Good brother, loyal and righteous

Xu Jinghong actually believed his group leader had a way to help him. After all, that was his sworn brother! But he didn’t dare gamble—he had already lost Xiuzhi once. How could he bear losing her again? Even if the risk was one in a hundred million, he wouldn’t take it! So, sorry not sorry, Caiyu—from now on, call me the double-agent elite operative, codename: Pangolin!

“Ahahaha! Chen Yi, Chen Yi, did you really think holding Xiuzhi hostage would make Old Xu bow to you? Too bad he trusts me more than you!” The Little Golden Dragon was in an absolutely delightful mood.

It had originally assumed Xu Jinghong, as bait, would be a lost cause—like meat thrown to a dog with no return. After all, its real goal was to accumulate practical experience in peeling away Lingxiao’s will! Sacrificing Old Xu would’ve been worth it as long as the other eight remained safe. That alone would’ve been a massive win.

But who would’ve thought Chen Yi wouldn’t take the bait?

How could it possibly refuse such a gift?

Xu Jinghong wasn’t just a powerhouse with top-tier talent—he was also a sleeper agent planted right beside Chen Yi to monitor his every move!

After this incident, the Little Golden Dragon realized something unsettling: its understanding of Chen Yi seemed shallow, but in reality, it was practically nonexistent. It felt like Chen Yi was everywhere—outside, inside, even when it stayed put, it was as if he was always lurking nearby.

This feeling was downright eerie!

If it didn’t figure this out, it would feel like ants were crawling under its skin!

“Old Xu, while you’re undercover, gather all the intel you can on him—especially about his tribulation experiences. You’ve survived the Immortal Ascension Tribulation yourself, so you know how terrifying it is. Yet this guy has escaped eighty-one of them unscathed! I suspect he’s got some kind of cheat.”

!!!

Xu Jinghong’s pupils trembled violently upon receiving the secret message.

What the hell?!

This senior had endured eighty-one Immortal Ascension Tribulations?

And escaped every single one?!

Was this a joke?!

Did he treat the Immortal Ascension Tribulation like a dog on a leash?!

Back when he was still reckless, just one strike of the Violet Heaven Divine Thunder had made him want to flee—because that kind of power was simply beyond what a tribulation-stage cultivator could resist!

But escaping was impossible. The tribulation’s targeting rules were inescapable!

Even now, as a Profound Immortal, he still couldn’t comprehend the tribulation’s lock-on mechanics, let alone escape it.

And yet, this senior… he…!

“Senior, Caiyu, he—”

Before he could finish, Chen Yi waved his hand. “I already know. Just follow his instructions and handle it as you see fit. What he’s meant to know, he’ll know. What he’s not meant to know, he’ll never uncover.”

Xu Jinghong’s heart quaked.

Was this absolute confidence? Or was everything already under his control?

His instincts told him it was the latter.

Damn terrifying, brother!

Caiyu, are you really sure you want to go up against this senior?

Just as he was thinking about Caiyu, another message arrived:

“Oh, one more thing—once you return to the Purple Star Continent with him, keep an eye out for any signs of people from Qianxue’s world being abducted there. You remember the aura of the Qingyun Heavenly Dao, right? Qianxue might be under his control. See if you can dig up concrete evidence.”

Frankly, as the spirit of the Primordial Chaos Creation Disk, it should’ve been able to monitor the entire chat group at will—investigating Chen Yi, the Purple Star Continent, whatever it wanted!

After all, he was just a measly leader of Group 108. The Primordial Chaos Creation Disk had detected him before, so it should still be able to now!

But reality was…

Chen Yi’s rise had been absurdly fast. Worse, he’d used some incomprehensible method to cut off all information about himself, the Purple Star Continent, and even Group 108 from being uploaded to the Primordial Chaos Creation Disk’s main body!

In a way, Group 108 was operating offline—yet it could still freely use all the chat group’s functions without oversight, opening and closing at will…

Under these circumstances, forget investigating Chen Yi—it couldn’t even dig into his underlings!

So the only option was to plant a mole like Xu Jinghong to gather intel from enemy territory!

And Xu Jinghong’s response?

Without hesitation: “No problem, just wait for my updates!”

“Good brother, true loyalty! When the time comes, I’ll make sure you and Xiuzhi escape this hell!”

“Good brother, can’t chat long now—we’re almost there. Watch me perform!”

“Good brother, I appreciate your hard work!”

“No worries, it’s nothing!”

After cutting the connection, Xu Jinghong followed Chen Yi to the so-called “Purple Star Immortal Realm.”

Honestly, his first impression of this world?

Not as impressive as the Chenxiao Greater World he’d transmigrated from.

Though both were half-step True Immortal-grade realms, the Chenxiao Greater World had once been a full True Immortal-level world before degrading. Not only was its spiritual energy density slightly higher than the “Purple Star Immortal Realm,” but its laws were also twice as robust!

Understandable—the Chenxiao Continent had deep foundations, but it had been in decline, like an elder nearing the end of his days.

The “Purple Star Immortal Realm,” however, was completely different. The moment Xu Jinghong stepped in, he sensed a vibrant, thriving energy—like a young world in its prime, or an ancient tree reborn with a second life, bursting with momentum!

In terms of potential, the waning Chenxiao Greater World couldn’t hold a candle to the rising “Purple Star Immortal Realm”!

And most importantly—the Purple Star Immortal Realm had Chen Yi, this absolute monster!

Xu Jinghong couldn’t even fathom how terrifying someone who’d forcibly endured eighty-one Immortal Ascension Tribulations must be.

Judging by how harmoniously the world’s laws resonated with him, he must’ve contributed immensely to the Purple Star Immortal Realm’s development!

Was his grand plan to forge the Purple Star Continent into a new Immortal Realm since he couldn’t cross the tribulation’s threshold to reach the true Immortal World?

Hah, now that’s ambition. I’d gladly serve under that!

Wait—

Xu Jinghong’s body stiffened as he stared intently into the depths of the sky.

Hold on… Was the Purple Star Heavenly Dao refining what looked like… the True Immortal-grade law essence of the Qingyun Heavenly Dao?!

Holy shit!

Why bother looking for evidence?!

The Qingyun Heavenly Dao had clearly been… ahem, “blessed” by Senior Chen Yi!

If even the Qingyun Heavenly Dao had lost its core True Immortal-grade law essence, how could Han Qianxue have escaped unscathed?

Caiyu, you were right—Han Qianxue must’ve been controlled!

But so what?

Now, Han Qianxue and I are on the same side!

“Senior, Caiyu ordered me to investigate the Qingyun World. He suspects Han Qianxue is under your control. How should I respond?”

Xu Jinghong naturally chose compliance. Though the senior had told him to handle it himself, reporting proactively couldn’t hurt—after all, the senior finding out through his own means and him volunteering the information were two different things!

Chen Yi gave him an approving glance. “Just report the truth. Right now, he’s paranoid—it’s the perfect time to earn his trust.”

“Understood!” Xu Jinghong replied with utmost seriousness, his tone laced with reverence.

He was no longer the arrogant sword immortal of the past, who looked down on everyone as mere unworthy opponents.

After being humbled by reality a few times, he deeply understood the importance of having a powerful backer!

Most importantly, Senior Chen Yi had the ability to save Xiuzhi!

That alone was enough—he was willing to devote himself heart and soul!

"Caiyu, there's progress on the matter you entrusted to me..."