Inside the bamboo building.

“Alright, we’ll return to Fulong City now and bring out the hidden personnel.”

Luo Yin nodded and said.

Since Xiahou Qi had already left, there was no need for them to rush to recuperate.

It was more important to quickly bring out the Dark Star members in Fulong City.

Due to the sudden action by the imperial court,

the spies hidden within Dark Star almost all revealed themselves.

Only then did they discover that, at some unknown time, Xiahou Qi had already brought people to Fulong City.

Fortunately, Yu Mian Chan and Earth Dragon were both present, which allowed them to barely cope and escape.

If he had been alone, he might not have been able to escape.

Although they fought and retreated to escape, the situation was urgent, and they only managed to bring a very small number of people out of the city.

There were still a large number of Dark Star members in the city, but fortunately, taking advantage of the lull in the Grandmaster battle, and after sacrificing many lives, they managed to go into hiding in the city.

However, it was only a matter of time before they were discovered.

Xiahou Qi clearly intended to use these Dark Star members as bait.

Fortunately, Li Shenjun’s support arrived in time, otherwise, this situation would have been truly troublesome.

After all, the other Dark Star Envoys were also entangled and couldn't break free.

Just as the three of them—Luo Yin, Yu Mian Chan, and Earth Dragon—were about to return to Fulong City, they were suddenly called out.

“Wait…”

The one who spoke was naturally Li Shenjun, whose face showed a look of contemplation and recollection as he slowly asked,

“Where is my Disciple now?”

By this time, he finally remembered, based on his hazy memories, that he seemed to have a Disciple.

“Uh… Divine Lord, don’t worry, Lin Sheng is fine. He should have already reached Southern Qi by now. I have already sent him a message, telling him to temporarily stay in Southern Qi.”

Hearing Li Shenjun’s words, Luo Yin stopped and replied.

“In Southern Qi, huh!? That’s quite far. I remember now, he went to transport red crystal stones, right?”

Li Shenjun’s face showed a thoughtful expression.

“That’s right, Divine Lord, don’t worry. There are still a few organizational strongholds within Southern Qi, and Lin Sheng staying there also makes it convenient to receive other seeds.”

As if afraid Li Shenjun would worry, Luo Yin continued.

“That’s good. Given the situation in Northern Yan, it’s safer to stay in Southern Qi, but it’s still better to have a backup plan.”

Li Shenjun pondered for a long time before slowly speaking.

“I remember that the previous Pavilion Master discovered several sizable hidden islands in the sea outside Southern Qi. Those can serve as a final retreat.”

“Sea islands…”

Upon hearing this, Luo Yin, Yu Mian Chan, and Earth Dragon exchanged glances, their faces all showing surprise, as if this was the first time they had heard of it.

“That’s right, that was hundreds of years ago. The previous Pavilion Master had mentioned this point back then, and now it’s time to make some preparations.”

Li Shenjun didn’t pay attention to their expressions and continued speaking to himself.

“I will send a letter about this to Huyan Ji. He owed me a favor back then, and now it’s time for him to repay it…”

After speaking, Li Shenjun suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

This left Luo Yin and the other two somewhat confused as they waited for him to continue, but they soon understood what had happened.

The green-robed Divine Lord, who had been facing away from them, now turned around completely, revealing a youthful and delicate face, while his original elderly appearance had vanished.

“Divine Lord…”

Seeing this scene, the three of them exchanged glances again, and Luo Yin was the first to speak.

“Oh, it’s Little Luo. And you two are here too. What are you doing here?”

Li Shenjun looked at the three of them, his youthful and delicate face showing some surprise, as if he found it very strange that they would appear here.

“You just came over…”

Hearing Li Shenjun’s question, Luo Yin paused and then recounted what had happened earlier.

Upon hearing this, he patted his head, then showed a look of sudden understanding.

“So that’s how it is… Very good, I’ll write a letter to that Huyan Ji fellow now.”

As he spoke, Luo Yin had already ordered someone to bring paper and a brush.

He quickly finished writing and handed it to Luo Yin.

“Little Luo, this letter is for you to deliver to my Disciple. Oh, by the way, what was my Disciple’s name again?”

Li Shenjun said, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes again. He tapped his head, seemingly trying hard to remember.

“Lin Sheng, Divine Lord, your Disciple is named Lin Sheng,” Luo Yin couldn’t help but remind him.

“Lin Sheng, that’s right, it’s Lin Sheng…”

Hearing this, the confusion in Li Shenjun’s eyes dissipated, and he nodded repeatedly.

Then he pulled out a small booklet from his embrace. With a surge of energy, Lin Sheng’s name and identity were added to it.

Luo Yin and the other two silently watched this scene.

Noticing their gazes, Li Shenjun smiled.

“It’s good to write down important things, just in case.”

After everything was done, Li Shenjun did not linger and soon disappeared from the bamboo building.

Watching the green-robed figure disappear from sight, Luo Yin, Earth Dragon, and Yu Mian Chan looked at each other. Finally, Earth Dragon couldn't help but shake his head.

“The Divine Lord’s condition seems to be getting worse. If this continues, he might forget about us too at some point.”

“Yes, 100 years ago, the Divine Lord stopped calling me Little Luo.”

Luo Yin also sighed.

“I’m afraid the Divine Lord has forgotten many people in the organization now.”

“You two don’t need to be so pessimistic. Although the Divine Lord’s condition is somewhat serious, his strength has not declined; in fact, he’s stronger than before. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to force Xiahou Qi to retreat this time…”

Yu Mian Chan, who had been silent, seemed unable to bear this atmosphere and interrupted the two, saying.

Hearing this, the two also perked up, but still shook their heads slightly.

“That may be true, but if the Divine Lord hadn’t chosen this path, he would probably have become a Supreme Grandmaster by now…”

The three of them all felt regret, but they didn’t dwell on it for too long. Soon, their figures simultaneously disappeared from the bamboo building, speeding towards Fulong City.

*

*

Northern Land.

An inconspicuous low mountain.

The mountain was densely covered with vegetation, lush and green to the eye, and birds and beasts could be seen moving through it from time to time.

At the mountainside.

Several plumes of smoke rose, drifting into the sky.

More than twenty people sat on the ground around several bonfires.

Wild beasts hunted from the forest were roasting on the bonfires, charred golden and dripping with oil, emitting a rich aroma.

Especially on one bonfire, which was noticeably larger, a half-human-sized bear paw was skewered on an iron spear, giving off the most enticing fragrance.

“Tsk tsk… I didn’t expect such an inconspicuous small mountain to hide a Spirit Beast like the Human-faced Bear.”

Bai Can said, holding an iron spear that belonged to one of the men, occasionally turning it, a smile full on his face.

“Old Jin, Brother Shui Zhi, don’t look at this Human-faced Bear as just a low-tier Spirit Beast. Unlike ordinary low-tier Spirit Beasts, although the Human-faced Bear is large, it can only use its left paw, and it’s precisely that left paw whose taste is simply exquisite.”

Bai Can said to Jin Yang and Shui Zhi next to him while roasting.

“When it comes to cultivation, I, Old Bai, might not be as good as you two, but when it comes to eating, hehe, even if you two combine your efforts, you wouldn’t be able to catch up to me…”

Watching Bai Can boast, Shui Zhi's face showed no expression, and he even felt a bit ashamed to be sitting with this guy.

The dignified Blazing Star Envoy, a Martial Artist in the Divine Form Realm, looked as childish as a child at this moment.

Especially the strange glances occasionally cast by the Hidden Star Envoys nearby made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Seeing that Bai Can seemed to have an endless stream of words, Shui Zhi quickly interrupted him.

“Did you feel it?”

“Brother Shui Zhi, what are you talking about? Feel what?”

Bai Can raised an eyebrow, glanced around, and asked somewhat blankly.

Jin Yang, on the other hand, looked at the nearby cave.

“Are you talking about that cold, chilling sensation?”

“That’s right, this chill seems to be getting stronger.”

Shui Zhi nodded, his gaze also on the cave, his brow slightly furrowed.

“This chilling sensation seems a bit off; it can actually penetrate Qi and cause an effect.”

Following their gazes, Bai Can looked at the cave and also reacted at this moment, waving his hand with a smile.

“Don’t worry, since Young Master Lin said he’s going into seclusion, nothing will happen. Just keep a good watch outside.”

“As for this chilling sensation, it’s due to the Supreme Heavenly Demon Scripture. Among the three profound Cultivation Techniques in the organization, this Demonic Technique is the most bizarre. Such phenomena are normal. It looks like Young Master Lin might be about to Breakthrough.”

Hearing this, Shui Zhi and Jin Yang nodded.

Although neither of them cultivated this profound Cultivation Technique, and in fact, very few people in the entire Dark Star chose to cultivate it,

they still had some understanding of this Cultivation Technique.

“With Young Master Lin’s talent, I wonder why Divine Lord chose to impart this profound Cultivation Technique. After all, the other two are more stable.”

Shui Zhi looked at the cave with a hint of regret and confusion in his eyes.

“Who knows? No matter what, the Supreme Heavenly Demon Scripture is a true profound Cultivation Technique. Perhaps the Divine Lord has his own intentions. Doesn’t the Divine Lord himself cultivate this profound Cultivation Technique?”

Jin Yang chimed in, speaking softly.

However, the confusion on Shui Zhi’s face did not dissipate at all. His eyes flickered, as if he was thinking about something, and after a long while, he slowly shook his head.

“It’s not that simple. You two are decades younger than me and joined the organization much later, so you probably don’t know that the Divine Lord didn’t initially cultivate the Supreme Heavenly Demon Scripture, but rather the Mad Dragon Devouring Elephant Cultivation Technique.”

“What!? How is that possible?”

Bai Can and Jin Yang were instantly stunned, their eyes wide.

“It’s surprising, isn’t it? The more surprising part is yet to come. I, Shui Zhi, grew up in the organization since childhood, so I naturally know many of the organization’s old secrets.”

Seeing their expressions, Shui Zhi sneered.

“Do you know that the Divine Lord not only cultivated the Mad Dragon Devouring Elephant Cultivation Technique but also entered the Grandmaster Realm with it, and even reached the third Realm of Grandmaster? But what no one expected was that right after he entered the third Realm of Grandmaster, he dispelled all his cultivation and switched to cultivating the Supreme Heavenly Demon Scripture.”

“Brother Shui Zhi, are you joking!? How could that be possible?”

This time, Bai Can and the other man were so shocked they almost stood up.

It wasn’t that they didn’t believe him, but what he said was simply too shocking, utterly outlandish.

Do you think a Transforming Void Grandmaster is like a common cabbage? To painstakingly cultivate to the third Realm of Grandmaster, then decisively abandon one’s cultivation and re-cultivate, is that something a normal person would do?

The answer was, of course, no.

However, looking at Shui Zhi’s calm and serious eyes, it was clear that he wasn’t joking, and there was absolutely no reason for him to joke like this.

Especially since Shui Zhi was almost the longest-serving among the Blazing Star Envoys.

It was normal for him to know things they didn’t.

“I wish I were joking, but that’s the truth. This matter, I’m afraid, only I know about it in the current organization, besides a few Dark Star Envoy sirs.”

Shui Zhi let out a soft breath.

“After the Divine Lord dispelled his cultivation, it only took him over a hundred years to re-enter the third Realm of Grandmaster with the Supreme Heavenly Demon Scripture, and he also cultivated the Heavenly Snake Transformation Secret Art. But it was after entering the third Realm of Grandmaster that the Divine Lord encountered a problem, as if he had suffered Qi Deviation, and the situation showed signs of getting worse.”

“If the Divine Lord hadn’t chosen to abandon his cultivation and re-cultivate, he would have certainly entered the ranks of the Supreme Grandmasters, and the organization wouldn’t have had only two Deputy Pavilion Masters for so many years.”

After speaking, he ignored the stunned expressions of Bai Can and Jin Yang, looking at the cave with a long sigh.

“The Supreme Heavenly Demon Scripture has been passed down in the organization for many years, but only a handful of people have successfully entered the Grandmaster Realm with it. Among the current Dark Star Envoys, only the Divine Lord has done so.

Young Master Lin’s cultivation talent is astonishing, absolutely no less than the Divine Lord’s back then. It’s just that I didn’t expect him to still follow the Divine Lord’s path. I hope this isn’t a dead end…”

“This…”

Bai Can’s mouth was open, and for a moment he didn’t know what to say. The amount of information the other party revealed was simply too vast and difficult to accept.

And just then, a burnt smell suddenly wafted into his nostrils. Bai Can sniffed and immediately reacted.

“Oh no, my bear paw… It’s ruined, what a waste…”

While the group outside was resting and recuperating,

inside the dim mountain cave, a strong, chilling coldness continuously accumulated.

Even the cave walls were covered with a layer of black-gray ice crystals.

In the deepest part of the cave, Lin Sheng sat cross-legged on a large stone.

His entire body, along with the large stone beneath him, was covered in layers of ice crystals, like an ice sculpture.

Lin Sheng remained motionless, his entire mind already immersed in that dark, bizarre space.

Within the dark space, as his mental power and perception increased, visibility had reached a range of ten meters.

Although the perception within the 10-meter range was not truly clear and still seemed to be covered by a layer of hazy mist, it was clearer than before.

Lin Sheng simultaneously drew the surrounding grayish-green demonic essence into his body and perceived his surroundings.

After multiple cultivation sessions, he had gained some understanding of this strange space.

Many times during cultivation, the surrounding environment would change.

And this seemed to be related to his cultivation location.

Each time he changed his cultivation spot, the surrounding environment would change accordingly.

At this moment, within his perception, he could see his own surroundings. Besides the omnipresent demonic essence, there were also some irregular stones and cave walls that seemed to be covered in dark green powder.

Thinking carefully, it seemed somewhat similar to the layout of the cave he was in, but it was extremely bizarre. Regardless of whether it was the stones or the cave walls, in addition to the sticky powder, there were also grayish-green fine lines like spiderwebs or veins.

It gave one a chilling sensation.