Lord Xue Ying
chapter-170

The provinces were safe, while the counties and important locations of the Transcendent Clans were quite safe as well. Since the demons knew that the Xia Clan’s Transcendents were currently searching for them, they usually steered away from these places.

Then which locations were the most dangerous?

Many densely populated cities and villages still existed outside of the protected areas. Any random demon could act as they wanted in such places. Those living in these cities and villages could not threaten the demons’ lives. After all… the entire Xia Clan’s World was too big. It was so large that the number of population centers within the fundamental clan counties couldn’t all be protected by arrays. They did not have enough resources for that!

Xiu.

How fast was Xue Ying’s speed with his current ability? With the Embryonic Form of Extreme Piercing, his manipulation of World Energy swept away his fleshly body… His speed was so terrifying that when compared with new Transcendents, it was way out of their league.

Traveling from Snowrock Castle to Water Rites Town would not even take the time to breathe once before Xue Ying would reach his destination.

After so many years, the Water Rites Town still remained the same, Xue Ying thought as he walked around the town.

The Water-Fire Cloud Robe on his body transformed into an ordinary black robe.

Likewise, Xue Ying transformed his external features, reshaping his face into that of another man’s likeness. Without a doubt, the demons he pursued would instantly recognize him if they had studied about human Transcendents. Naturally, he had to hide himself.

Hua-

Borrowing strength from the World Energy, he extended his soul power to spread over an area fifty kilometers in diameter.

Within this area, Xue Ying’s energy covered the entire Water Rites Town. He was able to observe the millions of people living within this area. Nothing escaped his scrutiny. From the minor street tussles, bloody acts in the dark, close and personal physical acts, and even those diligently cultivation, none could escape his vigilant gaze. Xue Ying’s soul power was so immense that it could easily resolve any conflicts.

"Boss, give me something to eat," Xue Ying had casually founda restaurant, picked a corner to sit in, and ordered some breakfast.

He ate his meal slowly.

At the same time, he was searching for the demons…

In reality, his mission was quite relaxed. Anyone who was searching for demons only needed to travel to different locations, eat and drink their fill, and could also enjoy the entertainments of the mortal world. As long as they frequently borrowed the strength of the World Energy to observe the surrounding areas, — they would already be deemed as diligent in performing their mission!

The Transcendents searching for the demons had no control over where to search. The demons had hidden themselves extremely well. Just as the Transcendents could transform their bodies into water streams, or become spheres… these Abyss Demons could likewise transform themselves! An Abyss Demon could easily reconstruct its body into a human figure. Furthermore, since these demons had matured within the Dark Abyss, they had methods of hiding their own auras as well.

Because these demons could transform their exterior appearances and completely hide their auras, it was almost impossible for any Transcendent to find flaws in their disguise by just looking!

If the demons’ appearances could be discerned by just looking at them, the human Demigods would have already been able to find them. By borrowing the World Energy, the Demigods could observe an even greater area. A single spread of a Demigod’s the energy could cover an area of over 500 kilometers in radius. With this kind of coverage, they could completely cover the Xia Clan’s World with their soul power! Yet because these demons had hidden themselves so well, looking like any ordinary human by transforming their features and hiding their auras, the Demigods could not find any of them.

However—

Demons could not hide their aura if they used their demonic power in any way. If they fought or swallowed a human’s soul, the demonic power within their body would show itself. That aura… would not be able to remain hidden. At that time, they would certainly be discovered!

Therefore, all that Xue Ying and the other Transcendents needed to do was just continue observing areas with World Energy and wait for the demons to act! The moment they discovered a demon’s aura, they would be able chase it.

Borrowing the World Energy to observe large areas was the most inconspicuous method, because World Energy permeated the world, and as long as Transcendents did not deliberately operate the World Energy, but instead, just used the World Energy to observe all four corners of the area… no demons would discover them.

I’ll continue doing this for half a year. Who knows if I will nab some demons or not, Xue Ying thought to himself.

...

The days of chasing after demons passed in a carefree manner.

Everyday, Xue Ying would eat and drink as if he were a rich prince loafing around. He would spend more than half a day sitting around the restaurants, frequently listening to the songs sang by female singers within those establishments.

Xue Ying spent a full month in the Water Rites Town with nothing happening!

He thus decided to leave the Water Rites Town.

He then headed to several of the villages in the surrounding area.

"This is weird, so weird.

"Not even a single trace to be found," Xue Ying silently muttered to himself. He had also exchanged messages through the communication wristband with his fellow Transcendents.

"Brother Dong Bo, I, too, can’t discover any traces of them! I’ve asked the Dragon Mountain Manor. Last month, the demons were still occasionally eating the souls of villagers. Yet now, our entire county is extremely quiet. I’ve not heard of any villages experiencing demons eating villager souls on a large-scale operation, and I haven’t discovered any large-scale disappearances."

"Brother Xue Ying, I have a feeling that these demons recently learned of our operation, leading to all of them hiding in some corners of the world."

After exchanging messages with the others, Xue Ying discovered that he was not the only one who had difficulty finding traces of the demons.

"Hmph."

"So what if they hide themselves. I believe that, sooner or later, they will not be able to control their cravings anymore," Xue Ying had read through all the books on Xia Clan’s history of Demigods. Naturally, he understood that ‘dogs can’t help but eat shit’. How was it possible for the demons to see the countless humans walking around and yet, control themselves from not swallowing their souls? It might be possible for them to control themselves for three to five months, but controlling their appetites for a few years was something impossible for them. They would certainly go crazy after a certain length of time.

Since the Infernal Palace had passed down the order, the Transcendents could only patiently search for traces of these demons.

******

Azure River County.

Xue Ying currently walked within the county. His mood was relatively good. This location was where he had first met Jing Qiu.

In the blink of an eye, thirty years have passed, Xue Ying thought as he randomly chose a restaurant and went directly to the second floor. He found a spot near the windows before ordering something to eat and drink in a bid to slowly waste his time. By borrowing the World Energy, he was able to spread his soul throughout an area of fifty kilometers in radius around him. Lately, he had begun splitting his concentration between watching over the area his soul power covered and pondering his spear techniques.

Searching for demons? As long as he split part of his concentration onto that matter, it was fine.

Xue Ying quite enjoyed these types of missions where he traveled to different areas and split his concentration between searching and pondering his spear techniques. In this way, his heart became calmer, allowing his spear techniques to share a connection with nature. He felt that if he continued on this path, his own investigations towards the spear techniques would help him find a Profound Mystery that would overcome its inherent weaknesses.

Mn? It was during the afternoon when Xue Ying suddenly frowned and thought, She came here?

"Lady You Yue, our Clan Master arrived a while ago and is waiting for you on the third floor." Outside the restaurant, an extravagant carriage stopped. A middle-aged beautiful woman dressed luxuriously came out of it. Two Meteor Knights served as bodyguards. Currently, an old man at the entrance of the restaurant greeted her, "Lady You Yue, please."

"Lead the way," The regal, beautiful middle-aged woman frankly replied.

The old man did not dare delay.

This Lady You Yue was quite a big character within the upper-class social circle in Azure River County. There were even rumours about her being the first love of the legendary Transcendent Dong Bo Xue Ying! Some people even said she that was Xue Ying’s sister. Regardless, there was no denying the fact that she had spent her adolescence living together with Dong Bo Xue Ying in his castle.

Deng deng deng. Following the old man, this beautiful middle-aged woman, with her two Meteor bodyguards, climbed up the wooden stairs and ascended to the second then third floor.

At a corner, by the windows on the second floor of the restaurant where Xue Ying was seated, he stared at the back of that beautiful, middle-aged woman walking up to the third floor.

You Yue, Xue Ying thought. His current feelings turned complex.

Years ago, she was just an innocent teenager who called him Big Brother Xue Ying. She was even someone who made him furious beyond reason in the past. Yet now, she had become a middle-aged woman. Even though her innate charm still remained with her, and her facial features were quite beautiful, he could clearly see the wrinkles by her eyes and her loosened skin. You Yue even seemed much older than Xue Ying’s mother, Mo Yang Yu.

Right, You Yue was already over 50 years old. Currently, she was still a Heaven rank mage and could not even step into the realm of Star. Judging by her expected lifespan, she would at most live to be 80 or 90 years old. It was considered quite good already for her to maintain her facial features as she had.