"Senior Yuan Rong, you see clearly: when the four eighth-rank Azure Foxes appeared, the three of us sent warning signals at the same time. However, one of the Azure Foxes employed some secret art to seal off the skies for a thousand li in every direction, plunging them into endless utter darkness through which not a trace of light could pass. The warning signals were swallowed by that darkness and could not be transmitted at all."
Song Wen's voice trembled, unable to conceal his panic, yet his words were clear and fluent, without the slightest hesitation or stumbling, as though he were speaking nothing but the truth.
"A secret art that plunged a thousand li in every direction into endless utter darkness?" Yuan Rong's eyes were filled with suspicion.
Song Wen nodded heavily, then smoothly changed the subject.
"After that, the other three eighth-rank Azure Foxes continued toward the forbidden ground. The Azure Fox that had used the secret art stayed behind to hunt the three of us down. However, it seemed to have suffered tremendous depletion from using that secret art, and its strength had greatly diminished. Even so, it was not something the three of us could contend with. To survive, we had no choice but to flee separately. This junior was blessed with great fortune and a long life; that Azure Fox did not pursue me. And now that I have encountered you here, Senior, the danger can be said to have completely passed. I only wonder how Fellow Daoists Tian Ming and Shangguan Ren are faring?"
Yuan Rong's almond-shaped eyes coldly scrutinized Song Wen.
He could not find the slightest flaw in what Extreme Yin had said or in his reaction.
However...
Yuan Rong lowered his gaze and glanced at his own bloodied, mangled chest.
Failure