"What does the life of a mere lowly commoner matter?"

Allen naturally did not care about Adam’s life. A mere lowly existence was nothing more than an ant in his eyes.

"Thirteenth Elder, this servant believes there are two reasons why this is inappropriate."

"First, Adam is nothing but an ant at the fifth level of Qi Refining, completely devoid of power to resist. At this moment, we cannot confirm whether the Innate Dao Body is actually in the Sword Sect."

"If she is, it will be easy to handle. We can use Adam’s life to force the Innate Dao Body to compromise. If she refuses, we kill Adam and take her by force."

"Second, if the Innate Dao Body was not taken by Desolate Sword, this action would likely alert the enemy."

Allen continued, "Thirteenth Elder, if the Innate Dao Body did not fall into Desolate Sword’s hands, given the bond between her and Adam, how could she leave him all alone in the capital?"

"You can dispatch people to closely monitor Adam. It is entirely possible the Innate Dao Body might return to the Vernal Manor to take him away."

"In any case, Adam is merely a Qi Refining cultivator. Even if he sprouted wings, he would not escape our grasp."

The Innate Dao Body was of monumental importance. The Thirteenth Elder did not want to miss any method that could locate it.

Hearing Allen’s analysis, the Thirteenth Elder felt it made sense. He dispatched several Mystic Bird Guards from the clan to the Vernal Manor to monitor Adam day and night, then departed with Allen for the Sword Sect to demand the girl.

Adam was entirely unaware that he had just taken a stroll before the gates of hell.

The spiritual energy in the Perfect Spirit Gathering Formation had been completely drained. Unable to continue cultivating, Adam went to sleep early.

Early the next morning, after eating a breakfast he made himself, Adam prepared to head to Inkwood Academy for duty.

However, the moment he opened the doors of the Vernal Manor, a sudden sense of extreme vigilance rose sharply in his heart.

Within several hundred meters of the Vernal Manor, several powerful, unfamiliar auras had appeared. Some had even locked their divine sense directly onto him.

Adam’s heart filled with shock. These unfamiliar auras were not the slightest bit weaker than Desolate Sword’s.

What on earth happened to make them deploy such a massive formation? Could it be that the matter has been exposed?

But that should not be it! If it were exposed, these people should have arrested me outright! Why monitor me like this?

His heart was filled with confusion, but his expression remained unchanged. After closing the doors of the Vernal Manor, he walked toward Inkwood Academy as if nothing had happened.

Along the way, dozens of auras remained locked onto him.

Although these people acted with extreme secrecy, how powerful was the divine soul of a Great Grandmaster like Adam? Any rustle of leaves in the wind could not escape his perception.

Throughout the journey, their auras remained firmly locked onto him.

Only when he entered Inkwood Academy did Adam feel these auras recede from his body.

Sitting at the desk by the window, Adam’s eyes were full of solemnity. Things had exceeded his expectations.

According to his original assumptions, the Ancient Ash Clan would eventually trace things back to him.

However, he was visibly merely at the fifth level of Qi Refining, making it fundamentally impossible for him to be the mastermind.

Even if they harbored suspicions, they absolutely should not suspect him.

Of course, given that Cecilia and he shared a deep bond, there was no guarantee the Ancient Ash Clan would not act out of desperation, using his life to threaten Cecilia and force her to submit.

If he truly encountered such a situation, Adam would not surrender without a fight. With his current strength, he could easily escape.

However, today’s situation was something Adam truly could not figure out.

Could it be that I did not clean up the scene thoroughly, and they found some clues? A trace of doubt flashed in his eyes.

But that should not be it!

If they truly suspected he was the mastermind, they would have captured him long ago and extracted a confession through torture. Why set up such a massive surveillance formation?

Adam was completely baffled. However, one thing he was certain of. The situation was increasingly slipping out of his control.

Unable to figure it out, he stopped overthinking. Although many people were monitoring him, including Great Grandmasters and even stronger existences, with his strength he could easily escape their surveillance entirely.

For now, he could only take things one step at a time. The most pressing matter was to elevate his own strength.

Only by becoming stronger would he have the confidence to deal with all unknown risks.

Picking up a book by his desk, Adam began to read.

The book recorded the story of Dorian Noir, who proved the Dao in his dreams.

Dorian Noir was born seven thousand years ago.

At five, he could not speak.

At seven, he could not read. His intellect was far inferior to children his age, and the elders of his clan worried endlessly.

However, when he was seven, a Lotus Immortal entered his dreams to enlighten him. From then on, Dorian’s spiritual intellect was fully awakened.

Not only could he speak like reciting a written essay, but his comprehension was incredibly sharp. Any poetry, book, or ancient text, he could learn instantly and easily recite backwards.

From then on, Dorian’s reputation shook the world. He leaped to become a famous child prodigy.

At a young age, he placed first in three consecutive imperial examinations, becoming the top scholar of the realm.

However, when Dorian became the top scholar, he rejected the Emperor’s investiture right in the Golden Phoenix Throne Hall.

Instead, he abandoned officialdom and entered a mountain to cultivate the Dao.

Dorian possessed brilliant natural aptitude. With any Daoist method, mastering one meant mastering ten thousand. Although he started cultivating the Dao relatively late, in just ten years, his cultivation had become unfathomably profound.