Qin Yun looked at the duo and said, “Go ahead. How can the both of you help me? If you can help me, I’ll naturally let you leave. If not, well, sorry then.”
“Yes, definitely! We can definitely help you.” Jadeface and Black Dragon jumped at the opportunity.
“One by one. I’ll do the questioning one by one.” Qin Yun began questioning them individually.
Qin Yun had no pity towards the Nine Lineage Fiendish Demons’s fiendcelestials and Palatial Lord Black Dragon! He had already passed the death sentence on them but had held back for the time being. Qin Yun was already accustomed to lying to people who deserved death back when he traveled the world in his youth.
An hour later.
Jadeface and Black Dragon tried everything they could think of to get into Qin Yun’s good books. Although they mentioned some secrets they had chanced upon over their long lives, they did not mention the really pertinent details. They would have lost their worth if they spilled everything.
“Unfortunately, despite you saying so much, I don’t think there’s anything worth keeping you both alive.” Qin Yun said regretfully. “Hence, I can only send the both of you to your deaths.”
“Qin Yun, you were just messing with us?” Jadeface and Black Dragon turned anxious.
Qin Yun sneered. “One of you is a fiendcelestial and the other is Po Cloud Lake’s great demon. What can you do even if I’m messing with you?”
With that said, he waved his hand.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sword Qi whistled out, penetrating Jadeface and Black Dragon’s Essence Souls.
“No! No—”
The translucent Essence Souls had indignant looks on their faces. They never expected that Qin Yun would dispose of them without the slightest bit of hesitation.
When they sensed that their Essence Souls were about to be snuffed out, the two turned increasingly deranged.
“My Cloudfiend Mountain will not spare you,” roared Jadeface angrily.
“Qin Yun, my Po Cloud Lake will not let this matter rest. You will regret it. You will definitely regret it!” Black Dragon roared as well.
Qin Yun watched coldly as the two Essence Souls wallowed in despair. They were penetrated by a large amount of Sword Qi before they dissipated completely.
“Now that they’re dead, their transmission marks will vanish. The outside world will rapidly learn that two Essence Soul realm entities have died.” Qin Yun knew this and left the house without hesitation.
Once he came out, he rushed straight to Fu Sizhuo’s side.
“Uncle Qin.” Fu Sizhuo was surprised.
“We should leave. We are leaving the Grotto-heaven now,” urged Qin Yun urgently.
“Alright.” Fu Sizhuo could sense Qin Yun’s eagerness to leave and did not dare disregard him. Immediately, she took out the half token.
Buzz.
She instantly connected with the outside world and saw the massive Flood Dragon Palace outside.
“Let’s go.” Qin Yun brought Fu Sizhuo with him and rapidly traveled to the outside world. They soon reached the Flood Dragon Palace.
All of Flood Dragon King’s underlings knew of his death thanks to the dissipation of his transmission mark. Therefore, Flood Dragon Palace had already begun breaking up into factions that occupied regions of Yellow Wyrm Lake.
Qin Yun enveloped himself and Fu Sizhuo in a Dao domain that insulated them from any probing. It was better than any Invisibility Spell.
None of the Water race lesser demons saw Qin Yun and Fu Sizhuo as they exited the palace.
“Whoosh.”
They rapidly departed.
After they broke through the surface of Yellow Wyrm Lake, Qin Yun transformed into a stream of light with Fu Sizhuo in tow. They headed for the northern Jiang Prefecture’s Grand Dominance quickly.
“Sou!”
His flying speed was extremely fast.
Especially now that he had stepped into his final Dao, his advanced realm allowed him to remain shockingly fast despite carrying the little fish demoness with him.
“Sizhuo, this is the other half of the token.” Qin Yun handed a half token to Fu Sizhuo.
“Uncle Qin, this…” Fu Sizhuo was somewhat alarmed. Wasn’t the other half with the eldest prince, Yellow Surge? And shouldn’t he be by Black Dragon’s side?
“In the coming days, don’t leave Grand Dominance,” instructed Qin Yun. “Also, don’t tell others about us entering the Yellow Wyrm Grotto-heaven.”
Fu Sizhuo nodded instantly. “I understand. Uncle Qin, rest assured. I would rather die than divulge the information.”
“Haha, there’s no need to go that far.” Qin Yun smiled.
All he wanted was to have less trouble.
In fact, so what if news of him going to the Yellow Wyrm Grotto-heaven with Fu Sizhuo was spread? Perhaps no one would believe that Qin Yun had killed two Essence Soul experts! Even if they employed special methods and found out that he was the murderer, so what?
“Only I know that I have killed two Essence Soul experts. If I say nothing, I believe no one will ever learn of it,” thought Qin Yun. “However, there are the legendary means of divining the truth. I wonder if they are capable of identifying me.”
Qin Yun was still rather curious in regards to this matter.
******
Qin Yun returned to Jiang Prefecture’s Grand Dominance with the little fish demoness.
This matter sent quakes down the terrifying factions in the world.
As Jadeface and Black Dragon were Essence Soul realm existences that had ruled over the world for thousands of years, they had interacted many times with many ancient experts. Even if it was only an acquaintance where they exchanged cursory nods, they would typically exchange transmission marks. The only exception were the ones they had a vendetta against! They would completely cut off communication from those that they distanced themselves from. Therefore, at the moment the two of them died, many experts knew of the matter instantly.
Once the amount of experts who learned of the deaths reached a sizable number, the news naturally spread throughout the world!
The imperial government, the three sacred lands of Daoism, Mahākāśyapa Monastery, Skydemon Palace, the Nine Lineage Fiendish Demons, the Four Seas’ Dragon race, as well as the numerous itinerant great demons were astounded by the news.
There were even many cultivators and demons at the Connate realm who quickly learned of it.
This was because Jadeface and Black Dragon had contact with a few juniors. They too discovered the dissipations of their marks and naturally spread word like wildfire.
“Two Essence Soul existences perished simultaneously?”
“What exactly happened?”
Many Connate cultivators were astounded.
“It must be some major occurrence. Forget it though. This is a matter between fiendcelestials and immortals. As mortals, we can’t involve ourselves in this matter.”
“It might have been a conflict over treasures or a vendetta. They are existences that could have lived forever after condensing their Essence Souls. To think they risked their lives and ended up losing them.” Many Connate cultivators discussed.
Overall, there was a feeling of indifference to the matter.
After all, Essence Soul realm existences were distant entities to them. Their affairs felt vague and insubstantial.
For instance, the Scenic Mountain Sect only had one Essence Soul entity due to its decline. In the past few millennia, the Nine Lineage Fiendish Demons’ Cloudfiend Mountain rose to prominence but it only had five fiendcelestials! This was a result of the external help given by the Other Realm Fiendcelestials. It became evident that producing an Essence Soul realm existence was not easy. Most Connate cultivators had no way to make contact with Essence Soul existences.
They did not know each other nor was there any contact.
So what if two died? Their existence felt like a fairytale anyway.
…
The Connate cultivators felt like they had heard an astounding fairytale but the various large factions in the world began investigating the matter carefully. After all, the perishing of two Essence Soul entities simultaneously was no trifling matter. Was there a secret behind the incident?
Investigations were launched everywhere.
The angriest was obviously Cloudfiend Mountain!
“Mountain Lord.” A gargantuan monkey demon sat effusing a cadaveric. He looked at the plump elder in front of him and said, “I have already done the divination inference.”
“Brother Monkey, how is it?” the plump elder pressed. He was Cloudfiend Mountain’s Mountain Lord.
“I can only infer that the deed was done in a Grotto-heaven in Yellow Wyrm Lake. The murderer of Jadeface and that Black Dragon is the same person.” The gargantuan monkey demon had an old-sounding voice. He shook his head gently. “As for who the murderer is, there are layers of mist concealing him. I cannot see it clearly.”
“He’s being concealed?” The plump elder was perplexed.
“The Heavens have secrets they want to be concealed. I’m unable to see through it with my capability.” The monkey demon shook his head.
Cloudfiend Mountain Lord nodded slightly.
The monkey demon was one of the three most ancient fiendcelestials of the Nine Lineage Fiendish Demons. He was also Patriarch Monkey of the Boor Ancestral Sect. He was the best in the Nine Lineage Fiendish Demons when it came to divining the secrets of the Heavens.
“Thank you, Brother Monkey,” said Cloudfiend Mountain Lord immediately. “It seems I have to head to Yellow Wyrm Lake to investigate the matter. I shall not overstay my welcome.”
Patriarch Monkey nodded slightly.
Cloudfiend Mountain Lord immediately turned around and departed in a flash.
******
The Nine Lineage Fiendish Demons, the imperial government, the Daoist and Buddhist sects, and the Four Seas’ Water race all attempted to uncover the matter in their own ways. After all, everyone had different tricks when it came to discovering the Heaven’s secrets. It was just a matter of skill.
But there was no exception this time. None of them could determine the identity of the murderer.
Who was the murderer? It became a mystery!
As for the Yellow Wyrm Grotto-heaven? Cloudfiend Mountain Lord was the first to head there and discover it. It was naturally exposed, but the Yellow Wyrm Grotto-heaven had long been cleaned out and was riddled with holes.
…
Grand Dominance City.
Qin Yun accompanied his wife Yi Xiao as they walked leisurely on the streets. They even held street-side snacks they had bought along the way.
“Brother Yun,” asked Yi Xiao. “I have something to ask you.”
“I sensed you were feeling hesitant when we came out. Just ask me directly,” said Qin Yun with a smile.
“I just heard some news,” said Yi Xiao immediately. “I heard that the two Essence Soul realm existences, Palatial Lord Black Dragon and Sovereign Fiend Jadeface, have lost their lives. I previously heard that you might encounter Black Dragon at Yellow Wyrm Lake! But now, with the addition of Jadeface… I’m suspecting…”
“There’s no need to suspect.” Qin Yun nodded. “They were both killed by me.”
Yi Xiao was alarmed.
“I was afraid of trouble and that people would disturb our peace, so I kept it a secret,” said Qin Yun.
Yi Xiao smiled and nodded. “Elder Sword became a legend that has been spread to this day because he killed a fiendcelestial as a mortal. Brother Yun, you killed two of them at once. If this were to spread, it might cause the world to stir.”
“It’s nothing worth mentioning.” Qin Yun shook his head slightly. He did not even expend much effort killing the two.
…
And on the other side of Grand Dominance City. In Hong Manor.
Hong Lingtong sat cross-legged inside a chamber. There was an ancient turtle shell’s phantom floating behind him and its interior seemed to contain a massive cosmic microcosm. There were also six tokens floating around Hong Lingtong as they vacillated in midair.
Hong Lingtong’s expression turned pale as he tried his best at divining.
He used all he had…
Scene after scene appeared.
“Yellow Wyrm Lake…”
“Inside the Grotto-heaven…”
“That is—”
The blurry figure was concealed by a mist. However, as Hong Lingtong continued his divining, the mist gradually dissipated, revealing the figure clearly.
It was a very familiar face to Hong Lingtong.
“Qin Yun?” Hong Lingtong opened his eyes in shock. His face was pale and his forehead was covered in sweat.
“It’s him? The person who killed Fiend Sovereign Jadeface and Palatial Lord Black Dragon is Brother Qin Yun?” Hong Lingtong found it unbelievable.
(End of Volume)