1127: I can only go there and take a look myself 1127: I can only go there and take a look myself “The Wan family may no longer be fitting suspects, but that still doesn’t explain how or why both Bai Chen and Jiang Hao disappeared within their territory,” Yang Qing muttered as he shifted his posture, leaning back in his seat.
His neck rested against his interlocked hands, and his gaze drifted upward in thought.
Duan Ting’s and Liu Ying’s statents ntioned that Jiang Hao and the flying ferry vanished upon entering Azure Sapphire Kingdom’s territory.
Bai Chen’s case followed a similar pattern, except he didn’t disappear the first ti—only on his second visit when retracing his steps.
Analyzing that information, with the Azure Sapphire Kingdom as the common denominator in their disappearances, it was natural to suspect the kingdom.
But even with that in mind, he struggled to see who could have been responsible.
He found it hard to believe the Wan family had a hand in it, as they were preoccupied with far more pressing matters—especially with Wan Cheng preparing for his breakthrough to the domain realm.
At the sa ti, he could no longer point the finger at the other noble families as he had before.
Wan Cheng’s strength and current circumstances changed things.
With the Wan patriarch at such a critical stage in his cultivation, both he and his family would undoubtedly do everything in their power to minimize variables that could interfere with his breakthrough.
One such asure would be maintaining strict oversight of everything within their territory.
Cultivators were at their most vulnerable when preparing to break through to the next major realm, and this was even more true for a domain realm breakthrough, given its perilous nature.
At that stage, a cultivator’s mind, will, spirit, body, and very essence had to be fully attuned to the breakthrough, leaving no room for distractions.
This vulnerability was precisely why breakthroughs were so dangerous.
A cultivator would beco completely oblivious to their surroundings in every sense, and if soone were to attack them during this ti, they would be as defenseless as a sleeping child.
The only protection they had during this stage ca from whatever autonomous defensive asures they had put in place before entering seclusion—typically, nothing more than an isolation array and the raw durability of their bodies.
When facing a tribulation, it was common practice for cultivators to carry only the bare necessities.
This precaution wasn’t just to minimize potential losses that would likely be incurred when the tribulation ca but also because tribulation lightning was notorious for intensifying when external defensive items—such as arrays or artifacts—were used during the tribulation.
To avoid provoking the tribulation’s wrath, cultivators typically secluded themselves with as little as possible.
Yang Qing suspected that Wan Cheng had followed this practice, relying solely on his body for protection, perhaps with the addition of a dharma protector and this role more than likely fell on the most powerful mber of his clan aside from himself.
According to the report, that would be his uncle, who was a tenth-stage Palace Realm expert.
His uncle would be in charge of Wan Cheng’s protection, while the rest of the clan safeguarded their domain with extre vigilance.
They could not afford the slightest negligence, as they were surrounded by vipers who would not take too kindly to the news of the Wan family potentially producing a domain expert.
In such a situation, it was a given that the Wan noble family would exercise the highest level of caution by keeping a close watch on the other noble families whilst at the sa ti securing their own territory against intruders and preventing any leaks about Wan Cheng’s impending breakthrough.
If that information got out, Yang Qing didn’t even need to think to imagine the consequences.
The four great noble families would likely abandon all pretense of cordiality, discard the treaty they were preparing, and set aside their bloody history with one another and instead, would likely band together, take up arms, and attack the Wan family.
So of the minor noble families might join in, and who knew—perhaps even the royal family would seize the opportunity upon hearing the news.
After all, the Wan family producing a domain expert was a threat to everyone in the Azure Sapphire Kingdom—except the Wan family itself.
If there was anything that could unite the kingdom, it was the looming reality of a domain expert potentially appearing from amongst them, thereby shattering the already fragile balance amongst them.
Given the circumstances, the Wan family was walking on a razor’s edge, teetering between glory and destruction.
They would do everything in their power to ensure it was the forr—and not the latter.
This was why Yang Qing found himself wondering—how could Bai Chen and Jiang Hao have disappeared within Wan territory without them knowing about it?
Unless… they did know.
Perhaps Jiang Hao, while passing through their land, had accidentally stumbled upon their well-guarded secret regarding Wan Cheng’s seclusion and was detained as a result.
And when Bai Chen ca searching for him, he was taken as well.
Yang Qing, however, quickly shook his head and dismissed the thought.
If such a secret could leak so easily that even a quasi-palace realm escort could catch wind of it, then the other noble families would have already known long before Jiang Hao ever did.
And if that were the case, the Wan family would likely no longer exist.
No, Yang Qing was more inclined to believe that they had vanished outside Wan’s noble family territory.
But where?
The Wan noble family’s domain bordered three other noble families—two minor noble clans, the Hou and Huang families, and one great noble family, the Sha family.
Of the three, the Sha family was the one he suspected the least likely to have been involved in Bai Chen and Jiang Hao’s disappearance, despite having the capabilities for it.
The reason was simple—the Sha family’s borders were flanked by two other great noble families in addition to the Wan family.
Pincered on all sides by powerful rivals, they were in no position to take risks that could jeopardize their already delicate situation.
Not when they were surrounded by ravenous wolves on all sides, just waiting..
waiting for the slightest opportunity to pounce.
No… if an outside party was involved, it would most likely be one of the two minor noble families.
But then again, the sa reasons that kept the Sha Great Noble Family from acting applied to them as well.
They wouldn’t dare move against the Wan family lightly, not with the vast disparity in strength between them.
Yang Qing let out another sigh, lowering his hands from behind his neck and placing them back on the table.
The wooden token Shao An had handed him suddenly appeared in his grasp.
“It seems I can only go there and take a look myself,” he muttered, his gaze lingering on the token before he stored it away.
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