He Kao wanted to laugh, but couldn’t bring himself to.The Xiao Alliance indeed planned to activate Zhao Ci’s hidden card but handed the probing task to Hu Weidong.
What could He Kao teach him? Hu Weidong approached him merely to use He Kao as an "insider" to communicate with the Ancestral Hall, asking the Magic Sect not to act on a misjudgment.
Some things are unreliable if only heard as rumors, but when someone like Hu Weidong speaks them, it indicates the Bone-Penetrating Treasure Mirror truly isn’t on him.
In ancient times, Tier Six Cultivation was known as a True Man, and a True Man’s words were never in vain.
But this logic chain had flaws. The Treasure Mirror wasn’t on Hu Weidong now, and he spoke truthfully. Yet, if later someone handed the Treasure Mirror to him, that would be a different story.
He Kao: "I can help you communicate with the Ancestral Hall, but there’s a condition."
Hu Weidong: "Please, go ahead."
He Kao: "Though the Treasure Mirror isn’t in your hands now, it doesn’t mean it won’t be handed to you in the future. Senior Brother Hu must swear to inform me immediately if such a situation arises."
Hu Weidong: "No problem!" He then swore on the spot.
Seeing this, He Kao couldn’t help but sigh: "I didn’t expect you, a Great Elder of the Supreme Council, to be in such a difficult position. Without a communication channel with the Ancestral Hall, one wouldn’t know how to cope with this disaster."
That was the truth. If He Kao could vouch for him and explain the situation to the Ancestral Hall, this hurdle could indeed be overcome.
But if another premise were used, without prior contact between Hu Weidong and the Ancestral Hall, this situation would be dangerous. He Kao knew well the arrangements of the Ancestral Hall; they’ve long been waiting for someone to seek out Zhao Ci!
Hu Weidong was just a minor figure in the Xiao Alliance, hardly noticeable; he usually devoted himself to cultivation, rarely entangled in other affairs.
But after becoming a Tier Six Alchemist and a Great Elder of the Supreme Council, his life became thrilling. Without a line to the Ancestral Hall, he couldn’t predict when he might be played to death.
Hu Weidong said somewhat helplessly: "After breaking through Tier Six and before entering the Supreme Council, Elder Julie advised me to establish a communication line with the Magic Sect’s Hall of Sect Rules—it would be my lifeline."
Julie was Hu Weidong’s lover, a Tier Five Wanderer, and the only Great Elder of the Lingxi Lineage in the Xiao Alliance’s Supreme Council. The path she pointed out for Hu Weidong was indeed accurate!
He Kao frowned: "Lifeline? Is it that serious?"
Hu Weidong sighed repeatedly today: "In the Xiao Alliance, there are those envious of talent and excluding dissent."
His words contained Divine Thought, subtly explaining a bit.
Hu Weidong was born in Eastern Country, a first-generation Eastern Country immigrant in North America. Such a person was naturally difficult to be accepted by the Xiao Alliance’s elite circle.
Yet, the Xiao Alliance wasn’t like other social groups. It was ultimately an organization for Technique inheritance, and members’ status was determined by cultivation.
Thus, the Supreme Council acknowledged Hu Weidong’s status as a Great Elder, but this made him even more feared. He could sense the unintentional subtle exclusion from many core members of the Xiao Alliance.
Could he not join the Supreme Council? Absolutely not; he possessed such cultivation yet offered nothing back to the organization, which would be seen as disloyalty. Moreover, Hu Weidong, having dedicated years to cultivation and finally reaching such accomplishment, wasn’t without ambition or ideas.
Another person in the Supreme Council shared a similar predicament to Hu Weidong—Fabre.
Fabre was also an Eastern Country descendant, but born in North America, a third-generation immigrant. After becoming a Tier Six Physician, he entered the Supreme Council as a Great Elder. Fabre’s choice was to prove his loyalty by all means.
Fabre’s method was summed up in one word—flattery!
Not directly fawning over Arthur, he wasn’t close enough, so he flattered Arthur’s staunch ally, Xiao Alliance’s second-in-command, Mei Lin.
As a fellow Tier Six Physician, Fabre typically behaved like Mei Lin’s sidekick disciple, thus entering the Arthur-led core circle, actively plotting against the Magic Sect.
Fabre was capable and loyal, naturally drawing Arthur’s attention. Arthur allowed him to use the Flying Divine Artifact Sails of the Wind from the treasury when carrying out missions. Without this artifact, Fabre couldn’t have escaped from Gu Chun and Mei Guyu twice.
Hu Weidong couldn’t emulate Fabre, so he made a different choice.
Arthur’s faction prioritized loyal followers and inner circles, inevitably marginalizing others within the Xiao Alliance, among whom were undoubtedly some capable individuals with their ideas.
Hu Weidong tried to unite or attract this group, attempting to gather his force... But this made him more feared by Arthur and others.
He Kao smirked, withholding what he wanted to say, then spoke: "By telling me this, aren’t you leaking organizational secrets?"
Hu Weidong shook his head: "Please don’t misunderstand. I harbor no betrayal against the Xiao Alliance. I merely feel the Xiao Alliance shouldn’t be the way it is; I want to make it better.
Regarding this matter, no one in the Supreme Council asked me to keep it confidential because it’s unnecessary. Leaking secrets would be my end, and if others leak them, it would lead me to ruin. That’s why I had to come to you.
Moreover, even if the Supreme Council wanted to keep it secret, it would be wishful thinking. If I privately contact Zhao Ci, no one can control whether Zhao Ci would disclose it..."
Perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, Hu Weidong’s behavior is a kind of betrayal, but in Hu Weidong’s own heart, he believes he has not betrayed the Xiao Alliance, and many of his actions were just helpless acts of self-preservation.
The Great Elder of the Supreme Council is already at the top layer of the Xiao Alliance. If a organization has its most core, top-tier talents being repelled internally and offers no benefit to the world externally, its reason for existence becomes questionable.
Born into the Xiao Alliance, Hu Weidong does not want to see it become like this, hoping that the Xiao Alliance transforms into what he envisions, which is the core philosophy driving his actions.
He Kao seemingly joked, "This lousy class, might as well skip it!"
Hu Weidong did not engage in this banter but instead raised his arm to make a circle around, inexplicably asking, "Huo Qing, my junior, this forest is quite lush and prosperous, can you see any problems with your insight?"
He Kao looked around, pondered, and uttered four words: "Chronic collapse."
This phrase itself is very contradictory. Collapse often describes loss of control and defeat in a short period, which doesn’t match with the meaning of chronic, nor does it fit the imagery being described.
In the mountain wilderness where they were, the sunset glow cast a lush sheen on the trees, embodying vitality during the midsummer season.
The state where Luoshan City is located claims to prioritize environmental issues. The mountains and forests here are protected by legislation and have not suffered any destruction for decades, with various wild animals inhabiting the area, seemingly boasting a good ecological environment.
At the beginning of the year, this area encountered a large-scale wildfire, but the wildfire did not affect the forest where they were standing.
Even if it was a wildfire, it might actually be another kind of natural gift. The fire cleared away many big trees and their canopies, allowing saplings and small trees growing below to receive sunlight... the ash itself is also a kind of fertilizer.
Looking at the areas once devoured by wildfire, after several rains and rising temperatures, they are now overgrown with wild grass, shrubs, and various seedlings, displaying a scene of flourishing vitality and competitive growth.
He Kao’s Observing Body Skill cultivation is Tier Four Physician, adept at seeing vitality, but he couldn’t spot any issues.
Yet from another viewpoint, such as Hu Weidong being a Tier Six Alchemist, while the Alchemy Cauldron Skill at Tier Four cultivation is also known as Gardener, what he should see is not the state of a particular tree or grass, but the overall ecological landscape.
The tree species here mainly consist of the blue oak unique to North America, along with alternating distributions of Joshua trees, foxtail pines, etc., all of which are indigenous vegetation in this area, forming the cornerstone of the local ecosystem.
These trees range from several decades to over a hundred years old, growing well, mostly still able to normally bloom and bear fruit... However, the real problem is that there are almost no seedlings of them around, with small trees aged a few to over ten years being nearly extinct.
The fallen seeds can hardly take root and sprout normally, growing into healthy big trees.
Even at the highest point of the terrain, a few seedlings can still be seen, and a few of them don’t look bad, but they can no longer support the continuation of the entire species population... which signifies structural imbalance in the entire ecosystem.
The primary reason for all of this is environmental changes, possibly starting from a decade or even decades ago, initially should not have been evident, but gradually evolved and accumulated to today’s irreversible situation.
Looking once more at the distant areas emptied by the wildfire, now filled with various grasses and trees, it’s no longer the original vegetation.
Looking again at the low areas near the foot of the mountain, they show signs of grassland invasion. The grasslands are interspersed with lots of shrubs, and many plants have not ended their flowering period, making it seem like a scene of lush flowers and grasses.
The mountain forest around them, many adult trees are still alive and seem to be thriving, but once these native vegetations gradually wither and decay, the entire original ecosystem will rapidly collapse.
This process might be lengthy, spanning decades or a hundred years? But when collapse actually arrives, it will definitely be swift!
He Kao often meets with Hu Weidong in this area, initially not paying attention. His Alchemy Cauldron Skill also holds Tier Four Gardener cultivation, and after hearing Hu Weidong’s reminder, he quickly saw the issue with a glance.
Actually, not only the Tier Four Gardener of the Alchemy Sect but even if replaced with a Tier Four Merchant of the Heart Plate Sect, careful observation should reveal it.
Hu Weidong’s words clearly had other implications, and He Kao didn’t discuss anything further, instead changed the subject: "Hailari has already been handed over to your Xiao Alliance to handle, but what about those few corrupt cops at the scene at the time?"
Hu Weidong: "Just before coming, I received news that the four police officers at the scene have successively died accidentally. As far as I know, this wasn’t the work of Xiao Alliance; it should be the handiwork of the Stone Gang."
The Stone Gang acted swiftly; within just two days, all four corrupt cops were sent off. This isn’t just punishment but also a deterrence.
He Kao: "Well, they truly died deservedly!" After thinking for a moment, he added a somewhat abrupt comment, "How the Xiao Alliance punishes Hailari is your business. But Magic Sect will not let Fabre go, and neither will I!"
...
Five days later, an investigative team led by Elder Wenges settled in the Stone District. Key members like Shi Hao, Shi Zhi Gao, Shi Zhi Ping, and others from the Luoshan Family came out to host and made arrangements; Kang Rulin also made an appearance.
No one knows whether that was Kang Rulin’s portrait version or himself. Now, Kang Rulin has left an impression of being as elusive as a dragon, profound and unfathomable.
Kang Rulin exposed himself only this once; ordinarily, no one knows where the old man retreats to cultivate. Based on internal reports, the Ancestral Hall has no news of Kang Rulin having returned.
Actually, it was Kang Rulin appearing in person; the portrait version is very precious and a one-time consumable, which he absolutely won’t use lightly. But after exposing himself this once, Kang Rulin hurriedly returned to the Book Observation Grotto Heaven in Phoenix Tail Town.
Because he received an urgent command from the Ancestral Hall, asking him to return immediately and secretly, without leaking information.
**