Chapter 25: Everybody Has Their Own Agenda

Standing on the edge of the pond, Hong Tai drew in the ensnared Ning Yao with a solemn expression on his face.

As Ning Yao neared the pond's surface, she became more visible to Hong Tai. He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her unharmed body and the worry in his heart eased.

Hong Tai had been cautious in his actions up to this point and only now did he finally dare to exert more strength.

Splash!

Ning Yao gulped down several deep breaths when her head broke the surface of the pond.

The two Meridian Opening Realm squad leaders also awkwardly returned when they realized there was no danger.

Xu Rui, the original owner of the silver net, chuckled sheepishly. "Elder Hong, I thought the Giant Abyssal Serpent was about to attack, so we left in a hurry and forgot to bid you farewell."

The masked man merely smiled dryly and did not try to explain himself.

"The two of you sure are fast." Hong Tai smiled mockingly, casting a sidelong glance at the pair before his gaze settled back on the visibly shaken Ning Yao.

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Miss Ning, tell me everything you saw at the bottom of the pond. Once I confirm its validity, I'll exchange you for a member of the Shadow Specter Sect currently held captive by the seven major clans. I'll also give you my word that your body will remain untouched."

All eyes were on Ning Yao.

Ning Yao's dark, wet hair naturally cascaded over her captivating shoulders. Her fury caused the delicate blood vessels on her snowy white neck to appear unusually distinct, and her soaked figure was extremely alluring as she panted heavily within the silver net.

Several members of the Shadow Specter Sect stared lecherously at her body, making her feel uncomfortably exposed.

A flicker of hesitation crossed her furious eyes at Hong Tai's assurance.

"I will verify your claim, so don't lie to me," Hong Tai warned with a smile.

Ning Yao clenched her teeth, voice trembling slightly as she recounted, "The Giant Abyssal Serpent you mentioned was impaled by Celestial Phoenix's bone. Its entire body was consumed and all that's left is a skeleton with the bone still lodged in its skull.

"The strange man, Ouyang Duanhai, was at the bottom of the pond and seemed to be waiting for something from the bone. Pang Jian is also still alive and hiding in the pond's depths."

Ning Yao described what she had seen as faithfully as possible, knowing the members of the Shadow Specter Sect would eventually dive into Blackwater Pond and explore its depths themselves.

Before Hong Tai could respond to Ning Yao's account, Jin Yang exclaimed, "The skeleton of a Giant Abyssal Serpent is very valuable! Its skeleton could be worth cities if it's a Rank Five Spirit Beast!"

Hong Tai's eyes brightened and he nodded with a smile.

"Given Ouyang Duanhai's relatively low cultivation realm, I should be able to handle him, regardless of what form he has taken." Then, turning to look at Xu Rui, Hong Tai said, "This is what we'll do. Since you're in the Meridian Opening Realm, you can hold your breath for longer, so you'll be the first to enter. You don't have to go all the way to the bottom. Just confirm the young lady's claims, then resurface and inform us."

Xu Rui's face filled with bitterness as he sighed. "I'll assign a subordinate for this task."

Hong Tai shook his head, adamant about sending Xu Rui down. "The pond is too deep. Only those at the Meridian Opening Realm can hold their breath long enough to reach the bottom."

Jin Yang knitted his brow and looked at Xu Rui with a solemn expression on his face.

Realizing he could not persuade the two of them, Xu Rui resigned himself to his fate and reluctantly entered the pond, descending into its depths.

***

The area closest to the bone of the Celestial Phoenix was the brightest, and the places farthest from it were shrouded in darkness. Pang Jian pressed his body against the rocky wall, hidden in the darkness as he vigilantly watched for movement from above.

He silently observed as Xu Rui cautiously descended to study the bottom of the pond and approached the bone of the Celestial Phoenix.

Xu Rui did not notice him.

Before Xu Rui reached the bottom of the pond, he turned to swim back to the surface.

Pang Jian realized that Xu Rui had likely come to verify Ning Yao's account of the situation in the pond's depths.

Soon, the true experts of the Shadow Specter Sect, like Jin Yang, would arrive.

The bone of the Celestial Phoenix, the mysterious figure of unknown origin, and the imminent arrival of the Shadow Specter Sect experts disrupted Pang Jian's plan. He could not help but reconsider his strategy.

He could either return to the stone door and leave Blackwater Pond, or continue to wait and observe.

As he contemplated, Pang Jian noticed twinkling white lights emerge and gather like fireflies around inside where the bone of the Celestial Phoenix had pierced the giant serpent's skull.

The strange figure had been waiting for this moment. Its blood-red eyes shone several times brighter than before, looking like two blood-red lanterns in the water.

Here it comes!

Pang Jian no longer considered leaving and decided to risk staying a little longer.

He tossed the sack of spirit stones he had retrieved from Ning Yao into the stone passage then partially closed the stone door to leave only a small gap that was difficult to detect.

With these preparations complete, he tightly gripped his Dragonwood Spear and patiently awaited the impending changes.

He made up his mind.

If the situation worsened, he would give up and escape through the stone passage.

***

Once Xu Rui resurfaced, he took a moment to catch his breath before waving at Hong Tai.

"The girl didn't deceive us," he yelled. "It's as she said, the Giant Abyssal Serpent was killed by the bone of the Celestial Phoenix! I only saw Ouyang Duanhai at the bottom of the pond. I didn't see the young man named Pang Jian. He might have been hiding in the shadows."

Hong Tai's eyes lit up and he laughed heartily at Jin Yang. "Our perseverance has paid off!"

Jin Yang's expression remained serious. Staring at his gloved hand, he said, "I hope everything goes smoothly."

Hong Tai cleared his throat twice.

"There shouldn't be any major issues. We just need to deal with Ouyang Duanhai and we can obtain the skeleton of the Giant Abyssal Serpent." He then turned to address the masked figure by name, "You—"

Hong Tai abruptly cut himself off, remembering Ning Yao's presence.

"Those who have reached the Meridian Opening Realm can stay underwater for a longer period," he said instead. "Come with me to kill Ouyang Duanhai."

His gaze swept across the other members, frowning as he instructed, "As for the rest of you, patrol the surrounding area and keep an eye out for any changes both inside and outside this canyon."

The Qi Practicing Realm members of the Shadow Specter Sect nodded in acknowledgment.

With that, Hong Tai, Jin Yang, Xu Rui, the masked man, the ensnared Ning Yao, and the python descended into Blackwater Pond, leaving only the Qi Practicing Realm members of the Shadow Specter Sect on the surface.

***

"The Giant Abyssal Serpent from the Fifth World was slain by the bone of the Celestial Phoenix. That bone will condense the Giant Abyssal Serpent's flesh and blood essence into the Celestial Phoenix's essence," the mysterious woman hiding in the shadows said softly as she gazed at the pond.

"Those fools from the Shadow Specter Sect. Haven't they considered why a Giant Abyssal Serpent would appear in such a remote place?" she muttered. "Can't they see that the Giant Abyssal Serpent was imprisoned in Blackwater Pond? Have they truly not considered how terrifying that person must be to have captured a Giant Abyssal Serpent from the eternal darkness of the Fifth World?"

She then conveyed a telepathic command.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Her Spirit Devils stealthily approached Blackwater Pond, hiding among the bushes before pouncing on the members of the Shadow Specter Sect.

None of the Qi Practicing Realm members of the Shadow Specter Sect escaped.

The Spirit Devils inhabited all of them.

The eyes of all the Qi Practicing Realm members of the Shadow Specter Sect turned vacant. They stood lifelessly around the pond, no longer conversing among themselves.

The woman had been hiding for a long time. A faint blood mist surrounded her as she gracefully floated toward the end of the withered bone protruding from the water's surface.

She landed lightly on the bone of the Celestial Phoenix and peered into the pond from above, watching as the figures of Hong Tai and the others gradually faded into the darkness below.

Even experts such as her could not see the bottom of the pond. However, instead of ordering the now-inhabited members of the Shadow Specter Sect to dive in, she patiently waited atop the bone of the Celestial Phoenix.

She did not fear Ouyang Duanhai, Hong Tai in the Marrow Cleansing Realm, or the newly formed essence of the Celestial Phoenix.

Her hesitation stemmed from uncertainty about whether the person responsible for imprisoning and raising the Giant Abyssal Serpent in Blackwater Pond was still present.

***

They've finally arrived!

Pang Jian thought to himself, watching Xu Rui, Jin Yang, the masked figure, and Hong Tai descend one after the other.

As Pang Jian caught sight of Hong Tai, he recalled Zhou Qingchen and a pang of regret washed over him. He could not shake the feeling that the honorable young master from the Zhou Clan had fallen victim to Hong Tai's attacks.

If I survive, I'll kill every Shadow Specter Sect member involved in this assault,

Pang Jian vowed.

Pang Jian had spent his years hunting in the mountains and had minimal contact with others beyond trading prey for the necessities to sustain himself and his little sister.

After Ning Yao hired him as a guide in the Solitary Mountain Range, no clan member treated him with respect or regarded him as an equal, except for the young master of the Zhou family.

Regardless of ulterior motives, Zhou Qingchen still treated Pang Jian with respect. Not to mention, he previously expressed a clear interest in recruiting him into the Zhou Clan even after being informed of his limited cultivation talent.

Zhou Qingchen had even been willing to forgo his share of treasure on the Formless Sailboat to help Pang Jian free the gray ape.

Grateful, Pang Jian only truly acknowledged Zhou Qingchen during this expedition into the Solitary Mountain Range.

If the young master of the Zhou Clan had been killed, Pang Jian would help him seek revenge.

However, at the moment, he doubted he could accomplish that.

As he contemplated, Pang Jian continued to observe those descending to the bottom of the pond, paying particular attention to the one with the highest influence, Jin Yang.

Jin Yang stared at the bottom of the withered bone, studying the glimmering white lights within the bone.

A mix of excitement and incredulity showed on his face as he seemed to recall something

Before reaching the bottom of the pond, Jin Yang pointed at the strange figure, signaling to Hong Tai and the others to help him kill it.

Jin Yang seemed to recognize the mysterious glimmering light.

Hong Tai and the other two squad leaders understood Jin Yang's signal. Despite this, they still hesitated, unsure of whether to immediately attack Ouyang Duanhai.

Meanwhile, Jin Yang was already rushing toward the bottom of the withered bone.

Ouyang Duanhai had been patiently waiting for the emergence of the essence of the Celestial Phoenix. As if sensing Jin Yang's goal, his deep blood-red eyes shifted to glare at Jin Yang.

He suddenly rushed toward Jin Yang.

It seemed Ouyang Duanhai would deal with anyone who dared to touch the essence of the Celestial Phoenix.