The golden light of the Teleportation Array had yet to fade completely when Qin He stepped out of its chaotic halo.
He still wore Liu Chengan's appearance, but a faint wisp of black energy lingered around him. It was no haphazard aura of evil, but the residue of the true demon law he had not fully reined in—not an overt display, but a deliberately exposed flaw.
The two realm patrol guards watching the Teleportation Array were about to approach and inspect his token when their gazes swept over the black energy around him, and their expressions abruptly stiffened.
Everyone in the Realm Patrol Bureau knew Liu Chengan's identity, and knew he had been ordered to investigate traces of strange flame in the Eastern Domain.
Picking up demonic energy while patrolling the realms was nothing unusual, but for it to be so dense that it was visible to the naked eye, with even the hems of his robes gleaming faintly black, this was no ordinary encounter.
He had clearly encountered something sinister, or fought a life-and-death battle with an evil cultivator.
The two exchanged a glance, each seeing shock in the other's eyes, yet neither asked a single question.
The Realm Patrol Bureau's rule was to ask nothing one should not ask. This was especially true of a cultivator with connections like Liu Chengan, who surely harbored secrets that could not be spoken aloud.
"Lord Liu." The guard on the left bowed in greeting, his voice respectful, though his eyes deliberately avoided the black energy around him. "You're back."
Qin He did not stop, nor did he spare the two so much as a glance. With a hint of hurried coldness in his aura, he walked straight out of the Teleportation Array.
He moved swiftly, his robes brushing the ground and