The middle-aged woman maintained a stern expression and spoke sparingly. Combined with the oppressive aura Du Rufeng had projected earlier, everyone followed her in silence, none daring to ask too many questions.
However, as Yang Kai quietly observed, he noticed that the direction they were heading matched precisely the enormous orchard he had spotted from high above. As for the woman's cultivation, she was probably around the Emperor Sovereign Realm—whether she had condensed a Dao Seal or not, without exchanging blows, it was impossible to tell for now.
An hour later, a vast stretch of undulating buildings appeared ahead, ringed by green mountains and clear waters. At first glance, it looked like a secluded village hidden from the world.
A memorial archway stood at the village entrance, bearing three large characters: Chore Quarters!
Yang Kai and the others exchanged glances.
Though they came from different Great Worlds, none were so foolish as to be unfamiliar with what the word "chores" implied. They couldn't help but wonder—had that Venerable brought them to this Fire Spiritual Ground to serve as menial laborers?
Standing at the village entrance, the woman produced a small bell and gave it a gentle shake. After the tinkling sound rang out, a gaunt, bamboo-pole-thin man immediately flew out from within. He did not appear particularly old, and his clothes fit poorly—oversized garments hung loosely on his frame, giving him a rather comical appearance from a distance.
The thin man flew up and cupped his fists. "Senior Sister Yao." His gaze swept over Yang Kai and the others, and he chuckled softly. "These faces look unfamiliar—I don't think I've seen them before..."
The woman surnamed Yao replied coldly, "They were just brought back by the Venerable."
Upon hearing this, the thin man said, "The Venerable has returned?"
Senior Sister Yao gave a slight nod, pointed at Yang Kai and the others, and ordered, "These people are now your responsibility. It's rare to get this many newcomers at once—if you complain about being short-handed again, figure it out yourself."
"That's more than enough, more than enough!" The thin man beamed. "The Venerable went to all that trouble to find them. If I, Zhou Zheng, still can't finish my tasks, I might as well go present my head to the Venerable."
Senior Sister Yao snorted coldly. "See that you do!"
With that, she turned and walked away.
Zhou Zheng called after her, "Senior Sister Yao, leaving already? This junior brother has obtained some fine tea recently—would you care to come taste it?"
There was no response whatsoever.
Still smiling, he watched Senior Sister Yao disappear, then rubbed his hands together and sized up Yang Kai and the others with an energetic, pleased expression. Introducing himself with a grin: "My name is Zhou Zheng, manager of these Chore Quarters. You can call me Manager Zhou!"
Everyone cupped their fists in greeting. "Greetings, Manager Zhou."
Zhou Zheng nodded approvingly. "You're all quite fortunate. Tsk tsk, truly fortunate."
The burly man frowned. "I wonder where this fortune lies?" Though he didn't know what fate awaited them, having been sent straight to the Chore Quarters upon arrival suggested that life ahead would not be pleasant. In their respective Great Worlds, each of them had been a supreme expert—yet here, beyond the bounds of a Great World, they were treated like this. The sense of disparity was hard to shake.
Zhou Zheng smiled. "This is your first time coming to the world beyond the Great Worlds, is it not?"
Everyone nodded.
"Then do you know of the Opening Heaven Realm?"
"The Venerable mentioned some things on the way back."
"Then it's simple enough." Zhou Zheng grinned like a fox that had stolen a chicken, clasping his hands behind his back. "To achieve the Opening Heaven Realm, you must first condense a minor Great World within your own body—splitting heaven and earth to create a new world. And to condense that minor Great World, you need to refine the powers of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. So—do you know why this Qiqiao Ground is called Qiqiao Ground?"
Without waiting for anyone to answer, Zhou Zheng explained on his own: "Because our Qiqiao Ground is composed of seven spiritual grounds. Where you are now is the Fire Spiritual Ground. In addition, there is the Yin Spiritual Ground, the Yang Spiritual Ground, the Metal Spiritual Ground, the Wood Spiritual Ground, the Water Spiritual Ground, and the Earth Spiritual Ground. In all the world beyond the Great Worlds, a place like our Qiqiao Ground is truly unique—no other force could ever gather all of these powers in one location."
The dignified woman's expression shifted upon hearing this. "Manager Zhou, are you saying that Qiqiao Ground can satisfy all our needs for condensing the powers of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements?"
Zhou Zheng smiled. "Precisely. This way, you won't have to wander outside searching for resources to refine those powers. In other words, as long as you stay in Qiqiao Ground long enough, every one of you will have a chance to ascend to the Opening Heaven Realm. And that is a privilege that disciples of no other force can enjoy. Tell me—isn't that good fortune?"
The demon race man exclaimed in delight, "Is that really true?"
Zhou Zheng chuckled. "Why would I deceive you? Go ask anyone else and you'll see. It's hardly a secret."
"Then this truly is our fortune!" The demon race man was overjoyed.