The poison that had afflicted Zhou Haimo was quickly analyzed and the entire Revered Protectors Corps promptly supplied with the antidote. This brought considerable relief to everyone.
But Zhou Haimo’s death had filled Blazing Flame Grand Venerable with fury. He launched an all-out campaign to hunt down Li Xiaofei, going so far as to use the divine ability Search Heaven and Earth Netting to scour the entirety of Chu Planet without rest. Unfortunately, Li Xiaofei was nowhere to be found.
At the same time, reports continued to come in from other locations, Chu Family experts and small teams from the Revered Protectors Corps were constantly being ambushed, resulting in heavy losses.
“This fiend is highly skilled at concealment,” said Luo Chen, the third-ranked expert in the Revered Protectors Corps. Though he appeared to be in his early forties, his bronzed face carried a cold and grim expression. “Grand Venerable, this can’t go on. We must devise a plan to lure him out, and then kill him.”
Blazing Flame Grand Venerable nodded. This Li Xiaofei was proving to be far more troublesome than anyone had initially anticipated. However, just past noon that very day, the most shocking news yet emerged from the Chu Family. Chu Xiang, who had been meditating in seclusion within the ancestral shrine, had been abducted by Li Xiaofei.
The moment the news spread, shockwaves rippled through every faction. This was the ancestral shrine of the Chu Family, arguably the most heavily guarded place in the entirety of Chu Planet. Not even a Five Dragons Realm cultivator, perhaps not even one at the Six Gods Realm, could possibly abduct someone from there without a trace.
“This is your family's conspiracy!” Blazing Flame Grand Venerable arrived at the Chu estate and immediately leveled an accusation. “What a ridiculous display of a thief crying thief. You’ve hidden Chu Xiang on purpose because she’s an accomplice of Li Xiaofei. She too came out of the Purple Nebula Forbidden Zone!”
“Get out!” The old patriarch, Chu Zhongtian, erupted in fury, showing no restraint.
It was clear that his granddaughter’s disappearance had driven this old lion to the brink. His eyes were bloodshot, and he radiated killing intent from head to toe. The rest of the Chu Family’s high-ranking members, Chu Heng, Chu Xiang’s father, and others, were all similarly enraged.
Some were frantic with concern over Chu Xiang’s safety. Others were simply incensed that someone had managed to kidnap a person from their ancestral shrine, seeing it as a grave insult to the family's honor.
A confrontation between the Chu Family and the Revered Protectors Corps nearly broke out on the spot.
But Blazing Flame Grand Venerable remained firm in his accusation as he sneered coldly, “Stop putting on a show. I’ll get to the bottom of this. Don’t let me catch you in your lies.”
With that, he turned and left. The members of the Chu Family were seething with rage. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝※𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖※𝕟𝕖𝕥
“Search. I don’t care if you have to shatter Chu Planet. We must find Xiang’er!” said Chu Zhongtian, his fury palpable to everyone present.
Outside the base city, at the airfield. Inside the Revered Protectors Corps’s compound.
Blazing Flame Grand Venerable returned to his private quarters. The rage and ruthlessness that had been written across his face earlier vanished and was replaced by a sinister smile of success. Yue Zhuoran was already waiting for him in the room.
“My lord, everything has been taken care of,” Yue Zhuoran reported.
“We got her?” Blazing Flame Grand Venerable asked.
Yue Zhuoran smiled and said, “As expected of you, Grand Venerable. The plan you devised worked perfectly. Chu Xiang has a close relationship with Li Xiaofei. We lured her out of the Chu ancestral shrine using his name, and ambushed her. She’s secured aboard your flagship vessel.”
“Let’s go. I want to see her now,” said Blazing Flame Grand Venerable. He could hardly contain his excitement.
After all, this concerned the Purple Nebula Forbidden Zone and Heaven. Even with his power and status, the allure of these two things was utterly irresistible.
Inside the ship’s prison.
Chu Xiang’s wrists and ankles were bound by exquisite silver star-forged shackles, leaving her unable to move. Her face was flushed with fury. But her mouth had been gagged, so only muffled, indistinct sounds escaped her lips. Beside her stood another figure, also bound by star-forged manacles.
“Who is he? Why was he brought here as well?” asked Blazing Flame Grand Venerable as he swept his Primal Spirit across the stranger and frowned.
This was a sensitive matter. The fewer people who knew about it, the better.
Yue Zhuoran quickly responded, “Reporting to Grand Venerable, he is a close friend of Chu Xiang. The two of them left the ancestral shrine together, so I took the opportunity to capture him as well. He might be useful when interrogating Chu Xiang.”
Blazing Flame Grand Venerable nodded. This was one of the reasons he appreciated Yue Zhuoran. He knew how to take initiative when it mattered.
“Bring me a map of the Purple Nebula Forbidden Zone and Heaven. Mark everything clearly.” He stepped in front of Chu Xiang and spoke in a calm, gentle voice. “Don’t waste your strength resisting. You’re the eldest young lady of the Chu Family, so you should know well what the Revered Protectors Corps of the Commercial Alliance is capable of. I doubt you want to personally experience those torture methods.”
Chu Xiang gave a small nod. Her shackles were removed. She took the jade slip and carving pen, then began to draw. Before long, the map was complete.
Blazing Flame Grand Venerable immediately took it and put it away, not even allowing Yue Zhuoran so much as a glance at it. His tone was flat as he said, “I hope you didn’t try anything clever. Everything will be verified. If there’s any deception... you won’t be able to bear the consequences.”
“Send someone to verify it, and you’ll know,” Chu Xiang replied calmly, now free to speak.
Though she was in a dire situation, she seemed perfectly composed. There was not the slightest trace of panic on her face.
“Very good. Now tell me, what exactly is inside Heaven?” Blazing Flame Grand Venerable asked.
Chu Xiang looked up at him, then suddenly smiled and said, “There is a sword.”
“What kind of sword?”
“This kind of sword.”
Chu Xiang hadn’t been the one to speak last. The reply had come from the man standing beside her, the one who had seemed meek and trembling like some insignificant captive.
But as those words left his mouth, a sword had already appeared in the air. It hovered in the void, glowing with a strange, dual-colored radiance of gold and silver.
“Hmm?” Blazing Flame Grand Venerable suddenly sensed something was wrong. His expression sharpened with caution as he asked, “Who are you?”
“Aren’t you the one who’s been looking for me this whole time?” said the man as he slowly raised his head, revealing a strikingly handsome and confident face.
Who else could it be but Li Xiaofei?
Yue Zhuoran, standing nearby, was utterly shocked.
No, this wasn’t the person we had captured earlier!
“You—haha! Hahaha!” After his initial shock, Blazing Flame Grand Venerable burst into laughter. “What fortune! I searched far and wide only to have you walk right up to me. I don’t know whether to call you brave... or a fool!”
“Hey, are you one of Eden’s appointed leaders in the Xiao Kuang Star Region?” asked Chu Xiang.
She addressed Blazing Flame Grand Venerable not with fear but with the tone of an interrogator. Blazing Flame Grand Venerable’s expression shifted for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.
He asked, “Young lady, what nonsense are you spouting?”
Chu Xiang glanced at Li Xiaofei. In that brief moment, the two of them exchanged a look and an understanding passed silently between them. Then, she turned her gaze back to Blazing Flame Grand Venerable, her brow arched in scorn.
Her tone was calm, but laced with mockery. “Perhaps you believe your disguise is flawless... but you’re riddled with holes. I truly don’t understand why someone with power would choose to live as a dog.”
Blazing Flame Grand Venerable fell silent for a brief moment.
Then, he said flatly, “Isn’t staying alive better?”