Just as he was mulling things over, Jiang Chen's spiritual sense stirred faintly. He had detected a surge of demonic energy within a hundred li of his current position.
Though the fluctuation had been suppressed with remarkable finesse, Jiang Chen was certain it was an ambush.
Jiang Chen had always been one to let boldness follow mastery. Relying on the concealment of the Pure Garment, he pressed onward without a second thought, creeping closer to the source.
It had to be said — the Pure Garment was truly a rare treasure. With its aid, Jiang Chen slipped almost effortlessly to within a few dozen li of the demon race's ambush position.
The demon army lying in wait, from the three Celestial Demon Ancestors all the way to Ancestor Golden Howl, had not the faintest inkling of his approach.
A quick sweep with his spiritual sense left Jiang Chen drenched in cold sweat.
His estimate had not been off — a full eight Divine Dao cultivators were concealed in this stretch of territory, and every single one of them was far from weak.
Among them was the familiar Ancestor Golden Howl, alongside another existence whose strength was no less formidable.
A single Ancestor Golden Howl was already headache enough for Jiang Chen. Paired with another on par with him, Jiang Chen would be in for a world of hurt if he tried to take them on.
"The demon race really is cunning. It seems the Wood Demon survivors have already arrived and reported back — otherwise, the main demon force would have had no way of knowing my movements. In that case, they were counting on me passing through the Blue Mist Island Domain. They set this ambush in such a relaxed fashion, assuming I'd walk right into it."
Jiang Chen felt genuinely relieved that he had detected the trap.
Estimating the combined strength of those eight demon ancestors, he knew full well it was not something he could afford to provoke. What was more, he still had a group of people behind him who needed his protection to reach Wintercliff Island.
Suppressing the urge to launch a surprise attack, Jiang Chen quietly withdrew.
Only once he had cleared the demons' detection range did he accelerate, quickly returning to where the flying ship was stationed. Seeing his grim expression upon arrival, Zi Che Min, An Jiaye, and the others immediately sensed something was wrong and began asking questions.
Jiang Chen waved a hand. "The Blue Mist Island Domain is out. We have to take a detour. No time to waste — we leave now!"
A detour meant more options. It simply meant covering a longer stretch of sea, encountering more sea fog, and running into more trouble along the way.
In the end, it would just cost them a bit more time. They would still arrive regardless.
And so, the extra time spent on the road came to nearly a day and a half. They swung wide in a massive arc before finally reaching Wintercliff Island.
Upon arriving at the island's perimeter, Jiang Chen did not rush to close in. He was equally wary of the possibility that the demons might have laid an ambush near Wintercliff Island as well.
Fortunately, the demons appeared to have had other considerations and had not set up any traps in the vicinity.
Perhaps the demons were worried too — worried that he might have already returned to Wintercliff Island, and that an ambush here would either alert their prey or end up being devoured by Jiang Chen himself.
"It seems the demon race has genuinely been frightened by me. From now on, if I want to deal with them, I'll need to come up with more creative approaches."
Every detail pointed to the same conclusion: the demons were devoting increasing attention to him, and their strategies were shifting.
The fact that a fiercely independent figure like Ancestor Golden Howl was now willing to team up with ancestors from other lineages — what did that say?
The answer was self-evident. The demon race had grasped the full extent of the threat Jiang Chen posed, and they would no longer give him the chance to cut down demon ancestors with ease.
That was hardly good news.
But the good news was that they had, at last, returned safely to Wintercliff Island.
Wintercliff Island was already bustling with activity. The main forces of many Sacred Lands had arrived ahead of Jiang Chen.
The first thing Jiang Chen did upon entering the island was to scrutinize every single cultivator who had come through. It was not that he was being cold-hearted — at this stage, the slightest lapse could prove catastrophic.
If even one demon infiltrator slipped inside, the consequences for Wintercliff Island's defenses would be immeasurable.