"He died a violent death, and there was demonic Qi present."
"Can you find out anything else?" Cheng Jing asked again.
"We can try; it depends on whether he left any guidance at the moment of his death."
The old man took out some sacrificial tools, prepared the ritual, and chanted a spell while forming seals with his hands.
As the ritual proceeded, the blood flowing across the White Jade Tablet and the blackness within it flew out from the tablet, using it as a medium to summon and guide.
After the time of one incense stick, amidst the blood mist on the White Jade Tablet, some unclear and fragmented images began to emerge.
Under the dark clouds that filled the sky, a man, exuding an overwhelming demonic Qi and terrifying aura, hovered in the air, his eyes sharply looking toward this direction.
The demonic Qi surged, seemingly endless, like the sky collapsing, overwhelming the scene by force.
At the last moment, Dean Wu could be seen extending his hand, writing with blood in his palm.
The blood-written words emitted a dazzling light, being the only relatively clear thing in the scene.
In the next moment, all the hazy images shattered as a terrifying aura descended.
All the deans present changed their expressions simultaneously, and the old man with the age spots flicked his fingers and struck the White Jade Tablet, shattering it into powder.
Suddenly, that terrifying aura slowly dissipated.
"Tenth Tier, definitely Tenth Tier!" the old man's face turned pale, recovering only after a long while.
The expressions of those present were grave, but more so filled with puzzlement.
Tenth Tier, where did the Tenth Tier come from?
Such a phenomenon, such a peerless Great Devil, if it appeared, even a cave heaven blessed land would hardly completely conceal its aura.
Yet, none of them had the slightest inkling, and over these days, not a single powerful figure had sensed anything, not a clue nor any trace.
This was beyond everyone's expectation.
They had been puzzled before, Dean Wu, being a dean after all, despite being the dean of Langya Institute, rarely engaged in actual combat with his limited battle experience.
However, in terms of strength, tactics, and accumulation, he could overpower most cultivators of the same tier outside.
Lacking combat skills was just an unimportant sideline.
Who could have killed Dean Wu so silently, even erasing his existence entirely?
Now they understood—a Tenth Tier powerhouse, moreover, a Great Devil.
But here they were even more confused, where did this Tenth Tier come from?
That great figure did not even bother to conceal his appearance, just staring over, letting them see.
Merely through the guiding secret method they used, the bit of aura summoned made them feel stifled.
Everyone remained silent for a long time.
They looked at each other, each glance finally landing on Cheng Jing.
"Looking to me is futile; none of us sensed the emergence of the Great Devil, so it must not be in our world.
Whether it's in the Abyss or elsewhere, it's beyond our control.
Previously he bore many doubts, and now, in hiding from Langya Institute, he has broken the rules.
First, we must ascertain how he left the Langya Institute, then figure out his intentions."
Everyone remained silent, indeed, it was more practical.
A Tenth Tier Great Devil, no matter where, was beyond their provocation.
And Dean Wu had essentially been under house arrest in Langya Institute before it was thoroughly investigated; he couldn't leave.
However, he merely used the excuse of seclusion for research, left behind a puppet surrogate, while his True Body quietly departed.
The many methods of Langya Institute had not detected it; such a loophole was their primary concern to resolve.
If Dean Wu could leave silently, outsiders could surely do the same to enter quietly.
If a Ninth Tier could infiltrate so quietly, everyone within Langya Institute stood in danger.
Langya Institute had a considerable number of Dao Cultivators yet to Enter Dao.
If they were wiped out in one fell swoop, Langya Institute would be crippled, needing perhaps a thousand years to recover.
This was what concerned everyone's interests.
That unknown Tenth Tier Great Devil was too distant.
Everyone tacitly accepted this issue and left one after another.
In the end, only the old man with age spots and Cheng Jing remained.
Before leaving, the old man looked at Cheng Jing and sighed.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"You and I both know the Langya Institute's flaw must've been caused by someone from within.
I wasn't sure before if there were others besides Wu.
Now I am sure; there must be others.
Perhaps they were even among those present just now.
They surely wish to know how Wu died, so we let them find out.
Once they know, they will react, and any future actions will help us root them out."
"Are you not afraid that I am in league with Wu too?" The old man showed a toothless grin.
"Even if you were previously allied with Wu, as long as you don't let me discover, and don't reveal yourself in the future, I'd be willing to give a chance."
Cheng Jing smiled at the old man as well.
The two shared a laugh, and the old man bowed.
"I used to worry that you, naming yourself Jing, would act too extremely once you established your Dao.
I judged you wrongly with the heart of a petty man.
I will assist you in achieving your goal."
Cheng Jing slightly returned the bow with gratitude, a mild smile on his face, but his tone growing more resolute.