Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Three: The Disappearing Hen

When Wen Zhengyang stepped out of the tent again, his expression had clearly transformed from what it was before.

It was a blend of awkwardness, disbelief, excitement, and other complex emotions, like witnessing some unbelievable entity suddenly appearing out of legends, leaving him momentarily unsure how to react.

As he and the black-haired girl emerged, the leaders and guards of the Black Scale Army quickly rushed over to encircle them.

“General! Are you alright?”

“Wen General, right now…”

“Yes, no need to worry, this person is not an enemy; it was merely a misunderstanding.”

Wen Zhengyang nodded and, after receiving another approving look from the black-haired girl, gestured to his subordinates.

“Relay my orders: the entire army is to prepare to depart immediately and orderly withdraw from the Wangxi Basin, getting ready to return to Heilin Fortress for rest.”

“Huh? Retreat? But General, this excavation site…”

“Yes, General, we should at least leave some military power behind, right? The tomb is fraught with dangers; if an ordinary citizen accidentally enters, they might as well kiss their lives goodbye. And if the whole army retreats, it would be hard to explain to the Holy Sect, right?”

It seemed that he anticipated such reactions from his subordinates. General Wen simply nodded again and replied solemnly.

“Deputy General Yan, do you still remember that highness we encountered in the tomb? This matter is far-reaching and has surpassed what an ordinary army can handle. The terrifying aspects may be beyond your comprehension even now; it’s best left to more specialized individuals.”

“More specialized… individuals?”

Seeing his deputy still confused, Wen Zhengyang didn’t elaborate further but waved his hand firmly.

“I will personally report the details to the Holy Sect. You need not worry about that. Just carry out the orders immediately.”

“Understood!”

“Oh, right.”

As the deputy general turned to leave, Wen Zhengyang suddenly remembered something and hurriedly added.

“Also, mark the cavalry commander Cheng Zhenwu as deceased in the records, issue appropriate compensation to his family, and send out a capture warrant to search for his whereabouts across the entirety of Dongyuanzhi Kingdom. Report immediately upon discovery.”

The deputy general was momentarily dumbfounded.

“Uh, General, I really can’t understand why we need to capture someone who’s already declared deceased… This… seems completely contradictory, right?”

General Wen could only shake his head helplessly.

“That’s why I said this matter involves realms we cannot handle. Don’t ask too many questions; just carry out the orders.”

“Ah? Yes…”

Seeing Deputy General Yan leave in a flurry of confusion, Wen Zhengyang sighed lightly again, dismissed the troops to handle their respective tasks, and turned his slightly awkward and respectful gaze back to the black-haired girl beside him.

“Honored one, does this handling seem appropriate?”

“Yes, more or less.”

With some method of “proving identity,” which had garnered her trust, the Priestess nodded slightly and began walking with him toward their companions who had been waiting in the distance.

“Right now, turbulent winds swirl in the Ancient Spirit Realm. My identity must remain confidential for the time being. Even those upper echelons of Dongyuanzhi Kingdom cannot be informed; it’s best not to mention the Nameless Demon Lord to avoid unnecessary chaos. Just gauge the specifics yourself.”

“Got it… I’m truly scared; if you hadn’t reminded me, I wouldn’t have even realized that half of our men who entered the tomb had completely vanished. This is easily more bizarre and terrifying than an evil demon, no wonder that one took matters into their own hands back then…”

Vilyric smiled.

“You’re already doing quite well to notice and understand this with just a simple mention. Those in the Black Scale Army who were deprived of their existence likely can’t even realize what happened before. No need to bring it up; just keep it to yourself.”

“Also, regarding the commander Cheng whose identity was replaced, I suspect he still has some fragments of the Nameless within him. You must be extremely cautious when searching for him; don’t act recklessly. If the information is confirmed, notify me using the method I left for you, and I will handle it personally.”

“After all, for an ordinary person, if something goes wrong in a careless move, you might not even realize it happened. You’ve seen the consequences once before.”

“…I will remember that.”

…

Afterward, once the main force of the Black Scale Army gradually withdrew from the basin, the Priestess took matters into her own hands, casting a comprehensive seal outside the tomb using Holy Light magic, and concealed the entrance once again.

With this, neither ordinary people nor the Black Scale Army could breach the high-level seal enacted by Vilyric, even a peak expert like Saint Peach Blossom wouldn’t stand a chance. And it would suffice to fend off even a divine-level invader for a while.

As a precaution, she secretly left an “invisible spatial portal” in a concealed part of the basin, allowing her to come check at any time should anything arise, after all, this place held significant importance.

Having completed all this, Vilyric and her companions left with a few disciples from the Jing Shen Sect whom they happened to bump into again, returning to the temporary camp set up by the latter on the outskirts of the area.

There, they met the team leader they had a passing encounter with before. After Shangguan Hong briefly recounted the events that had transpired in the tomb, they reintroduced themselves and casually discussed the matter.

“So… do you also think there are only five disciples from the Jing Shen Sect on this outing? If I am not mistaken, you likely have reached the Camaraderie Realm, right?”

“Indeed, Miss Vilyric, your insight is indeed sharp; there’s nothing to hide, that is correct.”

Confirming that the person named Mu Ze, despite appearing unimpressive, actually possessed the second true fifth-tier prowess among humans since Vilyric arrived in the Ancient Spirit Realm, the Priestess furrowed her brow, finally confirming her suspicions.

“So, this is how it seems in the eyes of others, huh…”

While it sounded completely incomprehensible to the others from Jing Shen Sect, who looked completely lost, Hen, who shared a deep understanding with Vilyric on this matter, immediately caught onto her intended meaning, showing slight surprise.

“Vilyric, you mean… someone among them has been deprived of their existence and hasn’t restored it?”

“That seems to be the only possibility. Do you remember what happened when both sides fought at the teahouse?”

Her question was directed at her comrades while also addressing those from the Jing Shen Sect who were listening in. Consequently, the chief disciple Shangguan Hong replied solemnly.

“If my memory serves me, I should have initiated the challenge to all of you and promised that regardless of the outcome, I would share some information regarding the Endless Ruins Sea.”

“But halfway through the contest, the Black Scale Army stationed in the Wangxi Basin arrived, drawn by the noise of battle, and without wasting time, attempted to apprehend us. The one in command was the same Cheng who has reportedly gone missing, right?”

“Yes…”

After a slight nod, Vilyric posed a critically important question.

“So, do you remember who among us participated in the battle, and specifically why the Black Scale Army was drawn there? Or to put it more plainly…”

“Shangguan Hong, do you think… you have a little sister?”

   

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