Chu Xuan watched the group of six and smiled.


    "If you perform well in this task, your positions, wealth, and power will be in your grasp. You may even one day glimpse the path to Nascent Soul," he said.


    Upon hearing this, the six of them, including Yuan Zichu, were even more deeply moved.


    Nascent Soul Path—for many Golden Core cultivators, this was an unattainable goal without enough Nascent Soul spiritual items. But the person standing before them was the Sect Master of Heavenly Infinite Sect, the strongest person on Mystic Azure Star—a figure of immense power, whose words were law. His promises were always kept.


    Bai Jinkun, Yuan Zichu, and the others spoke with solemn reverence, "We are duty-bound to serve the Sect Master!"


    "Good. Go ahead, and the sect will remember your deeds," Chu Xuan replied with a smile.


    "Understood!"


    As the six of them left, Chu Xuan stood still, watching their retreating figures with a faint smile. Planting a few spies within the sect was hardly a challenge for him as the Sect Master.


    As for the grand promises, who couldn''t make such promises? In his past life, he had heard countless bosses promise all kinds of things, and now he wielded those skills with masterful precision.


    In this way, these individuals would naturally work hard to uncover every possible traitor within the sect.


    And if they died while performing their tasks? Well, that was the price of failure. He never promised compensation. In fact, the death of one could potentially identify more traitors, making it all the more useful.


    ...


    On Yuan Zichu''s way back to his cave, he couldn''t stop thinking about Chu Xuan''s words.


    Nascent Soul… Nascent Soul!


    Even someone as cautious as Yuan Zichu couldn''t help but feel a burning excitement in his heart at the thought.


    "Could the Sect Master be just drawing a fantasy for us?" he wondered, then shook his head. "No, he''s a person of immense authority. He wouldn''t make such empty promises. I must be overthinking it."


    Still, he couldn''t shake the allure of the possibility.


    The Sect Master was right. The Heavenly Infinite Sect was still in its early stages, with all kinds of people joining, and surely, some traitors had infiltrated the sect, plotting its downfall.


    "How do I find these traitors?" Yuan Zichu thought, scratching his head. He had just arrived and didn''t know where to start.


    "Never mind," he sighed. "It''s a quiet day, so I''ll head to the brothel to listen to some songs."


    But he wasn''t going to any ordinary brothel. Zhu Yuqiao could sing beautifully. Yuan Zichu decided to visit her at Wu Dalang''s cave, enjoy a song, and then discuss the intricacies of formation techniques afterward.


    As for finding traitors? That could wait until tomorrow.


    Wu Dalang drained the last of his wine, his gaze calm and steady as he sat in his cave. The entrance was directly in his line of sight, and he saw Yuan Zichu being welcomed by Zhu Yuqiao into her cave.


    The two of them seemed to be in high spirits, as if they were once again about to engage in deep, yet simple discussions on the art of formations.


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    Wu Dalang''s expression, however, remained unchanged—like a tranquil pond that had not been disturbed. He paid no mind to the situation at hand.


    He had known for a long time about the secret dealings between Yuan Zichu and Zhu Yuqiao. But so what? It was just a woman, after all. The two of them, however, felt a lingering sense of guilt, which only seemed to make them treat him better than before.


    The last time they escaped the foreign battlefield, and now arriving at the Heavenly Infinite Sect, both had been greatly aided by Yuan Zichu.


    "Yuan Zichu is not lacking in talent, and he''s also a Talisman Master," Wu Dalang mused. "Zhu Yuqiao may have mediocre talent, but she is a rare Formation Master. They will undoubtedly be valued by the Heavenly Infinite Sect."


    He took another sip of wine and leaned back thoughtfully.


    Wu Dalang reflected on his past. It was on the extraterritorial battlefield that he had lost contact with Yuan Zichu and Zhu Yuqiao and had nearly perished in the mouth of a Nether Crocodile. By sheer fortune, a monk from the Celestial Sound Zen Temple had saved him, and he narrowly escaped death.


    Since that moment, he had decided to follow the teachings of the Celestial Sound Zen Temple. He had even made an agreement with the monk that one day he would travel to Celestial Sound Star to become one of their monks.


    Unfortunately, fate had not been kind. The foreign battlefield had mysteriously collapsed, and by some twist of fate, he found himself back on Mystic Azure Star.


    Deep down, Wu Dalang disliked the demonic cultivators of Heavenly Infinite Sect. However, he had no choice in the matter. Now that he had an opportunity to act, he would not hesitate. Not for his own benefit, but to repay the monk from the Celestial Sound Zen Temple who had saved his life.


    "If I can gather enough information about the Sect Master of Heavenly Infinite Sect through Yuan Zichu and Zhu Yuqiao," he thought, "then it will be worth the effort."


    Wu Dalang took another drink, his eyes narrowed in contemplation. The game had only just begun, and he would bide his time until the right moment arrived.


    Blue Star.


    Chu Xuan sat cross-legged, deep in meditation for ten years. At last, he slowly rose to his feet. His body had grown more powerful and robust, with every muscle and bone perfectly proportioned and exquisitely developed. This was the external manifestation of a body refiner''s prowess.


    "Ten years of hard cultivation, and I''ve finally advanced to the thirty-sixth level." Chu Xuan nodded in satisfaction. The Black Nether Falcon''s flesh had indeed been a treasure, its life force inexhaustible and continually replenishing him.


    "It''s time to return to Mystic Azure. The hidden cultivators there should be moving by now." With a single step, Chu Xuan returned to his cave on Infinite Island.


    He carefully reviewed the messages in the Transmission Jade. With a sweep of his divine sense, he quickly finished listening to all of them. Although ten years had passed in Blue Star, only one year had passed on Mystic Azure, yet Bai Jinkun, Yuan Zichu, and the others were very diligent. They sent him a transmission almost every ten days. However… the content was rather unremarkable.


    Bai Jinkun:


    "Master, nothing to report today."


    "Master, nothing to report today."


    "Master, I suspect a traitor, and I am investigating."


    "Master, the suspected traitor was just having a drinking gathering. I checked and decided not to pursue it."


    "Master…"


    Yuan Zichu:


    "Master, today I had a sparring match with Fu Peng, no issues."


    "Master, today I went on a mission with Cao Mo. No issues."


    "Master, I discussed talismans with Elder Liu Ruoshui today and found no signs of betrayal."


    "Master…"


    Only when he reached the latest transmission did Chu Xuan''s eyebrows raise slightly.


    Bai Jinkun:


    "Master, today Wu Dalang suddenly asked whether I liked the sect and mentioned that he personally didn''t like the sect. I suspect something is off with Wu Dalang, and I am continuing to investigate."


    Chu Xuan had already gone through the list of Golden Core and higher cultivators in the sect, so he was familiar with Wu Dalang. This person was Zhu Yuqiao''s partner and had a brotherhood bond with Yuan Zichu.


    "Interesting..." Chu Xuan muttered to himself. "It looks like it won''t be long before I can drag out the big fish hiding in the background."


    He smiled faintly. Wu Dalang, a mere Golden Core cultivator, might be able to gather information, but he lacked the ability to pass it on. Only a Nascent Soul cultivator had such capabilities.


    "Who could it be?" Chu Xuan pondered. "Could it be Shi Juntian, Wei Ji, or one of the Nascent Soul cultivators stationed on Mystic Azure by the Heavenly Blood Alliance?"


    The Nascent Soul cultivators from the Heavenly Blood Alliance were not part of the first batch of recruits. They had been sent later, and the reason was simple. The Heavenly Infinite Sect, though powerful, was still small and weak.


    The Heaven Shaking Divine Sect feared that the Heavenly Infinite Sect might not be able to hold Mystic Azure, so they ordered the Heavenly Blood Alliance to send reinforcements.