"Battle armor… Xiaobai…"
"It's like a snowball now—it'll only keep getting bigger."
Seated cross-legged on the bed, Jiang Jue slowly opened his eyes. A glint of sharp light flashed within them as he murmured softly.
Now that he had both the Snow and Ice Emperors under his wing, the entire Extreme North had effectively fallen under his command. The Snow Emperor's status there was unquestionable.
Unlike Di Tian of the Star Dou Forest, whose subordinates were full of traitors, and who still served a higher master.
Buzz—buzz—buzz!
The Eye of Destiny at the center of Jiang Jue's brows suddenly opened. A brilliant golden radiance shone inside the room. In the next moment, a golden wheel slowly emerged behind him, radiating dazzling light.
"This is strange… With the Snow Emperor already submitted to me, why hasn't the Fate Golden Wheel changed?"
Doubt flickered in Jiang Jue's eyes as he pondered.
Only three-tenths of the Fate Wheel's sectors behind him were lit.
"Logically, as the ruler of the Extreme North and controller of all soul beasts there, the Snow Emperor should carry the fortune of that land. Could it be that only when she truly becomes my spirit ring will that fortune return to me?"
"Or… do I have to personally visit the Extreme North?"
Jiang Jue frowned slightly, silently thinking.
"This can't be rushed. There's still plenty of time. For now, I need to complete the cultivation of the Flawless Golden Body, then find an opportunity to visit the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and redistribute wealth from the rich."
The immortal herbs within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well were all precious treasures, extremely useful for his cultivation.
"If Huo Yuhao follows the original timeline and goes to the Sun Moon Empire, then things will get interesting…"
As Jiang Jue considered the next steps in his plan, his eyes flickered.
This time, he absolutely wouldn't allow that "little thief" Huo Yuhao to sneak off with a bunch of blueprints and advanced soul tool technology. On top of that, he would make Shrek Academy bleed heavily again.
"Time waits for no one. Cultivate. Cultivate."
Body Sect.
Inside a relatively lavish room—
"How's the matter I entrusted to you?"
Jinpeng sat on a wooden chair, casually lifted a teacup, took a sip, and asked.
Before him stood a shadowy figure completely cloaked in a black robe, making their identity indiscernible.
"Reporting to Elder Jin. Based on my investigation, during Jiang Jue's time at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, there was nothing unusual in his daily life. He simply studied soul tools and cultivated every day. He behaved no differently from other students—if anything, he was even more dedicated to cultivation."
"His background is also clean—no relatives, no suspicious connections."
As he spoke, the black-robed figure detailed Jiang Jue's past routine at the academy.
"Oh? So that's how it is. Well, it makes sense. To have such cultivation at age twelve—he must've spent all his time training."
Jinpeng nodded slightly, mumbling to himself.
After Du Bushi held the first sect meeting regarding Jiang Jue, Jinpeng, still uneasy, secretly sent someone to investigate him further.
This black-robed man was the one he sent, now returning to report.
"And how exactly did the Sect Master… bring Jiang Jue from Star Luo City? Has that been clarified?"
Jinpeng asked, looking at him closely.
"It has. After the match ended, Sect Master and Shrek Academy's Taotie Douluo Xuanzi engaged in battle."
"At that time chaos broke out. Langya and Yu Tao took advantage of the disorder to take Jiang Jue, and with the Sect Master's help, brought him back to the sect."
The black-robed man clearly investigated this thoroughly, answering Jinpeng's queries in full detail.
"And the Star Luo Empire didn't interfere?"
Jinpeng raised an eyebrow curiously.
"No."
The black-robed man shook his head with certainty.
"Hmph!"
"So that Star Luo Empire was scheming all along. They wanted our Body Sect to clash with the Mingde Hall behind the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, while they watched from the sidelines."
"Truly gutsy."
Jinpeng snorted coldly, immediately seeing through Xu Jiawei's ploy.
"Elder Jin, I also purchased some additional information from a local intelligence agency in Star Luo City."
The black-robed man merely listened without comment. After Jinpeng finished, he continued.
"Go on."
Jinpeng put down his teacup, his voice now deeper.
"The intel indicated that the Star Luo Empire actually dispatched people to assist our Body Sect in taking Jiang Jue away."
Upon hearing this, Jinpeng actually laughed in anger.
"What a lovely Star Luo Empire."
He did not doubt it—he knew how cunning imperial rulers were.
"Where did you buy this intel from? For them to know something that secret—seems unusual."
Jinpeng asked with curiosity. After all, such things should have been kept extremely hidden by the Star Luo Empire.
"I purchased it from an agency called 'Pangolin'. From what I've learned, this organization is newly established, but has extremely detailed knowledge of Star Luo Empire's internal affairs."
The black-robed man replied truthfully.
"Heh. Xu Jiawei schemes against others every day, yet now there's a mole inside his own walls—his house has been robbed."
"Wait. How did you find out about this 'Pangolin' agency? Did you seek them out, or did they approach you?"
Suddenly, Jinpeng realized something, his eyes narrowing sharply.
"It was I who sought them out. Also, I didn't only buy from them—I bought from multiple agencies. It's just that their intel stood out, so I reported it specifically."
Shocked by Jinpeng's sudden pressure, the black-robed man hurriedly explained.
This Elder Jin was still as cautious as ever.
"I see. Then it's fine. You may leave."
Jinpeng's eyes were full of contemplation as he waved him off.
"Yes!"
The black-robed man bowed, then dissolved into shadow and vanished underground in an instant.
After he left, Jinpeng slowly lifted his teacup, blew on the floating tea foam, and murmured softly.
"It seems I was overthinking. Jiang Jue's identity appears to be clean."
"In that case, we must start allocating more resources to him. A genius of this level must be nurtured carefully. He will be the jade pillar holding the sky, the golden beam spanning the seas for our Body Sect's future."
"If anyone in the sect dares set their eyes on him—don't blame this old man for chopping their hands off!"
In the wavering candlelight, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in Jinpeng's eyes—but his face still wore a kind smile.
(End of Chapter)