Zhou Xuan had thought about this problem.
"If you can't tell them apart, don't bother. Once your people arrive, seal off the area first, gather all the Mortals and independent cultivators there, and check them one by one. Zhao Ji practices a Forbidden Secret Art from Central Province. However well that thing disguises its shell, its behavior can't fool the human eye. If anyone among the Mortals suddenly seems off—stiff limbs, slurred speech, unable to answer any questions—restrain them first."
Ye Changqing said nothing. Several breaths passed before he slowly replied.
"All right. The plan should more or less work. But there's something you need to think through."
"Go ahead."
"Zhao Ji tried his hand in North City today, and the Divine Statue didn't stop him. He already has his answer. That old bastard has a Central Province Cultivation Method in his grasp. Do you think he'll keep marking time?"
Zhou Xuan's fingers shifted around the Jade Talisman.
"That thing he created today was a half-finished product at best. Four Golden Core disciples surrounded it for a quarter of an hour before they finally killed it."
"But the ceiling for this method depends on how much Hatred he feeds into it. Every extra mouthful he devours makes the next thing he creates harder to deal with."
Ye Changqing continued, his voice dropping slightly.
"We can't count on the Divine Statue at all. Its judgment follows rigid rules. It only recognizes types of fluctuations, not good or evil. Zhao Ji has seized on that. Every day he stays hidden, his strength grows."
"Your window isn't wide."
Zhou Xuan closed his eyes briefly.
The edge of the blank Jade Slip on the table dug into his arm. The weakness in his body had yet to fade completely since he emerged from seclusion,