"He went in?"

"Yes! He was wearing a mask, but his build is unmistakable. It’s him!"

"Good. Call the others. That little bastard has been hiding in his courtyard for over a month. He’s finally come out."

Outside the Ninefold Hall, the Gatekeeper Disciple, who had just been yawning lazily, was now like a completely different person. His face was full of shrewd avarice, and he rubbed his hands together as he reported in a low voice to several Outer Mansion Disciples with menacing auras.

Thanks to the Black Mountain Master targeting him, the fact that Qi Yun had become the Champion Scholar was known by everyone in the Outer Mansion, earning him the jealousy and resentment of many.

Most of them were the unlucky souls he had ambushed and killed during the examination.

But a small portion was simply due to redirected anger.

They were all Outer Mansion Disciples. How could a nobody with no background, a complete stray, possibly become the Champion Scholar?

Under these circumstances, Qi Yun inexplicably gained quite a few more enemies.

And more importantly...

Champion Scholar—how could such a great honor not come with some kind of reward?

They were motivated partly by greed, partly by resentment.

Soon, spies were placed in every hall, not only to track his movements but also to find out exactly what benefits he had received.

Before long, about seven or eight Outer Mansion Disciples gathered outside the Ninefold Hall, exchanging knowing glances.

"Let’s go!"

Pieces of Holy Essence clinked crisply as they fell into a bronze basin. The seven or eight figures filed in one after another, stepping into the Ninefold Hall.

...

Inside the third level of the Ninefold Hall.

This was a vast, desolate desert. However, the sand was a strange, vivid red, which, combined with the dim black sun overhead, made the scene all the more oppressive and unnerving.

"Wangcai! Go!"

Qi Yun pointed at a Vengeful Evil Anomaly before him. It had disheveled hair and a body shrouded in dense Yin Qi, looking not quite human.

The Bronze Wolf Dog beside him, which had already been sniffing the air and growling with bared teeth, stomped its four paws and charged fiercely, beginning to tear into the Vengeful Evil Anomaly.

Vengeful Evil Anomalies are malevolent creatures formed from the coalescence of resentful Evil Qi. They possess immense strength, and the Yin Qi surrounding them has a powerful corrosive effect on flesh and blood.

Ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators wouldn’t dare engage them in close combat, as it’s easy to have their bodies invaded by Yin Qi.

But Wangcai, the Bronze Wolf Dog, completely ignored this. It clamped its jaws onto the Vengeful Evil Anomaly’s left arm and thrashed its head wildly, tearing at it. A distinct ripping sound came from the anomaly’s shoulder as thick black gas billowed out from the wound.

’Fearless in the face of death, impervious to blades and spears, with iron teeth and bronze fangs that have a bite force of over a thousand jin, and claws that can strike with the force of several hundred jin.’

’If there were enough of these creatures, the threat they pose would increase exponentially!’

As a sharp glint appeared in his eyes, Qi Yun watched Wangcai battling the Vengeful Evil Anomaly and summoned his Magic Technique Panel, looking at the progress bar for [Master of Profound Mysteries].

This Magic came from the Profound Vault Origin Refining Demon True Register. To find Spiritual Objects corresponding to its Daoist Intent, he had to refer to this True Scripture.

’Summoning Spirit... Invoking Deities... Beast Taming... Demon Suppression... all these Daoist Intents seem to be related.’

’It’s just that these Daoist Intents are all too profound. Few Outer Mansion Disciples would ever encounter them, making Spiritual Objects and Magical Artifacts with such Daoist Intents even rarer.’

Qi Yun frowned slightly.

This was also why he hadn’t learned any advanced Magic, even though he was sitting on a huge fortune.

The Daoist Intent of advanced Magic was often more abstruse and profound, making it extremely difficult to find matching Spiritual Objects.

If he had to rely purely on the automatic updates and just grind it out over time...

’...the cost would be too great. It takes time to learn Magic, and it takes time to update it.’

But the one thing he lacked most right now... was time!

’Summoning Spirit, Invoking Deities, Demon Suppression... I probably won’t find any Spiritual Objects like that in the Outer Mansion. Even if they exist, they’d be astronomically expensive.’

’For now... my only option is to try the path of Beast Taming.’

Having gotten a general sense of the Bronze Wolf Dog’s strength, Qi Yun raised his hand and, with a single sword strike, finished off the Vengeful Evil Anomaly that was fighting it. He tidied up and prepared to head home.

But just as he was about to leave, a paper crane folded from Talisman Paper descended from the sky and landed on his shoulder.

Listening to the voice coming from within the paper crane, Qi Yun raised an eyebrow, a look of expectation on his face.

"As expected, someone followed me."

Putting the paper crane away in his robes, Qi Yun mentally commanded the Bronze Wolf Dog to return.

Ever since being set up by the Black Mountain Master, he knew he would be targeted by many people.

This Talisman Spirit Crane was a countermeasure he had bought to monitor his surroundings and prevent trouble.

He hadn’t expected it to be useful so soon.

"Fine by me. My Wangcai hasn’t had a taste of real meat yet. You’ll do nicely to whet his appetite." A cold glint flashed in Qi Yun’s eyes. He formed a Spell with his hands, and his body exploded into countless streams of air, vanishing without a trace.

...

"That little bastard has some skill, to have actually made it to the third level."

The group arrived in the Threefold Hall. The leader, Wu Tianming, had a cold look in his eyes, but a hint of gravity couldn’t help but rise in his heart.

The Vengeful Evil Anomalies within the Nine Heavens grew stronger and more numerous with each successive level.

If not for the eight of them traveling together, they would never have ventured into this place alone.

"Brother Wu, look! He’s over there!"

Following his companion’s low shout, Wu Tianming quickly turned his head and immediately spotted a figure on a nearby sand dune, its back turned to them.

Who else could it be but Qi Yun!

"HAHAHA, this kid’s awareness is terrible! Junior Brothers, follow me! Let’s capture this little bastard."

With a gloating laugh, Wu Tianming immediately signaled for the others to prepare to strike.

"It seems too coincidental. Could it be a trap..." someone hesitated.

"Even if it is a trap, can one person really take down all eight of us?" Wu Tianming said, raising an eyebrow.

At his words, the others nodded slightly.

Casting their doubts aside, Wu Tianming’s group of eight immediately charged toward Qi Yun’s location.

"This kid is skilled in the Illusionary Body Concealment Technique. Did you bring a Tracking Compass?" Wu Tianming asked as they advanced.

"Brought it," someone replied, holding up a bronze-colored compass that flowed with Dharma Light. It was a Tracking Compass, capable of breaking the Illusionary Body Concealment Technique.

"Good. Today, we’ll make sure he never leaves."

As Wu Tianming and his men rapidly closed in, the "Qi Yun" on the sand dune seemed to sense something. He then transformed into a wisp of Clear Wind and vanished.

"Hmph, I knew you’d pull this trick. The Compass!"

Seeing Qi Yun use the Illusionary Body Concealment Technique as he had expected, Wu Tianming snorted smugly.

"Found him," the person holding the Compass responded, immediately activating the Tracking Compass.

Countless rays of Dharma Light scattered from it, landing on the hands of the eight men and forming an arrow that pointed in a specific direction.

The arrow twitched from time to time, as if the person being tracked was constantly changing direction, trying to shake them off.

"He’s fast. Split up and chase him. Form a pincer and trap him inside."

With a sharp glint in his eyes, Wu Tianming gave the decisive order. The eight men immediately split up, each heading in a different direction.

But just as the group scattered, all of them thinking about surrounding and capturing this so-called Champion Scholar...

...the tracking Dharma Light on their hands suddenly flickered and then began to spin wildly, clearly unable to track the target any longer.

"What’s going on?"

Frowning, the man holding the Tracking Compass scratched his head in confusion, not understanding why the Magical Artifact had suddenly failed.

And in the instant he lowered his head to fiddle with the Compass, countless streams of air behind him rapidly converged, forming the figure of a man standing with his hands clasped behind his back.

The face, covered in shadow, slowly revealed a "kind and friendly" smile.

...