Chapter 269: More Trouble.
Back at the Dust Valley Sect’s hotel, the elders sat in uneasy silence, their faces clouded with various emotions.
Tonight had been nothing short of a storm, one that none of them had been prepared for.
At first, Zhao Tian had come running in a panic, demanding to see the Young Master.
They thought that would be the end of the night’s chaos, yet, before they could even catch their breath, numerous clan masters and hall leaders had arrived one after another, each requesting an audience.
The night had turned into endless shocks, each greater than the last.
"I don’t know if this is good or bad for our sect..." Elder Duan Jie muttered as she shook her head.
"You’re right," Elder Han Gang said with a grave nod, his brows furrowing deeply. "I can sense a conspiracy surrounding our sect from a mile away."
The other elders did not speak, but their grim faces said it all.
Tomorrow marked the final day of the great competition.
It was a time when all the great powers of the capital would be watching, and none of the proud clans or sects would allow a small, backwater sect like theirs to dominate without resistance.
They had made too many enemies and gathered too much attention in too little time.
While they were still debating their next move, a young disciple suddenly burst into the room, panting heavily.
"The Young Master has returned!" he announced breathlessly.
At once, every elder in the room released a long, collective sigh of relief.
After everything that had unfolded tonight, none of them had been entirely sure of Mo Jian’s safety.
A few seconds later, the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Mo Jian and Supreme Elder Zhao entered the hall together.
Both could immediately sense the tense atmosphere in the room, yet neither spoke.
They simply returned the elders’ greetings with polite nods and continued upstairs.
When they reached the fifth floor, they were greeted by the sight of Zhao Tian pacing back and forth in front of a door, sweat beading across his round face.
"Ah! Young Master, you’re finally back!" Zhao Tian cried out, rushing toward them with visible panic.
"What’s wrong?" Mo Jian asked calmly, though he could already tell something was off.
"Young Master, there’s a situation," Zhao Tian said quickly, grabbing his arm and dragging him toward one of the rooms at the end of the corridor.
The elders exchanged bewildered glances.
Zhao Tian had been acting strangely ever since returning to the hotel, but now his agitation made even less sense.
Inside the room, Zhao Tian shut the door behind them before turning with a pale expression.
Mo Jian studied him silently.
In all the time he’d known this fatty, this was the first time he had seen the usually carefree fatty this nervous.
"Whatever it is, speak slowly," Mo Jian said in a calm tone.
"Young Master, why do you always put your Spirit Link on Do Not Disturb?" Zhao Tian blurted out in frustration.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Whatever, never mind, just check this first."
He fumbled with his Spirit Link and thrust it toward Mo Jian. "This... this is what has me worried."
Mo Jian took the device, his expression composed as usual.
But the moment his eyes fell on the image displayed across the screen, the calm façade vanished.
A massive, terrifying beast loomed within the image.
Its sheer size alone sent a chill crawling down his spine.
Worse still were the countless serpents coiled before its body, their scales glinting with a sickly green hue.
Just looking at them was enough to make his skin prickle with unease.
Now, he fully understood why Zhao Tian had been so shaken.
The situation wasn’t merely troubling.
it was potentially catastrophic.
If they didn’t act carefully, this could spell disaster for the entire Western Region.
"Have you ordered the immediate stop of the adventurers?" Mo Jian asked, his voice turning grave.
"Yes, Young Master, but..." Zhao Tian hesitated, his voice trembling slightly, "I don’t think that’s enough."
He was right.
They had intruded into the territory of a colossal beast—one that clearly ruled its domain.
If it decided to move against them, even the combined forces of the Western Region would mean nothing before it.
"You’re right," Mo Jian said solemnly, his eyes hardening.
"It’s not enough."
He took out his Spirit Link and deactivated the Do Not Disturb mode.
Instantly, a barrage of notifications flooded the screen messages, missed calls, emergency alerts, all flashing one after another.
"What should I do?" Zhao Tian asked anxiously as Mo Jian began dialing a number.
Mo Jian said briefly. "Get me my father immediately."
"Yes!" Zhao Tian responded and dashed out of the room.
As soon as the call connected, Mo Jian began issuing rapid commands, his tone cold and decisive.
"I want all defensive formations along the Never Ending Forest reinforced immediately. Recall every Adventurer team within the outer perimeter—no exceptions. Set up barrier nodes along the southern ridge and prepare the evacuation route to the nearby villages."
His voice was sharp and steady, betraying no hint of panic, but the urgency was unmistakable.
The door opened again, and the Sect Master entered, his expression full of confusion.
The moment he saw the worry etched across his son’s usually calm face, his heart tightened.
This was the first time he had ever seen Mo Jian look so serious—so grim.
"What’s going on?" he asked, stepping closer.
"Father," Mo Jian said without turning around, still speaking into the Spirit Link, "I need Supreme Elder Sun stationed at the Never Ending Forest immediately."
The Sect Master froze, stunned.
"What?"
Before he could question further, Mo Jian continued giving orders to someone else on the call.
The Sect Master could only stand there in silence, watching his son move with precision and authority.
Though he didn’t yet understand what was happening, his instincts told him that something truly terrible was approaching.
With a deep breath, he took out his own Spirit Link and contacted Supreme Elder Sun himself.
Supreme Elder Sun, who had been stationed at the Western Border to repel intruders, was shocked by the sudden command.
Yet he obeyed without hesitation.
If Mo Jian deemed the situation urgent enough to redeploy their strongest defensive elder, it could only mean grave danger.
Meanwhile, Mo Jian’s mind raced.
Now he realized he was too weak compared to his current enemies. Previously, the highest enemies were mere Peak Core Refining warriors.
But now...
Golden Core experts. Nascent Souls. And now... a snake queen.
The thought made his blood boil...not with fear, but with a strange mix of tension and exhilaration.
For a beast to evolve to such a level within the Never Ending Forest could only mean one thing—an opportunity.
"First," he murmured to himself, half in thought, "I need to send reinforcements to the Western Region. Immediately."
"Son," the Sect Master finally said, stepping closer, his voice taut with concern. "What is going on?"
Mo Jian lifted his head slowly, his expression calm once more, though his eyes burned with resolve.
"Trouble," he said simply.
Leaving that one heavy word hanging in the air, Mo Jian turned and strode out of the room without another glance back.