Chapter 352: Slaying the Ancient Devil

The moment an ancient prince intercepted Wang Sheng's yacht at sea, the Special Investigation Unit headquarters grew extremely tense.

"Chief! Powerful vampires have ambushed Daoist Master Wang's group! Our signal was cut off, but our satellites detected violent primal qi fluctuations near the waters of Gambi!"

"The signal has been restored! We've just confirmed that an ancient prince has attacked Daoist Master Wang and his party!"

"The satellite monitoring network has reconnected, but the feed is still pixelated!"

In the top-floor office, people either stood watch before the consoles or rushed back and forth to relay information. More than ten projection screens were neatly aligned on Chi Ling's desk as well. The largest virtual screen was at the center, showing a vague glimpse of the battle.

The battlefield lay beyond their borders. Though anxious and restless, all they could do was watch quietly. To say they were worried would have been an understatement. Wang Sheng represented the pinnacle of the Hua Republic's combat power; he was the core of its deterrence against foreign powers. If he lost, his nation would face far-reaching negative repercussions.

Though they had long prepared for such a possibility, the investigation unit was still caught off guard due to how swiftly and decisively the Blood Race ancient prince had chosen to act.

Fortunately, the battle footage's quality soon improved, giving them an overhead view of endless flashes of lightning.

A few minutes later, a young woman at the communication desk suddenly raised her head and shouted, "Satellite readings show the ancient prince's energy signature fleeing eastward!"

The satellite feed simultaneously revealed a shadow emerging from the lightning. Even Chi Ling, who had endured many great crises, exhaled faintly in relief.

Wang Sheng had won.

The investigation unit had spent vast resources gathering intelligence for this overseas mission. Fortunately, their investment had not gone to waste. The strategic deterrence of the Hua Republic's cultivation world had grown stronger once more.

With those thoughts in mind, Chi Ling finally thought about Wang Sheng's safety. "Can the satellite capture an image of him?"

A young man in the corner answered, "Chief, Daoist Master Wang and the ancient prince are moving too quickly. The satellite network has gaps, and adjusting orbit will take time."

"In situations like this, a simple 'no' is enough."

"Yes, ma'am. I will remember that next time."

"Establish contact with the other members of Fei Yu's squad. Keep the channel open."

"Chief, the Dark Faction's experts have gathered in that area. If Daoist Master Wang continues the pursuit..."

"It doesn't matter. Let him make his own judgment. We just have to focus on doing everything within our capabilities now, and that includes providing information."

The staff gave a collective response and quickly returned to their work.

For years, Chi Ling had been focused on a single task: guiding newcomers and nurturing their abilities in all aspects. Those who served as her assistants now would one day become the backbone of the investigation unit and other departments.

Reports flowed, were exchanged, and compiled within the office in an orderly and efficient manner. Soon, communication was restored with Huai Jing and the others. The three had also flown eastward, but aside from the thunderbolts flashing across the distant horizon, they could not determine the situation.

Without clear imagery, they could only track Wang Sheng and the ancient prince through satellites that detected primal qi. Victory, however, was already certain. The ancient prince had been driven into a frenzy after consuming the same vampire princess who had instigated the plane crash in Saros. Nevertheless, he had already been battered and bloodied. Moreover, Wang Sheng had used Lightning Flash.

"Two masses of high-speed energy are still converging!"

"They are about to reach land... They have landed! The two masses have merged!"

The young woman at the console held her breath as she stared at the crude map and the primitive data, which were only displayed as shifting lines. The vast office fell utterly silent. Chi Ling frowned and looked toward the corner.

"Give me your report."

"We have just confirmed that Daoist Master Wang's primal qi signature is still present, while the ancient prince's has disappeared! The traits perfectly match the ancient prince's!"

Several young men shouted in excitement. The others sighed in relief and smiled faintly.

Chi Ling, too, exhaled deeply. She leaned back in her chair. "Monitor the enemies in his vicinity. Send immediate warnings to Fei Yu if needed."

"Yes, ma'am!"

For years, the Dark Faction's strongest pillars had loomed like a shadow over Chi Ling's heart. Now, one of the Blood Race's three ancient princes had fallen.

Though she still found it hard to believe, the truth was right in front of her.

Wang Sheng's sudden rise had not disrupted the cultivation world's balance. Instead, he had eradicated one of its gravest threats. Chi Ling didn't even know how to properly reward or commend the young man anymore.

Regardless, for now, she had to consider the Blood Race's and the Dark Faction's response. Suppressing the jumble of emotions within, she sank into thought.

Whether Wang Sheng had intimidated the Dark Faction or the Blood Race chose to wage a war to avenge their ancient prince, she had to seize control of information and turn the initiative into the Hua Republic's advantage.

***

At a certain city's harbor, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean.

The workers nearby all froze as they stared at the eastern parking lot, where over ten trucks lay toppled. The lot had been filled with dust and debris, and its center had caved in completely.

Some instinctively looked up. The lightning that had just struck in from the sea was still vivid in their memory, stirring a primal fear within them.

Amid the swirling dust, Wang Sheng stood on a shriveled corpse. Spiritless had pierced its back, with more than half its blade driven into the bottom of the pit. Pure Yang Enchanted Power surged through the blade, tearing every inch of the corpse apart. Soon, he found nine tiny bat-like creatures hidden in its major bones.

They must be the root of the ancient prince's rapid regeneration.

He swept through the fragile bats with Pure Yang Enchanted Power, instantly annihilating them.

Wang Sheng spread his spiritual perception far and wide but found no trace of other enemies. He pulled out Spiritless, and the corpse quickly crumbled into dust. Still in the pit, he closed his eyes and drew in the abundant water-attributed primal qi from the sea and the slightly muddied qi of the land, swiftly replenishing his enchanted power. The entire fight, including the chase, had taxed even his Nascent Soul Realm reserves.

Considering Lightning Flash consumed far too much power, he had to keep it as a trump card. Against normal opponents, combining a qi sword with his Seven-Star Sword Formation remained his best approach.

He learned a lot about his limits in this battle. Though he had not used his full strength, he also discovered that he could now walk unimpeded in the Dark Faction's territory. No expert among them could stop him.

By the time Huai Jing and the others arrived, Wang Sheng had recovered nearly twenty percent of his strength. The three hovered in the air around him to guard him.

A while later, Dale piloted the yacht clumsily into the harbor. After colliding with several ships, she finally managed to dock. She hurried toward the crater, drawing countless stares along the way.

The crowd was growing, but most people dared not approach the site where the ancient prince had perished.

Standing at the edge of the pit, Dale whispered, "Have you really... killed him?"

Wang Sheng, who had been focused on recovery, opened his eyes. "I have. Anyway, we have to end this quickly. The faster the better. Huai Jing, contact the investigation unit. Tell them to proceed with the original plan and send someone to extract us. I will restore more of my power first."

"Understood." Huai Jing intoned Buddha's name. He then took out his phone to call the investigation unit.

Liu Yunzhi anxiously asked, "Are you hurt, Fei Yu?"

"No, I'm just drained," Wang Sheng replied as he closed his eyes again. "Let's wait for word from the investigation unit."

The group nodded in unison. Their eyes fell to the ground under Wang Sheng, where only a pool of dark blood and a few ragged scraps of cloth remained.

Seemingly coming to a realization, Shi Qianzhang stepped on two paper talismans and flew back to the yacht at the dock. He retrieved his specialized equipment, hoping it had captured footage of the fight.

After a quick check, he found himself dumbfounded. "Why did it malfunction? Did it capture anything useful at all?"

He packed the equipment into his Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouch, deciding to have it examined back at the mountain.

Ten minutes later, sirens wailed. Gambi's police finally showed up at a leisurely pace. They had only sent two regular patrol cars, as if they were just doing it for show.

Before the police arrived, however, a truck pulled up by the pit. Everyone's phones also simultaneously received a message from the investigation unit.

Wang Sheng stopped meditating, called his companions, and entered the truck with them. Its interior had been hastily arranged, but it was enough for them to sit or lie down comfortably.

The truck moved along at an uneven pace. It easily slipped through the police's careless inspection and headed for the capital of Gambi.

"Brother Lei[1]—no, Brother Sheng," Shi Qianzhang whispered, "did the ancient prince have a storage artifact?"

Still resting with his eyes closed, Wang Sheng thought briefly. "I don't think so."

"Other than the Hua Republic's cultivators, no one can use its storage artifacts," Dale explained softly. "The ancient prince just used agents to manage his vast wealth."

Her timely explanation saved Wang Sheng from frustration. He would have truly felt vexed if he had forgotten to collect treasures on the battlefield.

After all, vampire princes had not only been around since ancient times, but they were also the uncrowned kings of the Dark Faction. They would certainly have countless riches.

1. "雷"(Lei) means lightning ☜