"Elder Jing! Please explain what happened."

"We were attacked... and unfortunately, we lost all of the juniors. Only the three of us managed to survive."

"So, you lost both the ship and the juniors?"

"We were helpless. The traitor we encountered was even more ruthless than the rumors suggested. He lured us into a trap, some type of demonic formation that rendered our ship useless…”

The three elders from the long clan found themselves being interrogated by a larger group that had arrived on their own ship. This group consisted of a hundred experts in core formation and five masters in nascent soul cultivation. Four of them were in the late stage of nascent soul, while one had reached the great circle. In order to hide their true identities, the three individuals, including Zhang Dong, disguised themselves. Meanwhile, Liena and Zhi, who were with Zhang Dong, remained silent and pretended to be injured.

As Zhang Dong recounted the fabricated story of their defeat and the loss of their juniors, the Long Clan members listened with a mixture of concern and frustration. The loss of their ship and the young talents was a significant blow to their forces. The three disguised intruders, however, kept their expressions carefully controlled, maintaining a facade of defeat and exhaustion.

"I can't believe the Golden Dragon managed to catch us off guard like this,"

One of the nascent soul masters remarked with a scowl.

"Elder Jing, do you have any information on his whereabouts? We need to regroup and plan our counterattack," another elder inquired.

Zhang Dong, in his Elder Jing disguise, shook his head, feigning disappointment.

"I'm afraid not. He was like a phantom, attacking us swiftly and disappearing just as quickly. He seemed to know our tactics and formations well."

The elder's face grew darker.

"This is a grave situation. We must report back to the main base immediately. If what you say is true, then it would be unwise to pursue that traitorous scum. It bet he is just waiting for us to make another mistake, just using cheap tactics to prolong this farce!”

As the discussion continued, Zhang Dong took the opportunity to scan the faces of the Long Clan members around him. He was searching for any signs of recognition or suspicion. So far, it seemed that his disguise was holding up. The leader of this ship was quite mad at the thought of his people being defeated so easily but also frightened.

It was evident that the old man's primary concern lay with his own safety and the well-being of those aboard the ship. With the knowledge that two nascent soul elders had already perished, he couldn't help but consider the possibility of facing a similar fate. It seemed wise to relay this critical information to the main base and request reinforcements before proceeding any further.

After all, there was strength in numbers, and these individuals were not accustomed to such intense confrontations. The Long Clan had enjoyed a reign of power for over a hundred thousand years, largely unscathed by adversity. Perhaps they were complacent in their approach, believing that victory would inevitably be theirs if they proceeded cautiously.

Liena and Zhi continued to play their parts as injured elders, skillfully portraying the pain through occasional soft groans and the careful clutching of their wounds. Their acting abilities were truly remarkable, further enhancing the authenticity of the situation. Liena, in particular, had only to take on the role of an old man, but with a specific stipulation, she did not want to be required to speak.

As a result, they had instructed her to feign a throat injury, allowing her to avoid any verbal communication and instead rely on groaning to convey her distress. Fortunately, the arrangement worked well for them, as the elders were not positioned too closely to each other, ensuring they could maintain their facade without suspicion - at least for the time being.

“If this ferocious scoundrel Golden Dragon is this misbegotten then perhaps it will be best to call for help. Elder Jing, how about you return and make the report before the general, I’m sure you’ll be able to explain it better than I ever could.”

"You're right, Elder Yuan. I shall return to the main base immediately and inform the general of our situation. With his guidance, we can strategize a proper response to this threat."

Elder Yuan expressed his satisfaction with the decision, and the other members of the Long Clan agreed. It was evident that they had been greatly affected by the recent events and were eager to regroup and seek guidance from their superiors. With reinforcements on their way, they would soon confront their adversaries who were trapped within the expansive formation.

‘Once we arrive, we must locate the source of the bracelet signal and make a decision.’

Their objective was to infiltrate the main base and reach the origin of the signal. Upon arrival, Zhang Dong would have to determine whether it was more beneficial to reverse engineer the technology or destroy it altogether. If their enemies possessed a protective advantage from these bracelets that his side couldn't utilize, it would be wise to eliminate this advantage. Time was of the essence, as the discovery of the remains of the golden palace was inevitable. Before that occurred, Zhang Dong knew he had to successfully complete this mission.

Despite Elder Yuan's desire to return to the main base, it was not feasible. Doing so would be perceived as an act of evading the confrontation with their weakened enemy. They needed to stay within range and continue their investigation. Fortunately, the personas that Zhang Dong and the others were impersonating had the valid excuse of surviving a near-death experience, granting them temporary reprieve. While a future demotion might be in store, it was unlikely to be overly severe. As a result, instead of returning together, they were provided with a smaller escape boat, piloted by a relatively weaker core formation member.

With Elder Yuan's permission, the three disguised intruders boarded the escape boat. Zhang Dong, as Elder Jing, maintained his appearance of exhaustion and injury, making sure his movements were slow and cautious. Liena and Zhi, in their elderly disguises, followed suit, clutching their fabricated wounds and eating recovery pills. The escape boat slowly departed from the main ship, heading towards what seemed like a safe distance away.

As they continued on their journey, Zhang Dong remained watchful, scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger or potential threats. He understood the formidable strength and resources of the Long Clan and knew better than to underestimate them. It was crucial to stay alert, as they could have devised countermeasures for their disguised forms. If they were to be discovered, escape would be their only option.

After some time, they reached a distance where the main ship was barely visible on the horizon. Zhang Dong activated his system communication feature, using it to speak with both Liena and Zhi who were remaining silent.

‘Listen closely, there is a possibility that once we are there, we will be discovered. When that happens, use the items that I gave you, they will create a teleportation gate to the Golden Palace.”

The Azure Emperor had already demonstrated the ability to block out the system and its escape feature, making it imperative to be cautious. Although it was concentrated in an underground location, there was still a risk of getting captured. However, Zhang Dong took solace in the fact that even if he were to be locked up again, his two companions would still have a chance to escape without him needing to create the teleportation gate.

‘We will all return together, I’m not leaving you behind.’

Replied Liena while producing a scowl on her now elderly visage. When looking black the core formation driver could only sweat as the three scary nascent soul masters started what seemed to be glaring.

‘Not like I’m planning to be left behind, let us focus on the mission for now. We must discover the source of that signal and will decide on what to do then.’

‘Fine…’

‘Of course, Patriarch.’

For a brief moment, Zhang Dong considered opening a private line with Zhi to instruct him to grab his wife when the time came. However, he quickly dismissed the idea. Lying didn't bring him any pleasure, and he genuinely believed that besides the Azure Emperor, no one else posed a real risk. They continued their pretense of meditation for a few hours until they finally reached the main base.

As they approached, Zhang Dong noticed multiple flying vessels resembling the one they had destroyed, scattered around a lake. Among them stood a massive ship, made of a shiny silvery metal, adorned with peculiar pylons protruding from a large mast. It was evident that this ship didn't rely on wind for travel and served a different purpose. In this case, it was the source of the signal they had been searching for.

"As I anticipated..."

Zhang Dong muttered, his brow furrowing as he observed the colossal ship and its imposing spire. The flagship teemed with a multitude of people, making it a challenging target for infiltration or disabling. The protective shield surrounding it was immense, radiating energy in all directions. Even with his considerable power, forcing his way inside would not be an easy feat. Furthermore, if they did manage to breach it, the ship would likely hinder their escape when the time came.

“Elders, we will be arriving at the clan flying fortress in a moment. I have received word that the young lord wishes to see you.”

“The young lord? Do you mean, the Emperor's Son?”

“The same”

Their driver didn’t explain much further as he just didn’t really know. He was given an order that he was going to fulfill. Zhang Dong already met the Emperor’s children and if one of them was here then it could complicate things. Just like he could teleport to his loved ones, there was a possibility that Long Qing could do the same.

‘Prepare everyone, I will go meet with the Emperor’s son, if everyone goes well, I will meet up with you later but if not, I will leave blowing up that massive mast to you…’

Zhang Dong forwarded his message Liena and Zhi, his eyes focused on the looming silhouette of the flying fortress. He could feel the tension building, knowing that their next actions would be critical. They needed to proceed with the utmost caution as getting discovered when inside the main base of their enemy, could lead to their deaths.