Chapter 1080 - 675: New Mission, Three Camel Mountain (Part 2)
Chapter 1080: Chapter 675: New Mission, Three Camel Mountain (Part 2)
Dongfang Haoyue looked up at Qin Tian, "However, while missions can be fixed, people are flexible. It would be best if Ice Extreme Pass can confidently conquer San Tuo Mountain. If not, you just need to investigate the internal situation of San Tuo Mountain as thoroughly as possible, and then the family will set up a special team to execute the clearing mission."
Hearing this, Qin Tian smiled, moved his gaze from the map, and looked at his friend beside him: "I guess, you recommended me again this time, right?"
His spatial ability is unparalleled in the world, which has long been recognized externally, but his investigation ability is rarely shown in front of outsiders and is only used when acting with those close to him.
And now, since the high-levels of the Dongfang Clan know, it’s almost certain—it was Dongfang Haoyue who recommended him.
"That’s right."
Dongfang Haoyue nodded frankly: "I recommended you to the Elders. First, I believe you can handle it well, you have this ability and confidence. Second, for you, this is also a great opportunity."
"Oh? How so?" Qin Tian raised his eyebrows with interest.
Dongfang Haoyue explained: "According to previous experience, once the peripheral areas have been cleared of the Stele Demons, the power of the Celestial Stele will gradually be released. As the sealing power weakens, some important opportunities that were suppressed and hidden within the Secret Realm by the Celestial Stele will also surface."
"Opportunities? What kind of opportunities?" Qin Tian asked curiously.
Dongfang Haoyue smiled faintly: "The Celestial Stele Secret Realm forms a small world in itself, under the nurturing of the divine artifact Celestial Stele, some precious treasure materials or spiritual objects naturally grow within the Secret Realm."
"During the period when Stele Demons are rampant, to prevent these treasures from being tainted by the Stele Demons, the Celestial Stele will seal them tightly, not allowing anyone to discover them. And as the Stele Demons are largely cleared and the power of the Celestial Stele is gradually released, those seals will loosen, and the hidden treasures will reappear."
Dongfang Haoyue’s finger pointed again at the location of San Tuo Mountain on the map: "Generally, the place with the densest Stele Demons is often where the treasure seals are most firm—the Stele Demons’ instinctual pursuit of the Celestial Stele’s energy makes them unconsciously gather at those sealed locations. Conversely, finding the lairs of the Stele Demons means finding the treasures."
"If Ice Extreme Pass has the ability to eliminate all the Stele Demons inside San Tuo Mountain, then the treasures sealed in the mountains will naturally belong to you." Dongfang Haoyue looked at Qin Tian, "That’s why I said this mission is both a challenge and an opportunity for Ice Extreme Pass. Whether you can seize it depends on you."
So, that’s how it is.
Qin Tian’s eyes flickered slightly. He had not expected that there were unique treasures nurtured right within the Celestial Stele Secret Realm. These treasures were not brought from the outside but were born from the Secret Realm itself, sharing the same origin of power as the divine artifact Celestial Stele. Compared to the true divine artifact Celestial Stele, his Black Frost Saber was still far too lacking—even the most powerful artifact he had ever seen, the Frozen Throne of the Ice God Race, probably had a significant gap compared to the Celestial Stele.
If he could obtain one or two treasure items from San Tuo Mountain, it would undoubtedly be a significant gain for Ice Extreme Pass.
"What do you think, do you dare to take on this mission?" Dongfang Haoyue looked at him with a sly smile in his voice.
"You’ve recommended me like this, if I don’t take it, wouldn’t that be a slap in your face?" Qin Tian chuckled, a relaxed tone.
Since there are still other treasures in the mountains that can be obtained simply by clearing the Stele Demons, there is no reason to refuse this mission. Risk and reward coexist, and he has never been one to shy away from risk.
Isn’t it just a mountain?
At most, he could just blow the whole mountain to smithereens. After all, he still has plenty of explosive iron balls on hand.
Dongfang Haoyue was not surprised by Qin Tian’s decision. Based on his understanding of Qin Tian, this brother-in-law of his never backs down in the face of opportunity—the more perilous a place seems, the more interested he becomes.
However, there were still some things he needed to remind explicitly.
"Qin Tian, I’m not worried about the other things, but there are a few issues you have to pay special attention to." Dongfang Haoyue’s smile faded, and he said solemnly, "Apart from the Stele Demons, there are two more targets you need to be wary of."
He raised a finger: "First, the Beastmen. Recently, many members of the Golden Clan, even Holy Blood Descendants, have gone missing or been killed, a large part of which can be confirmed to be the work of the Beastmen. These guys were directly thrown into the center of the Secret Realm by the Celestial Stele, took a big hit, and now seek revenge furiously. They’ve secretly formed hunting groups specifically to ambush lone human experts, striking with deadly force."
Next, he raised his second finger: "Second, the Blood Demon Cult. You might not imagine, in such a strict selection, and for such precious slots in the Celestial Stele Secret Realm, there are members of the Blood Demon Cult who have infiltrated. They’ve hidden within teams from various major forces, lying in wait to hunt down those with strong bloodlines and extract their essence blood to strengthen themselves."
"The Blood Demon Cult?" Qin Tian frowned, his gaze turning cold.
He had already encountered the Beastmen, and had even subdued two members of the Beastman Royal Family as spies, so he wasn’t surprised. But he hadn’t expected the Blood Demon Cult could also infiltrate the Celestial Stele Secret Realm. It’s known that the selection process for the Nine Stars Martial Arts Competition is extremely rigorous, with each slot undergoing multiple examinations and screenings. That the Blood Demon Cult could achieve such levels of infiltration indicates their lurking strength within the Empire is far deeper than externally perceived.
"Yes, the Blood Demon Cult." A trace of coldness flashed in Dongfang Haoyue’s eyes, "Initially I wasn’t sure, but later, the Blood Demon Cult even targeted A Yu, and nearly succeeded."
What!
Qin Tian’s heart sank sharply.
"If it hadn’t been for Elder Zhuge’s foresight, using the Celestial Secret Trigram to determine A Yu was in trouble, and timely sending rescue, I’m afraid the outcome for A Yu would have been grim." Dongfang Haoyue’s voice carried a hint of lingering fear, "At that time, the situation was very critical. A Yu had been lured to a secluded spot by members of the Blood Demon Cult, where they had set up an array to isolate help. If the rescue hadn’t arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
A cold gleam flashed in Qin Tian’s eyes. The Blood Demon Cult really is persistent. First, they colluded with the Xieshen Association to cause chaos at the Dan Tower, and now they’ve extended their reach into the Celestial Stele Secret Realm, even daring to target those close to him.
"I understand, I’ll be cautious." Qin Tian nodded slowly, his voice calm, but a chill already rising deep in his eyes.
He had already made up his mind—he must resolve this hidden threat from the Blood Demon Cult. As long as he can find one clue, or any member of the Blood Demon Cult, he can use his Soul Devourer ability to trace back and root out all of the Blood Demon Cult’s operatives within the Secret Realm.
Given his current soul strength and divine thought perception, even if the Blood Demon Cult were adept at stealth, they wouldn’t escape his investigation.
"Alright, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back first." Dongfang Haoyue left the map with Qin Tian, stretched, and turned to leave.
Qin Tian watched Dongfang Haoyue’s departing figure and suddenly spoke up: "You came to visit me today with the intention of luring the snake out of the hole, didn’t you?"
Dongfang Haoyue’s steps paused slightly. He didn’t turn around, just shrugged noncommittally, which served as confirmation.
Qin Tian looked deeply at Dongfang Haoyue: "Aren’t you afraid of backfiring?"
"Afraid, of course, I’m afraid." Dongfang Haoyue turned around, with that iconic smile back on his face, "That’s why I came to find help, didn’t I? Brother-in-law, you’ll save me when the time comes, won’t you?"
His tone was light and teasing, as if just discussing a trivial matter. But Qin Tian could see the fleeting seriousness deep in his eyes—that wasn’t a joke, but a genuine trust.
Qin Tian looked at his smiling face, was silent for a moment, and slowly said: "Of course. I also want to see who your enemies really are."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Haoyue’s smile faded a little, and his tone grew more serious: "If you knew their identities, I’m afraid..."
He stopped halfway, as if something was stuck in his throat. He shook his head, as if wanting to shake off some heavy thoughts: "Forget it, you’ll know soon enough."
"Tch, I hate riddlers the most." Qin Tian pouted, a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.
But a solemn expression had already appeared in his eyes. Anyone capable of making the usually composed Dongfang Haoyue appear so grave, and causing the direct lineage of a powerful family like the Dongfang Clan to tread carefully for so many years, must be anything but simple.
Those eyes hiding in the shadows, those claws that have never ceased their pursuit, those secrets buried in the dusts of history—who are they? For what purpose?
Qin Tian knew, the answer wasn’t far off.