Xiuxian: Start with the medicine boy

next moment.

A hoarse, low voice, like a broken gong, came from the center of the private room.
With a hint of barely perceptible authority and coldness, he slowly asked:
"Is everything ready?"
"Did everything go smoothly last night? There weren't any problems, were there?"

The speaker was a mysterious monk dressed in a black robe and wearing a black mask.

He sat upright in a large chair, his body emanating an extremely obscure and elusive aura, powerful yet eerie, making it impossible to discern the depth of his cultivation.
His features and expression were also unclear.
One could only sense a hint of coldness and authority in his voice.

His gaze fell on the bowing young cultivator before him, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.

Upon hearing this,

The young cultivator, who had been bowing with his head down, trembled slightly and quickly responded respectfully.
His tone was respectful and humble, without the slightest hesitation:

"Your Excellency, everything is ready."
All the owners who refused to sell their properties have been dealt with cleanly as instructed by the adults, leaving no trace whatsoever.
It went unnoticed by outsiders.

The final step last night was successfully completed in the early hours of the morning.

All predetermined goals were achieved without exception; everything was under the adults' control.

This young cultivator was the same black-robed youth who killed the middle-aged cultivator in the teahouse last night.

At this moment, in front of the mysterious cultivator, there was no trace of ruthlessness, only endless respect and fear.

"Ah."

The mysterious cultivator wearing a black mask nodded slightly, his tone remaining calm and devoid of any emotion.

"well done.

You must immediately issue this order: all deployments must be in place and ready to take action at any time.
Today is the day we completely control Zhenhai City!

"Yes, Your Majesty! I obey!"

The young cultivator immediately bowed and clasped his hands in greeting, his tone extremely respectful, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent.

As he finished speaking, he bowed deeply to the mysterious cultivator once more.
Then she turned around and carefully left the private room, her steps light and she dared not make a sound.

They seemed afraid of disturbing this mysterious cultivator.

After the young cultivator had completely left the private room and closed the door...
The mysterious black-robed cultivator, seated upright in his chair, slowly raised his hand and set down the white jade wine cup in his hand—

The wine cup contained a cup of golden spirit wine, the liquid was clear and exuded a rich aroma, but he never touched it.

He slightly raised his head, his gaze passing through the window of the private room to the distant sky, a cold, sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

He murmured something under his breath, his voice hoarse but firm:
"It's time for things to change."

After he finished speaking, the private room fell silent once again.

···
Sunrise and sunset, time flies by.
Before we knew it, it was dusk.

The setting sun, like blood, stained the outline of Zhenhai City with a poignant golden-red hue. The towering headquarters of the Cultivator Association cast a huge shadow in the twilight, appearing solemn and majestic.

A figure dressed in the black robes of the Surveillance Hall hurried through the many halls and rushed towards the depths of the headquarters.

A deep sorrow hung over his brow, and though his steps were quick, they carried a heavy weight.

Not bad.

This is none other than Wu Mingzhenjun of the Surveillance Hall.

Not long after...

A magnificent palace came into view.

The palace doors were tightly shut, with mysterious and unpredictable array runes flowing across them, shimmering with spiritual light and radiating a chilling pressure.

Wu Mingzhenjun stopped, glanced up at the ever-flowing array of light, took a deep breath to suppress the surging emotions in his heart, then bowed his head, clasped his hands in salute.

His voice was respectful yet carried an undisguised urgency as he spoke clearly:

"Wu Ming of the Supervisory Hall requests an audience with the Chairman."

We humbly request that the guild leader grant us an audience!

The sound did not spread outwards, but was restrained by an invisible force, condensed into a beam, and went straight into the light curtain.

Wu Ming remained bowed, waiting quietly, his mind racing with thoughts.

A short while later.

In just a few breaths...
From within the light barrier came a calm, even voice, devoid of any inflection, yet carrying an inherent air of majesty that looked down upon all living beings:

"Enter!"

The voice has not fallen,

The array of light in front of him slowly parted to the sides, like a curtain of water rippled by a gentle breeze, revealing a passage leading to the depths of the main hall.

The spiritual energy inside the passage was so dense that it almost condensed into mist, faintly exuding a vast and majestic aura.

Upon seeing this!

Wu Mingzhenjun dared not be negligent in the slightest. He suppressed all distracting thoughts and strode straight into the main hall with steady and powerful steps.

The moment I stepped into the main hall...

What comes into view is a vast and desolate space. There are no furnishings on either side of the main hall. Only the white jade floor tiles reflect a faint light, making the entire hall even more solemn.

Just as Wu Ming was feeling slightly surprised...

A familiar and authoritative voice suddenly came from the throne on the high platform, carrying an undeniable power:

"No need to search anymore, I am here."

Wu Ming suddenly raised his head, his gaze falling on the high platform at the very front of the main hall—

On the previously empty black iron throne, a figure was now sitting upright.

The figure appeared thin and frail, dressed in a plain Taoist robe, with a serene air about him, yet his body contained a power as vast as the ocean.

It appears calm and still, yet it is enough to move heaven and earth.
That oppressive aura, even if it only emanated faintly,

This also made Wu Ming, a Nascent Soul expert, feel a sinking feeling in his heart.

Indeed, who else could this be but Cheng Buzheng, the president of the Cultivator Association?

However, it was not Cheng Buzheng's true form.

To be precise, it should be one of Cheng Buzheng's Dharma bodies.

Even though it is only a Dharma Body, the aura it exudes far surpasses that of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.

It is evident that Cheng Buzheng's cultivation level has already reached an unfathomable level.

next moment!
Upon entering the palace, Wu Ming quickly composed himself.

He strode forward and, facing the high platform and throne, respectfully performed a standard monk's salute, bending at a ninety-degree angle, his voice growing increasingly respectful:
"Your subordinate Wu Ming greets the Chairman."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Buzheng, who was sitting upright on the throne, slowly raised his eyes and his gaze fell on Wu Ming.

That gaze, though seemingly indifferent, seemed to penetrate the heart, seeing through Wu Ming's thoughts perfectly.

He slowly raised his hand, making a gesture as if to signal, his tone remaining calm:

"Get up!"

In an instant!
A gentle yet irresistible force appeared out of nowhere, steadily supporting Wu Ming, who was bowing his head, and slowly helping him to his feet.

That force was perfectly timed, demonstrating absolute control with absolute precision, without the slightest deviation.

This fully demonstrates Cheng Buzheng's extremely precise control over power.

Otherwise, with his power as a Nascent Soul cultivator, he could easily have injured Wu Ming, a Nascent Soul expert, if he hadn't been careful. It would have been impossible for him to do it so casually.

It should be noted that Wu Ming is no ordinary cultivator, but a genuine Nascent Soul Realm expert.

Within the entire Oversight Hall system...

Whether it's combat strength or not?
Both in terms of cultivation level, they are top-tier individuals.

Ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators are no match for him.

But in front of Cheng Buzheng, he had no power to resist at all.

It was as if a child was facing an adult; the difference was stark.

"Thank you, Chairman!"

Wu Mingzhenjun clasped his hands in thanks again, his voice filled with genuine reverence.

At the same time, he felt a wave of fear wash over him, and a cold sweat quietly seeped down his back. He thought to himself:

'As expected of a Nascent Soul Venerable, the difference in cultivation is simply worlds apart, incomparable.'

Looks like we made the right choice coming here!
If I could gain the favor of the guild leader and receive some guidance from him, given time, it wouldn't be impossible for me to break through to the Half-Saint realm.

Just as he was silently reciting these words to himself, his thoughts drifting slightly away...
Cheng Buzheng's voice came again, interrupting his thoughts. It was still in that calm and even tone, but it carried an undeniable air of authority:

"What important matter brings you to see me, the president?"

With this remark,
Wu Ming immediately snapped out of his daze, his expression instantly turning serious. He cleared his mind of all distractions and looked up at Cheng Buzheng.
He said in a serious tone:
"Reporting to the President, I have received definite intelligence that someone is secretly plotting against you."

however,
Cheng Buzheng, seated on the throne, remained completely calm and composed, his expression unchanged. His tone was equally even.

As if he had only heard about a trivial matter, he spoke indifferently:
"Oh! Tell me about it."

Seeing this, Wu Mingzhenjun did not pay any attention to it.

He knew very well that every senior who could cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage was a person with deep cunning and a calm mind.
Without sufficient shrewdness and composure, one would have long since become mere bones beneath the feet of others in this perilous world of cultivation, and would never have reached this point today.

therefore!

The higher one's cultivation level, the more unfathomable one's state of mind becomes, and the less likely one is to easily reveal their emotions to outsiders.

Unless it was intentionally shown to others.

Then, Wu Ming took a deep breath.

He quickly organized his thoughts and organized his ideas before slowly beginning to recount his findings:

"President, not long ago, I was ordered to carry out a surveillance mission, secretly tracking a heretical cultivator who was refining a forbidden magical artifact."

They followed them all the way to a deserted island where no one ever went.

Originally, I thought this evil cultivator was preparing to continue refining magical artifacts on the deserted island. I was just about to take advantage of his weakness to capture him and rid the people of this scourge when…”

Speaking of which,

Wu Ming suddenly stopped speaking, and the seriousness in his eyes vanished instantly...
Instead, there was an eerie darkness.

A tiny black dot silently appeared in his pupil and spread at an extremely rapid speed.

It instantly captured my entire eye.

Wu Mingzhenjun's originally clear eyes turned as black as ink, without a trace of light.

In an instant!
Wu Ming's aura changed drastically, and the Nascent Soul power he had previously restrained erupted without reservation.
It even far surpasses the peak level of ordinary Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.

A violent and terrifying wave instantly swept through the entire hall.

He suddenly raised his head, his face devoid of any respect, replaced by ferocity and ruthlessness.

"go to hell!"

The moment the shout exploded...
With murderous intent, Wu Mingzhenjun suddenly raised his right hand, and a dazzling stream of light shot out from his sleeve.

call out!
The streak of light, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound as it tore through the air, hurtled towards Cheng Buzheng on the high throne with terrifying speed.
The target was aimed directly at Cheng Buzheng's vital point between his eyebrows.

Click!

Click! Click!

As the beam of light shot out, the protective array of the palace instantly developed countless cracks under the sudden and terrifying shockwave.

In the blink of an eye, the formation shattered, turning into countless rays of light that dissipated into the air, without even a trace of resistance.

The formation, powerful enough to withstand a full-force attack from a semi-saint level expert, crumbled under Wu Ming's sudden strike...

They were utterly vulnerable.

Just as this sudden, terrifying surge was about to breach the palace and spread towards the entire Cultivator Association headquarters, affecting even more cultivators...

A calm yet infinitely authoritative voice resounded throughout the hall.
The entire hall trembled slightly.
"town!"

Cheng Buzheng, sitting calmly on the high throne, remained composed, as if he had anticipated all of this.

In that split second before Wu Ming made his move...
He slowly bent his finger and pointed it in the air. There was no earth-shattering phenomenon, but an extremely powerful force, like a wave of light, burst forth from his fingertip.

It instantly swept through the entire hall, suppressing all the violent fluctuations and chaotic spiritual energy on the spot, preventing even a trace from leaking out.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still.

Whether it was that streak of light rushing towards them, carrying deadly intent?

Or is it the restless, chaotic spiritual energy within the main hall?

Or perhaps it was Wu Ming who launched the sneak attack; all of them were frozen in place, unable to move.
Even breathing seemed to freeze.

Only Cheng Buzheng remained seated on his throne, calmly looking down at the people below.

Cheng Buzheng calmly looked at Wu Mingzhenjun, who stood in the center of the hall, his eyes dark and filled with intense killing intent.

With a hint of sarcasm in his voice, he slowly began to speak:
"To dare to ambush me with only the Nascent Soul stage is simply wishful thinking and utterly absurd."

Not bad!

The Nascent Soul Realm and the Divine Transformation Realm may seem to differ by only one major realm, but the gap between them is like an insurmountable chasm.

Leaving aside the vast difference in combat strength, the efficiency of their thinking alone is a hundredfold difference.

In other words, a Nascent Soul cultivator needs a split second to think about a matter.
However, a Nascent Soul cultivator only needs one percent of a second.

Even shorter.

Therefore, whether it's a sneak attack or a head-on confrontation, cultivators at lower cultivation levels have almost no chance of winning.

The higher one's cultivation level, the more pronounced this difference becomes.

This is also why Cheng Buzheng was able to react the instant Wu Ming launched his sneak attack and take control of the entire situation even faster.

This is not just a crushing defeat in terms of cultivation level, but also an absolute advantage in terms of the efficiency of thought processes.

Just then...
Wu Ming, frozen in place, suddenly let out a strange smile in his pitch-black eyes.

The smile was cold and eerie, carrying a hint of triumphant smugness.

Even though his body was unable to move...
But that smile was also clearly visible, making people extremely uneasy.

...(End of this chapter)