860: 859: If you can’t afford to play, then don’t play.
860: 859: If you can’t afford to play, then don’t play.
Two spies from the major faction were elite among elites, having come on this mission chasing enormous rewards, with no room for slacking off.
However, they never expected things to go so wrong—just as they were about to act, they were captured, unable to send out any information.
Now, facing life and death, what should they do?
The Divine Flame Pond—enter it, no trace of a body remains.
The Ice Pool—capable of freezing one’s soul; a person won’t die, but they’ll become a fool.
Even the comparatively “gentler” Bone Melting Pool is horrific; entering it would melt all the bones in one’s body, leaving only skin and flesh behind.
Even if consciousness remains, the agony is unimaginable.
The two spies’ spirits were gradually collapsing.
But still, they persisted.
Ying San gestured, and one of them was thrown into the Bone Melting Pool.
In the next instant, a blood-curdling scream echoed out, leaving all who heard it shocked and horrified.
The remaining spy was so terrified he could barely stand.
“I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything!”
Ying San pulled him back out.
The man revealed all the details about Thousand Leaves leading his team into Tang City.
After spilling everything, he felt a brief sense of relief.
But soon, he was hoisted up again.
“What are you doing?
Don’t kill me!” The man screamed hysterically, sobbing uncontrollably, completely breaking down.
Ying San was unmoved.
If they dared to come to Tang City, they should’ve anticipated such an outcome.
The man was thrown into the Divine Flame Pond.
Flames soared up, and before long, he turned into nothingness.
At Ying Yi’s office, Ying San handed over the investigation report.
Ying Yi immediately deployed the Guard Squad to the shop where Thousand Leaves was staying.
Unexpectedly, the place was abandoned.
Had he escaped?
Activating city-wide surveillance, they found someone heading toward the Transmission Array.
“Ying Wu, disable the Transmission Array.”
“Understood, sis.” Ying Wu, who oversaw Tang City’s two Transmission Arrays, promptly disabled them without hesitation—it was the first time such a measure had been taken since their activation.
Meanwhile, Thousand Leaves hastily rushed over but took care to appear calm and unbothered.
He couldn’t risk anyone noticing anything suspicious.
Nevertheless, he was incredibly anxious.
He had no idea how long Tang City might take to uncover his identity, so he didn’t want to linger for even a moment.
Upon arriving at the Transmission Array’s hall, he saw many people being held up there awaiting transport.
Yet, rather than complaining, Tang City’s residents worked to maintain order; as Tang City’s people, it was natural for them to safeguard everything about their home—including a malfunctioning Transmission Array.
Some even investigated the issue to see if they could help resolve it.
That’s the difference between Tang City’s residents and outsiders.
Maintaining order proactively, patiently awaiting the array’s reopening.
Before long, a female fairy puppet appeared and announced, “Everyone, please return home.
The Transmission Array will reopen in approximately three hours.”
Upon hearing this, the immortals dispersed one after another.
Thousand Leaves frowned deeply—this was bad.
He suspected he’d been discovered.
What now?
Return to the shop for now.
Blending in with the crowd, he left the Transmission Hall.
Ying Yi stared at the surveillance monitor, the whole of Tang City visible through satellite network coverage.
All individuals across the city were crystal clear, enabling them to swiftly pinpoint their target.
However, the spy was mingled among city residents, making it difficult to act immediately.
Let’s see what he tries next before deciding.
Thousand Leaves, naturally unaware he had already been targeted by Tang City’s Shadow Guard, schemed about how to escape the city.
The Transmission Array promised reactivation in three hours, but could he afford to trust it?
Of course not—who knew if this time was being used to set a trap?
Right now, the only option seemed to be escaping outside the city.
But the Heaven Devouring Vine outside was far too terrifying.
A few of them might not be a problem, but rumors said they stretched across thousands of miles.
He knew he lacked the ability to leave from the front.
What should he do?
As someone at God Realm level, surprisingly, he found himself in utter turmoil.
Could it be that he should just storm the City Lord Mansion and seize control of Tang City?
This thought had been his first idea upon arriving.
It was said that Tang City’s City Lord was only in the God-casting Realm, though he heavily doubted this.
Still, its strongest power likely just reached the Divine Spirit Realm, while he was a long-established peak-level Divine Spirit.
Success might truly be within his grasp.
Better to investigate further before making any decisions.
Thousand Leaves, a cunning figure seasoned by experience, knew better than to return foolishly to his shop.
Instead, he checked into a hotel.
This way, blending into the crowd, it would be far more difficult for anyone to act against him.
Moreover, he possessed formidable cultivation, easily dismissing Tang City’s immortals and gods as beneath his notice.
Nonetheless, on enemy ground, he dared not underestimate his opponents.
There were countless cases of veterans falling prey to seemingly trivial mistakes—caution had always been central to his cultivation.
The truth was, he felt some regret now.
If he’d known, he wouldn’t have been so arrogant.
What he assumed was merely a small settlement turned into an eye-opening experience.
Frankly speaking, even major settlements couldn’t match Tang City’s beauty.
Here, the people thrived, business flourished, and vitality brimmed.
And it was a Cave Heaven Blessed Land.
Small as a sparrow is, it has all five internal organs.
He vowed never to boast recklessly again.
Seeing is believing, and this time had taught him a valuable lesson.
Never underestimate any place.
Tang City’s reputation across the Ancient Battlefield undoubtedly came with good reason.
Take the Immortal Crystal Barrier, for instance—none of the major factions across the battlefield possessed anything on this scale.
And then there’s the Heaven Devouring Vine.
Anyone capable of wielding such a thing to guard a city must be extraordinary.
Compared to Tang City’s City Lord, they were nothing but beasts.
Sooner or later, he might meet this person—the thought intrigued him.
Just what kind of prodigious, extraordinary figure could achieve this?
Meanwhile, Ying Yi communicated with Tang Feng.
“Brother Feng, we’ve identified the spy.
Their cultivation is formidable, beyond the capacity of our Shadow Guard to handle.”
In the Ice Palace, upon hearing this, Tang Feng grew serious.
If they were stronger than Ying Yi, then their level was beyond the Divine Spirit Realm.
A sweep of his Divine Sense quickly locked onto Thousand Leaves.
“Little girl, Brother needs to take care of something.
You can play here by yourself, or go back and play with Sister.”
“Go ahead, Brother.” Bing He was understanding.
After Tang Feng left, she issued instructions to the Soul-devouring Worms.
Soon after, the worms transformed into streams of light and vanished within the Ice Palace.
Dealing with someone in the Divine Spirit Realm wasn’t something Tang Feng could easily accomplish head-on.
However, with proper timing and well-prepared methods, catching the spy off guard might allow him to subdue them effortlessly.
No need to rush—these things required careful planning.
Tang Feng first set up formation arrays to prevent the spy’s escape.
Tang City had always suffered from a shortage of top-tier experts.
The arrival of this Divine Spirit Realm spy was an eye-opener and even sparked a new idea for Tang Feng: while those he trained were loyal, their progress was too slow.
If he could capture and recruit this individual, his grand plans could see exponential growth.
Every man harbors ambition; even those who claim they’ve lost it often merely had their edges worn down by time.
Tang Feng was no exception.
His ambitions were vast, his philosophy straightforward: if you’re going to do something, do it to perfection.
Otherwise, what’s the point?
He’d long since secured the resources needed to sustain a household.
On Earth, there’s a bold and classic saying: “If you can’t play big, don’t bother playing at all.”
Of course, only those with the foundation to back it up could truly say such a thing.
Now that Tang Feng had established such a foundation, he naturally aimed high.
With all manner of demonic forces closing in, how could he afford to show weakness?
On the Ancient Battlefield, what’s most terrifying?
The Ancient Creatures.
Increasingly prevalent outside, leading some of them elsewhere could certainly create some chaos.
With this in mind, Thousand Leaves would likely find no way back.
If he refused to submit, he absolutely couldn’t be allowed to escape.