From the fake emperor to the concubine

Even though Wei Siling was much stronger than Zhang Yunfan, she was as fragile as an ant facing a giant wave in the face of this contract that originated from the very essence of the soul, and she was completely unable to break free.

She could only watch helplessly as Zhang Yunfan drank the suspicious liquor, her heart filled with despair and icy rage.

Unaware that he had nearly died, Zhang Yunfan and Zhuo Liqun were getting happier and happier as they drank and chatted. The noisy voices in the tavern seemed to become background noise.

The spicy liquor burned his throat, but warmed his heart. Zhang Yunfan's face was flushed with the effects of the alcohol, and Zhuo Liqun's eyes were also bright and alert.

It evokes the feeling of "a thousand cups of wine are not enough when drinking with a bosom friend."

Having embarked on the path of cultivation for so long, neither Zhang Yunfan nor Zhuo Liqun had ever encountered anyone whose ideals aligned so perfectly with their own and whose actions were so similar.

After all, their way of doing things was completely opposite to the environment around them, where everyone prioritized their own interests and would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Every nod of agreement, every hearty laugh, only strengthened their feeling of being kindred spirits.

Zheng Yi watched coldly from his sea of ​​consciousness. He even felt that the two guys would chop off chicken heads, burn yellow paper, and become sworn brothers on the spot.

Sure enough, Zhang Yunfan, who was a little tipsy, even brought up the matter himself: "Brother Zhuo, we hit it off today, how about..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Zhuo Liqun laughed it off.

As they toasted and talked, more and more people arrived at the well, some travel-worn and others disheveled.

The first people to arrive, even if they were covered in dust and had unsteady breathing, did not have many obvious injuries; their robes were just stained with dust and grass clippings.

However, as time went on, the injuries of the cultivators who arrived later became more and more severe.

Some people clutched their blood-soaked arms, some limped, and others were dragged along by their companions, their faces ashen and barely breathing. A heavy stench of blood began to permeate the area around the well.

Many cultivators didn't even have time to observe their surroundings. As soon as they arrived at the safe area, they collapsed to the ground like mud, immediately closing their eyes and sitting cross-legged, desperately trying to heal their injuries and suppress their ailments.

When the cultivators arrived at the well and learned the true content of the trial, many were first stunned, then their faces drained of color, and they were filled with regret.

If they knew that this trial was only about their vague luck, there would be no need for them to risk their lives in those dangerous places to compete for it!
"Damn the Zheng family!" A cultivator covered in blood, with a deep, grotesque claw mark on his chest, struggled to the edge of the well. Upon hearing the news, he couldn't help but burst into a rage, cursing loudly.

"The Zheng family is just playing us for fools! I'm not participating in this stupid apprenticeship ceremony!" He coughed up a mouthful of blood because his excitement aggravated his wound.

As soon as the words were spoken, a seemingly omnipresent yet utterly emotionless voice rang out, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Someone has been detected voluntarily withdrawing from the trial."

"After a participant withdraws from the trial, all the rare and precious materials, magical artifacts, and other items obtained in the cave will be retained and belong to the individual cultivator who obtained them. Furthermore, upon departure, the cave will heal all injuries of the new participant."

Upon hearing this sound, all the cultivators present, regardless of whether they were seriously injured or lightly injured, couldn't help but gasp in shock!
The noisy scene, which was originally filled with regret and anger, instantly fell silent, with only heavy breathing remaining.

As the oldest cultivation family on the Xuanzhou Continent, the Zheng family was once incredibly powerful, but now appears remarkably weak. Its decline is an open secret.

Almost everyone subconsciously regards the Zheng family as a toothless tiger, a soft persimmon that can be squeezed at will.

Even third-rate sects can act arrogantly in front of the Zheng family, showing no respect for them whatsoever.

Many people participate in the trial with the intention of getting a bargain.

But only today, with this cold notification sound, did they truly understand and feel how terrifying the Zheng family's unfathomable foundation was!
It was just a trial that seemed like child's play, yet the Zheng family paid such a heavy price!
The rare and precious materials that were taken away were enough to make a small sect green with envy.

The things obtained in this small grotto are rare treasures, at least for the vast majority of cultivators who are currently in the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stages!
As a result, even if they fail the trial, or even give up voluntarily.

The Zheng family actually offered up so many good things without hesitation, and even included a cure for all injuries.

Just like the situation in front of the Zheng family's gate, after witnessing and hearing about this unbelievable compensation, the attitude of these cultivators who were just cursing and swearing changed dramatically in an instant.

The anger in his eyes was replaced by astonishment, which quickly turned into unbelievable ecstasy and a hint of awe at the Zheng family's unfathomable strength.

The monk who had been cursing fell silent, staring blankly at his blood-stained hands.

"I...I deserve to die!" The cultivator who had just been cursing was now choked up, his face covered in blood, tears and dirt, looking utterly disheveled.

"The Zheng family has treated us so kindly, disregarding past grievances, bestowing upon us precious treasures, and healing our injuries... How could I have been so blinded by greed as to doubt them! I'm no human being!"

He slapped himself hard across the face, the crisp sound particularly jarring in the quiet well.

As he spoke, the cultivator actually lowered his head and burst into tears like a child.

The Zheng family's unbelievable generosity was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, reigniting the passion in the hearts of many independent cultivators who had previously been merely observing or were also filled with regret. Their eyes burned with the flames of greed and hope.

They hadn't even formally entered the sect yet, but merely within this trial cave, the Zheng family was so generous in bestowing opportunities upon them, even treating those who gave up with such kindness!

If they could truly pass the trials and join the Zheng family as disciples, what unimaginable benefits would they gain? Cultivation techniques? Elixirs? Powerful magical artifacts? Even… the legendary Zheng family inheritance?
Many people's eyes even began to shine, their pupils gleaming with undisguised longing and desire, their breathing becoming heavier, as if they could already see themselves in the Zheng family's attire, revered by others.

In other parts of the grotto-heaven, there were cultivators who were still fighting ferocious beasts in the dense forest, struggling in dangerous places, and some were even covered in wounds and exhausted of spiritual energy, and had given up the idea of ​​giving up.

After hearing this resounding announcement, it was as if they had been given a shot of adrenaline!

Many people's eyes flashed with an amazing will to survive and ruthlessness, and they even gritted their teeth and took out their most treasured life-saving talismans, explosive pills or secret techniques that they would never dare to use under normal circumstances!
In an instant, spiritual light flashed throughout the cave, and roars of beasts and fury intertwined, making the battle even more brutal and decisive.

Of course, nothing in this world can please everyone. There are always shadows beneath the sun. Although many were stirred by the Zheng family's almost "heart-winning" "generous reward" and chose to stay and fight to the death.

But some people scoffed at it, their eyes cold.

"Hmph!" A young cultivator dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, with a cold and aloof aura, snorted. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of the people nearby. His clothes were neat, indicating that he had not experienced much hardship.

"Do you think you can win people's hearts with these worthless, low-class junk?"

"They kept us in suspense, never explaining anything, and only after we were fighting tooth and nail, with blood flowing like rivers, did they pretend to be generous and kind? Hypocritical!"

He glanced around at the greedy cultivators, his eyes fixed on them as if they were a group of beggars: "This Zheng family, I'd rather not go! I'm withdrawing from the trial!"

Before anyone could react, a gentle white light, overwhelming and irresistible, enveloped his entire body!

The next moment, he transformed into a dazzling stream of light, as if drawn by an invisible giant hand, and shot toward the entrance of the giant gourd at an incredible speed.

A beam of light streaked across the sky, leaving only a faint trail before vanishing completely in the blink of an eye, as if it had never existed.

This scene was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly stunning all the cultivators present. Many people subconsciously took a step back, their faces drained of color.

After all, no one expected that the Zheng family would ask them to withdraw in this way.

This was by no means a simple teleportation. The power of rules contained in the white light that enveloped the cultivator made everyone present feel an irresistible sense of insignificance.

"Is he...is he alright?"

"That light... what a terrifying aura!"

A murmur of fear arose. The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, a shadow falling over their hearts.

I wonder how that guy who kept saying he was quitting is doing now? Was he safely sent away, or...?

But then I thought, given the Zheng family's previous display of almost extravagant generosity, they probably wouldn't do anything to this insolent fellow... right?

But that fear of the unknown power, like a cold vine, quietly wrapped around everyone's heart.

Most of the people around the well were drawn to the dazzling light that contained the power of supreme rules and instantly took away the cultivators. Their minds were shaken, some in fear and others in deep thought.

No one noticed that in the shadows at the edge of the crowd, a monk dressed in an inconspicuous gray short jacket with an ordinary face flickered with a strange expression, like a venomous snake hiding in the grass.

He moved his feet seemingly casually, but in reality, he had a clear goal. He slowly walked towards a middle-aged cultivator who was sitting cross-legged in a corner, pale-faced, with his eyes closed, trying to heal his injuries, and completely unaware of the outside world.

He moved very slowly, each step catching the gaps in the crowd's footsteps. His breathing was even, his eyes were lowered, and he even deliberately concealed the fluctuations of his spiritual energy, revealing no hostility or murderous intent whatsoever. His disguise was flawless.

This person believed he had done it very discreetly, like a drop of water merging into the ocean.

Little did he know that the moment he made a move and locked his gaze on the healer, the two people at the table who seemed to be drinking heartily had already caught his unusual behavior out of the corner of their eyes, just like hawks.

"Fellow Daoist, seven steps to the left rear, the man in the gray coat is suspicious." Zhang Yunfan, taking advantage of the posture of tilting his head back to drink wine, moved his lips almost imperceptibly, and a concise voice transmission was accurately sent to Zhuo Liqun's ears, and the knuckles of his fingers holding the wine glass turned slightly white.

Originally, he was only very sensitive to hostility directed at him, but after drinking with Zhuo Liqun, he suddenly realized that he could now clearly sense any hostile emotions.

Amidst the seemingly calm crowd by the well, various forms of hostility mingled like tangled threads.

However, this hostility did not lead to any murderous intent.

This person is the only exception.

Although he hid it well, in Zhang Yunfan's eyes, he was now as conspicuous as a firefly in the dark.

Zhuo Liqun remained unfazed, and responded in kind by raising his glass, his Adam's apple bobbing as he spoke in a steady voice: "Hmm, your aura is well concealed, but your target is too clear; it was definitely not a chance encounter."

“This guy is definitely not just here to join the Zheng family; he probably has other plans.” His rugged face still wore a hearty smile, but his eyes were sharp as knives. “Let’s hold back for now and see what he’s really up to.”

This gray-robed man was, after all, a cultivator; even if his movements were slow, they were still far beyond what ordinary people could achieve.

With intentional concealment, he only needed less than two breaths, his body swaying naturally a few times, to silently approach within three feet of his target, like a ghost!

This distance is a deadly zone for a killer poised to strike.

Seeing that the distance was perfect, the feigned mediocrity in the gray-clad man's eyes vanished instantly, leaving only a fleeting, cold, emotionless killing intent.

His right hand, hidden in his sleeve, shot out with lightning speed, pulling out a jet-black, unreflective dagger from his personal spatial ring. Clearly coated with deadly poison, it was cleaved in two. His arm muscles tensed abruptly, and with a sinister gust of wind, he stabbed it viciously into the back of the unsuspecting healer.

What's even more terrifying is that at the moment of his attack, he even maintained a stiff, strange smile on his face, as if he were greeting an acquaintance, perfectly locking his killing intent within his body without letting it leak out at all!
This target was clearly carefully chosen by this person: a lone cultivator, weak and isolated, with no teammates to help him.

In this small cave courtyard where cultivators from all sides gathered, most of whom were strangers to each other, chaos and self-preservation were the norm.

The gray-clad assassin sneered inwardly. Even if a few people caught a glimpse of his actions, they would only assume it was a personal grudge. Who would stand up for a complete stranger at this critical juncture?
What if good intentions backfire and you end up helping a heinous criminal?

The less trouble, the better!
The black dagger tore through the air, its deadly glint a mere half-inch from the unsuspecting back. (End of Chapter)