Chapter 707: Eight Hundred Years of Poisoned Nails

After Xu Bai finished speaking, the violent aura that had been brewing around Wang Qiupo suddenly subsided. His somewhat cloudy eyes were fixed on the exceptionally handsome cultivator before him, as he pondered the three words: "Fudian Association."

Wang Qiupo, of course, knew that name. He had previously received a secret order from the Council of Five Elders to discreetly investigate information about this organization. He had expended considerable resources but ultimately found nothing. Not even the name itself had ever been heard of by anyone. This led Wang Qiupo to suspect that the organization might have mistransmitted the target's name. The matter was eventually dropped. Until today, when this young cultivator, claiming to be a member of the Fudian Association, suddenly appeared before him.

"Not only does he know my identity as a spy, but he's also fully aware of my physical condition..." "It seems there must be a traitor within the organization." As one of the Council of Five Elders' most outstanding remaining spies, Wang Qiupo's first thought was this. After all, the news of his impending demise had only been transmitted recently, as he wanted the organization to capitalize on his death.

Wang Qiupo had been with the Myriad Immortals Alliance for nearly eight hundred years, his first half-century largely unremarkable. It was only in the latter four hundred years, as the cultivators he had befriended in his youth began to rise, that he entered the most glorious period of his espionage career. Over these years, he recommended tens of thousands of young cultivators to join the Alliance! While some of this was due to old friends agreeing to help out of past camaraderie, it was primarily because these individuals were, without exception, truly rare and talented young prodigies. This was precisely why he was considered quite eccentric by outsiders: he would never recommend anyone who wasn't a true genius.

As a top-tier spy, Wang Qiupo knew well that planting agents within enemy ranks could yield temporary gains. However, every spy eventually faces exposure. When that day came, all the spy members he had painstakingly cultivated over the years would be caught in one sweep. Attaining high positions within the Myriad Immortals Alliance required significant time and accumulation. These young spies would certainly not live long enough to reach such ranks. Even if a fortunate few managed to rise quickly, whether they could steal vital intelligence remained uncertain. Therefore, this method posed very limited harm to the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

What Wang Qiupo intended to do was to deliberately expose his identity as a spy just before his death. Only then could he deliver a devastating blow to the Myriad Immortals Alliance. Imagine the uproar across the land when news broke that Wang Qiupo was, in fact, a spy for the Council of Five Elders. The cultivators he had recommended over the years would undoubtedly come under suspicion! Even if investigations cleared their names, would the Myriad Immortals Alliance dare risk continuing to heavily rely on them? Who could guarantee that these individuals hadn't passed their tests using some secret art?

Under such apprehension, these cultivators, who once had boundless futures and could have served as vital forces in various parts of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, would ultimately be exiled to insignificant positions and undergo "cold processing," even if their lives were spared. Talented individuals would quietly depart, and their vacant positions would naturally be filled by less capable people. This was Wang Qiupo's "Poison Nail" plan, meticulously strategized over eight centuries. Though just a small nail, it could cripple a significant part of the Myriad Immortals Alliance's capable core. This was the utmost Wang Qiupo, being only at the Golden Core realm, believed he could achieve.

The Poison Nail plan had been flawless, poised to enter its final stage. However, an unexpected variable had emerged. "Young man, what exactly do you mean? Speak plainly," Wang Qiupo probed, his expression unrevealing.

Xu Bai smiled and straightforwardly asked, "You must be a spy planted by the Council of Five Elders, correct?" Wang Qiupo narrowed his eyes and admitted frankly, "Indeed!" His directness was somewhat unexpected for Xu Bai, but it didn't alter anything.

"No need to be nervous, old sir," Xu Bai said with a reassuring smile. "If you know anything about our Fudian Association, you should understand that we are on the same path. We'd rather see you throw the Myriad Immortals Alliance into even greater chaos. Why would we expose you?"

Just as Wang Qiupo was deep in thought, Xu Bai suddenly dropped his smile, his expression turning serious. "Actually, I'm here to make a deal with your organization. Furthermore, it involves a highly important matter. Fearing the risk of a leak from ordinary spies, I came directly to you." Seeing the earnestness in Xu Bai's words, Wang Qiupo's expression involuntarily grew more solemn. However, as an astute individual who had lived for eight centuries, he certainly wouldn't trust Xu Bai so easily. He remained silent, waiting to see what mystery Xu Bai was hinting at.

However, Xu Bai's next words shocked him so profoundly that he nearly crushed the bamboo staff in his hand. "Do you know that the Myriad Immortals Alliance is about to see the birth of another Immortal Celestial Venerable?" Xu Bai had said. "What did you say?" Even with his deep composure, Wang Qiupo's face paled abruptly upon hearing such a startling piece of news.

"It seems you're unaware of this? That's surprising..." Xu Bai frowned. Wang Qiupo took a deep breath, as if discerning the truth of Xu Bai's words. Yet, Xu Bai gave him no chance to think, continuously dropping bombshells.

"We have already investigated the principle this Celestial Venerable has reversed; it is quite unsettling," Xu Bai continued. "Previously, the Myriad Immortals Alliance only had one Dharma-Imparting Celestial Venerable, and your Council of Five Elders could still contend with them evenly. Now, the Myriad Immortals Alliance will have an additional Celestial Venerable..." "You should prepare yourselves early." "Currently, this Celestial Venerable has not yet formally established their principle, meaning they can still engage in secular conflicts. I fear you might be caught completely off guard..."

Wang Qiupo's mind was in a turmoil. Although he prided himself on being a successful spy for the Council of Five Elders, he knew very little about the level of Immortal Celestial Venerables. Concepts like "reversed principles" and "established principles" left him confused. However, if what this Fudian Association cultivator said was true, then he definitely needed to report it to the organization as soon as possible.

Wang Qiupo glanced at Xu Bai again. The other party seemed to have guessed his thoughts and handed him a jade slip. "I told you I'm here to make a deal. Specific information about this Celestial Venerable can be revealed to you, but you will need to pay for it." Xu Bai gave a strange smile and then gestured with an inviting hand. "The importance of previous transactions pales in comparison to this one. We haven't raised our price, showing sufficient sincerity, especially since we're still counting on you to fight the Myriad Immortals Alliance to the death."

Wang Qiupo first examined the jade slip, and his pupils suddenly contracted.