Liu Meng's heart trembled, and her spiritual power instinctively surged within her body.She quickly stepped back several paces, putting distance between herself and the chubby man, before fixing him with a wary gaze.
"Who are you?" she asked, feigning ignorance.
"Ah, Junior Sister, don't be nervous, don't be nervous!" The plump man flailed his hands in mock innocence, his round face still wearing that harmless smile. "I am Steward Jin of the Wanbao Pavilion, under the jurisdiction of Sancai Workshop. You can just call me Fatty Jin."
He seemed entirely unaffected by Liu Meng's vigilance, continuing to explain leisurely:"I saw you searching for a long while just now—surely you were looking for the sect envoys, weren't you? Truth be told, there isn't a single envoy left here right now. About three hours ago, they suddenly received some urgent news and all rushed away. No one knows where they went."
"As for when they'll return…" Jin Fatty shrugged. "Sometimes it's just a few hours, sometimes three to five days. No one can say for sure. Junior Sister, if you don't have anything too urgent, perhaps you should come back another day."
Another day?
Liu Meng's brows furrowed instantly.How could she afford to waste so much time?
Though the Mission Hall wasn't far from her cave-dwelling, she couldn't be running back and forth daily. More importantly, a cave could not remain masterless for even a single day—her true body's safety was her highest priority. She needed to return quickly to guard it, only then could she be at ease.
Not to mention, she still wanted to visit the Scripture Pavilion today, to see if there were any suitable cultivation methods available!
Seeing her troubled expression, Fatty Jin's eyes rolled, and he suddenly slapped his thigh, as though struck by inspiration.
"Junior Sister, if you're truly in a hurry to find the envoys, I do know of a place where you're guaranteed to encounter them. Why not head there instead?"
"Where?" Liu Meng asked without thinking.
Fatty Jin's smile turned secretive, and he lowered his voice."The Valley of Blood Feast."
Liu Meng's heart stirred. Of course she knew of that place—she simply hadn't expected to hear its name from this man's lips.
"That's right." Fatty Jin chuckled, as if he had seen through her doubts."Today, the Valley of Blood Feast just happens to be hosting the new entry trial. Once the trial ends, the sect envoys will definitely be there to receive the new disciples and evaluate their merits. If you hurry over now and wait for them in advance, slip them a few spirit stones when they arrive… everything will go smoothly."
He spoke with absolute confidence, without the slightest flaw in tone.
And yet, Liu Meng's heart remained filled with suspicion.
In this demonic sect, she had been deceived too many times.From the seemingly kindhearted shopkeeper of Sancai Workshop, to the deeply calculating Qin Shuang—every person here seemed unworthy of trust.
If the one standing here was merely one of her dispensable avatars, she could take the risk, follow his instructions, and explore the Valley. Even if she were deceived, even if she perished instantly—it would matter little.
But she was not.She was Liu Meng—the strongest among all avatars, the very pillar safeguarding her true body's survival. Too much was riding on her shoulders for her to gamble recklessly.
As she wavered, Fatty Jin seemed to notice her hesitation and added another line:"By the way, the one presiding over the trial this time is a newcomer from the Xuanpin Gate. I believe her name is… Qin Shuang? Yes, Qin Shuang. That girl is remarkable—barely entered the sect as a full disciple not long ago, yet she's already gained a foothold and is becoming a rising star."
Qin Shuang?
Liu Meng's eyes widened slightly in surprise.She had not expected that it would be Qin Shuang overseeing the trial.
Perhaps now… it was truly worth going.
"Thank you for the guidance, Steward Jin."
She inclined her head slightly in courtesy, then turned and left the Mission Hall.
Yet, instead of immediately flying toward the Valley of Blood Feast, she first found a secluded place and retrieved the Sound Transmission Token from her storage pouch.
With a stream of spiritual power, the token glimmered faintly.Moments later, Qin Shuang's weary voice drifted through:"Junior Sister? What do you seek me for? I'm in the middle of urgent business and can't leave."
"Is Senior Sister perhaps presiding over the Valley of Blood Feast's entry trial?" Liu Meng asked bluntly.
There was a brief pause on Qin Shuang's end, before she chuckled softly."Oh? Junior Sister's information is rather sharp. What's this? Have the others in the sect already begun paying attention to me, even knowing exactly what I'm doing?"
With her confirmation, Liu Meng's heart settled.
"Senior Sister misunderstands—I just happen to be near the Valley. I'll come see you right away."
Ending the communication without hesitation, she determined the direction and transformed into a streak of light, racing toward the Valley of Blood Feast.
—
As she flew, Liu Meng carefully sensed the changes in her body after her breakthrough.
The fourth level of Qi Refining—it truly was the gateway to the mid-stage.Her dantian's spiritual lake had expanded severalfold, and the total amount of spiritual energy she could contain was worlds apart from before.
Yet, she also discovered a troubling problem.
The constant spiritual energy feedback flowing from her maids was still steady, but compared to her vast new reserves, it was nothing more than a trickle merging into the sea—barely enough to stir even a ripple.
It wasn't that the maids had grown lax, but rather that her cultivation had advanced too quickly. The upper limit of her spiritual capacity had grown far beyond what the same supply could sustain.
What once had been a torrent, sufficient to drive her rapid breakthroughs, was now pitifully inadequate.
Perhaps only the energy of subordinates who themselves reached the third level of Qi Refining could offer any meaningful support.
It seemed that as her cultivation advanced, the realms of her thralls must also rise in tandem, otherwise her own growth would stagnate.
"Could this be the true reason Su Meier released us from the cave?" Liu Meng speculated silently.
Su Meier must face the same problem. Relying solely on the captured furnaces inside her cave, she would inevitably hit a bottleneck once her cultivation rose high enough.
Thus, she needed to send out disciples like Qin Shuang—and like herself—to establish their own caves, expand their influence, and cultivate stronger subordinates.
The faster they grew, the more valuable they became to Su Meier.
Her thoughts were abruptly cut short as a thick, suffocating stench of blood rolled toward her from ahead.
Liu Meng didn't even need her eyes to know—a brutal slaughter was taking place before her.
She slowed her pace, scanning the surroundings for Qin Shuang's presence.
And then, from behind her, a cool voice rang out.
"Junior Sister, what brings you to see me? Has something urgent happened?"
Turning, Liu Meng saw Qin Shuang standing elegantly atop a massive boulder, gazing at her calmly.
To Qin Shuang, her junior sister's arrival could only mean some dire matter—otherwise, she could have simply sent a maid as a messenger. Why rush here personally?
Yet as her eyes fell on Liu Meng, a spark of joy lit her face.
"You've broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining as well? Excellent, excellent—you truly are a genius!"
Admiration filled Qin Shuang's eyes.
Her own breakthrough had been achieved through careful planning and countless risks, yet Liu Meng had advanced as effortlessly as drinking water. That kind of natural talent was awe-inspiring.
As if recalling something, Qin Shuang suddenly asked:"Now that you've reached the fourth level, you can be recognized as a full disciple of the sect. I hadn't told you earlier so as not to disturb your cultivation, but you've already succeeded so quickly… have you gone to the Mission Hall to collect your disciple token?"
Liu Meng shook her head. "No. There wasn't a single sect envoy at the Mission Hall—they all rushed out for something urgent."
Qin Shuang considered this, then her expression shifted with realization.
"So that's why you came here searching for the envoys? Clever. Indeed, Senior Brother Zhou is the sect envoy responsible for this trial. He'll be here very soon."
Her eyes flickered as she glanced toward the source of the heavy blood stench, sensing something.
"The entry trial… is about to end."
"Junior Sister, would you like to come watch? To witness with your own eyes… how our Demonic Sect's Valley of Blood Feast welcomes its new disciples."