Yao Pei flipped open the register. “Divine power and innate qi are two fundamentally different things. Unless someone possesses the Xuan Jade like you or is a Banished Immortal like me, they cannot coexist within one person. But whether they are innate or cultivated Banished Immortals, their numbers are extremely rare. Within the Daoist Order, Banished Immortals have a guaranteed bright future. Within secret societies, they are core figures, unlikely to be sent on high-risk missions to infiltrate the Daoist Order’s stronghold.0

“The reasoning is simple. The risk and reward don’t match. The Confucian Sage statue is valuable, but it cannot compare to a Banished Immortal with boundless potential. After all, as long as a Banished Immortal doesn’t die prematurely, they will almost certainly become a Pseudo-Immortal in their lifetime, which is an immense advantage to the Ancient Immortals.0

“In that case, let’s first rule out the possibility that the killer is a Banished Immortal. Based on the innate qi remnants left on the flying sword, we can deduce that the individual is a Qi Refiner. Unless they foresaw our investigation and intentionally disguised themself as a Qi Refiner to mislead us, this deduction should be reliable.0

“Qi Refiners are the backbone of the Daoist Order, and their numbers are vast. Among the...0