Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

On the mountain path leading to the Spirit Beast Garden, a sea of trees rose and fell.

Su Ling’er led the way at an unhurried pace, with Wang Xiedi following closely behind.

Not far away, Eldest Senior Brother Lin Qingfeng, dressed in black robes with his hands behind his back, watched his little junior sister fulfill her ’welcoming’ duties.

His faint yet palpable gaze and the pressure it carried were a constant reminder to Su Ling’er of what she was supposed to be doing.

Su Ling’er began her "performance."

She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and in a proud tone that felt foreign even to herself, began to introduce this "blessed land" shrouded in Demonic Qi.

"Mr. Wang, look. The valley ahead is our Guixi Sect’s Spirit Beast Garden, a true grotto-heaven and blessed land.

The Spiritual Qi here is so abundant, far surpassing the outside world. Look at those spirit beasts. They all live and work here in peace and contentment, coexisting harmoniously with our sect’s disciples and comprehending the Great Dao together.

What a truly celestial scene!"

She pointed at the spirit beasts with vacant eyes, which were endlessly hauling Spirit Stones in the Spirit Stone Vein, and forced herself to continue her boastful speech.

"...The reason these spirit beasts work so diligently is that it is the will of the Dao. They have long seen through illusion and understand that only by dedicating themselves to the sect can they manifest their own path..."

Her own words almost gave her goosebumps.

She didn’t dare look at Wang Xiedi’s expression. Instead, she used Telepathy to shatter this facade of hypocrisy.

[Su Ling’er]: Don’t believe a word of that nonsense I just said! Look closely. Those spirit beasts with the vacant eyes are all just laborers, their spiritual nature drained dry!

[Su Ling’er]: They’re enslaved here for all eternity, worked until every last drop of value is squeezed from them, and then turned into fertilizer to nourish this demonic land!

As Wang Xiedi listened to his senior sister’s pleasant-sounding praise on the surface, while simultaneously receiving the bloody, indignant truth via her telepathic message, his heart couldn’t help but tighten.

’Senior Sister... Senior Sister is truly suffering!’

’She’s in such a dangerous situation, yet she’s still looking out for me...’

’It’s true, everyone at Qingxu Temple is a good person. Senior Sister is so good to me!’

’I have to save her!’

To play along with his senior sister, he nodded repeatedly, his face filled with a look of yearning for the Spirit Beast Garden.

"So that’s how it is! To be able to enter such a sect is truly the greatest honor for me, Wang Xiedi!"

With that, he bowed to Su Ling’er and the Eldest Senior Brother.

Seeing him play his part so well, Su Ling’er felt a little relieved.

’Thank goodness. This junior brother might be a little strange, but at least he knows how to act while being watched by a demon like him.’

And Lin Qingfeng, seeing his new junior brother so "devoted," couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction.

’Making my little junior sister the guide was absolutely the right decision!’

Just as Wang Xiedi was bowing, someone else arrived at the Spirit Beast Garden.

The person was listlessly tossing something in his hand.

"Yo, Eldest Senior Brother, showing the new kid around?"

Lin Qingfeng glanced at him. "Yan Buliu, what are you doing at the Spirit Beast Garden?" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Hehe, what sharp eyes, Eldest Senior Brother!"

Yan Buliu sidled over with a grin,

"Your brother here got a little lucky recently and found a decent Spirit Fruit. I was just about to look for that kid Wang Xian to get his opinion, see if his precious Grievance Beast has any use for it.

But judging by its quality, it’ll probably need to be cultivated a second time to reach its full potential."

"Oh? What kind of Spirit Fruit? What are its effects? Where did you get it?"

"I have my ways. Can’t say, can’t say."

Yan Buliu placed a hand to his mouth and whispered mysteriously to the Eldest Senior Brother,

"This Spirit Fruit doesn’t look like much at first, but after a second cultivation, it can enhance a spirit beast’s skill range and effectiveness!"

Lin Qingfeng was startled. ’This is good stuff!’

He immediately cast an Identification Skill on the crimson Spirit Fruit in Yan Buliu’s hand and saw that it was indeed quite good.

’Looks like this kid will be able to get a good price from Wang Xian.’

Su Ling’er only overheard a part of it, but she understood. This was surely another one of those evil fruits used to strengthen enslavement and increase the efficiency of exploitation!

’Judging by his mysterious act, the fruit’s origin must be shady!’

Meanwhile, Wang Xiedi’s gaze was instinctively drawn to the Spirit Fruit that Yan Buliu was tossing in his hand.

The fruit was crimson all over, and because it was some distance away, he could only make out its general appearance.

But for some reason, he felt that the fruit... looked vaguely familiar.

A strange sense of familiarity washed over him. He felt like he had seen it somewhere before, but he couldn’t quite recall where.

Su Ling’er saw Wang Xiedi also staring curiously at the fruit, but with a flick of his wrist, Yan Buliu hid it in his sleeve.

His face still wore that same cynical smile.

’This man is cunning and deep. He’s not to be underestimated!’

To give him a deeper understanding of the danger here, Su Ling’er immediately sent a telepathic message.

[Su Ling’er]: In a bit, you might see a spirit beast called a ’Grievance Beast.’ It looks completely devoid of any will to live all day, just limp and listless. Its master, Wang Xian, is a strange guy too. He likes to just sit and stare blankly at it all day.

[Su Ling’er]: I really don’t know how a Demonic Sect like this, one that pursues the ultimate exploitation, would allow such a lazy spirit beast to just lie around. I’m guessing the Grievance Beast’s rank is too high, and they haven’t found a suitable way to enslave it yet, so they’re letting it barely hang on. Maybe this fruit has something to do with that!

[Wang Xiedi]: I see!

Wang Xiedi began to wonder what the Grievance Beast looked like and if he would get a chance to see it.

Just then, a sudden commotion erupted from the Beast Taming House inside the Spirit Beast Garden ahead!

"Oh no! The ’Jade-faced Mantis’ got out! Stop it!"

With a loud CRASH, a jade-green afterimage shot out from the main gate of the Beast Taming House!

Su Ling’er focused her gaze and saw that it was a giant female mantis!

Its appearance seemed a bit strange, but it was moving too fast for her to see clearly!

Before she could even react, a disciple had already made a move!

A long whip cut through the air with a vicious whistle, lashing cruelly toward the demon mantis!

CRACK!

With a sharp snap, one of the demon mantis’s forelegs shattered, and a bloody gash so deep the bone was visible was torn into its body!

’Such ruthless methods! To strike so heavily just because it tried to escape!’

The demon mantis let out a piercing shriek and was sent flying backward by the immense force—directly, without deviation, toward Wang Xiedi, who was standing behind Su Ling’er!

It all happened so fast that all Wang Xiedi saw was a flash of green light.

’Wait!’

’What’s that flying toward me?!’

’So fast!’

’It’s going to hit—’ THUD!

Wang Xiedi was sent flying backward with the green shadow, the back of his head hitting the ground. He saw stars, and the world spun around him.

After a moment, the dizziness slowly began to fade.

Su Ling’er’s heart sank. Forgetting about the Eldest Senior Brother behind her, she rushed over.

The moment she reached Wang Xiedi’s side and saw the scene before her, she froze.

Wang Xiedi’s eyes were shut tight, and he seemed to have passed out.

And the battered and broken Jade-faced Demon Mantis lay dying on top of him.

Its bizarre compound eyes, made of countless tiny crystal-like facets, stared unfocused at Wang Xiedi’s face.

And then, something happened between the two disparate beings that made everyone’s jaws drop...

?

!!!