It's Time

Ye Chuan's gaze rested on the blank areas Qing Ling'er had indicated—although there was no text, he could faintly see waves of spiritual energy, obviously shielded by a special technique.

Hmm...

Not bad. Knowing the approximate location made things much easier; at least he wasn't going in completely blind.

He raised his eyes to look at Qing Ling'er. Seeing her trembling form, he found it somewhat amusing.

Wasn't she an intelligence agent? How could she be intimidated so easily?

Ye Chuan deliberately adopted a tone that was indifferent yet carried an unquestionable pressure.

"Leaving the location of the Sacred Land aside for the moment, let me ask you: does the Yaoguang Pavilion possess detailed records regarding the Qingyun Sect’s forces?"

The Qingyun Sect?

Upon hearing this, Qing Ling'er blinked a few times. "Senior, what specific intelligence do you wish to know about the Qingyun Sect?"

"The number of powerhouses garrisoned there, and their cultivation realms."

"..." Qing Ling'er thought for a moment before replying helplessly, "Senior, the Yaoguang Pavilion naturally possesses this intelligence, but the price is two hundred thousand high-grade Spirit Stones."

"No, no, no! One hundred and fifty thousand will do!"

Ye Chuan asked, "You are so terrified of me, yet you still dare to ask for money?"

"Th-this is the rule of the Yaoguang Pavilion. Intelligence must be paid for with money or exchanged for information of equal value." Qing Ling'er fiddled with her fingers as she spoke. "Senior, please do not make things difficult for me."

Although she feared Ye Chuan, she at least held fast to her professional bottom line.

Ye Chuan stopped teasing her. "Alright, I will pay you."

Qing Ling'er immediately bowed respectfully. "Senior, the Qingyun Sect is an established sect in the eastern region of the Tianxuan Continent with deep foundations. The Yaoguang Pavilion has detailed records."

After speaking, she retrieved another jade slip from her storage bag and presented it to Ye Chuan with both hands.

"This is the schematic of the Qingyun Sect's forces; Senior will understand at a glance."

Hmm?

She actually carries it on her person?

Sensing Ye Chuan's confusion, Qing Ling'er scratched her head and explained, "Senior, it is like this: the Qingyun Sect has offended quite a few forces over the years. Their intelligence is actually a best-selling item at our Yaoguang Pavilion."

Ye Chuan: "..."

Good heavens, a hot-selling product, is it?

Ye Chuan accepted the jade slip and probed it with his divine consciousness.

The information within the jade slip instantly flooded into his sea of consciousness—

The Qingyun Sect is situated atop the Peak of Qingyun. The sect covers an area of ten thousand miles and boasts over ten thousand disciples, divided into three main factions: the Outer Sect, the Inner Sect, and the Core.

There are three Mahayana Realm Ancestors: Qingyunzi, who has been in secluded cultivation for a millennium; Elder Ling Qing; and Elder Xuan Sha, who guards the forbidden grounds. All three are long-established powerhouses who once joined forces to suppress the Sea Demon rebellion in the maritime region.

Sect Master Qin Tianya’s cultivation has reached the peak of the Dao Enlightenment Realm, merely a step away from the Mahayana Realm. His mastery of the Qingyun Sword Art has reached perfection, making him nearly unrivaled among sect leaders of his generation.

Additionally, there are seventeen Dao Enlightenment Realm elders who manage sect affairs such as punishment, alchemy, and artifact refining.

There are dozens of Spirit Transformation and Nascent Soul Realm elders serving as the sect's mid-level combat power, guarding the various peaks.

Disciples below the Nascent Soul Realm are countless, including many naturally gifted geniuses who hold significant renown in the eastern cultivation world.

"Three Mahayana cultivators?" Ye Chuan put away the jade slip. "Three at the Mahayana Realm, one at the peak of Dao Enlightenment... Oh wait, he’s already dead. Since I need to help Qian Shuang take revenge, let's see if I can drag some people from the Sacred Land into this."

Ye Chuan was confident in facing Mahayana Realm powerhouses, but he wondered if the Qingyun Sect was hiding anything else.

He looked up at Qing Ling'er and asked, "The Yaoguang Pavilion is well-informed. Do you know if there have been any unusual movements within the Qingyun Sect recently? Such as forming alliances with other sects, or any ancestors emerging from seclusion?"

Intelligence was Qing Ling'er's area of expertise. She replied rapidly, "In response to Senior, according to the Yaoguang Pavilion's latest intelligence, among the three ancestors of the Qingyun Sect, Elder Ling Qing has just emerged from seclusion, and his cultivation seems to have advanced further.

"Sect Master Qin Tianya has not been seen recently; rumor has it he is out traveling. Meanwhile, the Qingyun Sect is planning to hold a Grand Ceremony and has recently invited numerous factions from the Donghua Divine Continent to attend, including the neighboring Chixia Sect and the Ten Thousand Beast Gate.

"Additionally, there are rumors that the Qingyun Sect has discovered an ancient secret trove within their forbidden grounds, though there are no specific details."

This Yaoguang Pavilion really knew their stuff.

He asked a casual question, and she could provide so much?

"I didn't expect that someone from the Yaoguang Pavilion could rattle off so much intelligence just like that." Ye Chuan looked at Qing Ling'er with a newfound measure of respect.

"Of course, I am the..." Qing Ling'er got halfway through her sentence before abruptly stopping, choking back her words. "Cough, cough, cough... Is there anything else Senior wishes to know?"

"Hmm..."

Ye Chuan fell into thought—

Qin Tianya’s so-called "travels" were actually a cover for the fact that Ye Chuan had slaughtered him. However, if he was dead, the Qingyun Sect should have known immediately. Why were they organizing a Grand Ceremony?

If Qian Shuang went for revenge now and crashed their celebration, she would likely be besieged.

But this might be for the best—solving all the trouble in one go would save him from future complications.

He stood up, storing the beast-skin scroll and the jade slip into his storage bag, and said to Qing Ling'er, "Alright, thank you for delivering the map today. This is extra remuneration."

As he spoke, he flicked a storage bag from his fingertip; it contained three hundred thousand high-grade Spirit Stones.

Qing Ling'er hurriedly waved her hands, saying in a panic, "Senior must be joking. It is this junior's honor to be of service to Senior; how could I dare to accept further payment?"

The man before her was suspected to be the clone of a mighty figure who had ascended to the Upper Realm. Establishing a connection with him was already the most valuable wealth the Yaoguang Pavilion could hope for.

However, she would stick to the required fee. Qing Ling'er did not take a single coin more than that.

Ye Chuan did not insist. He retrieved the storage bag and said indifferently, "Since that is the case, we shall leave it at that. You may return. If there is important intelligence regarding the Qingyun Sect in the future, feel free to come here and inform me at any time."

"Yes! This junior obeys!" Qing Ling'er bowed and retreated out of the shop, walking backward. Only when she reached the door did she dare to turn around, transforming into a streak of green light that vanished into the night.

A storm was already raging in her heart—for the Qingyun Sect to garner such attention from a mighty figure like this, a great catastrophe was likely imminent!

Even if he was merely a clone.

"Hiss... Should I report this matter to the Yaoguang Pavilion?" Qing Ling'er felt conflicted. After all, as a member of the Yaoguang Pavilion, obtaining such significant intelligence meant she should certainly report it to the sect.

However, considering Ye Chuan's identity, he was not someone she—or even the entire Yaoguang Pavilion—could afford to offend.

"Forget it. I am the prospective Young Pavilion Master of the Yaoguang Pavilion, after all. I should discuss this with Father before making a decision."

Qing Ling'er thought no more of it. Stepping onto her flying sword, her figure transformed into a speeding streak of azure light, quickly disappearing into the curtain of night.

Sensing Qing Ling'er's departure, Ye Chuan, seated in his rattan chair, continued eating the fruit in his hand while pondering the matter of the Qingyun Sect.

Hmm...

"Now that I have the appropriate intelligence, I'll see if that Holy Son is willing to provide some manpower. He should be paying a visit in the next few days, right?"

"The timing is about right."

"It is time for the Qingyun Sect to be extinguished."