The katana Yagyu Chigusa showed Xia Li looked extremely antique just from its appearance. The scabbard and even the handle were made from some creature's carapace, having nothing to do with Spirit-Tech weapons.

  But one thing was certain—items forged using traditional methods were no weaker than Spirit-Tech weapons, only lacking price advantage.

  "Then it's a deal! If I can kill that guy, this sword is mine!"

  Xia Li was always happy to accept free gifts.

  "If you can really pull it off, of course. But if you can't, you can also buy it with spirit stones."

  With that, Yagyu Chigusa sheathed the sword and left.

  Only Ke Xiao and Xia Li remained in the underground modification station.

  "Xia Li, don't actually believe what she said. The free stuff is the most expensive. Better to owe a merchant spirit stones than owe them favors!"

  Ke Xiao began warning Xia Li not to think he could really take things for free—if he did, he'd have plenty to suffer later.

  "I'll see how it goes."

  "Suit yourself. I'm just giving friendly advice anyway. Prepare yourself next—the operation starts around 5 PM. You have thirteen hours."

  "Mm."

  Xia Li directly sat cross-legged and began using Heaven Chip to simulate Divine Sense Intrusion practice. Heaven Chip's effectiveness with techniques depended on the user's various conditions.

  Currently, Xia Li's proficiency with Divine Sense Intrusion was only at "Excellent."

  In cultivation terms, that was roughly "Minor Success."

  This was Xia Li's level after changing Heaven Chips and opening his soul's eyes. Previously, he'd only reached "Considerable Understanding."

  To enter Major Success required either tempering the Six Roots to strengthen the soul, or replacing with a higher-performance Heaven Chip.

  Of course, there was another method—running simulation programs on Heaven Chip, using volume to let Heaven Chip collect data and optimize release protocols.

  This was exactly what Xia Li was doing. Although somewhat last-minute, thirteen hours of simulation volume could still provide considerable improvement.

  Unknowingly...

  Twelve hours later, around 4 PM.

  "Xia Li, time to prepare to move out."

  Ke Xiao came down from the shop to the underground modification station to remind Xia Li he could act.

  Although they'd originally set 5 PM, considering this was Xia Li's first solo mission—and a high-intensity one at that—leaving an hour early was better.

  "Got it."

  Xia Li stood and went to the table to pick up the items Yagyu Chigusa had prepared, then checked whether everything was in optimal condition.

  Equipment failures weren't allowed when the time came to use them.

  "And change out of that ancient robe. Here are clothes."

  Ke Xiao had to admit the quality of that retro robe Xia Li wore was quite good, and he looked rather handsome in it.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  But people who liked wearing ancient clothing were still a minority. This wasn't a sect-governed city—it would increase Xia Li's visibility.

  "You don't need to tell me."

  Xia Li hadn't changed out of Lingxu Cave Heaven's sect uniform since returning to Earth. After all, the sect uniform was genuinely comfortable.

  Plus he'd seen plenty of people dressed this way in Upper City, so he didn't think he'd be particularly eye-catching.

  Of course, for the actual operation he'd definitely change.

  What Ke Xiao prepared was a set of old clothes—black jacket, black pants, black shoes.

  Very low-key attire. People barely surviving in Upper City liked to dress this way.

  After Xia Li changed, Ke Xiao pointed to the modification station's back door—the exit to the sewers—indicating Xia Li should take the sewer route.

  "So uh... hope you come back in one piece."

  This was Ke Xiao's farewell to Xia Li.

  Hidden Wing had a clear ranking system for organization members. Independently completing a B-rank mission was exactly the assessment for raising one's status level.

  If Xia Li succeeded, he'd no longer be just a peripheral operative handling intelligence collection.

  He would officially become an internal elite with a codename.

  However, while becoming an internal elite was good, it also meant losing freedom. There was a chance of being forcibly assigned missions, and refusing three or more times would lead to very terrible consequences.

  So being a Hidden Wing intelligence operative was better—the lower your starting point, the lighter the injuries when you fell.

  "I'll try to come back with at least an intact head."

  "Go."

  Ke Xiao nodded.

  Xia Li opened the modification station's door and stepped out. The moment the door closed, Heaven Chip broadcast a notification.

  【Hidden Wing Message: Your identity information has been temporarily concealed】

  【If you fail during the mission, your identity will be erased. You are not permitted to leave a Data Tombstone】

  【Wishing you success. May you preserve your existence】

  This was Hidden Wing.

  Fail and even the information of having existed would be erased—betting one's existence to execute missions.

  But then again, in this new era the people who knew him, who remembered him, were already few. His existence was like embers that could completely extinguish at any moment—what was there to worry about?

  Walking through the sewers.

  Only the echo of footsteps accompanied him. As he drew closer to "the Pillar," the vibrations underfoot became more noticeable, and the rumbling from deep underground became audible.

  That was the sound of Linguang City's Spirit-Fusion reactor operating—the heartbeat of Linguang City.

  Soon, the sewer's end arrived.

  The outer wall beneath the Pillar.

  The interior of the Pillar was impassable, wrapped in extremely thick black alloy. Xia Li didn't approach the Pillar's outer wall, but instead searched nearby. After finding a pipe, he twisted open the valve above it.

  Inside the pipe, the stench of sewage assaulted his nostrils. This wastewater had already been purified once by Upper City's treatment station.

  This severely contaminated wastewater would flow through Lower City's sewers, go through several more processes to separate any remaining spiritual energy, then be recycled for secondary use.

  "So this is Spirit-Waste water?"

  Xia Li observed the seemingly clear sewage. Spirit-Waste water's harm to cultivators was no less than nuclear wastewater's harm to ordinary humans.

  Spirit-Waste water contained various spiritual energy impurities. Soaking in it would contaminate meridians and apertures, equivalent to corrupting one's essence and marrow.

  Therefore, if one's cultivation was too low, even touching it was forbidden.

  When the water flow in the pipe calmed, Xia Li climbed directly inside and used telekinesis through the pipe wall to retighten the valve.

  Upper City didn't discharge sewage constantly either. Discharge followed a schedule—there would be at least an hour between discharges.

  An hour was more than enough for Xia Li to enter Upper City.

  Xia Li held his breath, using spiritual energy instead of oxygen for internal circulation.

  He dared not inhale the high-density Spirit-Waste gas in the pipe. His talent was already poor—a few more breaths might directly destroy it.

  Additionally, he needed to use spiritual energy to form a barrier layer on his body's surface, blocking Spirit-Waste gas from entering.

  Preparations complete...

  Xia Li's feet stirred wind as he began floating directly up through the pipe.

  The pipe was densely packed with various sensors detecting contamination levels. Those sensors would detect Xia Li as an anomaly.

  But with Divine Sense Intrusion's help, Xia Li directly had Heaven Chip simulate standard values, then hacked the sensors to provide false data.

  This way, he achieved invisibility within the pipe.

  As for the sewer routes including pipe layouts, and the data for various sensors...

  That was naturally provided by the Democratic Government—essentially backdoors the Democratic Government opened for Hidden Wing. When Ke Xiao transmitted the mission data, sensor data came along with it.

  The pipe contained over thirty different models and types of sensors.

  Hacking first then analyzing would waste enormous amounts of time, but having data in advance made things different.

  This was information advantage.

  The Democratic Government didn't need to coordinate operations—just providing information was their greatest assistance to Hidden Wing.