Chapter 5801
After the battle in the desolate valley, Ling Shuang’s attitude towards Kai underwent a complete transformation.
Her former disdain and skepticism vanished, replaced by genuine awe and a barely perceptible dependence.
She began to actively seek Kai’s opinion, and when directing her disciples, she would frequently glance at him, only feeling reassured when he nodded slightly.
The interrogation of the prisoners went smoothly. Under the absolute intimidation of force and the unique interrogation techniques of the Sword Sect disciples, the remaining Demon Sect disciples and Beast Fusion Warriors quickly revealed the information they knew.
“My lord, spare our lives! We were merely ordered to patrol this area, searching for the remnants of the Myriad Beasts Sect who had escaped, especially the sect leader Lie Tian and his confidants… oh, and the spies of the Xuan Tian Sword Sect
,” a Demon Sect disciple confessed tremblingly. “We were told to send a signal immediately upon discovering any trace, and experts would lead a team to encircle and annihilate them.”
“What is the defense situation in this area? How many patrol teams are there? Where are the experts distributed?” Ling Shuang asked coldly.
“Well… I only know that our team is led by Elder Liu and Commander Fang.”
“The others… I heard that Sect Master Zheng Gu and several important figures from the Wan Hun Demon Sect are stationed at the Wan Beast Sect headquarters, while the outer perimeter is searched by mixed teams of various Fusion Beast races and Demon Sect disciples, divided into different areas. I really don’t know the exact number of teams.”
Another Fusion Beast warrior provided slightly different information: “Sect Master Zheng Gu has ordered a focused search of several old hunting grounds and abandoned mines in the northwest and southwest directions, saying that those places are easy to hide in…”
Kai listened quietly, memorizing this information.
The northwest and southwest directions… this might be the escape route that Lie Tian and the others might choose.
After dealing with the prisoners, the team rested briefly. Kai looked at the map, pondered for a moment, and then said, “We’ll move southwest, carefully concealing our tracks along the way.”
“If Sect Master Lietian and the others really retreat in this direction, we might find clues. At the same time, avoid known patrol routes.”
“Yes, Senior Chen,” Ling Shuang immediately replied, then instructed her disciples to use concealment spells to hide their auras and proceed according to Kai’s instructions.
For the next two days, Kai and his group moved like ghosts through the complex terrain of the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range.
They avoided three sizable patrol teams and discovered several places that appeared to have been the site of battle, but they found no definite trace of Lietian and the others.
Kai’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
The mountain range was too vast, and Lietian and the others had deliberately concealed themselves; searching like this was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Moreover, he could sense that the search net was tightening.
The Fusion Beast Clan’s familiarity with the mountain range far surpassed that of outsiders, and with the tracking methods provided by the Demonic Sect, Lietian and the others’ situation was likely becoming increasingly dangerous.
Ling Shuang also felt the pressure. Seeing the seriousness in Kai’s eyes, she couldn’t help but whisper, “Senior Chen, searching like this isn’t working. Shouldn’t we…”
Before she could finish, Kai suddenly raised his hand to signal silence, his sharp gaze fixed on a dense ancient forest to his left.
A moment later, an extremely faint rustling sound came from the forest, almost imperceptible if not for Kai’s powerful divine sense.
Then, two cautious figures, almost blending into their surroundings, quietly emerged from the shadows of the forest.
Two beastmen!
They remained in a semi-beastly state, one resembling a wolf, the other a leopard, both wounded, their auras weak, their eyes filled with vigilance and exhaustion.
When they saw Kai and his group, especially Kai and Ling Shuang, they were initially startled and assumed a defensive posture. However, upon recognizing Kai’s face, an incredulous gleam of joy suddenly erupted in the wolf-like beastman’s eyes!
“It’s…it’s Senior Chen?!”
The wolf-like beastman’s voice trembled, almost uttering a cry, but he forcefully suppressed it.
Kai recognized him; he was a rather clever fourth-rank Celestial Immortal wolf elder beside Lie Tian, whose name seemed to be Jifeng.
“Elder Jifeng?” Kai stepped forward, lowering his voice. “Where is the Lord of the Rift Heaven Sect? Where are the others?”
Elder Jifeng, upon seeing Kai, was overjoyed, his eyes reddening with excitement. He hurriedly said, “Senior! It really is you! The Lord and the others… they are in a hidden valley not far ahead!”
“Everyone… everyone is in bad shape. Many brothers are injured, and the Lord’s injuries are particularly severe. We were sent out to scout and search for resources…”
“Lead the way!” Kai said without hesitation.
Led by Elder Jifeng, the group moved more cautiously, bypassing several natural mazes and a seemingly calm but actually deadly swamp.
Finally, they arrived at the entrance of a valley completely hidden by vines and strange rocks.
The entrance was set up with a simple but ingenious illusion array and warning restrictions, clearly hastily constructed.
Elder Jifeng cast a few specific beastman hand seals, causing the illusion array to ripple slightly, revealing a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.
The group quickly slipped inside.
The valley was not large, but it was quite deep.
More than twenty disciples of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect sat or lay down, most of them wounded and weak, the air thick with the faint smell of blood and herbs.
Seeing Jifeng bring back strangers, many wounded struggled to get up and be on guard. But when they saw Kai, especially when some of the older disciples beside Lie Tian recognized him, a suppressed, excited murmur rippled through the valley.
“Senior Chen!”
“Senior is here!”
Deep in the valley, on a relatively flat boulder, Lie Tian sat leaning against something, his face as pale as paper, his chest wrapped in thick bandages, blood seeping through.
Seeing Kai, his dim eyes suddenly lit up, and he struggled to stand: “Senior…you…you’ve finally come!”
Kai flashed to his side, pressing down on his shoulder: “Don’t move.”
At the same time, his divine sense swept over him, his heart sinking slightly.
Lie Tian not only suffered severe external injuries, but his internal organs had also been severely shaken, his meridians damaged in several places, and the traces of demonic energy corrosion were obvious; he had clearly been through a fierce battle.