"I felt something amiss when I first entered the Yang-Dao Sect," the Prime Shadow said, surprising the others. "My instincts warned me ever so slightly that something was amiss, although I couldn't tell what it was. That feeling grew stronger when I entered this Yang-Sphere, although I still can't tell what the reason is."
"The Yang-Dao Sect and the Yang-Sphere?" John repeated. "Could the Yang-Dao Sect be behind whatever's happening then?"
"Unlikely," the Prime Shadow shook his head. "However, with the skill and resources at their disposal, it isn't impossible for the Sword-Dao Sect to tamper with the Yang-Dao Sect without the Yang-Sovereign knowing. After all, he may be strong, but he is not omnipotent. However, until we know for certain what is going on, I won't make any hasty conclusions."
The three discussed Azurae and the potential plot that was taking place for a while longer, with John divulging all the details he could regarding the mysterious woman.
"Until we know who she's truly working with, we cannot make any grand accusations," the Prime Shadow said, a slight frown on his face. "She could be working with the Sword-Dao Sect, or perhaps could be fooling them as well, and is truly working with the Devils, or the Beast Race. Until we know her true allegiance, we must gather more information."
"How are we going to do that?" Zuri asked, a deep frown on her face. She had calmed down a bit since the news of Azurae broke, but it was obvious her hatred still simmered deeply within.
"We aren't going to do anything," the Prime Shadow replied. His response drew questioning looks from John and Zuri.
Before they could reply, the sphere of darkness rippled, and a new figure stepped into it from the outside. The Grandmaster, the one who had led John to the headquarters of the Guild, stepped inside.
"Grandmaster," Zuri said, turning to him quickly and bowing her head slightly in respect. The Grandmaster returned her bow with a smile and a nod, then looked at John for a moment. He nodded approvingly, then looked towards the Prime Shadow.
"What do you need from me, Prime Shadow?" the Grandmaster asked respectfully. It was the first time John had seen such deference from the elderly Grandmaster.
"What do you know of Azurae, Grandmaster Darkcloud?" the Prime Shadow asked. His question threw the Grandmaster off guard, but he quickly answered with everything he knew about the woman, which was not much different than what the Prime Shadow had revealed to John and Zuri.
Silence filled the sphere of darkness for a short while as the Prime Shadow thought over the situation, while the others awaited his instructions. John gave the Grandmaster a quick glance, hearing his Dao Name for the first time. He was sure the number of people who had heard his true Dao Name were few and far between.
"Grandmaster Darkcloud, you are to investigate Azurae's origins, leaving no stone unturned regarding her early life," the Prime Shadow instructed.
"Her early life?" Grandmaster Darkcloud asked. "That was over one hundred years ago. What do you hope to find searching so far back?"
"I'm not certain," the Prime Shadow replied, a thoughtful look on his face. "But whoever Azurae is now, she is very careful in her movements. As far as I was aware, she was merely an esteemed elder of the Sword-Dao Sect. Perhaps that is her true identity, and her actions have been at the command of the Sword-Dao Sect, but perhaps not. Regardless of the truth, she has been extraordinarily careful in her movements over the last few decades, careful enough to escape our gaze.
For someone this careful, it's unlikely we'll find much about her true identity looking into recent events. Someone like her doesn't make mistakes, and the only reason we even know of her existence in the first place is from John, who is most likely the only person in this world who would be able to survive the ship's explosion in the Dao Transformation Realm.
No, for someone as careful as her, the only information we might find is before she became who she is today. Only the ignorance and naivety of her youth may have left some clues behind. It's not likely, but it's the only thing we can look into at the moment without drawing suspicion."
The Grandmaster nodded his head in understanding and agreement, then bowed it ever so slightly.
"It will be done. I will take care of this matter personally, and will report back with any information of note."
The Prime Shadow nodded his thanks. The Grandmaster gave John and Zuri a quick glance, then turned and left the sphere of darkness.
"What should we do?" Zuri asked a moment later.
"Nothing," the Prime Shadow replied, looking at the two of them. "Whoever is behind Azurae is powerful, and will no doubt know your identity as members of the Guild. You two are the most visible members of the guild right now, and any changes in your actions or movements would no doubt create suspicion. We need to move in the shadows, undetected, and with your popularity and roles in this tournament, you two need to play your part and act as if nothing is wrong."
He turned to look at John specifically. "You especially need to just focus on the tournament. The flashier your battles, the more exciting your battles, the more of a distraction you will cause, allowing the rest of us to operate in the shadows more effectively."
John nodded after a moment of thought, although he had wanted to help out if he could. Uncovering a grand plot to undermine the human powers sounded interesting, but he couldn't help but agree with the Prime Shadow that the tournament itself was the most important thing for him to focus on at the moment.
The group discussed the subject a bit more, at which point the Prime Shadow brought the discussion to a close.
"The Guild is already acting as hidden security for this tournament, so it shouldn't draw suspicion to increase the number of guild members sweeping the Yang-Dao Sect for any information they can gather. As for me, well, this sphere I've created has no doubt been noticed by the others, so I'll need to mingle with them for some time to assuage any suspicions they have. As for you two, just keep doing what you're doing, but make sure to let me know if you feel anything amiss, or discover anything worth mentioning."
"What about Azurae?" Zuri couldn't help but ask, unable to hold her tongue any longer. "Can't we capture her and force the information out of her."
"That is our last resort," the Prime Shadow said. "Capturing someone as strong as her without making any noise is difficult, and even if done without flaw, her disappearance will instantly alert the others in her scheme that they have been discovered. Unless we are forced to do so, we will act as if we know nothing of Azurae or this plot, understood?"
The Prime Shadow gave Zuri a level gaze, as if warning her that any deviations from this plan would be met with swift punishment. Zuri bit her lip, then nodded.
"Good, then I will leave you two to train or do whatever. In the meantime, I have some mingling to do."
With that, the Prime Shadow vanished without warning, the sphere of darkness fading away a moment later. John and Zuri exchanged a quick glance, at which point he walked over to the training room to continue his Art training. Zuri turned and looked out the window towards the viewing platform holding the powerhouses. Her gaze lingered on Azurae who was laughing as she discussed something with Ji'Han.
"Before this is over, I'll watch your life fade from your eyes," Zuri thought, then turned to follow John into the training room to resume their training.
