Chapter 2298: High-Level Surveillance Methods

Even a dying tiger possesses strength far beyond that of a crawling ant.

"I'm dying anyway," the small figure that Xu Wenqin had transformed into said woodenly. "Liu Qingdao is already the head of the Bingyuan Department. The only person who could make him humbly present himself is most likely Emperor Jiuyou. Wiping you all out in one go would be my last contribution to the sect."

"Brother Xu, the laws of heaven and earth have changed; self-detonating your primordial spirit can no longer harm anyone," Liu Qingdao said from the side. "You've listened to our discussion for so long, you should know the truth. Cang Yan has no intention of harming you, much less destroying Qixia Sect. For many years, Cang Yan has strived to coexist peacefully with the immortal sects and demon clans that have emerged, and Qixia Sect will be no exception."

Xu Wenqin fell silent.

He had heard every word of Emperor Jiuyou's conversation with the others just now.

"The one truly harming you is the person disguised as Tang Jingye," He Lingchuan told him. "And now, he intends to incite a war between Qixia Sect and Cang Yan. You should understand by now that Qixia Sect can, at best, damage Wei'an City, but against the entire Cang Yan, it's like an ant trying to shake a tree—there's not even a tiny chance of victory."

After today's battle, Xu Wenqin finally had an intuitive understanding of Cang Yan's power and no longer felt He Lingchuan was exaggerating.

How could Qixia Sect possibly defeat such a vast and powerful nation?

Xu Wenqin couldn't imagine it.

Liu Qingdao picked up the conversation at the right moment: "But if Qixia Sect truly attacks Wei'an City, we will have no other choice but to eliminate this threat with all our might! Brother Xu, Qixia Sect cannot bear the wrath of the Dragon God."

He stated directly that Cang Yan's counterattack would wipe Qixia Sect from existence.

"Currently, not only is Brother Xu's life in peril, but Qixia Sect is also at a critical juncture. One wrong step could lead to eternal damnation, and centuries of foundation could turn to dust!"

*You surely don't want the sect to be buried with you, do you?* Dong Rui muttered to himself, but didn't voice the thought.

Liu Qingdao further persuaded: "Brother Xu, we already know the location of Qixia Sect's main gate. If we were truly set on destroying the sect, we wouldn't need to expend all this effort; we could just send out a large army for a direct confrontation. We anticipate Qixia Sect would ultimately be massacred."

The millions in Wei'an City were waiting for water; this matter couldn't be delayed. But what he said was: "Fighting to the death with Qixia Sect would only fulfill the wishes of the one behind the scenes. We don't want to bring pain to our loved ones and joy to our enemies."

Xu Wenqin let out a heavy sigh. "What do you want to ask me?"

Souls don't need to breathe; his action was merely an instinctive reaction.

He Lingchuan then asked directly, without hesitation: "How does Qixia Sect monitor the outside world?"

Xu Wenqin asked cautiously, "What do you intend to do?"

"If Qixia Sect discovers our approach, they will surely react aggressively," He Lingchuan said earnestly. "I have a plan that can minimize casualties on both our sides, but the first step requires your information."

He then briefly explained the plan and added: "This method minimizes harm to Wei'an City and gives Qixia Sect more room to maneuver. Otherwise, if casualties are too high, even if I wanted to spare Qixia Sect, the military and civilians would not let it go."

To quickly gain Xu Wenqin's trust, the best approach was to speak truthfully. Furthermore, his life force was barely a thread, and the Wocan's interior was a sealed space, so no information could escape.

Xu Wenqin was somewhat surprised after listening, and his expression indeed softened, but he still made a demand: "If I help you, you must ultimately spare Qixia Sect!"

He Lingchuan smiled. "If Qixia Sect doesn't provoke trouble or violate Cang Yan's laws, how could the vast land of the Blazing Gold Plains not accommodate one Qixia Sect?"

Liu Qingdao also said, "Brother Xu, Emperor Jiuyou's words are law!"

Xu Wenqin still insisted, "Please, Emperor Jiuyou, swear an oath!"

He Lingchuan didn't hesitate; he raised a finger to the sky and swore an oath. His words were golden, and a solemn vow he made could not be easily regretted, or he would surely suffer divine punishment.

Only then did Xu Wenqin breathe a sigh of relief. He then closed his eyes, and his brow furrowed.

They all noticed that his complexion was worse than before, pale with a bluish tint, almost transparent.

This state of his spirit indicated—

He Lingchuan frowned. "Elder Xu, are you using your soul power to sustain your body?"

Ordinarily, the body nourishes and supports the spirit, but Xu Wenqin's current condition seemed to be the reverse: he was burning his soul power to combat his physical injuries.

Xu Wenqin's voice was bitter. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have lasted this long. You said, the thing that injured me was a demon puppet?"

"Highly likely," Dong Rui replied, as meticulous as ever.

How quickly this world changed. A century ago, Xu Wenqin hadn't even heard the words "demon puppet," yet now his life was threatened by them.

Was it fate, or destiny?

"Elder Xu, we're almost at Xunyang Mountain." Seeing him suddenly lost in thought, He Lingchuan had to remind him, "Time is short."

Time was running out for Wei'an City, and for Elder Xu and Qixia Sect, the clock was ticking down too.

"Right," Xu Wenqin said, finally snapping back to attention. "The entire Xunyang Mountain is Qixia Sect's eyes and ears."

"How so?"

"Have you ever noticed that the Xunyang Mountain range is rich in Stone Bark Grass? It grows on the mountain, at its base, and even in your city." Stone Bark Grass was a common wild plant found throughout the Xunyang Mountain range; its name itself hinted at its tenacious vitality, as it could grow even on bare rock.

"Our surveillance of the outside world is carried out by a spirit of the Stone Bark Grass!" Xu Wenqin explained. "In fact, this plant wasn't originally found in the Xunyang Mountain range; we brought it here. When Qixia Sect established itself on Xunyang Mountain, we also brought the Stone Bark Grass with us. Over a hundred years, the Stone Bark Grass has proliferated everywhere, and every single plant can serve as our eyes and ears! While they lack offensive capabilities, the combined environmental perception of all the Stone Bark Grass can project the surrounding scenery onto the water mirror within our small grotto-heaven!"

Liu Qingdao gave a thumbs-up and praised, "Impressive, that's a remarkably ingenious design!"

So Qixia Sect's eyes and ears weren't just one or two, but thousands upon thousands. Pulling out merely a plant or two would be utterly useless to an enemy.

He Lingchuan then focused on the next crucial point: "Is there any way to block their perception?"

"Only the one who tied the bell can untie it," Xu Wenqin explained. "That Stone Bark Grass spirit is the central hub for all of this. If it's made to temporarily go dormant, the water mirror technique will fail."

He Lingchuan understood; this was akin to cutting off the broadcast channel.

"Has the water mirror technique ever failed before?"

"Yes, several times a year," Xu Wenqin recalled. "After all, the Stone Bark Grass spirit is just a monster, and although its vitality is extremely tenacious, its ability to relay information is often interrupted for various reasons—such as the outbreak of imperial dew, changes in celestial phenomena, damage to itself, or even extremely low temperatures. I remember a blizzard six years ago where temperatures dropped drastically, killing many plants, including Stone Bark Grass, and that grass spirit also entered a dormant state."