My Master, Hun Xuzi!

"Hun... Miesheng?!"

The black mist roiling around Venerable Jiyin suddenly stalled, and the ghastly green soul fire flickered violently!

How could he not know this name?!

That was the name of their Soul Hall's supreme Hall Master, Lord Hun Miesheng!

He was a Dou Sheng powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of the continent, the true master of the Soul Hall!

This fellow who called himself "Hun Chen" actually dared to address the Hall Master by his name?!

A stormy sea of shock instantly surged within Venerable Jiyin's heart.

He was shocked that the other party knew the Hall Master's true name and acted with such nonchalance.

He was suspicious of the man's true identity; after all, members of the Soul Clan acted even more secretively than the Soul Hall, and most were active in the Central Plains, let alone coming to this remote northwestern region.

But upon second thought, if the other party were an impostor, how could he know such core secrets?

To be able to touch upon the level of the Hall Master's name, even just knowing it, one had to be a powerhouse of the Soul Hall or the Soul Clan, at least at the Dou Zun level.

Otherwise, it would have to be a powerhouse from another major faction, and their strength would have to be at least one tier higher—at the very least, a high-level Dou Zun! Or even a Ban Sheng!

As his thoughts raced, Venerable Jiyin's overflowing rage and skepticism were quickly replaced by shock, suspicion, and wariness.

Regardless of whether this "Hun Chen" was real or fake, at least for now, he was someone he could not afford to provoke.

If he were fake, being able to know so many core secrets of the Soul Hall and impersonate someone so calmly meant his background was absolutely terrifying.

If he were real... then he was someone he needed to look up to and even curry favor with!

Weighing the pros and cons took only an instant.

Venerable Jiyin took a deep breath and slowly retracted his unleashed pressure.

"Tie Ying, where is that 'Lord Hun Chen' right now?"

Tie Protector keenly sensed the shift in the Venerable's attitude and felt relieved, quickly replying, "Reporting to the Venerable, Lord Hun Chen is currently at the Wanxie Sect."

"Hmm..."

Venerable Jiyin pondered for a moment, a decision already forming in his mind.

Rather than remaining here in doubt and potentially offending someone he shouldn't, it was better to go and see for himself!

It would serve as a test to gauge the man's depth and confirm his identity and strength; if there was an opportunity... it might even be a rare chance to climb the ladder!

In a place like the Soul Hall, having more paths, especially one leading to the Soul Clan, was more important than anything else.

"I am aware of this matter."

Venerable Jiyin said slowly, "Handle the soul collection as that lord intended. Prepare yourself; I am going to the Wanxie Sect in person to pay a visit to this Excellency Hun Chen."

Tie Protector felt secretly delighted, knowing his move had been correct, and hurriedly bowed in response, "Yes! This subordinate will go and make arrangements immediately, and notify the Wanxie Sect and Lord Hun Chen in advance!"

Wanxie Sect, secluded courtyard.

Ning Chen had just finished guiding Little Fairy Doctor through a difficult passage in the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture when he saw a string of surprise values pop up on his system panel.

[Surprise value from Venerable Jiyin +6666...]

[Surprise value from Venerable Jiyin +5600...]

"It seems... a bigger fish is about to take the bait."

Half a day later, in the high sky outside the gates of the Wanxie Sect.

The overcast clouds in the sky shifted slightly, and a streak of dark green ghostly light flashed by.

Immediately after, that patch of space shattered silently like fragile glass, collapsing to form a deep black hole with constantly twisting edges.

Venerable Jiyin, clad in black robes, stepped out from the black hole.

He tilted his head slightly and asked Tie Protector, who was following closely behind, "Is that Excellency Hun Chen here right now?"

Tie Protector lowered his head and replied, "Reporting to the Venerable, this subordinate has already relayed the news of your arrival to Lord Hun Chen. The Lord is currently meditating in the back mountain; the Venerable may head there directly."

"Hmph."

A cold snort that betrayed no emotion escaped Venerable Jiyin's nostrils, partly out of dissatisfaction with Tie Protector's fawning attitude, and partly because he felt he had lost a bit of face in front of his subordinate.

But out of wariness for the mysterious "Hun Chen," he ultimately chose not to tear through space to descend directly into the back mountain.

Instead, he took a step forward, treading on the void, and began to walk through the air toward the back mountain of the Wanxie Sect at a leisurely pace.

Wanxie Sect, back mountain, outside an elegant pavilion.

Venerable Jiyin descended quietly, guided by his soul perception.

His soul power acted like a radar, having already swept through this area several times over.

Yet, the results only served to sow seeds of doubt in his heart.

Other than himself, there was only one aura present, and the energy fluctuations of that aura... were clearly only at the level of a Dou Wang!

How could this be possible?

If this were truly a big shot from the Soul Clan, no matter how low-profile they wished to be, they wouldn't disguise their strength so thoroughly in front of subordinates from the Soul Hall, maintaining it at a mere Dou Wang level, would they?

This defied all logic.

Carrying heavy suspicion and vigilance, Venerable Jiyin suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind, his figure drifting down as he walked toward the pavilion half-hidden by vines and exotic flowers.

Inside the pavilion, a figure in green robes stood with his back to him, hands behind his back, as if gazing into the distance at the thin, swirling poisonous miasma and the verdant scenery of the mountains.

"You've finally arrived..."

Sensing the arrival of Venerable Jiyin, Ning Chen did not turn around immediately, as if his arrival were of no consequence.

Venerable Jiyin's footsteps faltered slightly; the contrast between his assessment of a "Dou Wang" and the extraordinary calmness and composure of the person before him made him feel inexplicably uneasy.

Even if he had guessed it was ninety-nine percent certain, Venerable Jiyin dared not gamble on that remaining one percent.

He steadied himself and spoke first, "Venerable Jiyin of the Soul Hall's Northwest Regional Branch, greets the Emissary."

Inside the pavilion, Ning Chen finally turned around slowly. His expression was calm and ripple-free, his gaze landing on Venerable Jiyin as he gave a faint "Mn" in response.

Immediately, without waiting for Venerable Jiyin to speak again, Ning Chen took the initiative to break the silence, his tone indifferent and straight to the point, "Venerable Jiyin, you came here in person—is it because you still harbor doubts and do not fully believe what I said?"

Hearing this, Venerable Jiyin's heart tightened abruptly, and his brows furrowed instinctively.

How could he dare to admit that he truly had doubts, especially when the other party had pointed it out so bluntly?

But letting it slide was not what he wanted either; he had come here with the intention of testing and verifying the truth.

His mind raced, and Venerable Jiyin lowered his posture even further, "The Emissary speaks too severely; how would this subordinate dare to question you? It is just that when the Emissary arrived in the Northwest, there was no official order issued from the Hall beforehand, and..."

He paused slightly, as if weighing his words, "And the Emissary's aura is as restrained as an abyss, returning to simplicity. My meager eyes are truly unable to discern the Emissary's true cultivation. I am filled with trepidation, and thus... I dare to ask for clarification. I hope the Emissary will understand that I am merely fulfilling my duty, and provide some indication so that I may serve with peace of mind."

These words were watertight; regardless of whether Ning Chen was a big shot from the Soul Clan or not, one could not find any fault with them.

Ning Chen sneered inwardly. This old fox was indeed cunning, kicking the ball back to him and wanting him to provide proof.

However, this was fine. Rather than letting Venerable Jiyin ask questions about content not in the original story, it was better to make it up himself.

Coincidentally, in his past life, Ning Chen had no other skills, but he was quite adept at weaving stories.

"Sigh..."

Ning Chen suddenly let out a soft sigh, a look of melancholy and helplessness appearing on his face.

He did not immediately answer Venerable Jiyin's question; his gaze seemed to pierce through the mountains outside the pavilion, casting toward a more distant place.

The pavilion fell into silence, save for the faint sound of mountain winds passing through the vines.

After a long while, Ning Chen withdrew his gaze and looked at Venerable Jiyin again, his tone flat, "It is understandable that you doubt my identity; after all, the clan has always acted in secrecy."

He paused, as if having made a certain decision, and said slowly, "I left the clan this time not to carry out an assigned mission, but because... a master's orders are hard to defy."

"A master's orders?"

"Indeed."

Ning Chen nodded, the look of helplessness on his face deepening, "My master... is Hun Xuzi."