The Storm Was Brewing

In truth, Yao Ye was naturally tempted by the pill before her, but reason still won out over emotion. Zhang Nian had said that he'd once intended to give it to Yun Yun. That meant it belonged to Senior Sister Yun Yun. How could someone who had only just arrived at the mountain gate take away a chance that rightfully belonged to her?

It was a Ninth-grade Pill, after all. Her master probably had very few pills like this...

With that thought, Yao Ye cupped the jade bottle in both hands and ran toward the exit, only to find that no matter how hard she pushed, the training room door wouldn't open. It seemed her master, Zhang Nian, had done this on purpose...

In other words...

Yao Ye glanced at the Ninth-grade Pill in her arms. She could faintly sense energy fluctuations inside the airtight room. Her master had said that Ninth-grade Pills could absorb the energy of heaven and earth to develop a spirit. That must be what was happening...

Knowing she couldn't hesitate any longer, she made up her mind. Her slender hand pulled out the stopper, and she tipped back her head and swallowed the golden pill in one gulp. It melted the moment it touched her tongue. Its golden medicinal power instantly surged through her body, and every meridian glowed gold. A warm, soothing sensation washed over her, as if she were soaking in a hot spring, and her body floated into the air against her will.

Golden energy enveloped Yao Ye. A layer of energy gradually took shape around her, forming a beautiful lotus. Yao Ye seemed to have fallen asleep, her lovely eyes closed as she lay quietly in the heart of the flower.

Feeling the stir within the room, Zhang Nian smiled faintly, then went back to cultivating on his own. He had no idea that ever since Yao Ye had entered his room, the story had been twisted into countless versions and spread all over the sect, even reaching the outside world...

Yao Ye didn't appear again for the next few days...

Then one day, while Xiang Cai, Yao Ye's maid, and Baojuan, Yun Yun's maid, were eating in the kitchen, they brought up this juicy story.

"Your mistress still hasn't come out of the Saint's room?"

The eight maids sat around a small round table covered with leftovers. As personal attendants, they were privileged enough to share a table. Baojuan's eyes gleamed as she stared at Xiang Cai and asked bluntly.

"Nope. I'm not sure either. By my count, it's been four days now." Xiang Cai didn't think much of it. Four days was nothing to a cultivator. Though she was a maid, she'd served cultivators back when she was with Miteer. It was common for them to stay inside for ten days or half a month when they were on the verge of a breakthrough.

"Four days..." Baojuan's tone was laden with meaning, giving Xiang Cai a bad feeling. It also irritated her. Her mistress was only thirteen or fourteen, after all. But this was the Saint's private business, and Xiang Cai had only just entered this circle; she wasn't familiar with it yet. Still, whenever the personal maids gathered to eat these days, they always shared stories about their mistresses. Xiang Cai couldn't help feeling that the atmosphere wasn't quite right.

"Oh, look at you all making a fuss. What's four days? Even if she stayed with the Saint for a whole month, it would still be the masters' private business. Stop making a spectacle of yourselves." The speaker was Xiao Qing, Cailin's personal maid. She was a little envious. Her mistress still had a human face and a snake's body, so even if she wanted to, she couldn't. That was why these younger newcomers had gotten the benefit. Xiao Qing couldn't help regretting that she'd told them about that method in the first place.

Zhang Nian's reason for doing this was simple. Yao Ye's favorability was currently the same as Cailin's, and Cailin no longer needed this pill. Or rather, after taking the Heaven-Seizing Creation Pill, the Fangzhang Butian Pill wouldn't do much for her. It would only increase her strength, which would be a waste of resources. Many pills weren't convenient to give out. Pills that assisted cultivation were never of very high grade, while pills that increased strength could generally only be given once at each stage of cultivation. As a result, if he gave out too many, the system would detect it, and the gift would ultimately be wasted.

The mountain gate was peaceful, and everything proceeded in an orderly fashion according to plan.

Half a month later...

Far away in the Central Plains, a message from the northwest stirred the entire Soul Hall, alarming all the Heavenly Venerates.

Soul Hall, Human Hall.

The sky above Corpse Burial Mountain Range was still and quiet when several sounds of rushing wind suddenly broke the silence. Streaks of light flashed past. Several figures appeared atop a mountain deep in the range, all looking toward its depths, at a space hidden behind towering gray trees. It seemed to ripple faintly.

Within that slightly distorted space lay a stretch of black earth. Here and there, patches of pale white showed through. Looking closer, they were clearly broken bones, exuding an eerie, chilling aura...

Of course, this was nothing unusual to the Heavenly Venerates flying overhead. They had only one destination: the massive black palace standing at the center of this vast region.

"Whoosh!"

A rush of wind sounded behind them. The Second Heavenly Venerate, Gu You, was a Half-Saint known as Saint Gu You. His familiar, gloomy old face came into view. The Fourth Heavenly Venerate, Xue He, grinned, revealing a chilling smile. "Greetings, Second Heavenly Venerate. I wonder what kind of message came back from the northwest that made the Hall Master summon all the Heavenly Venerates in the Central Plains to gather here. Could it be that we're planning some major move?"

Gu You glanced at Xue He. The old fellow was as curious as ever. He simply ignored him and replied coldly, "We'll find out when we get to the main hall. Hurry up; everyone should be there by now."

As soon as he finished speaking, he transformed into a streak of light and left Xue He far behind. Their strengths were a full major realm apart. Xue He pursed his lips helplessly. Seeing that Gu You had no desire to talk, he wasn't about to force the issue, so he hurried toward the distant Human Hall.

As they approached, countless thick black chains extended from the black palace, plunging deep into the ground. Clumps of black mist coiled around the chains, faintly gathering into human shapes. Now and then, the chains flashed with light that streamed into the mist, making it grow more solid.

The entire area was eerily quiet, broken only now and then by the sound of someone rushing past.

Inside the chilly main hall, more than a dozen clouds of black mist suddenly appeared. They contracted, transforming into more than a dozen figures with cold expressions. The figures looked at one another, found their respective places, and slowly sat down.

"It's lively here today. But what could be so important? What could possibly turn up in that barren land of the northwest?"

"I don't know. The Hall Master called this meeting, so we'll see when the time comes."