togophonebook Chapter 31 Tracking
Chapter 31 Tracking
In a mountain stronghold a hundred miles away from Qinghe Town, the lights were on, but the atmosphere was grim.
Inside the main hall, the old man with white hair and beard, wearing a Taoist robe with star patterns—Mo Xuanzi, a star official under the Canglang constellation—sat upright at the head of the hall.
Before him, the mirror-like surface formed from starlight had not yet completely dissipated. The faint imprints remaining in the mirror, belonging to the strange phenomenon of "Nirvana Death Star Reflecting the Netherworld" from last night, were emitting their last glimmer of light.
Below them, in addition to the original few martial artists with chilling auras, there were two more.
One was an old man, thin as a bamboo pole, with a sallow complexion but sharp eyes like a hawk, and a long, black, snake-shaped whip wrapped around his waist.
The other was a plump, alluring woman in purple, whose eyes exuded a seductive charm, toying with a fine needle that gleamed with a faint blue light.
The aura emanating from these two individuals was several times stronger than that of the previous minor leader, clearly indicating that they had already entered the Innate Realm.
They were two members of the "Starfall Guard" who had been personally dispatched by the "Azure Wolf" envoy after receiving the urgent message from Mo Xuanzi back to the main altar. They rushed over overnight. They were Cui Wei, the Ghost Whip Elder, and Liu San Niang, the Thousand Thread Needle Elder.
"Officer Mo," Cui Wei's voice was dry and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing together, "Last night's strange phenomenon, the coordinates have been confirmed to be in the western suburbs of Qinghe Town? Is the 'Shadow' truly hiding there?"
Mo Xuanzi nodded slowly, his expression solemn: "The celestial mirror shows it perfectly. That image of deathly aura soaring into the sky is a sign that the original power of the 'Netherworld Record' has been activated. Apart from the traitor 'Nether Shadow,' I can't think of anyone else who could cause such a phenomenon. Moreover, according to the reports from the disciples who escaped earlier, they encountered a mysterious young man in a teahouse in Qinghe Town. His method of catching hidden weapons was extremely similar to 'Netherworld Star-Picking Hand,' his unique skill, but we couldn't confirm it at the time. Now, combined with this celestial phenomenon, we can almost certainly conclude that the person is the reborn 'Nether Shadow,' now known as Lin Mo, and is entrenched in an abandoned manor called 'Silent Garden' in the western suburbs."
Liu Sanniang chuckled, her voice sweet and seductive, but her eyes were icy cold: "'Youying'... I didn't expect him to be so resilient, even surviving a fall into the Abyss of Ten Thousand Souls. Your Excellency still thinks about him. That half of the 'Records of the Netherworld,' and the life of this traitor, must be brought back. Mo Xingguan, now that we've locked onto him, when shall we make our move?"
Mo Xuanzi stroked his long beard, a calculating glint in his eyes: "Guardian Liu, please calm down. The strange phenomena last night were too tumultuous; now, Mo Garden has undoubtedly become the target of everyone's attention. The four great families of Qinghe Town, and even some other hidden forces, have probably all set their sights on that place. If we rashly launch a strong attack, not to mention how much strength 'Youying' has recovered after its rebirth, just dealing with the interference from those local bullies will be quite troublesome."
He paused, pointed to the fading mark in the starlight mirror, and said in a deep voice, "'Nirvana Death Star Reflecting the Netherworld' is no small matter. Once this phenomenon is triggered, it will leave a clear 'mark' in the celestial trajectory in a short period of time. Although I cannot pinpoint the location as precisely as I did last night, with the 'Star Orbit Compass' secret technique passed down from the main altar, combined with this remaining mark, I can roughly sense the location of the most intense fluctuations in the power of 'Netherworld Shadow' and its 'Netherworld Record' in the next few days. This is our advantage."
A sinister smile appeared on Cui Wei's sallow face: "Does Lord Mo mean that we don't need to rush, but can use this celestial tracking technique to let the local forces test the waters first, while we remain hidden in the shadows, waiting for the right opportunity to strike?"
"That's exactly right."
Mo Xuanzi nodded. "'Shadow' is incredibly cunning, and its rebirth has added even more variables. Let it deal with those local bullies first, exhaust their energy, and figure out their strengths. We only need to lay a tight net around it, track its core movements through celestial observations, and wait for it to reveal a weakness, or for it to fight the local forces to a standstill, before striking with lightning speed to ensure absolute success."
The slender, pale blue needle at Liu San Niang's fingertip stopped spinning, and she parted her red lips slightly: "Sounds good. So, what should we do now?"
Mo Xuanzi's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he commanded, "First, Commander Cui and Commander Liu, you two will immediately lead a portion of the elite 'Starfall Guards' to secretly infiltrate the area surrounding Qinghe Town. Relying on our existing moles, establish several concealed observation points. Carry small sensor compasses. Once I detect any abnormal power fluctuations from 'Shadow' through the main compass, I will immediately notify you of its approximate location. You must quickly go to verify and monitor it, but remember, without my orders, you must not act rashly and alert the enemy."
"Second," he looked at the former leader, "you are familiar with the local situation. Lead the remaining men and cooperate with the two guards to intensify intelligence gathering on Mo Garden and its surroundings. I need to know who Lin Mo's capable subordinates are, how the manor's defenses are arranged, and the extent of his relationship with the four great families and other forces in the black market. Don't overlook any details."
"Third, I will remain at this base and fully activate the 'Star Compass' to continuously monitor the movements of the 'Shadow.' As soon as I have concrete information, I will immediately formulate the next course of action."
"Gentlemen,"
Mo Xuanzi's voice turned cold, carrying an undeniable authority: "'Shadow' is a traitor personally designated by the Envoy to be killed, and the 'Records of the Netherworld' is something the organization is determined to obtain. This operation must succeed; failure is not an option! If anyone dares to slack off or act without authorization, ruining this great undertaking, don't blame me for dealing with them according to the organization's rules!"
"We will obey the Star Lord's command!" Everyone in the hall, including Cui Wei and Liu San Niang, bowed and accepted the order with solemn expressions.
Soon, a series of inconspicuous figures, like ghosts, quietly left the valley stronghold, splitting into several groups, and stealthily made their way towards Qinghe Town under the last darkness before dawn.
Cui Wei and Liu San Niang each led a team of "Starfall Guards," like two silent nets, beginning to spread outwards from the Silent Garden.
Mo Xuanzi remained alone in the hall. With a wave of his hand, a bronze compass with an ancient design and intricate star trails engraved on it appeared in his hand.
He bit his fingertip and dripped a drop of blood onto the center of the compass. Then he made hand seals and chanted incantations.
Om-!
The bronze compass emitted a deep hum, and the star-shaped engravings on it lit up one by one. The compass needle began to slowly rotate, eventually pointing shakily in the general direction of the western outskirts of Qinghe Town.
Although it couldn't be as precise as when the strange phenomenon occurred last night, a vague, thread-like sensation had been established.
As long as Lin Mo uses the power related to the "Netherworld Record" violently again, or if the Nirvana Death Qi in his body fluctuates significantly, the Star Orbit Compass will be able to detect any clues.
"Shadow... No matter who you are reborn as or where you hide, now that this 'Star Tracking' has been activated, you can forget about hiding completely anymore. Just wait, your end is not far off." Mo Xuanzi stared at the compass, his eyes flashing with cold light, and muttered to himself.