In the awe-inspiring Heavenly Court, whose majesty overawes the Three Realms, anyone who gazed upon this sacred abode through the long passage of time would be filled with reverence.

This was the prestige accumulated over countless years.

Liu Ming beheld the splendid Heavenly Court, the air rich with ancientness, and his heart brimmed with awe.

"We’ve finally arrived. The Gate of the Southern Heavens is even more majestic and imposing than I dreamed," Lu Shu said with a sigh.

The group stood before the Gate of the Southern Heavens, scrutinizing this most important portal of the Heavenly Court.

But they saw only a blaze of light shooting forth from the gate, illuminating them all.

The light came swiftly and vanished just as quickly. Before everyone had time to react, it had disappeared.

"What was that?"

"Don’t worry, that was the Demon-Revealing Mirror. Its purpose is to prevent monsters from sneaking into the Heavenly Court," Immortal Official Cao said with a smile.

"My lord, does it happen often that the Demon Clan sneaks into the Heavenly Court?" asked Lu Shu, his curiosity piqued.

Not just him, but even Liu Ming and the others all pricked up their ears; monsters were known in the legends of the Human Clan as terrifying and cruel beings.

"Indeed, it’s not uncommon. There have even been monsters who nearly infiltrated the Heavenly Forge Bureau as a Great Artisan. If it weren’t for that Great Saint’s return, the secrets of the Treasure Ship might have been stolen away," he continued.

The speaker may have spoken idly, but Liu Ming felt his heart lurch at these words. Hearing what Immortal Official Cao said, the secret to constructing the Treasure Ship was unique to the Heavenly Court, which made him wonder where the Treasure Ship’s blueprints he had seen in the attic had come from.

The mystery of the attic exceeded his expectations once again. He couldn’t tell whether it was a blessing or a curse.

"However, you can rest assured. The Demon-Revealing Mirror has already swept over you. Since it didn’t linger, it means your origins are pure, and you aren’t of the demonic throng. So, welcome to the Heavenly Forge Bureau," Immortal Official Cao said cheerfully.

Seeing that there was not a single spy among them, his mood immediately brightened.

After all, among the spies that had been rooted out before, several had been juniors he had high hopes for, yet turned out to be undercovers sent by the Demon Clan to steal the secrets of the Treasure Ship. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"But recently it seems the Demon Clan has been quiet. Could it be they’ve given up on the secrets of the Treasure Ship?" Immortal Official Cao mused to himself.

Leading Liu Ming and the others through the Gate of the Southern Heavens, they were met by a Mysterious Person in a Black Robe coming towards them, hidden under the dark fabric, rendering their face indiscernible.

And yet, for some reason, the moment everyone saw him, they felt a chill envelop them, causing an involuntary shudder.

Immortal Official Cao’s expression changed instantly, and he asked in a low voice, "May I know the purpose of the Great Saint’s visit?"

The group could detect the wariness in Immortal Official Cao’s tone and held their breaths in anticipation, not daring to speak loudly.

"Heh, nothing much. I just heard that some newcomers had arrived and wanted to take a look. It’s been a long time since the Heavenly Court has had new additions. That’s good; it shows the Heavenly Court is becoming ever stronger," the voice of the Exorcist Great Saint emanated from the Black Robe, with a hint of hoarseness.

But to the listeners, it was as if they heard the hiss of a venomous serpent, a coldness seeping into their very souls.

"This batch of newcomers seems promising. Train them well; who knows, a few might become Great Artisans."

During the conversation, Liu Ming stole a glance at the Immortal known as the Divine Exorcist Great Saint, and seemed to catch sight of a face covered in long hair.

"Great Saint, rest assured that our Heavenly Forge Bureau will not waste a promising talent," said Immortal Official Cao.

"That is good to know, I still have great trust in Mr. Mo’s abilities."

After speaking, the Divine Exorcist Great Saint slowly left, like a black shadow drifting through the Heavenly Court, completely out of place with his surroundings.

For some reason, Liu Ming thought he heard Immortal Official Cao heave a sigh of relief, it seemed that the Divine Exorcist Great Saint had also put a great deal of pressure on him.

"This Divine Exorcist Great Saint is no easy figure; he is one of the Demon Clan’s Seven Great Saints, the most trusted subject of His Majesty, the eyes and ears of the Heavenly Court today, in charge of all matters related to spy affairs," said Immortal Official Cao with a heavy sigh, finding it difficult to feel any fondness for such a person.

Everyone took in a cold breath of air. The Divine Exorcist Great Saint, regardless of which identity is considered, was an extraordinary being.

"However, you can rest assured that he has little to do with us at the Heavenly Forge Bureau, and you will rarely have the chance to see him on regular days, as we are not spies," Immortal Official Cao said with a smile, reassuring everyone.

Everyone glanced in the direction the Divine Exorcist Great Saint had left, with a lingering sense of trepidation, but they remembered this formidable Great Saint in their hearts.

Meanwhile, the Divine Exorcist Great Saint, without delay, arrived at his residence, a very strictly guarded mansion with a sign bearing the name Exorcist Great Saint Residence.

Unlike the resplendent and Immortal Qi-filled outside, this courtyard was filled with darkness; an uninformed person wandering into this mansion might easily mistake it for some demonic den.

"There’s nothing unusual at the Heavenly Forge Bureau; we don’t need to pay too much attention to it anymore. Our focus should be on the Buddhist Sect," the Divine Exorcist Great Saint said softly.

"Yes!" came a chorus of replies from the darkness, yet no figures could be seen.

"How is Mr. Mo faring now?" the Divine Exorcist Great Saint asked in a lowered voice.

"Everything is normal, only his headache seems to have worsened."

"Has he taken the medicine awarded by His Majesty?"

"He has, I saw him take it."

"I see, you may leave," said the Divine Exorcist Great Saint, waving his hand dismissively.

The vast Exorcist Great Saint Residence was left with just this one person. The Great Saint paced lightly, murmuring to himself, "Could the seal be starting to fail?"

He was always wary of Mr. Mo, a supremely intelligent man. It was unknown how much effort it took to subdue him back then; if Mr. Mo detected even a hint of something, it wouldn’t take much time for his clever wits to find the answer. Hence, the Divine Exorcist Great Saint never relaxed his surveillance of him.

Elsewhere, Liu Ming and the others, led by Immortal Official Cao, stepped into the gates of the Heavenly Forge Bureau for the second time, where this time they met Mr. Mo, the mysterious highest official of the Heavenly Forge Bureau.

Liu Ming had always thought the enigmatic Mr. Mo should be an old man withered by age, yet he appeared surprisingly young.

Wearing black clothing and a white jade pendant at his waist with no other adornments, he stood quietly at the entrance of the Heavenly Forge Bureau, welcoming everyone.

But no one dared to make a sound; this was the respect due to one of the most outstanding Great Artisans in the Three Realms. To tread on the same path as this top-tier personage, one only needed to briefly understand his life to pay high reverence, whether for the Treasure Ship or the terrible Great Formation of the Celestial Stars Encircling the Heavens—both were indeed his masterpieces.

"We have come to see Mr. Mo!" everyone said, bowing respectfully.