The leader of this joint mission was Baoyuan Zhenren, the Eldest Senior Brother of Guizang Palace.

He appeared to be a middle-aged man with a square, rigid face. His presence was suffocating, radiating the crushing Spirit Pressure of a Second Stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Originally, he was the personal disciple of the previous Guizang Palace Master. When his master passed away, Baoyuan assumed the mantle of leadership would naturally fall to him. He never expected to be usurped by Yang Poxiao—an outsider with only First Stage Nascent Soul cultivation who had “descended from above.”

Naturally, Baoyuan refused to accept this. He had challenged Yang Poxiao publicly, only to be utterly crushed by Yang’s thunderous methods. He lost all face, and his resentment had been festering ever since.

For this expedition, Baoyuan Zhenren brought three cultivators from Guizang Palace.

The first was Zi Xiao, one of Yang Poxiao’s concubines. She wore a striking, fiery red dress that hugged her graceful curves, drawing the eye of every man present.

The second was Yu Zhiwei, Yang Poxiao’s personal disciple. Dressed in the standard black-and-white Daoist robes of the Guiyuan Sect, she radiated an aura of icy elegance. Her jet-black hair was pinned up casually, but the tips glowed with a faint, crimson luminescence—a sign that her Fire Spirit Root was so pure that her spiritual power was overflowing.

The third was a late-stage Golden Core youth with a center-parted hairstyle. His eyes were filled with arrogance, clearly marking him as Baoyuan Zhenren’s loyal lackey.

On the Jinchan Palace side, the team was led by Song Zhang and Lu Yao, accompanied by four newly inducted “novice” disciples: Yu Yun (Zhang Xian), Qian Ji, Sun Geng, and Li Xin.

For a simple search mission, this lineup was nothing short of luxurious.

Standing in the back, Zhang Xian—disguised as the clumsy fatty Yu Yun—swept his gaze over the Guizang Palace group. His eyes paused briefly on Zi Xiao.

That red dress… those long legs…

Memory struck him instantly. This woman was the auctioneer from the Baoqing Workshop auction years ago. How had she ended up as Yang Poxiao’s concubine?

His gaze shifted to Yu Zhiwei.

[Ding! Discovered a 68-point Daughter of Destiny: Yu Zhiwei.] [Ding! Yu Zhiwei’s Favorability towards you is 0. Binding successful.]

Zhang Xian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

So that’s it.

Yu Zhiwei’s cold temperament was somewhat similar to Long Zhi’s. It was no wonder Yang Poxiao had taken her as a personal disciple.

Heh. Perfect timing. My expenses have been astronomical lately. I need a Daughter of Destiny to act as a battery and recharge my luck.

Zhang Xian’s scrutiny did not go unnoticed.

Baoyuan Zhenren snorted coldly, his eyes filled with disdain for the fat disciple staring at his people. The Center-Part Disciple glared fiercely at Zhang Xian, silently warning the fatty to lower his eyes.

“Junior Sister Lu, Junior Brother Song,” Baoyuan Zhenren said, his voice low and dripping with condescension. “For this mission, I am in charge. I trust you will restrain your disciples. Do not act without authorization. I have no patience for unnecessary complications.”

Lu Yao immediately plastered a gentle, submissive smile on her face and bowed gracefully. “Senior Brother Baoyuan, please rest assured. Yao’er and Senior Brother Song will cooperate fully.”

Her voice was clear and pleasant, her attitude the picture of humility.

Song Zhang, however, felt a surge of irritation. He was the Second Senior Brother of Jinchan Palace! But faced with a Nascent Soul expert, he had no choice but to cup his fists and swallow his pride. “Understood.”

Baoyuan Zhenren nodded, satisfied with their submission. He waved his wide sleeve, and a pitch-black flying boat expanded in the air.

“Board!”

Baoyuan stepped onto the vessel first, followed closely by the others.

As soon as they were on deck, Lu Yao moved to Zi Xiao’s side, affectionately linking arms with her. The two began chatting and laughing intimately, looking for all the world like biological sisters.

Baoyuan Zhenren glanced over the group, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “The journey is long and tiring. I have prepared quiet rooms for the Junior Sisters to rest.”

He gestured to the cabin doors. He was referring, of course, to Lu Yao, Zi Xiao, and Yu Zhiwei.

As for the men? They could rot on the deck and drink the wind.

Song Zhang’s face darkened instantly.

He was a peak Golden Core cultivator! To be treated like a servant without even a room was a blatant insult.

However, he noticed that the Center-Part Disciple from Guizang Palace was also left standing on the deck. Since Baoyuan treated his own lackey the same way, Song Zhang couldn’t find a valid reason to explode.

Zhang Xian and the other three registered disciples silently shuffled to a corner at the stern, doing their best to look pitiful and invisible.

In the center of the deck, Song Zhang and the Center-Part Disciple stood awkwardly.

Two men. One hairstyle. Zero respect.

The atmosphere was heavy. Fortunately, Lu Yao was socially adept. She occasionally tossed a few words to Song Zhang and the other youth, barely maintaining a veneer of harmony.

After a short while, Lu Yao feigned fatigue. She gave the men an apologetic smile before retreating into the quiet room Baoyuan had assigned her.

Three days later, the flying boat arrived at the edge of the Jinye Forest.

As the group disembarked, a primal, heavy aura assaulted them, mixed with the faint, pungent scent of sulfur. Before them lay an endless expanse of primeval forest, where ancient trees pierced the clouds and gnarled vines twisted like dragons.

Baoyuan Zhenren distributed a “Shared Breath Linked Token” to each person.

“Everyone, spread out but keep me as the center. Do not exceed a radius of one hundred miles. Our objective is the Young Master of Lingyuan Tower. Alive, I want to see the person; dead, I want to see the corpse.”

He paused, his expression serious. “Also, keep a sharp lookout for traces of [Hatred]. Any Demon Beasts you kill or materials you find are yours to keep. But remember—do not leave the sensing range of the jade token. If you get lost, the consequences are your own!”

Everyone nodded. For a team of Golden Cores and Nascent Souls, the beasts here were hardly a threat. The only real danger was the elusive [Hatred].

Baoyuan Zhenren then produced a piece of uncut jade. It was clearly of a higher grade than the one Lu Yao possessed, emitting a soft, purifying light designed to sense evil thoughts.

He infused his spiritual power into it. The white light rippled across the jade’s surface, but it remained diffuse, not pointing in any specific direction.

“It seems the target is still far away, or the [Hatred] has concealed itself,” Baoyuan said gravely. “We will split up and slowly advance deeper. Stay vigilant.”

The group acknowledged the order and began to disperse.

Lu Yao immediately turned to Song Zhang. “Second Senior Brother, why don’t we lead the Junior Brothers to explore this direction? It will be a good opportunity for them to gain some experience.” She pointed toward the dense foliage on the left.

Song Zhang agreed without hesitation; he was eager to get as far away from the arrogant Baoyuan Zhenren as possible.

Lu Yao then affectionately grabbed Zi Xiao’s hand. “Sister Zi Xiao, come with us! I have so much I want to tell you.”

Zi Xiao, having been cajoled by Lu Yao throughout the trip, nodded with a smile.

Lu Yao then looked at the icy disciple. “Junior Sister Yu, would you like to join us as well?”

Yu Zhiwei’s cold eyes swept over Lu Yao. Her voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. “Thank you for your kindness, Senior Sister Lu. But I will remain with my Senior Brothers.”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked directly toward Baoyuan Zhenren and the Center-Part Disciple.

A flicker of disappointment passed through Lu Yao’s eyes, but she masked it instantly with a bright smile. “Very well. Be careful, Junior Sister.”

Having separated from the main group, Lu Yao’s party of seven pushed deeper into the forest, heading in a completely different direction.

Now that they were outside the boundaries of the Guiyuan Sect, Zhang Xian felt free to use voice transmissions. He began secretly directing Lu Yao, guiding the team’s path from the shadows.

Lu Yao followed his instructions seamlessly, subtly steering the group without alerting Song Zhang.

Along the way, they encountered several waves of low-level Demon Beasts. Under the protection of Song Zhang and Lu Yao, the four “novice” disciples clumsily joined the fray. They managed to kill a few beasts and harvested some low-value materials. The process was chaotic but ultimately uneventful.

However, as time passed, Song Zhang began to frown.

Something felt wrong.

They seemed to be drifting further and further off course. The connection to Baoyuan Zhenren’s group was growing faint, and they were dangerously close to exceeding the hundred-mile limit of the sensing tokens.