Before Wang Lin’s very eyes, Liu Jinbiao produced two sprigs of crimson herb. Similar in hue, yet subtly different, one a shade darker than the other.

He pressed each herb to the brow of one of the Hua children. A strange, sweet fragrance emanated from the crimson sprigs, hinting at their extraordinary nature. As the herbs merged into the children’s foreheads, a web-like pattern spread beneath their skin.

Gazing intently, Wang Lin sensed a faint vitality within the herbs. Though weak, this life force was remarkably pure. Had he absorbed it, it would have offered healing.

Yet, the life force within those two sprigs was minuscule; to heal a significant wound, he would need at least ten thousand such herbs.

The essence’s purity stemmed from a wisp of immortal Qi that permeated it. Though faint, this Qi caused Wang Lin’s gaze to sharpen.

He had never seen such herbs before. He had spent a considerable time on this Immortal Clan’s land, faced many trials, and seen countless jade scrolls detailing medicinal plants. But no matter how he pondered, he found no herb to match these.

However, he could sense that these two sprigs posed no harm to the children. Rather, they would strengthen their bodies. And as Wang Lin observed, his eyes took on a peculiar light. The children’s very aptitude for cultivation was changing after merging with the herbs!

The darker herb, upon forming a web within the boy’s body, masked his true potential. As it vanished, concealed within his flesh, his innate ability was transformed into that of a promising cultivator.

With Wang Lin’s cultivation, he could discern the truth. But a cultivator of the Second Step would struggle to detect the deception. Only a Third Step powerhouse, gazing intently, might perceive something amiss. For the herb’s web-like pattern was almost perfectly integrated with the boy, and the immortal Qi veiled the deception with an illusion of fate.

Wang Lin was astonished by this sight. He then turned to the girl, and found a similar transformation. Her potential had been altered into that of an ordinary, yet acceptable disciple.

“A creation of the heavens, beyond comprehension…” Wang Lin mused, his gaze fixed on the extraordinary purple herb.

“However, if Liu Jinbiao continues this charade, he courts disaster if discovered…” Wang Lin shook his head silently. The Immortal Clan’s land teemed with sects, many of which housed Third Step powerhouses. Whether Liu Jinbiao could escape Da Sheng Continent before being exposed was a matter of luck.

“He is cautious, at least. He has not greedily applied the herb to every child. For with increased numbers, the likelihood of exposure multiplies exponentially.” Wang Lin glanced at the smug Liu Jinbiao, a wry smile on his face.

Once both children had merged with the herbs, Liu Jinbiao wore a satisfied expression. He looked at the two young ones, his eyes gleaming with avarice.

Rising to his feet, he bundled the children together and, with a rustle of black wind, flew from the cave, speeding south.

Soon, a peak veiled in mist appeared before Liu Jinbiao. It was a treacherous mountain, perpetually shrouded in clouds. The roars of beasts echoed from within.

“I’ve been on Da Sheng Continent for quite some time. I visited several sects, and was planning to leave. But now, I shall complete this final swindle. Even if no one discovers me, I must change my identity and flee this place for other lands,” Liu Jinbiao thought, gazing at the mountain with a glint in his eye.

“The pills and treasures I’ve swindled on Da Sheng Continent should allow me to cultivate to the Core Formation stage. Once I reach that level, I’ll find a small sect in another province to join, live as a disciple for a few decades, and then seek my fortune elsewhere,” Liu Jinbiao inhaled deeply, leading the two children towards the misty mountain.

Wang Lin followed, watching as Liu Jinbiao circled the mountain with practiced ease, before flashing inside. Moments later, he emerged alone, his face unable to conceal his elation.

Leaving the mountain, Liu Jinbiao fled without hesitation. Wang Lin glanced at him, then his expression shifted. He looked up at the sky and saw a ripple in the air. It vanished in an instant.

Ordinary cultivators would not notice such a ripple, but to Wang Lin, it was as clear as day. Someone was attempting to deduce events, and it was causing a change in the very fabric of the heavens.

And the focus of this change was Liu Jinbiao.

“Someone is attempting to locate Liu Jinbiao!” Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with a cold light. As he gazed at the point where the ripple had vanished, his vision seemed to pierce the void. Drawing upon the force of the other’s deduction, he saw a grand hall within a magnificent sect. Seven or eight Second Step cultivators stood respectfully before an unfamiliar boy. The boy’s eyes were closed, and an old man stood behind him, his right hand pressed to the boy’s crown, his left hand forming a spell. He was divining.

A moment later, the old man’s eyes snapped open, revealing a glint of coldness.

“The Golden Leopard has been found! He is several hundred thousand leagues from here. You shall use the teleportation array to reach him swiftly, and capture him alive! Remember, do not destroy his nascent soul. I shall need to torture it!” The old man spoke, then flicked his left hand forward, sending a jade slip spiraling towards them.

“This jade slip will lead you to the Golden Leopard! As for this disciple… send him to the outer sect, and let him rely on his own efforts.”

Wang Lin’s eyes gleamed. His divine sense reached out from the celestial ripple and beheld Liu Jinbiao, who remained oblivious as he fled ahead. Wang Lin sighed softly.

“Perhaps he needs to suffer to learn.”

Not long after, perhaps half an hour, Liu Jinbiao was in flight when suddenly, four streaks of light hurtled towards him. The cultivators within were those whom Wang Lin had seen earlier, the ones dispatched to capture Liu Jinbiao.

Having teleported hundreds of thousands of leagues, they followed the jade slip’s guiding light, swiftly locating Liu Jinbiao. Now, with icy expressions, they approached with great speed.

Seeing this, Liu Jinbiao’s expression changed drastically. He knew something was amiss, but did not immediately flee. He could clearly sense the power of the four cultivators; he had no chance of escape.
His eyes darted, a flicker of panic swiftly masked. He feigned a willingness to yield, stepping aside as if to grant passage. But the four streaks of iridescent light descended in a heartbeat, encircling him, solidifying into four stern-faced cultivators. They fixed Liu Jinbiao with cold, unwavering gazes.

Though trepidation gnawed at his insides, Liu Jinbiao betrayed no fear. Instead, a frown creased his brow as he fixed the quartet with a frosty glare. “Venerable seniors,” he began, his voice steady, “to what do I owe the honor of this… interruption?” His composure was unnerving, giving the four tasked with his capture pause.

“Seize him!” The leader of the quartet barked, studying Liu Jinbiao for a long moment. At his command, one of his companions stepped forward. A cultivator of the Second Step, approaching a mere Golden Core disciple— resistance was futile.

Liu Jinbiao’s face remained an impassive mask, even a faint smile playing on his lips. But beneath the surface, his mind raced, a whirlwind of panicked calculations. He surmised, with chilling certainty, that a sect must have uncovered his deception.

“Insolence!” he roared, his eyes flashing. “There is no need for such crude methods! Liu will accompany you willingly!” The audacity in his tone was a calculated gamble.

His unexpected confidence gave the four pursuers further disquiet. The cultivator reaching for him hesitated, and instead simply shoved Liu Jinbiao forward, guiding him as the quartet whisked him away.

“You petty sectarians dare lay hands on me?” Liu Jinbiao sneered, the picture of unyielding defiance. “Should a single hair on my head be harmed, my master will raze your pitiful haven to the ground!” He followed them calmly, and together, the five figures dissolved into streaks of light, vanishing into the distance.

Only after they had gone did Wang Lin materialize from the shadows. He watched them disappear, a wry smile gracing his lips.

“To maintain the charade even in captivity… this Liu Jinbiao… and who is this master he speaks of?” Wang Lin pondered, a hint of amusement in his eyes. He followed after them, his steps blurring as he traversed the leagues with ease, while his captors prepared for a more tedious teleportation.

A half-hour later, they arrived in a secluded valley nestled in the northern reaches of the Great Sacred Continent. Within the valley, pavilions and palaces dotted the landscape, protected by layers of shimmering arrays. This was the home of a modest sect, a nameless speck on the vast canvas of the Great Sacred Continent.

It was here that Liu Jinbiao was brought, to a grand hall within the valley. Despite the tremors of fear wracking his soul, his face remained placid, a chilling smile twisting his lips.

Before him sat an elder, the very sage who had divined Liu Jinbiao’s presence. The elder’s gaze was like ice, piercing and unforgiving.

“You have a boldness bordering on insanity,” the elder intoned, his voice thick with menace. “To think you could deceive the Cloud Gate!”

“Deceive you? Indeed!” Liu Jinbiao retorted, his eyes unwavering. “A backwater sect on the Great Sacred Continent dares to imprison me? You underestimate the extent of your own arrogance!”

The elder’s brow furrowed.

“Should I suffer even the slightest indignity, my master will arrive forthwith. Even the esteemed Eastern Reach Sect of the Great Sacred Continent would prostrate themselves before him!” Liu Jinbiao declared, his words deliberate, imbued with an unsettling conviction. His bearing added an aura of undeniable truth.

The elder chuckled, but the sound was devoid of mirth, a chilling precursor to storm. “Oh? And who, pray tell, is this master of yours?”

“Servant of the Great Twin Celestial Sovereigns,” Liu Jinbiao proclaimed, his voice ringing with false pride, “I serve the esteemed Celestial Reverent, Gu Ya!”

His composure, his effortless declaration, gave the elder a moment of pause.

“Nonsense!” the elder scoffed. “If you were truly a servant of Celestial Reverent Gu Ya, you would not be here, peddling your tricks like some common charlatan! Nor would you possess the paltry cultivation of a Golden Core disciple!”

“Deception is my Dao!” Liu Jinbiao countered, sweeping his sleeve in a theatrical gesture. “As for my cultivation, open your ancient eyes, old man! Do you truly believe that the magnificent Golden Core Celestial is but a mere Golden Core disciple?”

But within, his heart hammered against his ribs. Yet he was a master of deceit, so practiced that he had mastered the ultimate lie: the lie to himself. He believed his own fabrication, and thus, he convinced others.

Wang Lin, seated invisibly beside the hall, watched Liu Jinbiao, a bittersweet smile playing on his lips as a surge of memories washed over him.