Nanfeng, Changtian Prefecture.

In truth, the common folk were more accustomed to calling this majestic city the capital.

Changtian Prefecture was the capital of Nanfeng, and also the most prosperous city within its borders.

“Xiao Chen, come help me move these crates onto the carriage!”

A very booming middle-aged man’s voice came from the warehouse at the street corner.

“Coming!”

A young man dressed in a short-sleeved shirt with his pants rolled up quickly walked to the front of the warehouse. His exposed muscles were well-proportioned, and his skin had turned a wheat color from prolonged exposure to the sun.

Then, the young man in the short-sleeved shirt bent down, wedged his long fingers under both sides of a crate, took a deep breath, and heaved the crate upward with a sudden burst of strength.

“Hah!”

As if it were quite strenuous, the young man called Xiao Chen lifted the crate from the warehouse and headed toward the carriage waiting outside.

After all the goods needing transport from the warehouse had been loaded onto the carriage, the booming middle-aged man walked over to the handsome young man in the short-sleeved shirt and patted him on the shoulder.

“Uncle Chang.”

Xiao Chen wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.

His breathing was a bit heavier than usual because of the physical labor just now.

“Take a rest first. After we load one more carriage load, we’re done for the day.”

The middle-aged man surnamed Chang said.

The crates were all filled with pottery.

“Got it!”

Xiao Chen acknowledged.

“How long have you been in Changtian Prefecture working for me now?”

The middle-aged man surnamed Chang asked next.

“Half a year now, Uncle Chang.”

Xiao Chen replied.

“The day when the Qingxuan Immortal Sect opens its mountain to recruit disciples is getting closer. Based on past experience, the Immortal Masters from the sect should be arriving in about ten or so days.”

The middle-aged man called Uncle Chang continued:

“Starting tomorrow, Xiao Chen, you don’t need to work anymore. Take a good rest and prepare for the Immortal Sect’s examination.”

“Yes, Uncle Chang!”

Xiao Chen showed a grateful expression as he responded.

“Of course, getting into the Immortal Sect isn’t that simple. Back when your Uncle Chang was still young, I also once dreamed of stepping onto the immortal path...”

As he spoke, the middle-aged man surnamed Chang shook his head:

“But how could it be that easy? Xiao Chen, I’m telling you this not to throw cold water on you, but just to let you know that even if you don’t pass the exam, it’s perfectly normal. Don’t get discouraged.”

“I understand, Uncle Chang.”

The handsome young man in the short-sleeved shirt with wheat-colored skin nodded.

“There’s one more thing.”

Then, Uncle Chang lowered his voice, and his eyes took on a meaningful look:

“You know, Qian’er has always liked you.”

Hearing this, Xiao Chen’s expression immediately turned a bit awkward and shy. He raised his hand and scratched the back of his head:

“I, I kind of, know that...”

His voice came out haltingly.

“You little brat, she’s my only daughter!”

Uncle Chang laughed as he scolded, punching Xiao Chen lightly in the chest.

“If you pass the Immortal Sect’s exam and become Immortal Master Chen, then so be it—after all, immortals and mortals walk different paths. But if you don’t make it into Qingxuan Immortal Sect...”

Uncle Chang paused for a moment, his expression turning serious:

“Don’t let Qian’er down.”

“Mm.”

Xiao Chen still looked a bit embarrassed as he nodded.

“Keep working.”

Uncle Chang said, clasping his hands behind his back as he turned and walked out of the warehouse.

Watching Uncle Chang walk away, the youthful shyness and naivety on Xiao Chen’s face vanished instantly.

His gaze immediately turned steady and calm, as if everything was entirely under his control.

It was all an act.

On Qingxuan Immortal Sect’s turf, the deeper he could hide, the better.

Who knew whether this so-called Immortal Sect might have a few Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators, or even great powers whose cultivation was above Ascending to Immortality, pop up.

Half a year had passed since Chen Yan arrived in Changtian Prefecture.

He had used Old Man Zhao from Li Family Village as a cover, coming to the pottery kilns in Changtian Prefecture to help with odd jobs—all to participate in the Qingxuan Immortal Sect’s examination and to earn a meal in the city.

During this time, Chen Yan had been constantly trying to learn information about this realm.

But there hadn’t been any significant results.

As for Li Er Niu, the one from Li Family Village who had passed the Qingxuan Immortal Sect’s examination and joined the sect...

Old Man Zhao, who had traveled far and wide and had some connections in Changtian Prefecture, seemed to know some vague inside details.

Based on the information he had gathered, Chen Yan could roughly piece together the truth.

It was that Li Er Niu had been murdered, and someone had taken his place and identity.

According to Chen Yan’s analysis, the scale of the Qingxuan Immortal Sect seemed to be larger than that of the Five Great Sects of the Chenping Continent.

But that didn’t mean its quality necessarily surpassed that of the Five Great Sects.

With the Qingxuan Immortal Sect as the center, within a radius of five hundred thousand li, there were roughly over four hundred secular dynasties distributed.

Every five years, the Qingxuan Immortal Sect would recruit five thousand disciples from these nearly four hundred secular dynasties into the sect’s Outer Court.

Based on this scale, the total number of disciples in the Qingxuan Immortal Sect could even reach several hundred thousand.

The vast majority of them would waste their entire lives in the Outer Court, with only a few geniuses being able to enter the Inner Court through some channels.

With such a massive base, the Qingxuan Immortal Sect didn’t place much importance on the Outer Court disciples.

In this regard, it was similar to the Five Great Sects of the Chenping Continent.

And it was precisely because of the Qingxuan Immortal Sect’s disregard for its Outer Court disciples that many loopholes had emerged.

Soon, the cultivators coming from the Qingxuan Immortal Sect to Changtian Prefecture would likely number between eight and ten.

Among them, two were Inner Court disciples of the Qingxuan Immortal Sect, responsible for supervision and examination. All other matters were handled by the other Outer Court disciples of the sect.

Five years ago, when the Qingxuan Immortal Sect opened its mountain for recruitment, one of those Outer Court disciples was originally from Nanfeng.

Back then, the Qingxuan Immortal Sect’s quota for recruiting Outer Court disciples in Nanfeng was a total of ten people.

After completing the examination, the two Inner Court disciples had returned to the Qingxuan Immortal Sect ahead of the others, leaving the few Outer Court disciples in Changtian Prefecture to escort the selected mortals back to the mountain.

However, among the mortals who had failed the selection, one was that Outer Court disciple’s cousin.

And that was precisely what had stirred his selfish motives.

That Outer Court disciple conspired with his cousin to murder Li Er Niu from Li Family Village. Among the ten selected mortals, Li Er Niu had come from the most remote background, making it easiest to cover up the truth.

From then on, the Outer Court disciple’s cousin had taken Li Er Niu’s identity and joined the Qingxuan Immortal Sect. Five years had passed since then.

Chen Yan could use this incident as a window to see the bigger picture.

At the very least, something like this had never happened with the Five Great Sects of the Chenping Continent.

Perhaps the Five Great Sects had all kinds of internal struggles, but when it came to recruiting disciples, they had always been quite strict.

Still, it was normal for this kind of situation to occur in the Qingxuan Immortal Sect, given that the scale of its Outer Court was over ten times larger than any of the Five Great Sects.

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