Chapter 215 – Sect Residence Spirit Qi, Challenging Unfair Appointments with a Pill Duel

A cold glint briefly flashed in Yu Xian’s eyes, then faded as he smiled and continued to follow Zhou Sanming ahead.

This matter couldn’t be rushed.

If he was going to do it, he had to do it cleanly.

Otherwise, if someone found out, it would spell major trouble!

Yu Xian had no intention of exchanging lives with that woman.

As for Lier, after ten years, she had grown up—from a brash seventeen- or eighteen-year-old to nearly thirty. Her demeanor had become much more composed and reserved, though her pride still lingered beneath her raised chin.

After all, she was the granddaughter of a Golden Core Elder.

Likewise, her cultivation had progressed from the peak of Qi Condensation to the early Foundation Establishment stage, officially qualifying her as an inner sect disciple of Xuantian Sect.

Rules were rules—even as the thirteenth-generation descendant of the Sixth Elder, she wasn’t allowed into the inner sect at the Qi Condensation stage.

Now Lier clearly had something urgent, striding ahead quickly—but suddenly, she felt a faint chill at her back and instinctively slowed her pace.

However, the chill came and went in an instant.

She turned to look, but with so many people around, nothing seemed out of place.

As for the three new Foundation Establishment disciples, it was rumored they were from the defunct Medicine King Valley, now joining this sect.

Others gathered curiously to watch, but she wasn’t interested. She simply shook her head and continued toward the Alchemy Hall.

Zhou Sanming led Yu Xian, Su Xiaoduo, and You Xiaohua to the residential area for inner sect Foundation Establishment disciples.

Spread over more than twenty li, the area was filled with individual dwellings, elegant courtyards, and private residences. Each was about a hundred meters in size, spaced well apart for privacy.

The winding paths were lined with exotic flora, rich in spiritual energy—secluded, vibrant, and ideal for cultivation.

Zhou Sanming smiled and said, “Fellow disciples, this is your new home. You may choose any unoccupied dwelling without an active array formation. If you need help in the future, come find me.”

Yu Xian and Su Xiaoduo bowed. “Thank you, Elder.”

You Xiaohua also nodded. “Thank you, Elder.”

Zhou Sanming laughed and waved. “Make yourselves at home.”

Su Xiaoduo beamed and quickly chose a small, charming residence. “Senior Brother, Sister, I’m taking that one!” she called joyfully, dashing over in excitement.

Years of wandering had finally led her to a peaceful, stable place to cultivate.

Yu Xian smiled. “Senior Sister, I’ll go find mine as well.”

“Alright,” You Xiaohua said, and the two parted ways.

Yu Xian wasn’t picky. After a quick glance, he chose a modest courtyard and stepped inside.

At its center was a spirit stone used to claim the property. Yu Xian infused it with spiritual energy and refined it. The courtyard’s protective array activated with a hum—nothing strong in terms of defense, but excellent in terms of concealment and privacy.

No one, not even Golden Core or Nascent Soul elders, had the right to peer into a disciple’s affairs—unless that disciple broke sect laws.

If that happened, the Law Enforcement Hall could break the array, apprehend the disciple, and administer punishment.

Now that the array was active, the courtyard was officially his until he died, defected, or advanced to the Golden Core stage and moved to the upper mountain.

The place was spacious and wild with weeds and flowers—likely remnants of the previous occupant who had likely perished in a recent disaster.

With a wave of his hand, Yu Xian summoned a gust of wind to clear the overgrowth and chop it up to enrich the soil.

“In a few days, I’ll plant some spiritual herbs—self-sustaining,” he murmured.

Inside the main room, the furnishings were clean and complete—tables, chairs, bedding, meditation cushions, and an in-dwelling spirit-gathering array.

The spiritual energy was incredibly dense—the richest Yu Xian had encountered in his years of cultivation.

Even Baiyun Sect’s inner sanctum couldn’t compare.

No wonder this was the foundation of the strongest among the Six Great Sects.

With the house’s spirit-gathering array and his own superior-grade storage pouch’s spirit-attracting function, the spiritual energy around him was almost liquefying!

Luxury… Yu Xian thought.

With such a cultivation environment, wasting even a single breath of spirit Qi would be shameful.

He inhaled deeply, then formed hand seals to activate the Everlasting Spring Wood Art.

He had no interest in cultivating the sect’s standard techniques.

Every breath of this spirit Qi was ten to twenty times richer than what he’d known before.

Wood spiritual energy danced around him, and his long-stagnant Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivation even showed signs of loosening.

He was soon lost in cultivation—like a weary traveler sinking into a warm bed.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Only when the protective array buzzed in alert—signaling someone at the boundary—did Yu Xian stir.

“Senior Brother Yu, Master is calling us. Are you cultivating? Please wake up,” came Su Xiaoduo’s voice, gently transmitted through the array.

It seemed Hongshao had solidified her identity, and now his role was also to be formalized.

But Yu Xian didn’t plan on becoming her disciple—he’d rather remain a regular inner sect Foundation Establishment disciple.

He stood, deactivated the array, and stepped out.

“Senior Brother,” Su Xiaoduo said with a smile, “We’re waiting for you. Let’s go! Master is now the Grand Elder and Head of the Alchemy Division!”

You Xiaohua added, “Yes! My master is the Third Elder, and we also have five senior uncles managing the Alchemy Division. It’s basically our old Medicine King Valley now!”

“Really?” Yu Xian’s eyes gleamed. “That’s great news. Let’s go.”

The Alchemy Division of Haotian Zhengzong operated similarly to Baiyun Sect’s alchemy department—providing pills for the entire sect.

Only this place was far grander—its leader was always a Golden Core cultivator, and now, with Hongshao at the helm, it had gained even more prestige.

The three of them headed toward the division.

The sect operated just like any major cultivation force—offering sections for artifact forging, pill refining, herb cultivation, beast taming, law enforcement, mining, and more.

With tens of thousands of outer disciples and hundreds of inner Foundation Establishment ones, the scale was immense—but so was the space.

The sect used to be the famed Xuantian Sect, once the greatest power in East Continent. So it had the infrastructure to support such a population.

But no sect could remain dominant forever. In the end, all sects existed to supply the upper echelon cultivators with resources. And those cultivators eventually left—seeking higher realms.

Over time, this cycle led to decline and decentralization—giving rise to the Six Great Sects.

The Alchemy Division had over 8,000 disciples—stronger than even smaller sects like the Liehuo Sect.

Built atop three major spirit veins, the division buzzed with activity.

Qi Condensation disciples bustled about—refining pills, seeking medicine, or studying under the division.

Yu Xian, Su Xiaoduo, and You Xiaohua approached the small mountain that housed the division proper.

It looked more like a sect of its own than a division.

Just then, a Foundation Establishment mid-stage male cultivator ran up to them. “Sister Xiaohua! Second Martial Uncle sent me to look for you. You’re late!”

“Senior Brother was in deep cultivation,” You Xiaohua replied. “Let’s not keep Master waiting.”

The four of them ascended the mountain and soon arrived at a grand palace—not inferior to the Liehuo Sect’s main hall.

Inside sat Hongshao and another Golden Core late-stage male cultivator. Chen Manman sat below them, along with a few others.

More than thirty Foundation Establishment disciples of the Alchemy Division were present.

Hongshao smiled. “We were just waiting for you. Come, take your seats.”

Most of the disciples recognized Zhu Shu and You Xiaohua—former Medicine King Valley members.

But none knew Yu Xian or Su Xiaoduo—though two individuals stared at Yu Xian with puzzlement.

One was a middle-aged man: Guo Ping, once a top-tier alchemist in Xuantian Sect.

The other was a young, beautiful woman: Chu Lier.

Both frowned slightly. He looked… familiar.

Could it be?

But ten years had changed Yu Xian’s face and build—without him announcing himself, recognition was near impossible.

Hongshao continued, “Today, as the new Head of the Alchemy Division, I’m holding this assembly for two reasons: to get to know you, and to reassign duties.”

Then she began stripping titles from the original disciples and assigning them to her own.

You Xiaohua was made Chief Outer Sect Elder, overseeing all external affairs.

Zhu Shu became Elder of Qi Condensation Affairs.

One by one, all posts went to former Medicine King Valley disciples.

No one dared speak up—except Chu Lier.

She stood and respectfully asked, “May I ask what mistake we made to warrant this demotion? So we can accept it.”

Chu Zexing, her grandfather, shouted, “You’re out of line!”

But Chu Lier stood firm. “With respect, is this still Xuantian Sect—or just Medicine King Valley now?”

He slapped her hard.

Still, Hongshao only smiled. “Your skill in pill refinement determines your rank. Those with lesser skill must work harder.”

Chu Lier replied, “My master and I are not lacking in skill! Without a test, how can you say that?”

Hongshao’s eyes lit up. “So you wish to challenge us in a Pill Duel?”

“Yes!”

“I appoint You Xiaohua as your opponent.”

Chu Lier froze.

But You Xiaohua stood and said, “Your disciple is too weak. I’ll challenge the master—Guo Ping. Let’s duel with tier-five pills, shall we?”

The hall went silent.

Guo Ping’s face twisted. Tier-five pills?

She must be bluffing!

You Xiaohua smiled. “If that’s too much, we can do upper-grade tier-four pills. You choose the rules.”

Yu Xian smiled faintly.

This woman’s pride had never faltered—even after losing to him years ago. She hadn’t lost her edge at all.

Guo Ping’s eyes narrowed.

“Fine. We’ll compare pill quality first. If quality matches, we’ll compare speed!”