……

"Based on the current information, it's highly likely that these human captives are being used as bait," Wang Yingxuan said confidently. "For those old hands who have been stationed at the outer region battlefield and are used to sacrifices, they might ignore such bait out of caution and conservatism."

"But it's different for Sister Suiyun. Not to mention whether her personality would allow her to stand by and do nothing, just because she's a princess of the Immortal Dynasty, if this news reaches her, she can't ignore it. Her prospects of advancing to Immortal Emperor are very high, and if she lets these captives be devoured by the Gluttonous Demon King, it would severely damage her reputation if it gets out."

"To be honest, this strategy isn't particularly clever, but it is effective. The outer region demons' plan this time is a mix of overt and covert tactics, forcing Sister Suiyun to take action. And since it's bait, the outer region demons will definitely let Sister Suiyun 'see' the intelligence in a half-concealed way."

"Then, is it possible for Princess Suiyun to realize this is a trap?" Zhang Huaibing asked urgently. "If not, we need to find a way to inform Her Highness immediately."

"Sister Suiyun isn't that foolish," Wang Yingxuan pondered. "I've studied all her public records. Every step she takes is steady and meticulous, with clear thinking. Moreover, her advisors in the princess's mansion are elites of the younger generation in the Immortal Dynasty, truly a gathering of talents. Naturally, someone will propose the possibility of a 'trap.'"

"But one thing we can be sure of, whether it's a 'trap' or not, Sister Suiyun and her team will definitely take action. Their first step will surely be to strengthen intelligence reconnaissance. Perhaps there are already spies from Sister Suiyun watching inside and outside the Gluttonous Demon King Fortress."

"Yingxuan, can we make contact with Sister Suiyun's spies? Let them pass intelligence to her," Wang Lici's eyes lit up. "Then we can coordinate from inside and outside to rescue the captives."

"Are you kidding?" Wang Yingxuan rolled her eyes. "If we could easily find the spies, wouldn't the demon clan, being the local tyrants, find them even more easily? Even if we shouted on the road, the spies wouldn't dare to come out."

"Then can we create a big commotion to both pass on the intelligence and prevent the demon clan from realizing we're doing so?" Wang Lici suggested whimsically.

"You..." Wang Yingxuan was about to curse but then had a sudden flash of inspiration and looked at Zhang Huaibing with ill intent. "Come to think of it, the plan to have you infiltrate the captives to gather intelligence wasn't very cautious."

"Those hundreds of captives come from various backgrounds, and many don't know each other well. No one can guarantee there aren't traitors already turned by the outer region demons. Directly mixing in would make it obvious we've found the dungeon's location, which would only alert the outer region demons."

"I told you so," Zhang Huaibing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Even without traitors, the outer region demons aren't fools. They would notice an extra person. If I'm exposed, wouldn't it be..."

Before he could finish, Wang Yingxuan interrupted, "So, a more reasonable approach is for you to directly break into the prison, get caught, and then you won't have to worry about being exposed."

"..." Zhang Huaibing was dumbfounded, staring at Wang Yingxuan. "Wang Yingxuan, are you trying to get rid of me by sending me to my death?"

"Of course not. You're a well-known figure in the Immortal Palace's sequence of young talents, a rare commodity indeed. The outer region demons wouldn't want to kill such a valuable captive," Wang Yingxuan shook her head seriously.

"You know I'm in the sequence!?" Zhang Huaibing was almost in tears. "I'm in the Immortal Palace's training sequence, equivalent to a royal princess's status in the Immortal Court. If I fall into the hands of the outer region demons, it would be a major event that shakes the Immortal Dynasty!"

"You haven't even inherited the codex yet. Besides, we all know your chances of inheriting the Immortal Sovereign position are quite low."

"Even if the chances are low, I'm still in the inheritance sequence," Zhang Huaibing felt like he was on a ship heading for a deep abyss, unable to get off.

Being with these girls is really too dangerous.

"Brother Huaibing," Wang Lici hooked an arm around his shoulder, speaking righteously, "We're here to do something big. How can we be so timid? If we were more famous, we wouldn't need to use you. Besides, with our well-equipped, life-saving team, rescuing hundreds is impossible, but saving just you is a piece of cake."

"Yeah, yeah~ If anything goes wrong, we'll abandon the original plan and rescue Brother Huaibing first," Lan Wan'er blinked her big eyes, looking sincere.

"We're a team. Live together, die together," Wang Yingxuan said earnestly. "If anything happens to you, I'll fight to the death with you."

Hearing their heartfelt words, Zhang Huaibing felt a surge of hot blood rushing from his heart to his brain: "I don't need you to die with me. As a human, a disciple of the Immortal Palace, I was prepared to sacrifice for humanity when I embarked on the path of cultivation. Even if I have to sacrifice at a critical moment, it's worth it. Yingxuan, let's confirm the plan again. I can't keep this Immortal Sovereign token on me; you keep it safe."

"Good job. As expected of an outstanding disciple of the Immortal Palace!"

Wang Yingxuan patted his shoulder, praising him fiercely.

Soon, four human heads, plus one big fat rat head, gathered together again to discuss the details of the plan.

Half a day later.

Night fell, and an eerie red shrouded the Gluttonous Demon King Fortress.

Suddenly.

Explosive sounds of energy erupted from within the fortress.

At the same time, a young man's passionate shout echoed throughout the fortress: "Despicable outer region demons, how dare you feast on humans! I, Zhang Huaibing, will never coexist with you!"

Boom boom boom!

Various energies clashed, and amidst the deafening roars, the shouts of the outer region demon guards could be heard.

It took a full ten breaths before the noise gradually subsided.

Then, the young man's shout rang out again, even more impassioned and indignant than before: "Despicable outer region demons, do as you please, but if I frown, I'm not called [Zhang Huaibing]!"

And then, there was silence.

Soon, the fortress quieted down again.

The only change was that the [hot-blooded youth] Zhang Huaibing, having failed to break into the prison, was captured and thrown into the dungeon.

In the dungeon.

The light remained dim and oppressive.

Huge metal cages loomed, the stench of blood and rotting wounds permeating the air, making it almost suffocating.

In an isolated cell, Zhang Huaibing was shackled with a Soul Lock designed for humans, gagged, and tightly bound before being thrown in.

The commotion had disturbed the human captives in the surrounding cells. Many stood up, and those who didn't still cast their gaze toward his cell.

The earlier "battle" and shouting made them understand what had happened.

Through the bars, looking at the disheveled Zhang Huaibing, their expressions were complicated.

Did this guy have to be so reckless? If you really wanted to break us out, couldn't you bring more people? What did you think you could do alone?

"Brother Chen, is that fool... really the famous Immortal Palace sequence Zhang Huaibing?"

In one of the cells, a group of human captives surrounded a man covered in scars, resting against the wall.

One of them glanced at Zhang Huaibing's cell and asked the man in the middle.

It was clear this man was the "Brother Chen" he referred to.

"Sigh~ I've met Brother Huaibing a few times. When he was escorted past, I made sure to recognize him. It really is him!" Brother Chen's voice was weak, full of sighs. "Brother Huaibing is still too young and impulsive, too hot-blooded. Breaking into a prison like this, how could he be so reckless?"

If Wang Lici and the others were here, they would find Brother Chen's voice somewhat familiar. He was the same iron-willed man who had been tortured by the outer region demons earlier.

He was also a famous prodigy in the Immortal Palace, a Divine Realm seed, who had been captured due to a cunning trap by the outer region demons during a mission.

Over the long years, the battles between humans and outer region demons were relentless and brutal. Not to mention great prodigies, even peerless prodigies and Immortal Dynasty princes had fallen on this battlefield.

In another cell, the great prodigy [Wu Mingyan] was also surrounded by female disciples.

They sighed, with some resentment in their words about Zhang Huaibing's reckless hot-bloodedness.

"No matter what, Brother Huaibing was captured trying to save us," [Wu Mingyan] said solemnly. "Your complaints are really heartless."

The female disciples looked ashamed: "Sister Mingyan is right, we were too impatient."

"Sigh, I just hope no one else comes to save us," Wu Mingyan's face was full of sorrow. "If I really can't hold on, please give me a quick end."

"Sister Mingyan!" The female disciples were both moved and saddened, crying, "You must hold on. No matter how slim the hope, we can't give up."

At this moment.

A burly demon general led the jailers over, speaking in standard human language: "Wu Mingyan, our lord wants to interrogate you again. If you resist, be careful of your fellow humans' lives."

"Wasn't I just interrogated? Why again?" The female disciples were anxious.

Every interrogation left Sister Mingyan battered and miserable. How could she endure this continuously?

"Shut up."

The demon general ignored them, roughly grabbing Wu Mingyan and leaving, leaving behind a group of weeping female disciples.

Once the demon general brought Wu Mingyan to the secret room, it quickly set her down and then prostrated itself on the ground, trembling with fear: "Forgive me, my lord."

Wu Mingyan waved her hand dismissively: "It's all for the grand plan, no need for apologies. I 'know' that Zhang Huaibing, his identity should be real, and his prison break aligns with his usual hot-blooded impulsiveness. But I still find his sudden appearance here a bit strange."

"Interrogate him thoroughly, ask about his motives, ask about his accomplices!"

"Yes, my lord," the demon general replied quickly. "I will make him confess everything."

"Be careful, Zhang Huaibing's identity is special. His value alive far exceeds that of him dead, don't really kill him."

……

When Zhang Huaibing failed to break into the prison and was captured, the commotion was significant, not only inside the Demon King Fortress but also alerting the humans secretly monitoring outside.

Wang Dingfeng, responsible for intelligence under Princess Suiyun, was nearby and naturally received the news immediately.

He was completely thrown by the situation.

In the secret base, he paced back and forth, his face extremely grim.

A top talent like Zhang Huaibing, who hadn't even inherited the codex yet, had the potential to inherit the Immortal Sovereign position. Even if he didn't, he could likely cultivate to the mid-to-late Lingxu Realm, with a status not much inferior to a princess of the Immortal Dynasty.

Such a person falling into the hands of the outer region demons was a huge matter.

But he couldn't rescue him, or it would be like the calabash brothers saving their grandfather, sending wave after wave.

"Something's not right."

Wang Dingfeng thought back over the whole situation, feeling something was off. Who reveals their identity when captured, unless they want the demons to target them?

It's known that any peerless prodigy is repeatedly warned before going to the battlefield: if captured, never reveal your identity. Hide your identity, endure, and the Immortal Dynasty will find a way to rescue you.

In other words, as long as Zhang Huaibing didn't expose himself, even if "cellmates" recognized him, they would likely cover for him.

But Zhang Huaibing did the opposite, was he crazy?

He couldn't figure out this behavior, but he knew one thing: this must be reported to Princess Suiyun immediately!

The problem was, now that the rear was mobilizing troops, he had a mission to monitor the movements of the Gluttonous Demon King Fortress and other fortresses, and couldn't move without orders...

No choice, speed was essential, he had to use that item!

With this thought, he gritted his teeth and took out a jade pendant from his storage ring, crushing it.

This was the top-tier child-mother communication talisman given by Princess Suiyun.

The environment in the outer demon realm was harsh, making communication difficult.

This talisman, once crushed, could transmit the intended message to the mother talisman by Princess Suiyun's side in a very short time, making it very convenient for passing information.

The downside was it could only be used once, and the amount of information it could convey was limited, too complex a matter couldn't be explained.

Unfortunately, this child-mother communication jade talisman was a technology from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, now lost, and the number of talismans was very limited, each use reducing the count.

When Princess Suiyun gave him the talisman, she said it was only to be used in particularly important and serious matters.

Now was the time for it to be used.

As the white jade talisman shattered in his palm, Wang Dingfeng's mind raced, imprinting a string of information and sending it out.

In just two or three sentences, all the necessary information was included.

As an experienced professional scout, he naturally didn't forget to report Zhang Huaibing's unusual behavior.

He couldn't understand it, but that didn't mean others couldn't.

On the outer region battlefield, no detail could be overlooked. Often, a little "abnormality" was the key!

……

Meanwhile.

In the Immortal No. 3 Guard Fortress.

Upon receiving the message from Wang Dingfeng, Princess Suiyun realized the gravity of the situation and immediately convened a meeting with her advisors.

The news of Zhang Huaibing's capture left the advisors dumbfounded.

This was too damn absurd!

Weren't Zhang Huaibing and the others supposed to be out for a break? How did they end up at the Gluttonous Demon King Fortress, daringly attempting a solo prison break, and getting captured?

If this news reached the Immortal Palace, it would surely cause a huge uproar.

"Is it just Zhang Huaibing who was captured?" Wu Yinghao felt his head throbbing but forced himself to stay calm. "No news of Wang Lici, Wang Yingxuan, or Lan Wan'er?"

"That's the suspicious part," Princess Suiyun said with a serious face, speaking faster than usual. "Zhang Huaibing's reckless capture and loud self-identification are very abnormal. Rather than being brainless, I believe he's trying to send us a hidden message."

Though Zhang Huaibing's actions were often impulsive and hot-blooded, he wasn't actually brain-damaged.

Yan Xiuyuan's eyes lit up: "So, Wang Lici and the others are also near the Gluttonous Demon King Fortress, just hiding. They staged this to coordinate with us?"

"I'm puzzled. The Gluttonous Demon King Fortress is heavily guarded. Wang Dingfeng spent a hundred years setting up spies on the periphery and establishing a secret base," Wu Yinghao frowned tightly. "How did Wang Lici and the others infiltrate the fortress? What gives them the confidence to coordinate with us?"

"The question now is, should we trust them?" another advisor said. "If we fully cooperate with Wang Lici and the others, and they make a mistake, the consequences could be disastrous."

"I don't think we should trust them. There are hundreds of captives, and any mistake could cause a huge mess. They lack combat experience and decisive strength to rely on. Why should we coordinate with them?" another advisor said discontentedly. "Moreover, those kids are bold and unpredictable. Who knows what trouble they'll cause?"

"I've communicated with them. Though their personalities are lively and unconventional, they're smart and resourceful. They could have stayed hidden but chose to reveal Zhang Huaibing, likely having some backing," Princess Suiyun said, suddenly recalling Wang Ningxi, the troublemaker in the Immortal Dynasty, Wang Fugui, and the clever Huari.

Thinking about it, the children from the Changning Wang's Clan were indeed not simple.

Returning to the matter at hand, she decisively ordered, "Issue my command: secretly gather all Purple Mansion Realm and above elites, approach the Gluttonous Demon King Fortress, and be ready to coordinate with Wang Lici and the others once they make their next move."

"Our main forces will also secretly march as close to the front line as possible, devising a series of contingency plans to respond flexibly in case of crisis."

"Additionally, communicate with the Immortal Sovereign. At critical moments, we may need his intervention."

"And what about Old Marshal Zhao?"

Princess Suiyun issued orders one after another.

"Reporting to Your Highness," Wu Yinghao said quickly, "That old fellow Zhao is willing to cooperate with your actions but demands a public apology afterward and a promise not to withhold his supplies in the future. That old man is shameless, hmph! Should we report to the Immortal..."

"An apology is no big deal," Princess Suiyun said indifferently. "If the operation succeeds, I can even ask Wang Ningxi to introduce him to a girlfriend."

"..." Wu Yinghao was itching with curiosity and weakly asked, "Your Highness, if our operation is completely successful..."

"Looking for benefits, are you?" Princess Suiyun squinted at him. "Huari is quite perceptive."

"No, no, just a meal, a meal together," Wu Yinghao quickly laughed awkwardly, cursing Huari in his heart a thousand times over.

"Very well, if our operation goes smoothly," Princess Suiyun nodded, "To celebrate, I can grant you a reasonable request."

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Wu Yinghao was instantly energized, jumping up excitedly, "I'll go arrange everything right away."

……

Meanwhile, as the Immortal Dynasty was bustling with activity.

In the Gluttonous Demon King Fortress dungeon.

In the interrogation room.

The hot-blooded youth Zhang Huaibing was undergoing various torturous interrogations, suffering greatly.

However, his resolve was strong, and no matter how much he was tortured, he refused to confess.

"Clap clap clap! Truly worthy of the Immortal Palace sequence, your bones are indeed hard."

A round of applause suddenly echoed in the dungeon.

Then, the space in front of him rippled, and an incredibly alluring demoness stepped out, suddenly appearing before Zhang Huaibing.

Her figure was graceful and enchanting, her skin smooth and white as snow. Her large membrane wings and curved demon horns added a unique charm. Just standing there, she exuded a myriad of seductive, sinister, and enchanting vibes.

The appearance of such a stunning demoness was like a bucket of ice water being poured over Zhang Huaibing, chilling him to the bone.

"Yincha Demon God!"

As a top disciple of the Immortal Palace, he naturally recognized the Yincha Demon God.

However, Zhang Huaibing couldn't tell if this was a projection or the actual presence of the Yincha Demon God. Normally, it was likely an energy projection.

Damn, this seemed like a big problem.

The Yincha Demon God was personally involved in this!

He, Zhang Huaibing, was in deep trouble!

"Rest assured, with the name Zhang Huaibing, you have some value. I won't let you die easily," the Yincha Demon God said with a half-smile. "Since you won't confess, I'll have to use some extraordinary means."

"Clap clap clap!"

As she clapped her hands lightly, several alluring and beautiful Yincha demonesses entered the interrogation room, surrounding Zhang Huaibing.

The sight of their fair skin filled his vision, and a strange sweet scent filled the air, seemingly penetrating his heart, leaving Zhang Huaibing in utter despair.

The situation had taken a sudden turn for the worse.

Was this going to test his weakness?