Lin Feng spent the next three days preparing protective treasures for his disciples.

  He sat in his workshop—a small building he'd constructed years ago for alchemy and artifact refinement—carefully inscribing formation patterns onto jade pendants.

  "These should help keep you safe," he said, handing them to Shen Yue and Zhou Yuan. "They're just basic protection formations, but they should be able to block a few attacks from Core Formation cultivators."

  The disciples examined the pendants with trembling hands. "Basic" protection formations? The jade itself was Emperor-Grade Celestial Jade, a material that only appeared once every million years. The formation inscribed on it was the legendary Nine Heavens Immortal Guard Array, capable of withstanding attacks from Immortal Emperors!

  To any sect, even one of these pendants would be a priceless heirloom passed down for generations.

  "Master... this is too much," Zhou Yuan protested weakly.

  Lin Feng waved dismissively. "Nonsense. You're going into danger because of me. The least I can do is make sure you're protected. Besides, I made one for each of you and a few spares. Took me maybe an hour."

  An hour. He'd created artifacts that could shake the heavens in an hour and considered them "basic."

  Shen Yue and Zhou Yuan exchanged glances, their respect for their master reaching new heights.

  "Now," Lin Feng continued, pulling out two swords from a storage cabinet, "I'm not much of a weapons expert, but I've been practicing some basic smithing. These swords should be decent for self-defense."

  He handed each disciple a sword. The moment they touched the hilts, both disciples felt their cultivation bases resonate with the weapons. These weren't swords—they were Primordial Dao Weapons, capable of growing with their wielders and containing fragments of the fundamental laws of reality!

  The swords appeared simple on the surface, with plain scabbards and unadorned hilts, but any expert would recognize the terrifying power contained within.

  "They're a bit plain," Lin Feng said apologetically, "but the material is decent. I found some nice metal ore near the spiritual spring a few years back. The swords should be able to cut through most materials without breaking."

  The "nice metal ore" was Chaos Origin Iron, the primordial substance from which the universe itself was forged.

  [Items Gifted to Disciples!]

  [Shen Yue has received: Nine Heavens Immortal Guard Pendant, Primordial Dao Sword]

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  [Zhou Yuan has received: Nine Heavens Immortal Guard Pendant, Primordial Dao Sword]

  [Both disciples' loyalty has increased to maximum!]

  [Reward: 15,000 Seclusion Points]

  That evening, Lin Feng gathered his disciples for a final discussion.

  "I've been thinking about how to approach this," he said, sipping tea. "Elder Mo Tian is a Nascent Soul cultivator, which is far beyond what I can handle. Even with the treasures I've given you, a direct confrontation would be dangerous."

  He pulled out a map of the Azure Sky Sect. "But if we're clever, we can gather evidence of his corruption and present it to the Sect Master. The Sect Master has always been known as a righteous person. If we can prove Elder Mo's crimes, he'll have to act."

  Zhou Yuan frowned. "Master, how can we gather evidence? Elder Mo is careful. He won't leave traces lying around."

  "That's where I come in," Lin Feng said, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'll come with you, but I'll stay hidden. With my concealment techniques, I should be able to investigate Elder Mo's quarters while you two distract the sect."

  Shen Yue's eyes widened. "Master, you're coming with us?"

  "Just to observe," Lin Feng said quickly. "I won't interfere unless absolutely necessary. This is your mission—I'm just there as backup. Think of it as... a learning experience for me too. I haven't left Tranquil Peak in fifty-five years. It'll be good to see how much the world has changed."

  What Lin Feng didn't know was that his "concealment techniques" were actually the Void Emperor's Shadow Walk, a supreme stealth method that even immortals couldn't detect. When he activated it, he would literally become one with the fabric of space itself.

  "We leave at dawn," Lin Feng said. "Get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."

  After the disciples left, Lin Feng sat alone, feeling nervous butterflies in his stomach.

  "System, I'm actually doing this. I'm leaving seclusion."

  [Host has made excellent progress! Remember: You are still relatively weak. Stay cautious, avoid direct confrontation, and rely on stealth and planning.]

  "Right. Cautious. I can do cautious." Lin Feng took a deep breath. "Xiao Hong, you'll watch over the peak while we're gone, right?"

  The phoenix clucked from her perch, her ancient eyes gleaming with amusement.

  My master ventures forth at last, she thought. I wonder how long it will take for the cultivation world to realize that the legendary Unfathomable Master of Tranquil Peak has emerged from seclusion?

  In the Azure Sky Sect, Elder Mo Tian was concluding a secret meeting with a demonic cultivator.

  "The shipment will arrive in three days," the demonic cultivator said, his face hidden beneath a hood. "Twenty Earth-Grade Spirit Stones, as agreed. You provide us with the sect's patrol schedules, and we'll make sure the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's next convoy has an 'accident.'"

  Elder Mo stroked his beard, smiling coldly. "Excellent. With the Pavilion out of the way, our sect will have monopoly over spirit stone trading in the Eastern Region. The profits will be... substantial."

  "What about Zhou Yuan? That boy saw too much."

  "Dead," Elder Mo said confidently. "I personally ensured his teleportation talisman was tampered with. He was sent to the Dead Spirit Gorge. No one survives that place. He's been gone for weeks—even if he somehow survived the gorge, he'd have died from his injuries by now."

  The demonic cultivator nodded and vanished into the shadows.

  Elder Mo returned to his quarters, completely unaware that his carefully constructed schemes were about to be shattered by a "weak" Foundation Establishment cultivator and his two disciples.