What's There to Search For? Go Straight to the Soul Clan and Demand Their Return!

Gu Lie stood with his head bowed. Taking a deep breath, he said,

"Clan Chief, the Black Annihilation Army dispatched to the Northwest Continent has sent back word. The Xiao Family in the Northwest Continent has vanished entirely. It is suspected that a Dou Saint expert used spatial transference to take the Xiao Family away and hide them...

"The young lady was very likely taken away by that Dou Saint as well!"

"A Dou Saint..."

"What about the people guarding the young lady? A single Dou Saint could take her away? What the hell were they doing?"

"Could a mere Xiao Family attract a Dou Saint?! Start with the people around the young lady and find out their background. It is obvious that this was aimed at our Gu Clan!"

Upon hearing that a Dou Saint expert was involved, the Three Immortals of the Gu Clan spoke in grave tones,

Gu Lie continued,

"Three Elders... the only guard the Gu Clan sent to protect the young lady was Ling Ying, a Peak Dou Emperor. He is now dead..."

"A Peak Dou Emperor?"

At those words,

The Three Immortals of the Gu Clan all revealed looks of disbelief,

Their gazes questioning Gu Lie,

They remembered that when the Gu Clan had sent the young lady to the Northwest Continent, more than one high-level Dou Zun had accompanied her.

"Gu Lie, is your Black Annihilation Army so short on manpower?"

"Who allowed you to withdraw the guards from the Northwest Continent without authorization?"

"The young lady was taken away. Your Black Annihilation Army bears great responsibility!"

The Three Immortals of the Gu Clan could not help but rebuke him,

"Three Elders..."

Gu Lie had just wanted to explain,

"Enough!"

Gu Yuan spoke up to interrupt him, looking at the Three Immortals of the Gu Clan.

"I was the one who ordered the Black Annihilation Army to withdraw... This matter has nothing to do with the Black Annihilation Army!"

To be precise,

Xun'er had requested it.

After Xun'er had been in the Northwest Continent for some time, she had asked the Gu Clan to withdraw the Black Annihilation Army members secretly stationed there.

The reason was simple.

Wutan City, where the Xiao Family was located, was extremely impoverished, and the strongest expert in the Jiama Empire was merely a Dou Emperor.

If Dou Zuns appeared in the Jiama Empire,

Over time,

It would inevitably cause unrest and allow the Hall of Souls to notice something suspicious.

Leaving behind only a Peak Dou Emperor would be enough to handle any trouble in the Jiama Empire. Even if someone from the Hall of Souls happened to pass by, they would not grow suspicious.

It would better help Xun'er conceal her identity.

Xun'er had proposed this matter,

And he had personally given the order,

So the Black Annihilation Army was not to blame.

Gu Yuan's words

Caused the Three Immortals of the Gu Clan, who had been sternly demanding accountability, to freeze in place. Their fury suddenly had nowhere to go.

Taking advantage of the brief dead silence in the hall, Gu Lie bowed again and continued reporting the results of the investigation. "Clan Chief, Three Elders. After the young lady went missing, all Black Annihilation Army forces throughout the Central Plains have been sent to the Northwest to investigate. According to secret reports from various locations, the Hall of Souls dispatched several Protectors to operate in the Black-Corner Region not long ago. Now, the people from every Hall of Souls branch in the Northwest Continent have also been moving frequently, searching everywhere for an alchemist named Han Feng."

"The Black-Corner Region? What sort of place is that?" A white-haired elder frowned tightly and asked.

"Clan Chief, Three Elders, after the young lady's incident, the Black Annihilation Army in the Central Plains also went to the Northwest Continent. According to the findings, the Hall of Souls had dispatched some Protectors to the Northwest Continent to operate in the Black-Corner Region not long ago...

"Furthermore, according to information sent back by Gu Yao, the Protectors of the Hall of Souls branches in the Northwest Continent have also been rather active lately. They are searching for someone named Han Feng..."

While the Three Immortals of the Gu Clan were still stunned by Gu Yuan's words,

Gu Lie continued,

"The Black-Corner Region... what kind of place is that?"

One of the elders asked,

"The Black-Corner Region is an area near the Central Plains. It is a lawless place beyond anyone's jurisdiction, where all kinds of people gather. It is known as the city of sin of the Northwest Continent.

"The Jia Nan Academy, renowned throughout the Central Plains, is located within the Black-Corner Region. Moreover... aside from Jia Nan Academy, all other forces in the Black-Corner Region were wiped out in an instant within an extremely short time.

"It is suspected that a Dou Zun or even a Dou Saint expert acted. Whether this is related to the young lady's disappearance is still under investigation."

Gu Lie explained,

"Clan Chief, I recall that the young lady possesses the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame Seed Flame within her body. Could we use the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame to sense her whereabouts?"

Another Gu Clan elder asked.

The Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame Seed Flame within Gu Xun'er's body had been jointly suppressed and infused into her body by them.

This was also

The fundamental reason they had agreed to send Gu Xun'er to the Northwest Continent.

With the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame Seed Flame present,

No matter what happened to Gu Xun'er, they could use the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame to sense her whereabouts immediately.

At those words,

The other two elders and Gu Lie all turned to look at Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan's fingers heavily tapped the armrest,

The pressure of his Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint cultivation grew several degrees colder and more oppressive. His face was covered in solemn gloom as he revealed the truth, word by word:

"I had already activated the main body of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame to investigate.

"The flame connection linking the main body and the Seed Flame has been completely isolated and sealed by an even stronger force. I cannot capture even the slightest trace of Xun'er's aura or location."

The moment those words were spoken,

The entire Primordial Sacred Hall fell into dead silence.

One had to know!

The Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame controlled by the Gu Clan ranked fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.

To dare strike against the Gu Clan,

And even block the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's source perception—the background and power of whoever had acted exceeded their expectations...

"What's there to search for? Go straight to the Soul Clan and demand their return!"

"It must have been the Soul Clan! In the entire Dou Qi Continent, only the Soul Clan would dare move against our clan!"

"Exactly! Other than the Soul Clan, who else could block the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's source perception?!"

For a time,

The Three Immortals of the Gu Clan all reached their own conclusion.

The reason was simple.

As the fourth-ranked flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, there were already very few things capable of suppressing the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.

Even with Gu Yuan, a Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint, personally taking action, he still could not determine the Seed Flame's whereabouts.

Then,

The only one capable of doing this was the Soul Clan Chief, who was likewise a Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint.

There was another factor behind why they believed the Soul Clan had acted.

That was because the Nihility Devouring Flame, ranked second on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, was attached to the Soul Clan.

This matter

Was known by very few people and was highly secretive. It was not that they had not considered the Soul Clan from the start,

They simply had not been willing to think in that direction.

Now,

All impossibilities had been eliminated. What remained was the sole answer.

Upon hearing the words "Soul Clan,"

Invisibly,

The atmosphere in the Primordial Sacred Hall became heavy.

Gu Yuan rose to his feet and looked at Gu Lie.

"Keep this matter confidential for now. Continue searching for Xun'er's whereabouts in secret."

"Yes!"

Gu Lie cupped his hands slightly.

The next moment, his body was swallowed by space as he went to continue arranging the search for the young lady.

"Three Elders, you should withdraw as well. Although Xun'er's whereabouts are currently unknown, I can sense through the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame that she is not in mortal danger."

"As for the Soul Clan... I will personally pay them a visit!"

Gu Yuan looked at the Three Immortals of the Gu Clan and said,

"Clan Chief, should we accompany you?"

"If the Soul Clan did this, they certainly will not admit it easily!"

At those words, Gu Yuan waved a hand. "No need. If Hun Tiandi truly did this... I will make the Soul Clan pay the price!"

Having said that,

Gu Yuan took a step forward,

Spatial power flowed around him, and he vanished directly from the Gu Clan's main hall...