The trial in the Myriad Bones Forest realm was mainly for practice.
Rather than a competition between sects, its primary purpose was to give the younger generation of disciples a chance to gain experience, while also allowing capable cultivators to distinguish themselves.
As such, there was no formal ranking system.
Even so, they still had to go through the motions after exiting, displaying what they had obtained.
Not only did Song Yao's Lotus Crow-Sparrow Grass effectively end any competition, but she also proceeded to pull out a Spirit-Accumulating Stone and some Golden Scale Snake Grass.
However smug Sect Master Feng and Elder Huaisang had been before the realm opened, their faces were now equally dark.
Originally, removing the cloud screen was intended to let their disciples play some dirty tricks, ideally making the Nine Saints Hall lose a disciple with a Heavenly Spiritual Root.
It was meant to be a warning to the Nine Saints Hall.
Who would have thought that instead of delivering a warning, their own disciples would end up in such a pathetic state, completely failing to secure any spiritual herbs or opportunities?
On the other hand, the Ninth Elder was practically glowing with triumph. He clapped his hands and laughed heartily. “My, my, the children of our sect are so young, and with a pill cultivator among them, I never expected them to lead their senior brothers and sisters by such a wide margin! Thank you for letting us win, thank you!”
Several leaders of smaller sects close to the Nine Saints Hall cheerfully offered their congratulations. “The Nine Saints Hall truly deserves its reputation as the number one sect. How could the disciples of our sects have such ability at their age?”
“I heard the little pill cultivator retrieved the Lotus Crow-Sparrow Grass from a swarm of snake demons? Impressive, truly impressive!”
“Next time, we must invite Elder Yun to our sect to give our disciples some pointers.”
The Ninth Elder could barely suppress his grin from all the flattery. He smiled and said, “Of course, of course!”
As the chatter below grew livelier, Sect Master Feng sat in the high seat, her brocade robe embroidered with gold phoenixes draping down. The gold threads gleamed coldly under the hall's candlelight.
Suppressing her anger, she offered a word of praise to draw everyone's attention. “These children indeed performed well. They possess much of Brother Yun's flair from his younger days.”
“However—”
She stood up, the soft rustle of her robes exceptionally clear in the suddenly silent hall, and walked toward Song Yao step by step.
Her spiritual pressure descended slowly like an abyss, making even the surrounding air feel stagnant.
The Ninth Elder frowned slightly as he saw her stop in front of Song Yao, her voice deep and heavy. “Miss Lin, shouldn't you give this Venerable One an explanation?”
Song Yao was eating grapes and looked up blankly upon hearing this.
In her past life, plenty of people had demanded explanations from her.
Why were they doing it in this life too?
Where was she supposed to find so many explanations to give?
Perhaps because her gaze was too vacant, Feng Qing paused for a moment before speaking coldly, emphasizing every word: “This Venerable One heard that my disciples only suffered a sudden madness in the realm after consuming pills you gave them.”
Her voice suddenly rose, her expression turning fierce. “As a pill cultivator, you actually used such underhanded methods to harm your opponents. What difference is there between you and those unscrupulous demonic cultivators?”
The pressure from a powerhouse surged. The disciples from various sects, who had been watching the drama unfold, were instantly drenched in cold sweat, barely able to raise their heads.
Song Yao knit her brows, also feeling a bit uncomfortable.
In the next second, the Ninth Elder violently swept his sleeve, and his dense spiritual energy coalesced into an invisible barrier, firmly shielding Song Yao.
Feng Qing's oppressive pressure was forcefully deflected, and the wildly flickering candles in the hall finally stabilized.
His face was as dark as cold iron. “Words alone are no proof. How can you conclude that Lin Mu poisoned them? The miasma in the Myriad Bones Forest is bizarre and sinister. Who knows if they fell victim to the confusing miasma and lost their minds on their own? Sect Master Feng, in front of all these sects, do not slander a disciple of my Nine Saints Hall with baseless accusations.”
A mocking sneer curled Feng Qing's gorgeous features. “Heh, what reason would this Venerable One have to slander her? Perhaps this child has been privately reading some unorthodox pill manuals.”
The Ninth Elder sneered. “Absolutely impossible!”
Song Yao's eyes instantly lit up.
The Ninth Elder trusted her this much?
Had she known, she wouldn't have swapped his sword manual for a smutty novel in her past life.
“Oh?”
Feng Qing raised her eyebrows, her tone light but cutting to the quick. “Are you so sure? The Nine Saints Hall produced a Song Yao in the past; who is to say there cannot be a second one?”
The Ninth Elder snorted again, completely certain. “Lin Mu can't even stand to look at books! She has to blow up three cauldrons just to refine a simple Qi-Replenishing Pill. Poison pills are so difficult to make; there is absolutely no way she could have learned how!”
Feng Qing: “?”
Song Yao: “?”
It felt like he was insulting her.
She wasn't sure.
Let's listen a bit more.
Chen He's worldview shattered. “She only learned after blowing up three cauldrons?! H-How did she even enter the main peak?!”
Still skeptical, Feng Qing swept her sleeve and sat back down in the high seat, mocking, “Don't tell me you're going to claim that what this child gave them was just a Qi-Replenishing Pill?”
Song Yao had the chance to nod this time. “Yes, it was just a Qi-Replenishing Pill. It just has a few side effects.”
This time, not only Feng Qing, but everyone else in the hall twitched their lips.
A Qi-Replenishing Pill with side effects?
Where would side effects come from in such a simple pill??
It was utter nonsense.
“Since Brother Yun insists on shielding her, I will let you see for yourself what kind of Qi-Replenishing Pill can harm people to this extent!”
Feng Qing's eyebrows knit tightly, and she slammed her hand onto the armrest. “Bring them up.”
She was clearly prepared.
Before her voice even faded, several Beiyao Sect disciples entered the hall carrying five stretchers, on which lay the young men bound tightly with thick ropes.
Their faces, however, were not gaunt or frenzied as she had described. Instead, they showed an unusual, healthy flush, though their gazes were somewhat blank.
The stretchers were set down in the center of the hall. Feng Qing gestured for her disciples to untie the ropes. “Brother Yun, look closely. See what your sect's disciple has done to ours!”
Yet, as the ropes fell away, the expected chaotic scene did not happen.
The five Beiyao Sect disciples sat up blankly, stretching their arms and legs with looks of utter bewilderment.
After a few seconds of silence, their faces lit up with pleasant surprise. “Huh? Why doesn't the wound on my chest hurt anymore?”
“The internal injuries I just sustained are completely gone!”
“Wait, my spiritual energy... Why does it feel like my spiritual energy has increased by so much?!”
The five chimed in one after another. Where was there any trace of their inner demons acting up or driving them to kill one another in madness? Each of them was rosy-cheeked, their auras steady and deep. Clearly, the injuries they had suffered in the realm had completely healed.
Song Yao hurriedly pulled out her little notebook and made another entry.
If one consumes too many Qi-Replenishing Pills, not only do the side effects stack, but the healing effects do as well.
The others in the hall also realized what was happening and couldn't help but whisper among themselves. “How could this be the effect of an ordinary Qi-Replenishing Pill? Healing wounds, stabilizing the foundation, and even increasing spiritual energy... This must be a Spirit-grade pill at the very least, right?”
“Exactly! The Spirit-grade healing pill I took last time didn't even work this quickly! How is the pill refined by this young disciple of the Nine Saints Hall better than those of the sect elders?”
“But the side effects are indeed terrifying. They were trying to kill each other like that. If it were me, I wouldn't dare eat it.”
“...”
Only after their initial pleasant surprise did the five Beiyao Sect disciples remember where they were. They suddenly turned to Feng Qing. “Sect Master...”
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