I run a casino in the immortal realm.

After an unknown amount of time, the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped.

Su Qingwan leaned lazily against Zheng Yifei's broad chest, her fingers unconsciously drawing circles on his chest.

Her fair skin was flushed with an alluring blush, but her eyes still held a lingering worry.

"Yifei, could you... please not go back to the Heavenly Demon Sect?"

Su Qingwan bit her lower lip lightly, her voice soft and sweet but with a hint of pleading: "We have earned so many spirit stones that we could never spend them all in several lifetimes."

You can stay here, or we can simply change our identities and find a place where no one knows us to live in seclusion, okay?

Those people from the Heavenly Demon Sect are ruthless killers. No matter how valuable you are, serving a powerful figure is like walking on thin ice. What if they turn on you one day...?

Zheng Yifei took her mischievous little hand in his hand, kissed it lightly, and his eyes became deep and calm.

"Qingwan, do you think we can back down now?"

Zheng Yifei sighed, his gaze piercing through the dome of the secret chamber, looking directly at the turbulent world of cultivation outside: "Qin Cang's spies are all over the Southern Wilderness. He has long been drooling over such a big piece of meat as Mirage."

If I stay in the Qingyun Sect, Xu Tianyang won't be able to protect me once my identity is exposed.

"At that time, not only me, but you, Wen Yuan, Zhang Biao, and even the entire Qingyun Sect will be buried with me."

Su Qingwan's body stiffened slightly. She knew Zheng Yifei was telling the truth, but she still found it hard to accept emotionally: "But... is the Heavenly Demon Sect safe?"

"At least it's safer than here."

A glint of light flashed in Zheng Yifei's eyes, and his tone was full of absolute confidence. "Although the Heavenly Demon Sect is a den of demons, the rules of demonic cultivators are purer than those of the righteous path. That is, profit comes first."

As long as I can continuously earn them massive amounts of spirit stones, and as long as that super gambling den can't do without me, that Nascent Soul stage expert, Ye Tianqiong, will be my most loyal bodyguard!

He paused, his voice turning cold: "No matter how far Qin Cang's reach is, he can't penetrate the core area of ​​the Heavenly Demon Sect. By hiding under Ye Tianqiong's wing, I can not only protect my life but also utilize the Heavenly Demon Sect's top-tier resources for frantic cultivation."

Only when I truly form my Golden Core or even break through to the Nascent Soul stage will I be able to truly control my own destiny.

Su Qingwan remained silent for a long time before finally sighing. She looked up to meet Zheng Yifei's gaze, her eyes hardening. "I understand. Leave the Mirage to me. After Wen Yuan leaves, I'll take care of things here. Go to the Heavenly Demon Sect with peace of mind; this will always be your support."

Zheng Yifei pinched her cheek: "Thank you for your hard work. Remember, if you encounter any trouble you can't handle, send me a message immediately."

Late the next night.

Behind the main peak of the Qingyun Sect, in an abandoned cave dwelling heavily enveloped by a fourth-order concealment formation.

Xu Zhengkun stood with his hands behind his back, his face tense.

He glanced at the entrance to the cave from time to time, his palms sweating.

During the day, Zheng Yifei sent a message saying he wanted to introduce a very important person to discuss the expedition of five thousand disciples.

Xu Zhengkun initially thought it was a powerful elder of the Heavenly Demon Sect, but when the array outside the cave rippled, a terrifying pressure that made his soul tremble instantly filled the entire space.

Space distorted, and two figures stepped out.

The middle-aged man walking in front had a sallow complexion and an ordinary appearance, but the undisguised demonic aura of the late-stage Nascent Soul stage made Xu Zhengkun's knees go weak, and he almost knelt down.

"The Vice Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect... Ye Tianqiong!"

Xu Zhengkun's throat was dry and his voice was hoarse. This devil had come here twice already, treating the Qingyun Sect like his own backyard, coming and going as he pleased, and no one could stop him.

Ye Tianqiong glanced at Xu Zhengkun, then walked straight to the stone chair in the main seat of the cave and sat down, his posture arrogant: "Sect Master Xu, my time is precious. If it weren't for this brat Zheng Yifei's insistence, I would never have met with you."

Zheng Yifei, with Xu Zhengyuan's face on his back, stepped forward with a smile to smooth things over: "Vice Sect Master, please calm down. Sect Master Xu is also worried about the survival of the sect. We are all just trying to make money and survive, there is no need to be so tense."

Xu Zhengkun suppressed the turmoil in his heart and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Vice Sect Master Ye. Since Zheng Yifei has made the connection, I will get straight to the point."

The Grand Elder Qin Cang of the Xuantian Sect has issued a decree forcibly conscripting five thousand elite troops from my Qingyun Sect to the Blood Soul Valley front. This is a calculated move, intended to use the Demonic Sect to bleed my Qingyun Sect dry. I wonder what Vice Sect Master Ye's instructions are?

Ye Tianqiong sneered: "Qin Cang, that old dog, has a clever plan. Blood Soul Valley is the defense zone of my 'Blood Fiend Camp'. If you throw your five thousand men in there, they won't even make a ripple."

Why should I help you?

"Based on self-interest."

Zheng Yifei continued, walking to the stone table between the two and pouring two cups of spiritual tea: "Vice Sect Master, the death of five thousand people from the Qingyun Sect in Blood Soul Valley will not bring any substantial benefit to the Heavenly Demon Sect. On the contrary, it will help Qin Cang clear obstacles and allow him to successfully annex the Qingyun Sect's assets. Qin Cang's strength will increase greatly, which is definitely not a good thing for the Heavenly Demon Sect."

Ye Tianqiong picked up his teacup, but didn't drink from it; he just held it in his hand and played with it. "Continue."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Zheng Yifei held up one finger: "I have a plan that will make Qin Cang's efforts come to nothing."

Xu Zhengkun immediately stared at Zheng Yifei: "What plan?"

"acting."

Zheng Yifei uttered two words, his gaze sweeping over the two bigwigs: "These five thousand disciples of the Qingyun Sect must go to the front lines. Not going is disobeying an imperial decree. But once they get to the battlefield, how they fight and how the battle turns out is up to us."

He took out a specially made black jade pendant from his storage bag and placed it on the table: "Sect Master Xu, go back and have Elder Wan make several thousand of these 'Concealing Breath Jade' overnight, so that the disciples going on the expedition can wear them close to their bodies."

This jade pendant is engraved with special array patterns. When encountering cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Sect on the battlefield, the pendant will emit a red light.

Turning to Ye Tianqiong, he said, "Vice Sect Master, you only need to issue a secret order to the Blood Fiend Camp: whenever you encounter a righteous cultivator wearing this jade pendant and emitting a red light, surround them but do not kill them. Make the magical light and shadow as big as possible, but never kill them. The two sides should fight a tacit war in Blood Soul Valley."

Xu Zhengkun's eyes lit up: "A fake fight?"

"That's right."

Zheng Yifei nodded. "Qin Cang wants casualty figures, so we'll give him those figures. The Qingyun Sect can regularly report on the fierce battle situation, and can even send some seriously wounded disciples back to the rear to make it look like a battle."

If they can hold out for the two-year deployment period, these five thousand elite troops can be withdrawn safely.

Ye Tianqiong put down his teacup and tapped his fingers on the stone table: "Zheng Yifei, you've got a clever plan. You've preserved the foundation of the Qingyun Sect, but what do I gain? Why should my men play house with you?"

Zheng Yifei was prepared and smiled slightly: "I will give 10% of the net profit from Mirage to the Blood Fiend Camp every month as performance fees for the brothers."