Chapter 696 - 695: Searching

Chapter 696: Chapter 695: Searching

When Shi Xueyun heard this news, she was stunned. After all the hardships they had endured to come to the Sealing Heaven Divine Kingdom, they discovered the person they were looking for wasn’t here? The guards couldn’t be lying; there was no reason to lie about something like this.

Either they genuinely didn’t know, or the Sealing Heaven Divine Kingdom had suppressed the matter, keeping most people in the dark. Yi Tianyun wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but one thing was clear: this trip had been a waste.

"How can this be..."

Shi Xueyun’s eyes filled with disappointment. She had chosen to ascend to the Celestial Realm largely to find Jiao Linghe and bring her back, but who would have thought she wasn’t here at all? Suddenly, she felt lost, with no idea what to do next.

If Yi Tianyun hadn’t come for her and she had set out on her own, it would have been several years from now. Her original plan was to break through to the second or third level of the Spirit King Stage before venturing out, as that cultivation level was the safest.

To emerge after several years only to discover the person she was looking for wasn’t here... that would have been truly heartbreaking.

"Aunt, don’t worry." Yi Tianyun patted her shoulder and said with a faint smile, "It’s possible her real name was concealed, or the whole affair was suppressed. In theory, this isn’t something that can see the light of day."

’There are many possibilities. I believe my parents haven’t been killed or anything. No matter how cruel the Sealing Heaven Divine Kingdom is, they wouldn’t go that far, would they?’

’They could be imprisoned or trapped somewhere. We just have to search properly.’

"Mm..." Shi Xueyun nodded and forced a smile. She was still very worried about Jiao Linghe.

Immediately, Yi Tianyun looked up, his eyes flashing with light. The Eye of Investigation swiftly enveloped the area, scanning forward inch by inch. Although the five great mountains were massive, the Eye of Investigation was the real deal, easily covering a considerable area.

For others, it would be difficult to penetrate the Divine Runes here to investigate with their Spiritual Sense, but for him, it was incredibly easy. After sweeping his scan across the area, he couldn’t find the slightest trace, nor did he see anyone with a familiar face.

"Looks like we’ll have to go inside for a look..."

Yi Tianyun’s Eye of Investigation only covered a fraction of the area. The five Celestial Mountains were too vast for it to easily scan every region, so their only option was to venture deeper inside.

"Go inside? Can we even get in?"

Shi Xueyun looked ahead. There were so many guards. If they tried to force their way in, it would undoubtedly cause a commotion inside. At that point, forget about getting in; they would likely be surrounded in an instant.

"No problem. Come with me."

Yi Tianyun led her away to the side. Only when the guards saw them leaving did they gradually relax their vigilance. Otherwise, they had been staring intently, watching to see what they would do.

Soon, Yi Tianyun led her to a corner. It was a blind spot, and the guards couldn’t see what was happening there.

"What are we doing over here?" Shi Xueyun asked, confused.

"To get inside, of course. Aunt, conceal your aura," Yi Tianyun said with a slight smile. Though confused, Shi Xueyun did as she was told. Then, the two of them vanished on the spot, as if no one had ever been there.

The next moment, they appeared in a forest inside the compound. Shi Xueyun was stunned. As she carefully observed her surroundings, she realized they were clearly inside one of the five great mountains she had seen from the outside!

"We’re... inside?" Shi Xueyun was utterly shocked. She had never experienced this Instant Teleportation effect before.

She had always been helping Yi Tianyun manage various matters in the palace and had never fought alongside him. As a result, while she knew many things, she was also unaware of many others.

"That’s right. We got in easily. Keep your aura concealed, and let’s search the vicinity."

Yi Tianyun smiled, took her small hand, and led her forward. Shi Xueyun nodded without saying anything more, simply letting him hold her hand as they walked on.

The two of them looked less like they were here to investigate and more like they were out for a stroll. And indeed, the surrounding environment was quite pleasant. It was filled with Spirit Flowers and Herbs. Although their grades weren’t very high, the fact that they were Spirit Flowers and Herbs at all was a testament to the Divine Kingdom’s resources; an ordinary one couldn’t manage this.

"The five mountains are connected, forming a powerful Defense Array. If activated, its power would be extraordinary." Yi Tianyun had long since figured out the secret. These five Celestial Mountains weren’t naturally formed; they had been artificially constructed.

Together, they formed an unparalleled great array that would become a super-weapon when activated. Anyone who got too close, even a Saint King, would likely be suppressed instantly.

Concealing their auras, they explored the area. All the while, Yi Tianyun used his Eye of Investigation to scan their surroundings, examining every person and building inside and out.

He was looking for any possible clue. However, he avoided scanning certain places that looked particularly imposing. It wasn’t that he couldn’t penetrate them, but he was afraid of alerting the powerful experts within.

The Eye of Investigation wasn’t invincible, and this kind of probing could easily trigger the senses of powerful experts. Although he wasn’t afraid, causing a disturbance would not be easy to resolve.

Soon, they had completed a full circle of the area. Under the guidance of the Eye of Investigation, avoiding the surrounding Cultivators was not difficult.

’There are quite a few powerful experts here. It’s truly worthy of being a land with a formidable heritage...’ Yi Tianyun narrowed his eyes. Although he hadn’t found any trace of his parents during his scan, he had managed to get a general overview of the situation.

Judging by the number of experts, their eighth-place ranking seemed to be an understatement; they could even be ranked higher. At the very least, based on his evaluation of their Overall Strength, they were slightly stronger than the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom.

The only explanations were that the forces in the Celestial Realm were simply too powerful, pushing their ranking down, or that they were deliberately keeping a low profile.

Aside from that, he found no useful information. It was as if Yi Xingchen and Jiao Linghe had completely evaporated, leaving not a single trace behind.

"Let’s find someone to ask."

Yi Tianyun shook his head. There was really no other way; he had to interrogate someone.

"Who are we going to ask?" Shi Xueyun asked, puzzled.

Immediately, Yi Tianyun led her forward. As they stepped out of the forest, a fourth-level Spirit King Stage expert happened to be passing by. The moment they appeared, they were discovered.

Shi Xueyun’s heart sank. ’We’ve been discovered! We’re done for this time!’

"Who are you!" the Spirit King Stage expert’s gaze turned cold. He remembered everyone in the sect, and he had definitely never seen these two unfamiliar faces before.

"Come here." Yi Tianyun’s eyes flashed. The Spirit King Stage expert’s body stiffened for a moment. Then, his gaze softened, and he became as obedient as a dog.

"Yes..." The expert followed them into the forest. Beside them, Shi Xueyun was absolutely aghast.

’That’s a Spirit King Stage expert! How did he just come over when called?’ Shi Xueyun fell silent at her side. She had been apart from Yi Tianyun for too long; so many things now surpassed her imagination.