By the time Wang Ba reached South Lake Village, the landscape had undergone a complete transformation.

Perhaps to accommodate the influx of new Laborer Disciples, over a dozen rows of brand-new, hastily constructed wooden shacks had sprung up out of thin air in just a few days.

Wang Ba observed the area from a distance. Unlike the past few weeks, when Sect disciples came and went with great fanfare, flying high above the heads of mortals, the skies were relatively quiet. The number of Qi Refining disciples patrolling the ground had visibly decreased.

As for the Foundation Establishment seniors? They were nowhere to be seen, likely recalled to the main peaks.

In contrast to the desolation of the West Garden Market, South Lake Village was bursting with life.

People streamed through the muddy streets, shoulders rubbing and heels clicking, the noise and bustle resembling a mortal market town.

After watching for a while, Wang Ba quietly deactivated his disguise.

First, a nondescript Laborer Disciple like him was practically invisible in this sea of humanity. There was no need to worry about drawing attention.

Second, maintaining a sensory illusion over such a large crowd—even if most were mortals—drained his Yin God power at a terrifying rate.

He moved with the flow of the crowd. Occasionally, men in steward robes would shout orders, rounding up groups of bewildered newcomers to assign them tasks.

These fresh recruits still had the sparkle of curiosity in their eyes. They craned their necks to look at the towering peaks, their longing for the “Immortal Path” impossible to conceal.

The looming shadow of war hadn’t dampened their spirits in the slightest.

Wang Ba navigated the village until he reached the coordinates marked on Gou Mu’s map. He was looking for the tunnel entrance.

According to the map, it was located inside a dry well in the backyard of an abandoned homestead.

The location was remote, tucked away in a corner with little foot traffic. To his relief, the house itself was dilapidated and clearly unoccupied.

But his relief was short-lived. Standing near the ruined walls were several figures in Sect disciple robes.

They were watching.

Wang Ba didn’t dare linger. To do so would be to invite suspicion. He kept walking until he was a safe distance away, then scanned the crowd. He spotted a middle-aged woman dressed in laborer garb and pulled her aside.

With a practiced motion, he slipped two Rare Fowl eggs into her hand.

In these times of scarcity, while eggs weren’t exactly Spirit Stones, they were an unparalleled tool for opening mouths.

The woman initially clutched her chest defensively, but the moment she felt the smooth shells, her eyes lit up. She didn’t stand on ceremony, quickly tucking the eggs into her bosom.

“Hey, Big Sister, let me ask you something,” Wang Ba said, keeping his voice casual. “The Lu family moved here not long ago, right? Why does their house look empty?”

He didn’t ask about the disciples directly. That would be suspicious. He framed it as looking for old neighbors.

The woman’s expression tightened. She glanced over Wang Ba’s shoulder to ensure no one was listening, then leaned in, whispering rapidly.

“Why are you asking about them? That’s bad luck!”

She lowered her voice further. “The Lu family… they offended someone.”

“Offended someone?”

“Aye. A few days ago, they were driven out of the village entirely.”

Wang Ba frowned. “Driven out? Did they leave the Sect?”

“Pah! Leave?” A trace of disdain flashed in the woman’s eyes. “How could they bear to give up the ‘Immortal Life’? I heard the higher-ups gave them special permission to leave safely, but they refused! Now they’re squatting in some run-down manor outside the village. Just west of the market…”

She patted her chest, securing her bribe. “Nobody talks about this. I’m only telling you because you have a sweet mouth.”

“Thank you, Sister!”

Wang Ba smiled and slipped her two more eggs. The woman beamed, stuffing them into her robes until her chest looked like she was smuggling six melons.

Wang Ba glanced around, then added as an afterthought, “By the way, I haven’t been here in a while. Why are there so many Immortals standing guard over there?”

The question opened a floodgate of grievances.

“Ugh, don’t get me started. It’s because of those missing laborers from a while back. Most of the Immortals had already left, but then people started vanishing, so the higher-ups sent a squad back to keep watch. That spot over there? It’s high ground. Best view of the whole village.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “But I reckon they won’t stay long.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” Wang Ba asked.

“Don’t you know? We’re going to war!” The woman said it as if it were obvious. “Who has time to baby-sit us when there’s glory to be had?”

She sighed, a look of genuine regret crossing her face. “Pity I was born a woman with no strength. If I were a man, I’d grab a spear and follow the Immortals to the battlefield! Imagine… if I earned enough merit, I could win a Spirit Root!”

Wang Ba chuckled dryly. “Hehe. Indeed.”

Go ahead. I won’t be joining you.

After bidding farewell to the woman, Wang Ba realized he had hit a wall. There was no way to access the tunnel while those disciples were guarding the area. Frustrated, he had no choice but to suppress his anxiety and leave South Lake Village.

On his way back, he decided to take a detour to the manor west of the market.

He found the Lu family in a state of wretched decline.

Despite having guessed their situation would be bad, seeing Shopkeeper Lu lying on a sickbed—emaciated, cheeks sunken, barely able to speak—left Wang Ba at a loss for words.

“How… how did it come to this?”

He stayed for a short while, leaving behind a few Spirit Stones as a token of their past friendship, before excusing himself.

Standing at the gate of the dilapidated courtyard, looking at the rotting wood and weeds, Wang Ba let out a heavy sigh.

He truly couldn’t understand. Shopkeeper Lu was a smart man. He knew the Sect was a treacherous pit of vipers. He knew people wanted his family dead. Why did he refuse to leave?

With the Lu family’s accumulated wealth, they could have left the cultivation world and lived as kings in the mortal realm. Why suffer this humiliation?

And the Sect’s indifference was chilling.

Lu Yuansheng had been the pride of the Outer Sect, a top disciple. Yet now, his family was treated like stray dogs, and the Sect didn’t lift a finger. Did they not fear that other disciples would see this and lose their loyalty? Disloyal hearts and divided morality…

Lost in these dark thoughts, Wang Ba turned to leave, only to be frozen by a voice calling out from behind him.

“Junior Brother Wang. Hold a moment.”

Junior Brother Wang?

Wang Ba’s heart hammered against his ribs. He knew that voice.

He spun around and bowed deeply. “Immortal… Senior Brother Zhao!”

“No need for formalities.”

Zhao Feng, a massive magic sword strapped to his back, strode over. He stopped in front of Wang Ba, his cold eyes suddenly widening in surprise.

“Ninth Layer already?”

He looked Wang Ba up and down. “It seems your Hidden Spirit Root is of significant quality. Even if not High Grade, it must be at least mid-to-high.”

As he spoke, Zhao Feng reached out and gently grasped Wang Ba’s arm, as if to support him.

Wang Ba stiffened. He felt a thread of Spiritual Power—thin as silk but cold as ice—enter his wrist, cycle through his meridians, and vanish.

He’s testing me.

Wang Ba kept his face perfectly still, hiding the terrifying efficiency of his System-enhanced body.

A moment later, a rare smile cracked Zhao Feng’s stony expression.

“Excellent.”

Wang Ba quickly adopted a look of shame and humility. “Senior Brother Zhao flatters me. If I can achieve even a Low Grade Spirit Root, I will be endlessly grateful to the Heavens.”

“Do not be modest. Reaching the Ninth Layer in under a year is a feat.”

Zhao Feng shook his head slightly, his expression turning serious. “You went to see the Lu family?”

Wang Ba knew he couldn’t hide it. “Yes. The Lu family… they seem to be in a bad way.”

A flash of genuine anger darkened Zhao Feng’s face.

“I know.”

“Senior Brother Lu was a Peerless Talent, a hero among men! I never expected his clan to be so utterly blind to the situation. They don’t know when to advance or retreat! I pulled so many strings, cashed in so many favors to get the Elder of the External Affairs Hall to sign their release papers… and they refused!”

Wang Ba blinked. So that’s what happened.

The gossiping woman had been right. It was Zhao Feng working behind the scenes to save them.

It seemed that while Lu Yuansheng had made many enemies, he had also inspired fierce loyalty. Even after death, a man like Zhao Feng was willing to go to great lengths to protect his kin.

Honestly, Wang Ba envied a man like Lu Yuansheng.

To live freely, to exact revenge on enemies and shower kindness on friends, to be a chivalrous hero… it must have been a magnificent life.

His personal charisma must have been blinding. A pity I never had the fate to meet him.

“Then… Senior Brother Zhao, what is the plan?” Wang Ba asked carefully.

“Four of the Outer Sect’s Top Ten Disciples hate the Lu family enough to want their ashes scattered to the wind. Right now, I am straining every muscle just to keep them alive.”

Zhao Feng’s face returned to its usual mask of icy indifference. “But that is a secondary concern. The Sect is about to wage war against the ‘State of Fu’. Most of the Top Ten will be deployed to the front lines. The Lu family will be safe for now.”

“However… I have a nagging suspicion. Senior Brother Lu’s death was too convenient. It reeks of conspiracy. I have been investigating the Outer Sect, and even the Laborer Disciples…”

Wang Ba shrank his neck into his shoulders, instinctively trying to make himself smaller.

Don’t look at me. I know nothing.

He had zero interest in wading into that muddy water.

However, Zhao Feng’s words solved a puzzle. The Five Major Sects of the State of Chen were allying to attack the neighboring State of Fu. That explained the scale of the mobilization.

Still, something felt… off. Wang Ba couldn’t put his finger on it, but a strange unease lingered in his gut.

Zhao Feng seemed to sense his discomfort and shook his head. “Forget it. These matters are far above you. Your only task is to break through to the Tenth Layer and enter the Outer Sect.”

He paused, then asked, “The jade pendant I gave you. Do you still have it?”

“Yes, of course.”

Wang Ba fumbled at his waist and produced the ancient, ring-shaped jade pendant.

Zhao Feng took it. His fingers moved in a blur, forming a series of hand seals before settling into a sword-finger gesture.

Hum.

The magic sword on his back vibrated in resonance. A streak of brilliant light detached from the blade, swirling in the air before diving into the jade pendant.

The jade glowed intensely for a second, then dimmed.

Zhao Feng looked visibly drained. He handed the pendant back.

Wang Ba took it. Looking closely, he could see a tiny, ethereal sword swimming inside the jade like a trapped fish. Just staring at it made his eyes sting.

“Senior Brother Zhao, this is…”

“I have sealed a strand of my Sword Aura inside. It is not comparable to my full power, perhaps only thirty or forty percent, but it is enough for self-defense. An ordinary cultivator at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining or below will not survive a direct hit. It is a single-use strike. Trigger it with your mind.”

Zhao Feng’s face remained impassive. “Consider it a meeting gift, Junior Brother.”

Wang Ba’s hands trembled slightly.

“This… this is far too precious…”

He was genuinely shaken.

In the West Garden Market, a basic protective talisman that could block a Qi Refining Level 3 attack cost 3 Spirit Stones. This? This was a nuke. You couldn’t buy a Sword Aura from a top-tier disciple for a hundred Spirit Stones. It was priceless.

The favor was too heavy. It terrified him.

But before Wang Ba could try to decline, Zhao Feng had already turned his back.

He walked away, his voice drifting back over his shoulder before he vanished into the distance.

“Do not overthink it. In the past… Senior Brother Lu treated me the same way.”

Hearing those words, Wang Ba stood rooted to the spot, staring at the retreating figure in silence.