Within Dust Star Valley.
Golden divine essence flowed around the Immortal Ancient Dao Stele like a stream.
Bai Ye sat cross-legged before the stele, faint Chaos Qi coiling around him. His Nine Divine Origin Apertures were operating at full force, assailing the bottleneck of the Fourth Layer Divine Venerable Realm.
Suddenly, his brows drew together almost imperceptibly.
The doppelganger he had left in the courtyard outside sensed an unfamiliar aura trespassing into the territory of the God Tomb.
The next moment.
With a thought, Bai Ye's figure vanished from Dust Star Valley. When he reappeared, he was already standing on the courtyard's bluestone paving.
At the courtyard gate.
A middle-aged cultivator in a golden Daoist robe stood with his hands behind his back, his entire body radiating the immense pressure of a late-stage Heavenly God.
His features were stern, his gaze sharp as a blade. An embroidered image of a burning pill furnace adorned the sleeve of his Daoist robe—the insignia of Heavenly Pill Peak of the Heavenly Star Sacred Sect.
Heavenly Pill Peak was currently one of the sect's strongest lineages. It possessed five Divine Venerable Realm experts, as well as a Divine Venerable-grade Pill Refining Grandmaster in residence. Its power was formidable, and it held tremendous influence within the sect.
Standing behind the middle-aged cultivator was none other than Su Wan'er.
She had cast aside her usual impatience and perfunctory attitude. With her brows lowered and her eyes obedient, she wore a trace of barely perceptible smugness at the corners of her lips. Her gaze toward Bai Ye also concealed a hint of contempt.
"You're Bai Ye of the Divine Tomb lineage?"
The middle-aged cultivator spoke first, his tone carrying obvious condescension. Though they were both sect elders, he had never regarded Bai Ye as worthy of notice.