After wandering around the Pill Hall for a while longer,
Hua Rong watched longingly as he walked toward the Welcoming Peak of the Xuandan Sect, stopping halfway up the mountain. She didn't dare wander freely any higher than that, so she kept waving and calling out to him: "Yang Pill Master, whenever you've made up your mind, come find me! I'll be waiting right here!"
Back at his quarters in the Welcoming Hall, he instructed the serving girl to notify him immediately if any news came, and then shut himself indoors for the next several days.
It wasn't until three days later, as dusk was settling in, that Gao Xinpeng hurried over. The two exchanged pleasantries as always, and after they'd sat down, Gao Xinpeng finally said: "Junior Brother, prepare yourself tonight. Tomorrow the Elder Council will arrange your examination."
"Understood!"
Then again, he reasoned, even if his cover was blown, it wasn't the end of the world. At worst, he could fight his way out. His strength wasn't low—though Spirit Stage experts might be involved, if his goal was simply to escape, he still had a decent chance. The only ones who'd truly suffer would be the
Gao Xinpeng had come personally just to deliver this news. Afterward, he chatted with
The night passed without incident. The next morning,
When the sun had climbed well above the horizon, a voice suddenly rang out from beyond his door: "Where is
Spirit Stage!
"I am
The man gave a slight nod. "I am a Blood Servant of the Sect Master, sent by order to escort you. Follow me." He did not offer his name.
"I appreciate it,"
The man wasted no more words. His figure flickered, and he was suddenly standing beside
Though this was
Before long, a spirit peak appeared ahead, crowned with a sprawling complex of palace buildings. The Blood Servant brought
"Thank you,"
The grand doors of the palace stood wide open, and
Before he could even process this, the doors slammed shut behind him with a thunderous boom.
Though no one was visible, he could feel it—in the hidden dark, pairs of eyes watched him with curiosity. Candlelight flickered all around, illuminating the hall.
A voice abruptly echoed through the hall from every direction: "A pill furnace has been prepared for you. Subterranean fire can be drawn here. The rack over there holds various medicinal ingredients. Select what you need and refine a batch of Ten-Revolution Heartless Pills!"
Hearing this, much of the worry in
He answered respectfully: "Yes!"
He turned and walked toward the rack, searching for the ingredients he needed.
There were far more herbs here than needed for a single batch of Ten-Revolution Heartless Pills—their abundance was clearly part of the test itself.
But
He quickly had everything prepared and stepped before the pill furnace.
In an adjacent side hall, four or five white-haired elders stood in quiet observation. These were all high-ranking members of the Xuandan Sect, and the one at the center was none other than the Sect Master himself, Baili Yunsang—one of the finest Spirit Pill Masters in the Divine Weapon World. The other elders were all Spirit Pill Masters as well.
Though separated by a wall, the view from the side hall into the main hall where