Immortality and Cultivation: I can extract entries from all things.

Winter has been here for some time now, and the sea breeze is getting increasingly biting.

Fang He was cultivating in his thatched hut when he suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.

"Brother Fang, Team Leader Zhou wants you to go to the camp."

He was a member of the patrol team, and his tone was somewhat hurried.

Fang He opened her eyes and asked, "What is it?"

"Someone from the Qingyuan Sect has come and says they want to see you."

Fang He's heart stirred, and she got up to straighten her clothes.

People from the Qingyuan Sect have arrived.

Zhou Tieshan had mentioned this before; the clues from the Dark Abyss Pavilion would be reported to the sect. He didn't expect someone to come so quickly.

He went out with his team, and was greeted by a biting winter wind and a chilling cold.

The sky was overcast, and the sound of waves crashing against the rocks could be faintly heard.

Over the past two months, he has continued to participate in patrol missions, and his cultivation has become much more stable. He is now just one step away from reaching the fourth level of Qi Refining.

The shadow of the Dark Abyss Pavilion always loomed over him, preventing him from ever letting his guard down.

"Over here."

The team leader led him through the market and towards the core area.

Fang He followed behind, secretly making plans in his mind.

The people from the sect must be here because of the Dark Abyss Pavilion.

He only needs to report the facts; the rest is not his concern.

……

Zhoujia Camp is located in the core area of ​​Fangshi, and Fang He rarely enters it.

The camp was larger than the guard camp and heavily guarded, with two Zhou family members at the mid-stage of Qi Refining standing at the entrance.

The team leader showed his badge and led Fang He through several checkpoints.

The camp was neatly arranged, and the Zhou family members came and went, attracting many curious glances.

Fang He remained calm, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

He was just a rogue cultivator in the Qi Refining stage, and in the eyes of these Zhou family disciples, he was nothing more than an outsider.

"arrive."

The team leader stopped in front of a lobby.

Two people were standing at the entrance of the lobby. Fang He recognized one of them; it was Zhou Qiang, the team leader.

The other person was a young woman, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a beautiful face and a haughty demeanor.

She wore a light blue dress made of high-quality material, clearly not something an ordinary rogue cultivator could afford.

Fang He recognized her at a glance: Zhou Xiaolan, the eldest daughter of the Zhou family.

He had seen her once before from afar in the market, only knowing that she was the eldest daughter of the Zhou family, of noble status, but they had never crossed paths before.

Zhou Qiang nodded slightly when he saw Fang He: "Go in, they're waiting for you."

Fang He bowed and said, "Yes."

Zhou Xiaolan stood aside, her gaze sweeping lightly over Fang He before she paid him no further attention.

That look was as if he were looking at an insignificant passerby.

Fang He remained expressionless and pushed open the door to enter.

……

The lobby was spacious and bright, more than twice the size of the room in the guard camp.

The group sat on either side, the atmosphere solemn.

Seated in the main seat was a man in his forties, with an extraordinary bearing and an air of authority in every gesture.

Zhou Yuanhai, the head of the Zhou family.

At the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, one's spiritual energy is contained and one's aura is calm.

On the left is Zhou Tieshan, who nodded slightly when he saw Fang He enter.

Sitting on the right was a young man, about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a handsome face and an extraordinary demeanor.

He was dressed in the robes of a Qingyuan Sect disciple, with a blue "Yuan" character embroidered on the lapel. The robes were of fine quality and faintly glowed with spiritual light.

Fang He's eyes flickered slightly as she discreetly probed with her spiritual sense.

He was actually at the peak of the late stage of Qi Refining.

Its spiritual energy is abundant, far surpassing that of other items of the same level.

This person is someone of considerable importance.

Fang He made a judgment in his mind: this person should be someone from the Qingyuan Sect.

Zhou Xiaolan stood next to the young man.

She had followed him in at some point, leaning slightly towards the man, her gaze frequently falling on him before quickly shifting away, her earlobes slightly red.

Fang He stepped forward to greet him.

"Fang He, a rogue cultivator, pays his respects to the clan leader, Commander-in-Chief Zhou, and... the sect's envoy."

Zhou Yuanhai nodded slightly, his tone polite but distant: "No need for formalities."

Zhou Tieshan said, "This is Ye Chen from the Qingyuan Sect. Envoy Ye has been ordered to come and investigate clues about the Dark Abyss Pavilion."

Ye Chen glanced at Fang He, his gaze indifferent.

"Are you the one who discovered the control traces?"

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, carrying a hint of nonchalance.

Fang He nodded: "Yes."

Ye Chen gestured for him to sit down, his tone indifferent: "Tell me what happened."

Fang He then briefly recounted how he discovered the fragments of the control artifact two months ago.

The iron-shelled turtle exhibited abnormal behavior, its spiritual energy fluctuations were suppressed, and fragments were found when its skull was opened...

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen reached out and said, "Let me see it."

Fang He took a fragment from his sleeve and handed it over.

Ye Chen leaned closer to take a look, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

"It's a trick of the Dark Abyss Pavilion."

His tone was calm, as if he had expected it.

Ye Chen picked up the teacup and took a small sip.

"Good luck."

His tone was flat, with a hint of nonchalance.

"Being able to detect traces of control shows your spiritual sense is quite good."

"However, any cultivator with a bit of experience could do this."

Fang He felt a slight unease.

Good luck?

He suppressed his discomfort and kept his expression unchanged.

Ye Chen continued, "I will report the matter of the Dark Abyss Pavilion to the sect."

"The sect will make further arrangements; you just need to continue strengthening your defenses."

Zhou Yuanhai quickly expressed his gratitude: "Thank you very much, Envoy Ye."

Zhou Xiaolan said softly from the side, "Envoy Ye, you've worked hard. It's such a small matter that you have to make this trip in person."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Ye Chen's face, and the corners of her lips slightly turned up.

When he turned to look at Fang He, his gaze softened.

Fang He stood silently to the side, saying nothing more.

He was just a minor cultivator in the Qi Refining stage.

In their eyes, it was just good luck that they found a clue.

No one cares about his feelings or his thoughts.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

A patrolman strode in, looking tense.

"Breaking news! A large-scale marine mammal migration has been detected off the coast!"

"The number is far greater than before, and they are currently active in the nearby waters!"

The expressions of everyone in the hall changed.

Ye Chen put down his teacup, his gaze sharpening.

"The Dark Abyss Pavilion has accelerated its operations."

He stood up, his expression solemn.

"It seems they can't wait any longer."

Zhou Yuanhai frowned: "Envoy Ye, this..."

Ye Chen waved his hand: "It's alright, I will send a message to the sect immediately."

"The defense of Qing'ao Island will require the Zhou family to hold out for a few more days."

Zhou Yuanhai nodded: "Yes."

Fang He stood aside, silently watching all of this.

With a massive sea monster migration underway, the Dark Abyss Pavilion is accelerating its operations.

Ye Chen turned to Zhou Yuanhai and said, "Clan Chief Zhou, I need to send a message to the sect, so I won't stay any longer."

Zhou Yuanhai stood up and said with a smile, "Envoy Ye has come from afar, and I have not yet fulfilled my duty as host. How can I leave just like that?"

"Why don't you stay for a simple meal, so that I, Zhou, can express my gratitude?"

Ye Chen waved his hand: "Clan Chief Zhou, you're too kind. This matter is urgent, and it's really inconvenient."

Zhou Xiaolan said softly from the side, "Envoy Ye, it will take some time for the message to get back, so a little more time won't make a difference."

"My father has already prepared a feast, and we would be honored to have you grace us with your presence, Envoy Ye."

Her gaze was earnest, and her tone sincere.

Ye Chen pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "If that's the case, then I'll take the trouble to bother you."

Zhou Yuanhai was overjoyed: "Envoy Ye, please."

Zhou Xiaolan looked delighted and followed closely beside Ye Chen.

Fang He stood aside, ignored by everyone.

He bowed and quietly took his leave.

……

Stepping out of the lobby, a biting winter wind blew in my face, bringing a chill to my bones.

Fang He looked up at the gray sky, then looked away after a moment.

Ye Chen's attitude and Zhou Xiaolan's disdain were both expected.

He was just a rogue cultivator practicing Qi cultivation, and in the eyes of these people, he was insignificant.

There's nothing to be upset about.

That's how it is in the cultivation world; strength determines one's say.

He is self-aware and does not expect respect from others.

Just be down-to-earth and take it one step at a time...