[Saintly Forest Immortal Lord: Golden Immortal eighth layer, Lingxu Heavenly Palace's Saintly Forest Peak Master. Having been suppressed by Immortal Monarch Yun Miao for a long time, he developed a Heart Demon. Years ago, he was infiltrated by the Heaven Demon of Freedom, who took control of his mind and used him, though he himself is unaware. He is currently still thinking about how to suppress Purple Firmament Peak, where Immortal Monarch Yun Miao resides.]
Han Xuanji's gaze suddenly sharpened, and a chill ran down his spine.
Good heavens, even a Golden Immortal big shot had his mind infiltrated.
What kind of existence was that Heaven Demon of Freedom?
Perhaps he had long transcended the Golden Immortal Realm, stepping into the Grand Unity Realm or even higher… Or, it was because Saintly Forest Immortal Lord's own Dao foundation had flaws, and a Heart Demon was born within him, allowing the Heaven Demon to take advantage of the weakness.
"Thankfully, I have a Heart of Seeking the Dao."
Han Xuanji let out a sigh of relief.
He had already made up his mind to lay low for now; without internal strife, it would naturally be difficult for a Heart Demon to arise.
Soon, he also thought of Jiang Hao having his Immortal King bone dug out. The other party possessed such a precious bone, which ordinary people would find hard to know about. Furthermore, his whereabouts were elusive, and he had a Dao Protector…
But if there was an inside man… and one with a very high status, then everything seemed to have an answer.
Although the other party didn't know he had become an inside man, this was precisely the most terrifying thing. Since he didn't know himself, the Sect would naturally find it even harder to discover. Moreover, Saintly Forest Immortal Lord had a clean background and held a high position of power, so the Sect would find it hard to imagine such a person betraying them.
"The Sect is said to have also uncovered some spies internally. As expected, they were all just some insignificant pawns."
Han Xuanji immediately retracted his gaze, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and his expression returned to normal, as if he had merely been casually looking at the scenery.
However, a stormy sea had already been stirred in his heart.
He never expected that an unintentional experiment would unearth such a deeply hidden big fish.
Han Xuanji kept this information hidden in his heart and was not in a hurry.
Saintly Forest Immortal Lord's status was very high; even if he spoke out, few would likely believe him.
At this moment, the Grand Alchemy Competition was still ongoing.
"Buzz…"
A moment later, Su Ming's Pill Furnace was the first to emit a clear, long hum. The furnace lid shot up into the sky, and a purple Qi light pillar, carrying three Immortal Pills the size of dragon eyes, perfectly round and flawless, with seven layers of pill lines, flew out. The pill fragrance instantly swept across the entire venue, making one's Divine Soul feel comfortable upon smelling it.
"Three-turn top-grade, Purple Extreme Soul Nurturing Pill! Three pills formed, all with seven layers of pill lines!"
An Elder's voice, filled with excitement, rang out.
Almost simultaneously, Zhao Yuan's Pill Furnace also stabilized. The furnace lid opened, and two pills, glowing with a faint green light, flew out, successfully refined. However, their quality was clearly a notch lower, and the number of pill lines was several layers fewer.
He looked at the two pills with a complex expression, then at Su Ming, whose aura was stable beside him. His lips moved, finally turning into a silent sigh.
Immediately after, Ji Tianxing and others also successfully formed pills, triggering various unusual phenomena. The quality of their formed pills was quite good, not inferior to Su Ming's.
On the high platform, there was a chorus of praise.
"As expected of the True Disciples of the Dan Meridian, every one of them is a Genius!"
"I never expected this generation of True Disciples to have so many excellent three-turn alchemists, stronger than the previous dozens of generations."
"Su Ming is indeed the Chief's personal Disciple; his Alchemy technique has already reached Minor Achievement."
An Elder nodded.
"However, the top spot in this group still needs some deliberation."
Su Ming's group was the three-turn alchemist group, mostly consisting of True Disciples from the various peaks of the Dan Meridian.
In the end, Su Ming won the top spot among the three-turn alchemists by a narrow margin.
Purple Firmament Peak's resource allocation significantly increased, and the Disciples within the Peak cheered excitedly.
Zhao Yuan ranked seventh. Although he also received a reward, his expression was not very good.
He had originally thought he could rank in the top three and then suppress Su Ming, but he never expected such a huge gap.
In reality, he was already a three-turn alchemist at a young age, surpassing countless people. However, having always been highly praised, he found it difficult to accept this significant failure.
He walked up to Su Ming, cupped his hands in a bow, and said in a dry voice:
"Junior Martial Uncle Su's Dao of Alchemy is extraordinary; I have lost."
Seeing this, Su Ming didn't even move an eyelid, and said indifferently:
"Junior Brother Zhao's pill refining skills are exquisite. With diligent practice in the future, he will surely reach a higher level."
His tone was calm, without arrogance, but also carried a faint sense of detachment.
He didn't even mean to make the other party apologize.
Zhao Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but ultimately couldn't voice it.
When he turned to leave, a few steps away, he heard Su Ming's low murmur carried by the wind:
"You didn't lose unfairly. If it weren't for you, Senior Brother Han wouldn't have guided me for so long."
"…"
Zhao Yuan was startled. If that were truly the case, wouldn't he have brought humiliation upon himself?
He remembered his Master asking him to inquire about Han Xuanji's background, but he hadn't taken it seriously, thinking it was an opportunity for him to suppress Purple Firmament Peak.
Now that he thought about it…
It seemed he had misunderstood.
The Grand Competition concluded, and the crowd gradually dispersed.
Su Ming was surrounded by many congratulating Disciples, but he felt something and looked up at the sky.
He saw a figure, who smiled and nodded, and he returned a knowing smile.
…
Inside the Immortal Cave.
Han Xuanji's eyes showed no joy or sorrow.
To him, the outcome of the Alchemy Competition was irrelevant.
The most urgent matter at hand was still this spy.
"I should still report it to Master."
Han Xuanji pondered for a moment, then turned and returned to the quiet room.
He directly contacted his Master, Immortal Monarch Yun Miao. For such a major matter, being in Lingxu Heavenly Palace, if he didn't know, then so be it.
But knowing and still trying to stay out of it would be somewhat inexcusable.
Of course, if Master and the Sect's high-ranking officials didn't believe him, there was nothing he could do.
He couldn't produce any evidence anyway.
"Disciple, did you perceive it with your Double Pupils?"
Immortal Monarch Yun Miao asked suspiciously.
Double Pupils were rumored to be able to see through illusions and had infinite wondrous uses. If so, it seemed plausible.
Han Xuanji thought for a moment and told the truth:
"That's not it; I used another method."
"This matter is of great importance, and I dare not conceal it. I can only report it to Master, and I ask Master to make the decision."
He was too lazy to weave lies, to avoid having to weave more lies in the future. It was better to exchange sincerity for sincerity.
He had, in any case, thrown this problem to his Master.
The other end was silent for a long time.
"Junior Brother Sheng Lin…"
Immortal Monarch Yun Miao was somewhat conflicted.
He knew deeply that his Disciple's Heart-Nature was extraordinary and that he was by no means a person who would make groundless accusations.
Although not explicitly stated, being able to perceive the secrets of a Golden Immortal was no simple feat.
However, accusing a Peak Master of being demonized was a matter of immense consequence!
If he reported it, it would inevitably make others think he was trying to exclude and attack a competitor.
"Why is it you of all people?"
Immortal Monarch Yun Miao's mind flashed with Saintly Forest Immortal Lord's usual appearance. Although Junior Brother Sheng Lin's philosophy differed from his and they often competed, his actions were considered open and aboveboard, and he had contributed much to the Sect…
If this statement were false, not only would his Disciple get into big trouble, but he himself would not escape punishment.
If it were true… then the consequences would be even more unimaginable.
Trust his Disciple, or err on the side of caution?
A moment later, Immortal Monarch Yun Miao's voice rang out again, with unprecedented solemnity:
"Disciple, your Master knows about the matter you spoke of.
You don't need to worry, and do not mention this matter to anyone else. Your Master will handle everything."
Hearing these words, Han Xuanji also breathed a sigh of relief.
In reality, he also had considerable psychological pressure.
Since Immortal Monarch Yun Miao said these words, it meant that the matter was now entrusted to him.
What a good Master.
He still hadn't chosen the wrong person.
Thinking of this, Han Xuanji stopped overthinking.
He had done what he could, and for the remaining matters, the Sect's high-ranking officials would naturally have their decisions and actions.
He merely secretly remained vigilant. The Demon Race's infiltration had reached such an extent that even a power like Lingxu Heavenly Palace could be breached. In this world, there truly was no absolutely safe place.
He became even more determined in his idea of laying low and leveling up, and at the same time, he felt a slight urgency.
Only by being strong himself could he cope with all unknown risks.