The news of the Astral Jade City's recruitment drive echoed like thunder across the Eastern Cosmos. Factions big and small buzzed with speculation.
Some admired Wang Jian's boldness, others scoffed at the quality of recruits gathered from a single month-long trial.
Regardless of opinion, one thing remained undeniable – Astral Jade City had demonstrably strengthened its position.
However, beneath the surface, a clandestine war of information raged. Spies from rival factions, like Chen Feng of the Star Cloud Sect, had infiltrated the ranks of Astral Jade City's new recruits.
Whispers estimated their numbers to be around ten percent, a seemingly insignificant figure.
Yet, in the context of the thousand or so recruited experts, this translated to a hundred individuals potentially undermining Astral Jade City's operations from within.