Separated by a Hall: The Lavish Madam, Open and Hidden Clashes, Tracks Exposed

The hall was dimly lit, and the crowd had already fallen quiet. Li Xian could see in the dark. As he surveyed the surroundings, the hair on his back slowly rose, though he did not know why. He thought, No matter what, I need to plan an escape route first.

He quietly retreated to the hall doors and tried to push them, but they did not budge in the slightest. The doors were a full three inches thick, crafted from dark stone and exotic wood, with hidden mechanisms and catches within. Once shut, they required a special method to open. Only the entrance to a side hall led outside; there were no other exits.

Li Xian secretly raised his guard. In such an enclosed space, if something suddenly changed, it would be difficult to guard against. He suddenly saw several people subtly edging toward the doors. Their movements were light, and they clearly possessed qinggong, yet they wore ordinary clothes like common townsfolk.

Li Xian thought, There is definitely something fishy... These people are disguised as commoners, but what are they after? Could it be... that, like me, they seek an escape route and remain vigilant at all times? Better not run into them yet. I'll watch and see what happens. With the Seven-Star Step beneath his feet, he hid himself among the crowd once more.

Gu Nianjun, Zhou Shijie, Li Xiaofan, Yang Wentian... many young prodigies stood at the front. Zhou Shijie leisurely fanned himself and said, "This Madam Wang certainly puts on quite a show. I wonder what is so particular about offering incense in the main hall."

Wang Dezhong said, "I arrived a little earlier and learned more about the rules here. The main hall is a place of utmost purity, a forbidden place, a place people