Aside from the usual possibility of asking to borrow money, there were two other most likely reasons for a schoolmate from high school to call after years of not being in touch: they were either getting married or inviting him to a class reunion. Those two thoughts flashed through Wang Sheng's mind, but he did not voice them carelessly. After a bit of small talk, he noticed hesitation and uncertainty in Shen Qianlin's voice. She probably has something urgent to deal with... Wait, that isn't quite right.If I remember correctly from my previous life, her family's supposed to be fairly wealthy. Wang Sheng glanced at Mu Wanxuan, who was beside him, and noticed that she was already leaning in, almost pressing her ear to the phone. Calmly, he switched the call to speaker mode and stretched lazily to ease her embarrassment. Smiling, Wang Sheng urged, "Senior Sister, tell me what's on your mind. You know, I've been working on ancient mythology and human life sciences lately. I've already started becoming more like a proper Daoist scholar." Mu Wanxuan could not help but laugh. It was the first time she had heard someone make the concept of cultivation sound so light and natural. Shen Qianlin also chuckled for a moment. She then asked cautiously, "Is someone else with you?" "My senior sister. You've met her before. The one so beautiful she brings her own soft glow." —Oh... Hello, Senior Sister Wanxuan. "Hello," Mu Wanxuan replied softly. —Oh? You can speak freely now? Congratulations! Shen Qianlin clearly remembered what had happened before. She sighed gently and stayed silent for a few moments. Wang Sheng felt puzzled. Why is she being so vague and hesitant? If it were a personal issue, he wouldn't mind indulging in a bit of gossip—ahem, he would not mind offering her some emotional support and guidance. Since she had not cultivated, she had to have changed quite a bit over the past few years. She could even be married by now. Wang Sheng smiled. "This isn't like you, Senior Sister. Are you in trouble? If it's something I can help with, please don't hesitate to tell me about it." Shen Qianlin changed her tone to an offhanded one. —Has the Nether Gate appeared in Mount Pingdu? The authorities have already started entering the Small Nether Realm, haven't they? Caught off guard, Wang Sheng froze for several seconds. Before he could reply, Shen Qianlin lowered her voice. —Earlier, four Daoist masters entered the Nether Gate. Now, twenty-seven people have gone in. Another hundred and sixty li or so, and they'll reach the entrance to the Yellow Springs Road. Is that right? Wang Sheng rubbed his face. "Senior Sister, is this a dream, or am I hearing things?" —You're probably still asleep. I've been up early doing skincare! Wang Sheng suddenly felt dizzy. The same high school senior he had once been smitten with in his past life—the one he had saved outside the Wudang Mountains—was now revealing several pieces of confidential information that had only just happened this morning. Not only was he completely bewildered, but even Mu Wanxuan's jaw had dropped in surprise. Wang Sheng gestured for Mu Wanxuan to stay quiet and smiled. "Senior Sister, what are you talking about? I'm a little lost. Are you saying..." "You're from the future?" Wang Sheng boldly questioned. —Pfft! As if! I might as well be an alien. Wait, you're not at Mount Pingdu? Wang Sheng replied, "No, I'm not. There was an earthquake and an immortal light over there yesterday. I've been in seclusion, so I haven't gone over." —Oh, my apologies. I started talking nonsense all of a sudden. Don't take it to heart... Wang Sheng heard what seemed to be her lightly slapping herself. He imagined she was scolding herself in frustration while lightly slapping her cheeks. Wang Sheng asked in a hushed tone, "Senior Sister, how do you know all this? The appearance of the Nether Gate at Mount Pingdu is supposed to be classified, isn't it?" Shen Qianlin further lowered her voice. —That's a bit hard to explain. Maybe it's better if you just pretend you never heard it. Focus on your cultivation. I'll think of another way." "Are you trying to contact the Special Investigation Unit?" Wang Sheng asked tentatively. "If that's it, I might be able to help. My mistress is actually the head of the Special Investigation Unit." The call fell silent for a few moments again. Before Wang Sheng could say anything, he heard her breathe in quietly. —Your connections run deep, Junior Brother. "Right back at you—wait, no, I mean, you flatter me." Shen Qianlin regained her usual confidence and gentleness. —Can you really connect me to them? If I could speak directly with your mistress, that would be ideal. What I'm doing now is an unforgivable betrayal in the eyes of my clan, but I have no choice. She paused, then added a few complaints. —They're so stuck in the past that they deliberately ignore the power of modern science. They act like we're still living in ancient times, blinded by the glory of our ancestors. If it weren't for the few elders holding them back, the younger generation in my clan would be out of control by now! —They all think they're descendants of immortals, and they are arrogant beyond belief. It's disgusting. And they're constantly competing to see who can win me over first. Ugh! "Alright. I'll contact the team captain handling me and my senior sister. It'll take a few minutes," Wang Sheng said. "Senior Sister, if you trust me, tell me what's going on. Even just a little. I need something that makes logical sense." There was another silence on the phone. —Haaa... Wang Sheng, I don't want you to think I've ever lied to you. And I really haven't, except when it comes to my family. Wang Sheng could not help but tease her. "Senior, don't tell me your family owns an oil field?" —Ha ha ha. We only own a few mines, no oil fields. Wang Sheng was speechless. Shen Qianlin then switched to a hushed, sneaky tone. —Have you ever heard of the Hidden Earth Sect? Wang Sheng's mouth twitched slightly. He casually pressed the call recording button. "Senior Sister, are you the descendant of some hidden cultivation sect?" —Not exactly, but you could say that. The Hidden Earth Sect isn't a typical cultivation sect. How do I explain this.... It's made up of immortals who were gravely injured and lost their cultivation, along with the descendants of certain immortals from the Heavenly Court who remained on Earth. Does that make sense to you?" "Yes," Wang Sheng calmly replied. "So they're the offspring of injured Heavenly Court soldiers who lost their cultivation base and the descendants of immortals who came down to the mortal world?" Wang Sheng raised his hand to his forehead. Beside him, Mu Wanxuan tilted her head in confusion, clearly not following the conversation. Shen Qianlin exhaled deeply. —You don't blame me for keeping this from you? You even wanted to introduce me to a famous teacher at the Wudang Mountains. "I don't blame you. What's there to blame? I was young and naive..." —I'm truly sorry. Don't be mad, alright? I'll treat you to roast lamb later. "Can I bring my senior sister too?" —Of course. Are you two together now? "A Daoist does not lie. We're still working on it..." Beside him, Mu Wanxuan's cheeks turned red. She pretended not to hear that part. Wang Sheng asked, "By the way, Senior Sister, during that summer when you were in trouble, why wasn't anyone there to help you?" In his past life, the car accident she had suffered that summer ruined her life. Hence, he stepped in and saved her in this life. —There were originally three branches of immortals' descendants like us. After a thousand years without primal qi, the other two branches gradually faded away. Our branch was also already on the verge of collapse when the primal qi of heaven and earth. Hardly anyone in our sect still cultivated back then. —According to the rules that our forefathers left, if someone in the sect didn't want to cultivate, no one could force them. I guess our forefathers hoped we could just live as ordinary people and let their bloodline continue on Earth. —Since I chose not to cultivate, I'm just your average civilian. No one's constantly keeping an eye on me. If you hadn't saved me back then, I probably would've met my forefathers. No, you wouldn't have died. You'd end up disabled, though. Wang Sheng still had some doubts, like why the powerful Hidden Earth Sect had not healed her leg in his past life. However, he then recalled that after primal qi returned, he never saw her again. Everything he knew was from hearsay. Wang Sheng shifted the conversation to the important part. "How did you find out about the current situation in the Small Nether Realm?" Shen Qianlin fell silent again. "Understood. You have to speak directly to the Special Investigation Unit, right? I'll contact them now." Her tone turned soft and solemn. —I trust you. You were the first person I thought of calling, Wang Sheng... —Our branch primarily consists of descendants of immortals who once guarded the Small Nether Realm, so we refer to ourselves as the Hidden Earth Sect. We have several powerful treasures in the sect. My father and a few others are monitoring everything happening in the Small Nether Realm, including the female immortal who recently failed to reincarnate and is now frantically searching for a way to be reborn. —The clan is in chaos. Some believe no one should enter the Small Nether Realm. Others insist on stopping cultivators from interfering with her reincarnation. Right now, the dominant opinion is to eliminate the twenty-seven cultivators close to the Yellow Springs Road, as a show of force and a warning to the cultivation world. Wang Sheng turned to the living room. The meeting was still going on, but Xi Lian had turned her head toward him. "Can you provide information on your clan members?" Shen Qianlin refused without hesitation. —Sorry, I can't. I'm not as arrogant as the others in my clan; I acknowledge the authority's strength and stance. Still, all I can do is warn you so you don't bring disaster upon yourselves. I'm sorry... "Don't be. The warning itself is more than enough. Are your clan members currently in the Small Nether Realm?" —No. The only path into the Small Nether Realm is through the Nether Gate, which has been under government control since it appeared. Wang Sheng rubbed his forehead. "Then how are they planning to... act?" —We have a seal along the Yellow Springs Road. If we unlock it remotely, thousands of ghost soldiers will appear on the path. They will kill anyone in sight. She breathed in lightly. —I don't want it to come to that, but since I don't cultivate, I don't have much say in the clan. To protect them and prevent bloodshed, the only thing I can do is warn the authorities. "I'll do my best to connect you with the Special Investigation Unit, but I can't guarantee they will believe me." Shen Qianlin now sounded hesitant. —If they don't, I'll have to put a pair of scissors to my neck and start a video call to scare my dad and the others." "Senior Sister, please don't do anything rash." —I'll just be bluffing them. Life is still full of wonderful things, and I haven't even found a good man to marry yet. How could I throw it all away? Go ahead and call them. I'll wait for your update. Wang Sheng hung up, thought for a moment, and sent the voice recording to Chi Ling. Given what Shen Qianlin had just revealed, he already knew what to expect when he contacted the Special Investigation Unit.