Zhou Qing felt somewhat puzzled, not knowing what medicine the Supreme Elder was selling in his gourd.
Not long after, the three successfully found Cao Zhengyang and detailed the situation at Lingyun Mansion.
Cao Zhengyang felt slightly disappointed but seemed not entirely surprised. After all, the Fusang Lingkui is a rare and precious herb, and finding it is indeed not an easy task.
"If we couldn’t get it, the Cangyan Daoist Palace and Phecda Sect couldn’t either. Don’t look so downcast!" Cao Zhengyang comforted the three with a relaxed smile.
Lu Yaoyao also mentioned their encounter with Lady Li, then asked, "Master, what’s your plan?"
With only twenty days left, they could face the beast tide led by eighteen Demon Kings at any moment.
Instead of answering Lu Yaoyao immediately, Cao Zhengyang’s face was full of shock. "You actually ran into Lady Li?"
Zhou Qing, seeing Cao Zhengyang’s expression, quickly asked, "Master, what’s going on?"
Cao Zhengyang sighed helplessly, "She disappeared!"
"Disappeared?" The three exclaimed in unison.
Cao Zhengyang nodded. "After you left, I went to the Seven Stars Sect quietly but didn’t find her. Through Soul Search on several Nascent Soul Realm disciples, I learned that Lady Li hadn’t returned for many years."
"Then I went to the mountain range where we encountered her last time but couldn’t find her. I guess she sensed danger instinctively and left quietly," Cao Zhengyang added.
It’s said that a mother becomes strong for her child. With her late-stage Divinity Transformation Realm cultivation, she might sense some things intuitively.
Zhou Qing pondered deeply. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Cao Zhengyang continued, "It’s no secret now in the Eastern Domain that the Holy Medicine of Hou Mountain is missing. The Seven Stars Sect’s Nascent Soul disciples really behaved as I suspected, feigning ignorance to avoid getting involved."
Zhou Qing nodded. He had guessed something was up, as no one mentioned this sect on their way back.
Such a large commotion involving the Five Sects and Demon Kings, the Seven Stars Sect definitely wanted to stay out of it.
But since Lady Li fled and Lingyun Mansion didn’t procure the substitute herb, wouldn’t they face Hou Mountain’s retaliation?
Seeing the three’s concern, Cao Zhengyang flipped his hand to reveal an Imaging Stone.
As the light flickered, a scene appeared before their eyes.
Seeing the scene, their hearts tightened immediately.
The place shown was the Houshan Cave Mansion, where numerous disciples from the Five Sects were confined in cold and hard iron cages like sacrificial lambs.
They were in tattered clothes, with disheveled hair, faces full of despair and fear, cowering in the cages.
"Hou Mountain is desperate. The Fusang Lingkui is nearly withered as perceived. When we went to negotiate, we found twelve Demon Kings already gathered there."
Cao Zhengyang’s expression was grave, his brows furrowed deeply.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing and the others turned pale.
Twelve Demon Kings, meaning twelve Great Perfection Divinity Transformation beings. Even with the Taiqing Sect’s profound foundation, they have only six or seven Supreme Elders of such cultivation.
Moreover, the Demon Race is tough-skinned; their battle power soars when they revert to their true forms, plus their Innate Divine Techniques, making it possible to fight two at once.
"After we left, these poor disciples in the Imaging Stone..." Cao Zhengyang paused, his eyes aflame with anger, biting his teeth in hatred. "They fell victim to the Demon Kings, becoming food in their bellies!"
At this point, Cao Zhengyang was filled with killing intent.
The three’s faces turned extremely grim.