The grand hall of the Law Enforcement Hall fell into silence for a moment. Both Qi Hua and Jin Liuli understood the severity of the matter, and their gazes soon shifted toward the Zūnshàng seated at the head of the hall.
Jian Dan had her eyes closed, deep in thought, before she finally spoke. "Liu Li, if I remember correctly, your Jin family has practiced alchemy for generations, always under the protection of the Sect."
"Yes, Zūnshàng. My Jin family rose to prominence from the mortal world by refining pills, and we have continued in this craft to this day."
"Do they also practice poison arts?" Jian Dan suddenly asked.
Jin Liuli blinked, surprised, but still answered honestly. "There is a branch of my family skilled in poison. Their cultivation often relies on rare and dangerous toxins of the cultivation world. However, that line has dwindled, and now only my aunt remains. She is an elder of the clan, rarely leaving our ancestral grounds."
Qi Hua's mind worked quickly as she listened to the exchange. She instantly grasped Jian Dan's intention. "Zūnshàng, you mean to use poison… against these fused insects?"
Jian Dan gave a small nod, satisfied with Qi Hua's sharp reaction. She then turned to Jin Liuli."This is only a hypothesis of mine. Whether it will work depends on real-world results."
Jin Liuli's eyes brightened. Though she specialized in alchemy, she had studied poison during her childhood while following her aunt. "Liu Li, what is your aunt's current cultivation?"
"My aunt is at the late Divine Transformation stage, only a hair's breadth away from breaking into the Divine Soul stage."
Jin Liuli spoke frankly without hiding anything.
Jian Dan tapped her fingers lightly against the desk, thinking for a moment before speaking again."Liu Li, this will be a tentative experiment. First, contact the Heavenly Demon Palace and see if they can procure some of these insect eggs. Then invite your aunt to Heavenly Sword Sect as a guest. I will speak to her personally."
"Yes, Zūnshàng. I understand. I will speak to her privately about this."
"Good. Qi Hua, compile the contents of the jade slip into a proper report. Send a copy to every branch of the Law Enforcement Hall. Also, issue warnings to all cultivators carrying out missions outside. If they encounter anything unusual, they must report back immediately."
"Yes, I will see it done."
Once the two departed, Jian Dan was still pondering. The Heavenly Demon Palace had Bi Shu. She wondered whether Bi Shu might already know more about these new fusion creatures.
Heavenly Demon Palace
At that very moment, Bi Shu Xiaoyou—who Jian Dan was thinking of—stood before Mo Yi and Mo Su with a face full of misery.
"Two Zūnzhǔ, this little woman truly knows nothing about this new breed of insect. Since the day Mo Yi Zūnzhǔ brought me here, I have not left the Heavenly Demon Palace. How could I possibly have contacted the insect race?"
Mo Su and Mo Yi could see she was speaking truthfully. After all, within the Heavenly Demon Palace, she had no room to act recklessly.
Mo Su, who had been silent until now, finally said evenly, "This is a newly fused insect. We need confirmation whether it has already entered the cultivation world."
"This little woman truly does not know."
"I will send you back into the cultivation world. The Black Robe Guard will instruct you on what to do. Go down for now."
Face pale, Bi Shu retreated from the demon hall, escorted by a Black Robe Guard.
"Senior Brother, you mean to use her as bait?" Mo Yi asked with a frown.
"We have little choice but to try. Right now, we are on the defensive. If not for Jian Lu Zūnshàng stumbling upon that insect nest in Chimei Mountain, we might never have discovered it in time."
Mo Yi stroked his chin, thinking before replying. "My guess is that when they joined forces to attack the Sect's subsidiary cities, they formed this cooperation. To fuse a new breed is not something accomplished overnight."
"Hopefully, we found them early enough before they grow stronger. I have already reported to Master. He has instructed me to learn from Heavenly Sword Sect and spread this information to the major sects and cultivation clans."
Mo Yi's interest immediately rose, and he smiled with a sly glint. "So, Heavenly Sword Sect has already been informed?"
"Yes."
Mo Su did not deny it. He glanced sideways at his fellow Zūnzhǔ and said, "I had Chen Feng notify Jian Lu Zūnshàng directly. By now, they should already be taking action."
Hearing Mo Su's frank answer, Mo Yi's smile grew even wider.
Huanle City
After several transfers through teleportation arrays, Wei Zhengrong finally arrived at the Huanle City branch of "Edge of the World." This time, he wore a full black robe, concealing himself completely. Not even divine sense could pierce the veil.
He paused outside the modest storefront, then stepped through the door. Inside was a different world: behind the counter sat a middle-aged cultivator with his eyes closed in meditation. Only when Wei Zhengrong entered did the man open them slightly.
"Honored guest, what service do you require?"
From his sleeve, Wei Zhengrong drew out the remaining half of the map and placed it on the counter. His voice was low and steady. "My master sent me to deliver the rest of the payment."
The clerk's eyes widened as he saw the fragment. He instantly rose, carefully inspected it to confirm its authenticity, then looked up, intending to draw out more words from the visitor.
But the man before him had already vanished. The hall was empty, as though no one had ever entered. For a moment, he thought he had been hallucinating. Only the weight of the map in his hand proved it was real. Without delay, he hurried into the inner hall to relay the news to headquarters.
Meanwhile, Wei Zhengrong had already left "Edge of the World." After circling through Huanle City to ensure no one followed, he changed out of his black robe in a small shop, then used Heavenly Sword Sect's teleportation array to leave the city.
Not long after his departure, a Divine Transformation stage cultivator from "Edge of the World" traced the trail to the city, but he was too late. With no clues left, he could only leave in frustration.
Wei Zhengrong, having completed his errand, immediately traveled to the Wei family's ancestral grounds.
"Big Brother, you're back?"
Wei Xueru was speaking with her mother when she spotted her elder brother. Her pink-clad figure darted forward like a sparrow.
She beamed, her eyes curved into crescents, and with a light leap—her body buoyed by a subtle breeze—she landed steadily in her brother's arms.
With his cultivation, Wei Zhengrong could clearly sense that his sister's realm had risen again. She had already reached the third layer of Qi Refining.
"Xue Ru, have you been cultivating well? You haven't left Mother's courtyard, have you?"
Holding her, Wei Zhengrong asked gently as he walked.
Xue Ru wrapped her arms around his neck and replied cheerfully, "I've been here with Mother. I haven't gone out. When the others came to invite me to play, I had Hua Tuan tell them I was in a bad mood, so I didn't leave."
She even tilted her chin proudly after saying this.
Qin Qin's face was full of smiles. Ever since her daughter had begun cultivating, her joy had been constant.
Seeing her two children so close, Qin Qin beckoned her son to sit and speak. "Zheng Rong, what brings you back today? Has something happened?"
Knowing his mother's courtyard was safe, Wei Zhengrong spoke freely. "Mother, I came back after completing a Sect mission, specifically to discuss Xue Ru's matter."
Qin Qin's heart skipped, her smile fading instantly. "From the day Xue Ru began cultivating, I have kept her by my side. News of her talent has never spread. What problem has arisen now?"
"Mother, don't worry. It's not trouble from the clan. It's because the Sect will begin recruiting disciples next month."
At these words, Qin Qin relaxed but widened her eyes in realization, immediately understanding his intent.
In Wei Zhengrong's arms, Xue Ru heard her brother's words and could not contain her delight.