"Currently, the Alliance higher-ups are only considering having the Second Leader replace me in managing the task force, but the final decision hasn't been made yet, so for now, the task force is still under my control."

"But..."

"There are no buts." Wu Yan started to say something else but was once again waved off by Chen Fengshen, "I've said it, it's just a decision, and it hasn't been confirmed yet."

Wu Yan frowned and thought for a moment, "Leader, the higher-ups are doing this because of the losses caused by my team recently, right? Sigh! It's my incapacity, I've let you down, Leader."

"Heh heh!"

Chen Fengshen smiled warmly, "It's not about letting anyone down. After all, I also bear responsibility for not paying enough attention to you all recently."

Wu Yan shook his head, "It's not about the Leader, it's our own incapacity..."

Chen Fengshen smiled and waved his hand to interrupt Wu Yan, "There is nothing much to argue about. Whether the fault is yours or mine, the fact has already been set, and who is to blame is no longer important."

"Secondly, did you know that Cui Yan has obtained the position of the Kitchen God, and has become a true Yin God?"

"What?"

Wu Yan was visibly shocked, his face filled with utter surprise, "Cui Yan... he became the Kitchen God?"

"You didn't even know."

Chen Fengshen's face showed a smile, "It seems Xiao Mu didn't tell you."

Wu Yan's face was filled with disbelief, "Xiao Mu… how would he know about Cui Yan becoming the Kitchen God? Could it be that Cui Yan's ascension to the Kitchen God… has something to do with Xiao Mu?"

By the end, even Wu Yan himself looked incredulous.

"Haha!"

Chen Fengshen laughed heartily, "You're overthinking it. Cui Yan's becoming the Kitchen God has nothing to do with Xiao Mu; it's just that Xiao Mu once personally experienced Cui Yan's Kitchen God's divine power."

He then recounted to Wu Yan the recent incident where Xiao Mu went to the Reward and Punishment Hall to challenge Yang Yun, and eventually, Mr. Cui interrupted the fight.

"I see."

Wu Yan nodded in realization and was also surprised, "Xiao Mu's strength seems to be even greater than I imagined; facing Cui Yan's Kitchen God's authority, he actually wasn't injured, truly inconceivable."

Chen Fengshen pondered, "Xiao Mu is indeed somewhat special. However, you don't need to take special care of him or deliberately suppress him, just treat him as an ordinary person with a normal heart."

He had intended to tell Wu Yan about Xiao Mu's situation, but after some thought, he decided it was better not to divulge it.

"Does Xiao Mu have a connection with the Leader?"

Wu Yan suddenly recalled that when Xiao Mu joined the task force, it was Bai Shanjun who had been sent by Chen Fengshen. Perhaps there was some relationship between Xiao Mu and Chen Fengshen.

Chen Fengshen said, "Xiao Mu and I have no connection; don't think too much about it."

"Yes." Wu Yan nodded.

Chen Fengshen continued, "Regarding the third matter, it's about you: the main leader, the Second Leader, and I have discussed it and intend to have Cui Yan replace you as the leader of the first task team."

"Have Cui Yan replace me as the leader of the first task team?"

Wu Yan's complexion changed, "What right or ability does Cui Yan have to dare replace me as the leader of the first task team?"

"Sigh!"

Chen Fengshen sighed and did not answer.

Wu Yan also fell silent, grasping the implications.

The reasons why Cui Yan would replace Wu Yan were obvious to both of them.

The first task team's recent situation was dire: on one hand, there were too many deaths; on the other, their performance in tasks was also poor.

It was within reason for the Alliance higher-ups to make such a decision.

After a while, Wu Yan suddenly sneered, "For Cui Yan to replace me, he would have to be my match first."

Chen Fengshen shook his head slightly and felt compelled to remind, "Wu Yan, Cui Yan is already the Kitchen God."

"Kitchen God…"

Wu Yan was brought up short, only then remembering that Cui Yan was now the Kitchen God.

Within the same Yin God Realm, the distinction of possessing a divine position makes a huge difference, with the strength being vastly disparate.

Indeed, a divine position inherently comes with formidable power, greatly surpassing the capabilities of conventional Divine Techniques.

A Yin God within the Yin God Realm, wielding his divine authority, may even be able to fight above his level against Mutated Beings of the Divine Spirit Level.

This is something that a regular Mutated Being could never achieve.

Seeing Wu Yan's expression, Chen Fengshen couldn't help but make a suggestion, "Actually, you could ask Xiao Mu about how he coped with Cui Yan's Kitchen God's authority; perhaps it could be of some help to you."

"Xiao Mu..."

Wu Yan was momentarily stunned before realizing something with surprise, "The leader just mentioned that Xiao Mu withstood Cui Yan's Divine Spirit authority without injury. Perhaps he really does have some method to deal with the Divine Spirit's power."

Alas!

Chen Fengshen silently sighed.

Indeed, Xiao Mu had many secrets.

The City God Order he had offered up, despite his long study, he had still been unable to claim the City God Rank.

Normally, this shouldn't be the case.

Could it be that Xiao Mu had done something to the City God Order?

But upon further thought, it seemed far-fetched. Xiao Mu had only just entered the Yin God Realm, how could he possibly have the ability to do anything to the City God Order?

The City God Order was the City God's seal, and the City God was a deity at the Divine Spirit Level.

Chen Fengshen snapped back to reality, "It would be good to ask Xiao Mu, but he may not be able to provide you with any information."

"In addition, I will do my best to delay things on the great leader's side and buy you time, hoping that it won't come to Cui Yan replacing you in the end."

"Thank you, leader."

Wu Yan stood up, gratefully bowed to Chen Fengshen, and guaranteed, "In the upcoming period, I will do my best to lead the team to complete our tasks, seek out more Divine Spirits' ruins, acquire more treasures, slay extraterrestrial evil beings, and keep my position as team leader."

Chen Fengshen exclaimed, "That must be hard on you!"

As long as Wu Yan could hold onto his team leader position, Chen Fengshen's own place as task force manager wouldn't be lost.

In the end, any shake to Chen Fengshen's status ultimately stemmed from Wu Yan's situation.

If nothing went wrong with Wu Yan's side hereafter, Chen Fengshen's position would stabilize once again.

Just as Wu Yan had said, Chen Fengshen was at the Mountain God Rank while Zhou Pudu was only at the Land God Rank. For a task force manager overseeing external battles, the advantage of the Mountain God Rank was clearly stronger than that of the Land God Rank.

The two exchanged a few more words before Wu Yan bid farewell to leave Chen Fengshen's mansion and returned to the task force.

With the Earth Escape Technique activated, it wasn't long before Wu Yan returned to the office of the task force.

"The team leader is back!"

In the office, Feng Xian and Feng Rensong both stood up to welcome Wu Yan's return.

"Leader, the Second Leader asked for you, there's no issue, right?"

Feng Rensong, serving as Wu Yan's assistant, asked with concern.

"I'm fine."

Wu Yan waved his hand, not divulging the conversation he had had with Chen Fengshen to his subordinates. Glancing around and not seeing Xiao Mu, he couldn't help asking, "Where's Xiao Mu?"

Feng Xian stood up, "You're looking for Xiao Mu? He just took an Energy Fruit and left."

"Never mind for now."

Wu Yan changed his mind on the spot, deciding not to rush to call Xiao Mu back. There would be opportunities later to ask Xiao Mu about the methods to resist the Hearth God Rank.

Looking at Feng Rensong, he arranged, "Rensong, notify the team members to focus entirely on tasks. As soon as they find something, they are to report immediately, and the group will provide full support."

"Also, release a message externally, use the team's internal resources to seek information on the extraterrestrial evil beings, keep up with their movements, especially the Curse Gate. It would be best to get information on the higher-ups of Curse Gate. At the same time, put out high offers for information on Divine Spirits' ruins."

"Yes, leader."

Feng Rensong bowed in agreement.

※※※

Xiao Mu returned to his residence with five hundred Energy Fruits. Like everyone else in Task Force One, he felt the injustice of their benefits having been halved but didn't act rashly because of it.

Xiao Mu was keenly aware that with his current strength, he had no say in the decisions of the Alliance's higher-ups.

Yet the changes in Task Force One filled him with an uneasy sense of looming crisis.

For the time being, Xiao Mu was unaware of what Chen Fengshen had said to Wu Yan earlier today; had he known, his anxiety would only have increased.

Because whether it was Zhou Pudu managing the task force or Mr. Cui taking over Task Force One, neither would leave him any good fruits to eat.

Focused on how to deal with the Curse Gate, Xiao Mu went straight to Du Wenzhen after returning home.

He planned to borrow the Disease Gourd from Du Wenzhen, using it to study the Curse Techniques of the Curse Gate and enhance his expertise in combating them in upcoming tasks.

After learning that Task Force One's operational area happened to include the South Five Regions of the Great Tang ruins, Xiao Mu knew he would inevitably be dealing with the Curse Gate members continuously.

Given the Curse Gate's bizarre curse techniques, he had to find a way to counter them.

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