The Gate Of Good Fortune

Wu Qihong didn't overthink it and quickly replied, "Yes, Senior, this junior's Sea of Consciousness is currently in the process of healing?"

The woman surnamed Nei's eyes flashed with a glint of horrifying light as she scrutinised Wu Qihong from top to bottom. "Quite the good means. An excellent spirit pill. Not only could it fix the Sea of Consciousness, but also boost one's spiritual consciousness and even expand the Sea of Consciousness….."

When Xin Xiu heard those words, her heart sank. The person who had changed appearance to her Eldest Senior Apprentice Brother had told her never to reveal anything about the Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill. However, she had never expected that someone would be able to look through her Junior Apprentice Brother's currently repairing Sea of Consciousness. If she had known about it, she would have stayed for a while before leaving to make things less conspicuous.

The black-robed woman seemed to have noticed Xin Xiu's hesitancy and concern. Seeing that, she spoke up, albeit with a slightly colder tone, "Take out the medicinal pill and let me have a look at it."

She did not put any aura pressure on them and only spoke that one sentence. But Xin Xiu couldn't help but break out in cold sweats. She even felt the involuntary urge to take out the Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill.

However, she quickly sobered up and bowed again before replying, "Please forgive me. But I promised that person that I would not show the pill to others."

The black-robed woman snorted, "I can turn you in ashes with just a flick of my hand and then take that medicinal pill from you. I can even search your soul forcibly at that point, and with your cultivation, you wouldn't be able to hide anything from me. I promise that even if I killed you in full public view, no one in the Heaven Essence Sacred City would come to find trouble with me."

Xin Xiu tightly shut her lips and did not reply. For her, Ning Cheng was her Junior Apprentice Brother Qihong's saviour. Even if the black-robed woman could easily search her soul, she would never reveal anything about it voluntarily. Xin Xiu might have low cultivation, but she would never sell out her saviour.

Seeing that even with the threat of soul searching, Xin Xiu didn't say a word, this black-robed woman felt a little strange. She had already seen too many things and experienced too many situations in her life. From this, she gained an understanding that cultivators would abandon anything and everything for staying alive. But seeing this small cultivator stick to principles despite the threat to her life struck a chord inside her.

The black-robed woman asked, "Just because you promised someone, you wouldn't speak about it?"

Seeing the black-robed woman not take immediate action, Xin Xiu felt a little relieved, and her pounding heart also started to ease up a bit. She replied, "I'll never sell out the person who saved us. If Senior wants to take action, then go ahead. This junior will not say anything."

"That man saved your life?" The black-robed woman asked.

"No, he saved my Junior Apprentice Brother's life…."

Xin Xiu's words allowed the black-robed woman to understand a few things. She mentioned a saviour. It should be that man. That man who took out the medicinal pill to fix her Junior Apprentice Brother's shattered Sea of Consciousness.

"If you don't speak up, I can also kill your Junior Apprentice Brother." The black-robed woman frowned.

However, Xin Xiu's tone remained calm. "If I sold out our saviour, my Junior Apprentice Brother and I would never be able to live in peace. If my Junior Apprentice Brother dies, then I'll gladly accompany him in death. I'm sure he'll not blame me for it."

"Yes, Senior Apprentice Brother Xiu, I'd rather face death than live with that kind of guilt." When Wu Qihong heard this black-robed woman pressing them for his Eldest Brother, his tone also firmed up.

When the black-robed woman heard these two senior and junior apprentices' replies, she felt somewhat stumped. This world, in her mind, followed the laws of the jungle. As such, only the strong were allowed to make or even break the rules. Yet, in such a world, she met such a pair of senior and junior apprentices.

A feeling of shame inexplicably rose in her heart. There was a point in time where she would have also died for someone she cared for.

But she had destroyed everything with her own hands. She had not only plotted against her saviour but also plotted against the person she loved. She had never thought that she would end up doing something that made her feel endless regret despite being unafraid of death. Just for that ethereal promise, just for a position, she didn't even think about it again.

When she saw him again, saw that his strength had grown far beyond what she could have ever obtained through all the painstaking efforts and schemes, her dao heart completely broke down. A wound from which she couldn't recover, no matter how hard she tried. It effectively severed her path of cultivation.

Even if she desperately searched for a talisman to break through the positional planes to leave this place full of regret, the wound in her heart would never close. Even if she grew stronger, her dao heart would also have that trace. She knew it very well and even accepted that her life could only end here.

While the black-robed woman thought over things, Xin Xiu and Wu Qihong did not dare to escape and still stood respectfully in front of her.

After a long time, the black-robed woman finally returned to her senses and sighed. Her tone also turned soft, "That man you mentioned should be your Elder Brother Ji, right? He should be the one I helped back then."

When Xin Xiu heard the black-robed woman speak about the identity of the person who gave her the medicinal pill, she suddenly felt powerless.

The black-robed woman didn't threaten Xin Xiu and instead spoke with a calm voice, "Don't worry, I will not do anything to your Elder Brother Ji or bring him harm. You just need to show me the medicinal pill; in any case, I will always adhere to my words."

Xin Xiu didn't continue to resist. Since the other side now knew the identity of the Pill Master who made that pill, it wouldn't matter if she continued to oppose her or not. She weakly took out the jade bottle with four Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pills from her ring and handed it to the black-robed woman.

The black-robed woman gently nodded towards Xin Xiu, opened the bottle, and poured one of the pills. As her gaze fell on the almost transparent medicinal pill in her hand, the light scent coming from it had already permeated her Sea of Consciousness. She hadn't even swallowed the pill, but her Sea of Consciousness had turned clear. She even felt her Sea of Consciousness growing slightly in strength.

The black-robed woman's face immediately glowed with excitement. She had never seen any medicinal pill that could affect both one's spiritual consciousness and Sea of Consciousness to such a degree. More importantly, this medicinal pill even had an effect on her. It meant that it was a precious medicinal pill that didn't have any restrictions on cultivation. Only healing pills didn't have a cultivation restriction. But this medicinal pill could help one with cultivation and enhance the Sea of Consciousness, not just heal a broken Sea of Consciousness.

With the current situation of her dao heart, her cultivation had also become stagnant. Every time she wanted to advance, her Sea of Consciousness would quickly empty, leaving her powerless. As such, this medicinal pill brought her huge benefits. Of course, this pill couldn't help her fix her shattered dao heart. But this medicinal pill would undoubtedly help her cultivation return to the first step.

Hesitating for a bit, the black-robed woman reluctantly handed the jade bottle in her hand to Xin Xiu.

Xin Xiu uneasily took the jade bottle and could only mumble the word 'Senior'.

The black-robed woman took a deep breath and tried to calm her tone. "I said that I wouldn't do anything or bring harm to your Elder Brother Ji. You can rest assured that I will keep my word. But this medicinal pill is also useful to me, and I want to trade with him. You can rest assured that even if he doesn't agree to the deal, I will still stay true to my words."

Xin Xiu sighed and carefully spoke up, "Senior. If Elder Brother Ji disagrees, then it just means that he doesn't have this medicinal pill. I have four of them. Senior can keep it."

The black-robed woman showed a faint smile, "You keep calling me 'Senior', so even if I wanted the four pills with you, I wouldn't want you to give it to me for nothing. Just tell me where your Elder Brother Ji went, I'll make a deal with him. If he disagrees, I'll come to trade with you."

Xin Xiu sighed. She knew that even if she didn't say anything, this black-robed woman had the means and the power to find her Elder Brother Ji. But since this black-robed woman asked using such words and actions, she no longer hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure where Elder Brother Ji went, but I guess he might have gone to the Grand Essence Great Meet."

"A Dao Sculpting Pill Deity, yet still wants to participate in the Grand Essence Great Meet that relies on strength?" The black-robed woman spoke up in confusion.

"Dao Sculpting Pill Deity?" Xin Xiu repeated the words in surprise. She knew that Ning Cheng was at least a Pill Emperor, but a Pill Deity? Even she found it hard to believe. Pill Deities were a truly rare bunch. But was their saviour, who changed appearance to Ji He, truly a Dao Sculpting Pill Deity?

The black-robed woman pointed at the jade bottle in Xin Xiu's hands and said, "For someone to refine that kind of medicinal pill, they have to be at least a Dao Sculpting Pill Deity. This pill can ignore cultivation, and although it isn't a high-level pill, the pill's value far surpasses its rank. You can't take it out carelessly."

……

Ning Cheng finally got the support of several experts overseeing the great meet. Although he still felt a bit uneasy, the situation had become better than before. He just hoped that the feeling was nothing more than an illusion.

Ning Cheng's hopes stayed up for only half an incense stick worth of time when a powerful momentum pushed down at the Heave Essence Sacred City's public square. Those with weak cultivation, under this powerful momentum, started to hallucinate. If this momentum continued for a while, it might even affect their hearts and minds.

At this moment, almost everyone looked up at the sky. This level of momentum was only something possible for second-step Dao Confirming experts.

Ning Cheng also felt the powerful repression, and his heart started to sink. This person hasn't arrived yet, but Ning Cheng knew who it was. It was none other than Man Huishan. His intuition remained true. He now truly was in a dangerous situation.

To his little comfort, Man Huishan used the wrong method of showing dominance. If he hadn't already made preparations a few moments ago, Man Huishan's display of power would most likely be the correct method. Establishing such a level of strength, he wanted to tell all the experts on the Heaven Essence Public Square about his, Man Huishan, strength.

Anyone who wanted to fight him, Man Huishan, would have to pay a specific price.

Just like Ning Cheng speculated, Man Huishan's demonstration of strength was to leave an impression on the Grand Essence Great Meet's several hosts. He could then show a very respectable attitude towards a few hosts and praise the great meet's hosts in front of many cultivators. He showed his strength first, which served as a warning to others to not fall out with him. The latter part was to lower his posture, which would allow him to take away Ning Cheng.

He just never expected that Ning Cheng would have already called it in before he arrived. In this case, there was a good possibility that the Grand Essence Great Meet's hosts might even force him to leave without any choice.

Previously, the middle-aged female cultivator said something about who would dare to cause trouble at the Grand Essence Great Meet. Now, her face immediately changed, and she stood up. Not only she, but the other Dao Confirming experts on the central platform also stood up.

The red-faced old man, who usually looked calm and kind, also frowned. He had affirmed that Ning Cheng hadn't received any messages about threats, but now someone did indeed come over. Moreover, he even showed up with such strong momentum. Did Man Huishan come for Ji He?

"Holy Emperor Barbarian Dragon, what's the meaning of this?" The middle-aged female cultivator stared at Man Huishan descending from the sky and spoke with an unpleasant tone. Internally, however, she felt shocked by Man Huishan's strength. This level of repressive aura meant that he had already surpassed her in power.

Man Huishan instantly converged his aura and stood in the air. He cupped his fists and smiled at the people on the stage before speaking up in a respectful tone, "I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry about it. I felt the hot blood of the later generations fighting, which invoked a resonance in my heart. Feeling the rush, I couldn't suppress the enthusiasm in time. I'm humiliated about it. Since this Man Huishan is here in person, please let me express my apologies to the senior apprentice brothers and senior apprentice sisters here."

Man Huishan spoke with a polite and respectful tone. He even downplayed himself, allowing a few experts to ease up their tenseness a bit. Man Huishan's display of power indicated that he was an expert among experts. But since Man Huishan actively put himself on a lower pedestal, they also didn't want to pick a fight. Some even had the thought of taking the initiative to work with Man Huishan.