"Hmph!"

Hearing Shui Ruolan’s words, Zi Mo snorted coldly, forced to suppress his discontent.

After the members of the Yao Sect regrouped with the main party, Xue Gong shot Shui Ruolan a cold glance, then turned to the other disciples. "We’re now very close to the center of the Sect Secret Realm," he announced. "The farther we go, the more Primordial Beasts we’ll encounter, and the stronger they’ll be. Because of that, I think we should form a Reconnaissance Squad to scout the path ahead! Does anyone have any opinions or suggestions?"

At his words, everyone exchanged glances and began to whisper among themselves. Xue Gong was right; they were now deep within the Secret Realm. The chaotic Energy here was potent, and the Primordial Beasts were more numerous and powerful. They had been attacked by Primordial Beasts no less than ten times in the last few days alone, with each assault being stronger than the last. A Reconnaissance Squad was indeed necessary.

But who would take on such a mission? The Primordial Beasts here were far more ferocious than those in the outer regions. Being a scout was undoubtedly the most dangerous job, and no one here was stupid enough to volunteer as cannon fodder.

"I agree that a Reconnaissance Squad is necessary," Mu Feiyu said, stepping forward. He shot a cold look at the members of the Yao Sect. "But everyone knows how dangerous it is. I think only the strongest team here—the Yao Sect—can handle it! What do you think, Leader Xue Gong?"

Hearing Mu Feiyu, a faint, cold smile touched Xue Gong’s lips. "That’s precisely what I was thinking," he said. "The Yao Sect has Long Mo, Zi Mo, and Shui Ruolan—all of whom are top-tier fighters in the Five Elements Sect. A Reconnaissance Squad composed of them would certainly be able to warn us of danger in advance. I’m sure they’ll agree, for the sake of everyone’s safety!"

"Like hell! Why should we be the ones to take on such a dangerous mission?" Zi Mo was the first to object. ’This is obviously just their way of using the Yao Sect as cannon fodder! If we run into a powerful Primordial Beast, we could all be wiped out. These are core members of the Yao Sect; losing even one of us would be a devastating blow!’

Xue Gong, however, completely ignored Zi Mo’s protest. He simply stared coldly at Shui Ruolan, awaiting her answer. ’Shui Ruolan is more cunning than I am, and it pisses me off. Am I really no better than some woman? Let’s see how you get out of this one!’

Shui Ruolan’s brow tightened. ’Xue Gong’s playing a deep game this time, dragging the safety of the entire group into it. If we refuse, we’ll be ostracized by everyone and branded as selfish, which would seriously damage the Yao Sect’s reputation. But if we agree, Xue Gong will most likely use this opportunity to inflict heavy losses on us. Neither choice is good for the Yao Sect.’

However, a smile graced Shui Ruolan’s lips. ’If Xue Gong really thinks this is enough to put the Yao Sect in a bind, he’s sorely underestimating me. After all, every one of us was personally trained by that monster of a Sect Leader, Shen Haoran. Getting us to work for free and take a loss? That’s next to impossible.’

"Very well," Shui Ruolan said with a light laugh. "For the safety of the group, the Yao Sect will, of course, form the Reconnaissance Squad."

"Ruolan, are you insane?" Zi Mo grumbled, snorting in displeasure. "He’s obviously just looking for free labor! Only an idiot would agree to scout for him!"

Shui Ruolan simply chuckled, then raised her voice for all to hear. "We are doing this to protect everyone present. We are all disciples of the same sect, after all. Since we have the strength, it is our duty to bear this responsibility. Isn’t that right, everyone?" As she spoke, she gave the other members of the Yao Sect a subtle, meaningful look.

"Of course!" Long Mo was the first to reply. He didn’t know what Shui Ruolan was planning, but he knew he should play along. Within the Yao Sect, the only person Long Mo admired as much as Shen Haoran was Shui Ruolan—not for her power, but for her strategic mind.

Seeing Long Mo agree, the rest of the Yao Sect members chorused their assent. ’The Sect Leader isn’t here anyway,’ they thought. ’If we follow Shui Ruolan and Long Mo, we won’t lose out!’

"The members of the Yao Sect truly value honor and camaraderie! It looks like the rumors within the Sect were true!"

"Indeed. Seeing their unity makes me want to join the Yao Sect!"

With just a few words, Shui Ruolan had swayed the neutral disciples to the Yao Sect’s side. Hearing the whispers from the crowd, Xue Gong’s face instantly darkened.

Seeing Xue Gong’s sullen expression, Shui Ruolan continued, "However, if you want us to be the scouts, I have one condition."

"Name it!" Xue Gong said coldly. ’She actually used my own words to rally people to her side! She played me!’

"Heh, our condition is simple," Shui Ruolan said nonchalantly, toying with a lock of her hair. "While we’re acting as scouts, any Source Pills we find will belong exclusively to the Yao Sect. That’s not an unreasonable request, is it?"

"Impossible!" Xue Gong immediately shot back.

"We already agreed on the matter of Source Pills," Xue Gong said coldly. "They’re to be distributed based on contribution. Does the Yao Sect intend to take them all for yourselves now?"

"Based on contribution?" Shui Ruolan countered. "We, the Yao Sect, are taking on the most dangerous job of being the scouts. Isn’t that the greatest contribution of all? In any case, my condition stands. If you agree, we’ll leave immediately. If not, then you can find someone else for the job." With that, she waved her hand dismissively.

"You..." Xue Gong’s face was grim as he stared at Shui Ruolan’s impassive expression.

"Fine, I agree," Xue Gong snarled through clenched teeth. "But you’ll have to live long enough to enjoy those Source Pills. Being a scout isn’t so easy!"

"You don’t need to worry about that," Shui Ruolan replied coolly, giving Xue Gong a cold smile. ’I know the Yao Sect’s true strength better than anyone. Long Mo and Zi Mo have been hiding their full power this whole time. Long Zhen hasn’t even acted once since we entered the Secret Realm. After being personally trained by Shen Haoran, even I’m not confident I could defeat Long Zhen! With them on the team, we won’t be in any real danger as long as we don’t run into a ridiculously powerful Primordial Beast.’

It was something Shen Haoran had taught them: never show your full hand. Shui Ruolan had taken that lesson to heart.

Seeing Shui Ruolan agree, Xue Gong snorted. ’Hmph,’ he thought, ’the area ahead is a zone of darkness. Since you’re so greedy, you’ll pay the price for it!’

"Then I’ll ask the Yao Sect to lead the way. Let’s try to reach those ruins as soon as possible. The Secret Realm will be closing soon, and we don’t want this trip to be for nothing!" Xue Gong said to the members of the Yao Sect.

Without another word, Shui Ruolan led the members of the Yao Sect and charged ahead.