At this point, the Half Venerable elder of the Black Spirit Tiger Shark Clan paused slightly, a deep worry flashing through his eyes.
He sighed softly, then continued in a grave voice:
"Now that matters have come to this and the battle situation is dire, there is no need for us to keep the truth from you any longer."
"Our clan has publicly claimed that the Clan Chief is in closed-door meditation, cultivating in seclusion and unconcerned with worldly affairs. That was merely an excuse to reassure the clan and intimidate our enemies.
In truth, the Clan Chief left the clan territory long ago."
"All military orders for our clan's large-scale advance into human territory had been issued by the Clan Chief from afar.
Yet we had always maintained secret communications with the Clan Chief, and they had never been severed."
"But several years ago...
when the First Elder sent a message across the distance to seek the Clan Chief's instructions—asking whether we should launch a counterattack against the humans or hold the sea region and continue the stalemate—we suddenly lost all word from the Clan Chief.
From that day onward, no matter how we employed secret arts to send messages or trace their whereabouts, we could no longer contact the Clan Chief in the slightest."
This earth-shattering secret crashed down like thunder exploding beside everyone's ears.
The Nascent Soul Demon Lords, who had only just managed to force themselves into calmness and barely steady their minds, instantly turned deathly pale. Unable to remain seated any longer, they rose one after another, their eyes filled with terror and despair.
"What?! The Clan Chief isn't in the clan territory—and has even gone missing?!"
"Elder, is there truly no secret art, no channel through which we can contact the Clan Chief again?"