110: Late-night talk in the cloud, the strategy of hidden chess.

Returning to the small courtyard of Cloud Deep Pavilion, the Restrictions opened layer by layer, isolating the outside world's clamor and prying eyes. The blush on Qu Feiyan's face hadn't completely faded. The heart-pounding sensation of relying on each other for survival in the mine pit, and Lin Xuan's decisive action to shield her, still echoed in her heart. She sat on a stone stool in the courtyard, uncharacteristically quiet, her fingertips unconsciously twirling a strand of green hair, her charming eyes occasionally glancing at Lin Xuan, who was deep in thought.

Lin Xuan stood in the courtyard, his gaze serene. The discoveries from the mine pit confirmed that the Guixu Cult indeed had an important stronghold in Tianshu City, and their scheme was directly related to the terrifying 'Void' power. The Nascent Soul Stage bone hand that reached out from the spatialfissure further indicated that the power the enemy had invested here was not to be underestimated.

"System, retrieve all energy data and Formation patterns recorded in the mine pit. Perform a deep deduction, attempt to reverse-engineer its teleportation coordinate interference mode, and evaluate the threat Rank and purification plan for the 'Void' infection source."

[Directive received. Data retrieval in progress... Beginning deep deduction...]

[Warning: Coordinate interference involves high-tier spatial Law. Forcibly parsing requires a large amount of computing power and host Divine Sense, which may lead to temporary weakness.]

['Void' Infection Source (Fragment) Threat Rank: High. Possesses nascent self-awareness and spreading contamination. Recommended purification plan: Requires power of extreme Yang and rigidity (such as host's Blazing Sun Chapter fragment) or extremely high-tier purification Divine Ability/Magic Treasure, combined with powerful Divine Thought, for complete annihilation.]

Deduction came at a cost, but it was worth it. Lin Xuan didn't hesitate: "Execute deduction!"

In an instant, he felt his Divine Sense being frantically drawn into the System like water being pumped, and a throbbing pain came from his brain. His face paled slightly, but his figure remained upright.

Qu Feiyan noticed his abnormality and immediately got up and walked to his side, asking with concern, "Junior Brother Lin, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just deducing some things, it's quite draining." Lin Xuan waved his hand, signaling her not to worry.

Qu Feiyan looked at his resolute profile, and the unusual feelings in her heart grew stronger. She hesitated for a moment, then took out a jade bottle from her Storage Pouch and poured out a Medicinal Pill emitting a sweet fragrance: "This is a 'Spirit Nurturing Pill.' It has miraculous effects for restoring Divine Sense. Take it." This Medicinal Pill was quite precious, originally for her own life-saving use, but at this moment, she took it out without hesitation.

Lin Xuan glanced at her, didn't refuse, and took the Medicinal Pill. A cool sensation instantly swept through his Sea of Consciousness, greatly alleviating the stinging pain caused by the consumption of Divine Sense. "Thank you, Senior Sister."

Seeing him accept it, Qu Feiyan's face broke into a bright smile, as if she was happier than if she had taken the Medicinal Pill herself. She sat down again, propping her chin on her hands, and just watched him quietly, no longer disturbing him.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the System's prompt sounded:

[Deduction complete. Successfully constructed coordinate interference model (partial), obtained key frequency parameters. Combining existing information, there is a 73% probability that the final target coordinates of the mine pit blood sacrifice teleportation Formation point to — the periphery of the Nether Abyss.]

[Nether Abyss: A famous forbidden land at the border of the Eastern Domain and Southern Wilderness. Space is chaotic, Death Qi permeates, and ancient battlefield ruins are rumored to exist. It is a gathering place for ghost cultivators and those on the Demonic Path. The Guixu Cult's possibility of establishing a stronghold here is extremely high.]

Nether Abyss! Lin Xuan's gaze sharpened. That was indeed a favored hiding place for the Guixu Cult.

[Based on the analysis of the infection source fragment, its complete form possesses the ability to erode and transform living beings into 'Void Puppets,' and can remotely receive commands and power infusion from the 'Void' Origin through specific Formations. It must be destroyed before it fully matures or establishes a stable connection with its parent body.]

The situation is urgent! The Guixu Cult is not only stirring up trouble within the Qinglan Sect but also cultivating such a dangerous thing right under Tianshu City's nose. Their ambitions must be immense!

"It seems I must find a way to infiltrate the City Lord's Mansion as soon as possible, investigate the hidden Formation underground, and try to destroy the infection source deep within the mine pit," Lin Xuan said in a deep voice. Forcing his way into the City Lord's Mansion would be unwise; he needed an opportune moment.

Just then, a slight fluctuation came from the courtyard's Restriction, a transmission talisman.

Lin Xuan swept his Divine Sense across it—it was Yun Qianqian! Her message was simple, yet it stirred something in Lin Xuan's heart:

"Young Master Lin, tomorrow at noon, the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower will host a small treasure appraisal and exchange event. Many young talents and aristocratic scions from the city will attend. Perhaps there will be news or items that interest Young Master. Qianqian sincerely invites Young Master to come for a chat. —Yun Qianqian"

A treasure appraisal event at the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower? This was indeed a good opportunity to enter Tianshu City's upper circles and gather information. Moreover, Yun Qianqian, as the daughter of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower's Tower Lord, her intelligence network might provide some unexpected clues.

"Senior Sister Qu, how about you accompany me to the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower tomorrow?" Lin Xuan put away the transmission talisman and said to Qu Feiyan.

Upon hearing this, Qu Feiyan's charming eyes narrowed slightly, and her tone carried a hint of sourness: "Oh? Is it an invitation from that Young Miss Yun? Junior Brother Lin certainly has good fortune with women; you've already hooked up so quickly?"

Lin Xuan sighed helplessly: "Senior Sister, this is serious business for gathering information. The Guixu Cult's influence is deeply entrenched; we need to leverage the local forces' intelligence network."

Qu Feiyan snorted, signifying her tacit agreement. She also knew what was important, but she really didn't have a good impression of that enthusiastic and bold Yun Qianqian.

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

Lin Xuan meditated in his room to recover the Divine Sense consumed by his deduction during the day. Qu Feiyan, however, tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The scenes from the mine pit during the day, and that 'thank you' when Lin Xuan took her Medicinal Pill, kept replaying in her mind.

She quietly got up and came to the courtyard, looking at the faint magical power glow emanating from Lin Xuan's window, her eyes complex. This Junior Martial Brother, who seemingly only had Late Golden Core Stage cultivation, harbored too many secrets. His strength was formidable, his mind meticulous, and he possessed a sense of responsibility and courage that was truly captivating. Unbeknownst to her, her heart, which had drifted in the Demonic Path and been frozen for many years, seemed to have truly become attached to him.

"Oh, well..." She sighed faintly, but a relieved yet determined curve appeared at the corner of her lips. "Since I can't avoid it, then I'll fight for it! Sister Su, and all those other women who appeared out of nowhere, this Senior Sister won't easily admit defeat!"

She returned to her room and also began to Cultivate cross-legged, but her state of mind was vastly different from before.

On the other side, Lin Xuan was not entirely immersed in Cultivation. He separated a wisp of his mind to communicate with the System.

"System, filter for female targets within Tianshu City who possess high potential and might provide core intelligence about the Guixu Cult or the City Lord's Mansion through investment."

[Filtering in progress... Target one: Yun Qianqian (already contacted, potential A+, investment direction: intelligence, resources). Target two: Gu Qingqing (already contacted, potential S- (due to incomplete Divine Soul), investment direction: unknown (requires further contact to unlock), establishing a connection with her may touch upon deeper Karma). Target three: Deputy Commander Situ Yue (Deputy Commander of Tianshu City Guard, Mid-stage Golden Core, potential A, upright and incorruptible, suspected of noticing abnormalities within the City Lord's Mansion, investment direction: obtaining internal information, official assistance).]

Deputy Commander Situ Yue? Deputy Commander of the City Guard? This was an unexpected potential ally.

Lin Xuan noted down this name. Tomorrow's trip to the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower might yield more discoveries.

As night deepened, Tianshu City remained brightly lit, and within this small courtyard, ripples of emotion and the strategic layout against a dark conspiracy were quietly intertwining, awaiting the dawn.