69novels Chapter 835 Ye Zhen is anxious
Chapter 835 Ye Zhen is anxious
Although Xiao Shuai himself was also seriously injured, with blood still gushing from the wound on his back inflicted by the sword energy, and every step he took was excruciatingly painful, as if countless needles were pricking him, he still gritted his teeth, squatted down, and carefully carried Long Si on his back. Long Si's body appeared thin, but the weight on Xiao Shuai was heavy, as if he were carrying a thousand-pound burden, and every step made his knees tremble.
He took a deep breath, enduring the excruciating pain that felt like his bones were about to break, and staggered deeper into the dense forest. The air here was filled with the heavy stench of blood and fluctuations of spiritual energy, like marks scattered across the ground; it was clearly no longer suitable to stay, let alone recuperate.
As he ran, Xiao Shuai's eyes welled up with tears, which mingled with cold sweat streaming down his forehead. He had never imagined that his momentary mistake would lead his usually calm and powerful master, Long Si, to such a state. The blood he had just swallowed felt like a red-hot iron, searing his heart, and guilt and self-reproach nearly overwhelmed him. The only thing he could do now was to find a secluded place as quickly as possible so that his master could recuperate in peace.
Their original plan was to return to the demon clan's territory, where they could find secret techniques to heal Long Si's wounds and their clansmen to protect him. However, Xiao Shuai reconsidered. Since the communication talisman had already been sent, the pursuers would surely follow the scent. Returning to the demon clan now would be tantamount to walking into a trap, only bringing annihilation upon the clan. He gritted his teeth, abruptly changed direction, and ran towards the more desolate mountains—he could only find a secluded cave to hide in and wait for things to calm down before making further plans.
The wind in the forest swirled up withered yellow leaves, slapping against Xiao Shuai's bleeding back like countless cold hands pulling at him. He was oblivious, only thinking of running faster, farther, to ensure his master's safe escape. The mountain path was rugged; he nearly fell several times, but steadied himself each time. His arms, carrying Long Si on his back, were taut like iron from the effort, but his eyes shone brightly in the night, revealing an unwavering stubbornness.
Meanwhile, deep within the Ye family mansion, in the study, Ye Zhen was leisurely sipping tea. His fingertips gently caressed the purple clay teacup, the tea inside clear and bright yellow, the rising steam blurring the deep wrinkles on his face and concealing the calculating glint in his eyes. These past few days, he had sent out disciples across the land like a net, searching for traces of the Dragon Clan—a chance that could propel the family to new heights. Just as he was wondering if any news had arrived, a servant dressed in gray tiptoed in, head bowed low, his expression filled with barely suppressed urgency: "Clan leader, we received an urgent message in the front hall...it's a message from Senior Brother Ye Xue!"
Ye Zhen put down his teacup, the bottom of which collided with the mahogany table with a soft "thud." He looked up at the newcomer, the languidness in his eyes vanishing instantly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "What news?" These past few days, almost all the disciples of the clan had been sent out; for Brother Ye to send such an urgent message was no small matter. He had a feeling that they had likely found clues about the Dragon Clan—this was a matter of paramount importance concerning the rise and fall of the Ye family, allowing no room for carelessness.
The servants hurriedly reported the scene of Ye Xue's communication talisman exploding in detail, including the brightness of the flame that pierced the night sky and its duration. Ye Zhen's brows furrowed instantly, as if gripped by an invisible hand. He knew the strength of the Ye brothers well; although not among the top in the clan, they were still carefully trained experts, and ordinary demons could hardly have rendered them so helpless. For them to be forced to send out a distress signal, they must have encountered a formidable opponent, perhaps even… related to the Dragon Clan.
He abruptly stood up, the jade pendant at his waist swaying slightly with the movement, making a soft clinking sound. "Go, gather all the elite disciples of the clan!" he said in a deep voice, his voice filled with barely suppressed urgency. "Have them bring their suitable magical artifacts and depart with me immediately!"
His mind raced with calculations: though his cultivation had reached its peak, the dragon race's abilities were unfathomable; legend had it that a single tremor of a dragon's might could subdue ten thousand demons. If he could find the dragon race first and seize control of it while the other families were still unaware, the Ye family would monopolize this incredible opportunity. Especially the legendary dragon pearl, containing the power to overturn rivers and seas; if they could obtain it, their family's strength would surely soar to new heights, surpassing the other major families. But if they were to be snatched away, the Ye family would not only be left far behind, but might even face annihilation—something he absolutely could not tolerate.
In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the training ground outside the mansion was already bustling with noise. More than thirty elite disciples, dressed in black martial arts attire and holding various magical weapons, such as swords and talismans, stood in neat rows, each with a solemn and serious expression on their face. For the clan leader to personally lead the team, it must be a matter of great importance concerning the fate of the clan, and no one dared to be negligent, even their breathing became slightly lighter.
Ye Zhen, clad in a long, dark robe, strode steadily onto the command platform. His gaze swept over the crowd like a hawk's, and his voice, amplified by spiritual energy, resonated throughout the entire area: "This operation is of paramount importance. No one is to leak any information. If any outsiders are encountered along the way, they will be killed without mercy! Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to clan rules, their cultivation crippled, and expelled from the clan!"
"Yes!" The crowd responded in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and startling the birds outside the courtyard, which fluttered up and circled, too afraid to land.
But none of them expected that the clan was already leaking information like a sieve. The news of Ye Zhen summoning his disciples had barely spread when it reached the ears of the other major families. When the patriarchs of the Wang, Liu, and Zhao families received the news, although they didn't know the specific reason, they all suspected that the Ye family must have made a major discovery—otherwise, they wouldn't have mobilized so much. They exchanged glances, tacitly agreeing to secretly gather their forces and silently follow behind the Ye family's group, like a pack of wolves lurking in the shadows, their eerie green eyes fixed on the front, waiting for the right moment to pounce and claim their share.
They sped along, the magical artifacts leaving afterimages in the night. Ye Zhen and his disciples finally arrived at the location where Ye Xue had sent the communication talisman. But the scene before them made his heart sink, as if struck by a boulder: in the desolate wilderness, only a few withered trees swayed in the cold wind, their branches twisted like ghostly claws. Not a trace of the dragon race, not even the slightest hint of the demon race, had been blown away by the wind. On the ground, two familiar figures lay in a pool of blood—Ye Xue and Ye He, their clothes stained with blood, their eyes wide open, already lifeless.
Ye Zhen strode forward and crouched down to examine the two men's injuries. His fingertips brushed over the wound on Ye He's chest, where a faint trace of dragon demonic energy lingered, carrying the sweet, metallic scent of water; while on Ye Xue's back, several deep, bone-revealing claw marks, their edges gleaming with the sharpness unique to the fox clan, the flesh torn open, were a shocking sight.