After winding through several bustling streets and circling the city of Shanyang for nearly half a turn, Xiao Yan and his companion finally reached the Mo Family's headquarters at the city's central location. Standing at the end of the street, Xiao Yan gazed at the Mo Family's headquarters—solid and imposing, resembling a small fortress—and couldn't help but shake his head. Indeed, the Mo Family was undoubtedly the most powerful clan in the eastern province of the Jiaema Empire. The sheer investment in constructing such a well-defended fortress was evident. Along the towering walls, patrols were stationed every few dozen meters, and at certain intervals, Xiao Yan could catch glimpses of sharp arrow blades gleaming with a cold, sharp luster under the sunlight. A rough scan of the fortress's upper structure with his soul force revealed that at least fifteen unobstructed lines of sight were established overhead. Any visitor attempting to approach from above would likely be immediately riddled with arrows hidden in the shadows, turning them into a spiky mess. "Hmm, the defenses are quite solid. It seems we'll have quite a challenge if we want to sneak in without disturbing anyone." Sea Bo Dong glanced around the fortress, slightly impressed. "Indeed, it's quite a challenge," Xiang Yan nodded. Perhaps due to the fact that today was Mu Cheng's birthday, the defensive forces within the fortress had been increased severalfold. Under such nearly impenetrable guard, it would be no easy task for Xiang Yan and Sea Bo Dong to enter unnoticed. "How about I go and arrange two invitations?" Sea Bo Dong frowned. "Heh, with our attire, people will immediately recognize us as visitors with intentions. Even if we have invitations, they won't let us in until they've confirmed our identities," Xiang Yan shook his head with a smile, his gaze lingering on the bustling crowd celebrating at the main entrance of the Mu family. After a moment, he turned toward a quieter, less-traveled path and waved to Sea Bo Dong, saying, "Come with me." The two walked along a narrow path, eventually circling halfway around the outer perimeter of the Mohist fortress, coming to a quiet spot. Due to its remote location, the area saw few pedestrians; though there were patrols stationed on the walls, the defenses here were noticeably weaker compared to the outer sections. After Xiao Yan had cleared the scene, Hai Bo Dong also quietly slipped up, and upon meeting eyes with him, both of them swiftly leapt down from the fortress walls, dodging the nearly unbroken line of patrolling guards. Their forms became two shadows, weaving through the shadows of the buildings. "So, how do you plan to proceed? This Mo Family is vast—shouldn't you believe there are several hidden chambers if you claim there aren't any? If we keep searching room by room like this, we'll be going on for days," said Hai Bo Dong, his body curled into a shadow. His aura was now completely subdued, enhanced by the black robe, making him perfectly concealed even in broad daylight. The ease with which he moved clearly indicated prior experience—he glanced around at the dense array of buildings, a touch of resignation in his tone. "I once stayed with Qinglin for some time, so I'm quite familiar with her aura. Shortly, I'll use my spiritual energy to scan the Mo family. As long as it's not some deep underground location, I should be able to detect her." Xiao Yan mused. "Spiritual energy—though I'm not weak, it still falls short of your alchemical practitioners. Therefore, this search task will have to be entrusted to you." Hai Boheng said. "Agreed. Just keep an eye on the surroundings." Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan closed his eyes, and the robust spiritual energy from Yao Lao swiftly broke through his body, spreading out in ripples and rapidly radiating in all directions. As the range of Xiao Yan's spiritual power expanded wider and wider, his brows grew increasingly furrowed. After a while, with no results at all, he gradually drew his diffused spiritual force back and carefully scanned the surrounding environment. Due to the need for precise detection, the scope of his spiritual presence was narrowed, compelling him to constantly shift his position so that his spiritual senses could continuously scan new areas. After nearly half an hour of persistent searching, Xiao Yan finally opened his eyes, his expression darkening. "Not found?" Seeing Xiao Yan's demeanor, Hai Bo Dong immediately understood the answer, though he still habitually asked. "The Mo family must have some hidden chambers that are difficult to detect. Otherwise, with my meticulous scanning, I would have noticed even the slightest traces. Xiao Yan's eyes, peering through the cracks in the wall, watched the armed guards patrolling outside, his brows furrowed as he spoke in a low, steady tone. Hai Bo Dong ran a hand over his slightly gray beard, glanced at Xiao Yan's expression, and hesitated: "Perhaps the Meng family's people have already secured what they needed and taken that young girl—taken her..." His mouth twitched urgently. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan mentally replayed the image of the little girl back then, so timid and endearing that it stirred a deep sense of pity. With a firm, cold expression, he said, "If that's the case, I wouldn't mind wiping out the Meng family entirely." Seeing Xiao Yan's stern, unyielding face, Hai Bo Dong shook his head in resignation, choosing to remain silent and avoid further provoking him. Xiao Yan leaned against the wall, his face still grim, and once again carefully searched through the soul power of the old man, only to find the same disappointing result—no trace of the missing girl. Staring at Xiao Yan, whose expression grew increasingly gloomy as the scan progressed, Hai Bo Dong shook his head and said, "Well, let's just go ahead and act. Capture Mo Cheng and beat him senseless—I'm sure he'll talk then." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan exhaled gently, his fist clenched tightly within his sleeve. After a moment, he nodded slightly, speaking in a cold, composed tone, "That's fine. Let's just go ahead and act." With that, Xiao Yan waved his sleeve and lightly stepped on the ground, his body soaring like a phoenix, gracefully leaping onto the roof. He scanned the surroundings before gliding along the roof's edge toward the largest hall at the central fortress. Behind him, Hai Bo Dong moved like a leaf drifting in a gentle breeze, light and steady, following close behind. Pushing his speed to the absolute limit, Xiao Yan and Hai Bo Dong's bodies nearly transformed into two blurred streaks of black, covering over a hundred meters in an instant. The guards patrolling beneath the buildings only felt a sudden, fierce gust of wind surge through them, and when they raised their heads with alertness, they found not even a ghostly shadow in sight. "Grand Elder, truly is the green serpent with triple-lit eyes as magical as the legends claim?" the middle-aged man asked softly. "Hehe, perhaps even more so! Have you not noticed the two-headed giant serpent guarding that little girl? That's a guardian beast of Battle Spirit rank. Without the green serpent's triple-lit eyes, you'd think—given her status as barely a Battle Competitor—that she could ever command such a creature?" The elder chuckled greedily. "As soon as we secure those eyes and refine them to full maturity, who in the Jamma Empire will dare stand against us? Even Yun Yun, I'll be able to match head-to-head—no longer needing to rely on Yunlan Sect. Hmph! If we can cut the massive tribute payments they demand each year, our development at the Mo Family will surely far outpace this!" The elder slammed his palm firmly on the table, his face filled with determination. Faced with the elder's passionate outburst, the others hesitated, unable to speak, and quickly nodded in agreement. "By the way, have we received any updates from the people sent to Shimo City? Has the Mo Tie Mercenary Company been completely eliminated? They've been with that little girl for such a long time—perhaps they've also uncovered the secret of her eyes. Such information must absolutely remain confidential; otherwise, they must be eliminated!" As if remembering something, the elder suddenly spoke with a stern tone. "Er... not yet. However, given the strength of Mo Ran and her team, I believe they'll soon make progress." One person hesitated before responding. "Send a message urging them to accelerate. After eliminating the Mo Tie Mercenary Company, they should also carry out a seamless, undetected elimination of the Sha Mercenary Company. We cannot afford any oversight." The elder said coldly. "Understood." "Hmm..." Nodding slightly, the elder, with his dry hands gently tapping the table, suddenly added, "Regarding the two black-robed figures reported by Mo Li yesterday—have you managed to uncover their identities?" “…No, those two simply appeared out of nowhere— we had absolutely no prior information about them,” the middle-aged man sighed. “Send people to keep a close eye on them; something about them feels off. I’ve a feeling they’ll be troublesome. After today’s celebrations, we’ll begin transplanting the little girl’s eyes—I’m afraid delays might complicate matters.” The elder frowned, speaking with a cold tone. “Yes,” the middle-aged man replied respectfully, hesitating slightly, “Grand Elder, Lan Yanran has also come to Yancheng.” “Ah, I know,” the elder nodded, a sharp gleam passing through his finely lined eyes. “Have Mo Li devote some effort to Lan Yanran. If they can establish a connection, then leveraging Lan’s family and Yunlan Sect will allow our family’s status to rise rapidly once again. Then, in the eastern provinces, the other three major families will no longer be able to challenge us.” “As Mu Li mentioned, Na Lan Yan Ran seemed quite difficult to win over—after spending time with Yun Yun, who’s such a woman, she no longer appears as the fresh, inexperienced girl she once was.” “With such an arrogant woman, Mu Li’s gentle approach isn’t proving very effective. If given the chance, let him think of something more creative—so long as he can make that woman my Mu family’s wife, I’m not opposed to any underhanded tactics he might employ.” The elder chuckled dryly. Upon hearing this, the several people in the room all exchanged a series of somewhat lewd, embarrassed chuckles—clearly, they were well aware of what the so-called underhanded tactics meant, especially as men. “Alright,” the elder said, voice steady, “I still need to go out and manage things outside. Make sure your people are especially vigilant today. Also, send more personnel to closely monitor the girl’s detention area—absolutely no room for error at this moment.” “Yes, sir!” The group bowed respectfully and then rose to slowly exit the room. "Hmph. Yunlan Sect, you'll see. The Mo family will eventually make you regurgitate everything you've swallowed!" In the dimly lit room, the elder's contorted features subtly radiated a fierce intensity.