The doors of the hall had already opened, and several people stood before them.
Yin Zheng stood with his hands behind his back, a warm smile on his face.
When he saw Lai Li’an, he glanced at him briefly, then shifted his gaze to the white crane.
Ruan Se’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and the corners of her mouth curved beneath her face veil.
Lai Li’an dismounted from the crane’s back, patted the wrinkles on his robe, and struggled to maintain a calm expression.
“Senior Lai is here.”
Meng Qiuran bounced up from the steps on the side, his face full of smiles.
“Senior, you came riding a crane? I thought you would have flown here. But this crane looks a bit familiar.”
Lai Li’an’s expression froze for a moment, and he gave a light cough.
“The Venerable Self… was in a good mood today and wanted to enjoy the scenery.”
Meng Qiuran blinked and didn’t press further.
Yin Zheng let out a chuckle, turned around, and pushed open the door of the hall.
“Everyone, please.”
The hall was extremely elegantly arranged.
The four walls were hung with portraits of successive Alchemy Path Grandmasters, and in the center was a long desk of purple sandalwood.
Yin Zheng stood at the desk, then turned around.
“According to the rules of the Alchemy Grand Assembly, besides the Dan Token, the top three may also pick any one item from this treasury.”
His gaze swept over the three of them.
“Of course, the Champion also has the opportunity to ‘Question the Way.’”
He made a gesture of invitation:
“Go ahead, pick freely. Take whatever catches your eye. No need to be polite.”
Meng Qiuran was the first to dart inside.
He was clearly already familiar with the place.
He walked briskly to the shelf on the west side, picked up a white jade vial, looked at it, set it down, then picked up a vermilion mineral next to it, weighed it in his hand, and shook his head.
“Uncle-Master, shouldn’t you update the stock here?”
He turned back to complain to Yin Zheng.
“Last time I came, I had my eye on that sixth-grade Purple Lingzhi, but someone took it. This time, there aren’t even a few fifth-grade items.”
Yin Zheng smiled but said nothing.
Meng Qiuran made a full circle and finally picked a fifth-grade Obstacle-Breaking Pill.
This pill could increase the success rate by twenty percent when breaking through a bottleneck.
Although he had no use for it himself, it would make an excellent gift to bring back to the sect.
Shao Jiao stood before the shelf, silent for a long time.
His gaze swept over each treasure, yet it did not linger on any single item for more than a breath.
None of those treasures seemed to interest him.
In the end, he clasped his hands to Yin Zheng and bowed deeply.
“Senior Yin, Junior… still has some personal matters to attend to. I’ll retrieve my reward at a later date. I’ll take my leave now.”
Yin Zheng said nothing more and gave a slight nod.
“Go ahead.”
Shao Jiao straightened up and looked at Lai Li’an.
His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn’t speak.
He turned and walked toward the door of the hall, his back carrying an indescribable loneliness.
Lai Li’an frowned slightly.
He didn’t want to meddle in other people’s business.
Shao Jiao’s affairs had nothing to do with him.
The Blood Lotus Sect’s affairs also had nothing to do with him.
He was just a rogue cultivator, a fake Great Master who lived off his acting skills.
His apprentice was still lying in bed waiting for him to save her.
He didn’t have the spare energy to concern himself with others’ matters.
As long as there were no accidents.
But… what exactly did the Blood Lotus Sect intend to do?
The strange events earlier tangled together in his mind, forming a knot he couldn’t unravel.
Forget it.
I won’t think about it.
Lai Li’an withdrew his thoughts and suppressed all those jumbled notions.
Ruan Se didn’t rummage around like Meng Qiuran.
Her target had been clear from the very beginning—the Qingxuan Root.
That Qingxuan Root was stored alone in a wooden box, the lid engraved with intricate sealing formation patterns.
Yin Zheng personally unsealed the lock and handed the wooden box to Ruan Se.
“Qingxuan Root,” Yin Zheng’s tone carried a touch of gravity.
“An eighth-grade main ingredient, rare even in a century. However, although it ranks as eighth-grade, it can hardly be used to refine any pill, and it’s of little use to cultivators. Ruan Se, are you sure you want to choose this?”
Ruan Se took the wooden box, and her fingertips lightly traced the ancient patterns on the lid.
“I’m sure.”
Yin Zheng nodded and didn’t ask further.
Although he was somewhat surprised, the rules of the assembly were the rules.
Whatever the top three chose was their own business; the judges had no right to interfere.
After receiving their rewards, the group walked out of the hall.
The clamor from the distant plaza had gradually died down.
The cultivators were beginning to disperse.
“Ruan Se.”
Yin Zheng’s voice came from behind her.
“Three days from now, you will return with me to the Main Sect of the Alchemy Sect. At that time, you may use the opportunity to ‘Question the Way.’ The Heaven-Gazing Mirror opens once every hundred years. To catch it this time is your fortune.”
Ruan Se turned and bowed to Yin Zheng.
“Thank you, Senior Yin. I will come to pay my respects in three days.”
Yin Zheng paused briefly, then laughed.
“Good. In three days, I’ll wait for you at the east gate of the market.”
Ruan Se bowed again and retreated to her sister’s side.
The rewards had been claimed, the words that needed to be said had been said, and those who needed to part would eventually part.
Ruan Se bid farewell to Meng Qiuran and the judges one by one.
Meng Qiuran was quite reluctant.
He pulled at Ruan Se and said several things like “Daoist Friend Ruan, we must spar next time,” before Pei Changjing grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away.
“Alright, alright, the young lady still needs to go prepare.”
Pei Changjing yawned, hauling Meng Qiuran down the steps.
As he walked, he turned back and waved at Lai Li’an.
“Daoist Friend Lai, until we meet again.”
Yin Zheng gave the group a slight nod.
A cloud of qi rose beneath his feet, carrying him slowly into the air.
The remaining judges also made hand seals, transforming into streaks of light that vanished into the horizon.
Ruan Qin stood in place, looked at her younger sister, then at Lai Li’an.
“I should be going too.”
Her voice was faint, devoid of emotion.
“Handle your own affairs.”
She turned, about to take off on her sword, but her steps paused.
“Ruan Se.”
Ruan Qin spoke with her back to her, slowly.
“Come here. I have something to tell you.”
Ruan Se was startled and followed Ruan Qin’s steps toward a distant corridor.
Lai Li’an stood on the steps in front of the hall, silently waiting as the people around him gradually left.
He breathed a quiet sigh of relief in his heart.
Finally over.
Now, go back, refine the Qingxuan Yangyuan Pill, save Su Wan’er.
If everything goes smoothly, Wan’er should wake up tonight.
He straightened his collar and was about to step forward to follow Ruan Se when—
“Senior Lai!”
A fervent hand reached out from behind and firmly grabbed his sleeve.
Lai Li’an turned his head stiffly, meeting Meng Qiuran’s face.
“Junior Meng?”
Lai Li’an struggled to maintain his composure.
“You still haven’t left?”
“Leave? No way!”
Meng Qiuran’s eyes sparkled like two stars.
“Senior, Junior has something important to discuss with you!”
He tugged at Lai Li’an’s sleeve, pulling him under the corridor beside them, and lowered his voice, but couldn’t suppress his excitement.
“Senior, have you ever considered joining the Dan Sect?”