Outside the secret realm, the mountain winds howled, carrying with them a bitter chill.
A tall cultivator clad in black-and-white robes stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His gloomy, predatory eyes swept coldly over the eight mortals before him.
As for the two who had vanished within the secret realm, he paid them no mind whatsoever. Whether they lived or died was beneath his concern.
"How was the harvest?" His voice was flat, devoid of the slightest trace of emotion.
Upon hearing this, the disciple who had acquired the Rite of Poetry—Foundation Establishment chapter—almost burst out cursing.
Harvest? Harvest, my ass!
His fists clenched so tightly that his nails nearly pierced flesh. Inwardly, he had already cursed that foolish woman a thousand times over. Were it not for her, he would have achieved a contribution of immeasurable worth by now!
His plan had been flawless. He would claim the more precious Foundation Establishment chapter, while the woman—or perhaps a third person—took the Qi Refining chapter.
Together, they could have delivered to their sect a complete cultivation method spanning from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment.
Such a contribution would have earned rewards beyond imagination.
But no matter how many calculations he made, he never accounted for the possibility that the woman would be so brainless!
To actually expose her Demon Sect identity within the secret realm of the Rite Pavilion—and to be executed on the spot by the Tutor!
Because of her idiocy, the value of the Foundation Establishment chapter in his hands plummeted instantly.
Yet, despite the raging fire in his chest, he dared not show even a flicker of defiance before this cold, oppressive "immortal."
Suppressing his turmoil, he forced out a respectful, fearful expression. From his robes, he drew out the archaic beast-hide manual and presented it with both hands.
"Reporting to Immortal Lord… this disciple… by fortune alone, obtained this cultivation method within the secret realm."
At first, the Blood Feast Valley cultivator's face lit with a trace of joy upon seeing the manual. He took it at once, flipping through its pages.
But the more he read, the more his brow furrowed, and the fleeting joy was swiftly replaced by unmasked coldness.
With a sharp snap, he shut the book, his gaze turning dagger-sharp as he glared at the disciple.
"The Qi Refining chapter?"
Those frigid words sent the disciple's heart plummeting. Cold sweat immediately trickled down his forehead.
"I… I did not obtain it…" he stammered in a trembling whisper.
"Did not obtain it?" The cultivator's voice suddenly rose, and an unseen pressure bore down, crushing the disciple in an instant. "What, was there no Qi Refining chapter within the secret realm?"
Once more, the disciple cursed Liu Qi inwardly with all his might. But he knew he could not afford a single lie.
Too many witnesses had been present. If he dared twist the truth even slightly, the others would expose him at once.
With no choice, he gritted his teeth and recounted honestly:
"Reporting to Immortal Lord… indeed, within the secret realm, there were two manuals—the Qi Refining chapter and the Foundation Establishment chapter. This student… this student deemed the Foundation Establishment chapter more valuable, so I selected it. The other was taken by another person."
"I had assumed she was a fellow disciple sent by our sect. I thought we would later turn them in together, so I did not think too much of it."
"Who could have guessed… who could have guessed she would lose her mind and openly reveal her Demon Sect identity before the Tutor, only to be instantly erased by the realm? And with her death, the Qi Refining chapter she held vanished as well!"
In order to distance himself from blame, he hastily added, "Immortal Lord! I swear, I only learned then that she was not one of ours! Otherwise, I would never have entrusted the Qi Refining chapter to her!"
"I suspect she was no fool, but rather an infiltrator sent by another sect! She must have learned of the secret realm somehow, and chose to sacrifice herself rather than let our Grand Path Demonic Sect obtain a complete cultivation method!"
The Blood Feast Valley cultivator listened without comment. Instead, his cold gaze shifted to the others. "Is his account disputed?"
The seven remaining mortals, already quaking with terror, shook their heads frantically. None dared contradict a single word.
The cultivator dismissed the claim of "infiltrator" with indifference. Fixing his gaze back on the disciple who had presented the manual, he said coldly:
"In that case, your contribution is worth far less than it could have been. Do you accept this?"
"Yes! This disciple accepts it gladly!" the man blurted, desperate not to provoke displeasure that could earn him instant death.
Trying to redeem himself, he hurriedly added, "Immortal Lord, this secret realm seems capable of being entered again! Earlier, the Tutor said he would open the lecture hall again at dawn tomorrow. We may still have another chance!"
The cultivator gave a noncommittal grunt, then nodded. "Then return tomorrow."
But his tone suddenly shifted, his words like ice: "However, I hear righteous cultivators have been gathering in the vicinity these past days, seemingly searching for something. If you are confident they will not discover you, then by all means, return tomorrow."
At this, the disciple's face turned ashen.
For a mere mortal, spending the night alone in these perilous wilds, while righteous cultivators prowled the mountains… was that not the same as sending him to his death?
"Immortal Lord!" With a thud, he fell to his knees, begging desperately. "I beseech your great mercy! Please take me with you! I am willing to serve as your ox or horse—only, I beg you, bring me away from here!"
At this, the cultivator's lips curved faintly in an unreadable smile.
But instead of replying, his gaze slid toward the remaining seven.
"And you? Did you gain anything?"
The mortals exchanged uneasy looks but kept their mouths shut.
The one who had obtained the Nourishing Qi Pill buried his head even lower, hesitating for a long moment—yet in the end, choosing silence.
Seeing no response, the cultivator's patience thinned.
"If there is nothing, then so be it."
Without further words, his spiritual power surged, sweeping up the disciple who had offered the manual. Together, they transformed into a streak of blood-red light that tore into the skies, vanishing beyond sight in a blink.
Only after that crimson radiance had fully disappeared did the seven survivors stir from their daze.
"Immortal Lord… Immortal Lord just left like that?"
"He… he abandoned us?"
"Wait… that can't be right! Why didn't he take us along?"
Terror and despair engulfed them all.
At last, they understood. In the eyes of these lofty "immortals," mortals without value were no different from weeds by the roadside—utterly worthless.
"Immortal Lord! Please take us with you!"
"Immortal Lord, we don't want to die!"
"Immortal Lord! I… I even obtained a pill inside the secret realm! Take it, please—just take it!"
But by then, there was no immortal to answer.
Only the mountain winds replied—howling ever colder, ever sharper, through the desolate night.