Chapter 400: Exposing Identity

"How can we be sure you won't betray us? And even if you want to cooperate with the living world, how will you break free from the Old Master's control?" Wei Yuning thought for a moment and asked.

"Good question! Getting rid of the Old Master is easy; you just need to enter a life world governed by the Heart of All Things. So, as long as you help us, you'll eliminate a key enemy!" the Puppet said.

Regardless of whether they saw it, Wei Yuning's head shook like a rattle, and he said: "Impossible. If it were that simple, how could the Old Master who controls you be so relaxed about you?"

"He doesn't control us; he only watches us. Moreover, he's just a cultivator like you, able to easily destroy a planet, yet how can he comprehend the secrets of the starry sky? He thinks himself clever, but to us he may not even match you!" the Puppet said.

Wei Yuning wasn't sure whether the Puppet was flattering, but he decided to swallow this sugar‑coated cannonball.

"Fine, I can ask for you! Once I have news, how should I contact you?" Wei Yuning said.

"Very good, a wise choice! We'll leave you a Sub‑grade Sapient; just tell him the result!" the Puppet struck again.

"…Alright!" Wei Yuning looked around, curious about what a Sub‑grade Sapient looked like.

"Farewell, Jade Dragon Mountain, if fate permits!" the striking sound rang again.

Wei Yuning suddenly felt a brightness before his eyes; a speck of light grew larger, and a small bird appeared before him. The bird looked unremarkable, yet it made Wei Yuning break out in cold sweat, because it resembled the seal birds cultivators use for daily messages, only more elaborate.

The bird bore a deep starry‑sky pattern on its body—it was, in fact, a Starry Sky Transport Bird.

"Wait, how… how do you know I'm called Jade Dragon Mountain?" Wei Yuning shouted.

"We've compiled the history of the Primordial World we collected; any person of some renown appears in our records, so recognizing you isn't surprising!" the bird's beak opened and closed, emitting a sharp human voice.

"…You… know too much!" Wei Yuning wrapped a spirit net, easily subjugated the bird, then flicked his eyes and tossed the bird into the Life‑Space Ring.

The Puppet does indeed resemble a product of a technological civilization, but its spirit sense is too weak, seemingly not hard to deal with!

At this moment, Wei Yuning wished he hadn't been conscious just now; otherwise he wouldn't have gotten into this mess.

"It seems I can't use the Jade Dragon Mountain identity any longer. Once we reach Green Forest Guard City and part from these old friends, I'll adopt a new identity to meet Ye Ying and Qiu Hu. Ah, but that may not work—Giant Tree, Nether Fire, Cloud Hawk, Wan Jun and the others only recognize me as I am now; if I vanish, they'll lose their backbone, which would be a big impact…" Wei Yuning thought it over but found no good solution.

In the end, he forcibly entered meditation, slipping into a cultivation state.

【9】 When they arrived at the new transport point, Qin Wu had to call out several times before he woke him.

When they reached the new teleport point, Qin Wu called out several times before finally waking him up.

"Hurry, move fast, don't stop!" Seeing Wei Yuning open his eyes, Qin Wu urged again.

Before boarding the transport array, all cultivators must descend for inspection, also to prevent members of the Dark Tribe from slipping in.

The two just stepped out and saw the hurried, stern Ji Qiuhe returning.

"Lord of the Guard City, Comrade Qin, traces of the Puppet have appeared on the outskirts; a Nascent Soul Sentinel fought the enemy and was burned to ash by some glowing thing. We should leave quickly!

Even without this incident, the party didn't intend to rest.

After half a incense stick's time, Qin Wu secretly slipped a low‑grade Immortal Stone to the transport array's inspectors, then produced his waist badge to prove his rank; only then were they allowed to depart an hour early with priority.

The subsequent journey went surprisingly smoothly; twelve days later, Wei Yuning's party finally arrived at the "Edge of the World" transport array.

This transport array sits entirely within the Void; around it stretches endless deep blue, and as far as the eye can see there is no light, except for strange, scant wisps resembling pale white silk scarves.

Those misty bands consist of countless tiny dust particles, containing emissive substances, thus they emit faint glimmers.

Among the group, only Qin Wu had been to the Void world before; seeing a bunch of companions staring dumbly at the misty bands in the darkness, he explained on the side: "I heard the great immortal in the city say that the misty bands in the Void world are actually formed from the spirit sense of powerful beings who destroyed worlds; though their bodies perished, their unyielding will persists."

The crowd sighed deeply.

Although this lies in a Void zone, its importance grants the outer ring of the Edge of the World transport array a massive protective formation, spanning a hundred li on each side.

Aside from the Starry Sky Transport Array occupying half the volume, the rest of the space is completely free.

Here is the Void, with no up or down; within the transport array's space float countless cultivator dwellings. These resemble the "Travel Palaces" Wei Yuning obtained from the head of the Cloud Hidden Sect, taking forms of palaces, ordinary homes, simple tents, or even just a plain floor—various spatial artifacts.

Near the transport array in all directions, sixty‑four barracks are neatly scattered; they belong to the mercenary corps of the Eternal Immortal City.

Entry and exit of this transport array are strictly regulated.

Because this point can transport to one of the most important locations among the myriad heavens—the Eternal Immortal City, a power nearly equal to the Immortal Realm—and is also one of the three strongest forces in the entire Primeval Realm.

At the center surrounded by the barracks lies a gigantic plaza ten li in diameter; a step further forward is the Starry Sky Transport Array.

This is also the only permitted entrance and exit.

With Qin Wu and Wei Yuning's identities present, their group passed the inspection smoothly and began joining the waiting line.

Though the Dark Tribe has only invaded a few spots of the Primeval Realm, its psychological impact on cultivators across the myriad heavens is still great. Especially the fall of the White Realm, which turned high‑level cultivators practicing in secret everywhere into startled birds.

For capable cultivators, the Eternal Immortal City, the Immortal Realm, and their borderlands have become prime destinations, making this a bustling corridor, with countless cultivators from numerous minor worlds and star regions converging here.

Wei Yuning also activated a spatial artifact—a Four‑Courtyard Travel Palace gifted by Tai Yu, head of the Cloud Hidden Sect—hovering above the edge of the gigantic plaza, overlooking the entire square.

After about two hours, Qin Wu, who had gone to gather information, finally returned.