Su Xiangxue's words sounded somewhat sarcastic, but they were quite sensible. “The Sword Ancestor makes a valid point.” At this moment, representatives from the Righteous Dao Alliance and the Demonic Sect exchanged subtle glances. However, when Bai Qiuran's attention shifted from Su Xiangxue to them, those elite individuals quickly resumed their natural demeanor, as though nothing had happened.
From the recording of the Shadow Stone, it was clear that this ancient city and the monsters it spawned were not easy foes. As the two major organizations of the Nine Provinces and Ten Lands, both the Righteous Dao Alliance and the Demonic Sect, despite their internal dirtiness, had a duty to uphold the established order of the realms when such dire threats emerged.
“There’s nothing.”
“As soon as we received your findings, the Dean led the Elders to begin their research, but we have yet to analyze that strand of energy.”
“What kind of energy is it?” Elder Li from the Jade Tower and Captain Zhang Ruifei of the Divine Martial Army also inquired.
Su Xiangxue exchanged looks with the ghostly old man and Huangfu Feng. Then Su Xiangxue spoke, “On our way here, we have already sent out all available personnel from our sect to utilize our information network and gather intelligence. As long as that ancient city appears again, we will surely be able to lock onto its position quickly.”
At this moment, glances were exchanged again among the representatives of the Righteous Dao Alliance and the Demonic Sect, but when Bai Qiuran's focus turned to them, they again resumed their unperturbed demeanor as if nothing had occurred.
Looking solely at the footage recorded by the Shadow Stone, this ancient city and the creatures it created were formidable opponents. As the two leading organizations in the Nine Provinces and Ten Lands, the Righteous Dao Alliance and the Demonic Sect, would inevitably have their internal conflicts, but it was their unshakable duty to protect the order of the realms when faced with such threats.
After Su Xiangxue's remarks, the first to respond were two of her colleagues from the Demonic Sect. Huangfu Feng, close friends with the missing Yue Qianren, couldn’t just stand by and immediately replied, “What Sect Leader Su says is reasonable. Old Ghost, what do you think?”
The last remaining Painting Saint, Li Pengfei, glanced around and sighed, “Damn it, you’ve said all the good things already. What more can I add... If our Jade Tower didn’t agree, we wouldn’t be here.”
“What kind of energy is it?” asked Su Xiangxue, exchanging glances with the ghostly old man and Huangfu Feng again. “On our way, we have already sent out people from our sect and made maximum use of our intelligence network. Should that ancient city reappear, we will certainly be able to quickly pinpoint its location.”
Captain Zhang Ruifei of the Divine Martial Army replied, “The duty of the Divine Martial Army is to protect the human race in the Nine Provinces and Ten Lands.”
The representative from the Ghost Spirit Sect, whom they had nicknamed “Old Ghost,” pondered for a moment before responding in a hoarse voice, “I have no objections.”
“What kind of energy is it?”
“What kind of energy is it?” The question echoed once more between them.
With Su Xiangxue's previous words, they had put out all the information they could muster. Now they were simply waiting for new insights.
“I understand,” Huangfu Feng said in a deep voice, “That energy was described by her, and I managed to condense it. Due to the nature of the cultivation technique, it differs slightly, but its fundamental properties are the same... So, everyone, I believe the so-called ‘Earth Immortal’ on the stone tablet I previously mentioned is not just an empty boast.”
The lines between the righteous and demonic factions were drawn distinctly, and the intelligence network of the Jade Tower and the Harmonious Pleasure Sect was known to be unparalleled. After all, the traders so often flawed but also provided crucial information, especially those from the Harmonious Pleasure Sect, whose members had an innate charm that could coax even the most reluctant guests into talking.
“Remember to keep people at a distance and document the locations of the appearances... There may be patterns we can recognize.”
“Alright, let’s not dwell on it too much.”
“No,” echoed Bai Qiuran, “Not just to analyze, but to support the actions based on gathered information.”
“Unless we don’t agree among ourselves, let’s proceed to deal with this matter.”
“We’ve mobilized our intelligence network too,” said a representative from the Harmonious Pleasure Sect.
Huangfu Feng reported, “Interestingly, our side has made no progress with regards to the formations, but under the guidance of a direct disciple from our Demonic Sect, we successfully condensed energy similar in nature to that energy.”
Looking at each other, the representatives sensed an impending decision had to be taken. There was a silence among them as they each weighed their options, a moment filled with shared understanding of the danger they faced.
“Now, though we know the ancient city's afflictions very little, we must be cautious.”
“Very well then, let’s not hesitate any longer. We’ll get to work and handle this issue immediately.”
And thus, the leaders of the righteous and demonic both recognized that the true menace lay not in the strength of one’s opponents but in the fear of the unknown. Unbeknownst enemies posed the gravest danger of all.