This group of individuals didn't have a huge number, but each of them was an elite martial master or connate martial expert.
Using the Azure Dragon Hall's evaluation standard, this group of individuals was already able to wipe out any faction below the A-class.
The Great Xia Empire's Sixth Prince Li Tai had assigned the rest of the elite experts that came along with him on this expedition to this place. Their leader was his residence's chief supervisor, Eunuch Xiao. He was a veteran martial master and was comparable to a Prefecture Governor in the Great Xia Empire.
Under his lead, the group carefully covered up their presence while they silently followed Ying Qingqing's sedan chair that was traversing across the mountain range.
Shi Jing, Li Tai, and their group had worked together with Black Emperor Xiuzhe. They wanted to rescue Ying Qingqing and Xie Xingmang, while Xiuzhe wanted to rescue Helian Zhe and Zha Lei. The two groups clicked immediately.
Shi Jing, Nie Hua, Li Tai, and the Demon Monk Mingfa were at the front to lure the Demon Sovereign and the Demon Cult's main forces. Xiuzhe would lead his men to launch a surprise attack at the Demon Sovereign's traveling palace to rescue the people inside. But apart from that, Shi Jing and Li Tai had arranged a second ambush just to be thorough.
If Xie Xingmang, Helian Zhe, and the other captives were in the palace, the two groups would gather and concentrate their attacks. As a result, the Demon Sovereign's palace was indeed a trap. Eunuch Xiao didn't offer any assistance as the Demon Cult's forces at the palace were formidable. If Eunuch Xiao's group joined the fray, it would be enough for Black Emperor Xiuzhe to break out of the trap. Instead of being in a deadlock, Eunuch Xiao chose drastic measures to rescue Ying Qingqing.
As such, Eunuch Xiao didn't immediately intercept and extended the line to catch the bigger fish. He followed the Demon Cult members that were escorting Ying Qingqing to leave and was planning to find Xie Xingmang and Helian Zhe's true location before ending the whole operation.
"Elder Wen, do we?"
Eunuch Xiao might be the leader to decide the team's movements, but he was very respectful to a silent old man beside him. The old man looked unconventional and dispirited. His face revealed the hardships that he experienced, and he silently followed Eunuch Xiao. When Eunuch Xiao asked for his opinion, he just simply said, "It is fine for Chief Supervisor Xiao to make the decision. This old one isn't adept at such things and is just here to offer physical help."
The old man replied in this manner, and Eunuch Xiao actually relaxed and gestured to everyone. The group of people then immediately sped up and followed that departing sedan chair.
…
"Xiuzhe and Elder Wen. I wonder which group will succeed."
Inside the Hidden Dragon Illusion Array, Shi Jing's eyes had this subtle worry as he said, "Fourth Senior… and Young Lady Ying. I wonder how they are now."
Right now, he could only pay attention to the things happening in front of him. The Hidden Dragon Illusion Array was a secret array that was passed down by the ancestors of the Great Xia Empire. It wasn't easy to set up and required an immense amount of effort, but the effects were rather good.
As one of the most outstanding princes in the imperial clan, he was bestowed with the Hidden Dragon Illusion Array for his expedition to the Demon Domain. It was to prevent Demon Cult experts from killing him in a sneak attack. However, this wasn't the first time that the Demon Cult had encountered the Hidden Dragon Illusion Array.
With accumulated experience, the Demon Cult had figured out a method to destroy it. The Demon Cult's Left Envoy Xiao Yuntian didn't just have an impressive martial dao, he was rather proficient in other arts too.
During the process to break the array, there were mists that rose up from the mountains. Within the mists, there were images of dragons that were faintly visible and constantly tumbling around. Violent winds constantly blew away the mists. Now that the array was already broken, what else could still remain?
Those dragon images that were hidden within had also gradually vanished. The Hidden Dragon Illusion Array was on the verge of being broken.
However, Shi Jing was hidden within, but his mind was thinking elsewhere.
With the Demon Sovereign's normal temper, he would be infuriated and come chasing over. However, he wasn't making a move personally and had been observing while his subordinate was breaking the array. It was truly a little abnormal, and it was as if a cat was playing with a mouse.
Shi Jing immediately understood that Xiuzhe's group had already been exposed. They were planning to lure the Demon Sovereign out of the palace, but the Demon Sovereign was trying to lure the snake out of the cave and giving them a taste of their own medicine.
Shi Jing was also rather surprised when he found out that Xiuzhe didn't return to recuperate after being severely injured and had actually followed the Demon Cult secretly while attempting a rescue. Such an abnormal move was something that the Demon Cult shouldn't have been able to guard against.
The Demon Cult's ambush should be targeting Shi Jing's secret reinforcements. Now that Xiuzhe had rushed and stepped on the land mine, Shi Jing hoped that Elder Wen and Eunuch Xiao's group would be able to succeed.
However, Shi Jing was afraid that the Demon Cult still had other preparations, and it meant that all of his arrangements were exposed in the enemy's eyes.
Was there a spy? Ying Qingqing didn't know of their exact arrangement, and there were only a few individuals who knew…
Shi Jing's brows knitted tightly while he turned his attention to what was in front of him again. The dragons within the mist were gradually being destroyed by Xiao Yuntian. Chen Luoyang was standing on the flood dragon and was calmly looking at the disintegrating Hidden Dragon Illusion Array.
On the side, Shangguan Song looked behind them before saying, "Cult Master, it seems like the enemy had an ambush prepared and is attacking the Sovereign Carriage. What do you…?"
"It doesn't matter," Chen Luoyang said indifferently.
Shangguan Song didn't say anything else. Previously, Shangguan Song had thought that this young cult master was indulging in a love affair and that he had to maintain his image while anger was surging in his mind. From the looks of things now, it seemed like Chen Luoyang was already prepared and had made arrangements.
Is his information network so developed? The Demon Cult's Seventh Elder had complicated feelings, while his mind was filled with worry.
Chen Luoyang wasn't worried about the palace at all. For personal information that was already provided by the black pot before, Chen Luoyang would only need to use a small amount of blood-red serum to obtain the latest situation. Before he checked on Shi Jing's information, he had checked on Xiuzhe's latest life experiences first.
To be honest, Chen Luoyang was also rather surprised to find out that Xiuzhe didn't hide in order to recuperate from his wounds and had actually continued to follow them.
That fellow truly has interesting feelings towards Helian Zhe…
Chen Luoyang had even read the information that the number one warrior under Xiuzhe, the leader of the Ten Gallants, "Devil Wolf" Ba Kun, had an argument with him before they parted ways. Chen Luoyang might not know the exact details of the dispute, but from what he had observed previously, Ba Kun was a madman that was fond of battle, and he was a believer that the weak would be preyed upon by the strong.
If Xiuzhe had recovered before plotting his comeback, Ba Kun might have continued to maintain his loyalty. However, Xiuzhe actually disregarded his severe injuries and still wanted to rescue Helian Zhe, and it was something that Ba Kun could not accept.
Ultimately, Xiuzhe insisted on doing it.
After lamenting, Chen Luoyang pondered on how to eliminate this hidden enemy. However, even after reading Xiuzhe's life experiences, Chen Luoyang didn't know of Xiuzhe's exact location, and it wouldn't be easy to pinpoint either. That's why he came up with today's scheme to lure the snake out of the cave.
He made Xiuzhe jump out willingly and eliminate all of the hidden enemies.
As expected, Xiuzhe contacted Shi Jing and the others. After inspecting Shi Jing's information and browsing through the descriptions of the events, Chen Luoyang noticed a name.
Wen Liu.
Within the information collected by the Demon Cult, there wasn't any mention of this person following Shi Jing and Nie Hua. However, this was a person that required some attention. Chen Luoyang didn't know how Shi Jing was setting up his plot, but Chen Luoyang reckoned that the hidden Wen Liu that no one knew of was either going to assist Xiuzhe or was setting up another ambush. He was truly a hidden chess piece.
However, since the hidden chess piece was exposed, the situation was entirely different…
From far away, the Demon Cult members carried the small sedan chair across the mountain and entered a valley. Eunuch Xiao, Elder Wen, and the subordinates followed behind closely into the valley.
"Do it now!" Eunuch Xiao gave the order.