"Eh, it's you. I was wondering why I hadn't seen you all this time—I thought you weren't coming," the golden-crowned young man said in surprise upon seeing Lu Xiaotian.
"You jest, Senior. I went through great trouble to gather all the spiritual materials precisely so I could join Soaring Heavens Palace. How could I possibly not come?" Lu Xiaotian replied.
"You know him, Junior Brother Hou?" the lean woman asked.
"I met him once. This kid is rather strange. He gathered a huge pile of spirit herbs wanted by Azure Elixir Palace, only to sell them all and join our Soaring Heavens Palace instead. Isn't that strange?" the golden-crowned young man said with a chuckle.
"Is that so?" Elder Zhao's eyes suddenly gleamed, like two golden sword rays stabbing toward Lu Xiaotian.
Lu Xiaotian felt uncomfortable all over, as though he were walking naked through a land of ice and snow. Under the old man's gaze, he had nowhere to hide. The gap in their cultivation was far too vast; Lu Xiaotian could not muster even the slightest thought of resistance and could only let him do as he pleased.
"Go register." After a long while, Elder Zhao withdrew his gaze and spoke expressionlessly.
"Does Senior Brother Zhao find this child suspicious?" asked the short, dark old man, the only one at the table who had not spoken until now.
"Yes. Recently, several demonic sects have been stirring restlessly. The Palace Master has repeatedly ordered us to guard strictly against demonic spies infiltrating Soaring Heavens Palace. We must be cautious of anyone with a suspicious background," Elder Zhao said with a nod.
The golden-crowned young man surnamed Hou glanced at Lu Xiaotian's Spirit Root test results and could not help laughing. "Even if they sent a spy, they would have