Chapter 57: Falling Short of Success

Deep in the Great Green Mountain.

Hu Xuechuan, Hu Hu Dianzhu of the Yan Prefecture Branch Hall of the Tianyang Star Hall, was mobilizing the Star-Fixing Disk to track Qi Shanye.

The consecutive days of tracking without sleep or rest made Hu Xuechuan, who was usually pampered, a bit disheveled, but Hu Xuechuan's spirit was exceptionally excited.

Although Qi Shanye only exposed his aura for less than half a quarter of an hour three days ago, under the lock of the Star-Fixing Disk, a powerful Star Instrument, even though Qi Shanye hid his aura again, he was still tracked by him.

Judging from the display on the Star-Fixing Disk, the distance between him and Qi Shanye was less than a hundred miles.

And the eight masters of the Condense Star Realm he had gathered earlier had already been lying in ambush in all directions under his arrangement long ago.

For three days, Qi Shanye had been running away, but in fact, he had already fallen into his encirclement, and his encirclement was constantly shrinking.

Now, he was just waiting for Zhou Qingzhu, this fifth-tier master, to arrive, and then he could use Star Power to push the power of the Star-Fixing Disk to the extreme, making Qi Shanye, whose aura was locked, expose his specific position again, and then they could encircle and capture him.

The remnant of the Lingji Star Hall, Qi Shanye, whom he had been bitterly pursuing for over two years, could finally be captured alive.

By then, winning the reward from the Star Hall was secondary; the main thing was that Qi Shanye possessed the most important Soul inheritance of the Lingji Star Hall, which was his true purpose.

If he obtained the Soul inheritance of the Lingji Star Hall, his cultivation could easily advance further.

As long as his cultivation broke through, everything else would fall into place.

Looking at the brilliance locked on the Star-Fixing Disk that started to move rapidly again, Hu Xuechuan couldn't help but frown and look at the sky behind him.

What is Zhou Qingzhu doing?

It's been three days, why hasn't he come yet?

The encirclement he set based on the Star-Fixing Disk's orientation was not invincible. If he didn't take action again, at most in one day, Qi Shanye would be able to escape his encirclement, and then the bitter layout of these two years would be in vain.

One must know that Qi Shanye was already a master at the late stage of the fifth-tier Gather Battle Realm thirteen years ago. Although he hadn't broken through, and later when the Lingji Star Hall was besieged and locked, he was seriously injured and had not yet recovered, he was not someone he could capture alive alone.

He must join forces with Zhou Qingzhu to have the possibility of capturing him alive.

Logically speaking, after receiving the signal, he should have caught up long ago.

Could it be that an accident happened at the Tianyang Branch Academy?

Normally, it should be impossible.

Of course, being careful is never a mistake.

Just yesterday morning, because Zhou Qingzhu had not arrived, Hu Xuechuan sent Commandant Huang Yunshu of the Tianyang Branch Academy back to Jinshan Juncheng to see what was going on that delayed Zhou Qingzhu.

He even let Huang Yunshu take his token.

Even if there was any trouble, or even if the Jinshan Dao Academy set up obstacles, it could be solved immediately.

His own token was out; if the Jinshan Dao Academy dared to spoil his good deeds, he would definitely make the Jinshan Dao Academy look good.

Logically speaking, with Huang Yunshu's speed, going to Jinshan Juncheng and back should be about right.

Looking at Qi Shanye's aura on the Star-Fixing Disk that started to move again, Hu Xuechuan was about to track him, when suddenly he saw a thread of starlight rising and falling rapidly in the mountains in the distance, coming straight toward him, and the aura was very familiar.

The aura of Commandant Huang Yunshu of the Tianyang Branch Academy.

Why did he come back alone?

Where is Zhou Qingzhu?

Hu Xuechuan had a bad premonition.

Anyway, with the Star-Fixing Disk locked, Qi Shanye, who had not recovered from his injuries, couldn't escape his palm, so Hu Xuechuan was not in a hurry and waited for Huang Yunshu for half a quarter of an hour.

Half a quarter of an hour later, the starlight transformed by Huang Yunshu landed in front of Hu Xuechuan, his expression panicked.

"Hmm, what happened?"

Commandant Huang Yunshu of the Star Patrol Guard of the Tianyang Branch Academy had a panicked look on his face. "Hu Hu Dianzhu, the Tianyang Branch Academy, from Academy Chief Zhou Qingzhu downwards, Vice Academy Chief Liu Yelan, Supervisor Wang Qiang, and a group of instructors and teachers, have all been captured alive by the Jinshan Dao Academy!"

"What?"

Hu Xuechuan was stunned for a few breaths, trying hard to digest this shocking news, before cursing angrily, "How is this possible? Zhou Qingzhu and his group of subordinates are all dead pigs? How could they all be captured alive by the Jinshan Dao Academy?

Not to mention leading in strength, even if the strength is equivalent, or even if the strength is somewhat inferior, they should be able to kill half of the Jinshan Dao Academy's manpower, right?

At the very least, they could escape a few to report the news!

How could they all be captured alive by the Jinshan Dao Academy?

Are you not being deceived by someone?"

Huang Yunshu had a bitter look on his face. "Reporting to the Hu Hu Dianzhu, I didn't understand when I first knew the news, until I saw Academy Chief Zhou and a group of colleagues in the Jinshan Dao Academy prison, and then I believed it!"

"It's actually true!"

Hu Xuechuan instantly stood up and stared, his beard almost exploding. "How is this possible? What exactly is going on, speak quickly!"

"It is said that Dong Zhao obtained ironclad evidence that the Academy Chief was causing chaos to the local area in the name of demons, and then designed an ambush to surround the Academy Chief, and the Academy Chief had no choice but to surrender! Other colleagues, in the face of the righteousness of the Jinshan Dao Academy, did not dare to resist, fearing being labeled as demon accomplices, and could only surrender!" Huang Yunshu said.

Hearing this, Hu Xuechuan was dumbfounded again!

He had an urge to curse.

What kind of fantasy development is this?

The Jinshan Dao Academy suffered no losses and captured a group of high-level officials of the Tianyang Branch Academy without loss?

And obtained ironclad evidence of causing chaos in the local area in the name of demons?

If this spreads out, the face of the Tianyang Star Hall will be lost. Where will his old face go in the future!

In the name of demons?

Suddenly, Hu Xuechuan reacted.

These few words, "in the name of demons," can be interpreted very deeply.

It is even possible to label Zhou Qingzhu as a demon.

If Zhou Qingzhu is labeled as a demon?

An Academy Chief of a branch academy of his Tianyang Star Hall is labeled as a demon by ironclad evidence; what is the consequence?

And he is the direct superior of the Tianyang Branch Academy!

More importantly, the root of this matter is actually him.

Capturing Qi Shanye alive to obtain the Soul inheritance of the Lingji Star Hall was a conspiracy between him and Zhou Qingzhu after determining that Qi Shanye possessed the Soul inheritance of the Lingji Star Hall.

What is even more fatal is that the Tianyang Branch Academy in Jinshan Prefecture was wiped out by the Jinshan Dao Academy. As long as this matter spreads, the impact will be too great.

If it goes badly, he, the Branch Hu Hu Dianzhu, will not be able to sit firmly!

Suddenly, Hu Xuechuan became incomparably conflicted.

Layout for several years, action for nearly two years, seeing Qi Shanye, who is extremely good at hiding traces, right before his eyes, but suddenly such a huge change occurred!

This...

Hu Xuechuan's heart is bleeding.

But the problem is, this sudden event is too big, and he must deal with it.

He plotted against Qi Shanye for the unique Soul inheritance of the Lingji Star Hall, and also for better personal development after breaking through.

But now, if he doesn't deal with the Tianyang Branch Academy matter, his personal development in the Star Hall will be terminated, and he can only exist as a loose cultivator of the Star Hall in the future.

He has weighed which is lighter and which is heavier!

But...

Look at the Star-Fixing Disk again...

Hu Xuechuan really wants to vomit blood.

Although the Star-Fixing Disk is a sixth-tier Star Instrument and a tracking artifact, it also has its own shortcomings.

After locking onto the aura, the closer it is, the more precise the pointing.

But if it is far away, the pointing will become more and more blurred, and in the end, it can only specify an approximate range or even direction.

Unless the aura is locked at close range again.

At this very moment, if he returns to Jinshan Juncheng...

However, he has no choice.

The more Hu Xuechuan thought, the angrier he became. Suddenly, he stomped his foot, starlight flashed slightly, and the mountain peak under his feet collapsed immediately, startling countless wild beasts and even Star Beasts.

"Return!"

"You notify the others!"

After speaking, Hu Xuechuan soared into the sky, stepped on starlight, and stepped toward the direction of Jinshan Juncheng.

About an hour after Hu Xuechuan left, in a stream deep in the Great Green Mountain, a water-like figure suddenly condensed, and if you look at the background, it is somewhat similar to Qi Shanye.

"The aura of the Star-Fixing Disk moved away?

Is it done?"

"Damn it, Tian Zhang is really not a thing, making me run wildly for three days and three nights, almost even having to use the last life-saving thing, fortunately..."

"I don't know how that kid is? With the Dawn Emblem I gave him, he should have returned to Jinshan Juncheng safely, right?"

"Let's get rid of the aura lock of the Star-Fixing Disk first."

Qi Shanye murmured, yet he leaped from the water and sped away in the opposite direction of Hu Xuechuan's retreat.

In the bright daylight, in the uninhabited mountains, clusters of water stains moved away rapidly.

At noon on July 1st, Xu Jin, who had finished the spirit-protecting mission, returned to the Jinshan Dao Academy. While handing over the mission at the External Affairs Hall of the Dao Academy, he received another notification.

Because the disciples who performed the spirit-protecting mission all returned, and the disciples who went out to pursue the demons also all returned to the Dao Academy.

At three quarters past the Shen hour in the afternoon, all disciples gathered in the Martial Arts Hall.

Academy Chief Dong Zhao and Commandant Tian Zhang would distribute rewards to the disciples who participated in the major search for demons, and at the same time, reward the disciples who made meritorious service.

This made Xu Jin very expectant.

But Xu Jin was also thinking about another thing: the major search for demons mission ended, so was this demon caught?

Actually, Xu Jin was a little worried about the mysterious person who taught him the Clear-Soul Star Pattern.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 58 =====