.

Connecting the ground to the sky, the clouds inside are constantly in motion, emitting a faint glow and giving a sense of grandeur.

At the forefront of the group, Tang Wanzhou did not immediately take out the Years Ruins God Token to enter the Withered-Prosperous Belt, but instead continued to move to the right.

Li Weiyi rode a camel-shaped soul beast, sketching runes in the Teleportation Hall and refining runes upon entering the Netherworld. Everyone felt that he was too tense and under too much pressure.

Some people think that he was embarrassed by Bai Chuan's words and suffered a blow to his conscience, so he was cramming for help at the last minute.

Chang Yujian, riding a soul beast, caught up and walked alongside Li Weiyi. Seeing him finish drawing a talisman and put it away, she smiled and transmitted her voice, "You weren't really provoked, were you?"

"What do you mean?" Li Weiyi asked curiously.

Chang Yujian said, "In terms of talent and endowment, the two of us are by no means inferior to him; what we lack is only time. This trip into the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin is our chance to catch up with him. I have already sworn in my heart that when I come out of the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin, I must challenge him, or at least fight him to a draw."

Li Weiyi hadn't expected him to mention this matter, and didn't take it to heart at all, so she laughed and said, "You're really determined; you can definitely do it."

Chang Yujian gestured for Li Weiyi to look ahead.

Li Weiyi followed the gaze of Chang Yujian and saw Bai Chuan and Pipa Woman walking side by side, enveloped in magical energy, chatting and laughing, appearing to be very close.

On the other side, Lu Qing and Qiu Cheng followed Mo Duanfeng, half a step behind, as if humbly seeking guidance on their cultivation questions.

Chang Yujian transmitted its voice. "You can see it now, can't you? Everyone's looking for a backer."

Li Weiyi feigned ignorance. "No, we were just having normal conversations and getting to know each other. Take that Pipa Woman, for example. Her cultivation level should be no less than Master Xu's. She's one of the top in Lesser Yang Guard. How could she possibly see Bai Chuan as her backer?"

Chang Yujian said, "Brother Weiyi, are you pretending not to know, or are you really unaware? Just because we're all at the Longevity Realm doesn't mean we're all giants. Just because we're all at the Third Realm doesn't mean we're all equals. Do you believe that even if we're all at the Third Realm, if Chu Yutian orders any Taiyin Envoy to kneel, that Taiyin Envoy must kneel?"

"You must understand that if the other party has the power to kill you, and you have no strength to escape, no means to retaliate or threaten them, then the difference in your status is no different from that between a master and a slave."

"The status of Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator comes from the value we possess. We are the Sentinel Spirit Army; we have value in opposing the Taiyin Sect and the Netherworld of the Departed, which is why we have gained our status, and no one dares to easily touch us."

"I am the pride of the Chang family, and you have the Great Palace Master backing you up, which is also an invisible force to deter our opponents. As long as we don't provoke trouble, it's like we're wearing armor that even a superhuman might not be able to penetrate."

"But once we enter the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin, these values and the invisible, intimidating power they exert will be greatly weakened. We'll have to rely solely on our own strength to deal with all the dangers. Many things will change!"

Li Weiyi nodded slightly and asked, "Brother Chang, why don't you find someone to rely on?"

Chang Yujian smiled silently.