No one knew how many hardships she had endured to reach this point. Yet now, the dignified sect leader of an entire sect stood there with tears streaming down her face like rain.

Qin Sang sighed inwardly.

"I have embarrassed myself. Please forgive me for making a spectacle before you, Sect Leader." Mei Gu wiped away her tears. The fragile demeanor of a young woman vanished in an instant, and her expression quickly returned to normal.

Qin Sang nodded. "Before I left, the few of you had only just reached the Foundation Building Realm. I merely laid the foundation back then. You managing to lead the Devilish Flame Sect to its current state really exceeded my expectations."

"This was not the merit of me alone. Junior Brother Lu also spared no effort to assist me before his betrayal. Junior Brother Zhao devoted just as much effort to the sect as I did. We worked together wholeheartedly, and by chance encountered several opportunities along the way. Only then did we achieve what we have today..." Mei Gu spoke with great humility. She did not claim the credit for herself and deliberately emphasized Zhao Shanran’s contributions.

She recounted several of those past events. Seeing that Qin Sang was quite interested and did not stop her, she briefly described the experiences of the past hundred years.

Qin Sang could see through Mei Gu’s intentions and said directly, "Those who have merit should naturally be rewarded. Although Zhao Shanran is already advanced in years, his cultivation has been tempered well. It is still possible for him to form a Golden Core."

Mei Gu was overjoyed when she heard this. "Sect Leader, I thank you on behalf of Junior Brother Zhao."

Qin Sang raised his hand to stop Mei Gu from kneeling again. His tone shifted as he asked, "Let us set others aside for the moment. What plans do you have for yourself going forward? That you were able to form a Golden Core under such circumstances shows that you possess not only strategic ability, but also excellent aptitude and fortune in immortal cultivation."

"Sect Leader, I boldly ask you to take pity on the fact that I have devoted myself wholeheartedly to the sect and grant me guidance in cultivation, so that I may advance further on the path of immortality! I am willing to abandon everything. I only hope you will grant this request!" Mei Gu seemed to have prepared for this long ago. She acted decisively and immediately knelt to the ground without hesitation.

In the past, she had never dared to hope that she could go far along the path of immortality. She had originally planned to devote all her energy to developing the sect. But Qin Sang’s sudden appearance allowed her to see a glimmer of hope. The sect now had the most solid support.

More importantly, their sect leader was actually a Spiritual Infant grandmaster. Mei Gu knew that this would be the greatest opportunity of her life, and she had to seize it no matter what.

"Very well. I will accept you as my disciple." Qin Sang did not beat around the bush and agreed with a nod.

He had a good impression of Mei Gu. When Devilish Flame Sect was merged into Qingyang Temple, Mei Gu and the others would become the backbone of the organization.

Mei Gu had not expected things to proceed so smoothly. For a moment she wondered if she had misheard. She froze briefly before finally reacting. "Greetings, Master!"

Suppressing the wild joy in her heart, Mei Gu performed the formal ceremony of discipleship with meticulous seriousness.

Qin Sang lifted his hand slightly, allowing Mei Gu to rise. "From today onward, you are the second disciple I have accepted. You have some fellow disciples elsewhere, but for now you cannot meet them."

Mei Gu looked puzzled.

After a brief pause, Qin Sang continued, "Back then, I provoked a powerful enemy and was forced to flee far away. My enemy is extremely powerful, so it is not suitable for me to reveal myself publicly right now. I must temporarily disguise myself under another identity. You will continue to lead Devilish Flame Sect. As for my true cultivation, it is enough that you alone know it. Do not reveal it to anyone else."

Mei Gu was startled. No wonder Sect Leader disappeared for so many years.

Even more shocking was the fact that the enemy was so terrifying that even a Spiritual Infant grandmaster had to act with such caution.

"I understand!" Mei Gu asked no further questions.

The grudges between Spiritual Infant grandmasters were not something she could involve herself in.

Qin Sang nodded and handed her a jade slip. "After you lead the disciples to the front line, deliver this item to the sect leader of Yuanshen Sect. I know him. Although Yuanshen Sect belongs to the righteous path, they can still offer you some assistance."

Mei Gu accepted the jade slip and carefully stored it away. Her heart immediately settled.

In Small Cold Domain, the righteous and devilish paths had their disagreements, but when facing external enemies they always united. This confrontation against Sin Abyss was no exception. Both sides were cooperating fully, and Yuanshen Sect could provide them with some protection.

With a Spiritual Infant grandmaster speaking on their behalf, their safety would be greatly assured.

Afterward, Qin Sang rewarded Mei Gu with a middle-grade astra and personally gave her some guidance. He then suppressed his cultivation back down to the Core Formation Realm and instructed Mei Gu to bring Zhao Shanran and the others inside.

"Greetings, Sect Leader..." Zhao Shanran and the others knelt and greeted Qin Sang.

Qin Sang singled out Zhao Shanran and said in a deep voice, "Mei Gu mentioned earlier that you have devoted yourself wholeheartedly to the sect all these years. Even if you lack great merit, you have certainly endured great hardship. These two pills can assist in forming a Golden Core. Consider them your reward. Refine them and cultivate diligently. You may still have a chance to form a Golden Core."

As he spoke, Qin Sang flicked his finger lightly. A jade bottle containing two Malevolent Demonic Pills flew toward Zhao Shanran.

After returning, Qin Sang had not sold a single Malevolent Demonic Pill. He had kept them all.

Zhao Shanran quickly caught the jade bottle. His face was filled with excitement as he knelt and bowed deeply. "Sect Leader, thank you for this great kindness. I will devote my life and soul to repaying your grace."

"Rise. It is enough that you remember it in your heart. In the future, do not betray the sect. Otherwise, Lu Xing will serve as your warning!" Qin Sang’s tone turned cold.

The disciples shivered and hurriedly promised that they would never dare.

"As for you all, you may exchange merit for rewards," Qin Sang said as he looked at the other disciples. "A great battle is approaching, so as a temporary measure those at the Fake Core Realm may each receive one pill first. However, I must warn you in advance. It is best that you attempt to form your Golden Core on your own first. If that fails, then you may take the pill. This medicine increases the probability of forming a Golden Core, but the price is that malevolent qi will cling to you. Not only will it affect your strength, but when you encounter bottlenecks in future cultivation, breaking through will become much more difficult."

The disciples displayed different expressions upon hearing this. Zhao Shanran did not care in the slightest. At his age, all he wanted was to form a Golden Core, regardless of the cost.

"This malevolent qi can be eliminated. Certain suitable spiritual herbs can remove it. I will not intervene in this matter. Whether you can find those herbs will depend on your own abilities." Qin Sang handed Mei Gu another jade slip that recorded various spiritual herbs.

These herbs had nearly been exhausted in Canglang Sea. For now, they were not difficult to find in Small Cold Domain, though the price would not be low. It could be considered part of their training.

After that, Qin Sang remained at Devilish Flame Sect for some time. He left behind certain resources and worked with Mei Gu to devise a development plan for the sect, preparing for its eventual merger into Qingyang Temple and its entry into the righteous path.

After learning the truth, Mei Gu showed no resistance. On the contrary, she was delighted at the opportunity to leave the devilish path.

Soon the day of departure arrived. According to the previous arrangement, Zhao Shanran remained behind while Mei Gu led the other disciples to the front line.

Before she departed, Qin Sang called Mei Gu over and passed several life-saving techniques to her.

"This time, you also have another task." Only now did Qin Sang reveal his true purpose. "Quietly approach the Devilish Qingyang Sect. It would be best if you can befriend the old devil’s true disciple and gather information about the old devil’s temperament and the Ancestral Sacred Flame..." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

A trace of surprise flashed through Mei Gu’s eyes.

Qin Sang reassured her, "Do not think too much about it. My enemy is not the old devil. The Ancestral Sacred Flame is somewhat useful to me. If possible, I hope to make a trade with the old devil. I am unable to divide my attention, so you will investigate this matter on my behalf first."

Mei Gu felt relieved. "As you command!"