Chapter 269: Wind Clan…

That strange dark shadow quivered slightly and let out a helpless sigh:

"Clan Leader, that matter…"

"You have persisted in investigating for so many years, expending countless resources and effort, yet have not a single concrete clue, as if a stone sinking into the sea."

"The causality behind it is too great; why do you endure this suffering again?"

Ji Changkong fell silent for a moment; his silhouette seemed even more upright, yet a trace of loneliness seeped through.

He slowly closed his eyes, ultimately turning into a long, heavy sigh.

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze flashed with an extreme, intense resentment and… a pain buried deep in his heart.

The dark shadow seemed reluctant, shifted tone, and said:

"However… my subordinates, while monitoring Zhutian information, have noticed in the Boundless Heaven region the rise of a terrifying, extraordinarily talented monster; its speed of emergence and strength are truly unfathomable…"

"Oh?" Ji Changkong seemed not particularly concerned.

"The key is…" the dark shadow's voice took on a hint of gravity, "that person… surname… Feng… and… is a… Sword Cultivator!"

"What?!"

Ji Changkong spun around abruptly, his refined visage instantly changing color!

An indescribable, overwhelming aura erupted uncontrollably from his body, causing the Great Hall to hum loudly!

He stared fixedly at that strange dark shadow, his eyes sharp as a heavenly blade, his voice tinged with urgency and disbelief:

"What did you say?! Surname Feng?! Sword Cultivator?! Give me this one's detailed information, immediately, all of it! Quickly!"

The strange dark shadow, intimidated by Ji Changkong's sudden outburst, quivered even more violently; after a hesitation, it cautioned:

"Clan Leader, please stay calm!"

"The matter back then involved great stakes; behind it may involve… great weirdness, Great Terror!"

"Even several Ancestors are deeply evasive about it!"

"Are you sure you still wish to continue probing deeper?"

"I'm afraid… the consequences are unpredictable!"

"Moreover… there are so many Sword Cultivators surnamed Feng across the world; perhaps… it's merely coincidence, maybe not…"

Yet Ji Changkong shook his head without hesitation, his gaze as steadfast as ancient unmelting ice, his voice resolute, bearing an unquestionable determination:

"No! No matter what weirdness lies behind, no matter how terrifying! This matter, I must investigate! I must get to the bottom of it!"

"This is… our Ji Clan… owing to the Wind Clan… a debt we can never repay!!"

The final words he uttered were almost through clenched teeth, laden with endless guilt and sorrow.

The strange dark shadow fell silent; it has followed Ji Changkong for countless years, fully aware of the Clan Leader's intensely strong obsession.

After a long while, it slowly spoke, beginning to recount, one by one, the information it had gathered about that Feng‑surnamed Sword Cultivator.

It narrated how he emerged in the Boundless Heaven, how he defeated formidable foes with an unparalleled sword path, how he was mysterious and seemed to appear out of nowhere…

Ji Changkong listened with utmost seriousness; his eyes grew brighter and ever more profound.

"So, Feng Caichen is like a suddenly emerging unparalleled monster… previously virtually no information could be found, right?" Ji Changkong asked in a low voice.

The dark shadow nodded: "Yes, Clan Leader. His past seems shrouded by an invisible mist, hard to trace."

Ji Changkong's eyes flashed like lightning cutting through darkness; he immediately ordered:

"Go! Deploy every available force, and immediately delve into investigating Feng Caichen!"

"I want to know everything about him! His origin, his bloodline, his practiced sword path… all information, no detail too small, I must know!"

"Yes!" the strange dark shadow said no more, responded, then, as if merging into water, silently vanished into the Great Hall's shadows.

After the strange dark shadow departed, only Ji Changkong remained in the Great Hall.

He slowly walked back to the window, gazing at the sky still spewing streams of light, the refined expression on his face fading, replaced by a deep weariness and resolve.

He let out a gentle sigh, his voice so low only he could hear:

"The matter from back then will not simply pass… the Wind Clan's blood will not be shed in vain…"

"Regardless, until the end of my life, I will give you an answer… otherwise, I, Ji Changkong, will die with eyes unopened!"

…

At this moment, far in the southern region of Boundless Heaven, Feng Caichen, just having left the War God Heavenly Hall, wore a white robe, his posture as upright as a sword.

He had originally followed Ye Wuque's trail, but learned from the War God Heavenly Hall that his old friend had headed toward the Wild Wilderness Heaven.

As he contemplated his next move, he happened to see the sky‑filled descending guiding beams that enveloped Zhutian.

Watching those streams of light soaring skyward, feeling the vast and ancient temporal‑spatial ripples, Feng Caichen's eyes, clear as autumn water, revealed a smile of understanding and anticipation.

"Lao Ye."

He whispered to himself, as if conversing with his distant brother.

"It seems the time for our meeting will be delayed again…"

He lifted his head slightly, his gaze seeming to pierce the endless Void, seeing the trial ground, seeing the Black Robe Figure also destined to go there.

"Very well!"

The smile at the corner of his mouth transformed into a sword intent that surged skyward.

He seemed, at that moment, to become a peerless divine sword about to be drawn, slashing the heavens!

"Then… the Great Thousand Divine Universe trial ground… farewell!"

"The Sword Son Trial… though decent, can temper the sword heart, yet… still insufficient!"

"I hope this Great Thousand Divine Universe trial, this grand battlefield that gathers heroes of ten thousand ages… will let me return fully satisfied, let my Yangwu Sword fully display its edge, drinking the blood of all foes!"

He let out a long laugh, his voice like Dragon Chant and sword resonance, clear and lingering, echoing through heaven and earth!

The next moment, a guiding beam precisely enveloped him.

He offered no resistance, allowing the beam to wrap around him.

In an instant, his whole being completely transformed into a brilliant sword light that illuminated Zhutian, pure to the utmost!

The sword light's brilliance and its sharpness seemed capable of cleaving the universe apart!

The sword light flashed, then, guided by Great Power, vanished instantly at the far edge of the sky.

……

Sacred War Heaven Ape Clan, Ancestral Land world.

At this moment, light pillars also rose here, and the Heavenly Pride of the ape clan who met the criteria also set out on their journey.

Ye Wuque stood before Dongfu, already enveloped by mysterious light pillars.

Beside him, the War Prince, Dou Tian Shu, Dou Tianxiong, and the outstanding youths of the ape clan were each guided by light beams.

Their gazes toward Ye Wuque were filled with trust and a sense of following.

Even not far away, the two Ancient Overlord Tigers that Ye Wuque had marked with slave seals at the Grand Beast Assembly—Hu Xiao Yu and Hu Xiao Zhou—were also found by the guiding light beams.

Their innate talents and strength were indeed impressive, only that they unfortunately encountered the monster Ye Wuque, only.

At this moment, they cast a complex‑look at Ye Wuque and slowly rose into the air within the light beams.

Finally, Ye Wuque, dozens of stunning Heavenly Pride of the ape clan, and the two Ancient Overlord Tigers were all completely enveloped by the guiding radiance.

Ye Wuque finally cast one last glance at this Ancestral Land of the ape clan where he had lingered for a considerable time, glanced at the Clan Leaders, Giant Ape Elders, and countless ape clan youths who came to see him off, and gave them a slight nod.

In the next instant, the light beam suddenly contracted!

The figures of Ye Wuque and his companions, under countless gazes, gradually became illusory and transparent, about to be guided toward the… Great Thousand Divine Universe trial ground, situated at the pinnacle of Zhutian, where ten thousand ages of storms converge!