Luo Chen frowned. "Have the Three Hermits ever spoken about this publicly?"

"The three Sages?" Xiao Buhuan paused, then shook his head. "Aside from Moon Hermit showing up now and then, the other two might as well not exist. With how elusive they are, how could they make any public statements?"

Luo Chen was momentarily speechless. Suddenly, he recalled something revealed by the white-robed cultivator during their battle. "Fellow Daoist Xiao, you've been with the Society for seventy years. You must know a thing or two about the Hermits, right?"

"I do know a little."

"Then... do you know their real names?"

"Uhhhh..." Xiao Buhuan hesitated.

Luo Chen said the three names that the white-robed cultivator had revealed earlier: Pang Bujue, Leng Xiaoyue, and Fengling Jushi!

"I'm not sure about that. But I heard that before Mad Hermit completely lost his mind, he did go by the name Fengling Jushi, so it's probably true."

With one of the three names confirmed, Luo Chen felt even more certain. He looked at Xiao Buhuan and smiled. "I heard they all have a deep grudge against the devil sect. Do you know what that's about?"

Among cultivators, conversations were not just about cultivation. They often drifted into talk about the cultivation world, the people there, the relationships between them... Well, gossip. Clearly, Xiao Buhuan was no exception "I don't know much about Moon Hermit or Mad Hermit, but I do know a bit about Blood Hermit's grudge with the devil sect. I actually heard that back then, Blood Hermit was not a rogue cultivator; he was a member of a sect. He was the most promising prodigy in that sect. The sect itself was quite powerful, with a Sage presiding over it. Naturally, smaller forces sought to curry favor. It is said that another upper sect even arranged a marriage alliance, and they went as far as to betrothe a young woman to him. But that woman ended up liking someone from the devil sect. Blood Hermit didn't know who he really was at the time. They clashed due to one reason or another, and in a fit of anger, he killed the guy."

Luo Chen nodded in earnest, playing his part as a good listener. "And that's how the grudge was formed?"

Xiao Buhuan shook his head. "If that was all, it wouldn't count as some deep grudge. And honestly, how could a Holy Land disciple lose to a disciple of a lesser sect, even if it's a True Inheritor? That's embarrassing enough already. No, what really mattered was what happened after. The devil sect cared about its reputation, so they didn't go after Blood Hermit directly. Instead, the elder of that disciple went straight to the Sage of his sect and proposed a duel. Not picking on the junior but instead settling it elder to elder. You could even call it a fair and proper duel... sort of. With the Holy Land backing it, there was no way his sect could refuse. So the duel happened. And the result? No surprises; Blood Hermit's master was defeated.

"That fight cleared the devil sect's name, but for Blood Hermit, everything went downhill. His master passed away within ten years of that defeat. The sect pinned the blame on him. Whether for their own interests, to settle scores, or just to cut ties, the others joined forces to expel him. And the family that had arranged the marriage? They were terrified of retaliation. So they sent that woman straight to the devil sect. I heard her end was brutal. She was used as a cultivation furnace and drained to death. After all that, Blood Hermit changed completely. He went down the devil path. And once he broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm, he came back and wiped out his own sect. Then he went to that woman's family and turned the whole place into living hell."

A drastic change in temperament? His master had passed away, he had been cast out of his sect, and the woman he loved had died a tragic death... Luo Chen's eyelids twitched as he listened. For such things to happen to a sect prodigy would be unbearable. It made sense that he turned extreme.

Xiao Buhuan noticed how interested Luo Chen was and felt a jolt of unease. He might have said too much for how little they knew each other. "Fellow Daoist Azure Yang, this is all just stuff I've picked up here and there. Don't take it too seriously. Even the people involved probably couldn't sort out all the details. Just take it as a story... and don't go around spreading it."

Luo Chen laughed it off. "I get it. Don't worry."

Xiao Buhuan relaxed slightly. It seemed that his interlocutor just wanted to know what he was getting into. Still, he quickly changed the topic. "You're a four-star demon hunter now; that's basically set in stone. You'll probably end up cultivating in the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range. Have you thought about which mountain you'll pick for your cave residence?"

Sure enough, this topic immediately piqued Luo Chen's interest. "Actually, I haven't. Fellow Daoist Xiao, do you mind giving me a rundown?"

Xiao Buhuan smiled proudly. "I actually know a thing or two about it! Before I get into it, do you know where the name 'Hidden Dragon' comes from?"

"Nope! I would love to hear it!"

"It is said that in ancient times, Titan Beasts roamed the Northern Sea. There was one called the Stone Dragon, a being formed from mineral essence that gained sentience. When it died, its power fed back into the world and gave rise to a fifth-tier spirit vein in the Northern Sea. After the ancient war between humans and beasts, that region fell under human control. The devil sect took control of the Northern Sea, moved mountains and seas, and relocated many spirit veins into the Heaven of Northern Yama to establish a Holy Land. But when they relocated the Stone Dragon spirit vein, they did not expect its remnant soul to still be there. It caused a massive mess. In the end, Grand Elder Blood Sea, who had just advanced at the time, had to step in personally to suppress it. He took not just the fifth-tier spirit vein but the Stone Dragon's remnant soul as well." Xiao Buhuan paused, then said firmly, "And the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range is that original site."

Luo Chen was astonished. "If the fifth-tier spirit vein was moved away, how can the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range still have fourth-tier veins?"

"That's the kind of thing cultivators from the Holy Land can do. It is beyond anything we can imagine. But it wasn't without consequences. At the very least, the way spirit energy gathers there is completely different from other fourth-tier spirit veins."

"How so?"

From Xiao Buhuan's explanation, Luo Chen learned of the unique nature of the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range. Normally, fourth-tier spirit veins formed a pyramid structure, with the fourth-tier core at the center and lower-tier branches radiating outward. Since the main vein was relocated, the branch veins had no anchor, but they did not dissipate. After three thousand years, these branches evolved independently, each absorbing spirit energy and forming separate peaks. Thus, the mountains in the range stood scattered and uneven. Some spirit veins appeared to be top-grade third-tier but were actually hollow, and after a few months of cultivation, their grade would drop. Meanwhile, some seemingly ordinary second-tier veins could reach the middle grade or even top grade if properly nurtured. There was even the potential of reaching the lesser third-tier level.

For Adepts newly entering the Society, selecting a suitable third-tier spirit vein was like gambling. Even with the Society's markings of grade, finding a truly good cave residence still came down to luck.

***

After hearing all that, Luo Chen couldn't help but sigh. "Rogue cultivators really have it hard! Even when you finally secure a decent spirit vein to settle in, it's still full of risks. One misstep, and you're losing hundreds of thousands or maybe even millions of spirit stones."

This made Luo Chen more alert. When the time came to choose a spirit land, he would need to keep his eyes sharp and avoid being taken advantage of. What the Angler had done with the spoils had already made things clear. The Society appeared like a haven for rogue cultivators, but in truth, it was just a means for high-tier cultivators to accumulate wealth.

Late-stage Adepts seized the spoils of early- and middle-stage Adepts like them. As for Sages, they wanted long-term wealth accumulation. While the assets of one or two Adepts might not catch a Sage's eye, over time, those gains would add up to something enormous. And this was not static wealth. It was a constant stream. Those beneath them would keep producing more just to survive.

Luo Chen swore that he would not allow himself to be harvested like a leek. Even if he were to be worked to the bone, he was going to make sure the compensation was appropriate.

"Thanks for the heads-up, Fellow Daoist Xiao. I'll remember this," Luo Chen said with a cupped fist.

Xiao Buhuan waved it off, though the smile in his eyes was undisguised. "I've actually got a few vacant cave residences I can recommend. Once you're back, take your time looking through them; perhaps we might even become neighbors."

"Oh, I'd like that," Luo Chen said with delight, quickly memorizing the locations Xiao Buhuan mentioned.

Half a month later, the Angler returned. He looked rather travel-worn, as if he had gone very far, but he immediately went to pick up Luo Chen and Duan Li. Even though Duan Li was still not in good condition, they did not delay and activated the teleportation formation.

***

In Dragon Abyss City, the formation shone brightly. When the glow faded, the old man at the center staggered slightly, and the younger man to the left could no longer hold it in and spat out a mouthful of blood. The other young man watched the scene without the slightest reaction, then stepped down from the teleportation platform.

The Angler couldn't help but glance at Luo Chen again before saying, "Head back and get some rest for now. Come back here in three days to handle the transitions and decide whether you want to rent a cave residence in the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range."

Three days? Luo Chen pursed his lips. That was enough time for him to verify what Xiao Buhuan had said. Duan Li, however, seemed distracted. A trace of worry lingered on his face. Luo Chen glanced at him. In his current state, even if he rented a third-tier cave residence, he might not be able to hold on to it. Yet without a third-tier spirit vein, his injuries would not heal quickly. He was certainly in a dilemma. Still, it had little to do with him. If Duan Li sought help with his recovery, Luo Chen could offer some assistance; after all, they had fought side by side. But he was not going to volunteer for it.

Thus, Luo Chen bid farewell and strode out of the hall. Once outside, he looked up at the bright sunlight and paused for a moment. The assessment mission was behind him. In three days, he would obtain the status of four-star demon hunter of the Myriad Immortal Society. Had he finally found a worthwhile force?

A force? Just a group of slightly stronger rabble. No one can be trusted. In the end, I can only rely on myself.

With that, he picked up his pace.