No one wanted to be the first to act, waiting instead for someone else to step forward.
Now that someone had taken the lead, they realized that missing this opportunity would mean losing their chance to act while the cultivation world was still unguarded. Would there be another chance to turn the tables? Would there ever be a more opportune moment?
Everyone knew the answer in their hearts.
Thus, all parties quickly mobilized, working together to uproot all the Wan Wan Tong agents in their respective territories. Their swift actions suggested they had been planning this for some time.
Even those who hesitated, fearful of consequences, were forcibly dragged into the fray by their neighbors.
Now, no one was clean. Should any remnants escape and cultivators from the cultivation world come to retaliate, no one could escape responsibility or act as the backstabber.
The networks that Wan Wan Tong had meticulously built in the mortal world over decades were dismantled almost overnight.
Among the factions, Tianxin Sect stood out as the most cooperative.
Upon receiving the notification, Zhi Yu Zun Zhe, a leader in Tianxin Sect, immediately ordered his sect elders to arrest the agents operating within their territory. He also commanded them to assist nearby sects and royal families in capturing all suspects.
The Tianxin Sect, situated in Tui Yi Nation, was the fastest to complete their task and deliver the captives to Pusi Nation.
This enthusiasm was not without reason.
Years ago, when Zhi Yu Zun Zhe sensed he was nearing the threshold of a major breakthrough, he began his preparations. He instructed the entire sect to treat the Wan Wan Tong agents within their ranks with unparalleled hospitality. Even though their cultivation resources were limited, they went to great lengths to accommodate the agents' needs.
These agents, unaccustomed to such preferential treatment, were easily swayed. Though they carried an air of superiority, considering themselves cultivators from the cultivation world, they were, in reality, low-level operatives for Wan Wan Tong. Their status was insignificant; they were merely expendable tools.
Thus, Tianxin Sect's flattery and attentiveness were effective. The agents became complacent, enjoying their pampered lives. They reported back to Wan Wan Tong with less diligence, often slacking off in their investigations into Tianxin Sect.
Their negligence went unnoticed by their superiors, who had grown indifferent to the mortal world.
The reason for this indifference was simple: the mortal world was impoverished. Cultivators stationed there struggled to progress beyond the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages, let alone achieve Nascent Soul or Divine Transformation. Even those with exceptional talent would find it nearly impossible to reach higher realms under such harsh conditions.
The idea of reaching the Divine Transformation stage was nothing more than a pipe dream.
Additionally, significant breakthroughs at the Nascent Soul stage were accompanied by unmistakable phenomena. If Zhi Yu Zun Zhe were truly breaking through, the agents believed they would detect the associated disturbances immediately. Thus, they continued to live comfortably within Tianxin Sect, dismissing the possibility of any hidden plans.
What they didn't know was that Tianxin Sect possessed a unique ancestral artifact called the Qian Kun Seal, capable of concealing celestial phenomena within a certain radius.
This artifact allowed Zhi Yu Zun Zhe to mask the heavenly signs of his advancement to the late Nascent Soul stage, preventing Wan Wan Tong from discovering his progress.
The Qian Kun Seal had been passed down through generations of Tianxin Sect's leaders, with its use restricted to cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage or higher. Unfortunately, the sect had never produced a cultivator who could both reach late Nascent Soul and aspire to Divine Transformation.
In truth, this scarcity wasn't limited to Tianxin Sect. Across the mortal world, where resources were scarce and spiritual energy thin, it was rare to find anyone with the talent and fortune to reach even the late Nascent Soul stage.
Zhi Yu Zun Zhe was the first person in centuries to have a real chance of advancing to Divine Transformation.
This lack of precedent was one of the reasons for Wan Wan Tong's complacency.
After all, while centuries may be a fleeting moment for high-level cultivators, they represented several generations for the mid-level cultivators stationed in the mortal world. Most of these agents were at the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages, and centuries had seen many of them replaced.
For years, Zhi Yu Zun Zhe concealed his spiritual energy fluctuations, allowing others to believe he was still at the early Nascent Soul stage. Only recently had he begun preparations for his final breakthrough.
However, the agents had inexplicably become more attentive in recent months. They uncovered signs of the sect's preparations for his seclusion and breakthrough. Left with no choice, Zhi Yu Zun Zhe ordered all the agents to be captured and imprisoned in a heavily guarded underground chamber within the sect.
He refrained from killing them, fearing that some might have soul lamps or similar monitoring devices connected to Wan Wan Tong. By imprisoning them, they retained some time to respond to any leaks. Killing them outright would immediately alert Wan Wan Tong if their soul lamps were extinguished.
Zhi Yu Zun Zhe could not afford any disruptions to his breakthrough.
This attempt would determine his future: he would either ascend to Divine Transformation or perish in the ensuing backlash, taking Tianxin Sect down with him in one final, desperate struggle.
It was all or nothing.
Outsiders were unaware of these internal struggles. They merely marveled at Tianxin Sect's swift and decisive actions, praising their conduct as befitting a major sect.
Zhi Yu Zun Zhe personally led the team that delivered the captured agents from Tui Yi Nation to Pusi Nation. He then returned to the sect to begin his seclusion.
With this, Wan Wan Tong's spy network in the mortal world was dismantled. From its top leaders to its lowest operatives, not a single person escaped. All were transported to Xiushui City in Pusi Nation.
The total number of captives reached 14,800, including one Nascent Soul cultivator, 1,000 Golden Core cultivators, 10,000 Foundation Establishment cultivators, and over 3,000 late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators.
The sheer scale was staggering.
Wan Wan Tong had gradually deployed this many agents over the years, infiltrating every corner of the mortal world.
Although their presence was sparse in individual nations or sects, the mortal world's vastness meant that, collectively, their numbers were overwhelming.
The sight of so many captives caused other nations and sects delivering prisoners to break into a cold sweat for Xiushui City.
After all, these were cultivators, not mere mortals. Among them were numerous Golden Core practitioners. If they caused trouble, controlling the situation would be incredibly difficult.
Yet Lingxian Sect showed no concern.
On the contrary, they were thrilled.
With so many people, especially so many Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators, the potential for land development was enormous.
With this much labor, the endless expanse of wilderness beyond Beishan could finally be cleared and transformed into fertile farmland.
The prospect was so exciting that they could hardly wait to mobilize the captives for reclamation work.