Chapter 448 Clues and Deception

The “Nine Demons” of the Northern Wastes were nothing short of legendary beings.

After the Demon God Tian Zheng was captured and sealed, the Northern Wastes’ demon clans suffered a crushing blow. The Zhenbei Army even launched a rare offensive from Zhenbei City, hoping to take advantage of the chaos and wipe out the leaderless demon clans once and for all.

It was at that crucial moment that the Nine Demons appeared.

Using the power of the Demon God Peak and triggering a massive avalanche, they buried the Zhenbei Army’s elite troops. After that devastating battle, the army’s strength was never the same—over ten Human Dao Realm cultivators perished.

Of course, the demon clans didn’t escape unscathed either. Their high-tier beasts were nearly wiped out, and due to the harsh environment of the Northern Wastes, both sides ended up licking their wounds and pulling back.

But the Nine Demons had paid a steep price for this victory. Even now, they were still in seclusion recovering from their injuries.

Despite their long absence, their authority within the Northern Wastes hadn’t weakened. In fact, their prestige rivaled even that of the sealed Tian Zheng. This operation to rescue the Demon God bypassed the current Demon Emperor—but no one questioned it. If anything, morale was higher than ever.

Back with the scouting demons—

Foxmei pouted cutely after hearing Winter’s stern warning.

“Brother Winter, why so serious? We weren’t trying to defy the Nine Demons’ orders… It’s just… Mù Làng died so suddenly. It scared me, okay?”

Foxmei’s every expression and gesture oozed an irresistible charm.

But the demons gathered here had been carefully chosen by the Nine Demons, and they were trained to resist such temptation.

“Mù Làng was sent to scout, and this place is full of danger. Now it’s time for us to act separately. You all know what to do. Remember, even in death—fall where you’re meant to stand,” said Winter coldly.

He stood and transformed into his true form—a massive Ice Demon Tiger, over three meters tall, with powerful muscles rippling under his icy fur.

Without waiting for a response, he turned into a streak of white light and bolted toward the north.

Another demon glanced at the rest. “You heard the man. If you want to live, rely on your own strength. I’m off!”

His body twisted into an ice-blue scorpion, crystalline like a sculpture but incredibly agile, vanishing in an instant.

Foxmei tried to say something else, but none of them gave her the chance. One by one, they all revealed their true forms and left swiftly.

She pouted again. “Tch, what kind of people are these? Looking down on me? You’ll regret it someday!”

Then her body shimmered and transformed into a graceful white fox, golden markings running across her silken fur—evidence of her pure bloodline. There was even a hint of divine aura to her, making her look completely out of place in the grim surroundings.

With light taps of her paws, she gracefully leapt from stone to stone, vanishing in seconds.

Coincidentally, the direction she took was exactly where Chen Fei and Mingyuan were headed.

Though the space didn’t seem very large, the floating toxic mists and fragmented terrain made it nearly impossible to spot others unless up close.

Even with Chen Fei’s Three-Eyed Spirit Root and spiritual vision, he held no real advantage in this place.

Guided by the red light, Chen Fei and Mingyuan arrived at what looked like a decrepit temple—or rather, a shabby straw hut. Inside stood a single statue of the Immovable King.

“Judging by its style and craftsmanship, this likely dates back to the ancient era,” Mingyuan said after a close inspection. He was more well-versed in historical artifacts than Chen Fei.

Meanwhile, Chen Fei inspected the surroundings.

Earlier, when the ground cracked open, a fissure had clearly tried to pass through this very area—but had been forcibly diverted by some invisible power. The hut remained untouched, standing isolated from the broken terrain.

Chen Fei could sense red light swirling faintly—clearly a formation at work inside the hut. If the wolf demon’s words were true, this place was one of the seals placed to imprison the Demon God.

Mingyuan came to the same conclusion. “Looks like this was one of the wolf demon’s targets.”

Chen Fei nodded. “What should we do now, Senior Brother?”

Mingyuan narrowed his eyes and replied, “We wait.”

Chen Fei gave a quick glance outside, then sat cross-legged without complaint.

This place posed no danger to him. In fact, it might even help him grow stronger. The poisonous mist was being transformed into pure energy by the Silkworm Gu, which now showed no interest in consuming his internal qi.

As a result, he could freely circulate his energy, and his combat power had skyrocketed.

Chen Fei even began to suspect this might be the opportunity that would let him break into the Earth Dao Realm!

Mingyuan took a seat in front of the Immovable King statue, hands clasped in prayer, silently chanting. The serene scene oddly suited the dilapidated hut.

Meanwhile, Foxmei darted lightly across the uneven ground, her shimmering fur glowing with golden light. It was one of her strongest bloodline powers—concealing demon energy.

Without detectable demon qi, she became nearly invisible to spiritual perception. As an Ice Spirit Fox, she was among the best scouts and assassins in the Northern Wastes. She could sneak right up to a human cultivator, and they’d never know until it was too late.

Full of confidence, she slipped behind some rubble near the temple and peeked toward the hut.

“Damn it! Beaten here by humans?!” she thought with a mix of shock and annoyance. But upon seeing that the two cultivators were quite young, her confidence swelled again.

“Tsk tsk, the tribe elder said I’d get lucky, and he was right! Two young males from the Zhenbei Army? Hehehe… didn’t expect that!”

She trusted her charm beyond question. Lifting her chin proudly, she looked ready to howl with delight.

According to the Nine Demons’ orders, anyone who killed a human cultivator from the Zhenbei Army would receive extra rewards.

Treasure stirred desire. And a clever fox never misses an opportunity.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief. Then her body shimmered, transforming into a fragile-looking young woman. She looked down at her leg, waved her hand, and tore her pants—revealing a deep, bloody wound down to the bone.

In just a moment, the once-playful fox had become a pitiful, injured girl, helpless and full of sorrow.

“Please, help me!” she cried in a sweet, trembling voice as she stumbled toward the hut.

Chen Fei looked up, his gaze cold. He’d been watching her movements from the start.

But when he actually saw her, he froze for a split second.

Su Ran?!

Impossible.

He immediately realized it was just Foxmei’s illusion at work. Still, despite expecting it, the illusion had nearly caught him off guard.

Suppressing his emotions, Chen Fei narrowed his eyes.

Let’s see what trick you’re going to play, little fox.