Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

In this demonic sect, they had experienced all sorts of torture and terror.

But this was the first time they had watched, helpless, as their Eldest Brother mercilessly killed one of their own—another undercover disciple—for the sake of an opportunity.

That casualness, that indifference... it was as if he were crushing an ant, an act unworthy of a second thought.

A chill, born of the fear that they could be next, spread uncontrollably from the depths of their hearts throughout their bodies.

They were, after all, different from these Evil Cultivators; they couldn’t be so callous.

Even if this experience, like the one in the Yin Spirit Institute, would turn out to be just an illusion once they left.

’But today, Eldest Brother killed Dong Changsheng without a second thought just to snatch his opportunity and kick him out of the secret realm.’

’Then what about tomorrow?’

’If an opportunity arises tomorrow that only I can trigger, will he do the same thing? Will he blast me to bits and take everything?’

’What if it doesn’t happen in the Yin Spirit Institute or the Guixi Secret Realm?’

’Then it wouldn’t just be our opportunities getting snatched. We would truly die, our bodies and souls obliterated.’

Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.

Su Ling’er felt a sense of suffocation.

Wang Xiedi was in a similar state. He stared blankly at his hands, which had just learned the Mirror Flower Water Moon Step, his expression downcast.

He couldn’t understand. ’Why could Eldest Brother kill Mr. Dong so easily?’

’What on earth did Mr. Dong do to displease Eldest Brother so much that he would raise a butcher’s knife against him for personal gain?’

Despite their substantial gains, Su Ling’er and Wang Xiedi still looked somewhat dejected.

...

As the River God completely dissipated, the tremors wracking this blessed grotto-heaven grew even more violent.

Cracks appeared in the sky, the earth split open, and the clear little river dried up in an instant.

The entire secret realm was collapsing.

Amidst the crumbling ruins, two distinct paths appeared before them.

One led to the canyon they had come from, where the roars of the Rotting Wood Dragon had already ceased.

The other was a newly opened, deep and secluded path in the secret realm’s deepest recesses, leading to an unknown destination.

Lin Qingfeng pondered for a moment.

’Since Dong Changsheng discovered this whole fortuitous encounter, this new path that appeared because of the realm’s collapse must also lead somewhere good.’

He decided to regroup with the main force first.

When he and his group emerged from the fissure and returned to the canyon, the scene before them could only be described as a frenzy.

The massive body of the Rotting Wood Dragon lay fallen in the center of the canyon.

Dozens of Guixi Sect disciples were gathered around the enormous dragon corpse, carving it up.

"This wood dragon actually drops dragon tendons! Dragon tendons are great materials for refining magic treasures! This one’s mine!"

"Don’t you dare! This piece of Rotten Heartwood is mine! It’ll be an amazing ingredient for Alchemy!"

"Everyone back off! Nobody touches the biggest demon core in the dragon’s head until Eldest Brother gets back!"

Their division of labor was clear: some were stripping the tough bark from the wood dragon, others were digging out demon cores embedded in its bones, and some were even collecting the black liquid dripping from the corpse.

Seeing Lin Qingfeng and his group appear, the players dissecting the dragon corpse looked up to greet them.

"Eldest Brother! You’re back!"

"Huh? Where’s that human-shaped treasure detector, Dong Changsheng?"

Lin Qingfeng spread his hands with a helpless look.

"Don’t ask. The final opportunity inside was a big ball of light, and it stubbornly chased after Dong Changsheng and only him. We couldn’t shake it off."

"There was no other choice. I couldn’t just stand by and watch someone like him hog such a great prize, could I? So, I had to kill him and let the reward be redistributed."

"Nice one, Guild Leader!"

"Exactly! Why should a guy like him get to keep all the good stuff!"

The players all voiced their agreement. Clearly, from their perspective, this move was perfectly reasonable—even brilliant and decisive.

Lin Qingfeng smiled and began to distribute the spoils from this venture.

He distributed most of the precious swords he had farmed from the River God to the core members of the team, drawing a round of cheers.

Then, with a thought, the spirit of that chatterbox River God slowly materialized behind him.

"Hello there, you honest yet noisy young people..." the River God said, waving at the crowd.

All the players’ eyes went wide when they saw this.

"Holy shit! Guild Leader, you’re awesome! Did you... get a Stand?!"

"A guardian spirit! You can actually get one of those?! That’s so awesome!"

"WAAAH... I want one so bad! Why don’t I ever get these kinds of lucky encounters!"

Jealousy and envy instantly spread through the crowd.

One whale of a player even asked directly, "Guild Leader! Name your price! Is that guardian spirit for sale?!"

Lin Qingfeng laughed smugly and patted the ethereal form of the River God beside him.

"Heh heh, not for sale."

As the secret realm finished collapsing, the other players and NPCs from the grotto-heaven also emerged and regrouped with the main force.

Lin Qingfeng began distributing the equipment mass-produced by the River God.

He handed out dozens of the highest-grade Ancient Swords to the core players with the highest damage output, drawing a round of cheers.

He also kept a few for himself as backups.

Next, he turned to the three remaining NPCs.

He glanced at Wang Xiedi and shook his head.

’This guy hasn’t even reached Foundation Establishment yet. His Cultivation is too weak. Giving him an Ancient Sword would be a waste; he couldn’t handle it.’

He then looked at Li Chunfeng and asked, "Mr. Li, I have some Ancient Swords here. Would you like to switch to one? It’s surely better than that Wooden Sword of yours, right?"

But Li Chunfeng caressed the Wooden Sword at his waist and shook his head. "Thank you for the kind offer, Eldest Brother. But this Wooden Sword is enough."

Seeing this, Lin Qingfeng didn’t press the issue.

Finally, he took a shimmering, multicolored Ancient Sword and tossed it in front of Su Ling’er.

"Here, Little Junior Sister. You can use this for now."

Su Ling’er numbly took the Ancient Sword.

The blade emanated a sharp Sword Qi, a testament to its extraordinary quality.

Her heart, however, was in a state of utter, complex turmoil.

She didn’t know what to think.

’Honestly, since I joined this demonic sect, Eldest Brother... he’s mostly tormented me, but at times, he’s also been good to me.’

’Cultivation Techniques, resources, and now even these mass-produced Ancient Swords... he’s given them all to me without hesitation.’

’But...’

’When I think about that moment just now—how he blasted someone to bits for personal gain without a second thought—a feeling of repulsion wells up inside me, even though I know it wasn’t a true death.’

’That indifference toward life itself was something I could never accept.’

’And now, this fiend had tossed a gift tainted with that karma right into my hands.’

She felt dejected and conflicted.

But she still took the sword.

She needed power.

She had to pursue her own Immortal Path and uphold the Righteous Path in her heart. Without power, it was all just empty talk.

Even if this power was a handout from a fiend... she had to accept it.

Then, she would use this power to walk the "Path" she believed to be right.

Su Ling’er lowered her head, her expression dim, burying those complex emotions deep inside.

Lin Qingfeng saw his Little Junior Sister take the sword but then keep her head down without a word, her spirits obviously low. He found it a bit strange.

So, he asked.