A Probing Inquiry

"Please give me a list of exchange items."

"As you wish."

As Biyuan spoke, he handed over two Jade Slip.

Gu Jinlai accepting the Jade Slip, Bi Yuan continued, "We have already arranged accommodations for you. Pang Yuan will take you there. You can move around on the surface of the island during this period."

Thank you.

Gu Jinlai nodded.

Led by Pang Yuan, the group emerged from underground and arrived at a place...

A harbor city with a somewhat modern style.

"These buildings..."

This has surprised people Gu Jinlai.

"The material civilization of the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty has developed rapidly over the past thousand years, which is reflected in all aspects, the most significant of which is military strength, among which the epoch-making creation of mecha is the most eye-catching."

Pang Yuandao.

They have clashed with the Hunter Squad Gu Jinlai.

Their mechs are indeed very sci-fi-like.

However, compared to the sophisticated instruments on Blue Star, those mechs were somewhat crude.

It doesn't refer to the appearance, but rather to the various supporting instruments inside.

However, considering that each driver is a being with a mental and spiritual realm comparable to a celestial being or a mystical immortal, it seems reasonable that they would focus their technological efforts on power output.

"It's somewhat like the era of heavy artillery and giant ships on Blue Star a hundred years ago, and the architectural style is also quite similar. However, the energy they use tends to be nuclear energy and annihilation energy. In addition, the presence of cultivators adds a bizarre science fiction feel to it."

Gu Jinlai have looked upon this port city.

You can even see giant ships flying through the void.

This style...

It looks like a futuristic era with a retro vibe.

Pang Yuan led Gu Jinlai to a villa area with a similarly modern architectural style and smiled, "Some members of our Immortal Shadow Society also live in this community. As long as you don't actively reveal your identity, you won't be in danger. I hope you can integrate into our circle as soon as possible and contribute to our cause."

Gu Jinlai nodded.

By placing him here, Biyuan has actually shown him enough trust.

After all, if he really is a mole, simply exposing this location would be a great achievement for a vice president and a considerable number of members of the Immortal Shadow Society.

Thank you.

Gu Jinlai.

Inside the villa, four men and women dressed as servants were waiting.

"With the existence of the Devouring Dao, we can forget about obtaining energy from the outside world. Our daily replenishment can only rely on external things. Depending on the conversion rate of energy and matter, as well as our own energy consumption, the interval between meals is also different, but we still need some more or less."

As Pang Yuan spoke, he glanced at Gu Jinlai and said, "You were walking the Path of Destruction, which leans towards the flames, right? Oh, I forgot, you are a Primordial Saint... Bifang? Vermilion Bird? Great Sun Golden Crow? You can learn more about this world's knowledge about the laws of thermal energy, the energy release of nuclear fusion, and so on."

"Learn this knowledge?"

This has surprised many Gu Jinlai.

"Of course, you can also abandon yourself and rely entirely on the mecha. The advantage of this is that you will not perish if the mecha is destroyed. The disadvantage is that you need all kinds of resources to build the mecha and you will not be able to fully exert your own power."

As Pang Yuan spoke, he took out another Jade Slip and handed it to him. "With the existence of the Devouring Dao, our path has been almost completely blocked. Before we defeat the Devouring Dao, you might as well transform your own life structure and use your own heat, magnetism, gravitational potential energy, or build a nuclear reactor in your body to maintain your own operation. If you can complete the construction of the nuclear reactor in your body, you only need to replenish some nuclear materials."

He glanced at one of the four waiting servants. "Ye Fu is still the offspring of Ye Que Xuanxian, belonging to the new generation of the Immortal Xuanhuang Realm. He once went to the First Nuclear Energy University in Tian Shu Prefecture for further studies. He can accurately refine high-purity nuclear raw materials and process food for you to exert greater power. Whether you intend to use this food yourself or use it as daily energy for the mecha, it is a good choice."

The middle-aged man named Ye Fuhuan bowed slightly to Gu Jinlai and said, "It is my pleasure to serve you."

Those who have heard this Gu Jinlai have twitched at the corner of their mouths.

He felt that he had not done enough to change the world.

New era...

It seems that it's not just a simple change in the cultivation system; it has also brought about a transformation in everyone's lifestyle.

Pang Yuan brought Gu Jinlai to the villa and then took his leave.

After exchanging a few words with Ye Fuhuan and the others, Gu Jinlai arrived at the villa's unique meditation room.

He did not immediately open the book of Spirit Refining Techniques that Bi Yuan had given him.

Instead, he began to examine the Jade Slip that Pang Yuan had given him, which recorded the daily social structure of this world.

"Ordinary people are injected with gene serum from childhood?! Like getting a vaccine, their bodies are strengthened time and time again, they are free from disease and pain, and their lifespan is greatly extended? Those who have not entered the level have an average lifespan of 283.6 years?"

Gu Jinlai have looked at the description above.

Next, they receive twenty years of compulsory education, and then choose different paths based on their talents in various aspects.

Aside from jobs similar to those on Blue Star, there are three most popular professions.

Energy expert.

Pilot.

Modifier.

Energy experts specialize in studying energy issues, and from bottom to top, they are basic energy, nuclear energy, and annihilation energy, which vaguely correspond to the energy levels encountered by ordinary people, pilots, and Great Immortals.

The prerequisite for becoming a pilot is to achieve something in mental and spiritual cultivation.

After passing the ninth dan of apprenticeship, one officially enters the first dan of pilot.

Level 1 to 3 pilots are barely qualified to start some relatively stable reactors and are often used to pilot large machinery, such as civil aircraft, transport ships, ocean-going vessels, engineering vehicles, etc.

Some extremely large machines even require a dozen or more pilots to work together.

A select few outstanding individuals will be selected to join large warships, enlist in the military, and become personnel responsible for a particular section of equipment.

Level 4 to 6 pilots can start reactors with high power but low stability.

Those who remain on the warship can become junior officers, and the outstanding ones can even pilot personal mechs and fight alone.

The rank was roughly equivalent to that of a junior officer.

As for level seven to nine pilots...

This has become the mainstay of the combat sequence.

The second-tier hunting squads and the first-tier Heavenly Punishment squads generally consist of a mix of pilots of this level.

Further up...

The domain of the Great Dao Golden Immortals.

Each Great Dao Golden Immortal is equivalent to an army, consisting of a warship and dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of pilots.

There's a saying in the Immortal Xuanhuang Realm: A Great Dao Golden Immortal isn't scary; what's scary is a Great Dao Golden Immortal leading a fleet.

More than once, high-level Golden Immortals of the Great Dao were surrounded and killed by other Golden Immortals of the Great Dao who used their fleet advantage to fight outnumbered opponents.

Sixty years ago, there was an example of a second-tier Golden Immortal leading a fleet of tens of thousands of pilots to annihilate a resistance force with a fifth-tier Golden Immortal.

Within that force, there were also several Golden Immortals of the third or fourth rank.

"This Great Dao Golden Immortal Realm is a complete mess."

Gu Jinlai, can't help but make a comment.

However, considering that the Xuan Yuan Sword Ancestor of the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect was able to fight against many opponents shortly after achieving the Great Dao Golden Immortal...

There is indeed a lot of variation in the levels of attainment among different Golden Immortals.

After a moment, the gazes of those from Gu Jinlai turned to the builder.

This is my last profession.

Simulate a nuclear reactor inside your body and transform yourself into something similar to a mecha or warship.

The advantage is stronger individual combat capability, the disadvantage is...

Because they can only rely on their own bodies, unlike pilots who can remotely control their mechs, their mortality rate is relatively high.

"The style of this Xuanhuang Realm... has been completely distorted..."

Gu Jinlai shook his head, truly at a loss for words to describe the situation.

However, the paths to Sacred Body, Immortal Body, Dao Fruit, and Heavenly Dao in this world have been completely blocked by the Devouring Dao. It is estimated that, apart from a very few individuals in the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty who are cultivated as seeds, everyone who walks the path of cultivation is essentially working for this Immortal Cave Heaven that covers the entire Xuanhuang Realm. With no other choice, everyone can only choose the path of pilots and modifiers, which can slightly avoid the Devouring Dao.

After looking at it for a while, Gu Jin took the Star Chart of Divine Refining Technique given to him by Bi Yuan.

He had cultivated the Gate of Mysterious Female, and his mental realm had reached the peak of the human path, which is the third level. It's just that his methods were not as exquisite as these new methods of Spirit Refining.

After studying the Star Chart for a short while, I have already grasped the basics of this Spirit Refining Method.

As he once again immersed himself in the clear light...

Before long, he easily mastered the Star Chart.

"Once you reach a higher realm, the amount of time saved by cultivating other Cultivation Method will be quite considerable."

Looking at the two thousand beams of clear light he still had left, Gu Jinlai estimated that his mental level could be raised by one or two more levels.

After taking a look at the remaining balance of the Qingguang, he turned his gaze to the newly upgraded Star Chart.

The perfect star chart gives rise to two characteristics.

One is an aggressive mental technique called Starlight Rotation.

Another is the Star Technique, which allows one to use their mental energy for multiple purposes.

The concept of multitasking here is different from the manifestation of the True Spirit. Depending on the level of one's mental state, it is entirely possible to precisely control one's mind to the point of dividing it into three thousand, ten thousand, thirty thousand, or even one hundred thousand.

In theory, as long as one's mind is strong enough, one person can form an army.

Of course, the standard for each of these three thousand units is only equivalent to the mental strength of a first-level pilot.

"Besides adapting to this world, the most important thing about completing the Star Chart is washing away the traces of the old era from my body..."

Gu Jinlai understood. "Next, we will search for a higher level of mental tempering method while also learning the truth about the battle between the Xuanhuang Alliance and that evil god ten thousand years ago."

With this in mind, Gu Jinlai left the villa and began to consciously communicate with other people.

Unbeknownst to Gu Jinlai, as he began venturing out and learning about the world from other residents, several figures swiftly arrived at this underground base.

Seeing the young-looking man at the head of the group, Bi Yuan was somewhat surprised. "President Xuan He, what brings you here?"

The person before me is one of the four vice presidents of the Immortal Shadow Society.

One president and four vice presidents constitute the total number of Golden Immortals in the Immortal Shadow Society.

"Why am I here? If I hadn't come, our base and hundreds of official members would have been uprooted by the Tian Shu Garrison."

The man named Xuanhe slammed a document onto the table in front of Biyuan in a deep voice.

The above contains detailed information from Gu Jinlai.

Besides some analyses of various events over the Gu Jinlai month and a half, some of this information actually came from the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect in the Xuanxian Realm.

Bi Yuan glanced at her, then looked up and said, "What this Celestial Immortal Mo Yu from the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect said doesn't mean anything. The Xuan Immortal Realm has been closed to the outside world for a hundred years, and she has been away from the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect for more than two hundred years. Her Gu Jinlai time is not long, and she looks to be less than a hundred years old. It's understandable that Mo Yu doesn't know that there is such a person in the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect."

"As expected?"

Xuanhe's face showed displeasure. "Let's not even talk about how absurd it is that he cultivated to become a Nine Heavens Mystic Immortal in less than a hundred years, or even that his mental realm reached the Golden Immortal realm. You should have investigated the methods he used to fight against the Hunter Squad, right? Those are clearly the methods used by pilots and modifiers of the new era!"

Bi Yuan was silent for a moment, then said, "I do have some doubts about this, but he walks the path of innate divinity and evolves into the Great Sun Golden Crow. Nuclear fusion energy is almost equivalent to the innate Divine Ability of the Great Sun Golden Crow, so it is not hard to understand why he can easily master this method, right?"

As he spoke, he looked at Xuanhe: "I know that if we want to survive, we must be extremely careful and thoroughly examine each newcomer. However, our current situation is already so difficult. If we continue to be so wary of outsiders, it will only lead to a loss of popular support and a vicious cycle..."

"We would rather not have those who are weak-willed and indecisive!"

Xuanhe said repeatedly.

"This isn't a matter of willpower. Every living being has the instinct to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune. The Xuanxian Realm is different from our Xianying Realm. They haven't been devoured or destroyed by the Xuanhuang Realm. In other words, they don't have an irreconcilable hatred with the Xuanhuang Realm. If we don't show enough sincerity, why would they choose to fight against the Xuanhuang Realm to the end..."

Bi Yuan said sincerely.

But before he could finish speaking, Xuanhe interrupted him, "Your actions will only create a huge hidden danger within the Immortal Shadow Society. You must know that our strength is not equal to that of the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty! Once exposed, can you bear the responsibility for the sacrifice of hundreds of people?"

Seeing this, Bi Yuan did not argue with him further, but simply said, "I do not believe that the Tian Shu Garrison, or even the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty, would allow a genius with a mental cultivation level of less than a hundred years to be used as a pawn to infiltrate our Immortal Shadow Society for the sake of our mere Immortal Shadow Society."

As he spoke, he chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Honestly, it's not worth it. The Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty should nurture such a genius as a Star God."

"How do you know their target is only our Immortal Shadow Society!? What if they have bigger ambitions, wanting to use our Immortal Shadow Society as a springboard to keep an eye on the Immortal Glow Society, or even find a way to enter the Myriad Realms Alliance!?"

Xuanhe Dao.

Bi Yuan remained silent for a long while before saying, "Sect Leader Xuanhe, at least for now, Gu Jinlai has not been our enemy. We should not treat him as we would an enemy."

"Not an enemy? With so many suspicious points about him, isn't his identity suspicious enough?"

As Xuanhe spoke, he laid out another document. "Or, can you explain to me how he managed to transform the old law into the new law in less than a month?"

"His Star Chart... has been initially mastered?"

Bi Yuan was slightly taken aback.

"Otherwise, do you think I would have personally led people here?"

Xuanhe Dao.

Bi Yuan was at a loss for words. After a long while, he finally said, "Perhaps... he is a true genius..."

But he couldn't continue.

Mastering the constellation chart in a month is truly...

"Genius" is not even an adequate description.

After a long pause, he said, "If he were truly a pawn, he wouldn't have acted so blatantly, revealing these flaws that any ordinary person could see at a glance."

"Then why not give it a try? Maybe by trying, we can find out his true colors."

Xuanhe Dao.

"Humans are most vulnerable to testing, especially geniuses like this who live less than a hundred years but whose mental and spiritual realm is already comparable to that of a Golden Immortal."

Bi Yuan glanced at Xuan He with displeasure. "He is not the same as us. Do you want to push him to the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty and give the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty another Star God?"

"It is precisely because they are different from us, that they have a way out, and that they do not have a mortal feud with the Xuanhuang Realm, that they are most likely to pledge allegiance to the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty in advance and infiltrate our Immortal Shadow Society disguised as figures from the Old Law Era."

Xuanhe looked at Biyuan, who was still speaking up for Gu Jinlai, took a deep breath, and said coldly, "What other reasons do you have? Tell the leader yourself."

After he finished speaking, a crystal appeared in his hand, its surface rippling.

Bi Yuan's expression was somewhat complicated, but he did not stop it.

Before long, a figure materialized on the crystal.

It was none other than Mu Wuying, the leader of the Immortal Shadow Society.

"Chairman."

Upon seeing Mu Wuying appear, Biyuan, Xuanhe, and the other people present bowed in greeting.

"I now know the truth of the matter."

The association leader pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "There are indeed too many suspicious points about him Gu Jinlai. We cannot treat his existence with a simple observation method."

"Master..."

"I know what you want to say, it's alright. This is the Fairy Shadow Gathering, and with you and Xuanhe here, there won't be any problems."

"This isn't about whether there will be any problems, but rather..."

Biluo said weakly, "It's human nature."

"You think he's a genius, and if he is a genius, he should be treated exceptionally."

Mu Wuying said, "If he can prove his identity, I will personally recommend him to join the Myriad Realms Alliance and give him the best training. I think that's exactly what he wants."

"I know what I'm doing. I'm just testing him. I won't let him suffer any real harm. The necessary caution will not only not cause him any dissatisfaction, but after we give him enough compensation, he will feel even more secure."

At this moment, Xuanhe spoke again.

Biluo opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she couldn't utter a single word.

"To avoid letting him notice anything, I'll go now."

Xuanhe said, glancing at Biluo, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Biluo was speechless.

At this moment, Gu Jinlai was chatting with Zhang Yu, a mysterious immortal who had become acquainted with him over the past month and was pursuing a career as a pilot.

"The quality of mecha materials can be judged from two aspects: one is its structure, the second is its energy conductivity, and the third is its resistance to devouring power. The resistance to devouring power is related to the Dao patterns inscribed by star power, which we who have not been able to access star power do not need to think about. The remaining aspects, structure, refer to the strength of the materials and other aspects, while energy conductivity actually refers to heavenly materials and earthly treasures."

Zhang Yu sighed with emotion, "If we could still master the power of the Heavenly Dao, we could completely transform the top-notch materials needed through the power of the Heavenly Dao, and there would be no shortage of materials for forging mechs."

"Top-tier materials... their spirituality will be significantly affected by the Devouring Dao, right?"

This Gu Jinlai.

"Of course there will be an impact, but if these materials are combined with ordinary materials, the new materials produced will have performance that is no less than the top metal formulas used in the mech field."

Zhang Yu said with a wry smile, "You know perfectly well that we haven't mastered Star Power, so we can't inscribe Dao patterns on our mechs. Our mechs are inherently inferior to those of the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty... Although the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty doesn't have many mechs with Dao patterns, those are for mid-level pilots of level six or seven. Which of those level eight or nine pilots wouldn't try every means to get a mech with Dao patterns? Lacking Dao patterns, our performance is already inferior, and our materials are even worse than those of the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty... So how can our pilots fight against the pilots of the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty?"

Gu Jinlai nodded.

"Star power patterns, materials, plus their mastery of the most advanced spirit refining techniques and even more powerful mental secret arts... this is why we were forced to act in secret."

Zhang Yu shook his head helplessly, and after a long while, he let out a long sigh, "Fortunately, the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty is going against the tide. In order to maintain the operation of the Immortal Xuanhuang Realm, it is constantly devouring one world after another. Newcomers like you from Gu Jinlai are joining us all the time. I think that as time goes by, our strength will become stronger and stronger. One day, an Immortal Golden Immortal will appear to lead us to defeat the Xuanhuang Immortal Dynasty and end Zhou Huang's brutal rule that has lasted for thousands of years."

There has been no comment on this Gu Jinlai.

At this moment, he seemed to sense something and suddenly glanced outside. "Activating the formation with the Devouring Dao in place... that must be quite taxing, right? What happened?"

Zhang Yu was slightly taken aback, then suddenly stood up. "This is the Bewildering Heaven Formation. Once this formation is activated, it often means that we are exposed and the Tian Shu Garrison is searching for us... Quick, hide in the secret passage and wait for further instructions!"

As he spoke, he was about to lead Gu Jinlai into the secret passage.

At this moment, a powerful divine thought swept across the void, directly towards Gu Jinlai: "Our branch has existed for over thirty years without any incidents. The moment you arrived, it was immediately exposed. Now, it's locked onto by the warship's main gun. Gu Jinlai, you betrayed us, didn't you!?"

This surge of divine thought caused Zhang Yu's expression to change. He immediately withdrew and retreated, widening the distance between himself and Gu Jinlai.

Gu Jinlai, however, they have only furrowed their brows.

The Star Chart circulated slightly, easily neutralizing the divine pressure that should have reached the second level.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

With a flash of light, four figures appeared simultaneously in the sky above the place where Gu Jinlai had been.

He could vaguely hear someone calling out, "It's Master Xuanhe!"

"Why is Master Xuanhe here? Have we really been exposed? Has someone betrayed us?"

"Gu Jinlai? That person who recently joined our Immortal Shadow Society? I knew it! Someone who actively seeks us out must have ulterior motives!"

The murmurs echoed through the crowd.

Looking at the four people, Gu Jinlai frowned. "I did not reveal your identities."

He quickly arrived among the four, but the leader of the group, Xuanhe, didn't hesitate and immediately attacked. His gaze was deep and imposing, and he looked down at Gu Jinlai with an oppressive force as heavy as a mountain. "If you really haven't exposed our identities, surrender now and accept the investigation! Otherwise, you're just guilty!"

A burst of starlight appeared behind Gu Jinlai, resisting the suppression of this mental power, and at the same time said, "Isn't this area under Bi Yuan's jurisdiction? Let him come and talk to me."

"It's not up to you!"

Xuanhe gazed at the starlight surrounding Gu Jinlai, his eyes flashing with divine light. "You still dare to resist!?"

The next moment, the oppressive force, as heavy as a mountain, seemed to transform into a meteor, carrying a thunderous roar like it was about to crash into the earth, and surged towards the Gu Jinlai.

This is...

Soul magic.

"You..."

Gu Jinlai's expression turned cold. "Where is Biyuan?! If he doesn't want to accept it, then I'll tell you!"

The mental power, already at the third level, spread like a storm.

It not only swept through the entire port city, but also penetrated into the ground. Those protective measures that could withstand ordinary Golden Immortals were no match for its forceful investigation.

Soon, he spotted Biyuan's figure in the underground base.

And the additional auras that were with him.

The owners of the auras he detected were observing his situation through other means.

At this moment, Gu Jinlai suddenly understood something.

"Testing the waters? In this way?"