Green Cliff Mountain.
This majestic mountain range, located in the northwest of Qingyang Prefecture, is named for its many green cliffs.
The mountains are steep, the forests are lush and dense, and it is rarely visited by people.
The morning mist, like a thin veil, clung to the mountainside, shrouding the entire mountain in a hazy and mysterious atmosphere.
A figure moved silently through the woods.
The man was slender, about fifty years old, and wore a light blue Elder's robe, a style unique to Rain Listening Tower, with flowing cloud patterns embroidered in gold thread at the hem.
His eyes were exceptionally bright, with a restrained glint in them as he opened and closed them; he was none other than Su Henian, Second Grade Elder of Rain Listening Tower.
His steps were light and his landings were silent; he seemed to blend into the mountain forest.
His aura was almost completely concealed, making him appear like a piece of withered wood or a stubborn rock, blending seamlessly with the surrounding vegetation and rocks.
This is the High Grade concealment technique secretly passed down by Rain Listening Tower —the " Formless Art," which has reached its Perfection Realm.
Rain Listening Tower is renowned for its intelligence operations, and Su Henian, one of the most senior Elder in Rain Listening Tower, is known for his expertise in gathering intelligence.
This mission was to venture deep into the mountains to search for possible hiding places and to find the Grandmaster-level demon that escaped from the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.
"Rustle--"
He parted a clump of bushes and looked ahead.
It was a secluded valley, surrounded by steep cliffs, with a narrow entrance.
The valley was densely forested and shrouded in mist, exuding an indescribable chill.
Something's not right.
Su Henian's eyes narrowed slightly.
The valley was too quiet.
There were no birdsong, no insect sounds, and even the sound of the wind seemed to have been swallowed up by some invisible force.
He had experienced this deathly stillness near the lairs of some extremely dangerous monsters.
He held his breath, pushed the < Formless Art > to its limit, and his entire being moved silently towards the valley entrance like a speck of dust.
After passing through the narrow valley entrance, the view suddenly opened up before us.
The valley is a relatively open space, surrounded by ancient trees and hanging vines.
Hundreds of meters away, in the center of an open space, a huge figure was perched on a massive blue stone.
That was a demon.
It resembled a black tiger magnified countless times, with a body length exceeding three zhang (approximately 10 meters), and when it lay there, it looked like a small mountain.
Its body was hairless, replaced by jet-black scales that gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the mist.
Its four legs are as thick as pillars, with sharp claws extending out, each about a foot long, Dark Gold in color, as if cast from some kind of metal.
Its head was enormous, its snout broad, and its eyes were closed, as if it were asleep.
Between its brows, there is a crescent-shaped silver-white scale that faintly shimmers with light.
' Black-Scaled Demon Tiger '
Su Henian's breathing almost stopped at that moment.
According to the sect's secret records, the Black-Scaled Demon Tiger is an ancient and extraordinary creature, born with spiritual intelligence.
They are cunning and cruel, and possess extremely high intelligence, comparable to that of humans.
Its scales are as tough as divine iron, and ordinary weapons cannot damage them in the slightest.
Even more terrifying is that they possess an innate talent—the ability to manipulate low-level demons and birds and beasts to their advantage.
This Black-Scaled Demon Tiger is very likely the grandmaster-level demon that escaped from the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.
Back in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, it was this creature that mobilized thousands of demons to launch a night raid on the demon-hunting camp, causing heavy casualties.
He then sensed the encirclement by the Seven Sects masters in advance and fled without a trace.
'This message must be sent back!'
Su Henian suppressed the turmoil in his heart and began to slowly retreat.
His movements were extremely light and slow, each step landing precisely in a place that would not make a sound.
He activated the Formless Art at full power, suppressing his own aura to almost nothing.
He was confident that with his Perfection Realm Breath Concealment Secret Technique, even a grandmaster-level demon would have difficulty detecting him as long as he didn't open his eyes.
One step, two steps, three steps--
He was almost out of the valley entrance when the Black-Scaled Demon Tiger remained coiled on the blue stone, its eyes closed, as if it had truly fallen into a deep sleep.
He felt a little relieved and was about to turn around and leave quickly.
At this very moment--
The Black-Scaled Demon Tiger opened its eyes.
Those were a pair of Dark Gold vertical pupils, cold and deep, like two bottomless ancient wells.
His pupils reflected Su Henian's frozen figure.
"Oh no!"
Su Henian's heart seemed to stop beating for a moment.
They've been discovered.
He couldn't understand why his Perfection Realm " Formless Art " had failed.
But at this moment, that question is no longer important.
"Escape."
Without hesitation, he retreated rapidly.
However, the Black-Scaled Demon Tiger was faster than him.
The Black-Scaled Demon Tiger didn't even get up; it simply raised its right forepaw and casually slashed through the air.
"Laugh--"
Five jet-black claw-like beams Void Sundering, moving at speeds beyond the limits of vision, instantly traversing a distance of hundreds of meters.
Before Su Henian could even react, he felt a sharp pain in his body.
He looked down and saw five gruesome wounds on his chest, running diagonally from his left shoulder to his right waist, almost splitting him in two.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly soaking the bluish-gray Elder's robes.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only spat out a mouthful of blood.
The next moment, he collapsed limply to the ground.
The body hit the ground covered with decaying leaves with a dull thud.
Those eyes, which had once shone with a restrained brilliance, quickly dimmed and eventually lost all their luster.
Even in death, disbelief and horror remained in his eyes.
Su Henian, Second Grade Elder of Rain Listening Tower, has died.
From the moment the Black-Scaled Demon Tiger opened its eyes to the moment Su Henian collapsed, only a breath had passed.
The Black-Scaled Demon Tiger retracted its right forepaw, its Dark Gold vertical pupils sweeping over Su Henian's corpse, a faint, human-like thought flashing in its eyes.
This place is not safe to stay for long.
It stood up, its massive body stretching out, its bones making a series of fine crackling sounds.
He raised his head and let out a low growl.
"Roar--"
The roar wasn't loud, but it carried a strange penetrating power, spreading outwards.
A moment later, a rustling sound came from the mouth of the valley.
Countless birds and beasts surged in from all directions—gray rabbits, red foxes, Reeves's Muntjac, lynxes, sparrows, falcons... Their eyes all held a strange submissiveness as they prostrated themselves before the Black-Scaled Demon Tiger.
The Black-Scaled Demon Tiger shook its body, and dozens of jet-black scales fell off and scattered in the air.
As if receiving a command, the birds and beasts stepped forward, each picking up a scale, then turned and scattered in different directions.
The Black-Scaled Demon Tiger watched the birds and beasts disappear into the depths of the forest, then turned its massive body and strode away in another direction.
Its steps seemed slow, but with each step it floated more than ten feet away, and soon disappeared into the vast mountains and forests.
The valley returned to silence.
Only Su Henian's corpse lay silently in the pool of blood, the air thick with the stench of blood.
When Fang Han stepped into the Sect Master's Hall, Chen Tianyuan was standing with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the distant, rolling mountains, his back conveying a sense of solemnity.
"Disciple Fang Han greets Sect Master."
Fang Han stepped forward and bowed.
Chen Tianyuan turned around, his gaze falling on Fang Han. He nodded slightly, gesturing for Fang Han to sit down at the lower seat.
"I have summoned you here today because there is something I wish to tell you."
Chen Tianyuan's voice remained calm, yet carried a hint of solemnity.
"Traces suspected to have been left by that Grandmaster-level demon have been discovered in Green Cliff Mountain."
Fang Han's eyes narrowed slightly.
Green Cliff Mountain, located in the northwest of Qingyang Prefecture, is a steep and rarely visited place, making it an ideal hiding place for demons.
"The message came from Rain Listening Tower."
Chen Tianyuan continued.
"A Second Grade Elder of Rain Listening Tower died in a secluded valley deep within Green Cliff Mountain. The one who killed him was most likely that grandmaster-level demon."
Fang Han remained silent.
A Second Grade Elder, whose strength was considerable, unfortunately encountered a terrifying opponent—a grandmaster-level demon—and died at the hands of that demon.
"The sect's intention is to have you participate in this search. Of course, this trip is inherently dangerous, and whether you participate is entirely up to you."
Chen Tianyuan looked at Fang Han and said.
"This disciple is willing to go."
Fang Han did not hesitate.
Grandmaster-level demons are indeed dangerous, but the Perfection Realm < Thousand-Mile Soul Lock > has a perception range of ten miles. At such a distance, even a grandmaster-level demon would have a hard time detecting him.
Moreover, he also possessed the Divine Speed Jade Talisman bestowed upon him by the sect as a trump card.
"That monster is incredibly powerful and exceptionally cunning. Be extremely careful while searching for it. If you spot it, send a message immediately and do not approach it."
Chen Tianyuan nodded slightly, then his expression turned serious.
"Disciple understands."
Fang Han cupped his hands in response.
As we left the Sect Master's Hall, the morning light had completely bathed the mountaintop.
Fang Han walked down the bluestone steps at a leisurely pace.
Back at the No. 35 Annex, Qui Lan was waiting under the eaves. Fang Han return, she quickly came forward to greet him.
"Senior brother, breakfast is ready."
"Bring it up."
Fang Han nodded, then added.
"Please also prepare some dry food and water for me, as well as two changes of clothes. I'll be away for a few days."
Qui Lan was slightly taken aback, but did not ask any further questions. She simply bowed and replied, "Yes, Senior Brother."
After breakfast, Qui Lan had already prepared her luggage.
A blue cloth bundle contained dry rations, water, two sets of coarse cloth clothes for changing, Heaven Origin Pill for cultivation, and Jade Dew Pellet for healing and detoxification.
Fang Han took the package, hung the Cloudsplitter Sword at his waist, and pushed open the door to go out.
After leaving Azure Profound Sect and walking along the official road for several miles, Fang Han made sure no one was around. With a slight thought, the package in his hand disappeared into thin air and was put into his Storage Ring.
"Whoosh!"
Light as a feather, he unleashed his Body Movement and sped off towards Green Cliff Mountain.
After mastering the < Wind God Step > Minor Accomplishment, his speed became astonishing; his figure moved like an invisible gust of wind, silently sweeping through the mountains and forests.
The scenery on both sides rushed past, and the wind whistled in my ears.
More than a day later, the outline of Green Cliff Mountain appeared on the horizon.
The mountain is steep, and the vast forest covers the entire mountain range. The morning mist wraps around the mountainside like a thin veil, making the whole mountain hazy and mysterious.
At the foot of the mountain, in a relatively open space, more than ten people had gathered.
Fang Han slowed his pace, his gaze sweeping over the figures.
Judging from their clothing and aura, they were all martial artists, and their cultivation was not weak; the weakest among them was at least at the Fourth Grade rank.
These people were either standing or sitting; some had their eyes closed to rest, some were talking in hushed tones, and others were gazing into the depths of the mountains and forests from time to time, their brows furrowed with solemnity.
Fang Han didn't recognize most of these people; they were probably not from the Seven Sects, but rather tracking experts from within the county invited by the Seven Sects.
Only a few people were dressed in the attire of the Seven Sects, and were members of the Seven Sects.
As Fang Han approached, the eyes of these people turned to him one after another.
Some looked at him with scrutiny, some with curiosity, and some with a slight frown, seemingly surprised that Fang Han was so young, since tracking and searching required a great deal of experience.
One of those gazes was particularly hostile.
Fang Han turned his head and saw a woman of about fifty years old staring coldly at him.
The woman was slender with slightly prominent cheekbones.
Her long Gray-White hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks and swaying gently in the mountain breeze.
She wore a dark-patterned black robe, a style unique to Elder of the Nether Pavilion. The hem of the robe was embroidered with dark flame patterns in gold thread, and a short sword hung at her waist. The scabbard was old and inconspicuous.
It was none other than Luo Qi, Elder of the Nether Pavilion.