Night shrouded Luofu Island, but the hall at the Condensed Jade Sect's encampment blazed with light.
An oppressive atmosphere hung in the air.
Gu Jianchun sat upright in the seat of honor, his face as still as water.
"Let's hear it. What did you discover during today's investigation?"
Di Huaiyi rose first. His face was pale; the earlier operation had clearly drained a considerable amount of his vitality.
Forcing himself to stay alert, he presented a jade slip with both hands. His voice was weak, but his account was clear and orderly:
"Martial Uncle Gu, the three of us investigated Liangshan Stronghold today. That place... had become a hell on earth, almost razed to the ground. I risked using the Flowing Light Spirit-Peering Art. Although I suffered a backlash, I glimpsed some crucial details.
"The perpetrator was certainly not acting alone. Among them was a leader whose cultivation far surpassed mine-at least peak Qi Refining, perhaps even higher. Furthermore, he was proficient in an unorthodox secret sacrificial art of at least mid-tier Mystic Grade."
He paused for breath, then continued, "In addition, beneath the deliberately cleared ruins of the stronghold chief's home, we discovered this."
He took out the jade box bearing a sealing talisman and carefully opened it, revealing the pitch-black jade pendant inside.
"This object's aura shares the same origin as the traces of demonic spells left at the scene. It is certainly no ordinary object."
Qing Chen picked up where Di Huaiyi left off. "Judging by the spell remnants at the scene, there was order beneath the chaos. At least five people struck, all of them at the middle or late stages of Qi Refining.
"Moreover, they seemed quite familiar with our Law Enforcement Hall's tracking methods. They acted ruthlessly and left no survivors. This jade pendant