Daylight fully broke.
Xie Linlang sat wearily on the soft couch in his quiet chamber.
After his cultivation recovered to the Foundation Establishment stage, he considered that the hazy woman was likely Demon Butterfly Senior. Once Demon Butterfly Senior departed and the illusions in the Underground Palace dissipated, the cultivators stationed in the palace would awaken from the illusions.
Thus, Xie Linlang hurriedly fled while Lin Yu’s full attention remained fixed on the comatose Silent Night Demon Lord.
Halfway back, Xie Linlang encountered the Red-beaked Sparrows returning to find him.
Thinking Senior Brother Fang sought him, he followed the Red-beaked Sparrows away.
But upon reaching the Cold Pool and hearing the Red-beaked Sparrows chirp and chatter about the events that transpired, Xie Linlang fell silent.
He recalled the three cultivators swallowed and chewed by the black mist, thought of the three new Black-Armored Cultivators that suddenly appeared in the Underground Palace, and with the Red-beaked Sparrows‘ description, what more was there to misunderstand?
No wonder Li Pinghu said the previous cultivators of Silent Night Palace had vanished without a trace, and Senior Brother Fang had repeatedly emphasized not to become a True Transmission Disciple of Silent Night Palace. It turned out that True Transmission Disciples became Silent Night Palace‘s Black-Armored Puppets!
As for why he himself escaped pursuit by the Black-Armored Cultivators, it was because he had just joined Silent Night Palace and carried no debts!
Xie Linlang had sufficient Qi Gathering Pills to replenish his Demonic Qi, so he didn’t need to rely on the Sea Turtle like other disciples to travel between the island and Silent Night Palace. Thus, before dawn, he swiftly slipped back to the outer courtyard quarters for menial disciples.
Xie Linlang informed the Red-beaked Sparrows of Senior Brother Fang‘s demise, and they grieved deeply.
He stored these Sparrows in their cage for the time being, ignoring them temporarily.
He began to carefully reflect on the previous night’s gains.
Although Xie Linlang had uncovered a key secret within Silent Night Palace, it only spawned more questions.
Why did Demon Butterfly Senior help him? Was that Golden Vertical-Pupil Youth the Silent Night Demon Lord?
If his guess at the time was correct, the other had surely detected his concealment—why hadn’t he exposed it?
Demon Butterfly said she existed only in dreams, and the Golden Vertical-Pupil Youth mentioned the Dream Return to Previous Life Secret Method. In other words, the Demon Butterfly slumbering on Flowing Firefly Island possessed the ability to let one return to a previous life!
Xie Linlang’s heart pounded.
If he brought Shen He to Demon Butterfly Senior, could she uncover the connection between Shen He and Pei Ji?
What drug had Senior Brother Fang given Demon Butterfly Senior to awaken this great demon?
What if Demon Butterfly Senior fell asleep again—how could he ask her to cast the spell?
Various thoughts swirled in Xie Linlang’s mind. At that moment, a strand of Demonic Qi arrived at the door of his quiet chamber.
Xie Linlang refocused and beckoned with his hand, discovering it was a sect transmission letter.
Upon opening it, the sender was none other than Senior Brother Zheng from the sect’s mission assignment office.
Senior Brother Zheng stated that an incident occurred on Flowing Firefly Island the previous night. The long-dormant Demon Butterfly Senior suddenly awakened, draining the guarding Senior Brother Fang into a husk and causing his death.
All menial disciples and others working on Flowing Firefly Island were to stay away today. The sect would reassign their tasks, so everyone should wait a few days.
Xie Linlang pocketed the letter, lost in thought.
Only news of Martial Uncle Fang‘s death spread—did the fates of the other cultivators not matter?
No, it wasn’t that they didn’t matter. High-rank cultivators could enter secluded cultivation for decades at a time. Silent Night Palace merely needed to claim they had gone traveling, without an immediate official response.
As for why they never returned? They probably perished outside.
Xie Linlang sighed. It seemed the mysteries only multiplied.
Silent Night Palace and Nine Spirits Sect had once been allied sects, yet Silent Night Palace suddenly betrayed and destroyed Nine Spirits Sect. The secret of Silent Night Palace‘s True Transmission Disciples, and Pei Ji’s exact whereabouts… all headaches.
But regardless, he had made some gains.
Avoid becoming a True Transmission Disciple, avoid accruing debts—as long as he upheld these two principles, his cultivation life in Silent Night Palace should remain safe.
Xie Linlang quickly steadied his mind. No matter what he planned, strength was fundamental.
If he possessed Mahayana Stage power, why hesitate? He would have stormed straight into Silent Night Palace and confronted that Golden Vertical-Pupil Youth outright.
With this thought, Xie Linlang sat cross-legged and began cultivating.
Meanwhile, Le Qingping sorted all the gains from her expedition into the Purple Radiance Mountain Secret Realm, cleared her past debts, prepared Rune Materials, and readied herself for secluded research.
Then she heard from a menial disciple helping sort materials that Martial Uncle Fang from Flowing Firefly Island was gone.
Le Qingping: “…Ah?”
Gone just like that? Heavens, had Senior Xie been helping on Flowing Firefly Island for two days?
It had only been one day, and Martial Uncle Fang was already done for? That was too fast!
“What about Shanle Senior?”
“Shanle Senior? Uh, Senior Sister Le, who is this senior you’re referring to…?”
“Oh, he’s Martial Uncle Fang‘s master, an elder in the sect.”
“…No idea. Senior Brother Zheng didn’t mention the elders.”
Le Qingping lost all interest in seclusion. She mobilized her master’s connections to inquire and learned that Martial Uncle Fang‘s master had suddenly entered eternal seclusion, while the elder’s two Nascent Soul Cultivators allies had gone traveling. She gasped in shock.
Heavens, this Senior Xie was too terrifying!
