Another need for embarrassment!

Elder Lin was a particular sort of person.

He knew that most of the inner sect disciples below were well-behaved, and he clearly intended to slack off while sitting on his own spirit boat.

His eyelids drooped halfway, looking half-asleep, as if he were dozing.

But in truth, how could a dignified Golden Core elder possibly handle everything personally?

Below, in the clearing within the forest, several Foundation Establishment stewards were already keeping a close watch.

If any disciple dared to act unruly, their eligibility to participate in the demon hunting competition would be revoked, and fines or punishment would be guaranteed—if the situation was serious, they might even be sent to Lingyun Cave for repentance.

Repenting in the cultivation world was nothing like what novels described.

At least in the Azure Cloud Sword Sect, being sent there was already considered a heavy punishment.

First, the offending disciple would be restrained by a special magical device, unable to use even a sliver of spiritual power—only enough to sustain life.

Then, a talisman crafted by the Talisman Peak would be affixed to their forehead.

Once attached, a disciple without spiritual power could never break free by their own strength.

They would then have to endure the torment of five senses being sealed—unable to see, unable to hear, unable to speak, unable to smell, unable to taste.

With the five senses gone, a person became like a walking corpse.

At first, one or two days might still be bearable.

But as time continued, how many could truly endure it?

Most would end up on the verge of madness.

Many disciples, after finishing their repentance period, sobbed uncontrollably, swearing they would never violate sect rules again.

And even so, it took a long time for them to recover—some could not even care for themselves after release.

Without a close friend to help them, the outcome would be miserable.

There were still a few cups of tea’s time until noon.

Cao Xueyan glanced around.

Some disciples had already brought out tea sets and invited friends to sit and brew tea together.

Beside them, there were fruits and vegetables.

It looked very pleasant.

Cao Xueyan stood not far away, smelling the tea fragrance while scanning the crowd.

She was searching for someone.

Back in the Fire Refining Hall, she had already agreed to team up with Dan Yao for this demon hunting competition.

In the simulations, the two usually met halfway and traveled together simply because they got along.

But simulations were only predictions of possible futures.

There could be thousands of branching outcomes.

She suddenly thought of that scene from a movie—where Doctor Strange saw millions of future endings.

Come to think of it… was he also using a simulator?

Cao Xueyan felt as if she had just discovered something incredible.

Though in truth, she knew she was just overthinking.

Dan Yao was not hard to find—she always carried a faint medicinal fragrance on her body.

Most alchemists smelled similar, yet Cao Xueyan felt Dan Yao’s scent was slightly different.

Could it be because the pills she refined were the legendary Heaven-Deficient Pills?

Yet Cao Xueyan had eaten pills for more than ten years and had never once seen what a Heaven-Deficient Pill actually looked like.

Soon enough, she spotted a figure in the crowd who seemed a bit out of place.

For the competition, Dan Yao had changed her clothing.

She wore a fitted black outfit and carried a sword at her waist, looking somewhat like a wandering heroine.

Cao Xueyan did not need a disguise.

She still wore her blue inner sect uniform, just with the special robe gifted by Xiao Menglan underneath.

She walked up and greeted her.

“Senior Sister, I came a little late. Have you waited long?”

Dan Yao seemed startled by the sudden address.

But upon hearing the familiar voice, she quickly relaxed.

Seeing Cao Xueyan, complicated feelings stirred in her heart.

After all, the girl before her was a personal disciple of the Peak Master of the Sword Peak—her status was nothing like Dan Yao’s.

If not for support from her family, Dan Yao might not have even reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, and Foundation Establishment would have been far out of reach.

Sometimes, Dan Yao wondered why the difference between people had to be so great.

They said that Heaven-Deficient Pills were meant for those with great fortune—children of destiny.

How many more years would she have to wait before meeting the one destined for her pills?

She shook away the thought and smiled.

“Silly girl, what are you thinking? I just arrived too.”

That made sense.

Cao Xueyan had no snacks in her storage pouch—only some specially made Fasting Pills that Xiao Menglan had obtained from Pill Peak.

Anyone who had eaten Fasting Pills before knew—they tasted… plain at best.

Bland grain flavor mixed with the bitterness of herbs.

Certainly not something to share.

Fortunately, Dan Yao, as an alchemist, always carried snacks.

Seeing everyone waiting idly, she simply took out a handful of roasted nuts.

Cao Xueyan watched her pour them out, the warm, fragrant scent spreading.

She couldn’t help swallowing quietly.

“Senior Sister… why do you have these with you?”

Dan Yao smiled softly.

“Years ago, after finishing a batch of pills, the furnace was still warm. I didn’t want to waste the heat, so I roasted some nuts. Ever since then, I just kept making them. They pick up some of the pill fragrance. Try one.”

Cao Xueyan certainly would not refuse.

It had been days since she had tasted anything like this.

She relaxed just a little.

Even the control of her spiritual power had improved over the past month—she gently squeezed a nut, cracking the shell with ease, revealing the white kernel inside.

One nut after another—rich flavor, with a faint medicinal sweetness—the taste lingered delightfully.

Without noticing, she had already finished the handful.

“I have more. Do you want another?” Dan Yao asked, watching her like a small squirrel.

Cao Xueyan quickly shook her head.

“Absolutely not. If I let myself go now and Master finds out, she’ll have me kneel and massage her shoulders for hours…”

And then she wouldn’t be able to get out of bed.

“…Why kneel?” Dan Yao asked, confused.

She slowly withdrew her hand from her storage bag, slightly disappointed.

Just then, the elder on the spirit boat suddenly opened his eyes.

The time had arrived.

He took out a bronze formation plate and traced a few symbols across its surface.

A rumbling sound shook the ground below.

“The formation is opening!” someone whispered.

Dense forest shifted like an illusion—several narrow paths appeared.

Faint roars of beasts echoed from within.

Elder Lin yawned lazily and called out:

“Enter.”

Clearly, he was not one for speeches.

If trouble occurred later, he would simply pull them out as needed.

The event would last two days and three nights.

At sunset on the third day, the competition would end.

Seeing many disciples already rushing forward, Dan Yao tugged gently on Cao Xueyan’s sleeve.

“Let’s go.”

Yet, once Cao Xueyan stepped inside the formation, she realized something was wrong.

The crowd she had just seen was gone.

Even Dan Yao had vanished.

“What… is this?” she murmured, frowning.

Xiao Menglan had said nothing about this.

It felt like she had stepped into a maze.

Meanwhile, on the spirit boat, Elder Lin muttered to himself:

“Peak Master Lu changed the formation recently. Said he wanted to increase difficulty and temper the disciples. But I have a bad feeling about this. Does the Sect Master even know? That man disappears for months… Well—this is not my problem.”