Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 293 Going Underground
"Senior, you said you would come with me?"

Chen Ye didn't even dare to think about it. If the leader of the Qinghe Sword Sect went with him to be an undercover agent, would he still be considered an undercover agent?
Why not just flip the table and kill all those devils?

Master Yuji said, "I have never experienced that great battle between good and evil, and I have been in seclusion all these years. I have not even tried to eliminate demons and defend the righteous path. I am quite interested in those demons."

Chen Ye initially wanted to agree immediately, but after thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "Senior's offer is kind, and I should agree, but it would be more prudent for me to handle this matter alone."

Daoist Yuji was surprised that Chen Ye would refuse, and hurriedly asked, "Why? This journey is bound to be risky. With me accompanying you, your safety will be more guaranteed. Do you think that because I have never fought with a demon, I might hold you back?"

Chen Ye explained, "Senior is the head of the Qinghe Sword Sect, so I am naturally not worried about your cultivation level. However, the Underground Demonic Sect is not weak either. According to the information I have now, all five Venerable Masters of the Demonic Sect are at the Returning Void Realm. Although two of them have been severely injured, the rest are not weak either."

Master Yuji said, "Then you should let me go with you. You are only at the Tongxuan Realm. Wouldn't you be even less able to protect yourself in the face of these demons?"

"But that's precisely why Youluozi was able to arrange a false identity for me, making it difficult for me to be exposed. If I suddenly had an extra companion, the people of the Demonic Sect would definitely test me repeatedly. As long as you reveal even a trace of your true abilities, your cultivation level will be impossible to hide. How many Void Returning Realm cultivators are there in the world today?"

“Once those demons become wary, this plan will completely fail. If we cannot obtain the Azure Dragon Lord’s secret technique, the Eight Hundred Mile Azure Coffin Mountain will not be able to recover, and countless mortals will die as a result in the next hundred years. I cannot take this risk, and I am not without ways to protect myself.”

Chen Ye understood perfectly. His mission to infiltrate the Demonic Sect, ostensibly to hunt down the Azure Flood Dragon Lord, was actually just to help You Luozi deceive others. As long as You Luozi could keep the other Lords in check, Chen Ye could then follow You Luozi in the pursuit of the Azure Flood Dragon Lord.

The Azure Dragon Lord has already been crippled by Qu Heng and is now only half alive. With Youluozi's help, killing him should not be difficult.

But if this plan is disrupted, the members of the Demonic Sect might join forces to deal with Chen Ye and Yu Ji.

At that time, Youluozi would definitely turn against them immediately and join the encirclement and annihilation of the two without any mercy. This is the style of the Demonic Sect.

Unless Daoist Yuji is like Zhang Qi, killing one by one when they come, or two by two when they come, it will only put the two of them in greater danger.

Moreover, even if Daoist Yuji really had such abilities, the demons weren't fools. In such a vast underground world, where couldn't they hide?

Having hidden for so many years without being discovered by the righteous path, if he truly intends to escape, even Daoist Yuji would have no way to find him. Without obtaining the secret technique of the Azure Dragon Lord, all his efforts would be in vain.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Chen Ye decided not to let Daoist Yuji accompany him, unless he killed him and took his soul away in the Myriad Souls Banner, otherwise he would definitely be exposed.

We must not underestimate the methods of the Demonic Sect, nor should we treat them as fools, or we will surely suffer a great loss.

After thinking for a moment, Daoist Yuji could only nod and say, "What you say makes sense. I was inconsiderate."

Yu Ji Daoist looked Chen Ye over again, his gaze seemingly changing once more.

He hadn't expected Chen Ye to refuse his help so calmly. This young man was more mature than him, an old man who had been imprisoned for hundreds of years, and his considerations were much more comprehensive.

Chen Ye breathed a sigh of relief. Although this Master Yuji was like a child, acting on a whim, he was still quite reasonable. If he insisted on going with her, Chen Ye really wouldn't have a good solution.

"If you wish to continue your travels in the Northern Frontier, I will instruct my disciple to accompany you. I will take my leave now."

After bidding farewell to Daoist Yuji, Chen Ye returned to the Yellow Springs Palace.

He should have set off much earlier, but the sudden appearance of Daoist Yuji delayed him a little.

However, this also gave him a treasure gourd, which was Chen Ye's most powerful magic weapon. Once the sword energy inside was released, it might be able to kill a Demon Sect Master.

However, Chen Ye still hoped that he wouldn't need this on this trip.

Chen Ye was never greedy. As long as he could kill the Azure Dragon Lord peacefully, his trip would be complete.

After organizing the various treasures he was going to bring, Chen Ye took a deep breath and then transformed into a dragon, soaring through the clouds towards the imperial city of the Central Plains.

The place where Chen Ye and You Luozi agreed to meet is right here, just down the crack in the underground palace of the imperial city.

This place originally belonged to that Soul Master, but he was tricked by Qu Heng and suffered severe soul damage, so it became You Luozi's territory. By this calculation, two of the five Demonic Sect Masters have already fallen to the Yellow Springs Sect, a truly remarkable record.

But precisely because of this, Chen Ye will likely face even harsher criticism.

Chen Ye muttered to himself, "I wonder how well Youluozi is preparing. I hope this witch won't send me out as a sacrifice."

Chen Ye rode the clouds to the capital of the Central Plains. Revisiting the old place, Chen Ye felt no nostalgia.

The last time I came here, it was to pay respects to Princess Hongyu with Lanyu. It wasn't anything to be happy about. In the end, I didn't even find her grave. Instead, I encountered the Soul Master's disciple.

Chen Ye still had his eye on the cinnabar mine underground. Now that the land belonged to You Luozi, perhaps he could talk to her about developing the cinnabar mine.

"Wait a minute, something's not right. Why do I keep thinking about cooperating with this demon? Could I really be under some kind of spell?"

Chen Ye shook his head vigorously. Youluozi was truly the most troublesome opponent he had ever encountered; that omnipresent alluring voice could drive people mad.

No one knows where her true form is hidden. If it cannot be found, this demon will be invincible forever.

With a mind full of thoughts, Chen Ye, taking advantage of the cover of the clouds and mist, once again arrived at that gloomy underground palace.

As soon as he entered, Chen Ye sensed that the underground palace had changed, as if it were even colder and more gloomy than when he last came.

This must be because more people have died recently, which is why Chen Ye sensed something.

Could it be that Youluozi has done something to secretly influence the mortal dynasty again?

Chen Ye kept this in mind and was determined to investigate it thoroughly later.

The emperor's word could kill hundreds of thousands of ordinary people; it's no joke.

Continuing onward, Chen Ye soon arrived at the enormous rift.

As soon as they arrived, Youluozi's voice came from the rift: "Chen Ye, you're too late."

Chen Ye could only say, "There was an unexpected delay, but it should still be in time."

Youluozi said, "Sect Leader Chen, you are now my puppet. You should understand how to speak to me, right? If you continue with this attitude, others will know at a glance that you are here to deceive people."

Chen Ye smiled slightly and immediately changed his tone, saying, "Your Excellency, please forgive my lateness. The leader of the Qinghe Sword Sect has come to visit suddenly, and I must personally greet him. However, I have come as quickly as possible and dare not delay Your Excellency's important matter."

Chen Ye spoke very respectfully, and his tone was perfectly appropriate.

But Youluozi didn't feel good about it. He originally wanted to give him a hard time, but instead he brought up the leader of the Qinghe Sword Sect.

Who's really trying to intimidate whom here?
Youluozi didn't know much about the new leader of the Qinghe Sword Sect.

Since Zhang Qi's passing, the whole world has been waiting for the new sect leader to make his debut, after all, the Qinghe Sword Sect is the leader of the righteous path.

But he insisted on going into seclusion and never met with anyone. Even the four major sects could not see this mysterious leader.

However, he had just emerged from seclusion when he visited the Yellow Springs Sect.
What exactly is the relationship between the Qinghe Sword Sect and the Huangquan Sect?
Youluozi even began to suspect that Chen Ye might be Zhang Qi's illegitimate son, otherwise, the relationship with Su Chunyi alone wouldn't have led to this.

Youluozi sighed and said, "Alright, come with me. Follow my voice, and I will take you to meet the other Venerable Lords."

(End of this chapter)