Xu Mu was full of curiosity and asked, "Which three people?"
"My father said that back then, Black Fire had three great masters under his command, whose strength was second only to him. They were Jiang, Wang, and Fan."
Jiang Cisui explained, "The 'Fan' among them is Fan Junshu. Although the other members were also very strong, compared to these three, there was still quite a gap."
Xu Mu's gaze turned to Jiang Huihui in the distance; she had already gone to Jiang Sheng's side.
One didn't even have to think to know that this 'Jiang' was Jiang Sheng's eldest son, Jiang Mingzhuo.
Thinking carefully, it made sense. He remembered that Xie Wangwei's Destiny Level was six, while Fan Junshu's was seven.
"Of course, that was a matter of over twenty years ago. Now, it's uncertain who is stronger and who is weaker."
Jiang Cisui said with a smile.
"Jiang Zhenqi! Duan Musong!"
Zhang Qinghe called out from a distance.
Hearing the voice, the two immediately came to Zhang Qinghe.
"Zhenqi, you are responsible for checking all the outsiders currently in the ruins and sending them out. Musong, lead the members of the Formation Hall to the Inner Realm to repair the formations."
Zhang Qinghe gave orders to the two.
"Yes!"
The two nodded in unison.
Duan Musong looked at the Second Elder and Third Elder in the distance. "Shanhu, Ruyi, come with me."
"Yes, First Elder!"
The two followed behind Duan Musong and left together.
Xu Mu checked their Filial Piety Values, especially towards Jiang Zhenqi and Zhang Qinghe, and then broke into a smile.
Although Meng Wanyue's halo couldn't increase combat power, it was simply too convenient.
The Filial Piety Values of these three people were very interesting.
The Third Elder, Tian Ruyi, could be considered an honest person.
His Filial Piety Value towards Jiang Zhenqi was 6, and towards Zhang Qinghe was 8.
But the First Elder, Duan Musong, was different. His Filial Piety Value towards Jiang Zhenqi was -2, and towards Zhang Qinghe was 4, a very large gap.
However, the Second Elder, Zhang Shanhu, was completely different again. His Filial Piety Value towards Jiang Zhenqi was -4, and towards Zhang Qinghe was -3.
If the First Elder was only disloyal to the Sect Master, then Zhang Shanhu was disloyal to everyone.
Thinking carefully, the previous instance where Zhang Shanhu was mind-controlled by Youyoufan might have been intentional, with the purpose of clearing his suspicion.
The inner workings of this major sect were indeed complicated and intricate.
Jiang Zhenqi joined forces with other sect members to begin investigating the identities of the remaining people.
Xu Mu hesitated for a moment, and taking advantage of this time, he went over to Zhang Qinghe.
"Senior, I have something to tell you regarding my master."
"Oh?"
Zhang Qinghe was a bit surprised, then waved off Hao Yang and Yao Dingli beside him, proactively following Xu Mu to an unoccupied area.
"What about your master?"
"Sorry, I just made up an excuse."
Xu Mu shook his head slightly and then said, "Senior, if my guess is correct regarding this incident, there must be an inside man within your sect."
Hearing this, Zhang Qinghe couldn't help but laugh. "Tell me about it."
"It seems Senior has already guessed it. Actually, it's quite easy to understand. The Abyss Chapel seems to know your internal environment like the back of their hands. For example, those few were caught yet managed to escape the cage; they must have cultivation methods similar to Fan Junshu's."
Xu Mu looked at Zhang Qinghe. "After stepping into the Kunlun Mountains, they didn't go to rescue people immediately, but instead went to the other entrance of the Inner Realm. They were clearly prepared."
"You're right, this is easy to guess. So, who do you think it is?"
Zhang Qinghe asked with a smile.
"The other party knows so many secrets, so their position must not be low. As Senior also said, the matter of an inside man is easy to guess if you think carefully."
Xu Mu shrugged. "If I were the inside man, I would definitely do something to clear my suspicion and prove it has nothing to do with me."
"Clear suspicion?"
Zhang Qinghe stroked his beard and muttered, "I seem to understand. The more they try to prove they are uninvolved, the more involved they actually are. For example, the woman caught by the First Elder, or the Second Elder being mind-controlled by them."
"It seems Senior already has candidates in mind."
Xu Mu chuckled lightly and turned to leave.
"You were the one who reminded me."
Zhang Qinghe took a deep breath.
He really couldn't understand; having lived in the Kunlun Mountains for most of their lives, why would they betray it?
...
Xu Mu and the others also had their identities verified individually and were then personally escorted out by Jiang Cisui.
After exchanging contact information with Xu Mu, Jiang Cisui returned to the ruins.
Xu Mu breathed a sigh of relief. He had originally just come to join in the fun, but he hadn't expected so many things to happen.
Xu Ningbing had also decided to join the Cold Immortal Sect.
However, she had to go back and prepare first, especially regarding company matters; it had to continue operating when she was away.
As for Meng Wanyue and Dai Xingluo, they were also invited by Ding Hong, but both declined.
The group waited outside the ruins for a while and noticed Nalan Shisan also coming out.
"Xu Mu, I have to thank you a lot this time. If it weren't for you, I might have really barged into the Realm within a Realm, and that would definitely have been a dead end."
Nalan Shisan was full of gratitude.
[Favorability +20]
"Keep a low profile during this time and don't show your face in public anymore."
Xu Mu said with a smile.
"Alright."
Nalan Shisan nodded. "But you won't be able to keep a low profile anymore. Third place in the Martial Arts Championship—I believe it won't be long before it spreads throughout the cultivation world."
"Sigh, there's nothing I can do. Some things are just innate."
Xu Mu sighed.
According to his personality, he really didn't like being high-profile.
But this time, in order to cut off the connection between Jiang Cisui and Wu Tian, he had to do it.
...
Flying back in the helicopter, Xu Mu first dropped off Fu Jinyu near her territory, and then brought the remaining few back to Jiang City.
It was already afternoon by the time they got home. Everyone was exhausted, and the first thing they did upon returning was to rest.
Another day passed.
Xu Mu opened his eyes, stretched his back forcefully, and realized he had slept for a very long time.
Suddenly, he noticed that Ye Tong wasn't beside him. Checking through his perception, he found Ye Tong resting in Ye Yu's room.
Clearly, she was afraid of disturbing him.
As for Meng Wanyue, Dai Xingluo, and Tong Guoguo, they were all still sleeping and hadn't woken up.
He took out his phone and glanced at it. It was 6:30 AM, and there was a string of messages.
Tantai Quan, Yan Baizhi, Li Chenshuang, Yang Lielan, Jin Mo...
There were a good dozen or so messages.
He opened the first one, which was sent by Tantai Quan.
"Little brother Xu Mu, you are so fierce! Third place in the Martial Arts Championship? You were able to fight like that against someone at the peak of the Mortal Shedding realm? Are you even human?"
Following this sentence was a video thumbnail showing Xu Mu and Jiang Cisui.
Clearly, the video of this battle had already spread.
He briefly checked these messages. Unsurprisingly, they were all from people who had watched the Martial Arts Championship and came specifically to congratulate him.
The only thing that gave Xu Mu some comfort was that this news was only spreading within the ancient martial arts world; otherwise, even going outside would become a problem for him.
...
By the river at the foot of the mountain.
Xu Shou and a few others were sitting by a campfire. A wooden stick was laid across the flames, with several fish hanging from it.
Just then, Jiang Mingzhuo walked over from a distance. Holding a phone, he smiled and tossed it into Xu Shou's lap.
"What's this?"
Xu Mu took the phone and glanced at it.
"Martial Arts Championship. Your son got third place. At the peak of the Grandmaster realm, he abruptly fought a peak Mortal Shedding realm expert until both ran out of Qi."
Jiang Mingzhuo leaned against a large tree. "This kid really does have what it takes to marry my Huihui."
"As expected of the boss's son. Like father, like son!"
Shentu Wan looked at Xu Shou, revealing a good-natured smile.
Zhang Que also smiled. "Brother Shou, and you still claim you didn't teach him?"
"I really didn't."
Xu Shou felt a bit helpless. It seemed that this kid's master was absolutely a terrifying existence.
"There is one more thing."
Jiang Mingzhuo's expression was calm as he spoke. "We have news on Old Fan. He is being held captive in the Kunlun Mountains."
"The Kunlun Mountains? I wouldn't dare provoke Immortal Shuiyan."
Hearing this, Xie Wangwei chuckled. "But Old Fan is different from you unrefined brutes. He can actually understand my art. Oh, I am so torn!"

to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”

nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.

ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"

his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…