"My name is Hao Ye. A pleasure to meet you."

"I am Duan Li. Greetings fellow Daoists; my respect."

The two male cultivators both looked older than their age, yet their temperaments were markedly different. One was rough and bold, while the other was refined and scholarly. Duan Li, in particular, stood out. His manner of greeting was formal and measured, like the disciplined inheritors of a long-established noble family.

After the two introduced themselves, it was Luo Chen's turn.

The Angler began, "This is Luo..."

Before he could finish, Luo Chen cut in, "I'm just a rogue cultivator. Some friends were kind enough to give me a Dao title, Azure Yang. You can call me that."

The three were taken aback. It was rare for someone to voluntarily reveal their Dao title. Those who had one were either exceptionally powerful or highly accomplished in a particular field. Luo Chen carried himself well and spoke with confidence. Clearly, he was no ordinary figure.

So he'd rather keep his real name to himself... I might have been a bit too forward earlier. The Angler glanced at Luo Chen in surprise. He turned the title over in his mind and then began explaining the details of the assessment task.

Luo Chen listened while observing the two newcomers. He had revealed his Dao title on purpose. After his discussions with Zhang Jiadi, he had come to a clear understanding of how things worked here. Rogue cultivators pursued profit in a direct and often ruthless way. If he wanted peace during his future secluded cultivation, he needed to establish a reputation as soon as possible.

As for the event at Coldlight Island? He did not consider it a serious threat. Even the major forces there could do nothing to him. If they sent a few Adepts, he could deal with them himself. If many came, well... that was unlikely. Those forces had their own affairs and would not send a dozen high-level Adepts on such a long journey just to settle a score. His only concern was with Blood Nightmare, but in all fairness, there was no direct conflict between them. The issue was between him and He Yuan; Blood Nightmare had only sought to recruit him. If that failed, he was unlikely to press the matter, even more so since Luo Chen now stood within the bounds of the Myriad Immortal Society. Considering that they were at odds with the remnants of the Primordial Devil Sect, Blood Nightmare was unlikely to risk barging in just to get even with Luo Chen.

After weighing everything, Luo Chen simply revealed his Dao title. Later, he could spread word of the battle at Coldlight Island. Once the story gained traction, others would naturally link Azure Yang with Devil Lord Azure Yang. That would save him considerable effort.

The Angler soon finished explaining the task. After hearing the details, Luo Chen couldn't help but ask, "I heard the usual assessment tasks are short escort missions or hunting low-tier demonic beasts. So why is this one different?"

As it turned out, they were in fact hunting, but not for a beast. The target was an early-stage Adept!

The Angler chuckled and stroked his white beard. "The Myriad Immortal Society may have existed for a century, but to cultivators like us, that's no more than a few seclusions. Many of its rules are still being refined. This change in task standards was only decided recently by the master of Dragon Abyss. Think about it—would it really look good for an Adept to be lumped together with early-stage Initiates or even late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators as a one-star hunter? That's why for newly joined Adepts, the assessment has been raised accordingly. Complete it, and you'll be promoted straight to four-star hunters, with far better benefits. As for whether it's worth it, that's for you to decide."

The difficulty of the task was substantially higher, but the reward matched it. Upon completion, they would skip the first three ranks and receive a ranking befitting of their cultivation. A brief analysis made it clear that this rule favored newly joined Adepts like Luo Chen. It also aligned with his interests. His original plan had been to build his reputation and his star rank gradually. Now, he could take a major leap forward, and he did not really mind that.

He cast a glance at the other two. Their expressions remained calm, as if they had already known. I see, they were here earlier and they already knew about this.

The Angler saw that the three had taken in the details and smiled. "Have you made up your minds? Will you take the task?"

Hao Ye did not hesitate. "I'll take it! Three against one, and with Fellow Daoist Azure Yang here, this will be easy! Why wouldn't we take it?"

The Angler was pleased and turned to the other two. Luo Chen was still thinking, but Duan Li calmly asked, "What's the target's name? Background, capabilities, all that? Shouldn't you make these things clearer? Just calling them an early-stage Adept is far too vague."

As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Luo Chen. "To be honest, with our lineup, we could even take on a middle-stage Adept, yet the target is only early-stage. If there's nothing special about him, then this task is far too easy. Almost like it's being handed to us for free. Surely, things are not so simple, are they?"

Luo Chen met his gaze and nodded in agreement. Even though he had determined the benefits outweighed the risks, the concern remained.

The Angler laughed, his wrinkled face bunching like crumpled paper. "Cautious, aren't you? I'd planned to explain the details on the way, but since you're in such a hurry, I'll lay it out now. The target's real name is unknown, as is any alias, and his abilities, and items are unknown as well. He's hiding on a small island near the Winding Sea Region. The reason he's become our target is the concealment formation he's set up, the Ten-Direction Shadowless Formation. It is one of the Primordial Devil Sect's most famous formations. Anyone who can use it or even possesses the formation tools must be a True Inheritor of the sect. As you all know, the foremost rule of becoming a star-ranked demon hunter is to kill any remnants of the devil sect on sight. Consider this task your proof of allegiance."

Though spoken with a gentle smile, the words struck like thunder in their ears. Their expressions shifted dramatically. They were about to face a Golden Core True Inheritor of the Primordial Devil Sect!

Without giving them more time to think, the Angler dropped his smile and asked directly, "Well? Will you guys take it?"

After exchanging glances, Hao Ye nodded firmly first. "I'll take it!"

Luo Chen thought briefly and then nodded solemnly. "I am in!"

Duan Li had hesitated at first. But when he saw Luo Chen accept the task, he cast aside that hesitation. "I will join as well."

Seeing that all three accepted, the smile returned to the Angler's face. "Good. Very well. I'll be the overseer of this assessment and I will record the entire process. We meet tomorrow morning at the Dragon Abyss teleportation formation. Don't be late."

***

Luo Chen had just left the Demon Hunter Division and hadn't gone far when Hao Ye called out to him, "Azure Yang, got a moment for a chat?"

"About what?"

Hao Ye smiled slightly. "It's about the assessment, of course. The target is a True Inheritor of the devil sect. Even with the three of us working together, someone like that can't be taken lightly. Before we set out, it'd be best if we got to know each other a bit; that makes coordination easier."

Indeed. Even True Inheritors of ordinary sects were stronger than typical rogue cultivators, let alone those from Holy Lands. Even an early-stage Adept was bound to be a tricky opponent.

Hao Ye had appeared overconfident before. He had taken the initiative to accept the task twice, before his would-be companions even said a word, and Luo Chen had taken him for a reckless man. Now, it seemed he was far from simple.

Luo Chen pondered for a moment, then asked, "Just the two of us?"

That was as good as agreeing to talk. Hao Ye perked up and gestured in a direction. "Fellow Daoist Duan Li has been waiting for a while."

Luo Chen followed his gesture and saw Duan Li by a window across the street in a restaurant, nodding gently at him. "In that case, let's chat!"

He smiled and followed Hao Ye into the restaurant.

*** 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

The conversation lasted an entire afternoon. Over time, the topic drifted away from the assessment task. They spoke more about rumors surrounding the Myriad Immortal Society. By the time Luo Chen left the restaurant, the sun was already setting. He glanced back at the private room and sneered, Looks like everyone's pretty confident about getting through this assessment. They talk about being cautious, but they're already imagining what life will be like as four-star hunters in the society. Well... can't blame them.

After that thought, he understood the reason behind it. The fall of a Holy Land had shattered its once-untouchable image in the minds of ordinary cultivators. If a Holy Land could be destroyed, then its cultivators were not invincible. Especially with three against one and an eight-star demon hunter like the Angler overseeing them, success seemed absolutely certain. In their eyes, this assessment was little more than a formality. Each of them already looked forward to settling in the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range and enjoying a third-tier spirit land.

After returning to the Zhang family's courtyard, Luo Chen immediately summoned Heavenjade. "I will be leaving Dragon Abyss City tomorrow."

Heavenjade was a little taken aback. "So soon? Is it for the assessment task?"

Luo Chen nodded. "Yes. It'll take two or three days, I suppose. While I'm away, I need you to handle something for me."

Heavenjade's expression turned serious. "Anything I can do for you, Master!"

"No need to be so tense. It's nothing major," Luo Chen said with a faint smile. "Do you remember the guide who helped me find a ship at Giant Whale Harbor?"

Heavenjade hesitated. "Yes, I think his name was Liu Fu?"

"That's him. Go find him and have him spread word about Coldlight Island. If possible, use Giant Whale Harbor to carry the news of that battle back to the Myriad Immortal Society."

Heavenjade was puzzled. Why had he not done this earlier? Why wait until now? Was this a sudden whim? Still, since it was a task, she would see it done well. After a moment, she asked, "Should I highlight your role in that battle, Master?"

Luo Chen almost laughed. After fleeing in such a miserable state, what glory was there to speak of? "No need. Focus on the clash between the four Sages from both sides. Just make sure I'm mentioned along the way. It's not that complicated. The Coldlight Island battle is the spark of the war, so it should be somewhat known already. All you need to do is fill in a few details. You may not realize this, but when cultivators talk about rumors, they love the details. It makes the story feel more believable. Add a bit of fuel, and the fire will spread on its own."

Although Heavenjade didn't quite understand the habits of human cultivators yet, she committed every word Luo Chen said into memory.

***

Next early morning, inside the Myriad Immortal Palace of Dragon Abyss City, three Adepts waited quietly. Before long, the gray-haired Angler appeared before them. Without exchanging pleasantries, he simply said, "Follow me!"

Luo Chen and the other two followed him into the depths of the palace and eventually arrived at a heavily guarded hall. Luo Chen's gaze fell upon the intricately patterned circular platform with dim spirit light, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes. A teleportation formation!

Teleportation formations were rare in the Eastern Wilderness, but common in the Northern Sea. The reason lay in the vastness of the region. Immortal Islands were separated by long stretches of ocean, and travel simply took too much time. Over the years, teleportation formations became widely used due to war, trade, and the needs of powerful cultivators. Even so, they were far from comparable to the massive formation beneath the Transcendence Palace of Green Parasol Mountain, which could span much of the Mountains and Seas Realm.

While the three examined the formation, the Angler ordered it to be activated while explaining, "This is a directional teleportation formation. It only connects to the three fronts of the Three Oceans Defensive Line. Under normal circumstances, a single use costs around a million spirit stones, and even with a demon hunter discount, you're still looking at several hundred thousand. This time, it's free as part of your assessment. But in the future, unless it's a special wartime requisition, you'll have to pay out of your own pocket."

The price made all three secretly curse. A million? An early-stage Adept usually had about that much in total. Who would spend so lavishly? It was better to expend mana and fly. Luo Chen's thoughts went even further. The cultivation world was no different from the mortal world, and indeed, no different from his previous world. Those who owned the means of transportation stood to gain astronomical amounts of money.

"Alright, it's ready. Come up," said the Angler as he stepped onto the formation and stood at its center.

Luo Chen and the other two did not delay and stepped onto it immediately. Luo Chen and Duan Li observed their surroundings, but their expressions remained calm. Hao Ye was different. The muscles along his exposed arms tensed from time to time; his nervousness was obvious.

Is it really that nerve-wracking? Luo Chen thought.

Under the control of the Myriad Immortal Palace cultivators, the dim teleportation formation flared with light. When the glow faded, the platform was already empty.