"This cage is called the Seven Stars Concealment Cage, its base is supported by eight Concealing Qi Stones, and it is made with a rune formation that embodies the number of the Big Dipper. It can isolate external perception!"
Wu Ye Lan looked at the cage in his hand and explained.
"Holy crap, Concealing Qi Stones?"
Hearing the name, Ye Feng was quite surprised.
Because Concealing Qi Stones had also refreshed in his [Shop] before, and he had used them to hide the aura of the Spirit Nurturing Ganoderma. He hadn't expected Wu Ye Lan to have such things.
"Ye Feng, I'll give you this half Reinforcement Fruit. You take Xiao Lin and leave here!"
At this moment, Wu Ye Lin handed the Seven Stars Concealment Cage containing half a Reinforcement Fruit to Ye Feng, his tone heavy.
Ye Feng did not take it. He frowned and looked at Wu Ye Lan, "Is it because of the divine envoy named Elias that Lin mentioned before?"
"Yes!"
Wu Ye Lan nodded. "Since I released the news about the Reinforcement Fruit, none of the high-ranking officials from the Seven Great Powers have contacted me. The only one who could help, Shen Botian, cannot make it in time. The Lord of the Sea Restaurant is also dealing with troubles similar to mine and cannot spare himself..."
"This Elias guy... is he a monster like Cerberus? Cerberus is called a divine servant, right?~"
After a pause, Ye Feng spoke.
"Grandpa, why is this divine envoy Elias targeting us?"
Wu Ye Lin, who was beside them, also couldn't help but ask.
"More than twenty years ago, news of the Reinforcement Fruit appeared in the Adventurers' Guild, and then Cerberus came, but mysteriously disappeared... Elias must be here for that!"
"He even deliberately let me notice him... I'm afraid he wants to see who I ask for help, so he can follow the lead!"
Wu Ye Lan sighed. "Xiao Lin, Grandpa isn't reluctant to part with this Adventurers' Guild business, it's just that I truly cannot leave."
"I have a premonition that Elias has probably arrived, but hasn't made a move yet. He's waiting for me to flee or something..."
"If I flee with you, I will only bring you danger!"
"And if it's just me, I might actually be able to escape from Elias. Be good and leave with Ye Feng first. I'll find an opportunity to join you later!"
Wu Ye Lan urged his granddaughter again, but Wu Ye Lin did not move.
"Um... Senior Wu Ye, is the Reinforcement Fruit that important? Did Shen Botian and the Lord of the Sea Restaurant just hand over the Reinforcement Fruit so easily back then?"
At this moment, Ye Feng asked the question that had been bothering him.
"I made a deal with the Lord of the Sea Restaurant. He withdrew from the competition for the Reinforcement Fruit, and I provided him with the map to the Star-Stepping City ruins!"
"At that time, the news of Star-Stepping City was as valuable as this Reinforcement Fruit..."
"As for Shen Botian, I had a good relationship with him when I was young, and that Cerberus at the time was strictly speaking targeting Shen Botian... After we dealt with Cerberus, he owed me a favor..."
"Plus, due to something back then... Shen Botian felt guilty, so he didn't compete with me for the Reinforcement Fruit!"
Wu Ye Lan hesitated slightly, then sighed and said to Ye Feng.
"Grandpa, the matter you mentioned... is it related to Father?"
"I remember Father went to Mech City to deliver something, and then he never came back... Father's disappearance is related to someone called a Demon Awakener!"
"I heard Ye Feng and Qiao Ying discussing the Demon Awakener today. The Demon Awakener seems to have appeared in the Adventurers' Guild a few days ago!"
As soon as Wu Ye Lan finished speaking, Wu Ye Lin interjected, her expression filled with urgency for the answer.
"That matter indeed is... Wait a minute..."
Wu Ye Lan's words were interrupted, and his face changed drastically. "Xiao Lin, did you just say... the Demon Awakener appeared in the Adventurers' Guild?"
Wu Ye Lin did not answer, but looked at Qiao Ying. At this moment, a portrait also appeared in Qiao Ying's hand. "Although it's just a profile, that aura... it should be him!"
"This..."
Wu Ye Lan looked at the portrait with only a profile in Qiao Ying's hand, and swallowed. "Although I've only seen him once, judging by the profile, it is indeed him... that strange gaze, even after twenty years, I can recognize it at a glance!"
"We discovered a rather strange summoning formation during the day... there was demonic energy. I deduced that the formation was likely created by the Demon Awakener trying to summon something!"
At this point, Qiao Ying spoke again.
"Grandpa, that Demon Awakener, did... did he cause Father's disappearance?"
Wu Ye Lin eagerly interjected.
"..."
Wu Ye Lan did not answer immediately. He took several deep breaths before slowly saying, "Xiao Lin, your father, Long Yue, his disappearance is indeed related to the Demon Awakener, and it's highly likely he fell victim to the Demon Awakener!"
"More than twenty years ago, Shen Botian's son, Shen Lang, accidentally obtained a book of immense power during an expedition... According to your father, that book was very evil, it would devour others' flesh and blood, and control those who came into contact with it, driving them mad and into a frenzy of killing. Some who touched that book instantly turned to ashes..."
"That book is the legendary Dark Divine Tome, rumored to be related to the awakening of the Seven Great Demons... Later, Shen Lang was hunted by unknown experts from the Dark Holy Cult..."
"Later, Shen Lang and Long Yue seemed to have reached some kind of agreement... Long Yue was entrusted by Shen Lang to transport a batch of supplies to Mech City... He was ambushed midway, all his companions died, and your father also disappeared..."
"Because of this, Shen Botian withdrew from the competition for the Reinforcement Fruit himself!"
"Later, Shen Botian found me and told me that the truly important item to be transported in the large batch of supplies that Shen Lang had asked Long Yue to deliver was the Dark Divine Tome... It was also from that time that I learned a terrifying secret..."
"This is probably why Shen Lang disappeared and why Shen Botian has been rushing around all these years!"
Having said this, Wu Ye Lan let out a long sigh, as if to calm his mind.
Ye Feng, Wu Ye Lin, and the others remained silent. They knew Wu Ye Lan had not finished.
"Ye Feng, since you know about the Demon Awakener, have you heard of the God Summoner?"
As expected, Wu Ye Lan took a deep breath and spoke again.
"God Summoner? Is it this guy?"
Hearing Wu Ye Lan's words, Ye Feng couldn't help but look at Xiao Xiao. Xiao Xiao immediately flashed a light in her hand, and a picture album instantly appeared.
Xiao Xiao flipped through the album and then handed it to Wu Ye Lan.
"This... it is indeed this person. How do you have his portrait?"
Wu Ye Lan's gaze moved between Ye Feng and Xiao Xiao with great surprise.
...