The map itself covered a vast area of countless miles, showing more than a thousand cities within the Holy sect's territory.
After locating the 'Giant Crane forest' on the map and seeing that it was just a little more than 3000 miles away from the Holy city, Shun Long flew past the Holy city's gates as he headed towards the west where the forest was located.
...
At the same time, inside the Holy sect, in a private room at the depths of the 'Administration Hall', the yellow-robed outer disciple from the 'Exchange counter' who had accepted Shun Long's mission, was now standing in front of a white-robed old man who had almost no hair left on his head.
The old man was staring at the young woman with a serious look on his face, before he asked in a solemn tone
''Did you find him?''
The yellow-robed young woman nodded her head seriously before she answered with a respectful bow
''I did, Elder Zhi. His name is Shun Long and he handed in the D-rank personal mission around an hour ago. Just like Elder Zhi requested, I have already verified that he is the person who killed Yan Wen from the Yan family before he eliminated the 2 slave traders, Dai Lim and Dai Hao.''
Elder Zhi stood up from his seat with a furious look on his face as he looked at the young woman in front of him, before he said angrily
''Around an hour ago? Didn't I tell you to inform me immediately as soon as you learned of that bastard's name?''
The yellow-robed young woman trembled when she felt the aura of the furious peak rank 9 Dao King boring down on her, making her unable to breathe.
A few moments later, after the pressure that Elder Zhi emitted started to ease, the yellow-robed young woman from the Exchange counter gasped for a few moments as she tried to regain her breath, before she responded
''Elder Zhi, it's because Elder Gao was in the Assignment Hall today that I couldn't come earlier. Elder Zhi should understand, that if Elder Gao saw me leaving my post for no reason, I would be punished heavily!''
Indeed, although the young woman had informed Shun Long that Elder Zhi and Yan Xiang from the Yan family were both looking for him, she had only done that so that she wouldn't feel guilty when she ratted him out.
She wouldn't waste an hour before she informed Elder Zhi if there wasn't a good reason for that.
Elder Zhi seemed to have calmed down significantly when he heard the words 'Elder Gao', but he still snorted before he waved his hand, throwing a spatial ring towards the young woman.
Upon checking the contents of the spatial ring, the young woman was overjoyed as she hurriedly bowed and said
''Thank you Elder!''
''Leave.''
Elder Zhi's cold voice was the only response that the young woman got, but she didn't seem to mind it as she accepted the spatial ring and left the Administration Hall without any delay.
After the young woman left the room, Elder Zhi took out a black-colored sect identifying token and injected his qi inside it.
A few moments later, a yellow-robed young man entered the private room at the depths of the Administration Hall, and looking at Elder Zhi who seemed to be waiting for him, the young man hurriedly bowed before he asked
''Master, did you ask for me?''
Nodding his head, Elder Zhi stared at the young man in front of him and said
''Changming, investigate an outer disciple named Shun Long. I want you to find out everything about him, including any faction that he may have joined, which people he has come in contact with, and if there is any family or clan, or some other power that is backing him. I want you to find everything about him within the next 2 weeks!''
The young man's eyes widened at Elder Zhi's sudden request, as he hadn't even heard of a person in the outer sect named Shun Long, so how could his master who didn't pay any attention to outer disciples know about a small fry?
His eyes however lit up a moment later as he remembered the young woman who had left his master's room a few moments ago, before he asked in a tone that was filled with realization
''Master, is this related to Yan Xiang's cousin, Yan Wen?''
The yellow-robed young man clearly knew his master's relationship with the Yan and the Zhu families of Yanzhu city, so it wasn't hard for him to put the pieces together and guess the reason behind his master's sudden interest.
Indeed, Elder Zhi nodded his head with a solemn look before he said
''He is the person who killed that little shit, Yan Wen. I still owe a favor to the Yan family's patriarch, so find out everything about that brat and let me know at once.
If it's not too hard, I may help them a bit, but if it's too hard, they can solve their own problems by themselves. I will simply provide them with a name and they can do the rest by themselves.''
The yellow-robed young man bowed when he heard his master's words, as he hurriedly left the room.
He knew that although his master had a good relationship with the Yan and the Zhu family patriarchs, he wouldn't do anything that would risk his own life.
...
4 days soon passed before Shun Long who was flying at full speed finally saw the outline of a huge forest in the distance ahead.
The forest seemed to span for thousands of miles, with huge black trees that reached more than 100 meters(330ft) in height.
As he approached closer and closer to the forest, Shun Long also noticed that tens of other cultivators that were gathered in groups were either entering or leaving the huge forest, or they had already set up camp a few hundred meters away from the forest's entrance.
A minute later, Shun Long had already arrived in front of the forest's entrance, when his eyes suddenly widened as his gaze fell on a group of 6 that was walking out of the forest.
5 of these 6 people were dressed in yellow robes that were identical to his own, indicating that they were disciples of the Holy sect as well, but what surprised Shun Long the most, was the 3 familiar faces that he spotted in this group.
The moment that those 3 saw him, auras that were filled with killing intent exploded out of their bodies as they locked on Shun Long all at the same time!