"Young friend, do we share some destiny today?"

Wang Xingzhi and others seemed to have turned this phrase into their catchphrase; whenever they met someone, they would say this and then turn away.

Because most of the time, there was no such destiny.

"Hey, hold up."

Wang Xingzhi had casually asked, not expecting Han Yu to actually stop him today.

"Fate, a grand ill fate indeed."

Han Yu stopped him and chuckled as he spoke.

These past few days, he had been incessantly bothered by this group of people, weren’t they looking for destiny?

Well, here it is now.

But when Han Yu pulled out the pills, Wang Xingzhi returned to his usual silence.

Silence was unavoidable; Han Yu’s pills were truly hard to accept.

Every single time, the side effects made one’s scalp tingle; regardless of the pill’s efficacy, one’s mindset would surely be unsettled afterward.

While he was still contemplating whether to take it, Han Yu had quietly left.

"With that disposition, he sure has the nerve to take a pill."

Han Yu sneered, wandering around in his small world.

This place was pitifully small; a casual move could cover a few laps, especially at the foot of the mountain where one could easily encounter others.

The eleven members of the Celestial Dao Sect were scattered all around, either meditating in cultivation or meditating in sleep...

No wonder, since everyone was trapped here, they couldn’t find a bit of entertainment aside from cultivation.

It’s truly impressive how they managed to keep their patience.

Han Yu thought if he were trapped here alone, he would surely go mad.

Su Xiaoxiao and the others hadn’t been seen for a whole day and night, with no sign of them at the broad mountain’s base.

The only likely place they could be was the grand palace on the mountain.

In the grand palace, four people were seated upright at the table while the incense burner before them was lit.

Why only four people? That’s because the fifth person was lost in thought.

Due to Wushang Daoist’s frequent side effects, Su Xiaoxiao had excluded him first when making plans.

What they were trying to do was to strengthen communication, attempting to connect with their people on the other side with the power of four.

Unfortunately, the effort was in vain; a whole day and night’s work turned out futile.

"Looks like we really have to wait for them to notice something’s wrong."

Su Xiaoxiao sighed in frustration; she shouldn’t have dashed over impulsively back then, at least leaving a person behind to maintain contact.

The present predicament seemed like a deadlock; they couldn’t get out, tribulation thunder couldn’t come in.

Even communicating with the other side had become problematic, making it easy for mishaps to occur.

At the very least, no one should come down from this place again.

"This place is likely to be abandoned."

Su Xiaoxiao wore a grim expression.

Could it really be?

Several people sunk into deep thought.

They watched as Su Xiaoxiao in the palace drew a rift out of thin air, just a tiny thin slit, barely revealing a corner of the sea.

The next moment, tribulation energy spread, continuously pouring in through the opening, with thunder rumbling continuously.

Su Xiaoxiao quickly sealed the slit before the tribulation thunder could unleash its might.

This was the situation outside; many days had passed, yet the tribulation clouds hadn’t shown any intention of dispersing.

Who knows how things escalated to this point.

Initially, Lei Wang poured resentments upon them, drawing tribulation thunder aiming to exhaust them.

After Han Yu brought people in, the tribulation thunder went out of control.

Now, rather than targeting them, the tribulation thunder seemed aimed at the entire small world.

Anyone leaving here, regardless of who, would face being struck by lightning.

Naturally, Lei Wang noticed this as well.

"How did it turn out this way?"

If the small world of the Celestial Dao Sect directly escaped beyond realms, effectively leaving no chance for tribulation thunder to strike, the Yama Hall’s palace was a different scenario.

Floating between reality and illusion naturally gave tribulation thunder a chance to strike, with thunder frequently falling; had the palace not been in a bizarre state, there’s a high likelihood of it being struck beyond recognition.

This naturally made things difficult for everyone inside; the commotion outside showed no signs of stopping. Who knows what it’s like to have thunder striking outside one’s doorstep for days.

Even practicing quietly became impossible, as the power of tribulation thunder was too overwhelming, occasionally stirring one’s heart and leaving them on edge.

Moreover, the tribulation energy, along with tribulation thunder, was slowly seeping into the palace, which was Lei Wang’s greatest worry.

Even a tiny bit, if continuous, will eventually engulf the entire palace.

If the tribulation energy completely fills the palace, then this palace will likely be unusable.

Because the tribulation thunder’s target has expanded beyond just the people to the entire palace.

In other words, once people come down into this place, they would have to face being struck by lightning upon leaving the palace.

Things have escalated greatly.

The significance of this palace is substantial; if truly controlled by tribulation thunder from now on, they can forget about sending people through here again.

"Why don’t we confess to the higher-ups?"

Zuirong wore an expression of helplessness; this wasn’t a solution, someone had to come up with a plan.

They came here, failed to accomplish a single task, and even dragged the place into mess; if they don’t quickly resolve this, the further it goes, the harder it will be to settle.

"Easy for you to say."

Lei Wang was furious; the idea had originally been his, and he was the one who had attracted the tribulation thunder.

If it were just these issues, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but now the entire palace was under the tribulation thunder’s watch, he couldn’t take on this responsibility.

As one of the four accompanying, he might just face punishment, but merely solving it by reprimanding won’t be enough, it might even cost him his life.

At this moment, Lei Wang’s expression was uncertain.

For some reason, all eight surviving altar cultivators and Xin Zui’s group felt a sudden sense of unease...

...

Han Yu had an ongoing feeling that as Ping seemed to awaken, the pills that emerged started becoming different.

Regarding the pills appearing lately, they seemed no longer confined to enhancing cultivation, a lower-level amusement.

This time, the pills still granted abilities. Of course, the abilities bestowed remained extremely abstract.

Fear and Loss Pill: Upon ingestion, the user receives brief periods of divine protection every two-hour, turning misfortune into blessing, with double virtues. Side effect: Lost, some people end up disappearing while walking.

That’s incredibly abstract!

Otherwise, why would Han Yu call it a fated ill bond?

Of course, even though it’s a fated ill bond, upon hearing that Han Yu was destined to be with them today, everyone had come looking, including Su Xiaoxiao and her group.

What appeared abstract and bizarre in Han Yu’s eyes nearly had Su Xiaoxiao and others’ eyes popping out in disbelief.

A pill that could grant divine protection from the heavens?

Is he boasting, or did we mishear?

"Are you sure this guy is a setup from above?"

At this point, someone whispered in Su Xiaoxiao’s ear.

Could the Celestial Dao Sect arrange such a hidden move? Not likely even for Yama Hall, right?

Previously, Su Xiaoxiao and the others had privately speculated; considering how both sides had laid out plans for thousands of years, the strategies among significant figures were always beyond understanding, so Han Yu was suspected to be one of their own.

But such a wondrous pill from Han Yu—could the Celestial Dao Sect truly nurture one like him?

Not dwelling on the idle talk much more, Han Yu nonchalantly placed the pill in his hand, waiting for anyone interested in this ill... opportunity.

Everyone exchanged glances; days ago it was an absent mind, today it was a disappearance. They quietly exclaimed wow within, believing Han Yu’s pills aided secondarily while playing pranks was the primary intent.

Yet they seemed keen to be pranked by him!

Some people were tempted; the weight of divine protection was immensely significant, especially when turning misfortune into blessing every two-hour, ensuring they could have a peaceful end if not recklessly seeking death.

As for the side effect, getting lost merely wouldn’t be fatal.

"I’ll take it."

At once, seven or eight voices chimed in, including the initially hesitant Wang Xingzhi.

Now he was full of regret, wishing he had taken the pill right away earlier; what was there to hesitate over?

He was the first one approached!

His intestines nearly turning green with regret, he could only look at Han Yu eagerly, his old face full of hope, amid so many competitors, including some emissaries, fearing he might not get a chance.