New Policy

"What policy?"

"The sect. I heard the sect will soon issue a policy: all menial disciples over sixty must take part in arena selection, must undergo arena trials. Only those who pass the arena trials may remain in the sect; everyone else will be expelled from the sect!"

"What?"

Upon hearing this news, all the Waste Hall disciples were stunned.

In the Waste Hall, aside from Li Ping'an and He Steward, several others were also over sixty.

After hearing the news, their eyes were filled with bewilderment.

"What is the sect trying to do? Does it not want us anymore?"

"Is the sect... is the sect going to abandon all us old menial disciples?"

Anyone with eyes could see that this policy was aimed squarely at menial disciples over sixty.

Making old men past sixty fight in an arena, with only the winners allowed to stay—wasn't that just making a joke of them?

If they were still menial disciples at sixty, that was enough to show they possessed neither talent nor cultivation.

For a moment, several old menial disciples wore hesitant expressions. Should they continue to muddle through in the sect, clinging to that hopeless path to immortality,

or should they take this chance to descend the mountain and return to the mortal world to enjoy their remaining years?

He Steward froze for several seconds upon hearing the news, then gave a bitter laugh.

"See? I do not even need to resign myself. The higher-ups in the sect have already made their move."

The disciples were all taken aback by this.

"Old Steward, are you not planning to enter the arena?"

"Ah, what is there to fight for?"

He Steward sighed.

"I'm old. I can't withstand all this tossing about anymore."

"But, Steward, you're clearly at the second layer of Qi Refinement. Among all these menial disciples, who could possibly be your match? If you wanted to stay, you could do so with ease!"

"Forget it, forget it."

He Steward shook his head and sighed.

"There's no need. I never had the heart to keep doing this anyway. Better leave the opportunity to those who need it."

As he spoke, He Steward seemed to glance at Li Ping'an intentionally or otherwise.

Li Ping'an caught a hint of meaning in He Steward's eyes, and he too fell into thought.

Why would the sect suddenly issue such a cruel and heartless policy?

One had to know that every menial disciple over sixty had worked themselves to the bone in the sect for more than twenty years—some for thirty, even forty.

Hadn't they endured all those bitter years in the sect in hopes that one day they might break through to the Qi Refinement Realm and successfully cultivate immortality?

Yet now the sect had suddenly set up an arena and imposed such a brutal selection. Wasn't that driving these people straight into a dead end?

"Grandpa Li! What about you? Will you join the arena?"

At that moment, a young menial disciple came over to ask Li Ping'an.

Li Ping'an was slightly taken aback. This disciple was called Long Yun, the youngest menial disciple in the Waste Hall.

He had only come up the mountain less than two years ago. His aptitude was not low, and he had already reached the fourth layer of Body Tempering.

Usually a chatterbox, he was the one who kept the atmosphere lively in the Waste Hall.

Li Ping'an pretended to ponder before saying,

"I'll see when the time comes. I'll first see whether the people entering the arena are strong, then make my decision."

"Ha, you're truly vigorous in old age!"

Long Yun could not help giving Li Ping'an a thumbs-up.

"At your age, you still want to take a shot and fight for it. I really admire you!"

Li Ping'an said with a bitter smile,

"I have no choice. If I don't make one last gamble, there really will be no hope left."

Li Ping'an put on a helpless expression, but he had already made up his mind. He would definitely take part in this arena.

He was now at the first layer of Qi Refinement. Ordinary menial disciples were no match for him, so remaining in the sect would not be difficult.

More importantly, he could sense that there was more to this policy than met the eye!

If he failed to stay and left the sect, he would likely face Senior Brother Zhang's thunderous retaliation at once.

At that thought, Li Ping'an gave up the idea of descending the mountain to find Nan Zhi.

These past two days had been fraught with troubles. It was better for him to keep a low profile and not go wandering about.

The last time he had been robbed was proof enough.

Though the last robber had been a weakling, there was no telling whether he might encounter someone at the seventh or eighth layer of Qi Refinement this time. Then he would be finished.

As soon as the policy was announced, it stirred no small commotion throughout the sect. The menial disciples in particular wailed and lamented endlessly.

But lamenting was one thing; the work that needed doing still had to be done.

Now that the Waste Hall had finally been repaired, all work had returned to normal. Li Ping'an could finally absorb waste qi to his heart's content.

That day, he was at his post, using the Heaven-Tempering Hammer to frantically absorb waste qi, when a crisp voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Little brother, I'm back!"

Hearing this, Li Ping'an's heart leapt with joy. Senior Sister Qingyue, whom he had been yearning for, had finally come again!

The god of wealth who provided him with waste qi and residual pill fragments had returned!

He turned around in delight, only to suddenly freeze.

The visitor was not alone. Beside Qingyue stood a female cultivator dressed in a red robe.

She stood a head taller than Qingyue, with sword-like brows and phoenix eyes. She seemed several degrees more mature than Qingyue, yet she too was breathtakingly beautiful.

If Qingyue was pure and charming, then this red-robed female cultivator exuded a bewitching aura.

She sized Li Ping'an up and down, her delicate brows immediately drawing together as she looked at Qingyue beside her.

"This is the old menial disciple you mentioned, the one who helped you successfully refine pills?"

Qingyue frowned.

"Senior Sister, what are you saying? He's my little brother, not some old menial disciple. Every time I refine pills, he helps me tend the fire. As long as he tends the fire for me, my success rate is very high."

"Oh? Is that so?"

The red-robed female cultivator Qingyue called Senior Sister gave Li Ping'an an amused look.

"Can you really control fire?"

She lifted her chin high, her tone full of scrutiny.

Li Ping'an cupped his hands in salute. "In reply to Senior Sister, I cannot control fire. I only know how to add some firewood to the large furnace."

"Then why does my junior sister say you are so skilled, and why does she come looking for you every time she refines pills?"

Li Ping'an paused before answering,

"Perhaps... perhaps when Senior Sister refines pills with me, she is free of distracting thoughts. That is why her pill-refining success rate is a little higher."

"Such a thing exists?"

The red-robed female cultivator raised her brows.

"Then today, I will also have you help me refine pills. Let's see whether you can help me succeed, whether it can really work, whether it is truly that strange."

What?

This female cultivator also wanted him to help refine pills?

Li Ping'an was startled inwardly. He could tell that this female cultivator was far from simple.

That scrutinizing gaze seemed as though it wanted to see through him completely.

Moreover, her cultivation was far stronger than Qingyue's. Standing before Li Ping'an, she gave him a feeling of unfathomable depth; he could not discern the extent of her cultivation at all.

She was at least a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator!

Under her watchful eye, he probably could no longer secretly use the Heaven-Tempering Hammer to strike pills.

Still, Li Ping'an remained outwardly calm as he said,

"Senior Sister flatters me. It is only good luck. But if Senior Sister wishes for me to tend the fire, that will not be a problem."

"Good. Then let's begin."