After I left the sect, the entire sect knelt down and begged for forgiveness.

They felt their score was very high, a stark contrast to the vast difference in their scores.

Tao Zhizhi, on another part of the secret realm, was also checking the rankings. Their team of forty had hunted down quite a few monsters along the way.

Despite conducting a thorough search, she still couldn't find that bitch. Seeing Lin Yan's name at the top of the leaderboard, her eyes were filled with resentment and malice.

Fortunately, there was no one else around, otherwise, seeing her ferocious expression would have been quite a shock.

She tried to calm her anger and sent a telepathic message to her master inside the bracelet. "Master, what should we do now? That ungrateful wretch is currently ranked first in the secret realm trial. She'll definitely be making a big splash when she gets out, and it will be even harder to get rid of her then."

Tao Zhizhi's concerns were justified. The other party's performance was too outstanding; once they went out, they would definitely be recruited by the sect, making it even more difficult to take action against them.

"My dear disciple, don't be angry. Once I recover my strength, I will deal with her directly in the secret realm and won't let her leave alive. Right now, I can't produce bracelets for long unless you find more food."

Lingyun replied via the bracelet.

Tao Zhizhi feigned reluctance. Along the way, she had fooled quite a few small sects' teams, and some of them had become wary and noticed something amiss. If she were to make a move now, it would arouse suspicion.

She still needs this team to protect herself. As long as she gets more points and ranks higher in the secret realm trial, things will be easier for her in the sect.

Her master fell into demonic possession in front of so many people, and she was his most beloved disciple. Many people were already gossiping about her behind her back. If it were discovered that she was doing things for her master, then…

I couldn't stand the days of hiding and running from place to place with my master.

Love is one thing, being willing to sacrifice others for him is another, but to make her suffer is unacceptable.

Noticing her hesitation, Ling Yun emerged from the bracelet, pulled her into his arms, and coaxed, "Good disciple, don't hesitate. Only by restoring my strength can I protect you. As long as you're careful, you won't be discovered."

Tao Zhizhi bit her lip and said with a reluctant tone, "But... I've already harmed so many innocent people. They... they're so pitiful. Master, isn't there any other way to restore them?"

She didn't genuinely feel sorry for those people; she said it because she didn't want to arouse suspicion by continuing to intervene, but she also couldn't directly disobey her master.

“My disciple, it is their honor to sacrifice themselves for me. If I don’t absorb their spiritual power, how can I recover? If I don’t recover my strength, how can I kill my enemies? My good disciple, that wretched girl is narrow-minded. Once she really wins the competition, she will definitely settle accounts with you.”

As he said this, he felt the person in his arms tremble slightly, and he was extremely satisfied. He continued to coax, "Now that I'm in this state, I can no longer be your support. When that wretched creature puts pressure on the sect leader with the intention of severing ties, what do you think the sect leader will choose, my good disciple? Do you think he will protect you like I did?"

Tao Zhizhi's mind raced, and she realized that her master was absolutely right...

Having lost her backing in the Xuantian Sect, and with her fifth senior brother in seclusion unaware of their master's situation, if that vile woman really came looking for trouble, no one would step in to protect her.

At that time, wouldn't I become fish on that vile woman's chopping board?

Thinking about her situation at that time, she couldn't accept it. She didn't think about it for long before making her decision.

"Disciple understands..."

"Zhizhi is the most obedient and sensible. As long as your master recovers his strength and advances to the Heavenly Demon realm, those people will be helpless against him. At that time, all sects will be in my hands. I will give you whatever you want and will not let you suffer the slightest grievance."

After finishing her conversation with her master, Tao Zhizhi changed back into her invisibility robe and headed towards the encampment of the Central Plains Sect's troops.

This was the group they had encountered during the day; the two sides were about to fight, but she intervened and prevented a brawl. Instead of following their group, they headed in different directions. Quick-witted and agile, she secretly released moths that were tracking them.

It hadn't been long since they left, and it was getting dark, so they probably set up their tents to rest not far from there.

It was late at night, and the thick clouds over the secret realm blocked out the moonlight, making the surroundings very quiet.

She tracked them down using the distinctive marks left by the moths and quickly located their makeshift camp.

This is a team of fifteen people. After Master absorbs all of them, his strength should be able to recover one or two tenths.
Tao Zhizhi crouched low, taking advantage of the cover of night, and silently approached the temporary camp.

The simple defensive formations surrounding the camp were practically useless to her.

She took out the bewitching talisman prepared by her master, infused it with spiritual power, and the talisman transformed into black mist that drifted away. The black mist blended into the night, making it difficult to detect!

Two streams of black energy first entered the back of the heads of the two disciples on night watch. Their eyes instantly became unfocused, and they swayed twice before collapsing to the ground.

Disciples in nearby tents heard the commotion, lifted their tents to investigate, and were immediately struck by the black aura that entered their brains, causing them to lose consciousness instantly.

Just in case, she took out a number of bewitching talismans from the bracelet, infused them with spiritual power, and a dozen or so black wisps ignored the defensive array and split up to enter the tent.

She waited for a while and, seeing no movement, headed towards the temporary camp. Fearing someone might have escaped the trap, she held a talisman in her hand, ready to use it immediately if anyone was discovered.

She first approached the two disciples on night watch, and hypocritically murmured, "I can't bear to do this... there's really no other way. You can go in peace now. Your master will ensure you are reborn into a good family, so you won't have to suffer in a small sect in your next life."

This makes it sound like we're feeding on them and they should thank us in return.

After she put her two disciples into her spatial bracelet, there was a rustling sound from the bushes.

Tao Zhizhi instantly became alert, but then she calmed herself down, remembering that she was wearing an invisibility cloak and no one without Nascent Soul cultivation could see her.

With his free hand, he took out a hidden weapon and threw it in the direction of the sound!
——Boom!

The hidden weapon seemed to have hit something and bounced back. Tao Zhizhi's heart tightened, and she quickly dodged to the side.

A completely black fox emerged, its deep purple eyes standing out starkly in the darkness.

Because its fur color is the same as the night, without careful observation, one can subconsciously see a pair of purple eyes moving around, which is quite eerie.

Tao Zhizhi couldn't tell at first either, only seeing a pair of eyes moving, and was so frightened that she almost screamed.

Although she had followed her master in cultivating immortality for a long time, she had never gone out to dangerous places to train on her own.

Back in Wenxin Peak, whatever she wanted was delivered to her by others or her master; she never had to face any danger.

Even when they go out, they are protected by someone.

She seemed stunned, frozen in place. (End of Chapter)