I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Zheng Yifei stepped onto his flying sword and transformed into a streak of azure light, landing steadily on the main peak plaza of the Qingyun Sect at the very last moment before the half-hour was about to end.

The atmosphere in the square at that moment was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Five thousand elite disciples of the Qingyun Sect who were named have assembled and are standing in square formations according to their respective halls.

Gone was their usual high spirits; every face was etched with sorrow and resentment.

Everyone knew what Blood Soul Valley was—a meat grinder where even Golden Core cultivators could perish. These five thousand Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining disciples were forcibly conscripted, essentially to serve as cannon fodder.

Directly in front of the square, Zeng Feng, the head of the Xuan Tian Sect's Enforcement Hall, stood on a high platform, looking down at the "lambs to the slaughter" with a cruel and mocking sneer on his lips.

"Xu Zhengyuan, you're quite punctual. I thought you, as the clan leader's younger brother, were going to be a coward and prepare to be executed on the spot by my Enforcement Hall."

When Zeng Feng saw Zheng Yifei appear, he couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks.

Zheng Yifei, with the plain-looking face of "Xu Zhengyuan," cupped his hands in a respectful but not arrogant manner: "Hall Master Zeng is too kind. The Qingyun Sect shall obey the decree of the Grand Elder. Since I have been assigned to the suicide squad, I shall naturally be at the forefront."

"Hmph, you're smart to know what's good for you. I hope you'll still be as tough as you are when we get to Blood Soul Valley."

Zeng Feng snorted coldly and waved his hand: "The time has come! Everyone, board the ship!"

Rumbling--

In the sky, three massive Xuan Tian Sect heavy warships slowly descended, casting huge shadows.

The warship was covered with menacing spiritual energy cannons, and the Xuan Tian Sect's law enforcement disciples, holding magical artifacts, stood expressionless on both sides of the deck, like jailers escorting prisoners.

The leader of this expedition was Su Chenyuan, the fifth elder of the Qingyun Sect. He wore a gray robe, his hair and beard were all white, and his face looked much older.

He glanced deeply at the Supreme Elder Xu Tianyang and the Sect Master Xu Zhengkun, said nothing, but nodded heavily. Then he turned around and led five thousand disciples onto the warship that seemed to lead to the underworld.

The warship broke through the clouds and sped towards Blood Soul Valley in the northern part of the Southern Wilderness.

Inside the lower cabin of the flying boat, the disciples of the Qingyun Sect huddled together, the atmosphere deathly silent.

Occasionally, low sobs and sighs could be heard. Zheng Yifei, as the "captain of the suicide squad," was placed in a small single cabin, which was clearly Zeng Feng's "special care" to isolate him from the other disciples.

As night fell, a fierce wind howled outside the warship.

Zheng Yifei sat cross-legged in the cabin, his divine sense, comparable to that of a Golden Core cultivator, quietly probing out.

He discovered that the Xuantian Sect's law enforcement disciples only patrolled the perimeter and did not closely monitor every Qingyun Sect disciple.

With a slight upturn of his lips, he flashed forward, using the stealth technique from the "Thousand Illusions" to pass through the corridor like a ghost and silently arrive at the door of the private cabin of the Fifth Elder, Su Chenyuan, on the top floor.

"Tap, tap, tap."

Zheng Yifei knocked on the door three times and whispered, "Fifth Elder, it's me, Zheng Yuan."

There was a moment of silence inside the cabin, followed by Su Chenyuan's slightly weary voice: "Come in."

Zheng Yifei pushed open the door and entered, slamming it shut behind him. At the same time, he took out four array flags from his storage bag and waved them casually. The flags disappeared into the four corners of the cabin, instantly setting up a small, fourth-order soundproof and spy-proof array.

This formation was personally crafted by Elder Wan Tianxiang, and even a Nascent Soul cultivator's initial spiritual sense cannot easily probe into it.

Su Chenyuan sat on the futon, watching Zheng Yifei's skillful array formation. A glint of light flashed in his cloudy old eyes: "Sit down. You've risked being discovered by the Xuantian Sect to come to me; you must have something extremely important to discuss."

Zheng Yifei did not sit down immediately. Instead, he took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and circulated his spiritual energy along a specific route.

With a faint sound of bones grinding together, his ordinary-looking face began to change, and his body grew taller.

In just a few breaths, "Xu Zhengyuan" disappeared, and in his place was Zheng Yifei, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and a cold and aloof temperament!

"Zheng Yifei".

When Su Chenyuan saw his face, which was wanted by the Xuantian Sect all over the world, he was not surprised at all, nor did he make a fuss.

The elderly man, who had seen much of life, simply looked at him quietly, a faint smile even appearing on his lips.

"You...aren't surprised?"

Zheng Yifei was stunned for a moment.

Su Chenyuan stroked his snow-white beard and chuckled, "What's so surprising? Surprised that you didn't die in the Heavenly Demon Sect, or surprised that you're the big boss of Mirage, making a fortune every day?"

Zheng Yifei touched his nose somewhat awkwardly: "You knew all along?"

"Qingwan, that girl, I watched her grow up since she was little. She can't keep anything to herself, especially when it comes to you. She had her suspicions when you faked your death, and after you returned to Mirage as Xu Zhengyun, she trusted her intuition even more. That's why she asked me to put her by your side. You two should be together by now, right?"

"Okay, it's settled. I'm sorry, Yifei didn't mean to hide it from you."

"No need to explain. Cultivators don't concern themselves with such formalities. Weren't you in the Heavenly Demon Sect? Why did you suddenly return and even get summoned by the Profound Heaven Sect?"

Zheng Yifei sighed: "I came back to get some cultivation pills, but I didn't expect the people from Xuantian Sect to suddenly arrive. It was purely accidental."

Su Chenyuan nodded: "It is indeed quite a coincidence. Before we set off, the sect leader secretly contacted me."

"What did Sect Leader Xu say?"

"The sect leader instructed that after arriving at Blood Soul Valley, the life and death of the five thousand disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect will not be under my jurisdiction, but will be entirely at your disposal, 'Xu Zhengyuan'."

Su Chenyuan stared intently at Zheng Yifei: "The sect leader said that you have a grand strategy that can preserve the bloodline of my Qingyun Sect."

"Zheng Yifei, there are no outsiders here now. Tell me your secrets, what exactly are you planning to do? This involves five thousand lives!"

Zheng Yifei sat down cross-legged, his expression becoming extremely solemn.

He knew that to perfectly execute the "fake war" plan on the battlefield, he needed the full cooperation and absolute trust of the Fifth Elder.

"Fifth Elder, I am now not only a disciple of the Qingyun Sect, but also the Minister of the News Department of the Tianmo Sect, wielding real power and highly valued by the Vice Sect Master Ye Tianqiong!"

"What?!"

Even though Su Chenyuan was mentally prepared, he was still so shocked that he stood up abruptly, his beard trembling slightly.

What kind of place is the Heavenly Demon Sect? It's a den of demons that devour people without spitting out their bones! How could a righteous disciple not only survive there but also rise to a high position and even gain the favor of Ye Tianqiong, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator? This is simply a fantasy!

Zheng Yifei didn't keep anyone in suspense. He briefly recounted how he faked his death to escape, how he founded the "Heavenly Demon Daily" in the Heavenly Demon Sect, how he used propaganda to make the Xuan Tian Sect suffer a setback, and most importantly, how he helped the Heavenly Demon Sect build a super gambling den three times the size of the mirage.

"Ye Tianqiong is now extremely dependent on me to help him earn spirit stones, so after learning that Qingyun Sect had been forcibly confiscated, I immediately reached an agreement with him."