The only considerations now were how many people to send and who, exactly, should go.

After Xiao Chen arrived, he chatted with Steward Chen outside for nearly half an hour before the conversation inside finally came to a temporary halt.

Upon entering the study, he immediately spotted five elderly men, all in the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

One of them hadn’t even attended the last Immortal Ascension Conference, yet here he was in the study.

His eyes were visibly clouded with age, but his presence was as sharp as ever.

Though he was only sitting, he seemed as straight and unyielding as an upright spear.

When they learned Xiao Chen wanted to go to Hezhou, both Chen Tianyuan and Chen Tianfeng frowned.

Elder Chen was even more direct in his opposition. "Absolutely not. You cannot go to Hezhou."

"Whether you want to focus on your cultivation in Cuiwei Valley or go to the Alchemy Hall to refine your Alchemy, I won’t interfere."

"But Hezhou is far too dangerous. Given your current situation, there’s absolutely no need to take such a risk."

Xiao Chen remained calm and explained softly, "Master, I have a reason I can’t disclose right now. But suffice it to say, I must go to Hezhou this time."

"You absolutely have to go?"

"I absolutely have to go."

"Have you thought this through?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"I have thought it through."

Elder Chen fell silent.

After a moment, he spoke. "Today is only the second day. We have a full ten days to prepare this time."

"Wait three more days. If you still want to go then, I won’t stop you."

.

’Why three more days?’ Xiao Chen was a little confused, but he nodded anyway. "Alright."

He soon found out why.

Two days later, the body of one of the Li Huo Sect’s Honored Guest Elders was sent back.

And with the body came two important rumors.

The first was that the Lingyuan Sect had announced the development of a new Defense Talisman, one capable of effectively blocking attacks from the Soul-Chasing Shuttle.

It had reportedly been tested in actual combat and was meant to counter the Divine Fire Sect’s growing arsenal of Soul-Chasing Shuttles.

This Talisman was only Tier One, and the creation process wasn’t complicated.

Considering the sheer number of Talisman Cultivators, it wouldn’t be difficult to mass-produce them for everyone as long as the creation method was made public.

In fact, the Lingyuan Sect had immediately disseminated the method for creating them.

Unfortunately, however, on that very same day, this Honored Guest Elder’s heart was pierced by a Soul-Chasing Shuttle.

Everyone lamented his death. "Those damned Demon Cultivators! They’ll get what’s coming to them sooner or later."

"Old Zhao was so unlucky. If he had just gotten the new Talisman a day earlier, he would’ve survived."

"Sigh, tell me about it. I was even planning to have a drink with him when I went to Hezhou."

Elder Chen and Xiao Chen finished paying their respects.

On the way back, he advised him with great earnestness, "Old Zhao was also at the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment. His whole life could be described with a single word: cautious."

"And look what happened. A man like that... gone, just like that."

"You don’t have to answer me right away. Go home, think it over, and give me your answer the day after tomorrow."

Before they parted at a fork in the road, he added one last piece of advice. "Over the next two days, you should get out more. Listen to what people are saying, see what’s going on."

What Elder Chen was actually referring to was the second rumor.

A new rumor was circulating that the Divine Fire Sect possessed a special offensive technique capable of piercing Defensive Spiritual Artifacts.

Although the Lingyuan Sect hadn’t confirmed it, many people claimed to have seen it with their own eyes, causing widespread worry among the Loose Cultivators.

Moreover, this rumor spread with strange and startling speed throughout Li State, suggesting the Divine Fire Sect was fanning the flames from behind the scenes.

It quickly became a hot topic of conversation.

"If they can really pierce Defensive Spiritual Artifacts, we’d be at a huge disadvantage for nothing."

"They say Demon Cultivators are not only vicious, but also cunning and treacherous. The rumors are certainly true."

"This news can’t be true, can it? How could a Magical Artifact pierce another Magical Artifact?"

Xiao Chen had a guess as to what this was. ’If I’m not mistaken, this must be the work of the Blood Sacrifice Secret Technique - Soul-breaking Needle.’

He had already experienced it once, and to him, its power was nothing special.

For other Cultivators, however, it was a very real threat. After all, not everyone had the means to practice Body Refining.

’That’s not right. This should be top-secret information. How could it have been exposed so easily?’

Xiao Chen was puzzled. ’Just like with the Soul-Chasing Shuttle, once a secret like this is out, people will immediately start researching ways to counter it.’

’Is it possible the Divine Fire Sect is trying to scare off the Cultivators from Li State with this rumor?’

If so, they had sorely miscalculated.

Many Loose Cultivators might look harmless, but put a mask on them, and they could just as easily become Tribulation Cultivators.

The only reasons they hadn’t joined the Demon Dao were fear of future retribution from the Righteous Dao, or simply the lack of a trustworthy connection to do so.

A rumor like this wouldn’t scare them off. On the contrary, if the situation called for it, it wasn’t out of the question for them to switch sides and join the Demon Dao themselves.

HISS... ’Could the Divine Fire Sect have been planning this from the start?’

’Weed out the timid and attract the bold.’

Xiao Chen felt things had suddenly become much more complicated.

He wasn’t afraid of these threats himself, but for the sake of his fellow disciples, he felt he should warn them.

’But how should I warn them?’

’Ah, I’ve got it!’

「Inside the Sect’s Main Hall.」

Mei Yong stared at the handwritten copy of the *Blood Sacrifice Secret Technique - Soul-breaking Needle* in his hands, his eyes as wide as saucers.

He flipped through it in disbelief, his shock growing with every page.

’Isn’t this the special technique from that sensational rumor? The one the Divine Fire Sect uses to pierce Defensive Spiritual Artifacts?’

’How could something so important be here?’