Chaos Karma Disk, Surveillance

The courtyard returned to silence.

Only the gentle murmur of the Spirit Spring of Life remained, as though it had endured unchanged since time immemorial.

Qingteng Marquis sat alone in meditation, his gaze still fixed on the place where Gu You had vanished, unmoving for a long while. His fingers unconsciously stroked the tender, emerald-green vine branch resting on his knee. No joy or anger could be seen on his jade-like face.

"Shadow Vine." He spoke lightly, his voice echoing through the empty courtyard.

From the depths of the intertwined vine shadows, a figure formed entirely from flowing darkness silently emerged. Two points of eerie green light, like fresh vine shoots, glimmered upon it. It was Shadow Vine, one of the heads of Avici, the River of Life's intelligence division.

"Marquis." Shadow Vine's voice was hoarse, like dead leaves scraping together.

"Gu You's purpose on this journey is a newly born World Beast in the Universe Sea." Qingteng Marquis spoke evenly. "Report this matter to Lord North Wind."

North Wind God King was a God King First Layer Realm expert responsible for intelligence and contacts with external factions and powerhouses within the River of Life. He was quite powerful, and in the Original Work, he was the God King whose avatar Luo Feng had annihilated with a single move before driving him away.

"Understood." Shadow Vine replied respectfully.

Shadow Vine's figure faded soundlessly into the vine shadows of the Myriad Vines Hall courtyard like ink dissolving in water, departing to report to that cold and ruthless being who controlled the River of Life's intelligence and external contacts.

The courtyard returned to silence. Only the murmur of the Spirit Spring of Life flowed through Qingteng Marquis's heart like an eternal sigh.

He sat upright upon green jade, gently rolling that emerald-green