The tall, grey-robed elder did not turn around, his gaze still fixed on the northern sky as a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.
"They come from different sects, and their cultivation methods vary. From their memories, only a few of them knew each other, and even then, it was just a casual acquaintance."
"However, they all received an order from the Upper Sect they are affiliated with to intentionally spread news about 'Pangu Sand' and miscellaneous spirit roots."
"But with their cultivation at the Golden Core stage at best, they certainly lacked the ability to transmit this news to other continents. They could, however, ensure that this information circulated throughout the various cities and markets of the North Ice Continent..."
As he spoke, the grey-robed elder seemed to fall back into contemplation, while the white-robed youth frowned.
"Martial Uncle, this means they are definitely suspect, but they are just small pawns. We still need to follow these clues and investigate our way up."
"But most of these people come from minor, low-level sects. If we investigate upwards and the trail branches out, it will only involve more and more people, making it increasingly complicated."
"Wasting time like this is inevitable. The longer it takes, the more danger Master will be in!"
At this, the tall, grey-robed elder finally turned his head and glanced at the white-robed youth.
"Bu Chong, it's not that complicated!"
"Oh? What do you mean, Martial Uncle?" Pei Buchong asked, a look of confusion on his face.
"Because, among the people we've found, most of them share a common hidden trait. They come from different sects, and there are even some rogue cultivators."
"Thus, the cultivation methods they practice are a jumble, but there are still some who have all cultivated a type of auxiliary art—a cultivation method with the same general principles."
"It's possible this was a reward given to them to ensure they carried out their tasks diligently, a way to boost their cultivation so they would work harder."
"These people are not rogue cultivators. Regardless of their spirit root—be it the ultimate yang of Metal, Fire, and Earth, or the yin attributes of Wood and Water—all of them have shown signs of yin-yang fusion."
"If one isn't deliberately looking for it, it's very easy to overlook. Even I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't been thinking about who was targeting us."
"After all, Heaven and Earth are naturally divided into yin and yang, as are the Five Elements. Many cultivation methods can achieve a fusion of yin and yang, especially those of the Daoist path, which emphasize it."
"I found a total of seventeen people whose cultivation methods exhibit this characteristic. These were the ones who were most enthusiastic about promoting those two matters in the markets and cities. From this point, it's enough to prove our earlier suspicions."
As the tall, grey-robed elder spoke, his gaze grew sharp and intense.
Pei Buchong's eyes also lit up. He had been a lone wolf for so many years and had survived by his wits; he was, of course, exceptionally clever. He couldn't help but clap his hands in understanding.
"I understand what you mean, Martial Uncle! We'll use the memories of these seventeen people to find who spoke to them about this matter."
"Once we find that person, we can directly locate their family or sect and perform a soul-search on their strongest member. We can ignore everyone else, at least in the initial stages."
"According to what you said, Martial Uncle, the people directed by our enemy are, in all likelihood, from their subordinate or affiliated sects."
"So, if we find the strongest members of those sects, we can then obtain the most crucial information. This will greatly reduce our search time..."
Pei Buchong instantly understood his Martial Uncle's meaning. They would go straight up the chain, abandoning the minor branches and distractions to follow the main trunk. This would be the fastest way to trace the source.
Only if all leads went cold would they turn back to investigate a nearby branch and break through in another direction from there.
"These seventeen people already display a common, hidden characteristic. I believe tracing the source will be very quick. We will soon find the location of their main headquarters on the North Ice Continent."
"Of course, there is an even faster method. If I were to fully reveal myself to the world, they would surely do everything in their power to lure me into a trap. Under those circumstances, they would expose even more of their weaknesses!"
"Martial Uncle, you mustn't! I feel it is better to act in the shadows. That way, we have room to maneuver. Besides, we have already found these clues. There is no need to expose yourself and take such a great risk!"
Pei Buchong's expression changed slightly as he immediately tried to dissuade him.
There were some things he couldn't say. Even his own master, with his profound cultivation, was currently missing, and the connection with that sliver of his Divine Will had been completely severed.
Martial Uncle Dongfu had entered the Body Integration stage much later than his master, and his current cultivation was not necessarily higher.
Dong Fuyi, however, just smiled.
"I was just saying. Since when does our sect like to play by force? Let's continue to press on in the shadows!"
Dong Fuyi looked at Pei Buchong, a hint of sourness in his heart.
After spending this time together, he found he quite liked the young man. He had combat strength, he had intellect—and a particularly sharp one at that—and what's more, he was deeply loyal to his sect.
'Senior Brother Qianchong, even if you are finished, with someone like this to carry on the lineage, you have nothing to worry about. Alas, that boy Li Yan looks like a simpleton, foolishly acting as a cauldron for others...'
He complained inwardly. In his impression, Li Yan was the simple, crude type from a mountain village. Compared to the heroic and impressive Pei Buchong before him, he was truly lacking.
'I must find Senior Brother Qianchong quickly. I can't let the successor I worked so hard to find meet an early end and enter reincarnation because he's too foolish and clumsy!'
As Dong Fuyi mulled this over, his figure had already begun to blur. Pei Buchong, meanwhile, flickered and flew off in another direction!...
Two more years passed in a flash. On the Wind God Continent, within the Heavenly Dawn Hall, the Great Elder, Second Elder, and Fifth Elder were gathered.
"Fifth Elder, what is the situation you've scouted?" the Great Elder inquired. The Fifth Elder had just returned today, and they had gathered immediately to discuss.
The Fifth Elder shook his head.
"I followed our previous plan and traveled west, primarily using ultra-long-distance teleportation formations to visit the two designated locations."
"First, I went to the area of the Heavenly Cassia Tribe, but they were wiped out seven years ago by a local clan of Wind Beasts. All their resources have been seized and occupied by that clan."
"Now, that area is teeming with Wind Beasts, and there are no sects nearby."
"During my investigation, I sensed the auras of at least six Fourth-rank Wind Beasts. Two of those auras were particularly obscure, and I dared not get too close. I suspect there might be a peak Fourth-rank existence among them!" the Fifth Elder reported, his face grave.
Their time was extremely tight now. In these two years, he could only visit the pre-selected locations that had teleportation formations nearby. Otherwise, the time wouldn't even be enough for travel.
"What? The Heavenly Cassia Tribe was wiped out? Are you certain they were annihilated and didn't just migrate?"
Upon hearing the Fifth Elder's words, the faces of the others changed. The Second Elder hurriedly pressed for more details.
The Heavenly Cassia Tribe had been carefully selected by them. Their strength was less than the Tianli Clan's, but their territory and resources were quite good. Though not as rich as their own, it was still a prime choice.
They had originally planned to negotiate with the Heavenly Cassia Tribe, to see if a certain area could be partitioned for the Tianli Clan, allowing the two clans to jointly fend off the Wind Beasts there.
If the other party disagreed, the Tianli Clan might have had to resort to a forced occupation.
For the continuation of their race, so-called invasion and seizure were the most normal of affairs, even in the mortal world.
There was no such thing as absolute justice or kindness in the world. For the Tianli Clan to be passed down, to survive, they had to be strong. It was simply the law of the jungle. But the Fifth Elder had brought back such news.
The Second Elder's question seemed to point to the same outcome—that the area was now devoid of the Heavenly Cassia Tribe—but the implications were vastly different.
If the Heavenly Cassia Tribe had migrated, it would suggest their strength was lacking, forcing them to leave. But being wiped out meant they were completely crushed by another power, meaning they didn't even have a chance to flee.
In the former case, the Tianli Clan would still have a fighting chance. But if it was the latter, it would confirm the Fifth Elder's senses: there were at least two peak Fourth-rank Wind Beasts there.
The Tianli Clan's overall strength was only slightly superior to the Heavenly Cassia Tribe's, not nearly enough to crush them. The outcome for them would be nothing but death.
"It was annihilation! I staked out the periphery for some time and managed to capture four Third-rank Wind Beasts. The information I got from their soul-searches all confirmed it."
"As for how many peak Fourth-rank Wind Beasts are there, the memories of those Third-rank beasts were not entirely clear. They only knew that their leaders were very strong, so powerful that they couldn't ascertain their specific realms."
"They had only ever seen the six leaders attack together once. It was on that occasion, with all six high-rank Wind Beasts striking, that the Heavenly Cassia Tribe vanished."
"In their memories, two of the leaders surrounded the old Clan Head of the Heavenly Cassia Tribe and killed him in less than a hundred breaths!" the Fifth Elder replied immediately.
"So, that place also had a Fourth-rank Wind Beast advance in rank in recent years! That's what caught the Heavenly Cassia Tribe off guard. Otherwise, their Clan Head was also a Late-stage Nascent Soul expert."
The Second Elder spoke slowly. This situation was similar to how the Wind Beasts had dealt with them during the decisive battle with Yan San, waiting for their own strength to grow before launching a sudden attack to annihilate their opponents.
"Later, I went to the Hengji Sect's territory, but the result was equally disappointing. The Hengji Sect has already allied with the Jade Star Sect to deal with the Wind Beasts in that region."
"Moreover, they currently hold an absolute advantage over the Wind Beasts. It's impossible for a third party to insert themselves now!" the Fifth Elder continued. This time, he and the Third Elder had been sent out separately to find suitable migration sites, and all the locations had been carefully selected.
The places had to be reachable by a long-distance teleportation formation from the Tianli Clan's territory to minimize accidents and mass casualties during migration. More importantly, the opposing force had to be weaker than the Tianli Clan—this point was crucial.
The two locations the Fifth Elder was responsible for in the far west had both turned out to be unsuitable for migration.
If they were to venture even further west, the scouting time alone, back and forth, could take decades. Most places lacked long-distance teleportation formations, and the Tianli Clan certainly did not have that kind of time.
"If we had a sixty-year cycle, or even just thirty years, we would have some time to prepare. Now, it's as if we have no preparation at all!" the Great Elder said. It was clear that the Tianli Clan had given up on migrating west. He then continued.
"Fifth Elder, rest for a few days, then make a trip to the north. There are two or three more places in the north that we might be able to occupy. We will discuss the specifics before you leave."
"But you must calculate your travel time and return within three years. If that's not possible, we can only set a general direction and begin the journey by force, slowly searching for a place to settle."
"Hasn't the Third Elder returned yet? I wonder what the situation is like in the east where she went?"
The Fifth Elder nodded. Gong Shanhe, the Sixth Elder, and the Fourth Elder were all in seclusion, so only he and the Third Elder were available.
If Yan San and the others wanted to take advantage of the situation, Gong Shanhe and the Fourth Elder were ready to act at any moment, though they wouldn't be at their peak. However, it was enough for a stalemate, not to mention the presence of the nun, Hong Yin.
The Fifth Elder, not seeing the Third Elder who had left with him, couldn't help but ask. He was also hoping for some good news from the other direction.
"She hasn't returned yet. She has three locations to investigate in the east, so it will certainly take her longer," the Second Elder interjected. The Tianli Clan was already fully considering migration, but a dozen or so years was far from enough time for them.
Though anxious, they could only dispatch two Nascent Soul cultivators at most. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to counter Yan San and his group.
The Fifth Elder was just checking. He had already guessed as much from the expressions of the Great Elder and Second Elder.
"By the way, where did that Li Yan go? Don't tell me he went back to the Desolate Moon Continent?"
When the Fifth Elder returned, his Divine Sense had swept over Li Yan's residence, but he hadn't detected the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator there.
"A Ying said he went out on business. Fifth Elder, go back and rest for a few days. Time is of the essence!" the Great Elder glanced at him and, after a simple sentence, sent the Fifth Elder on his way.
He didn't want to say much about Li Yan.
That was someone who needed to be won over. They might need his considerable help during the upcoming migration.
He was well aware of the Second Elder's attitude toward Li Yan. Saying more would only invite criticism.
And at that time, once a rift formed, the first to erupt would likely be Gong Shanhe. He was quite satisfied with Li Yan as the "Qing A Wang," not to mention that he was also the person Gong Chenying herself had chosen.
If anyone were to speak ill of Li Yan now, Gong Shanhe, with his dominant personality, would surely intervene directly.
Besides, what if Li Yan had gone back to the Desolate Moon Continent? The title of "Qing A Wang" did not restrict his personal freedom, and Li Yan was still only a prospective "Qing A Wang."
Seeing this, a sharp glint flashed in the Fifth Elder's eyes. As the Great Elder had already stood up, he said no more, though he grumbled inwardly.
'Isn't his combat strength impressive? And he wants to become the "Qing A Wang," so having him contribute to the clan and scout a few places these past few years would have been better. Don't tell me he saw the situation was bad and went looking for a quick way out...'
Time passed in a hurry. The sun and moon traded places. Another five months later, Li Yan was seated cross-legged inside a Chan chamber.
He had been at the Sand Gate Temple for three and a half years. The one-year period Zhuo Lingfeng had promised for an answer had long since passed, but Li Yan had not heard from him.
However, Li Yan did not rush him. He had great faith in Zhuo Lingfeng, and so he immersed himself in his cultivation.