In a dimly lit hall, a group of True Disciples and Personal Disciples whose faces were obscured had gathered to discuss something important in hushed voices.
A mysterious, tense atmosphere permeated the hall. The men and women sat scattered about, seemingly separated by invisible barriers into different camps.
Suddenly, a cold, aloof woman broke the silence, her voice ringing especially clearly through the quiet hall:
"How are things on your end?"
Everyone turned toward her. Judging by where she sat, she held considerable standing among them.
Zhao Xu answered gravely:
"He's still extremely cautious. No matter how we try to persuade him, he absolutely refuses to take a single step outside the sect.
It looks like we can only look for an opening through Ye Hua."
Zhao Xu sat near the middle. Although he was not among the central figures, he clearly had some say.
"Hmph, that cowardly bastard!"
A sinister-looking man suddenly snorted, his face filled with anger.
"He's like a swamp eel! At the slightest rustle of wind through the grass, he slips straight back into his hole. What a waste of our precious time!"
His words revealed his extreme dissatisfaction with Ying Ming Hao. Clearly, the lack of progress on this mission had left him deeply anxious.
"The higher-ups have issued an absolute order. We must do everything in our power to complete it, no matter what. Otherwise, you know the consequences!"
The aloof woman's words swept over them like an icy wind, making everyone's expression tighten.
Although they knew little of the exact reasons behind this, they understood perfectly well that failure would be like plunging into a bottomless abyss, doomed beyond redemption.
"There's something unusual about Ye Hua. Her cultivation keeps advancing by leaps and bounds, and she and Ying Ming Hao are practically