Moonspire, Grand Capital of the Silver Moon Empire — within the great halls of the Moonlight Sect, a crucial meeting was underway.
The Great Assembly Hall was filled to capacity with elders and disciples of the Moonlight Sect, all gathered for what appeared to be an extremely important meeting. The atmosphere was tense with anticipation.
Vice Sect Master Mu Feixue stood gracefully on the elevated platform at the center of the hall. Her figure was elegant and ethereal, possessing a distant beauty that seemed almost otherworldly. Her silver robes fluttered slightly despite the absence of wind, and her presence commanded absolute attention.
Disciples and elders waited in respectful silence, wondering what important matter was about to be shared. Some had already made guesses based on recent events, but looking at the serious atmosphere, it was clear that whatever this was about held great significance.
Vice Sect Master Mu Feixue first released her spiritual perception, scanning across the entire hall and examining every elder and disciple present. Most didn't even realize they were being scanned, but a handful of the more powerful elders could sense that someone had used spiritual perception on them.
However, only the strongest among them could identify that it came from the person before them—the second most powerful cultivator in the Moonlight Sect.
After completing her scan, she began speaking with a voice that carried clearly throughout the hall.
"We now have confirmation that the Witch Spawn, who has been roaming within our Silver Moon Empire for the past twelve years while leaving false trails to conceal his presence, is indeed still within our territory. He was unable to escape to another empire — or chose to remain. Regardless, we are certain: he never left. Gravely wounded at that time, he has been carefully hiding ever since."
She paused, letting this information sink in before continuing.
"We have been searching for him across different regions but couldn't locate him. However, we now have several trails that have led us to a few specific cities that we are currently investigating. Most importantly, we have reliable information confirming that the Witch Spawn is hiding in Azure Sky City. Therefore, we will now concentrate our forces in Azure Sky city."
Hearing this announcement, there was immediate commotion throughout the gathering. Whispered conversations broke out among the disciples and elders.
One of the inner court elders stood up and spoke respectfully, "Vice Sect Master, what if this is also a false trail leading to Azure Sky City? If we withdraw our forces from other regions to concentrate there, wouldn't we risk giving him the opportunity to escape from the areas we're currently searching? Why would he choose to hide in Azure Sky City when other cities might seem more secure?"
The elder wasn't questioning Mu Feixue's judgment out of disbelief, but rather to address the doubts that others might have.
After all, they had been searching for this Witch Spawn for more than a decade throughout the entire Silver Moon Empire. If he escaped now, wouldn't all their efforts over the past twelve years be wasted?
If it had been the Sect Master who made this decision, nobody would have dared to question it—they would have instantly followed her orders. She was not only the strongest person in the Silver Moon Empire but was also known throughout the sect for her unpredictable and sometimes explosive temper.
Mu Feixue showed no displeasure or annoyance at the question, as she had planned to explain this matter thoroughly anyway. It was better for everyone to understand the reasoning behind this decision.
"As you all know, the Witch Spawn was grievously wounded by my hand twelve years ago. Even now, he remains unable to fully heal without rare medicines. Fearing that we would one day hunt him down, he has concealed himself with great caution. He is exceedingly cunning — but at last, we have uncovered something vital about his methods."
She paused for dramatic effect before delivering the shocking revelation.
"The false trails he has been leaving behind are not created by his artifacts or treasures, as we previously believed. The reality is that he has been using Mind-Binding Gu to leave false trails."
When she said this, everyone present was greatly shocked. They had always assumed that the fake trails were due to some special artifact he possessed, but the truth was far more sinister.
Gu insects are bred and cultivated in the Ghoul Continent. While not native to human territories, they can be secretly used by cultivators, though they are mostly employed for evil purposes.
These Mind-Binding Gu insects can control and manipulate their hosts. In addition to mind control, certain Gu variants can be used for assassination, enhancing poison arts, suppressing an opponent's cultivation, or infiltrating enemy forces by turning trusted allies into unwitting puppets.
Some rare types are even used to refine unique toxins, forge blood pacts, or as catalysts in forbidden rituals.
"During our investigation, one of our operatives was able to obtain this crucial information. When confronted, some of the victims controlled by Mind-Binding Gu — with no hope of escape — were forced by the Gu to detonate their cultivation cores, destroying their bodies to erase any trace of evidence."
The hall fell into complete silence as everyone listened intently.
"The Witch Spawn carefully chooses his targets and uses Mind-Binding Gu insects to turn his victims into puppets, controlling them to do whatever he desires.
He had used the Mind-Binding Gu on the cultivators, marking them with his aura and sending them to different locations. With the given order of WitchSpawn , the mind-binding gu would compel the cultivators to detonate their cores and explode their bodies, erasing all evidence while creating misleading trails."
Some of the elders and disciples couldn't help but be amazed by WitchSpawn's cunning and ruthlessness, but they also felt greater anger and hatred at how he was using human sacrifice to make them waste their time searching all over different places.
"My disciple, who was stationed in Azure Sky City, witnessed a robbery one night. When she tried to stop the three thieves, she discovered they were normal cultivators, but she detected a malevolent aura inhabitating them."
Mu Feixue's voice grew more serious as she continued.
"When she attempted to detain them for questioning, they detonated their own cores when cornered. Fortunately, through quick thinking, she was able to cripple the core of the last individual before he could complete the detonation. Upon examination, she discovered a Gu insect inhabiting the cultivator's body and manipulating him — it was a Mind-Binding Gu. After the Gu was extracted, the cultivator regained his senses and was able to provide us with information confirming that he had been in contact with the Witch Spawn, who is indeed hiding within Azure Sky City."
All the elders and disciples absorbed this information with intense focus.
"This incident is a clear indication that the Witch Spawn is hiding within Azure Sky City. There are additional strategic reasons as well. Gu insects are primarily cultivated in the Ghoul Continent, and within human territories, the Silver Moon Empire lies closest to it. Azure Sky City, in particular, is situated near the border between the Human Continent and the Ghoul Continent. All other cities are located thousands of kilometers away from Azure Sky City, and even farther from the border — making Azure Sky City the most likely location for the Witch Spawn to operate for his objective."
Hearing this explanation, the elders couldn't help but nod in understanding. The logic was becoming clear.
"What's his objective". The elder show faint doubt as he asked.
"The cultivators who were controlled through the Mind-Binding Gu insects were ordered to gather ki stones from all over Azure Sky City, but to do so discretely without attracting too much attention. According to what the freed cultivator remembered, they had gathered a huge amount of ki stones over the past decade, and the Witch Spawn would collect whatever they had gathered at the end of each month."
The elder who had spoken earlier raised his hand once more and asked. "But why would he need to steal or gather so many Ki Stones? Is his true objective simply to collect Ki Stones?"
Mu Feixue's expression grew even more grave as she revealed the final piece of the puzzle.
"The reason he has been gathering ki stones for the past decade, combined with his choice to hide in Azure Sky City—which is closest to the border between the Human and Ghoul Continents—and his use of Gu insects from the Ghoul Continent, all point to one conclusion: he is planning to use a long-distance teleportation array to escape to the Ghoul Continent. The closer the distance, the less energy required for such a teleportation. Azure Sky City is the optimal location for this purpose, and the resources he has gathered over the past decade would be more than sufficient to power such a teleportation array."
Upon hearing this revelation, it was as if a bomb had exploded in the minds of all present elders and disciples. They were greatly shocked by the Witch Spawn's cunning and long-term planning. He had been preparing his escape from the Silver Moon Empire to the Ghoul Continent for over a decade, right under their noses.
The implications were staggering—if he succeeded in reaching the Ghoul Continent, pursuing him would become nearly impossible, and all their years of effort would be lost forever.