In the quiet Lingxiao Treasured Palace, the Jade Emperor sat alone on the throne, his visage veiled by the surrounding auspicious clouds, making it impossible to discern his features.

He seemed like an ancient star, simply sitting there in silence, yet no one could overlook his radiance.

The same message had naturally reached the ears of the Divine Exorcist Great Saint, who revealed a slight smile and said, "Some people just can’t see the situation clearly, and while it might seem to undermine my own prestige to say this, the Heavenly Court can no longer act against the Dragon Clan at will."

This was the reality. Facing the prolonged war with the Demon Clan, the Heavenly Court no longer had the resources to deal with the Dragon Clan as well.

After all, it was a race that had once dominated the Three Realms; as they say, even a thin camel is bigger than a horse—who knows what means the Dragon Clan still has hidden.

"Ah! It hasn’t been long, and yet the situation has already turned out like this," the once spy, now the right-hand man of the Divine Exorcist Great Saint, said with a sigh, listening to his leader’s words.

He had been sent to spy in the Eastern Sea many years ago, remembering when no one dared to provoke the Heavenly Court. Who could have anticipated that fortunes would shift so quickly, and the Heavenly Court would soon face a crisis?

"But as long as we can get through this most difficult time, the path ahead will be smooth," the Divine Exorcist Great Saint declared, his fighting spirit still high.

This made the spy sigh deeply; perhaps it was precisely because of such a will that his leader had been able to stay undercover in the Demon Clan for such a long time without being discovered.

However, he was also aware that his leader’s words were not just comfort, but fact.

The Demon Clan and the Heavenly Court had now reached a deadlock. This time was a bleeding battle, a test of who had deeper reserves and a more stable base.

During this process, no one dared to relax; anyone who did would see defeat descend upon them.

Both sides knew that continuing like this was bad for everyone, but no one dared to step back. Unknowingly, the Heavenly Court was forced onto this path.

But then again, this situation was actually advantageous for the Heavenly Court, which had dominated the Three Realms for many years and had accumulated vast resources, whereas Luzhou in the North was in disrepair, with scarce resources, and ordinary members of the Demon Clan hadn’t even solved the problem of food and clothing.

With such a vast gap, if plunged into a war of attrition, they would quickly falter.

It was strange, however, that the Demon Clan persisted, still having a constant flow of supplies sent to the front line. Over time, the Demon Clan even began to display a powerful vitality, drawing the attention of all in the Three Realms.

Everyone knew that the Demon Clan must have other means of support; otherwise, where could they possibly get so many resources and food from?

"Have you managed to send anyone to Luzhou in the North and achieved any results?" the Divine Exorcist Great Saint asked with concern.

Ever since he had become aware of unknown developments in the Demon Clan, he had never ceased his efforts to infiltrate Luzhou in the North.

However, because of his betrayal, the Demon Master had become very cautious in this area. The spies sent by the Heavenly Court were repeatedly exposed and met their end in the Underworld.

This also meant that the Divine Exorcist Great Saint had very limited information, let alone probing such secretive matters.

Upon hearing his leader’s question, the spy couldn’t help but show a bitter smile and said, "There has been no significant progress. The defenses on the Demon Clan’s side are too strict; I’ve only managed to infiltrate a few, but due to their low strength, they haven’t been able to gather any meaningful information."

He paused and then said, "Fortunately, there is someone who has successfully entered the Demon Capital and, with good luck, has been admitted to the Demon Clan’s Bailu Academy. Perhaps it won’t be long before we have some valuable intelligence."

The Divine Exorcist Great Sage nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this. He naturally understood the hardships involved in planting such a spy, and the capable subordinate before him had spared no effort.

He had long heard of Bailu Academy, and it was undeniable that the academy had played a crucial role in the flourishing development of the Demon Clan.

Each student at Bailu Academy was a capable cadre of the Demon Clan. Although they might lack in combat, they brought the most crucial elements of wisdom and civilization to the Demon Clan, allowing it to be reborn from the ashes.

"It seems you have also put in great effort. Having a student from Bailu Academy is undoubtedly very important for us. Do not use this piece lightly; elevate the confidentiality to the highest level, responsible only to you and me," the Divine Exorcist Great Sage said softly.

The spy nodded. He naturally understood the importance of this undercover agent and would make full use of it.

As long as he could enter the high ranks of the Demon Court, then the information Heavenly Court had about the Demon Court would be crystal clear.

"By the way, have him check on the whereabouts of Lin Fang of the Demon Clan. There has been no news of him, and I’m somewhat worried," the Divine Exorcist Great Sage ordered.

Since the search for Lin Fang yielded no results, he had never given up. However, no matter what methods he used, he could not determine the whereabouts of this Lin Fang, the monster.

The last time he appeared was in the Demon Capital, and it seemed that many significant matters of the Demon Clan were related to him. Yet, he always seemed to be both close and aloof, making it impossible to see the truth clearly.

After the grand battle between the Heavenly Court and the Demon Clan began, he disappeared without a trace, and no matter what methods he used, he simply could not find any trace of him.

This uncertainty made him uneasy, as he always felt this person might be detrimental to Heavenly Court.

This was his intuition, and for someone of his stature, intuition was incredibly important— it was the silent warning of fate.

"Lin Fang!" the spy muttered to himself, engraving the name deep in his heart.

Luzhou in the North, Bailu Academy is located on the east side of the Demon Capital, close to the Imperial Palace of the Demon Capital.

As one of the most important places for the Demon Clan nowadays, Bailu Academy naturally is located near the Imperial Palace.

Compared to the bustling other districts, Bailu Academy had a unique, isolated charm. Despite being in the midst of a bustling market, it appeared especially tranquil.

Throughout the academy, trees were planted everywhere; these were precious trees brought to life by mana. Scattered among the neatly arranged buildings were students engrossed in their studies.

For a race like the Demon Clan, such a scene was exceedingly rare. At one time, members of the Demon Clan looked down on so-called scholars, with only a few races such as the Fox Clan excepted. Perhaps for most monsters, their first impression of the Human Clan’s scholars was likely that their flesh tasted good.

However, with the growth of Bailu Academy, the monsters of Luzhou in the North now understood that human flesh was not tasty. Additionally, the rumor that eating human flesh could increase mana was just that—a rumor, spread deliberately by Heavenly Court to tarnish the Demon Clan.

As time went on, more and more students from Bailu Academy entered the Demon Court and began to repair this deeply flawed race.