"No, we’ve always believed that only you could change the current state of the Dragon Clan, you are our hope."

When Lord Qiantang said this, his eyes were filled with a fervor that was hard to imagine coming from an old dragon who had lived for countless years.

Ao Xing was silent for a moment before he said, "Actually, I am not sure if what we are doing now is right. It’s very possible that because of us, the whole Dragon Clan might be bathed in blood, or even disappear altogether."

"So what if that happens? If the Dragon Clan continues down this path, won’t it disappear just the same, if not sooner or later? But if we are successful, then the Dragon Clan will be reborn from the ashes and rise again." Lord Qiantang said somewhat excitedly.

"I know, I know all that!" Ao Xing sighed, his gaze fixed on the Luminous Pearl on the wall, lost in thought.

It was a while before he spoke again, "The arrow is notched; it must be shot. If we don’t handle this, it will become an everlasting curse."

In his words, Ao Xing’s eyes gradually became resolute.

Meanwhile, the Divine Exorcist Great Saint, who had parted ways with Ao Xing, returned to the desolate island where he hid, and the spy had already been waiting there.

"Great Saint, is everything settled?" the spy asked eagerly.

The Divine Exorcist Great Saint nodded gravely, "We have come to an agreement."

Upon hearing this, the spy let out a sigh of relief. With the situation thus set, his own merits were secure, and he would return to the Heavenly Court in glory.

"We must go to the Heavenly Court immediately!"

"Ah!"

The spy hadn’t quite grasped the situation. He knew that the Divine Exorcist Great Saint needed to return to the Heavenly Court, as this development had to be reported to the Jade Emperor. But he did not understand why he was being made to accompany him.

After all, he had been in hiding in the Eastern Sea, and now was the time to capitalize on his abilities. Why would they recall him at this point?

Then he heard the Divine Exorcist Great Saint say softly, "I underestimated Ao Xing’s ability. He has traced your whereabouts from the faintest clues; you’ve been exposed."

With these words, the spy realized why they wanted him to leave. An exposed scout had already lost his usefulness, and if he stayed here, it would be very likely for Ao Xing to send someone to silence him.

Others might not know of Ao Xing’s strength, but the spy, who had been investigating for a long time, was all too aware of the kind of people who stood behind this seemingly ordinary Dragon Son. He had incredibly frightening power, and the spy could very well end up dead in some corner of the sea without noticing.

"Understood, I will pack my belongings and return with the Great Saint," the spy said, his expression complex.

Since he had been assigned this mission, he had been living in the Eastern Sea, and that stay had lasted for hundreds of years, making him nearly indistinguishable from a member of the Aquatic Races.

This place, which he had always wanted to escape from, had slowly but surely crept into his heart, becoming his second homeland.

Now that he was about to depart, his heart was filled with reluctance. Every brick, every blade of grass he had carefully arranged, and now it was time to say goodbye.

The spy slowly caressed everything in the room, as if he were touching a lover’s skin, his expression focused and enamored.

It took a while before he emerged from these inexplicable emotions, his gaze shifting from reluctance to determination.

Having stayed here for so long, it was indeed time for him to leave; otherwise, he feared he might never be able to.

Having packed his luggage, the spy left his dwelling with the Divine Exorcist Great Saint, leaving behind the home where he had lived for hundreds of years and embarking on a new journey.

Not long after his departure, an ugly-looking strange fish quietly surfaced, its exceedingly grotesque appearance marked by tough scales covering its body and a pair of deformed dragon horns on its head.

Had the spy still been there, he would have recognized the identity of this strange fish—a monster known as King of the Azure Waves, powerful enough to dominate the region.

But what no one knew was that this famous Demon King of the Eastern Sea was actually under Ao Xing’s command.

He had come here on an order from Ao Xing to eliminate a Heavenly Court scout lurking in the Eastern Sea, only to find that he was a step too late.

King of the Azure Waves looked around the empty room, seemingly able to still smell the scent left by the spy, indicating that the person had not left long ago.

"Damn it, he escaped. How am I going to explain this to my teacher."

In anger, King of the Azure Waves pulled out a copper hammer and began to recklessly destroy the cave mansion, venting his frustration.

"Done venting?" A voice tinged with a hint of authority rang by his ear.

Upon hearing this, King of the Azure Waves tensed up, slowly turning around with a sheepish smile, "Teacher, why have you come?"

The newcomer was none other than Ao Xing.

Ao Xing looked around with interest, smiling, "I was curious about this person, so I came to take a look. It’s a pity I underestimated how much the Divine Exorcist Great Saint valued him; he was taken away so early."

"A despicable spy, why would the teacher care for such a person?"

"Don’t underestimate this spy. I thought I was well-concealed, but he still managed to find me out by following some subtle clues. He’s quite a talent, and we could actually use someone like him here," Ao Xing said with enthusiasm, his words revealing an affection for the spy, showing no sign that his visit was to silence him.

"It’s just a pity he was taken away by the Divine Exorcist Great Saint. The chance of us meeting him again is unlikely."

Ao Xing said this because he knew the nature of the spy’s work; a spy like this, once their cover is blown, often returns to the Heavenly Court for logistics work.

Given how much the Divine Exorcist Great Saint valued the spy, a promotion was likely upon his return, and he might end up working in the Heavenly Court with little chance of venturing out again.

"However, this is someone with taste. Don’t destroy these flowers and plants. Let’s leave," Ao Xing finally said with a smile after taking one last look at the meticulously cared-for garden, speaking to King of the Azure Waves.

Reluctantly, King of the Azure Waves put away the copper hammer in his hand and followed Ao Xing, disappearing into the vast open sea.

Meanwhile, as King of the Azure Waves was wreaking havoc in the spy’s cave mansion, the Divine Exorcist Great Saint flying above sharply sensed that the mark he left in the spy’s cave mansion had vanished.

The corners of his mouth slowly curled into a smile.

"Great Saint, what is it?" the spy, managing his cloud mount with effort, curiously asked.

Unaware of why the Divine Exorcist Great Saint would suddenly wear such a profound smile, he asked with great curiosity.

The Divine Exorcist Great Saint, however, said with a smile, "Had you left even a moment later, you might have met your end in the Underworld today."

The spy’s soul nearly leaped out in horror, his face instantly revealing a terrified expression.