The Ruyi Pearl and the Eerie Red Light

Duan Rong's eyes shifted slightly.

Back in Divine Cloud Manor, when that chess game had been laid bare, he had already known that Zhu He must command an even more secretive intelligence network. No matter how exquisite the godlike move made by the Chess Pieces in the open, it was supported by an even more hidden intelligence force behind the scenes.

At the time, Duan Rong had indeed coveted that covert intelligence network. Whoever controlled the web of intelligence across the Nine Provinces could sway both court and sects.

But now, his state of mind had long changed.

At present, his heart was devoted solely to profound cultivation. He had no desire to concern himself with any other worldly affairs.

Zhu He had spent half his life building it, pouring out all his efforts, and had now become the Taiyi Sect's sect master. In the eyes of the world, his glory was unmatched. Yet no matter how formidable Zhu He was, in the eyes of the sect's Old Ancestor, Lü Yinlin, he was merely a steward.

Lü Yinlin could not be bothered with Zhu He's so-called intelligence network. How could the squabbles over fly-horn scraps compare to Mount Tai, or a speck of light to the bright moon? They were hardly worth mentioning.

If Lü Yinlin wished to take down Zhu He, it would merely mean replacing one steward with another—no different from changing a housekeeper.

Duan Rong's ambitions had long ceased to lie here, for only by focusing wholeheartedly on profound cultivation could he become one of the supreme existences in this world. Once one reached the summit, one could look down upon the mountains; the myriad phenomena and countless living beings would all be but ants.

Duan Rong took a sip of tea. "Master, your disciple's aspirations have