Translator: CinderTL
"Do you know anything about its habits?" Song Wen asked.
"The bone serpent void demon isn't much of a fighter," the shadow void replied, "but it's skilled at controlling other void fiends. Even some low-tier void beasts stronger than it will obey its commands. By nature, the bone serpent void demon is lustful and enjoys mating with other types of void fiends."
"Do void fiends have genders?" Song Wen asked.
"Of course. How else would we reproduce?" the shadow void replied.
Before Song Wen could respond, it continued, "I just remembered! The bone serpent void demon sheds its scales periodically. If you want to track it, look for scales nearby."
"Shouldn't you be the one looking for scales?" Song Wen countered.
Here, Song Wen's divine sense could only perceive within a hundred-zhang radius, far from covering the entire mountain.
After a moment, the shadow void said, "Master, head west along the mountain..."
Despite the shadow void's guidance, Song Wen wandered aimlessly for a while to avoid arousing suspicion from the other four before finally reaching the entrance of a mountain cave.
"Master, be careful. There are two fourth-tier resentful spirits in the cave," Shadow Void warned.
Song Wen paid no heed to the mere two fourth-tier resentful spirits and strode into the cave.
After walking about half a mile, the narrow passage gradually widened into a vast cavern.
Suddenly, two piercing shrieks, like the wails of ghosts and the howls of wolves, echoed through the cavern. Two humanoid resentful spirits lunged at Song Wen.
With a flick of his wrist, Song Wen unleashed two bolts of lightning, instantly annihilating them.
He then walked to the center of the cavern, bent down, and cleared away a few scattered rocks to retrieve a scale the size of three fingers.
The scale shimmered with iridescent colors, possessing an almost ethereal beauty.
Whoosh, whoosh...
Several air-rending sounds echoed from behind him. It was Feng Youyou and the others, drawn by the commotion of the lightning strikes.
Yan Tong arrived first.
With the owl void demon scouting ahead, he didn't need to be as cautious as the other three, allowing him to travel at full speed.
"Fellow Daoist Ji Lin, are you proficient in thunder magic?" Yan Tong asked, his attention focused on the thunder magic rather than the scale in Song Wen's hand.
"I have a modest understanding," Song Wen replied. "I wouldn't dare claim to be 'proficient.'"
Yan Tong nodded, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to say something more, but Feng Youyou arrived just then.
"Oh! Fellow Daoist Ji Lin, what's that in your hand?" Feng Youyou had already learned from her nephew, Feng Xin, that Song Wen was skilled in thunder magic, so she wasn't surprised by his display of it. Her attention was entirely focused on the scale in Song Wen's hand.
"I found this scale by chance," Song Wen replied. "I'm not sure if it's related to the Beauty Serpent."
"That's definitely a scale from the Beauty Serpent," Manager Yin's voice rang out.
He had arrived with Bu Ren.
Like Feng Youyou, neither Manager Yin nor Bu Ren questioned Song Wen's use of thunder magic.
"This scale only proves the Beauty Serpent has been here," Song Wen said. "It probably won't help us find it."
"Not necessarily," Manager Yin said, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips.
Song Wen's curiosity piqued. What methods did Manager Yin possess? Could he have a secret art similar to the Thousand Miles Breath Tracking Technique?
The Thousand Miles Breath Tracking Technique could track humans and demons, but Song Wen hadn't yet tested whether it could track void fiends.
At that moment, Manager Yin's finger, adorned with a storage ring, trembled slightly, and a massive dark shadow materialized out of thin air.
It was a stone platform several meters wide, its surface intricately engraved with complex formation patterns.
The platform was, in fact, a miniature formation.
With a thunderous boom, the platform crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Manager Yin formed hand seals, conjuring silver talismans that he channeled into the platform one after another.
The formation patterns on the platform gradually began to glow with a silvery light.
When the silver light reached its peak intensity, Manager Yin declared, "Fellow Daoist Ji Lin, quickly throw the scale into the formation!"
With a flick of his wrist, Song Wen sent the scale arcing toward the dazzling silver light.
Meanwhile, Manager Yin continued to weave hand seals.
Suddenly, the scale, which had been lying motionless on the platform, slowly lifted into the air. With a whoosh, it shot out of the cave.
"Follow it quickly!" Manager Yin shouted, retracting the stone platform. He transformed into a blur of motion, chasing after the scale.
Song Wen was slightly surprised.
He had underestimated these people earlier. Yan Tong possessed a fifth-tier void beast.
Manager Yin possessed a formation capable of tracking void fiends.
Both this formation and Yan Tong's fifth-tier void beast were invaluable assets for exploring the Primordial Qi Death Zone.
With these thoughts, Song Wen's gaze swept over Feng Youyou and Bu Ren.
What methods did these two possess? What skills justified their participation in this bounty mission?
Could Feng Youyou be relying on her bedroom skills? Or perhaps her past relationships with Manager Yin and Yan Tong?
But what about Bu Ren? He was the weakest among them in cultivation, and Feng Youyou had mentioned he was new to Yangshi City, having never participated in a bounty mission before. Why would Manager Yin agree to his inclusion?
As for Song Wen himself, judging by Manager Yin and Bu Ren's reactions upon entering the cavern, they must have already known about his mastery of thunder magic.
This likely explained why Manager Yin, Bu Ren, and Feng Youyou had so strongly advocated for Song Wen's inclusion during their earlier discussion.
After all, thunder magic was far more effective against creatures in the Primordial Qi Death Zone than any other type of magic.
While these thoughts raced through Song Wen's mind, he followed the group through the air.
Manager Yin's ability to track void fiends wasn't good news for him.
If they actually found the Beauty Serpent, the four would undoubtedly flee the Primordial Qi Death Zone immediately.
A plan to coerce them into heading to the Six Fiends Hall instantly formed in Song Wen's mind.
However, this was a truly unwise course of action.
Firstly, the four would undoubtedly panic and become disorganized, failing to thoroughly search the mountain valley.
Secondly, if the Six Fiends Hall were indeed in the valley, they would easily detect the flaws in the group's behavior and deduce that someone was orchestrating them from behind, thus endangering Song Wen himself.
As Song Wen pondered this, Yan Tong's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Fellow Daoist Ji Lin, what do you say to a collaboration between us?"
Song Wen startled slightly at the voice.
Only then did he notice that Yan Tong, who should have been scouting ahead, was now walking closely beside him.
Manager Yin, Bu Ren, and Feng Youyou were already several dozen meters ahead.
Due to the intense interference from the Primordial Qi, this distance exceeded the sensory range of even Divine Transformation Stage cultivators. Yan Tong had clearly waited until this moment to transmit his message, fearing the others might overhear.
"What kind of collaboration are you proposing, fellow daoist?" Song Wen replied telepathically.
Yan Tong responded, "I wish to make an agreement with you: in times of danger, we will support each other and overcome the challenges together."
Song Wen's lips twitched slightly. Why do Feng Youyou and her group always resort to these kinds of schemes?
"Since we five are jointly participating in this bounty mission, mutual assistance is only natural," Song Wen replied, adopting a matter-of-course tone.
Yan Tong countered, "Fellow Daoist, you understand my meaning perfectly well. Why bother with such evasions?"
(End of the Chapter)
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