Chapter 1715: Fading into the Crowd

Li Yan remained calm, though a hint of anger showed in his eyes. He said nothing.

“Why did you attack us in the first place?” the mid-stage twin asked coldly, ignoring the burly man’s offer.

“We will let you keep the green rune you took from our companion as an apology!” the black-clad man said, looking at the twin who held two runes. His face was grim; they had suffered a massive loss in a matter of seconds.

If this were the outside world, he would have killed them for their defensive treasures, regardless of the cost. But they didn’t have enough time left. They were all shrewd individuals; even in their rage, they were analyzing the situation.

The twins looked at Li Yan. Li Yan glanced at them but said nothing, as if waiting for their decision.

“This is a trophy of war, not a gift from you!” the mid-stage twin stated.

Her sister immediately added, “If I were you, I’d get back into the barrier. Don’t waste the remaining time!” The twins were perfectly synchronized.

Li Yan nodded inwardly. These women weren’t foolish enough to betray a temporary ally for a bit of profit. If they had, he would have been forced to reveal more strength and send them packing as well.

The burly man and the black-clad man exchanged a look. The burly man nodded to the three of them. In that moment, the rage vanished from their faces. Their guaranteed success had turned into a disaster, with two companions sent out.

“I am Cheng Kuanghan. It is a pleasure to meet you fellow Daoists,” the burly man said before he and his companion vanished back into the barrier.

They were late-stage cultivators, but after seeing the methods of the three, they were wary. They still didn’t understand how the provocative woman had been eliminated. They chose to eat the loss rather than risk everything. Threatening them to hand over the runes would have been the act of a fool; they were already enemies, and Li Yan’s group wasn’t going to suddenly change their minds. A truly smart person knew when to cut their losses.

The twins looked at Li Yan once more before flickering away to check their rune count. Li Yan watched them go, a trace of suspicion in the depths of his eyes.

They hadn’t thanked him, but Li Yan didn’t care. He had used them to ensure the assessment ended ‘peacefully.’ Otherwise, if he had been besieged, he would have had to make a much bigger scene. The twins had helped him resolve the lingering trouble, so they were even.

Li Yan pondered for a moment before suppressing his suspicion. He flew to a corner of the formation.

When he felt a suction force from above, his vision blurred. He reappeared on the platform before the grand formation. Nearby, the twin sisters, Cheng Kuanghan, and the black-clad man also appeared. Cheng Kuanghan was still holding the severed arm of the gold-robed man. The twin had taken the rune and left the limb aside without destroying it.

The moment Li Yan stood firm, he felt a gaze like a poisonous snake lock onto him. He didn’t look back; he knew it was the seductive woman. The gold-robed man was glaring at the twins before turning his venomous gaze on Li Yan as well. Li Yan’s expression didn’t change.

“Alright, hand over your green runes. It doesn’t matter if you have less than fifty; you might still have a chance in the Outer Valley,” the white-robed examiner said. He had watched everything through the formation, so he would factor in their performance.

Li Yan, the twin sisters, and Cheng Kuanghan all passed the assessment. Li Yan had collected over sixty golden runes during the chaos and hadn’t bothered to go back into the barrier. The sisters had a few more than fifty, while Cheng Kuanghan had over seventy—the highest count.

The black-clad man only had ten. He had given most of his to Cheng Kuanghan so the leader could get a better ranking in the Inner Valley, hoping that his remaining runes would at least secure him a place in the Outer Valley. Between the two of them, they had only managed eighty-three runes—enough for only one person to enter the Inner Valley. This outcome was a far cry from their original plan, and their hatred for Li Yan and the sisters was palpable. Especially for Li Yan; his single strike and subsequent interference had been the fatal flaw in their scheme.

After a quick exchange, the four companions figured out how the woman had lost. The ‘black-skinned’ boy had used poison. He had imbued his golden axe with a toxin that spread through the clash of spiritual power.

The poison wasn’t lethal; the woman had woken up quickly after being expelled. Her investigation revealed the toxin only caused dizziness in the Consciousness Sea without damaging the body. Yet, it was terrifying in its subtlety. Despite her experience, she hadn’t detected any strange aura or phenomenon when the Qi collided. She had fallen into the trap without even knowing it. Such a moment of dizziness was all it took for an opponent to take one’s life.

As examinees for Huangqi Valley, they all possessed a decent understanding of alchemy and refined their own poisons. Their knowledge far exceeded their peers, yet they had been outplayed by a superior alchemy cultivator. They didn’t think Li Yan was a pure poison cultivator; an alchemist could be a poison specialist, but a pure poison cultivator might not be an alchemist.

Despite their hatred, they didn’t issue threats. Cheng Kuanghan was an Inner Valley disciple now, and any threats from the others would be seen as a challenge to Huangqi Valley itself. Threats were meaningless and would only make them look like sore losers.

“You four, follow me to the Inner Valley Managerial Hall. The rest of you… descend the mountain and wait for the results at the Outer Valley Managerial Hall. I will forward your performance records to them. Whether you can stay depends on their judgment. You might be accepted directly, or you might face another test,” the examiner instructed before taking to the air.

Li Yan and the other three followed. Before flying off, Cheng Kuanghan cast a look at his three companions, who watched him go with undisguised bitterness before flying toward the foot of the mountain.

Below lay a massive valley filled with spirit fields. Many cultivators were working among the crops, occasionally turning into streaks of light to travel further. From the air, the scent of various spiritual auras drifted up—a mix of fresh and heavy fragrances.

Some flowers in the fields had morphed into human faces, single eyes, or small figures sitting in the stamens. Some blossoms were as large as trees, their petals reaching several fathoms high, swaying in the wind. Many fields shimmered with golden light—spiritual grains that smelled of rich earth, each grain as full as jade.

Li Yan also saw groves of emerald spirit bamboo, where cultivators were carefully weeding with spiritual hoes. It reminded him of his days at Small Bamboo Peak, where he had to water the Ink King Bamboo with Snow-Evening Crystal just for a few low-grade spirit stones.

The colliding auras from the fields created a kaleidoscope of light in the sky, like ten thousand rays of dawn. The other three were stunned by the sight, while Li Yan feigned a similar expression. He had seen this months ago and knew the general layout.

The examiner was pleased by their reaction. “These are just some of the sect’s spirit fields. Most are managed by Outer Valley disciples; it’s one of their primary sources of cultivation resources.”

Li Yan was surprised. ‘These are just a portion of the fields, managed by Outer Valley disciples. That means the plants here, while rare, probably aren’t very old…’

He was already thinking of the Hazy Moon Purity Immortal Grass. He understood medicine; older isn’t always better. Different ages were required for different pills. If a plant was too old, its medicinal power became too violent and difficult to neutralize.

The examiner led them on at a moderate pace. After half an hour, halls and pavilions appeared. They were scattered throughout the valley, growing taller and more grand as they moved deeper. Some halls were even suspended in mid-air.

What followed was a familiar process—the standard routine for any sect. They went to the Managerial Hall to receive their uniforms, tokens, spirit stones, and pills, and to select their cave residences. The managers recited the sect’s laws with stern warnings, telling them to memorize the rest. Finally, they were dismissed and told to watch their tokens for task notifications; sect orders had to be completed promptly.

Before leaving, Li Yan noticed Cheng Kuanghan stayed behind to whisper with the white-robed examiner. Li Yan and the twins left the hall while Cheng Kuanghan was still inside.

During the registration, Li Yan learned the twins’ names: the older sister was Ming Qi and the younger was Ming Yu. They were from a minor cultivation clan.

Outside the hall, the three didn’t speak, but they flew in the same direction. New disciples were housed in a unified area. Li Yan flew ahead, observing the busy cultivators around him. Everyone seemed occupied; whether they met others or passed them, they merely checked the tokens at their waists before continuing on their way. He saw groups of three or five flying by, their cheerful conversations mostly revolving around alchemy and herb gathering.

Fifteen minutes later, a lush forest appeared. Within the forest were various courtyards. From the air, the dense leaves obscured the ground, but Divine Sense revealed the layout. Each courtyard was separated by about five li—a decent independent residence for a Spirit Transformation cultivator.

After another half a tea session, the Ming sisters turned toward a different section of the forest. They didn’t say another word to Li Yan before they vanished. Li Yan, however, found himself thinking about the twin’s final attack…