Elsie continued, "So, you don't need to worry at all about the fate of those beings. They will surely be handled appropriately. Of course, to better integrate the purified Earth world into the upper realm, we will transfer it to the Geomantic Spirit Realm of the upper hierarchical system. From there, it will be assimilated into Bixian City, serving as a prison for receiving prisoners. Only after the purified Earth stabilizes completely will the Spirit Realm use it to fill the newly expanded territories."

At this point, Elsie seemed to remember something and lightly tapped her forehead before saying, "Oh, right! Speaking of Bixian City, I must mention the Chief Judges of the Geomantic Spirit Realm! Due to our purification work and the reshaping related to the worlds being purified, all under the cooperation of the Geomantic Spirit Realm, these Chief Judges have become among the few priests in the surface system who know the truth. For safety reasons, their knowledge is extremely limited."

Upon hearing Elsie speak, Dao Lao was naturally more surprised than Hao Yun and the others. The reason was simple: his closest friend, Judge Yan, was precisely the Chief Judge overseeing the 13th district of the Geomantic Spirit Realm. If everything Elsie said was true, then Judge Yan must also be aware of the purification task and might have even cooperated with the Purification Envoys in dealing with lower realm worlds that needed purification. To think that his closest friend would be involved in such a horrific purification task against lower realm beings, Dao Lao understood that Judge Yan hadn't told him about it likely because it had nothing to do with him. Moreover, given the task's association with the Dark Layer system, Judge Yan naturally dared not disclose it due to strict confidentiality regulations. Though he understood, the thought of Judge Yan secretly participating in the purification task still made Dao Lao very uncomfortable.

Furthermore, no matter how Elsie and the others justified it, Dao Lao and his companions still believed they were whitewashing their inaction towards the beings living on the Earth world, and even tacitly or actively participating in slaughter. Learning that the Spirit Realm, which had always upheld the lofty standards of absolute justice and noble morality, was secretly engaged in murder and trafficking to satisfy private interests, Dao Lao and his companions immediately began to question the Spirit Realm. Driven by this psychological urge, Dao Lao was bound to diverge from Judge Yan, his friend, in terms of stance, perhaps even leading to open conflict between them.

At this moment, Hao Yun and his group appeared bewildered. Their inadvertent exposure to another side of the Spirit Realm in this adventure had led them to not only question the motivations behind the Spirit Realm's perpetually grand and virtuous image but also left them perplexed and worried about the future. If this was the true face of the Spirit Realm, where would they go from here? Should they turn a blind eye to the Dark Layer's actions and continue to uphold the false image of sacred morality that the Spirit Realm projected? Or should they adhere to their moral bottom line, finding ways unilaterally to protect innocent lower realm beings from being slaughtered in purification tasks contrary to natural laws? Should they openly resist the Purification Envoys to help those lower realm beings defend against the disasters brought by purification tasks?

At this moment, Hao Yun and his group simultaneously recalled their experiences in the Fragrant Nebula. They couldn't forget how they had repeatedly committed unethical acts in the so-called game to escape the Countess's torture, acts that still harmed many innocent beings beyond the Countess's control. The act of killing innocent beings had burdened them with a profound sense of guilt, and they swore never to commit any actions contrary to moral principles again.

But now, facing the dark side displayed by the Spirit Realm, Hao Yun and his group, who wanted to faithfully serve the Spirit Realm, found themselves once again forced to make a choice between right and wrong, reality and ideals. Would they continue to play their roles as priests in the Spirit Realm, maintaining a false image of sacred morality? Or would they uphold their bottom line, becoming truly noble spirits free from base desires? Hao Yun and his group were caught in intense inner struggles. Elsie and the others quietly gazed at them, as if reminding them to make their choices carefully, as the next development would inevitably turn against them if they didn't.

After waiting for a while longer, when Hao Yun and his group remained silent, Eve broke the silence first, "Oh my! My dear children! At this point, I think you three shouldn't be tangled anymore! If you insist on exploring this matter instead of taking Gretel's recommendation letter back for a promotion and salary raise, then we naturally have no choice!"

Upon hearing Eve's words, Dao Lao couldn't help but frown and ask, "Oh? Lady Eve, what do you mean by that?"

Of course, Dao Lao understood Eve's implication. Therefore, as he posed his question, he also retrieved the Demon-Slaying Staff again. Hao Yun and the others almost simultaneously armed themselves and quickly gathered together, forming a circular defensive formation facing the enemy. The atmosphere in the circular hall became tense instantly due to Hao Yun's group suddenly entering a defensive state, causing everyone to stand still and refrain from making any further noises. Everyone feared that even an inadvertent move might lead to a misunderstanding and ignite a conflict.

Certainly, compared to Hao Yun's side, which was on high alert, the Purification Envoys showed more composure. Apart from the Xibo soldiers who surrounded Hao Yun and his group with raised guns and Elsa, who couldn't wait to kill them, the other Purification Envoys simply watched the changes on the field quietly. It seemed that these Purification Envoys were only wary of any untoward actions Hao Yun and his group might take but had no intention of responding.

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Seeing that the battle formation of Haoyun and his companions was almost set, Eve stepped forward to make a gesture that calmed everyone down. Then she said, "Calm down, everyone! Please let me finish speaking, alright? Actually, what I want to say is, since you're not willing to leave from the beginning, well, now you have no retreat options!"

Haoyun frowned and said, "If that's the case, why are you still talking nonsense here?! If you're going to make a move, do it quickly! Are we supposed to be afraid of you?"

Haoyun's tone was very impolite, but Eve didn't get angry at all. She just looked at him with an expression as if dealing with a naughty child, pursed her lips, smiled kindly, and then said, "Oh my! How can you talk to mommy like this?! You really have no sense of propriety!"

Haoyun didn't respond, but continued to stare at Eve with extreme vigilance. Eve continued in a gentle tone, "Our purification work is actually more complicated than you imagine, and casualties among personnel are inevitable during missions, leading to shortages in our ranks. Therefore, there is a provision in our Sacred Expansion Department — Purification Envoys can appropriately promote outstanding talents from the lower realm beings they encounter during their work. In addition, if we unexpectedly encounter officials from the upper systems during missions, these officials also become our key targets for recruitment. So what I want to say is, since you already know of our existence and understand our work content, why not join us and become a group of outstanding Purification Envoys!"

Eve's invitation to Haoyun and his companions to join them did indeed come as a surprise. However, it explained why the Purification Envoys did not show too much hostility towards Haoyun and his group after their arrival. Nevertheless, from the beginning, Haoyun and his companions did not look favorably upon these Purification Envoys who always maintained a superior attitude. The further explanations about their work by the Purification Envoys only deepened Haoyun's and his companions' perception that the Purification Envoys were nothing more than a group of thugs, far from being righteous sages.

So, join the ranks of the Purification Envoys? While hearing this proposal, Haoyun and his companions had already given their answer from the deep-seated aversion they felt towards the Purification Envoys. No, even if it meant death, they would not join the Sacred Expansion Department, become executioners under the guise of justice, and stand on the moral high ground to commit atrocities against innocent beings of the lower realms!

As they arrived at this answer in their hearts, Haoyun and his companions immediately felt relieved of their inner turmoil. Although they knew the huge gap in strength between them would make it difficult to win in the upcoming confrontation, they were not afraid. Because a true hero doesn't give up resistance in the face of crisis, but rather faces the changing times with a smile, preferring to die as heroes rather than kneel as ghosts! Thinking of this, Haoyun and his companions quickly prepared for battle, rejecting Eve's seemingly generous invitation with their actions. At the same time, Haoyun also looked apologetically at Eva and the other four, indicating that he might not be able to rescue Earth NX from the war.

Seeing the apologetic expressions on Haoyun and his companions' faces, Eva and the others did not say much, but smiled understandingly and tightened their weapons, firmly standing by Haoyun and his companions. Although they were as small as ants in front of these gods and spirits, as members of the Skeleton Squad, they had been living a life on the edge of a knife every day. In their view, death was only the highest reward for all their efforts to defend human civilization and protect Earth NX from destruction by external enemies. So, even if they couldn't deal with these Purification Envoys, they would still fight with all their might, trying to drag a few more Xibo soldiers to cover their backs before they died!

"If we refuse even when we have no other choice, what then?" Dao Lao asked calmly. At this moment, Dao Lao still stood there casually, holding a can of iced coffee that he had taken from Haoyun's fridge at some point.

Eve sighed slightly in response, "Becoming a Purification Envoy has many benefits. Firstly, your welfare treatment will be greatly improved. Secondly, your strength and equipment will also be greatly enhanced. Besides, with my son's relationship, we can use personal connections to try to secure a stable job for you in the Sacred Expansion Department without the need to go out on missions all the time. In this way, you won't have to live a life of exposure to wind and rain on the front lines every day! Have you three really not considered it?"

"No need!" Haoyun replied without hesitation.

Seeing this, Eve sighed again and then turned to the four of Eva and said, "So how about you four? Although you are ordinary lower realm beings with very average qualifications and talents, since you've come here, we naturally have to follow the rules and regulations, and offer you the opportunity to be promoted as Purification Envoys."

"No need! We small fries wouldn't dare to climb so high as to associate with you, distinguished figures!" Eva also refused without hesitation. Eve shook her head when she heard this, seeming to express her incomprehension towards the four's blind obedience to Haoyun and his companions.

Just then, another woman's voice suddenly appeared in the hall: "Eva, why follow them to the bitter end? You must understand, how insignificant we lower realm beings are in front of the officials of the upper realms? If you truly have ambitions, you should seize the opportunity given by Lady Eve! Only by joining us can you stand at a higher vantage point to scrutinize the so-called disaster happening on Earth NX. Only then can you truly understand how meaningful the work of the Purification Envoys is. You can truly appreciate the good intentions of the spiritual realms!"

Haoyun and his companions quickly identified the speaker as another black-robed official standing in the center of the hall among the equipment. From her slightly petite figure and the voice she used, it was not difficult to determine that this was a female official. Moreover, Haoyun and his companions also felt that her voice sounded very familiar.