"The spy might also be well-versed in techniques; perhaps the capabilities of the person dispatched by Brother Bai were insufficient, and thus unable to discern the enemy—having already overlooked this individual..." A figure entirely enveloped in gray light, appearing no more than a shadow, suddenly spoke calmly from the side. "Hmph. While we may not be confident in competing with other clans in matters of other cultivation techniques, in the study of the **-way, our clan stands absolutely unmatched among the thirteen. Should Brother Cang-ying believe the Yin-Yao clan surpasses us in this regard, then naturally, this matter may be entrusted to Brother Cang-ying." Brother Bai replied with directness. "I have indeed spoken with caution, making this observation. When it comes to mastery of techniques, how could the Yin-Yao clan possibly compare to the innate talents of the noble lineage?" The gray figure chuckled, appearing unconcerned. As Brother Bai's gaze grew colder and he prepared to add more, the young man with the surname Wang suddenly grew serious and interrupted: "Enough. Let us put aside all further words." It was impossible for that Chi-chi clan spy to escape. As soon as I discovered the theft, I immediately sealed off all exits, and for several days now, everyone has been able to enter but not leave—no matter how small the creature, it couldn't possibly fly out of Yun City. According to the guard who was injured by him, the spy only possessed the cultivation level of Lingxu, making it unlikely to deceive the thorough inspections carried out by Bai Daojun. Therefore, it's clear that he hadn't just recently infiltrated Yun City—he must have held another identity within the city for years. That explains why our earlier investigations failed to suspect him as the primary target. Upon hearing the young man with the Wang surname express this, both the white-haired and the gray-shadowed figures nodded respectfully and remained silent. "Indeed, as Wang Senior has described, this situation is quite challenging. If we narrow our focus to the period six months ago, the investigation would become overwhelming. Moreover, should this cause anxiety among the other ethnic groups, the matter would likely grow even more complicated." After a light cough, Qianjizǐ spoke up. "Indeed, what Brother Qianjizi mentioned is quite plausible—this is precisely what I'm most concerned about. Yet this person has stolen the detailed schematics of our newly erected defensive array at Yun City. No matter what it takes, we must absolutely prevent him from leaving Yun City at all. Otherwise, should the Jiaochi clan's army advance right up to our gates, our city's defenses would be rendered half-useless." The young man with the surname Wang spoke calmly. The young man of the Gong surname, upon hearing the elder speak, exchanged a quick glance and asked a probing question. "As for my own strategies, I really don't have any. Isn't there the Color Immortal Princess here? With the Color Daoist's wisdom, I believe solving this matter should be a breeze." The elderly man with black beard shook his head repeatedly, yet suddenly shifted his words to mention the Color Liu Ying, who had been quietly seated aside, silent all along. Upon hearing this, the beautiful woman of the Crystal Clan's eyes sparkled, and she smiled lightly, replying, "Master Ning is being too modest. With both Master Gong and the Sand Mountain Master present, how could I possibly show off my little cleverness? I'll simply do my best to follow instructions!" "Color Daoist, now is not the time for humility. I'd like to hear your opinion as the senior elder of the Crystal Clan." The young man of the Gong surname straightened his expression and directly addressed Color Liu Ying. "If Master truly expects me to offer some concrete suggestions, then I shall step out of my comfort zone and share my thoughts." The crystal-kin beauty furrowed her brows slightly, but then composed herself and rose, bowing respectfully to both the elderly gentleman and the elder woman. "Very well, Lady Cai, please go ahead." "Indeed, I'm sure Lady Cai won't let us down." ...Upon hearing the crystal-kin beauty's words, most of the seated guests smiled and offered praise. It seemed that although Lady Cai Liu Ying's cultivation level ranked among the lowest among the present holy clans, her reputation was quite high. The elderly woman, whose eyes had been nearly closed, now lifted her eyelids slightly and gazed deeply at the beauty. As for the young man of the Wang family, his gaze upon Lady Cai Liu Ying carried a touch of anticipation. "According to my judgment," said Lady Cai Liu Ying, glancing at all the guests in the hall, "since both tightening and loosening fall short, perhaps a combination of external looseness and internal firmness—drawing out the serpent—would be the best course." "External looseness, internal firmness," the young man of the Wang family murmured, his expression thoughtful. "Very well. Regardless of how the spy managed to evade detection during the search, it seems unlikely we'll be able to apprehend him promptly in the near term. In that case, over the course of the next month, we should commit our full forces and conduct an intensive search throughout the city. Should we succeed in capturing the spy during this period, that would be ideal. Should we remain unsuccessful, we may gradually scale back our efforts, creating the impression that we are progressively relaxing our vigilance. In reality, however, our presence at the four gates remains steady—indeed, it has even increased without being noticed. Furthermore, we should dispatch a fresh, specialized unit to continue discreetly investigating all individuals showing signs of intending to leave Yun City in the near future. In this way, if the spy is eager to deliver the goods, he will inevitably run headlong into our ambush. Should he instead intend to remain concealed within the city, he will eventually lose vigilance as the external pressure eases and will inevitably reveal himself to us." The crystal-kin woman spoke calmly and methodically. "Very well. Indeed, this is a sound strategy." But once the four gates were opened, if that person truly possessed extraordinary skill in the art of transformation, capable of evading our detection and then slipping away gracefully through the main gate, what then? After hearing this, the young man of the Gong family nodded first, then shook his head. The others, who had initially found Cai Liu Ying's plan promising, now, upon seeing the Gong family man's hesitance, exchanged puzzled glances. "Ah, Master Gong. My plan actually only covers half of it. The other half remains unspoken. I invite you to listen on." The beautiful woman of the Jing clan smiled gently. Then, with only slight movements of her lips, she transmitted her words directly to the young man of the Gong family without uttering a single sound. At first, the young man was somewhat surprised, but after listening to a few sentences, he exhaled softly, "Hmm," his expression growing subtly astonished, and finally, a look of genuine delight spread across his face. It took nearly a full cup of tea's worth of time before the Jing clan woman closed her mouth and concluded the transmission. Indeed, so it is! "The young man from the Wang family took a deep breath, asked Ci Liu Ying a question, then turned his gaze, unexpectedly, toward Qianji Zi. 'How could I possibly take this matter lightly?' the beautiful woman of the Jing clan said, her expression serious. Well, since you've nearly settled everything now, I'll go down and rest. Wang Dao-you, the matters that follow are entirely up to you." The elderly woman with the sand surname chuckled softly, then staggered to her feet, her voice weak and faint. Upon hearing this, the young man named Wang could only shake his head with a look of deep resignation. But before he could think of saying anything to her, she had already turned and walked steadily toward the side gate of the hall, leaving him completely alone. The other members of the Sacred Clans exchanged glances, clearly puzzled. To be honest, this elderly woman's origins were profoundly mysterious. Though everyone knew there was a great master among the thirteen clans at the stage of Great Ascension, no one knew which clan she belonged to, nor what great power she had cultivated to reach that level. Moreover, according to some legends, she was the longest-lived among the current Great Ascension-level beings in the thirteen clans—her lifespan was said to far exceed ordinary expectations. At the very least, when these Saint-tier cultivators first began to make notable progress in their cultivation, they had already become aware of this elderly lady, Lady Sha. Though she appeared so frail that even a gentle breeze could carry her away, even the young man of the Weng family—already a Mulberry Period cultivator—had always treated her as a half-junior. The other Saint-tier families of Yun City naturally held her in the highest regard, showing no hesitation or deference. Nevertheless, after the young man watched the elderly lady finally vanish through the side gate, he could only sigh in resignation, drawing his gaze back. "Since Lady Sha has now departed, there's little else to discuss. We'll proceed as suggested by Cai Daojun. Cai Lady, Bai Daojun, I entrust this matter entirely to you two. The rest of you are to fully cooperate." After a brief thought, the young man issued this decisive command. Everyone in the hall naturally agreed, expressing their assent without hesitation. "Then, let us now turn our attention to the affairs of Guanghan Realm." Qian Jīzi, please explain. "The middle-aged man with the surname Wang suddenly named him, shifting the topic. Upon hearing the terms 'Bright Moon Realm,' everyone's faces subtly tightened. "Qian brother, what does this mean? Does the Bright Moon Realm really about to open?" Some more impatient ones couldn't help but directly ask. Meanwhile, upon hearing this, Cai Liu Ying and Duan Tian Ren instinctively exchanged glances, but quickly looked away without making a sound. "Two days ago, the Bright Moon Ritual we've kept in our Hall of Spiritual Enlightenment showed signs of activity. According to our previous predictions, the Bright Moon Realm typically opens within three to four years, or at the very least within a few months." Qian Jīzi spoke calmly and steadily.