"My spirit is the hook, to pierce the vast and veiled;

My Qi, the bait, cast throughout the ten directions.

I grant you form, neither yin nor yang;

I awaken your spirit, to know the yielding and the firm.

Come forth!"

As Qi Yun’s hands formed dozens of profound Dharma Seals, he chanted the Spell. In his palm, the sigil formed from the spell’s lingering resonance burst forth with a dazzling glow.

The next instant!

The void began to boil and tremble.

Amid a low hum, a calf-sized figure with incredibly heavy, stiff steps slowly squeezed its way out from the depths of the distorted void. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Each step was accompanied by the grating sound of metal scraping against metal.

"This is... a dog?"

Only then did Qi Yun clearly see that what he had summoned with the Master of Profound Mysteries skill was a wolfhound the size of a calf—one cast entirely from bronze.

The Bronze Wolf Dog’s four giant paws landed heavily on the chamber floor, producing a solid, metallic clang that made the ground tremble slightly. It was as if what had landed wasn’t a living creature, but solid, heavy chunks of bronze.

"Sit. Shake."

Looking at the Bronze Wolf Dog before him, Qi Yun instinctively gave two commands.

The moment the commands were given, the Bronze Wolf Dog sank back without the slightest hesitation. Its massive body sat down with a THUD, kicking up a fine cloud of dust.

Simultaneously, it lifted a cold, hard forepaw—broad and covered in ancient patterns and rivet marks—and steadily offered it to Qi Yun.

"Hahaha, good dog, good dog."

Qi Yun couldn’t help but laugh. He reached out and patted its smooth, frigid bronze forehead. A deep, penetrating chill met his touch.

"Tear it apart."

Qi Yun pointed at the newly repaired rockery in the courtyard and issued his next command.

Before the words had even left his mouth.

The nearby Bronze Wolf Dog instantly became a blur. It lunged ferociously at the rockery, tearing with its fangs and smashing with its claws.

Dust plumed into the air as shattered rocks flew in all directions!

In just a few breaths, the rockery, which had been over three meters tall, was reduced to a pile of rubble by the Bronze Wolf Dog’s assault.

He had gotten into the habit of using this rockery to test his Magic.

Qi Yun had already replaced the original common stone with the much harder Jade Steel Rock. Even his Basic Sword Qi could only poke a hole half a finger’s width into it.

Yet now, this Bronze Wolf Dog had torn it apart, reducing it to what looked like construction debris.

’It’s very strong. Disregarding the subtleties of Magic and focusing purely on close-quarters combat, I doubt any Martial Cultivator below the Qi Refining Third Layer could defeat it.’

’Once they reach the Fourth Layer and gain Protective True Qi, however, this Bronze Wolf Dog would struggle to do any real damage.’

The Magic had cost him a fortune to rent the Great Wisdom Lamp and over a month to comprehend, but Qi Yun was quite satisfied with the result.

After all, this was just version 1.0. Future updates to the Magic—whether adding new mechanics or boosting its stats—would make it even more terrifying.

’I can’t test its limits just in my own courtyard. I need to find a more suitable place.’

His mind made up, Qi Yun dispelled the Magic with a wave of his sleeve.

The silent, standing Bronze Wolf Dog instantly emitted a faint hum. Its massive body dissolved into a puff of pale green smoke, which quickly dissipated and vanished back into the formless aether.

Returning to his room, Qi Yun took out a human-skin mask as thin as a cicada’s wing and carefully placed it over his face.

He channeled a bit of True Qi, and the mask swiftly adhered to his skin. In the blink of an eye, his face transformed into that of a plain, utterly unremarkable stranger.

He pushed open the door to a view of the Seventh Outer Mansion: countless floating celestial mountains, covered bridges, and grand palaces.

Straight, wide streets materialized and vanished within the dense, swirling clouds of Spiritual Qi.

’Do not leave your courtyard unless absolutely necessary.’

That was the warning his senior, Cao Song, had given him when he first arrived at the Seventh Outer Mansion.

The reason for such a warning was that while the Holy Sect’s rules were strict, that was only on the surface.

As long as the Holy Sect didn’t catch you in the act,

you could do whatever you wanted in private.

This was also why the Jia Li Hall Master, Yang Cuan, needed to secure evidence to take down the Flower Moon Hall Master.

The Nine Great Outer Mansions were located on the lowest level of the Taixu Mirror Heaven.

Though the Law Enforcement Team patrolled daily, there were always blind spots.

According to the Holy Sect’s own incomplete statistics, no fewer than a hundred Outer Mansion Disciples went missing each year.

They vanished without a trace, alive or dead.

They were officially listed as "missing," but in reality, they had all been abducted to become ’Talent’ for those who cultivated Demon Techniques and Evil Skills.

That was why only the most powerful Outer Mansion Disciples dared to leave the safety of their private residences.

The moment he left his courtyard, Qi Yun keenly sensed several gazes land on him.

But as time passed, those gazes all slid past him, their owners seemingly forgetting he was there.

Version 6.0 of his Clear Wind Technique passively reduced his presence. Unless someone had exceptionally powerful intuition, a moment of distraction was all it took for them to forget he even existed.

He adjusted his sleeves and nonchalantly merged into the sparse stream of people, walking along the wide, oppressive corridors of the Outer Mansion.

Towering, magnificent halls, each with a different purpose, stood on either side of him.

Each of these halls had its own function.

Aside from Bixue Hall, which was used for examinations, there were others like Xiangxiang Hall for teaching Alchemy, Zhenluo Hall for teaching Talisman Skills, and the Ten Thousand Treasures Hall for teaching the... refinement of ’Talent.’ The list went on.

Comprehending these various Techniques on one’s own was time-consuming and difficult, with no guarantee of success.

For Outer Mansion Disciples, who had to face an examination every year, time was the most precious commodity.

That was why these halls had Outer Mansion Disciples, and even Inner Mansion True Cultivators, stationed within. They were experts in their respective fields, dedicated to teaching related Magic or techniques.

The fees they charged, however, were steep.

Some demanded more than just Holy Essence; they also required other forms of payment.

Even so, some of the halls were still packed with people.

Qi Yun glanced at the Ten Thousand Treasures Hall. Even from hundreds of meters away, he could see an aura of blood surging skyward from it, with black smoke billowing out. He clicked his tongue in dismay.

’Of the hundred-plus disciples who go missing from the Outer Mansion, I bet ninety-nine percent of them end up in there.’

Protected by his Clear Wind Technique, Qi Yun’s journey was uneventful. He arrived smoothly before a grand hall shaped like an ancient temple.

Ninefold Hall

This hall was specifically for Outer Mansion Disciples to test their new techniques and engage in Magical Combat.

The hall was said to have been forged from a shattered Shiyi Realm. It contained nine layers, and each layer was filled with a massive number of Vengeful Evil Anomalies.

The layers corresponded to the levels of the Qi Refining Realm.

The Vengeful Evil Anomalies on the first layer were equivalent to the Qi Refining First Layer, and so on and so forth.

After mastering a new Magic, Outer Mansion Disciples could come here to test it on these Vengeful Evil Anomalies.

Furthermore, killing these Vengeful Evil Anomalies yielded Demonic Energy, which could be sold to Xiangxiang Hall or the Ten Thousand Treasures Hall.

As a result, it had become a regular haunt for many Outer Mansion Disciples who either enjoyed combat or were in desperate need of Holy Essence.

"Entrance fee is one Holy Essence."

At the entrance to the Ninefold Hall, the Outer Mansion Disciple on duty yawned and pointed to a bronze basin nearby, gesturing for Qi Yun to pay the Holy Essence before entering.

Qi Yun took out a piece of Holy Essence, tossed it into the bronze basin, and strode into the hall.

...