Chapter 160: Chapter 29

It was very interesting; the entire Blood Clan Territory quickly turned into an empty city. No matter how much the advance troops explored, they couldn’t find a single clue about their destination… yet, the livestock used as food were all still in place.

Besides that, there were half-drunken cups of tea… If it had been a premeditated escape, it wouldn’t make sense for them to leave the tea unfinished.

In other words, it was a sudden withdrawal…

From all indications, the withdrawal took place today.

“…”

“Escaped? Where did they escape to?”

Satan Ye asked this while considering the location of the Blood Clan Territory, blinking in confusion as she casually speculated: “The Empire or the Duchy? For the Blood Clan, hiding among humans would be quite easy.”

*Yes, thinking from a general perspective, perhaps that’s the case; but it’s also possible they went to the Beastman side… After all, as long as they retreat into the forest, it would be hard to catch them.*

*However, considering the Blood Clan’s nature, they probably wouldn’t be able to accept hiding in the mountains.*

And…

“It was too fast.”

Yila said this, stroking Satan Ye’s head. He looked around the spotlessly clean hall, narrowed his eyes, and scanned the area but found nothing.

“Yes, the Blood Clan’s speed couldn’t possibly be this fast…”

Senata, who was also of the Blood Clan, said simply, “If they escaped in a conventional manner, no matter what method they used, they wouldn’t be able to avoid our sight.”

*Yes, whether they turned into bats and flew or simply ran on foot, it would be impossible for them to escape far enough to avoid being seen by the Demon King Territory’s armies in such a short time.*

*After all, this team included harpies and other creatures… Because of their racial traits, even without specialized training, they could spot things from miles away.*

“Then, I have to consider the possibility of a special escape method.”

Yila said this, and Hilena seemed to think of something immediately. She fluttered her little succubus wings and analyzed, “They probably escaped through plane travel…”

*Yes, this was one of the most likely possibilities.*

“But there’s no trace of Mana.”

Vera, who was very knowledgeable about magic, looked around and said, “So, they must have used some kind of ritual or powerful artifact for their plane travel.”

*Extremely powerful, the various leaders of the Demon King Territory were experts in many fields, so with their cooperation, they quickly surmised the situation.*

“What kind of ritual could they have hidden so well?”

Yila said this, scraping the dust-free hall floor with his foot. He continued, “The ritual direction is quite obscure; even if the ritual was preserved, we would still need time to decipher their goals.”

If they used a ritual for plane travel, calculating the consumption of the ritual items would make it almost impossible for Yila and the Demon King Territory to trace their destination through the used-up ritual items themselves.

Even if the invincible Vera could discover a hint through minor details, it was unlikely that Yila would pursue them across planes. After all, no matter how you look at it, the other plane would always be the opposition’s home ground.

…except for a few special planes Yila considered their own home ground.

For example…

“The Blood Realm, filled with blood–the Blood Clan going to the Blood Realm makes a lot of sense.”

Yila said this while looking at the spotless hall floor. He added, “If it was the Blood Realm, any untreated surroundings would quickly give them away.”

“Oh, oh, oh!”

Vera raised her eyebrows, starting to realize that what Yila said might be true. She asked, “Then what will you do? Chase them into the Blood Realm, or let it go?”

To this, Yila just shook his head and didn’t say much…

*Pursuit was impossible; this likely marked the end of the reckoning with the Blood Clan.*

“First of all, the Blood Realm was just my guess. In reality, it might not be as I said; there are many rituals that could obscure their destination. Besides, the preparations for a ritual to the Blood Realm aren’t something we can easily gather right now.”

Yila said this, and it was indeed the case… The commonly used rituals for the Blood Realm, whether the Mirror Image Ceremony or the Blood Trace Gate Ceremony, required the blood of Blood Realm creatures.

In other words, the Blood Realm was more like an invitation. Blood Realm tribes conducted continuous rituals within the Blood Realm, sending their blood to those who needed it for ceremonies nearby.

If that method wasn’t used, finding individuals capable of plane travel or natural Blood Realm creatures, which were relatively rare on the Main Plane, would be necessary.

Moreover, the Blood Clan might not have escaped of their own will. They could have been abducted, killed without reason, or evaporated without using any ceremony… These were all possibilities.

“So…”

Satan Ye said this, looking a bit disappointed. The other leaders also showed varying degrees of regret; it seemed they hoped to complete the reckoning at this moment… But in reality, there was no need to rush.

“So, let it go for now.”

Yila said this, calmly looking at Senata, who was visibly frustrated by his firm decision but unable to act upon it. He patted her little wings in consolation and said, “One day, we will achieve everything, but that time is not now.”

“Let’s move on to the next target… We are not in a hurry, but we also can’t afford to chase after one particular rebel at our own pace.”

Yila said decisively, folding his wings and signaling everyone to follow. Then he turned his head and said, “Later, I’ll find time to visit the Blood Realm; then, we can deal with them freely.”

These were calm, almost straightforward comments, but each leader present could sense… If the Blood Clan truly had not decisively betrayed them, then submitting to slaughter today might have been their best option.

*The rough start didn’t seem to affect Yila much, but it would be unnatural if it left no impact. For now, let him mourn for the future of the territory…*

Other three territories: !@#%”~?