Translator: CinderTL
"Ji Yin, you misunderstand me. I'll be refining the Soul Destroying Demon Pill myself. You only need to assist me a little," Daoist Xue Mei said.
"So Fellow Daoist is also skilled in alchemy? Then why do you need my assistance?" Song Wen asked, puzzled.
During alchemy, it's generally forbidden to have anyone watch unless absolutely necessary. Even the slightest disturbance from an observer could distract the alchemist, leading to failure. Moreover, having an observer risks exposing the Pill Formula.
Daoist Xue Mei explained, "I have the Pill Formula for the Soul Destroying Demon Pill, but I've never refined it myself and lack confidence. Since you're also skilled in alchemy, I hope you can offer some guidance."
Song Wen nodded. "Very well, I accept. However, I also have a matter where I'd like Fellow Daoist's assistance."
"Speak freely," Daoist Xue Mei replied.
Song Wen then outlined his plan to eliminate Mi Hai during their visit to the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall.
After listening, Daoist Xue Mei asked, "You intend to enter the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall?"
Song Wen shook his head. "I have no intention of entering. I plan to ambush Mi Hai outside the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall and attack him when he emerges, weakened from his time within. Could Fellow Daoist tell me the location of the hall?"
"The Ten Thousand Beasts Hall is located in an oasis deep within the Endless Desert. This jade slip contains its exact coordinates. But you must not reveal this information to anyone else," Xue Mei said, handing Song Wen a jade slip.
Song Wen looked at the jade slip, surprised. He hadn't expected Xue Mei to reveal the hall's location so easily. After all, she still needed to use this information to extract rare Spirit Herbs from Lan Chen and the others for refining the Soul Destroying Demon Pill.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist. Rest assured, I will never reveal the hall's location to anyone else."
Xue Mei nodded.
After seeing Xue Mei off, Song Wen returned to Qingluo Mountain with the Spirit Herbs, Demon Souls, and other cultivation resources the Asura Sect had recently gathered.
With less than six months remaining before Lan Chen and the others set out for the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall, it was impossible for Song Wen to significantly improve his strength in such a short time. He could only refine two more Substitute Puppets as a precaution.
Half a year later.
A fierce wind howled, whipping up a storm of yellow sand that blotted out the sky.
The world was shrouded in a thick, yellow curtain, plunging everything into chaos.
Sand grains danced wildly in the wind, like millions of razor-sharp blades, relentlessly battering Song Wen's Mana Shield.
Watching the sand dunes churn and roll like waves under the storm's fury, Song Wen frowned deeply.
According to Xue Mei, the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall was located within a massive oasis spanning thousands of miles. Yet, there was no trace of an oasis in this desolate scene.
Song Wen knew Xue Mei had no reason to deceive him about this.
But where exactly was the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall?
"Could it be that time has passed so long that the world has changed beyond recognition? Has the oasis been swallowed by the desert? Has the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall been buried beneath this endless sea of sand?" Song Wen wondered.
He traversed the swirling sandstorm for a long time, searching tirelessly, but found no trace of the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall. Finally, he had to give up.
He lowered his body and concealed himself within a sand dune.
The Endless Desert was already devoid of Spiritual Qi, and the sandstorm was rapidly draining his Spiritual Power. Hiding in the dune would shield him from the storm's full force, slowing the depletion of his energy.
Song Wen sat amidst the yellow sand, clutching a High-Grade Spirit Stone in each hand. He slowly recovered his Spiritual Power while patiently awaiting the arrival of Lan Chen and the others.
The sandstorm had lasted far longer than Song Wen had anticipated, raging for a full half month.
When the violent winds finally subsided and the sand settled, the world cleared.
Five figures appeared on the distant horizon.
It was Lan Chen, Mo Yexue, Yang Yu, Gou Jun, and Mi Hai, who had been searching for the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall.
Among the five, all but Mi Hai radiated the aura of Peak Nascent Soul cultivators.
Gazing at the endless expanse of yellow sand, Yang Yu's expression darkened. "There's no oasis here at all. Xue Mei deceived us."
Lan Chen shook her head slightly. "Xue Mei wouldn't be foolish enough to offend all five of us for a few rare Spirit Herbs. It would be a net loss. Perhaps the oasis is buried beneath the sand. Fellow Daoists, let's dig through this sand and then decide."
The other four readily agreed to Lan Chen's suggestion.
Gou Jun was the first to act. He opened his mouth wide, and a torrent of inky-black Corpse Qi spewed forth.
Corpse Qi rapidly condensed in the air, gradually forming a tornado.
Seeing this, the others joined in, each channeling their Spiritual Power into the vortex.
The tornado quickly grew in size.
Its color was like night, its shape a pillar that pierced the heavens and earth.
Like a giant dragon sucking water, the tornado swept up endless yellow sand, sending it soaring into the sky.
The sand was then carried away, scattering across the sky like a rain of sand.
The yellow sand on the ground visibly dwindled.
Sand dunes were flattened, rapidly sinking to form a massive pit.
As the pit deepened, black rock began to emerge.
The five didn't stop there. They controlled the tornado's movement, widening the pit's circumference.
As the pit grew larger, a mountain gate archway suddenly appeared before them.
Clearly carved above the archway were the words "Ten Thousand Beasts Hall."
The five immediately brightened, ceasing their spellcasting and landing before the archway.
"Fellow cultivators," Lan Chen said, "we have three hours until midnight. Let's take a moment to rest and recover our breath."
After speaking, Lan Chen walked toward the archway, intending to sit with her back against it and meditate.
According to the information Xue Mei had provided, by performing a specific magic seal at midnight each day, they could bypass the Restriction on the archway and enter the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall.
Just as Lan Chen sat down, she noticed a small character carved into the rock beneath her.
A thin layer of yellow sand lay scattered around the character. Had she not happened to sit right next to it, she might have easily overlooked it.
There was more than one character on the ground. Many more were hidden beneath the sand, yet to be revealed.
Lan Chen subtly glanced at the others.
Seeing that the others had each found their own spots to sit and meditate, she raised her hand and gently brushed away a corner of the sand, revealing a few more characters.
After reading the characters, Lan Chen's expression shifted slightly.
"Fellow Daoists, you should come take a look at this."
The other four immediately gathered around her.
By now, Lan Chen had cleared away all the sand from the ground.
Over a hundred small characters came into view.
The faces of the crowd immediately turned to expressions of shock and uncertainty.
The small characters described the exact same method for bypassing the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall's Restriction as Daoist Xue Mei had told them.
"Who could have left this?" Mi Hai exclaimed.
"Judging by the traces, it must have been a long time ago. Could it be someone from the Divine Blood Gate?" Yang Yu speculated.
"Why would they do this? Carving the method to bypass the Restriction outside the Restriction itself is like leaving the key to the door out in the open, completely unguarded and inviting anyone to enter," Mo Yexue asked, puzzled.
(End of the Chapter)
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