The man in the gray robe knelt on one knee, his head bowed low.
"The situation is special, and I can't get away. For some reason, the higher-ups have reviewed all the management regulations for the scout unit from beginning to end."
Now each team has added two supervisors, and the time of going out must be reported in advance, and the whereabouts of the team must be verified in multiple places upon returning.
"I've waited a full twenty years to finally get out of here."
Zi was suspicious by nature, and every now and then he would be summoned to personally report on the intelligence of Nine Mysteries Prefecture and even Sacred Radiance Domain.
If he doesn't come, or comes late, he will be punished for whatever reason.
Zi turned around, his eerie vertical pupils staring down at the gray-robed man. Although the man had his reasons, he still deserved the punishment.
Otherwise, if the other party makes up a reason, will he believe it or not?
The ambiguous smile on his lips remained unchanged, but the green light deep within his pupils flickered once more, adding a touch of ferocity to his gaze.
Zi didn't speak, but stared at the gray-robed man for several breaths before slowly walking up to him and placing a hand on the gray-robed man's shoulder.
The hand was large, with thick knuckles and black nails, and it landed on the gray-robed man's shoulder in an instant.
A sudden, intense pain erupted throughout the gray-robed man's body and even deep within his consciousness, but he dared not make a sound.
"Do you think the person who made you change the rules might have discovered something? Are they targeting you?"
Zi's voice was very low, so low that only the two of them could hear it, but it had an indescribable chill to it.
The man in the gray robe raised his head, gave a bitter smile, and said:
"If I had been exposed, I would have died a thousand times over."
"Yeah?"
He narrowed his eyes, seemingly considering whether the other person might be a double agent.
He then checked the restrictions on the other person's body and found nothing.
This restriction is incredibly powerful; even the slightest contact with it will result in instant death, with the victim's body and soul annihilated.
"I've come to report something."
The gray-robed man paused, his voice trembling as he said:
"A major event has occurred in Nine Mysteries Prefecture. The Nine Mysteries Holy Lord Province has taken on another personal disciple named Han Xuanji."
The hand that had been resting on the gray-robed man's shoulder paused slightly before slowly withdrawing.
His expression remained largely unchanged, but the eerie green in his vertical pupils suddenly intensified.
"Personally taught disciple..."
He was silent for a moment before repeating it in a low voice.
Mo Chenxiao, the Nine Mysteries Holy Lord, is a disciple personally taught by the Saint King, ranked first on the Sacred Court 'Heaven's Chosen Ranking, and an undefeated legendary figure.
" The Nine Mysteries Holy Lord is of noble birth and arrogant in nature; it is only because he has disciples that one can be considered his disciple."
"Among these outsiders, another promising talent has emerged."
Zi's fingers lightly traced the air, his fingertips seemingly outlining the shape of the Eternal Continent. Without turning his head, he asked:
Is there any chance to hunt him down?
The gray-robed man was so startled by those words that he jumped to his feet almost reflexively, waving his arms wildly, his movements so exaggerated that he lost his usual composure.
"No! Absolutely not!"
His tone was more excited than when he had reported any military intelligence, even bordering on rapid breathing.
"Listen to me, the Nine Mysteries Holy Lord specially convened a disciple-acceptance ceremony for him, which shows how much he values him. If you touch him, even if you're the one behind him..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already very clear.
Zi looked at him like that, remained silent for a moment, and then grinned.
The ferocity in his eyes had largely dissipated, replaced by a playful and self-deprecating expression.
He naturally knew that he still couldn't afford to offend the Nine Mysteries Holy Lord. In the Eternal Deity camp, most people were neutral, and radicals like him were in the minority. There were more conservatives than radicals. They felt that the current situation had stabilized and there was no need to continue the conflict, since they all had a common enemy.
However, Zi didn't think so. He genuinely believed that if the power of cultivators grew larger and larger, they would eventually target them, the Eternal Deity, and even great beings like "Candle" might be expelled from the Eternal True Realm.
On the other hand, lacking his younger brother An's talent, he could only expand his prestige and gain the support of some radical ancient figures through this method.
Zi naturally couldn't say these words to the gray-robed man, so he simply waved his hand and casually said:
"I asked you casually, and you're so flustered. It seems this kid named Han Xuanji is indeed a treasure that shouldn't be touched."
His tone was casual, as if he were talking about something completely unrelated to himself, as if he hadn't said those words at all.
The gray-robed man remained expressionless; he was already used to this eccentric behavior.
Zi walked to the stone table by the wall, pulled out a blank one from a pile of bone slips, and used the tip of his claw to carve the three characters " Han Xuanji " on it.
His movements were slow, and each stroke was carved very deeply.
After he finished carving, he casually tossed the bone slip into a half-open stone box in the corner of the table, making a dull thud.
"Okay, I've got it noted."
Zi turned around and faced the gray-robed man again, her tone returning to its usual nonchalant manner.
The man in the gray robe then reported to the other party on the movements of the scouts and some other intelligence he was aware of.
After listening, Zi slowly nodded:
"Go back and continue to keep watch. As for that matter of strengthening management you mentioned, be careful and don't give yourself away."
"If you continue to serve me, I will consider lifting the restrictions on you and helping you reach the Eternal Sage Realm."
Although he knew that Zi's words were mostly empty talk, the gray-robed man was still moved.
If he could truly reach the Eternal Sage Realm, that would be enough for him to willingly serve Zi.
Seeing the gray-robed man's interest, Zi nodded in satisfaction.
He understands the principle of using both carrot and stick, and rewarding kindness with a treat.
"I don't have much time left, I have to go now."
The gray-robed man nodded, stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Zi, then turned and strode out of the main hall.
Only after his figure had completely disappeared did Zi slowly withdraw his gaze, put his hands behind his back, and let his red hair sway gently.
" Nine Mysteries Holy Lord... Han Xuanji, Thousand Souls City..."
His voice was deep, and the eerie green light in his vertical pupils flickered uncertainly in the dim hall.
The gray-robed man had just given him some information.
This Han Xuanji is actually from Thousand Souls City.
Will this affect his future plans?