1021 Heavenly Dragon Temple
"How did the Blue Sea Empire mange to discover us now of all times- Wait… Is it perhaps because of that person!?"
"Yeah! The Blue Sea Empire just so happened to discover this place shortly after that guy entered and made us prepare the teleportation formation, I'm sure he knew he was being chased by someone from the Blue Sea Empire and wanted to escape before the other party caught up!"
"Hmph! This damnable core disciple, he really wants to take advantage of his position and leave us all to die!"
"Hm? Maybe the person from the Blue Sea Empire is only after that guy. If we hand him over, we might have a chance to escape this situation alive!"
"Huh? Indeed… What you say makes sense, maybe this senior is generous enough to let us escape alive if we hand over that damnable core disciple!"
As Xuan Hao had fully revealed himself and was about to kill the people below and catch the escaping Domain Lord Realm Expert for information, a large number of people below, who had been preparing the teleportation formation and were trying their best to escape, suddenly turned around and focused their attention on the escaping Domain Lord Realm Expert.
"Wh-what are all of you looking at!? Hurry up and activate the teleportation formation so I can get out of here! I have important information that I need to hand over. None of you can afford the price if my master doesn't get this information!"
Feeling the clear hostility from the surrounding people, the escaping Domain Lord Realm Expert could not help lashing out, as he reminded them about how his master was going to punish them if he learnt about anything happening to him.
"""…"""
However, unfortunately for the escaping Domain Lord Realm Expert desperately trying his best to get them to activate the teleportation formation and send him away from the Blue Sea Empire, none of the people listened to him-
"I will ensure that he doesn't cause any harm, Hou and Ling, you two will be in charge of restraining him…"
Instead, the expert at the First Tribulation of the Soul Ascension Realm stepped forward and said this while signaling to two Peak Domain Lord Realm experts.
"Y-you! You can't do this! I'm a core disciple, my master will- mhhh!"
Considering that there was a clear difference in strength between the three people and the so-called core disciple, he was easily restrained by the three. Not only that but given that none of them wanted to listen to his complaints and curses, one of the Domain Lord Realm Experts quickly pulled a rag hanging out of one of the nearby building windows and stuffed it into his mouth. Making sure to use part of his power to ensure that the rag wasn't destroyed or spit out.
Whoosh~
Not wasting any time after this, the expert at the First Tribulation of the Soul Ascension Realm grabbed the flailing core disciple desperately trying to free himself and flew up towards Xuan Hao who was watching the entire thing play out with interest.
"Senior, I hope you will let go of us, we are all from the Heavenly Dragon Temple and don't mean any harm. The reason we are here in the Blue Sea Empire is just for some basic information gathering on who enters and leaves the Blue Sea Empire from this part of your border. Nothing more!" Not giving Xuan Hao a chance to say anything, the Soul Ascension Realm Expert did his best to explain that they didn't do anything that would harm the Blue Sea Empire and at most observed who was entering and leaving the Blue Sea Empire.
Although this would still be something that the Blue Sea Empire would undoubtedly crack down on. Especially considering that they had essentially done this without informing the Blue Sea Empire about their presence, it was still something that could be forgiven if the power behind this operation was strong enough that even someone like the Blue Sea Empire had to be cautious of them.
The Soul Ascension Realm Expert also banked on the fact that he was from one such power and the fact that he had willingly handed over the core disciple and informed him about what he and the rest of the people here had been up to.
"Hm? The Heavenly Dragon Temple?"
Not knowing anything about the Heavenly Dragon Temple that the Soul Ascension Realm Expert had just mentioned, Xuan Hao decided to take advantage of the situation and put on a thoughtful expression.
Even if he had already ensured that his identity couldn't be tracked back to the Star Shattering Sect, it would be far better if these people ended up thinking that someone from the Blue Sea Empire was behind the entire thing.
Given that the Heavenly Dragon Temple should be a force strong enough that even the Blue Sea Empire had to take them seriously, it would make sense that he let these people go back and spread this news to the rest of the Heavenly Dragon Temple to ensure their own innocence in the disappearance of this core disciple. In turn, this would also end up washing away any suspicion that might end up being directed towards a small fringe sect like the Star Shattering Sect or someone from the Sky Empire being behind the disappearance of the core disciple.
Not only that, but it was doubtful whether or not this Heavenly Dragon Temple would even dare to ask the Blue Sea Empire about this matter. After all, one of their secret outposts inside the territory of the Blue Sea Empire had just been found.
Thinking about it, it might be better for the Heavenly Dragon Temple to try their best to bury this matter in case the Blue Sea Empire showed up for an explanation regarding this secret outpost located inside their territory…
"I understand, I will look the other way regarding this little outpost and hope you and your friends below will leave the Blue Sea Empire immediately!" Nodding his head sternly after having pretended to seriously think this matter through for a minute, Xuan Hao grabbed the terrified core disciple of the Heavenly Dragon Temple.
Different from the rest of the members from the Heavenly Dragon Temple present, he had clearly recognized Xuan Hao as one of the two Grand Elders of the Star Shattering Sect. Unfortunately for him, he had no way to convey this to the Soul Ascension Realm Expert who was jumping with joy after hearing that they had been allowed to leave alive.
"Thank you! Thank you senior! We will leave this place immediately!" Not wasting any time as he was overcome with happiness, the Soul Ascension Realm Expert quickly descended towards the people nervously waiting below before giving all of them the good news… And before long, all of them rapidly began to pack away everything inside the secret outpost. No longer caring about the core disciple or what would end up happening to him.
In their eyes, this core disciple was the reason why they had been found by the Blue Sea Empire in the first place, so it was only fair that he paid them back by ensuring that they could leave alive…
"Well… That was easier than I expected." Muttering this to himself as he looked down at the people from the Heavenly Dragon Temple below, Xuan Hao turned his attention back towards the core disciple who was now hovering in the air a few meters away from him. "Now, why don't we go somewhere a little more private and have a chat?"
"Mmmh!"
Showing an even more terrified expression on his face after hearing what Xuan Hao said, the core disciple fully understood that there was no way for him to escape his current situation. Even if he tried to use the Heavenly Dragon Temple to threaten Xuan Hao, he understood that it was of no use given that the Heavenly Dragon Temple would think the Blue Sea Empire were the ones who had taken him away.
As for how Xuan Hao had even managed to chase after him when he had essentially crossed through the entire Sky Empire and entered the borders of the Blue Sea Empire? The question didn't even cross his mind, as he was far more focused on trying to come up with a way to escape alive from his current situation.
Regrettably for this core disciple of the Heavenly Dragon Temple, there was no way Xuan Hao was going to let him go knowing his identity.
Doing something like that would inevitably end up attracting the ire of the Heavenly Dragon Temple. Not to mention, he still had no idea why this core disciple of such a powerful force had suddenly snuck into the Shattered Star Peaks to visit the Fifth Star Peak.
The only real clue he had was the weird ruin that had revealed itself after the core disciple threw something into the lake at the top of the Fifth Star Peak. Unfortunately, even if he wanted to investigate the ruin more, it had snuck back below the surface of the lake just a short time before he chased the core disciple to the Blue Sea Empire.
"Hopefully this guy will give me a little more information on that ruin…" Muttering this to himself as he glanced at the terrified core disciple one last time to make sure he didn't have some kind of special artifact that would allow him to escape, Xuan Hao grabbed him by the neck before caring him out of the secret outpost at the bottom of the small ravine.
