When the events of a thousand years ago were brought up, Chi Ling instinctively glanced at Wang Sheng. Wang Sheng, Liu Yunzhi, and Mu Wanxuan turned their attention to the silver-haired girl. Xi Lian frowned. "Why are you all looking at me? By that time, I was already almost asleep under the well." From the side, Chi Ling asked, "What exactly happened with those hundreds of Daoist sect cultivators a thousand years ago? Sect Master Shen, could you explain in more detail?" Shen Sui'an leaned back in his chair, a trace of mockery in his eyes. "If I tell you, you probably won't believe me. After all, the Daoist sects have always claimed to be the orthodox way of heaven and earth." Chi Ling replied, "No matter who says it, I always maintain skepticism. Without solid evidence, I neither fully believe nor immediately dismiss anything." "As expected of someone from the government. You people really know how to talk. Fine, I'll tell you since it happened a thousand years ago anyway. See, when the immortals left, they took the cultivators of the Three Realms with them. To them, every bit of manpower was precious. "The Small Mortal Realm on this star became their final hope to pass on their Daoist heritage and bloodline. Fearing that their enemies would find the realm, they sealed the primal qi of heaven and earth, intending to reopen it after ten thousand years. "However, the immortals left behind some primal qi in the Nether Realm since the Reincarnation Stone in there still required a supply of it to function. If any immortals perished but their Primordial Spirits survived, they would have the chance to reincarnate through the Reincarnation Stone and begin anew. That became the root of the disaster." Shen Sui'an now looked sorrowful. "Three hundred years after the immortals departed, heaven and earth fell into decline, and cultivation became nearly impossible. Those who remained behind became the most pitiful of people. "Their lifespans began to shorten for no reason. The primal qi thinned gradually, draining their cultivation bit by bit until they returned to being mere mortals. The virtuous figures of Daoist sects lost their minds too in the end. Following the traces of primal qi, they reached the Nether Gate and tried to force their way in. "At that time, the Hidden Earth Sect resided outside the Nether Gate, bearing the responsibility of guarding the Nether Realm. Those cultivators slaughtered most of our clan and then charged into the Nether Realm. Not even the ghost soldiers we dispatched could stop them. Ironically, though, the barriers surrounding each palace blocked them. They couldn't even get close to the Reincarnation Stone. "By the time we realized what had happened, the cultivators had vanished. They might have willingly descended into the Eighteen Levels of Hell, where there were primal qi but no immortal seals." "For primal qi?" Chi Ling asked. Shen Sui'an shook his head. "No. It was for their own exceptional nature. They simply couldn't accept living, aging, and dying like mortals. After that calamity, our ancestors set a rule. If primal qi ever returned, our clan would never force anyone to cultivate." He paused and stared at Chi Ling. "Now you're probably beginning to understand why we no longer wish to have any connection with the cultivation world. The righteous facade they wear now is but a mask. If we face another primal qi drought, what kind of people do you think they would become?" Chi Ling kept a calm expression. "A thousand years ago, the Heavenly Court passed down many Daoist heritages to gather troops. They surely trained a large number of cultivators. Back then, the cultivation world must have had at least tens of thousands of practitioners. Just one percent breaking into the Nether Gate does not represent the entire cultivation world. The actions of one individual cannot stand for the whole Daoist sect." Shen Sui'an shrugged. "Who knows what truth lies behind ancient history? It's not like anyone has lived through the thousand years since primal qi vanished." "Perhaps someone has." "Captain Chi Ling, are you referring to that female immortal?" Shen Sui'an asked. Chi Ling just smoothly continued the questioning. "What is the situation with the female immortal in the Nether Realm?" "Her situation may not be something you can—" "The government brought back the female immortal from the far side of the moon, and the resurgence of the primal qi of heaven and earth began with her. Naturally, this is related to us," Chi Ling smiled. "If your sect chooses to cooperate with the government and accept supervision and regulation, we will share more information and resources with your sect. That shouldn't be a bad thing for you." Shen Sui'an's gaze flickered. After a few seconds of silence, he said in a low tone, "She nearly tore down all of Fengdu City." "Oh?" Instead of pressing further, Chi Ling asked about the current state of the Nether Realm. Shen Sui'an did not hide anything; he disclosed a significant amount of intelligence to the authorities. Wang Sheng listened carefully for a while, then exchanged a glance with Mu Wanxuan. In her eyes, he saw concern and worry since the female immortal was connected to her past life. According to Shen Sui'an, the Hidden Earth Sect sensed the female immortal enter the nether, exciting them greatly. After all, their very purpose was to guard the place of reincarnation and await the return of fallen immortals. The female immortal broke through layers upon layers of seals with ease and shattered the grand array protecting the Palace of Reincarnation, making her way inside. The Hidden Earth Sect couldn't see what happened within the palace, but they could perceive the immortal light shining from within for several days. Eventually, the immortal light began to fade. The female immortal rushed out and headed to the Tenth Palace of Yama, which recorded the souls of the reincarnated. She then lingered inside the Palace of Rebirth for a time before letting out a long cry that seemed to be a mix of weeping and shouting. Immediately after, she shattered the seals on all ten Yama Palaces and descended into the Eighteen Levels of Hell. She ransacked every corner of Fengdu City, plunging the depths of the Nether Realm into chaos. The Hidden Earth Sect had planned to follow the ancient tunnel under the Nether Gate to enter the Nether Realm and make contact with her. Unfortunately, numerous earthquakes had occurred over the past thousand years. The ancient tunnel had long since been sealed. The Hidden Earth Sect spent months and great effort clearing the passage. Tragically, it had just barely managed to reopen the tunnel when the female immortal's power suddenly erupted, flooding the nether with immortal light. Even those on the surface could see the pillar of light shooting skyward. A series of earthquakes also hit the area near Mount Pingdu. That was how the Nether Gate appeared at Mount Pingdu. "The female immortal might have very well done this on purpose." Shen Sui'an frowned. "But the Nether Gate is now under your control. We cannot approach it or investigate." "Why not?" Chi Ling's smile remained confident. "Aren't your people citizens of the Hua Republic? As long as the Hidden Earth Sect accepts government supervision and regulation, then as experts in matters related to the Nether Realm, we would certainly invite you to join the exploration efforts. To reiterate..." As his mistress continued to persuade Shen Sui'an, Wang Sheng couldn't help but yawn. Using voice transmission, Liu Yunzhi asked, "Fei Yu, what's your view on this?" Wang Sheng thought for a moment. "Well, I'm seated, so… a seated view." "You're not planning to get involved?" Liu Yunzhi asked, puzzled. "There are so many secrets in the nether. We might even encounter ancient cultivators. If I had the chance, I would truly want to venture in." "We'll do what we can," Wang Sheng answered seriously. "If I were among the top ten experts of the cultivation world right now, maybe I'd have some say. That would mean I could do things others couldn't. For now, we just follow orders. Even a pawn has its purpose." Liu Yunzhi smiled wryly. "You're already a rising symbol of the younger generation, Fei Yu. Don't be so pessimistic." Wang Sheng shrugged. "If we run into a powerful enemy, you're not going to shout across and say, 'Hey, I'm from the younger generation. Send someone my age to fight me!' In combat, it's about skill, not age." "Fair…" Warmth filled Liu Yunzhi's smile. "Honestly, you're more dependable than some of the martial uncles." Liu Yunzhi quickly added, "That's meant as praise, of course." On the side, Xi Lian pouted. "Him? He's still a long way from Daoist Master Li Qinglin or Buddhist Master Santong." Wang Sheng nodded in agreement. He then listened to the conversation nearby again. Chi Ling continued to guide the rhythm of the conversation. Hesitation began to appear in Shen Sui'an's eyes. As the discussion progressed, his hesitation deepened but eventually began to fade. Liu Yunzhi's phone had remained in Shen Sui'an's hands the whole time. He had been browsing the official Righteous-Qi Alliance site, lingering for a long time on the section listing fallen righteous cultivators. Chi Ling also casually mentioned the three major official departments overseeing the cultivation world: the Special Warfare Unit, the Special Investigation Unit, and the Cultivation Research Institute. The Special Investigation Unit served as a bridge between the righteous path and the authorities, focusing on crime prevention. Meanwhile, the Special Warfare Unit protected the nation's borders and intervened against corrupt cultivators whenever necessary. Lastly, the Cultivation Research Institute was tasked with major research projects, gathering the Hua Republic's top scientists. In the early days of the Special Investigation Unit, Chi Ling had often done this kind of ideological work since the organization was still immature in many areas back then. Now, the structure of the government's three major departments was well developed. The results they had achieved were enough to awaken even those pretending to be asleep. Two hours later, Shen Sui'an returned Liu Yunzhi's phone. "The clan does not follow me alone. I can use my status as its clan leader and sect master to invite government officials and Daoist sect experts into our territory, but I cannot guarantee I can persuade everyone. Besides—" "If the Nether Realm no longer poses a threat to the living world, we will only research the artifact. It will still belong to your Hidden Earth Sect," Chi Ling interjected firmly and clearly. Shen Sui'an slowly nodded. He then leaned back into the sofa and got lost in his thoughts for quite some time. "Seems we're done here," Xi Lian muttered. "What a hassle." Wang Sheng laughed. "Thank you for your help, Senior." "What did you call me?" Xi Lian put her hands on her waist. "That's more like it. My phone's almost out of battery. Let's go home." Wang Sheng cleared his throat. "Ahem. As usual, since we're already here, we should see things through." Liu Yunzhi hurriedly took out his Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouch. "Senior, I have a power bank." "Hmm..." Xi Lian looked conflicted. "That's not good for the battery." Mu Wanxuan couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh softly. Just then, they heard Chi Ling call for them.