Chapter 170: Gained Without Any Effort

Hong Zhi's expression straightened, and he said, "The Snow Alliance Leader comes from the foremost sect of the Southern Polar Sea, so he is certainly not a narrow‑minded person. True immortals cannot casually enter the Middle World; that is a universal rule of the Cultivation World—whether in an Immortal Palace or an Immortal City, it must be observed. Moreover, when a true immortal descends to the lower realms, his cultivation drops to the Great Vehicle stage; although his realm remains and his power is still top‑tier, there appears a new possibility: being killed. In the Great World, the Immortal Realm, Immortal Cities, and the Void Realm, true immortals are virtually immortal; no cultivator would willingly abandon the hard‑won Path of Eternal Life for such a thin risk!"

Xue Duoduo furrowed her brows; it was clear that Hong Zhi's answer did not satisfy her.

"If a true immortal is willing to take that risk, there have been precedents!" Xue Duoduo said.

Hong Zhi smiled slightly and said, "Although a sect cannot guarantee victory, a life‑or‑death gamble will certainly not let the newcomer gain much advantage!"

Hearing this, Xue Duoduo's face showed astonishment, and she finally understood. She could not help but praise, "The Cloud Hidden Sect has profound foundations, truly admirable. Senior, whatever you need, just speak!"

Xue Duoduo saw Hong Zhi hesitating several times, sure that he had something to say. Since the Cloud Hidden Sect is not afraid of true immortals, it certainly does not fear Long Ye's return, so there must be other matters.

Wei Yuning, Long Xi and Ying Da were all a bit curious; they could not at all understand why Xue Duoduo asked so.

"Yuning, did that person just now… appear? When you fought the Daoist Long Ye, I heard her voice from below. Could there be danger?" Hong Zhi did not ask Xue Duoduo, but turned his question to Wei Yuning.

Upon hearing that, Wei Yuning's head seemed to double in size.

"Uncle Zhi, this matter is already settled; I'll explain to you in a moment!" Wei Yuning hurriedly said. He then looked at Xue Duoduo and the others and added, "It's getting late; I still have to go make Ten‑Mile Fragrance. Why don't you all head back to the inn first?"

Wei Yuning stood up; despite Xue Duoduo's countless questions, she had to leave.

In Hong Zhi's eyes, Wei Yuning was now a dangerous element; not only he himself was hazardous, but every woman who touched him and every man who touched those women were also at risk. In other words, anyone close to him carried danger. Concerned for the humans of the Spirit Beast World and not wanting Wei Yuning to hide things from his friends, he planned to expose the matter openly in front of Xue Duoduo and the others.

"Solved? Really?" Hong Zhi's face was full of disbelief. If Jun Mo's issue were so easily settled, she wouldn't still be called "the Demon among Demons."

Xue Duoduo looked skeptical and asked, "What are you all doing?"

"It's nothing, nothing. You, Uncle Da, and Long Xi go back to Yunlai Inn first; I'll deliver the goods tonight and guarantee it's flawless!" Wei Yuning ushered Xue Duoduo and the others away.

Hong Zhi wore an awkward expression and waved goodbye to Xue Duoduo and the others.

At the doorway of the Foreign Affairs Room, Wei Yuning forced a smile and said, "Snow Alliance Leader, this is a private matter. Alas, family shame must not be aired publicly; please don't pry!"

Hearing "family shame," Xue Duoduo's eyes showed a complicated expression; she snorted, gave up further questioning, and left in a haughty manner.

Returning to Hong Zhi's side of the Foreign Affairs Room.

"Uncle Zhi… sigh, don't go spreading this around! This matter is truly settled; Senior Jun Mo has already left!" Wei Yuning said.

"How could that be? When you fought Long Ye, I clearly heard her voice!" Hong Zhi outright refused to believe Wei Yuning's riddled lie.

"At that moment she did appear; she was helping me, possessing Long Ye's body, so I seized the chance to use the Plant Entanglement Technique to trap him. Otherwise how could I have defeated the black dragon!"

In fact, Jun Mo had indeed possessed Long Ye's body at that time, but she hadn't had time to assist.

After her spirit settled with Star Power, unless she intended to perish together with Long Ye, she could only perform minor harassment. For example, after possession, sudden gibberish from her mouth is a good way to disturb the mind; if her demonic energy is sufficient, she can also launch a "Lord's Heart Like My Heart" attack. However, that is more than simple harassment—those of weaker strength would be broken‑hearted to death.

Wei Yuning employed Spatial Concealment Technique to evade Long Ye's assault, and when he reappeared he used the Immortal Binding Rope together with the Plant Entanglement Technique to trap Long Ye. Seeing the victory secured, Jun Mo then left Long Ye's body.

Wei Yuning's words were half‑true, half‑false, and Hong Zhi listened dumbfounded.

"But… but… how could you transfer Jun Mo onto Long Ye's body when the black dragon is male?" Hong Zhi, after a pause, managed to blurt out the question, his gaze at Wei Yuning full of suspicion.

"…Uncle, even if the black dragon were female, I could… never mind, it's unclear. …Uncle, let's put it this way: Jun Mo is no longer the Jun Mo she once was; over the years she has cultivated herself, abandoned evil, and become a noble great demon. She no longer kills, and her techniques have changed—she only possesses now, no longer slays. Think about it: if she were still as before, transferring to another host would kill the original host, yet look at me—I'm fine, right? So, Uncle, this matter is over; Jun Mo's issue truly is over, please stop hearing rumors about a Jun Mo on me. Moreover, the black dragon's body is better than mine, and Jun Mo has now possessed Long Ye's body, not mine…" Wei Yuning felt his own saliva droplets were about to dry up.

Hong Zhi, though a decent person, is innately suspicious and overly cautious; even a slight flaw cannot deceive him. This statement contains truth within falsehood and falsehood within truth, yet it presents no obvious logical flaw.

After a long pause, Hong Zhi finally nodded and said, "Jun Mo's behavior indeed differs from what the notes described; it seems you may truly have gotten rid of Jun Mo after all!"

Wei Yuning nodded, "Absolutely certain, Jun Mo has truly left!"

Hong Zhi exhaled, "That's truly a blessing! I originally planned to send you to Black Water Temple. In the deep pool beneath the temple lies a body of Jun Mo left over ten thousand years ago; I intended to use the Body‑Soul Unity method to expel Jun Mo's spirit from within you, but I feared the temple's formation might not be strong enough to suppress the awakened Jun Mo. Uncle, I'm sorry—I once considered giving up on you. Later, the masters of Black Water Temple, especially Cheng Xin and others, insisted you go there as soon as possible. Now that Jun Mo no longer kills, it's an unexpected joy."

Wei Yuning's heart swelled with joy, thinking to himself, "Having trod countless miles without finding it, yet gaining it without any effort," and he wondered when he would locate Jun Mo's body.

Wei Yuning harbored no grievance toward Hong Zhi's approach. Fundamentally, Hong Zhi is a genuine cultivator; anyone in the know understands how terrifying Jun Mo is.

But Hong Zhi sometimes over‑considers the bigger picture, which gave Wei Yuning a hint of wariness.