"Those people look quite unfamiliar. Do you know them?" Lin Zheyu asked, pointing at the strangers speaking with General Wei Yun.

What Lin Zheyu truly wanted to know was the identity of that young man. Although the other party had concealed it well and the mockery and hostility had only flashed by for an instant, he was certain his perception had not been mistaken. Li Yin and Guo Yu both shook their heads, indicating they did not know. The group consisted of five people, two women and three men. Aside from the leading man, they all looked quite young, around twenty years old.

"They're from the Directorate of Celestial Observation," Zheng Shan suddenly said.

Seeing everyone look over, he explained, "My mother's third aunt's sister-in-law's nephew happened to join the Directorate of Celestial Observation by chance, so I know a few people from the Directorate of Celestial Observation."

Zheng Shan then shrugged and said with a smile, "But they do not know me."

The Directorate of Celestial Observation was a very mysterious organization that possessed many terrifying experts. Lin Zheyu did not know much about it. The only people he could come into contact with were ordinary individuals like himself.

"You mean they are... immortal cultivators?" Guo Yu asked in a lowered voice, his tone full of surprise.

Those were immortal cultivators. Who would not envy them? In the legends, immortal cultivators could move mountains and fill seas, destroy stars with a wave of the hand, and achieve immortality. Such terrifying power was far beyond what martial artists could compare to.

"I do not know about the others, but the one in the lead probably is. My distant cousin can only return home once every few years after joining the Directorate of Celestial Observation. When I heard about it back then, I went over to see the commotion. One of those times, my cousin returned together with that leading man, and my cousin addressed him as 'Senior Brother,'" Zheng Shan said with a nod.

Zheng Shan felt that his distant cousin's fortune was astonishing. The boy had been weak and sickly since childhood and grew up constantly holding a medicine jar. After turning ten, he suddenly fell gravely ill and grew weaker by the day, nearly dying. His mother refused to accept that the son she had raised with such effort would perish, so she took him to countless famous physicians, yet none could help.

In the end, she had no choice but to pray to the gods and invite spirit mediums to perform exorcism rituals. After the spirit mediums came, the boy miraculously recovered. His remarkable aptitude was then discovered, and people from the Directorate of Celestial Observation came to take him away.

After hearing about it, Zheng Shan envied his distant cousin immensely. The Zheng Family had relied on that cousin's favor to rise in a short time from a small, esteemed family to one of the leading families of Wuling City. When one person attains the Dao, even the chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

"So those are immortal cultivators. They look so young, like they are not even twenty yet. No wonder I cannot sense any powerful aura from them, yet General Wei and Commander Lei treat them with such respect," Guo Yu said in sudden realization.

"Now that even immortal cultivators have appeared, does it mean the situation is getting worse and worse?" Li Yin said with a frown.

"Did we not prepare for this long ago? When the demon puppets started acting strangely, I already felt something was going to happen. The fact that it has dragged on this long is already quite good," Zheng Shan said indifferently.

After all, if the sky fell, there would be taller people to hold it up. He was only a minor Marrow Refining realm cultivator and could just stay behind the others.

As Lin Zheyu listened to their conversation, his heart grew somewhat heavy.

Immortal cultivators? Could that young man also be an immortal cultivator? When did I provoke such a powerful group as immortal cultivators?

He had no idea when he had offended that young man. He did not even know the young man's name. He wanted to activate his perception and investigate the strength of those unfamiliar men and women, but he feared the leading man might detect something unusual, so he could only give up.

"Aside from the one leading them, have you seen the others before?" Lin Zheyu asked.

"No."

"I don't know them."

"Not sure."

All three shook their heads.

Unable to find out the young man's identity, Lin Zheyu could only let the matter go. What reassured him was that the youth's reaction had been extremely subtle and vanished in an instant. That suggested that even if the other party harbored ill intent toward him, he did not dare to act openly and still held some reservations.

If the situation turns bad, I will immediately find an opportunity to break through to the Force Transformation realm. At the Marrow Refining realm, I already possess strength comparable to a Grandmaster. Once I advance to the Force Transformation realm, I will have the confidence to fight against a Martial Innate realm expert, Lin Zheyu thought as he quietly clenched his fists.

After learning that immortal cultivators existed in this world, he began gathering information about them. Based on what he had heard and his own judgment, Lin Zheyu had formed a vague guess about the strength of immortal cultivators. Martial artists at the Marrow Refining realm were powerful, but they remained within the limits of human capability.

In martial cultivation, the Blood Qi realm laid the foundation, the Marrow Refining realm reshaped the bones and body, and only after entering the Force Transformation realm and condensing true strength would one's power begin to leap forward. The difference in strength between a Force Transformation realm martial artist and a Marrow Refining realm martial artist was like heaven and earth. Even the faintest threads of true strength were not something ordinary Marrow Refining realm martial artists could contend against.

Only the one ranked first on the Hidden Dragon List, the peerless genius who led the entire young generation of Great Wei, might have a slim chance to match the weakest Force Transformation realm martial artist while still in the Marrow Refining realm. This showed just how powerful Force Transformation realm martial artists were. Once a martial artist reached the Force Transformation realm, ordinary medicinal broths, medicinal pills, and daily food could no longer satisfy the energy required to condense true strength.

Martial artists had to use spirit liquid, a higher form of energy, to continue improving their strength. Spirit liquid was purified energy extracted from spirit stones through refinement, purification, and cleansing. Force Transformation realm martial artists used spirit liquid, and immortal cultivators also used spirit liquid or absorbed spiritual qi. The sources of energy used in their cultivation were essentially the same, so even if there was some difference in the strength they produced, it should not be too great.

If a Force Transformation realm martial artist is equivalent to the Initiation of the Immortal Dao, then a Grandmaster realm expert should be comparable to an immortal cultivator who has already gained some real strength. And if martial cultivation reaches the Martial Innate realm, that might represent truly entering the hall, comparable to immortal cultivators who have already achieved some mastery in the Immortal Dao.

After comparing the two, Lin Zheyu relaxed slightly. They did not wait long before General Wei Yun and Commander Lei Liwei finished speaking with that group. Once the conversation ended, the people from the Directorate of Celestial Observation did not even glance at Lin Zheyu and the others. They chatted among themselves and walked past as if Lin Zheyu's group did not exist. Wei Yun and Lei Liwei both quietly let out a breath when they saw them leave.

"Commander Lei, they are from the Directorate of Celestial Observation, right? If even the Directorate of Celestial Observation has stepped in, has the situation become that serious?" Guo Yu and the others walked over and asked with concern.

Lin Zheyu walked at the back and cast a subtle glance in the direction the group had left. Aside from the brief trace of ill intent the young man had revealed when Lin Zheyu first entered, he had not shown anything unusual afterward.

He hid it well. It seems he was worried about being discovered.

If Lin Zheyu's perception had not been extremely sharp, he would never have noticed it.

"The Directorate of Celestial Observation has detected the aura of other demon god seeds from evil sects within the region we are responsible for. They suspect this may be one of the areas those evil sects selected to open a space-time node, so they told us to prepare in advance."

Lei Liwei's expression was somewhat grave. Facing people like Lin Zheyu, who either came from top sects or great families, he had no intention of underestimating them even though they were only at the Marrow Refining realm.

"Did the people from the Directorate of Celestial Observation give any instructions?" Zheng Shan asked.

When they heard that the area they were responsible for might be chosen as a space-time node connecting to a Yao Demon Nest, they felt intense unease. That would be a space-time node linking to yaos and demons, and even a single pure yao or demon emerging from it would be far beyond their ability to deal with.

"You are only at the Marrow Refining realm, so the task will not be too difficult. This is the God Devouring Insect. It is extremely sensitive to the aura of demon gods. Each of you will take one and carry it with you. Afterwards, enter the mountains and forests to search for places emitting the aura of demon gods. Once you find them, destroy those places," Lei Liwei said as he took out three thumb-sized, brightly colored beetle-like insects.

Lin Zheyu curiously accepted the God Devouring Insect. It seemed extremely docile and lay motionless in his palm.

"Carry the God Devouring Insect with you. If the aura of a demon god seed appears within a hundred meters, the insect will make a sound and fly toward it. It moves very fast, so keep up with it and do not lose it," Lei Liwei instructed after assigning the task.

"What is a demon god seed?" Li Yin asked.

Hearing this, Lin Zheyu also looked over, but the image of that strange blood lotus flashed through his mind.

Could it be that thing? Lin Zheyu wondered inwardly.

After hiding the blood lotus inside a tree, it had strangely fused with the tree and caused it to animate bizarrely. From the blood lotus, Lin Zheyu had sensed a unique aura belonging to a demon god. After Lei Liwei mentioned demon god seeds, Lin Zheyu could not help linking the two together.

"Demon god seeds do not have a fixed form. They can be any object and serve as a special medium that contains the power of demon gods. Through this medium, demon gods can transmit power and use it for different purposes as needed," Lei Liwei explained.

As the City Guard commander of Wuling City, he knew many secrets. Recently, the military had issued many classified records that taught them a great deal of hidden knowledge.

"Demon god seeds... The power of demon gods... This truly is the worst era," Guo Yu said with a bitter smile.

As a Marrow Refining realm martial artist, he was already considered a powerful expert among ordinary people. Yet in this age of upheaval, demon puppets, yaos, demons, and immortal cultivators had appeared, and now even demon gods had emerged. A strong sense of frustration and helplessness rose uncontrollably in Guo Yu's heart.

"There is no need to worry too much. The Directorate of Celestial Observation predicts there are six places that might be selected to open a space-time node. Our location is not the most likely one. If you work harder and clear away all the demon god seeds, the probability will drop to the lowest."

"All right, you may go now. General Wei and I still have some matters to discuss. If you run into the people from the Directorate of Celestial Observation again, be respectful. If they give any orders, you must follow their commands," Lei Liwei instructed.

After speaking, he waved his hand and dismissed Lin Zheyu and the others to return to their duties. It was night, and demon puppets were very active, so experts like them had to patrol to prevent accidents.