Chasing after her husband? Is it even possible to win him back?

But he didn't stop. Now that he had taken the lead, he couldn't possibly stop and wait and see what others would do.

The meaning of breaking through in physical cultivation.

The soldier's spirit is one of unparalleled and indomitable offense.

Even Chu Xunfeng's own heart wouldn't allow him to stop at this moment.

Seawater splashed backward where Chu Xunfeng landed and exerted force. After a brief pause, under the watchful eyes of countless water demons, Chu Xunfeng raised his head and strode forward.

The waves stretched out, a gentle breeze caressed the face, and the sunlight shone down from above, illuminating only the white-clad man in his black robe.

Gilded roof tiles, nine heads staring intently, clouds and scales bared, reaching out to gently brush the azure dragon.

Bearing not an exaggerated amount of pressure, Chu Xunfeng broke through three increasingly heavy dragon mights in succession, and leaped up in front of the Dragon Gate. His dragon bloodline was running at its limit, and his figure seemed to rise up as if it were not affected by gravity.

As his upright figure reached its peak and was about to exhaust itself, he concealed the black gold spear behind his back with one hand and reached out with his right arm.

The young man lightly touched the top of the golden dragon head at the top of the Dragon Gate, used the force to flip over, and in front of hundreds of aquatic creatures and nearly a thousand spectators, he leaped over the Dragon Gate in one fell swoop.

Chu Xunfeng was still sighing in mid-air, as if the leap over the Dragon Gate had been far too easy and simple.

Unexpectedly, the golden dragon that was clinging to the Dragon Gate and whose head was being held down by Chu Xunfeng suddenly flew out of the Dragon Gate phenomenon, opened its mouth wide, swallowed Chu Xunfeng whole, and then plunged into the sea with the young man.

Disappear.

The participants in the Dragon Gate Leap were stunned by this astonishing turn of events and dared not make any further moves for fear of being attacked by the real dragons clinging to the Dragon Gate.

On the platform, Xu Jiujing, gazing into the distance as his disciple was swallowed by the azure dragon and carried into the South Sea, frowned deeply. He looked at the middle-aged dragon beside him and asked, "Your Highness, what has happened...?"

If he didn't still trust that the Dragon Clan wouldn't resort to underhanded tactics in such matters, Xu Jiujing would almost certainly have launched an attack.

“Hidden Dragon Abyss.” The eldest prince could naturally see Xu Jiujing’s emotions and explained, “The Dragon Gate phenomenon is not static. Passing the Dragon Gate only qualifies you to obtain the true dragon’s inheritance. The real inheritance comes from the trials that follow.”

"The True Dragon Inheritance has always tested comprehensive qualities, including strength, temperament, and willpower, but the Hidden Dragon Abyss is quite special among the many tests." The Azure Dragon God's gentle and elegant voice rang out, "The Hidden Dragon Abyss is a true test of the heart, and so-called strength is almost useless in the Hidden Dragon Abyss."

"Please enlighten me, Divine Lord." Xu Jiujing breathed a sigh of relief. Now that the Dragon Clan knew what was going on, he didn't need to worry too much.

"Hmm, Hidden Dragon Abyss, as its name suggests. Once you enter, the one undergoing the test will be at the bottom of the abyss. The way to complete the test is very simple: just climb the cliff." The Azure Dragon God sighed softly. "Hidden Dragon Abyss is an endless cliff. Once you start climbing, your strength will begin to drain away. If you lose your grip, you will fall. You will fall for as long as you climb. Even if you fall to the bottom, you will not die or be injured. Once you fall to the bottom, your strength will be fully restored."

Xu Jiujing's heart, which had been at ease, suddenly tightened again after hearing the words of the Azure Dragon God.

"This is a true test of the heart, and it can even be said that there are no superfluous tests. The chosen one can only fight against himself, three times in a row. Only by climbing higher each time and breaking through his own limits three times in a row can he complete the test and face the true dragon's will."

"Once you give up in your heart, the Dragon Gate Phenomenon will release participants, but those who do not complete it will naturally be unable to inherit the true dragon's legacy."

Xu Jiujing remained silent.

At the same time, Chu Xunfeng gradually regained consciousness, his thoughts still lingering on the image of himself being swallowed whole by the phantom of the Azure Dragon without any resistance.

When he woke up, he found himself surrounded by darkness, with the only light coming from a stone tablet not far away that was emitting a faint glow.

Chu Xunfeng walked to the stone tablet and silently looked at the glowing characters on it. He naturally understood the rules contained in this strange phenomenon called "Hidden Dragon Abyss". Of course, these rules were different from the complete rules explained by the Azure Dragon God in the outside world.

The rules engraved on the stone tablet can be summed up in just a few simple words.

This place is called Hidden Dragon Abyss. Those who are to be tested must climb the cliff face and cross the precipitous slope to complete the test.

[No need to worry about falling; those who fall from the cliff face of Qianlong Abyss will return safely to the bottom.]

After Chu Xunfeng read those two sentences for a while, the only light in the young man's vision gradually dimmed and eventually disappeared.

After adjusting for a while, Chu Xunfeng turned around and looked behind him.

No one with a sound mind would attempt to explore the boundless darkness where there are no landmarks.

Looking ahead, head tilted back.

It is a vertical cliff that seems to have no end.

Is the test simply climbing up a cliff...?

Chu Xunfeng subconsciously felt that this test was probably not as simple as written on the stone tablet, but he seemed to have no other choice.

All I can do is try and start climbing.

Meanwhile, in the demon capital...

Lu Ding, who had left the dragon boat formation a step ahead, quietly surfaced from the sea. The Yan Kingdom spy glanced silently at the beach where many sentries had been placed, then submerged back into the sea. It was no longer possible for him to go ashore on the beach.

Si You and Luo Ze stayed on Dang Kang's dragon boat to appease Dang Kang's retainers, while their own task was to return to the capital and find a way to contact the people from Yan Kingdom who would be assigned to the demon race.

Even if we can't get in touch with them, we should at least find out where our people are.

Siyou granted himself considerable freedom of action, and also instructed that, if possible, the priority should still be completing the previous tasks.

However... this is just something I say.

Now that things have come to this, Yan Guo's spies are no longer considering helping Dang Kang. The situation has completely spiraled out of control, and Yan Guo is already thankful that he can extricate himself from this matter safely.

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Beginning of the Anomaly

Reaching out to explore, the dark rock wall only revealed a damp and uneven texture, but finding a foothold was extremely difficult.

In absolute darkness, it is difficult for a person to perceive the passage of time.

Chu Xunfeng himself didn't know how far he had climbed; it might have been a hundred meters or a thousand meters. He didn't feel anything at all.

Looking up, there's a cliff that seems to have no end.

Looking down, there is an abyss whose bottom cannot be seen.

Only the place where one can place one's feet is predictable, and only the area that one's arms can explore is perceptible.

Using one foot for leverage, the young man groped around with one arm for a long time before finding a spot where he could grip with his right hand. He tried several times to ensure the stability of the point of leverage before finally lifting himself up half a body length.

He had tried this incredibly time-consuming activity hundreds of times, and this latest ascent was just another repetition.

Chu Xunfeng may never have had any special talent.

His only difference from ordinary people was his ability to endure what ordinary people could not, to withstand long periods of loneliness and tedium without his heart being disturbed, and to persistently follow a path that was invisible to the naked eye.

Just as Chu Xunfeng was trying to climb a little higher, outside, in the capital of the demon race, after a period of exploration, Lu Ding finally returned to land and slowly walked into the well-organized streets and alleys in the south of the city.

Yan State provided Dang Kang with a considerable number of personnel, so it was impossible for Yan State to hand over all the scheduling to Dang Kang. After all, Yan State and Dang Kang were just cooperating, not subordinate to each other.

Yan Kingdom's spies also have their own set of intelligence transmission methods known only to themselves. Although they have just arrived in the demon realm and a formally usable system has not yet been established, they still have one.

Lu Ding, looking bewildered, naturally thought of this system. After all, by the time he found the person after traversing the demon race's capital on foot, the whole affair would probably have progressed to the point where the Yan Kingdom's spies had nothing to do with it anymore.

The Dragon Gate Gathering is, after all, a grand event held by the demon race every three years. At this moment, the Dragon Gate Gathering is in full swing, and even people are rarely seen in the capital. At least in the southern city, where demons are already rare, it is even more difficult to see passersby.

After all, those who can live in the South City have a certain status in the demon race, and these people will be invited by the dragon race to participate in the Dragon Gate Gathering.

At this opportune moment, Lu Ding was able to travel freely through the south of the city. He quickly followed the familiar road and along the wall outside the Kang Mansion, finding the spot where he used to often stake out.

He parted the dense undergrowth outside the wall and found the markings between the secret agents of Yan Kingdom outside the wall.

One signifies that things have changed for the better, another signifies that the contact's identity has been exposed, and the third sign indicates a location written in code.

Lu Ding breathed a sigh of relief; at least he had this mark, so he wouldn't be completely clueless.

The young man found a hidden path and quickly ran towards the location left by the secret message. It was a chamber of commerce by a river in the North District. Lu Ding didn't know what was so special about the 'Changyun Chamber of Commerce', but since the secret message had left that location, he was determined to go there no matter what.

There were indeed very few people in the demon capital today. The rows of merchant guilds seemed to have very little business. A dozen or so customers were scattered throughout the street. Lu Ding, who had been observing from the alley for a long time, was sure that there was no problem with the location before he leisurely walked out of the alley.

He even cautiously visited two more chambers of commerce before finally stepping into the shop of the Changyun Chamber of Commerce on the third one.

As soon as Lu Ding stepped into the Changyun Chamber of Commerce, his thoughts paused for a moment. He had done a lot of reconnaissance in the demon race before, and he just remembered that the manager of this chamber of commerce was a thin middle-aged man. The young manager standing in front of him to greet him was definitely not the same person.

A bold idea popped into his mind. He looked at the shopkeeper, suddenly opened his mouth, but didn't utter a sound. Instead, he silently uttered a few words in a secret code: "I am Ding Zi, the sixth-ranked Detective of the Heavenly Eye."

The young man who approached Lu Ding was also taken aback for a moment. Then, he nodded slightly and quickly led Lu Ding to the back hall of the Chamber of Commerce.

As soon as Lu Ding stepped into the back hall, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

The strong smell of blood was difficult to dissipate in a short time, let alone for someone like Lu Ding who was extremely sensitive to the smell of blood.

"What exactly is going on in the city? Why didn't you board the dragon boat?"

The young man following behind Lu Ding looked rather grim upon hearing Lu Ding's words. "Reporting to you, sir, we received a notification from our superiors that the Dragon Clan has adjusted the scale of this year's dragon boats, exceeding the planned expectations. Therefore, they are to remain in the capital and await further planning arrangements."

Lu Ding frowned. He himself was part of Yan Kingdom's surveillance system and understood that for these lower-level people, orders from superiors were absolute. He did not blame the young man, but simply asked, "And what about your superiors?"

"He's missing, completely unreachable. The last thing we heard was that Lord Gui San went to receive the latest plans from Duke Dang Kang," the young man responded. "Lord Lu Ding, what should we do now?"

"There's not much we can do." Lu Ding sighed. He glanced at the gloomy-faced young man and just sighed again. "You should have guessed what happened to Gui San. It's quite good that you thought to leave a contact number for me at the designated location. How many of our brothers can we contact now?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, there are fewer than seventy people. The rest... most of them have probably been captured by the Demon Exorcism Division, and a small number have scattered and gone into hiding, making them unreachable."

Lu Ding remained silent for a while. Under the young man's anxious gaze, the young man dressed in black took a deep breath. "I will now temporarily assume Lord Siyou's full authority and issue you instructions to contact the people you can reach and find a way to create some big commotion in the demon race's capital."

The young man was clearly taken aback. He hesitated, opened his mouth, but ultimately did not voice his doubts. He simply nodded.

Lu Ding was clearly not the kind of unscrupulous superior. He noticed the young man's expression, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Once your commotion is seen by Dang Kang on the Dragon Ship, he will immediately launch an attack there. At that time, most of the forces in the capital will be transferred away. Then you go to our brothers and convey my message: lead the brothers to evacuate the demon race. Do you understand?"

"Yes, make a big commotion to lure the enemy out, then go to the Demon Suppression Division to rescue our own brothers, and finally lead the men to evacuate." The young man nodded seriously and repeated Lu Ding's arrangements.

“Very good.” Lu Ding reached into the inner pocket of his clothes and took out a waist tag, handing it to the young man. “This is my identity document. Take care of this matter well, and when we return to Yan Kingdom, you will be Gui San.”

The young man took the token and nodded vigorously, "Yes, Lord Lu Ding!"

"Alright, go and make the arrangements. Remember this, make sure there are no mistakes. Also, tell the brothers to protect themselves and make sure they don't get caught by the demons again."

"Yeah." The young man nodded.