Its flying speed was also rarely matched by other Great Demons. Another of its strengths lay in stealth, disguise, and concealing its identity—its divine skills in these areas were vast.
But why had this Great Demon suddenly caught the attention of Xu Yuanzhen?
It was true that Xu Yuanzhen acted on whims, but not just anything could capture her attention, especially at a ti like this.
Disguise, stealth, concealnt... A thought suddenly struck Lei Jun. "Junior Sister," he asked, "this Great Demon’s divine skills and demonic power... do you also sense sothing familiar about them?"
"Yes!" Tang Xiaotang indeed replied, "I had only heard of the Thousand Leaves Butterfly King before and never dealt with it directly, but after encountering it this ti, it felt very familiar!"
The familiarity stemd from a past incident: a mysterious person had suddenly attacked forr Celestial Master Li Qingfeng on the Grand River. This sa individual had also killed Li Hongyu during the Li Wai turmoil on Dragon Tiger Mountain and attempted to seize the Celestial Master’s Robe.
The techniques this person used to conceal their identity were extrely ingenious.
After crossing blows with Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, Yuan Mobai, and even the now-deceased Li Qingfeng and Li Hongyu, none had been able to uncover their true identity.
Even if they had slight suspicions, their process mostly involved ruling out known experts. They never actually found any concrete clues.
Up until today, Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang had only heard of the Thousand Leaves Butterfly King’s divine skills but had not dealt with it directly.
Yet now that they had truly encountered it, they both felt a sense of familiarity.
The mysterious person was undoubtedly human and not a Great Demon in disguise.
However, the techniques they used to hide their identity were similar to the divine skills and demonic power of the Thousand Leaves Butterfly King.
While they might not have been accomplices, there was undoubtedly a connection between them, or at the very least, significant interaction.
Therefore, Xu Yuanzhen, without hesitation, turned her attention to this Great Demon of the East Sea.
The Thousand Leaves Butterfly King, finding no advantage to exploit, did not linger and chose to flee imdiately.
In a chase—one person pursuing, one demon fleeing—they quickly receded into the distance.
By the ti Tang Xiaotang repelled Lin Lishan, Fang Du, and the others, Xu Yuanzhen and the Thousand Leaves Butterfly King had vanished.
Unable to reach Xu Yuanzhen after a brief attempt, Tang Xiaotang eventually decided to head north to find Ye Moquan.
Even though Xu Yuanzhen had gravely wounded Ye Moquan, Tang Xiaotang was sowhat reluctant to let him escape just like that.
Compared to the Thousand Leaves Butterfly King, who had vanished instantly upon sensing danger, Ye Moquan’s whereabouts were much clearer.
Firstly, he had been gravely wounded by Xu Yuanzhen. Secondly, Wei Ancheng had targeted the old patriarch of the Jinzhou Ye Clan from the outset. He pursued and attacked him relentlessly, and their intermittent clashes further slowed Ye Moquan’s escape.
News spread by the Great Tang Dynasty had brought Wei Ancheng rushing to Jinzhou. However, he did not necessarily have to focus on Xu Yuanzhen.
In fact, even if he were to turn back imdiately, the insights gained from comprehending and refining the bloody, murderous aura from the previous battle had already benefited him imnsely, making his trip worthwhile.
However, if he could personally slay another expert of the Nine Heavens Realm, this trip would be extraordinarily lucrative.
Xu Yuanzhen, unhard and with the Liheng Halberd in hand.
Ye Moquan, without the Star-Chess Seal and severely injured.
Choosing between these two targets presented no difficulty at all.
For Wei Ancheng, self-improvent was paramount. Personal grievances with Ye Moquan were a secondary concern for him.
"However, coming back to that, the injury Senior Sister inflicted on Ye Moquan seems a bit special," Tang Xiaotang said. "I sensed sothing odd during our brief exchange just now. I’ll engage him again and see."
With that, her voice cut off.
Upon hearing this, Lei Jun decided against approaching the heart of the Ye Clan Ancestral Land.
The situation there had already concluded, and neither Xu Yuanzhen nor Tang Xiaotang remained.
Under different circumstances, he might have considered if there were any spoils of war to be found, much like after the breach of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan’s ancestral land.
However, from Tang Xiaotang’s description and by sensing the flow of Spiritual Energy in the area, Lei Jun understood that Ye Moquan had been prepared for the worst from the very beginning.
With the Ancestral Land deliberately triggered to self-destruct, it was a true case of "jade and stone burning together"—a fate even more disastrous than being "trampled by the Barbarian Spearhead."
Even after the earthquake ceased and the storm subsided, the forr site of the Ye Clan Ancestral Land would essentially be a barren wasteland.
This explained why not a single Ye Clan disciple had been seen in or around the ancestral mansion beforehand; they had all been evacuated.
The family heirloom and Treasure of the Clan, the Star-Chess Seal, had likewise been removed from the ancestral ho.
Even the Ye Clan’s ancestral shrine had likely been secretly relocated.
Now, the cultural lineage of the Ye Clan in Jinzhou, much like that of the Youzhou Forest Clan, had been obliterated.
Although Ye Moquan was still alive, the future of the Jinzhou Ye Clan suddenly beca unclear.
Fortunately for the old patriarch of the Ye Clan, the situation had not reached its absolute worst.
To the north lay the Yunzhou region, ho to Xuantian Temple. Although currently unsettled by the temple’s internal strife, entering this region allowed Ye Moquan to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The Star-Chess Seal was waiting for him there.
With the Star-Chess Seal, their family heirloom and Treasure of the Clan, in his possession, and with Xu Yuanzhen and her Liheng Halberd not in pursuit, Ye Moquan regained the confidence to face his pursuers.
Tang Xiaotang and Wei Ancheng were likewise cautious of each other.
The chaotic three-way confrontation shifted their course away from Yunzhou, heading eastward instead.
Eventually, Ye Moquan sought refuge in Youzhou.
He did not go to the ancestral land of the Youzhou Forest Clan.
Instead, he sought an audience as a guest at the residence of another major power in Youzhou.
The second most powerful expert within the current Great Tang Imperial Clan.
Prince Zhao, Zhang Teng.
Prince Zhao’s Mansion might not have the long history of the Youzhou Forest Clan’s ancestral land. However, as the foremost bulwark of the Great Tang Dynasty in the Northern Border, it had always been heavily fortified. Its purpose was to deter demons externally and, internally, to restrain the Youzhou Forest Clan.
It was less a re mansion and more akin to Prince Zhao’s royal city.
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