High-level martial arts: Long spear with black flames to suppress demons.

Upon hearing these names, Gu Weishan frowned.

Once the pathfinders had retreated, he approached and whispered, "If Shen Chang'an continues to follow the Demon Emperor, it might be difficult to make a move. These individuals are not ordinary eighth-realm cultivators."

Gu Tianyu also looked at his father: "We can't just take people away in front of them."

"Find the person first, then see if there's an opportunity to contact them alone."

Gu Chengyue said, "Without my orders, no one should take any action without permission, and even less should anyone provoke a conflict with the demon race."

The Gu family has been operating in the human world for many years and has its own foundation, but this is, after all, the demon realm.

The eight royal families have a long and rich history, and the number of powerful figures they have accumulated is far greater than the few currently in front of them. The Gu family has sent four eighth-realm experts this time, which is enough to handle many situations, but it is still not enough to directly confront the royal court.

Moreover, Du Yue has already ascended the throne.

If they forcibly arrest someone in front of her, the matter will no longer be just a private affair between the Gu family and Shen Chang'an. He personally led the team so that he could quickly seize the situation when the opportunity arose, not to fight against the entire demon realm.

Gu Tianyu thought for a moment and asked, "What if he never leaves?"

"Then let's wait. He's still a patrolman of the Night Town Guard; he'll have to return to the human world eventually."

"Even if we can't take him with us this time, we still need to find out his situation. We can't just rely on those few pages of information to make a judgment."

On the other side, Gu Weichuan was looking down the mountain.

Several beast-drawn carts loaded with supplies traveled north along the main road, escorting armored and armed demon soldiers, stopping almost continuously along the way. Further away, temporary checkpoints could be seen, where all passing vehicles had to stop for inspection.

"The Northern Sea is probably not peaceful lately. There are more and more transport teams along this route, and the patrols are stricter than in the south."

Gu Chengyue watched for a while, then nodded and said, "Let's go to the outer perimeter first and figure out the situation before we talk about it."

The group agreed and continued on their way.

In the evening, the group made a brief stop in a mountain valley far from the main road.

The clansman in charge of liaison took out his ritual implement, verified the message that had just been transmitted, and immediately went to Gu Chengyue's side.

"The head of the family sent a message from the capital."

Gu Chengyue took the magical artifact, scanned it with his divine sense, and his brows gradually furrowed.

Seeing the change in his expression, Gu Tianyu asked, "What happened at home?"

"No, it's about the other companies."

He handed the message over, and Gu Tianyu and the two elders' expressions darkened after reading it.

Gu Chengyue recalled the anonymous file.

The Gu family has not released any public information, and even when verifying the adoption records with Xu Xiuqi, they deliberately avoided mentioning the relationship between Shen Chang'an and Murong Xiangqing. Yet the other families still departed around the same time, which clearly cannot be explained entirely by coincidence.

Did they notice the Gu family's actions, or had they received the same information?

Gu Chengyue returned the magical artifact and instructed, "Have Tianyang continue to keep an eye on the capital and send over any new information promptly."

Then he looked at the group of people.

"Once we arrive in Beiming, we must not reveal ourselves. We need to find out where Shen Chang'an is, and also keep an eye on the whereabouts of the other families. Since we are not the only ones coming, we must not rush into action."

Gu Tianyu nodded in agreement.

After a short rest, the group left the mountain valley again. A thin layer of snow had accumulated among the exposed rocks ahead, and the lights of the transport team moved slowly in the night on the main road at the foot of the mountain.

Gu Chengyue did not approach, but led the group to continue north along the mountain range.

……

Cangjiang, a villa outside the city.

Night had fallen, and only two lamps were lit in the courtyard, casting shadows of trees outside the French windows.

Xu Xiuqi sat on the single sofa, the tea beside him long since cold. He didn't touch it, only occasionally raising his right hand, slowly opening his five fingers, then closing them again, as if sensing something.

Pei Zhao stood a few steps away with his hands at his sides, remaining silent throughout.

He noticed that whenever Xu Xiuqi opened his palm, the nearby lights would dim briefly, and even the reflection in the windowpane would blur. But the hand looked no different from ordinary hands, and he sensed no obvious fluctuations in spiritual energy.

After a long while, Xu Xiuqi finally put his hand back on the armrest.

"How's it going in the capital?"

Pei Zhao immediately bowed: "Some people have already entered the demon realm. The Gu family is led by Gu Chengyue, with Gu Tianyu accompanying them, along with two elders, Gu Weishan and Gu Weichuan. Zhou Chongxuan also went personally. The other families' teams are currently verifying their exact locations."

"Did Gu Tianyang stay in the capital?"

"Yes, the whereabouts of Zhang Hai and his wife are still being investigated. The Xuan Shu Academy has dispatched four people, Zhi Yin, Feng Chuan, Duan Yue, and Zhao Gu, to be responsible for capturing Xu Mingjing."

Upon hearing the code name of Xuan Shu Academy, Xu Xiuqi's eyes flickered slightly.

"They're willing to send people."

Pei Zhao didn't respond, waiting for his signal before continuing to report on the demon realm.

Shen Chang'an is still in Beiming, traveling with the Demon Emperor. After Hai Zhen was suppressed, the two stayed for a few more days. The latest news is that the Zhenhai Pillar, which was submerged in the deep sea, has reappeared.

After listening, Xu Xiuqi looked out the window. These things still overlapped with the future he had once envisioned.

The Demon Emperor arrived in the Northern Sea, reactivating the power left behind by the Dragon Clan, and causing changes to the seal near the Abyss Gate. According to the original plan, everything should have continued forward until the time he had long prepared for.

Unfortunately, the traces of destiny on Shen Chang'an's body were removed prematurely.

In recent days, Xu Xiuqi has tried several times to regain that feeling of being connected to the other person by blood, but it has never returned.

Now, only a faint connection remains deep within his soul, which he can occasionally reach, but it is no longer enough for him to judge Shen Chang'an's condition.

Moreover, he couldn't be sure how long this last connection would last.

Xu Xiuqi suddenly spoke up: "The Gu family won't kill him easily... they might take him back to the capital for further processing..."

Pei Zhao raised his eyes slightly, then lowered them again: "They might need to verify their identities?"

"No, he was valuable when he was alive, or rather, he was even more valuable to the major families in the capital. A seventh-level cultivator at the age of twenty, possessing mysterious magical techniques, and having a close relationship with the Demon Emperor. They all want to uncover the secrets surrounding him and wouldn't be willing to destroy him directly."

Xu Xiuqi turned his head and suddenly said, "Let our people go over there too."

Pei Zhao's expression turned solemn.

"Bring along Capricorn, Scorpio, and Aries."

Xu Xiuqi named the names one by one.

"Herbert Glenn, Via Seiler, Adrian Vaughn, tell them to drop what they're doing and get into the territory as soon as possible. You come with them too."

"Yes."

Pei Zhao acknowledged, paused for a moment, and then cautiously asked, "What do you need me to do this time?"

There was a moment of silence in the living room as Xu Xiuqi looked down at his right hand.

Over the years, he has devoted a great deal of effort to ensuring that Shen Chang'an can grow up according to the original plan.

In the past, when unexpected events occurred, he could adjust the follow-up arrangements because the fundamental control remained. But now, Shen Chang'an has the ability to break free of control, and may even follow those traces to find things he shouldn't have known.

Xu Xiuqi sighed deeply, seemingly having made up his mind to give up on this goal he had been "raising" for so long.

"Kill Shen Chang'an, let the Gu family get his body. The Gu family probably also wants Gu Mingzhao to inherit Shen Chang'an's body. We just need to go with the flow. If they can't bring themselves to do it... then I'll do it myself..."

Pei Zhao was quite surprised, as all the previous arrangements had been based on the premise that Shen Chang'an would survive and continue to grow.

Now, this premise has been personally removed by Xu Xiuqi.

Pei Zhao quickly lowered his head: "This subordinate understands. Does the physical body need to be preserved intact?"

"Keep it as intact as possible. The Gu family still needs it, so there's no need to deliberately send it to them. When the time comes, the Gu family will fight for it themselves."

Pei Zhao noted down the order and then said, "Cang Gu and several royal clan leaders are all in Beiming, and the Demon Emperor has been traveling with him. If they stay together indefinitely, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to find an opportunity."

"Let those people from the capital get involved first. Now that they're here, they'll find a way to get close to Shen Chang'an. You all stay in the shadows and wait for the situation to change before deciding when to make your move."

"The Gu family wants to take them away, and the Zhou family wants to find out about the inheritance, so they both have reservations. You must remember that your goals are different from theirs; you just need to take advantage of the chaos to make your move."

Pei Zhao bowed: "Your subordinate has remembered."

Xu Xiuqi did not let him leave, but instead raised his right hand and slowly closed his five fingers in mid-air.

A sliver of grayish-white light peeked out from between the fingers.

The light did not illuminate the surroundings; instead, the nearby lamplight dimmed. A moment later, a slender object solidified in his palm, no bigger than half a finger joint, its surface pale and its material indistinguishable.

Its edges were smooth, with a very thin, dark line running across the middle. Xu Xiuqi slightly rotated his wrist, and the line seemed to move slightly with it.

Pei Zhao looked down instinctively, and as soon as his divine sense approached, a sharp pain shot through his sea of ​​consciousness.

He immediately withdrew his senses and stood still with his head down.

Xu Xiuqi took a small black box from the side and put the pale object into it.

Several fine lines appeared inside the box, gradually tightening along both sides of the object. Only after the box lid was closed did the lights in the living room return to normal.

"This is the Soul-Tethering Box."

Xu Xiuqi handed over the small box.

Pei Zhao took the box with both hands, but his fingertips stiffened inexplicably the moment they touched the bottom. Through the black outer shell, it felt as if something gently touched his finger bones before retreating.

He did not release his divine sense again, but simply held the small box steady.

Xu Xiuqi continued, "There is still a trace of creation within Shen Chang'an's body that has not been completely cleansed. The things in the box can affect it, causing his soul and body to temporarily lose connection."

Pei Zhao's gaze shifted slightly.

At Shen Chang'an's current level, ordinary restraints might not be able to trap him. However, if the traces left deep in his soul were directly activated, even if it only caused his body to pause for a moment, it would be enough to expose a fatal flaw during the fight.

"This connection is already very weak. How long it can last depends on his situation at that time."

Xu Xiuqi glanced at the small box.

"Don't test him beforehand. Once you've used it once, he'll know where the last trace is still hidden, and you won't have a second chance."

"I will wait until I have the opportunity to use it."

"Yes, but that alone is not enough."