After more than ten days of travel, amidst the sprawling mountain ranges, the majestic Jade Emperor City finally came into clear view.

Yuning Town was also faintly visible.

For some reason, the tension that had been building for over ten days couldn’t help but ease slightly.

’This distance should still guarantee a certain degree of safety.’

After walking a few more steps, he seemed to enter the range of a Sound Transmission Talisman. The talismans in his possession began to vibrate one after another.

He casually took them out, and a dozen or so messages streamed into his ears.

The first few messages were all about trivial matters.

Although Xu Yuan had already moved to Yuning Town, Chu Mu, out of caution, had him maintain the appearance of being a stranger.

He was now living in the small town, having quit his job at the Spirit Field. He relied on the Spirit Stones and Elixirs Chu Mu had given him to cultivate in peace.

He also served as Chu Mu’s eyes and ears in the town. After all, Chu Mu lived there himself, but he often went into closed-door Cultivation or loitered in the Black Market. As a result, he paid very little attention to outside affairs.

A few messages and some trivial details gave him a clear understanding of the recent situation in Jade Emperor City and the small town.

However, the next few messages made Chu Mu’s recently relaxed expression turn serious again.

’The Law Enforcement Team is compiling a household register?’

Chu Mu frowned. According to Xu Yuan, the Jade Emperor City Law Enforcement Team had recently appeared in town and was going door-to-door to conduct a registration.

Chu Mu hesitated. Registration in the Cultivation Immortal Realm wasn’t as simple as just giving a name.

For example, when renting a house in the Marketplace, one had to register their Divine Soul Aura directly.

If he hadn’t paid a bribe for that fake identity of his, he would never have been able to rent a house through the normal procedures.

For Yuning Town to suddenly be doing this... Thinking about the chaos in the outside world, Chu Mu seemed to understand.

With so much chaos, it was only natural for the Longevity Sect to clean up the few small towns outside the city.

The previous hands-off management style had quite a few loopholes.

People could murder and rob outside, then act as good citizens of the Longevity Sect inside the town. He knew this well from his own experience.

After a moment of thought, Chu Mu didn’t worry about it too much.

’After all, how had I managed to bypass the Longevity Sect’s administration to rent a house in Yuning Town in the first place?’

’It was through Yuning Town’s local tyrants—nothing more than a few middlemen.’

’And where did these middlemen get the power to bypass Jade Emperor City and the Longevity Sect?’

’It was just like the surrounding Black Markets, the gray-area order within the town, and Wang Mazi, who was incriminated back then...’

The ultimate beneficiaries were still in the Longevity Sect. It wasn’t the Sect as a whole, but rather certain individuals and groups within it.

This kind of thing would ultimately be all thunder and no rain.

In this respect, the Cultivation Immortal Realm was no different from the secular world.

Upon reaching Yuning Town, sure enough, the streets were already filled with the figures of Longevity Sect disciples. Their pure white Magic Robes were incredibly conspicuous in the dilapidated town.

The air of superiority that came from being Sect Disciples was also clearly palpable.

Glancing at these Longevity Sect disciples, Chu Mu pursed his lips. For some reason, he couldn’t help but recall the jungle-like chaos outside the Marketplace.

Clans and Sects.

In the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World, these two intertwined systems also contained a bizarre and extreme contradiction.

It was like... a centralized system versus a feudal one.

The Longevity Sect wanted to centralize power, while the many Clans attached to it were clearly unwilling to give up their own interests.

Therein lay the conflict.

’If I’m being honest, I’m really not optimistic about the Longevity Sect’s chances.’

’Even though, for now, the Longevity Sect’s power seems to be suppressing the various Clans.’

’It’s like the Zhou Dynasty in my past life during its peak, suppressing the feudal lords, none of whom dared to disobey.’

’But there’s one very clear reality: Cultivators are still human!’

’Wealth, companions, techniques, and location. Dao Companions are second on the list.’

’Although it’s difficult for Cultivators to reproduce, given their long lifespans, they are bound to have descendants.’

’With descendants, a bloodline lineage will gradually form.’

’Eventually, that becomes a so-called Clan.’

’Take a Golden Core True Master, for example. With a lifespan of several hundred years, if they have children when they’re young, how many descendants could they produce by the time their life ends?’

’It would be a huge number, which means a huge demand for resources and a huge alignment of interests!’

’And the resources a Golden Core True Master needs are also immense.’

’To have a Clan force that completely obeys your commands, a force that will serve you with all its heart...’

’Who would refuse that?’

’Who would be willing to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of the Sect?’

’Even if such people exist, how many could there be?’

The Longevity Sect itself was built upon countless such individuals. And now, the Sect wanted to weaken and suppress this very foundation.

Even if it won this time, so what?

The Cultivators who were now following the Longevity Sect to suppress the Clans would, over time, slowly evolve into large and small Clans of their own.

In a few hundred years at most, the cycle would just repeat itself.

Despite this, Chu Mu still felt a strange sense of admiration for the Longevity Sect’s Sect Leader.

Most Cultivators were driven by self-interest. For a Nascent Soul Powerhouse, regardless of their motives, to do so much for the Sect’s benefit was truly rare.

Of course, this was merely admiration on a moral level. As for anything else, there was none.

After all, even if the Longevity Sect succeeded, it would have no bearing on his own interests.

In fact, the resulting turmoil might even cause him harm.

As these thoughts flowed through his mind, a sudden palpitation instantly shattered his train of thought.

Chu Mu’s pupils shrank. Sensing the warning from his Divine Soul Long Saber, his previously relaxed state of mind instantly tensed to the extreme.

’I’m... in Yuning Town right now!’

’Where is this prying gaze coming from?’

Chu Mu’s expression remained unchanged as he continued to walk at a leisurely pace.

His eyes, however, were seemingly casually observing his surroundings.

A Sound Transmission Talisman in his possession activated with a thought from his Divine Sense, and a message was sent out silently.

A short while later, the door to a nearby house opened. Xu Yuan walked out, leading Wangcai. The two of them passed each other as if they were strangers.

Wangcai was also quite intelligent, its usual excitement completely gone. The pair encountered no obstacles and left Yuning Town within moments.

’So...’

Chu Mu pursed his lips. The bad feeling in his heart grew stronger.

’I’ve already been very cautious.’

’And the warning from the Divine Soul Saber should have been an extra layer of insurance for that caution.’

’If someone had been targeting me, it’s impossible that I would only be discovering it now.’

’So, it’s not that someone is targeting me directly. They must have found me indirectly, through some other means.’

Xu Yuan’s successful departure just now also proved that the one being targeted wasn’t "Chu Mu," nor was it any of the temporary identities he used whenever he left the Marketplace or Yuning Town.

Instead, it was "Li Gang," who had previously lived in the city, or "Xu Tao," who currently lived in Yuning Town.

’And the only loophole in these two identities...’

’Wang Mazi...’

A series of speculations flashed through his mind, finally landing on that name.

At that moment, Chu Mu’s heart sank.

If there was a problem with those two identities, it meant a direct link to the Vein Nourishing Pills and to his identity as an Alchemist...

’Did Wang Mazi betray me? Or was he captured?’

The possibility of Wang Mazi betraying him was obviously low.

If he had really wanted to sell him out, he wouldn’t have ended up wanted by the Longevity Sect, nor would he have abandoned the network and environment he had built for decades to flee Jade Emperor Valley.

This was the most important reason why he hadn’t changed his identity again.

After all, for an old fox like Wang Mazi to abandon everything and flee, he would surely have vanished without a trace. The chances of him being caught were extremely low.

Besides, given the recent situation, the other Clans obviously wouldn’t help the Longevity Sect capture people.

’So... my foolproof plan has actually failed?’

’Wang Mazi was captured?’

Although this fact seemed somewhat hard to believe, it appeared to be the only possibility right now.

Chu Mu continued his casual observation.

What he needed to confirm most right now was who had targeted him.

Only by confirming who was after him could he determine... what their intentions were.

...