Qi Jun glanced at his follower indifferently. âSpeak!â
Wang Chi quickly bowed, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. âEveryone must be familiar with the Profound Pill Pavilionâs strange rule, where the lower oneâs cultivation, the safer it is to enter. It probably hasnât changed. Besides, the mist has already thinned to its limit. The only way to know whether one can enter is by trying.â
Qi Jun understood what he meant. âYou mean...?â
Wang Chi nodded. âExactly! Pick one person and send them, then weâll know!â
The crowd wore strange expressions. It was indeed a good method, but who to pick? The first person to enter would likely become cannon fodder, paving the way for the others. Who would willingly walk to their death like that?
Di Kan laughed coldly. âWhat? If you want to sacrifice yourself for everyone else, I have no objection!â
Wang Chi smiled. âAs I just said, the lower the cultivation, the easier it is to enter. Just pick someone with the lowest cultivation. If he dies, then we can all just head back today. But if he doesnât, weâll go in order, from the lowest cultivation to the highest. Weâll test one by one to determine the highest cultivation level that can enter.â
The crowd fell silent. This method could almost perfectly solve their current predicament, but the same question remained: who would go?
Gu Hanâs eyes narrowed slightly, his killing intent rising.
Qi Jun also understood Wang Chiâs meaning. âWell said. Continue!â
Wang Chi was somewhat pleased with himself. His gaze shifted and landed on Yang Ying. âYour cultivation is the lowest. You should go first.â
Those who had come today were either Holy Sons or their followers. In terms of talent and resources, they far surpassed over ninety percent of cultivators in the world. Therefore, most of them were above the Soaring realm.
As for the Divine Connection realm, there were hardly any except for Gu Han and Chu Kuang. Among the rest, Yang Ying had the lowest cultivation, at the first stage of the Divine Connection Realm. Shen Xuan and Yuan Gang followed at the second stage, while Murong Yan was at the third.
Clearly, Yuan Gang was just an incidental target. The one he truly intended to target was obvious.
After hearing this, Yang Ying remained silent.
Murong Yan was furious. âBastard! What a shameless, despicable cunt!â
Wang Chi laughed coldly. âWhat? Isnât your side the one with the lowest cultivation level? Shouldnât you be the ones to go?â
Murong Yan shot back. âGo to hell!â
âHow dare you curse me!â
âI want to hammer you to death!â
Meanwhile, Yang Ying turned to Gu Han. âI...â
Gu Hanâs expression was unreadable. âWhat? What do you want to say?â
Yang Ying sighed. âI want to pave the way for you. Not because of them, but for you all. If you want to enter that place, this really is the only way. I am the most suitable person.â
Murong Yan wanted to curse at him, but she couldnât bring herself to do it. She understood that Yang Yingâs action was solely for Gu Hanâs sake. If Gu Han werenât here, he would rather die than be cannon fodder for others.
Zuo Yang said softly, âJunior Brother, it seems weâre being bullied again.â
Ah Sha said hatefully, âYoung Master, I want to glare at them to death!â
Gu Han patted her head, then turned to Wang Chi. âThereâs no need for that. Is this the rule youâve set?â
Wang Chi sneered. âOf course not! This is everyoneâs decision. Since he is the most suitable, he should be the one to go.â
Wu Han was the first to agree. âExactly! I have no objection!â
After seeing him speak up, the remaining families also agreed.
Qi Jun laughed coldly. âIsnât he just a follower? If not him, then who? If he lives, itâs his luck. If he dies, well, thatâs his fate. No one else is to blame.â
After a long silence, Chu Kuang finally said again, âIndeed. Thereâs no one more suitable than him.â
Di Kan was full of mockery. âDonât ask me. Whoever wants to go can go. Itâs none of my business.â
Zhao Mengyouâs voice came from within the draped chariot. âI... disagree.â
Though sounding somewhat hesitant, she ultimately chose to stand with Gu Han. This time, it wasnât to curry favor with him, but purely to retaliate against Wu Han and the others for their previous instigation.
Wang Chi didnât dare question Zhao Mengyou, but he glared at Gu Han. âSee that? The majority is with us! If he doesnât go, donât blame us for using force.â
Nine rings of the Dao Bell? So what?
He sneered inwardly.
With pressure from three major families, heâd still have to comply!
Gu Han nodded. âUnderstood. So, this is a rule youâve all jointly established?â
âExactly.â
Gu Han stared straight at him. âWhat makes you think Iâll obey?â
Seemingly having anticipated that response, Wang Chi replied coldly, âI told you that the majority is with us!â
Gu Han grinned, his eyes icy. âI think that youâre actually a very suitable candidate!â
Wang Chi was taken aback. âNonsense! Iâm at the third stage of the Soaring realm, my cultivation is higher than hisââ
Gu Hanâs smile vanished, replaced entirely by killing intent. âYouâre not going? Then donât blame me for using force.â
He was returning Wang Chiâs own words verbatim. His aura shifted like a drawn sword, fully revealing its domineering sharpness.
Intimidated, Wang Chi started to step back. âHow dare you...â
Gu Han had no more patience to waste with him. His Dual Supreme Stage erupted, and a heavy, domineering spirit pressure bore straight down on Wang Chi.
âYouâre it! Soaring Realm? Letâs see if your speed is faster than my sword!â
As he spoke, a sword light imbued was already flying toward Wang Chi, imbued with majestic might.
The guardian Zhao Mengyou had stopped earlier screamed, âHow dare you! Utterly insolent!â
He swept his large sleeve, attempting to block that sword light.
âKill!â
A roar full of killing intent mingled with the rasp of a knife leaving its sheath. Gu Tian and Zuo Yang had charged together at that guardian!
However, Wu Han and Qi Jun had more than one guardian. Another six powerful auras erupted, and both sides were about to break into a full-scale fight.
âAttack!â
âSeize them!â
Inside the draped chariot, Zhao Mengyou was somewhat puzzled. She didnât expect Gu Han to be so reckless. With such a disparity in strength, he still dared to fight?
Immediately after, a clear dragonâs cry sounded, clearing her confusion.
Her eyes widened as she stood up. âThis is...â
Even when Gu Han had pointed his sword at her, she hadnât been this panicked.
Elder Liâs face was pale. âFlame Emperor! This is the Flame Emperorâs power! He is actually from the Great Flame Imperial Dynasty!â
Aside from the people from the Myriad Transformations Holy Land, everyone was stunned, including Wu Han and Qi Jun. Compared to someone like You Fang, their status was much higher, and they knew more. In fact, they recognized it at a glance.
That huge dragon hovered for a moment, locking its fiery crystal-like eyes on the guardian. Only then did he begin to regret his life choices.
Who would have imagined that he had misjudged Gu Han so badly?! At first, he thought Gu Han was someone he could easily crush. Later, after learning that Gu Han was a nine-ring prodigy who had even gained Zhao Mengyouâs favor, the guardian began to regard him as an equal. Yet Gu Han turned out to be an existence even he had to fawn over!
That misjudgment cost him his life.
âSaveââ
He only had time to say one word before that dragon bit into his body. A flash of unbearable heat passed, and he disintegrated without even a grunt.
Wu Han and the others didnât save him. They couldnât even if they tried. People of their stature also possessed Saint-realm trump cards, but why would they use one to save a mere guardian?
Just then, another scream came. It was Wang Chi, who had just soared into the air. He hadnât fled far before the sword light caught up and struck him squarely.
As soon as he landed, a heavy black sword was already resting on his shoulder.
Gu Han stared at him. âLook at that. I guess you arenât any faster than my sword after all.â
The dragon circled leisurely above him as he exuded a sharp aura. At this moment, he was the absolute master of the scene.
Zhao Mengyou sighed inwardly. She finally understood where Gu Hanâs confidence came from. At the same time, she realized that her intervention was, at best, icing on the cake.
Gu Han only stared at the man under his sword. âAnd another thing. Your so-called âmajorityâ is completely worthless! If I said youâd be the first in today, then you would be the first in!â
Otherwise, he wouldnât have spared Wang Chi.
Wang Chi looked at Qi Jun with terror. âHoly Son, saveâ
aaah!
â
Before he finished speaking, Gu Han had already grabbed him and tossed him into the pavilion not far away. The light mist surged as if swallowing all traces of Wang Chi.
Qi Jun and Wu Han clenched their fists tightly, instinctively staring at the mist. Everyone else did the same.
Who cares who went in, as long as it wasnât me!
However, even after watching for a while, there was no movement at all. Everyoneâs hearts sank.
Did he die?
Qi Jun couldnât hold back anymore. âWang Chi, a-are you still there?â
Just as everyone thought no one would answer, a trembling voice came through. âHoly Son... Iâm here...â
Whether it was due to his terror or the mysteriousness of the light mist, his voice was intermittent and somewhat unclear.
Everyone was stunned, then overjoyed.
He could enter!
Qi Jun asked again, âWhatâs the situation like inside?â
Wang Chiâs voice came again, carrying traces of surprise and confusion, âHoly Son... I... I donât know, there are many people... in here...â
Their hearts collectively skipped a beat.
Why would there be people in the Profound Pill Pavilion?