Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

Lin Qingfeng was stunned for a moment after reading the rule, then he chuckled.

’If I just performed Sword Flight in public, cast some miraculous spell, and announced I was accepting disciples, wouldn’t all the common folk around here be crying and begging to ascend the mountain for Cultivation?’

’But that would also mean all the subsequent profits from the NPCs in this area would go down the drain.’

’To get that tempting permanent commission, I have to make the NPCs ’volunteer’ willingly.’

"Willingly..."

Lin Qingfeng mulled over the word, a nostalgic smile appearing on his face.

"Isn’t this just forcing us to go back to the old Nine Streams Sect playbook?"

’Back in the day, how did our Nine Streams Sect make its fortune?’

’It was all through cheating, swindling, abducting, and tricking people. We used a mix of coaxing and threats, setting up elaborate schemes to dupe one naive player after another into joining.’

’Want to leave the Nine Streams Sect?’

’Sure, you can. Just pay back the enormous training fees you owe the sect first.’

’Those series of debt traps caught countless members who wanted to leave in a long and arduous cycle of repayment.’

’And just because you left, doesn’t mean you can’t join again, right?’

’Get tricked into joining again, and you can start your journey of repayment all over again!’

The gears in Lin Qingfeng’s mind were turning, clicking and clacking away.

’Isn’t this even better than before? The profits from scamming people back then were so small, with hardly any commission. We could only swindle some cash by sending out red packets. But now? Now I can take a percentage cut of the profits.’

While he plotted out his future blueprint, he checked the rewards for clearing the secret realm.

A massive amount of Spirit Stones and experience points flowed into his system.

For players in the Late-stage Core Formation or Foundation Establishment Stage, this wave of experience points made their Cultivation levels shoot up.

But for a player like Lin Qingfeng, who had already reached the Great Perfection of Core Formation, the excess experience points were stored away.

However, what surprised Lin Qingfeng the most was an additional reward: a Secret Technique that could only be described as god-tier.

[Secret Technique: Indian-style Evasion·Initial]

Effect: After activation, you can dodge all attacks from Cultivators within one major realm higher than your own by brushing a hand through your hair, tilting your head back, and turning to the side. However, you cannot attack or use pills while evading. The evasion state can be maintained as long as you have Spiritual Power.

Lin Qingfeng read the skill description, and a scene immediately formed in his mind.

A Qi Refining Stage Cultivator activates this Secret Technique.

Across from him, a Foundation Establishment Stage expert is using Sword Flight, unleashing roaring Thunder Skills.

And yet the low-level Qi Refining Stage character is just strolling leisurely through the storm of attacks.

Whenever a fatal attack comes his way, he just gives a slight turn, stylishly brushes a hand through his hair, and nonchalantly tilts his head back as the attack grazes the hem of his clothes.

The opponent attacks again, and he responds with another stylish turn, tilting his head back to touch his hair, followed by an elegant sidestep. His movements are as smooth as flowing water.

’The point of this thing isn’t to be invincible, it’s to look cool!’

Lin Qingfeng decided on the spot that he had to try this move out later.

He contentedly closed the rewards panel and finally remembered what he was supposed to be doing.

He opened his friends list, found the familiar name, and opened a private chat.

[(Guixi Sect) Lin Qingfeng]: Yo, Brother Matchmaker, still alive?

A moment later, the other person’s avatar lit up.

[(Yin Yuan Pavilion) Moonlit Red Thread]: ...Thanks to you, I just finished the reconstruction process.

Seeing this resentful reply, Lin Qingfeng’s fingers danced even more lightly across his keyboard.

[(Guixi Sect) Lin Qingfeng]: Heard you guys got completely wiped out? What happened? Got cocky after hitting level three?

[(Guixi Sect) Lin Qingfeng]: Oh yeah, let’s get this straight. You can’t just welsh on the final payment for that batch of entry registration form data we exchanged just because your sect was annihilated.

[(Yin Yuan Pavilion) Moonlit Red Thread]: Don’t worry! I’ll definitely pay what I owe you! I, Moonlit Red Thread, still have that much integrity! Ugh, don’t even get me started. This time, we just had the worst luck imaginable!

[(Yin Yuan Pavilion) Moonlit Red Thread]: Our sect produced an Evil Cultivator who created his own Cultivation Technique! On top of that, we had just reached level three, so our novice protection period was over. We couldn’t summon the invincible Sect Leader NPC to save the day anymore. And trying to get him to act as a Supreme Elder? The cost was even higher than rebuilding our entire sect! This game is such a rip-off!

Lin Qingfeng’s interest was piqued.

[(Guixi Sect) Lin Qingfeng]: Oh? An Evil Cultivator? Your Yin Yuan Pavilion, a matchmaking agency, can produce an Evil Cultivator? Who did you piss off so badly that they came to your doorstep and slaughtered you all?

[(Yin Yuan Pavilion) Moonlit Red Thread]: Who else could it be! There’s a player in our sect who created some bizarre, evil Cultivation Technique—we don’t even know the specifics. Sometime ago, while he was out training, he became dao companions with a Nascent Soul Stage expert. And the result? They broke up not long after.

[(Guixi Sect) Lin Qingfeng]: So they broke up. What’s the big deal?

[(Yin Yuan Pavilion) Moonlit Red Thread]: The problem is, when they broke up, he took half of the other person’s Nascent Soul with him!

Lin Qingfeng was stunned speechless when he read that line.

’Am I even reading this right?’

’You can steal half of someone’s Cultivation just by breaking up with them?’

’This is basically marriage fraud in the Cultivation Realm!’

[(Guixi Sect) Lin Qingfeng]: That... that’s so freaking awesome?

[(Yin Yuan Pavilion) Moonlit Red Thread]: Awesome my ass! The person who lost half their Nascent Soul has some seriously powerful backing! An expert from their sect showed up at our door and flattened us without a second thought! And that troublemaker? He saw things were going south and just bailed!

[(Yin Yuan Pavilion) Moonlit Red Thread]: I’ve already posted a personal bounty on the bounty board. Whoever can kill this [Xiaohui], my Yin Yuan Pavilion... no, my "Reunion Pavilion" will reward them handsomely!

Lin Qingfeng saw the new sect name and almost burst out laughing.

[Lin Qingfeng]: Still, if he took half a Nascent Soul, you guys kind of had it coming.

[(Reunion Pavilion) Moonlit Red Thread]: ??? What are you talking about? What do you mean we had it coming? It was clearly that one person who dragged our entire sect down with him!

[(Guixi Sect) Lin Qingfeng]: Alright, alright. Go and sort out your pavilion. You secretly grinded to level three, but without your invincible Sect Leader for protection, you paid a heavy price, huh?

Lin Qingfeng closed the chat window, a sense of caution rising in his heart.

’The Cultivation Realm really is fraught with danger at every turn.’

’It seems we’ll all have to be more careful from now on.’

’Lest I one day suffer the same fate of having my sect annihilated by an angry visitor.’

At that moment, atop the platform at the peak of the Divine Tree, everyone else was also finishing up inventorying their loot.

As light and shadow twisted around them, the group was teleported back to the familiar training grounds of the Guixi Sect.

The secret realm’s portal slowly closed behind them, eventually dissipating into specks of light.

However, the one who greeted them was Dong Changsheng.

Lin Qingfeng’s eyebrow twitched, and a strange feeling rose within him.

He subconsciously pulled up his observation interface, his gaze locking onto Dong Changsheng’s status bar.

The [Strong Luck] entry seemed to have grown somewhat dim.

’Could it be...’

’His special entry isn’t a permanently active passive aura, but a consumable resource?’

’His luck... can be used up?’

’Then what about the others?’

With a thought, Lin Qingfeng opened his minimap (explorable area).

Immediately after, Lin Qingfeng’s pupils contracted sharply.

A skull icon was starkly displayed in the southeastern corner, not far from the sect.

Beside the icon, two words were clearly marked: Ye Longtao.

The corner of Lin Qingfeng’s eye twitched. He almost lost his composure.

’Seriously? You really are just a bit-part actor, huh? I look away for one second and you’re already dead?!’