I have a high-risk profession in the cultivation world.

People from various sects gradually arrived over the past few days, and on April 15th, the Spiritual Cultivation Alliance officially commenced.

The spiritual alliance, after all, has a certain level of prestige; it's unlikely that the first thing they would do upon arrival would be to fight and kill each other to determine the rankings.

On the first day, members of various sects gathered in the square, forming a large, bustling crowd. Different styles of sect costumes were piled up in clusters on the otherwise monotonous square, creating a colorful and orderly scene.

The status of Wuji Sect in the cultivation world is beyond doubt, so they were arranged in the middle of the square. Chu Chenmu and his group of four did not want to be among the disciples, so they were placed at the very end of the Wuji Sect's group.

The whispers of disciples from some unknown sect behind him reached Chu Chenmu's ears—

"Senior brother, have you heard that Hongmeng Xuan will also be participating in this year's Spiritual Cultivation Alliance?"

"Hongmengxuan? What are they doing here? Aren't they always so aloof, without any principles, only caring about money? They have so many enemies, yet they dare to show their faces in public so openly?"

The person referred to as the senior brother clearly didn't believe it, saying, "Aren't you afraid that five or six out of ten people in the square will be from sects that have grudges against him, and that he'll attack them all at once?"

"Shh... You know how protective Yan Fengzi is. Besides, even if we take a step back, we are all from reputable sects, upright and without shame before heaven and earth. How could we become bloodthirsty bastards no different from demonic cultivators!"

Chu Chenmu found it interesting. It turned out that even cultivators couldn't avoid gossiping in secret. He pricked up his ears to listen carefully, but they changed the subject after only a few words.

Hongmengxuan... Chu Chenmu didn't have a deep impression of him. He only learned about him when Su Chengdian mentioned him last time. The original owner didn't seem to be very interested in this organization either. He didn't find any useful information.

The matter of Hongmeng Xuan was no secret; only a recluse like Chu Chenmu would be unaware. Many disciples, upon hearing from their elders that Hongmeng Xuan would also be involved, immediately thought—the disciples sent by Hongmeng Xuan were likely in for a rough time. Even if basic morality prevented them from killing Hongmeng Xuan, few would want to be on friendly terms with someone everyone disliked.

Therefore, during the competition, they may be deliberately targeted.

Well, when people need to investigate some secrets, they will think of Hongmengxuan first. But when people go out without masks or disguises, they must draw a line between themselves and such an unprincipled organization to show their integrity and goodness.

But to everyone's surprise, the disciples of Hongmengxuan were completely unaware that they were about to become the target of everyone's criticism. Instead of keeping a low profile, they arrived late and slowly descended under everyone's gaze. They even prepared flower petals and specially arranged for several children to sprinkle them around them.

Looking at Echo Valley again, there was no sign of anger or blame. Instead, they arranged it in a position adjacent to the Wuji Sect, pushing all the Wanyao Sect disciples to the side.

That's the Myriad Medicines Sect! Even if it's the weakest of the four major sects, it shouldn't be squeezed out by Hongmengxuan, which is participating in the Spiritual Cultivation Alliance for the first time.

This move caused a huge uproar among the crowd. Some indignant disciples even began to accuse Echo Valley of colluding with Hongmeng Pavilion. Even Chu Chenmu was somewhat surprised, wondering if there was some kind of shady deal involved in the competition.

But soon, Chu Chenmu understood what Echo Valley was doing.

The Vice Valley Master of Echo Valley spoke at the forefront, essentially saying that everyone should work together to maintain peace in the cultivation world, punish evil and promote good, and strive to conquer the western wilderness and eradicate the demonic sect as soon as possible, so as to continue to promote and carry forward the spirit of righteousness in the next decade. Then, the Vice Valley Master cleared his throat, deliberately amplifying the input of spiritual energy to make his voice travel further, and emphasized that the main losses from the sparring at this spiritual cultivation alliance would be borne by Hongmeng Xuan in good faith.

After these words were spoken, most of the dissenting voices disappeared.

It turns out the money had arrived.

The reason why the responsibility of organizing the event only rotates among the four major sects is not only because of their superior status, but also because each time they compete for rankings, the disciples of dozens or even hundreds of sects spar, and the repair and wear and tear on the venues also incurs considerable expenses.

If Hongmengxuan operates in this way, then it's no wonder that Echo Valley is tempted; anyone would be tempted in that situation.

Standing at the head of the Hongmeng Pavilion was a man dressed in white robes and a red cloak, wearing a gold and red fox mask made of metal that gleamed coldly in the sunlight. The mask covered most of the man's face, revealing only his thin, expressionless lips.

The masked man casually waved the fan in his hand, tilting his head slightly. Someone next to him leaned forward, bowed, and listened intently, waiting for instructions.

"Find someone to handle those boring procedures for me later, and don't follow me." If he had known the first day's procedures would be this tedious, he wouldn't have shown up in the first place!

The attendant beside him hesitated, "Young Master, where are you going? Why don't you have someone follow you to ensure your safety?"

The man scoffed, "You're protecting me? What kind of strength do you have to say such things? It's probably the old man who's worried I won't behave, so he sent you to keep an eye on me."

The attendant stood by, forcing a smile, his head bowed even lower. "How could that be? How could that be..." The old master had given him those instructions, but he still needed to save his own life; he couldn't just say it outright.

"If you can't keep up with me, I won't cause trouble."

"But..." The attendant looked troubled. This man saying he wouldn't cause trouble had the same effect as the old master saying he disliked killing.

"Don't make me say it a third time." Sensing that the atmosphere around his master was noticeably tense, the attendant wisely chose to be pragmatic. "Yes, young master, don't worry, I will arrange it."

The man hummed twice in satisfaction upon hearing this, snapped his folding fan shut, and quietly slipped away. Immediately, a man of similar build, dressed in the same clothes and wearing a mask, took his place. The young master shifted his position a few times in the noisy crowd, and no one noticed his last destination.

Chu Chenmu was still listening blankly to the Echo Valley Master's incessant ramblings, letting it go in one ear and out the other. He was inwardly complaining that it was even longer than the principal's speech when he entered university. Suddenly, someone patted his left shoulder, startling him. He turned to look at the side and saw a familiar handsome face magnified in front of him, still wearing that carefree and lazy smile—Yan Jian'an.

Chu Chenmu raised an eyebrow and looked at Yan Jian'an's clothes, which were the same style and pattern as those of the Hongmengxuan disciples next to him. He asked, "Fellow Daoist Yan, what a coincidence, you are actually from Hongmengxuan?"