Yan Yi returned to the outer gate area and distributed the announcement for the Chief Alchemy Hall's recruitment of new members.
For outer gate disciples, recruitment by the Chief Alchemy Hall was a significant event, one that could change their destiny.
In no time, outer gate disciples spread the word everywhere, and the entire outer gate area buzzed with excitement.
Becoming a steward disciple was not only a qualitative improvement in status but also an opportunity to get closer to the peak of Dan Peak. Those with keen senses perceived the chance to become alchemists from the requirements of this recruitment.
So, those who were eager to participate began seeking out alchemy-related study materials from their grandparents and searching for arithmetic or literacy skills to impress. Some, more resourceful, managed to find Yan Yi's residence through connections.
But when they stood outside Yan Yi's residence to knock, they found that he was not at home.
At that moment, Yan Yi was already standing in the valley between Master Peak and Dan Peak. Standing on the stone path, he looked back at Master Peak, remembering the chilling atmosphere inside the Chief Alchemy Hall, recalling Ke Yue and Shi Yuan's sinister expressions. He then looked towards Dan Peak, remembering how Qin Ran had pushed open the door when he was seriously injured, bringing light into his dim room.
"Ke Yue, though sweet in appearance, has a wicked heart. She will not rest until she becomes a steward." He thought, "I should warn Chief Qin."
With that in mind, he quickly used the Longitudinal Ladder technique to reach the summit of Dan Peak.
Having obtained permission, he traversed the long misty road once again and arrived at Dan Peak.
Every time he entered Dan Peak, Yan Yi was amazed by its beauty. From here, he could see a vast lawn on the left and a beautiful clear lake on the right.
Walking along the stream in the middle, he soon saw a gigantic white tiger and an extraordinarily beautiful woman on the lawn.
He knew the white tiger, named Chasing the Wind, a seventh-level demonic beast, was capable of speech and magical feats. As for the woman, he had seen her at the "Mid-Autumn Banquet"; she was rumored to be the legendary nine-tailed fox, now in human form, with terrifying cultivation strength.
The white tiger lay on the grass, while the fox demon, clad in a snowy white gown, sat on the ground holding a teaching whip, seemingly instructing something...
But Yan Yi dared not look too much and kept his head low as he walked closer.
As he approached, he heard the nine-tailed fox named Tushan Youyou scolding the white tiger, Chasing the Wind, in a voice that could seduce any man's heart: "Even if you want to use spell formations, you still need to inscribe runes. It's just converting the inscribed runes into spell formations using mana. You still need to solidify the runes with mana!"
He heard the extremely terrifying Chasing the Wind ask in a pitiful voice, "Can't we do without the runes?"
"How can it be a spell formation without runes?" Just from her voice, one could feel the despair of the extraordinary nine-tailed fox. She pointed her bamboo whip at the white tiger and asked, "How many basic runes have you remembered?"
Yan Yi, the mysterious spirit tiger, hesitated and dared not answer. His large eyes darted around, and suddenly, he spotted Yan Yi. His eyes lit up, and he lifted his big head, asking, "Hey, what are you doing?"
Chasing the Wind's massive head was truly intimidating, and the fierce aura of the tiger clan suppressed Yan Yi's soul. His voice trembled as he replied, "I'm looking for Elder Qin."
"My dad is over by the Shiji Demon Willow..."
As Chasing the Wind spoke, he even raised his paw to point Yan Yi in the right direction.
"Snap!"
However, at that moment, Tushan Youyou whipped him on the head with a bamboo whip, scolding, "Don't shift your attention. How many basic formations have you actually memorized!"
"Oww..."
The bamboo whip, enchanted by Qin Ran, struck at the painful spot, and even Chasing the Wind howled in pain.
The roar of the tiger frightened Yan Yi to the point that he almost lost his composure. Fortunately, the enchanting fox demon was there, whipping him from a distance and guiding him with the bamboo whip, saying, "Go find him yourself."
"Yes!" Having experienced a near-death encounter, Yan Yi's head was spinning. He hastily bowed and ran towards the lake.
As he ran towards the lake, he heard Chasing the Wind weakly muttering behind him, "Thir... thirty... six..."
"Snap!" Another whip, and Yan Yi felt his skin tingle. He heard the alluring voice scold, "I told you to memorize the first hundred, but you only remembered thirty-six?!"
That voice made him wonder, why whip a tiger? Why not whip me...
Shivering, he dared not dwell on it and quickly ran across the river, no longer paying attention to the commotion behind him.
On this side of the river, under the willow tree by the lake, Qin Ran was sitting in a chair, fishing. Behind him stood someone Yan Yi would never have expected - Shi Yuan.
Shi Yuan!
How could Shi Yuan be here?
Yan Yi couldn't comprehend.
At this moment, Elder Qin turned around and greeted him with a gentle smile, saying, "You've arrived?"
Externally, he seemed deceptive, with that harmless face. Yan Yi recalled the saying: appearances can be deceiving.
Elder Qin looked gentle and harmless, seemingly without any ill intentions, but...
"Elder!" Yan Yi felt a deep fear from the bottom of his heart, realizing, perhaps everything was within Elder Qin's grasp?
"Just wait a moment..." Elder Qin smiled kindly at him and said, "Shi Yuan hasn't finished yet."
"Elder." Shi Yuan acknowledged and continued from where he left off, "In the end, we decided to set up a Soul-Extinguishing Killing Formation ten miles northeast of the Daojian Sect. Four miscellaneous disciples will perform a blood sacrifice. Outside the formation, a medicinal slave has nurtured a type of Devouring Gold Bug. The medicinal slave will rush into the formation and commit suicide, and the Devouring Gold Bug will attack the Elder...
"If the Elder breaks out of the formation, I will swallow the Immortal Slaying Pill, wield the talisman treasure sword, and fight the Elder...
"But throughout this process, I cannot guarantee that Ke Yue doesn't have other means."
Qin Ran sighed at the words, remarking, "Jian Yuanjie indeed possesses remarkable methods. Each cauldron of his is willing to sacrifice itself for him. Seems like he truly has a remarkable influence."
He glanced at Shi Yuan and chuckled, "But he's probably not into men."
"Elder, forgive my jest." Shi Yuan bowed deeply, saying, "Please, Elder, save me!"
Suddenly, the fishing float moved. Qin Ran pulled hard and reeled in a two-pound silver-scaled bream. Holding the fish, he leisurely removed the hook, saying with a smile, "You're a clever one. You know your only lifeline is with me."
"I take the poison to assassinate the Elder. Success means death; failure means death. I don't take the poison, death comes sooner." Shi Yuan said, "This time, no matter what, I must die."
"They're all so loyal to Jian Yuanjie, why are you the only one betraying?" Qin Ran was puzzled.
He dismantled the fish, placed it in the fish basket, added bait, and continued fishing.
"In truth, my heart belongs to Dao Sword Sect, and I don't wish to be a traitor," Shi Yuan said.
"Hahaha..." Qin Ran couldn't help but laugh heartily at this.
After a while, he stopped and asked Shi Yuan, "Do you know who proposed the plan to kill me?"
"A disciple named You Shi, a tall, bearded man." Shi Yuan remembered well.
Qin Ran tapped his chin and asked Shi Yuan, "Was it him?"
Shi Yuan looked to the side and saw the big-bearded man who proposed the assassination plan at the Alchemy Hall appearing on the riverbank, then walking over.
"You... you too..." He frowned, wanting to ask how "You Shi" surrendered.
But then, "You Shi" suddenly transformed, taking on his appearance.
He slowly began to understand. The real "You Shi" had long been dead, replaced by Qin Ran.
Suddenly, he felt fearful. How many others in the Alchemy Hall had not been replaced?
Yan Yi, who had been observing from the sidelines, also understood.
Qin Ran, the Chief Alchemy Hall, not only controlled the situation but created it himself. The whole situation changed according to his whim.
So, he began to doubt life. What in this world is real, and what is false? If Qin Ran, the Chief Alchemy Hall, could easily manipulate them, then would higher beings find it even easier?
Is this world real?
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