I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

Star Essence? It seems I absolutely must go to this Lesser Universe Realm. I have enough energy points for now, but I need to find some body-tempering spiritual items.

He then focused his attention on analyzing the Yin Puppet Soul Core Imprint. The system continued its attempts to decipher it, progressing slowly but not without results. The encryption method of the imprint vaguely resembled that of the "Soul Refining Sect," a sect renowned for its soul refining techniques in the southwest of the Southern Continent, but it was not entirely similar, more like a resemblance than a resemblance.

"The Soul Refining Sect..." Qin Yuan mused. This sect had a bad reputation, but its strength was not to be underestimated. It was said that a Dao Integration stage expert was stationed there, and they acted in a secretive manner. If it was indeed their people causing trouble near the Taiyi Immortal Sect, their ambitions must be considerable.

Over the next few days, besides his daily cultivation, Qin Yuan familiarized himself with the duties of the Sky Patrol Guards and some of the rules of the Taiyi Immortal Sect. Through Zhao Zheng and others, and a few limited interactions with other squad leaders, he also learned about the general situation of the various factions within the sect. The Taiyi Immortal Sect was not monolithic; there were factional struggles, mainly divided into the "Sect Leader's Lineage" headed by the Sect Leader, the "Elders' Faction" composed of several senior elders, and some powerful aristocratic alliances. Elder Zhou Qingxuan belonged to the relatively neutral but highly senior Elders' Faction, and held great prestige.

The third squad had completely stabilized. Having witnessed Qin Yuan's methods and background, Zhao Zheng had completely abandoned his petty schemes and was now working diligently. Sun Ying, Li Zhen, Wang Shan, and Su Wan were also sincerely impressed by this unfathomable young captain. The squad took on several routine patrol missions, all of which were completed successfully, gradually gaining some reputation within the Sky Patrol Guard—mainly due to Captain Qin Yuan's high cultivation level, ruthless methods, and impeccable mission completion.

Ten days later, at the Dao Discussion Peak.

This peak is located in one of the core areas of the Taiyi Mountain Range. Although it is not the highest peak, it is rich in spiritual energy and has beautiful scenery. It is a common place for sect members to discuss matters and debate.

Qin Yuan, dressed in the black uniform of a Sky Patrol Guard captain with his captain's token hanging from his waist, arrived on his sword. At the summit was a spacious platform upon which sat an ancient and simple hall called the "Hall of Discussion." Dozens of people were already waiting on the platform before the hall, all representatives from various peaks and halls attending the meeting. Among them were more than a dozen captains of the Sky Patrol Guard, most of whom were at the Nascent Soul stage. Only two possessed exceptionally profound auras, having reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage; they were veterans of the Sky Patrol Guard.

Qin Yuan's arrival attracted the attention of some people. His youthful face, his peak Nascent Soul cultivation (which he did not completely conceal), and the "叄" character captain's token at his waist were quite eye-catching. Many gazes fell on him, filled with curiosity and inquiry, while a few contained scrutiny or indifference.

"This must be the newly joined junior brother Qin Yuan?" A gentle voice rang out. Qin Yuan turned his head and saw a handsome young man with an otherworldly air, dressed in a white cloud-patterned Daoist robe, walking towards him with a smile. His cultivation level was also at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, and the token at his waist was engraved with the character "壹"—Liu Suifeng, the captain of the first squad of the Sky Patrol Guard.

"Senior Brother Liu." Qin Yuan cupped his hands in greeting. He had heard of this person before; he was a direct descendant of the sect leader, extremely talented, and had a very good reputation within the sect.

"Junior Brother Qin, there's no need for such formalities." Liu Suifeng smiled sincerely. "Junior Brother, you made a discovery in Black Wind Ravine so early in your sect, and you have made great contributions. I admire you. In the future, when we are both in the Sky Patrol Guard, I hope we can stay in touch."

"Senior brother, you flatter me. It's my duty," Qin Yuan replied politely.

After exchanging a few words, Liu Suifeng seemed to have a good impression of Qin Yuan and briefly introduced the important captains and deacons present. Qin Yuan took notes of them one by one.

Before long, the bell rang, and everyone entered the Hall of Discussion. Three elders sat at the head of the hall. The one in the center possessed an aura as profound as the sea, indicating he was a Void Refinement stage cultivator and one of the vice hall masters of the Enforcement Hall. The two on his left and right were also senior deacons at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

The meeting mainly summarized the tasks of each guard post in the previous quarter and assigned key patrol areas and tasks for the next quarter. When Black Wind Gorge and its surrounding areas were mentioned, the deputy hall master specifically emphasized that they had been designated as key areas of concern and would be thoroughly investigated by the direct subordinate guards of the Enforcement Hall. All patrol teams were required to be extra careful during routine patrols, and to report any abnormalities immediately, without taking any unauthorized actions.

Qin Yuan understood; the sect indeed valued this matter.

During the task assignment phase, Qin Yuan's third team was assigned to a relatively peaceful area, mainly for patrolling and coordinating affairs with several small and medium-sized affiliated sects. This arrangement seemed ordinary, but Qin Yuan noticed that one of the sects, named "Flowing Cloud Sect," was the same sect that Zhao Zheng had mentioned before, which was involved in a dispute over offerings, alongside the exploration mission in Black Wind Ravine.

The meeting ended, and everyone dispersed. Before leaving, Liu Suifeng specifically sent a telepathic message to Qin Yuan: "Junior Brother Qin, things haven't been peaceful at the Flowing Cloud Sect lately. Several affiliated mines have run into trouble one after another, and the offerings haven't been paid in full. There seems to be something going on behind the scenes. When you lead the team there, be sure to be careful. If things get too difficult, seek help immediately."

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Liu." Qin Yuan nodded.

Back at the Bingzi Courtyard, Qin Yuan informed the team members of their new mission.

"The Flowing Cloud Sect?" Zhao Zheng pondered. "This sect is of average strength. The sect leader seems to be at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. They have been affiliated with my Taiyi Sect for over a hundred years and have been relatively well-behaved in the past. In recent months, I have indeed heard that the output of several major spirit stone mines within their territory has plummeted, and there have been mysterious deaths of miners. They themselves cannot find the cause, so the offerings have been delayed."

"An accident at the mine? A miner died?" Qin Yuan's eyes flickered slightly. "Do you know the specifics?"

"I've been following some rumors before," Su Wan interjected. "They say the miners died in bizarre ways, as if their life force and soul had been drained, their bodies were shriveled, but there were no obvious external injuries. The Flowing Cloud Sect suspects it was the work of evil cultivators or demons, but their investigations have been fruitless."

"Draining essence, energy, and soul?" Qin Yuan immediately thought of the Yin puppets and soul-refining techniques of Black Wind Ravine. Could there be a connection between the two?

"Make preparations. We'll depart in three days for the Flowing Cloud Sect," Qin Yuan ordered. "Li Zhen, bring sufficient reconnaissance and deployment materials. Sun Ying, gather all recent intelligence on the Flowing Cloud Sect and its surrounding forces. Zhao Zheng and Wang Shan, check the equipment and ensure readiness."

"yes!"

Everyone accepted the order and prepared accordingly. Qin Yuan returned to the quiet room and took out the Yin Puppet Soul Core. He had a vague feeling that the matter of the Flowing Cloud Sect and the discovery of Black Wind Ravine were probably on the same wavelength.

Three days later, the third team of six people boarded a standard flying boat provided by the sect and left Taiyi Immortal Sect, heading towards the territory of Liuyun Sect in the southeast.

The Flowing Cloud Sect is located in an area called the "Emerald Cloud Mountain Range," which is famous for producing a mid-grade spirit stone called "Emerald Cloud Stone." After the flying boat traveled for about half a day, the mountains below gradually became verdant, shrouded in clouds and mist, with a reasonably high concentration of spiritual energy.