In the Outer Hall, there's a stage. This stage is portable and flexible. It can grow and shrink as the wielder of the treasure wills. After all the disciples run like a pack of hungry hyenas, the Outer Hall is now empty. Only Zhang Zhenking stands in the wide and glamorous Outer Hall, hands behind his back, and spine straight.

After seeing almost all his outer court disciples leave, he knows that the Purple Moon Sect would face some trouble. After all, they're the ones given the mundane and most numerous missions. Moreover, since this treasure hunt race includes every disciple, pill production, weapon production, and talisman production are also halted. He's serious when he says every outer disciple needs to gather. Whether they're old or young, whether they're combatants or not. Everyone needs to gather gifts for Hao Yu.

After all, this is a really urgent matter, even if his definition of urgent differs from the disciples'.

Turning around, Zhang Zhenking starts to walk toward a golden gate. This golden gate connects the outer court and the inner court. The gate opens on its own when he approaches, and when he passes through, it closes behind him.

Several meters in front of him, a kid stands with a smile on his face. This kid is wearing a dark blue cultivator robe that matches his blue hair and blue eyes. He puts his hands behind his back and puffs out his chest as if trying to make himself bigger.

"Elder Zhang Zhenking, what a coincidence to meet you here!"

In this Purple Moon Sect, elders have greater status than the patriarch's son, but even he doesn't dare to harm this kid. After all, this kid is Hao Yun. The son of heaven. The most talented human being on the continent. The Demon Kid.

If he had a choice, he'd never want to interact with this kid. But he doesn't have a choice, so he needs to be careful around him.

"Indeed, what a coincidence."

Hao Yun grins, hands behind his head. "Perhaps it's fate! Since you can't attend my tea party due to this urgent matter, I thought we'd only meet next week when the Twelve Elders have a meeting. But here we are, meeting by chance."

"It's the will of heaven," Zhang Zhenking humors this little devil.

Zhang Zhenking resumes walking, his steps measured and purposeful. Hao Yun, not wanting to be left behind, quickly falls into step beside him. The elder and the young disciple move forward together, their contrasting figures creating an interesting sight as they traverse the hallway.

Hao Yun grins wide. "It's true! I was just exploring the sect when I got lost, and then I ended up here when you announced that race. Speaking of that race, I'm so excited! Three thousand gifts, and they're all for me! It's a shame I can't join the race. I should have stayed in the outer court longer. Perhaps I could transfer to the outer court and become an outer disciple. That way, I could join the race!"

"Please don't joke around."

"Hehe. Yes, I'm joking. While it's a shame I can't join the race, it's still exciting, especially your hidden agenda."

"It's not my hidden agenda. It's our sect's hidden agenda."

"But you're the one who formed the plan and is executing it, so I say this is your agenda."

"I don't agree with your assessment, but you can think whatever you want. Just know that I'm loyal. Everything I do is for the sect."

"I didn't question your loyalty. I'm sorry if I offended you."

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"I'm not offended," Zhang Zhengking said.

Zhang Zhengking has already decided that he would devote his life and give his loyalty to the sect. The enemy of the sect is his enemy, and he would destroy his enemies.

"I think this plan of yours is brilliant." Hao Yun gives a thumbs up.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhenking nods. "Thank you."

"The preparation for war, disguised as a race to get as many gifts as possible." Hao Yun grins. "The icing on the cake is that it's for my birthday! How amazing is that?"

Zhang Zhenking controls his expression. He knows that his plan isn't a secret for the upper echelons of the sect, but hearing someone say it out in the open somehow feels wrong, as if his secret is now out there. "Don't forget your engagement too."

"Ah, right, I forgot. It's just that the birthday party is more special to me since it's dedicated only to me, not shared with someone else." He pouts. "I still wonder why I'm the one getting engaged, not my brother."

Zhang Zhenking is sure this kid knows the reason. But unlike him, Zhang Zhenking wouldn't talk about secret matters out in the open.

"Anyway, since you've already made the preparations, do you already know who our enemy is?" Hao Yun asks nonchalantly.

In front of them is a statue of a golden lion. This statue stands in the hallway as if to scare off anyone who tries to pass by. But when the lion sees that it's Zhang Zhenking and Hao Yun, it bows, its eyes glowing, and the wall to its right slides open, revealing a secret passage right into the innermost deep area of the sect, where the most important people live. He is one of them, just like Hao Yun.

As he walks down this short passage, with light glowing at the end of the hallway, he finally answers Hao Yun's question. "No. I still don't know who our enemies are."

This fact makes Zhang Zhenking restless. He's not the most intelligent person among the Twelve Elders, but since the seventh seat is now empty, he's also in charge of information gathering. Two to three years ago, he hoped Hao Yun would fit this seat, but right now, the chance of that happening is almost zero. Hao Yun would sit in a higher seat.

And he, the one in charge of information gathering, presented with a wide-area information network, one of the best on the continent, still doesn't know who or where or why about the enemy.

The only thing that helps him sleep at night is that he stumbled upon a fact about these elusive enemies: they're attacking all the great sects at the same time, creating a multitude of seemingly unconnected accidents to destabilize all of the sects. Their main primary method of attack is targeting talented disciples, ensuring the weakening of great sects in the future.

"Do your best, I believe in you," Hao Yun said.

Zhang Zhenking turns his head and sees the little smile on the kid's lips. The smile looks genuine, and probably is, but he needs to remember that the seventh seat of the Twelve Elders is empty because of him.

"Anyway, this year's outer disciples are great! I see some individuals worth our time. Have you already decided who your disciple will be?"

His mind flashes to three exceptional individuals and one anomaly.

"I can't decide before the race is over. Who my disciples will be doesn't depend on my decision, but on the three who gather the most gifts."

"Is that so? I thought you would choose that guy who can use your technique fully. What's his name again, Liu Xing?"

"Indeed, my Lightning Cloak finally found a worthy user. But as I said, I can't decide about it. Moreover, if I have to choose, I can't just choose one disciple. I need three disciples. And as the rule says, to create a team is to consider everything, but the most important thing is harmony."

This Liu Xing is one of the least talented people in the outer sect. Usually, people like him would die in a corner of the world. Whether peacefully or gruesomely. But it seems like he found a stroke of luck and turned his life around.

Hao Yun sighs. "That's right. Other people have teams. Only I don't have one."

"That's because you don't need a team."

"Bullshit!" He pouts, and the two of them finally exit the hallway. They stand in front of a beautiful garden. Colorful birds are chirping, flowers in many colors bloom, and butterflies dance between the flowers. If someone looks at the sky, instead of seeing a roof, they would see a blue sky so clear there's not a speck of cloud in sight. And despite it being daytime, a moon, glowing with purple light, can be seen in the sky, watching everything below it, as if it's the eye of a god.

"Anyway, if that's all, we need to part here. I have matters to attend to," Zhang Zhenking said.

"Ah, right, thank you for your time. I only have two questions left," Hao Yun said.

Zhang Zhenking remains silent, allowing Hao Yun to ask his questions.

"What would you do if the enemy is inside our sect?"