Looking at the middle-aged man before him, Ji Yuan's face showed a trace of coldness. He then gently waved his hand, and the formation within the main hall immediately activated.
The power of the formidable formation surged like a tide, instantly engulfing the smiling middle-aged man. His figure then shattered, turning into a pile of paper scraps, finally igniting into ash.
Indeed, just as he had stated, this person who had come to the Water God Temple was merely a clone.
Ji Yuan let out a long sigh. Despite his extreme caution, he had still fallen into the other party's trap.
With a thought, he sent a mental message to his main body, signaling it not to bring anyone else over.
The middle-aged man had never intended to attack the Water God Temple. His true purpose in coming here was to probe his trump cards.
Now that his main body had made a move, the other party had clearly achieved his goal. Before his clone was destroyed, there was a hint of mockery in his smile.
However, Ji Yuan was not entirely without gains. The name the other party had declared was likely to be true.
Since this person dared to come and provoke him with a clone, he wouldn't tamper with his name. The more confident a person was, the more extraordinary their arrogance.
At the same time, the methods employed by this clone had exposed many issues.
"A cultivator of the Yin Yang Sect?"
He muttered to himself, and relevant information immediately surfaced in his mind.
Among the demonic path's five major sects, the Yin Yang Sect was skilled in the art of paper effigies. They would create paper effigies using special materials, imbue them with living souls, and then refine them through secret arts.
One of the derived techniques involved using paper fragments as clones, a common method employed by the disciples of the Yin Yang Sect.
Although this person did not carry any trace of demonic energy, the unique techniques of the Yin Yang Sect were difficult to counterfeit.
At the same time, Ji Yuan's main body, who had already traveled halfway, landed on a small hill with the two people accompanying him.
"Yin Yang Sect?"
Lin Yu Bai's eyebrows shot up, as his intelligence did not include any information about the five major demonic sects.
Upon learning that someone suspected to be a direct disciple of the Yin Yang Sect had appeared, both of their expressions sank. Although they had anticipated this, they couldn't help but sigh in confirmation.
If the five major demonic sects were indeed involved, or even the masterminds behind everything, the trouble they would face would undoubtedly become much more complicated.
"In comparison, the exposure of our whereabouts might be the most troublesome matter."
Jiang Yun Zhou sighed.
Their situation was clear, while they had no idea how many hidden moves the other party possessed. In comparison, they were clearly at a disadvantage.
"Not necessarily..."
Ji Yuan's face showed a thoughtful expression. Even with extraordinary means, the other party couldn't possibly have accounted for every detail.
Since this person had subtly revealed their whereabouts, they likely couldn't ascertain their numbers or specific identities.
Coincidentally, Lin Yu Bai had brought many inner disciples. Perhaps they could turn the tables.
Thus, the three of them used their respective abilities to quietly return to Linfu County. Afterwards, Lin Yu Bai, along with eight inner disciples, appeared outside the county yamen.
This was originally an important trump card that would not be used until a critical moment. Now, they were forced to reveal it proactively to conceal the presence of Ji Yuan's main body and Jiang Yun Zhou.
Upon learning that the visitors were disciples of the Nine Xuan Sect, the county magistrate Zhang Qing Yang personally came out to greet them, showing them utmost respect.
Lin Yu Bai and his group, following the enthusiastic hospitality of the magistrate, directly took up residence in the county yamen. They kept to themselves daily, making it impossible to discern their true intentions.
"Now, besides proceeding as usual, the most important task is to find the whereabouts of the City God and his Spiritual Officers."
Ji Yuan, who had quietly entered the county yamen disguised as a Nine Xuan Sect disciple, said with a grave expression.
Although the River God and his temple stewards had confessed and were imprisoned, there was still no news of the missing City God and his several Spiritual Officers.
Even with all the power at his disposal, Zhang Qing Yang had almost scoured Linfu County inside and out, yet he had still found no clues.
"Indeed, only with the return of the City God and his Spiritual Officers can we gain complete control over all activities within the county town."
Jiang Yun Zhou nodded. As a divine cultivator, he was very familiar with the authority of deities.
The City God, who governed a region or a city, had the authority to interrogate all demons and ghosts at night and monitor all movements within his jurisdiction.
If he wished, not a single ripple in the city could escape his eyes, and he could even overhear private conversations in rooms.
In other words, as long as the missing City God could be found and reinstated, Linfu County would be under his comprehensive surveillance. Even if someone intended to do something in secret, it would be easily discovered.
This way, no matter what the mastermind intended to do, it would be difficult to carry out within the city, and their actions would be constantly restricted.
This was undoubtedly very advantageous to them. Even if the other party was hidden in the shadows, they couldn't gain the upper hand.
"But how should we find the City God?"
Lin Yu Bai asked, not believing that something a county magistrate couldn't accomplish could be easily achieved by their small group.
Moreover, they currently had no clues whatsoever, apart from knowing that the City God and his Spiritual Officers were still alive. Everything else was a complete mystery.
"What kind of conditions could suppress several deities without revealing the slightest trace of aura?"
Ji Yuan looked at Jiang Yun Zhou beside him, as he was the most knowledgeable about matters of the divine path in this place.
Hearing this, the latter pondered for a long time before listing some possibilities.
In fact, if one's cultivation was sufficient, there were too many methods to achieve such a feat.
However, considering the situation in Linfu County, the remaining possibilities were not many, and some suspicious locations could be deduced.
Yet, after listening, Ji Yuan repeatedly shook his head. If even they could easily deduce these locations, how could the mastermind use them to imprison the City God?
Both the most likely and the least likely places could be directly ruled out. Perhaps only in the most unexpected places would there be a slight possibility.
However, this undoubtedly expanded the scope of the search several times over. With their limited manpower, it would be impossible to investigate them one by one in a short period.
If they were to borrow the power of the county yamen, the mastermind would likely react and devise countermeasures as soon as they had investigated a few places.
"Perhaps we could deliberately stir up trouble and force the other party to move the imprisoned City God, thereby revealing some clues?"
Lin Yu Bai pondered for a long time before proposing a possibility.