"Time’s up!"

"Those with an Enlightenment Bell, step forward and enter the hall."

"Everyone else may leave."

Master Ding Tai’s voice boomed like a great bell, echoing across the plaza before the hall.

As his voice faded, a wave of suppressed sighs and resentful muttering rose from the crowd. The faces of the vast majority were etched with regret and disappointment.

"Argh, I was so close, you know? If my foot hadn’t suddenly cramped up, that Enlightenment Bell would have been mine."

"Tell me about it. I was less than ten feet from an Enlightenment Bell. What a shame, what a shame."

"Dammit, why even bother with these Enlightenment Bells? They should just let everyone in."

"Exactly!"

Meanwhile, the lucky few who had managed to snatch an Enlightenment Bell couldn’t hide their excitement. Their gazes burned as they stared at the mysterious Giant Bronze Gate, their minds already filled with boundless dreams of the opportunities awaiting them inside.

Qi Yun still stood at the very front of the crowd, his position unchanged.

But unlike at the beginning, he now stood completely alone.

Yue Rong, who had once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, had been beaten unconscious and was carried away by Black Mountain Master.

The other Outer Mansion Disciples, having witnessed the ferocity of this Champion Scholar, didn’t dare get too close to him.

They all huddled behind him, docile and well-behaved.

’So it’s true,’ he thought. ’Strength is the only way to earn respect.’

Noticing the change in the Outer Mansion Disciples around him, a faint sense of mockery flickered through Qi Yun’s mind.

’This is fine,’ he mused. ’At least it saves me a lot of unnecessary trouble.’

Taking out his Enlightenment Bell, he strode forward to be the first to approach Ding Tai. Qi Yun presented the token for entering the Hall of All Laws to the Inner Mansion True Cultivator before him.

Ding Tai took the bell. His eyes, perpetually narrowed in a smile, swept over Qi Yun, a flicker of surprise passing through them before he spoke with a grin.

"It’s only been a few days, but your Cultivation has improved quite a bit."

"Not bad. Did you make it back on your own?"

Hearing the probing tone in the other’s words, Qi Yun remained impassive. He simply nodded and replied with a soft, "Yes."

"Good. The Master certainly wasn’t wrong about you. Cultivate well. Once you enter the Inner Mansion, Heaven and Earth will open up to you." His smile growing warmer, Ding Tai stepped slightly aside, gesturing for Qi Yun to pass.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Reaching the entrance to the Hall of All Laws, Qi Yun reached out and gently pressed his hand against the heavy, ice-cold door.

However, the instant his palm touched the gate, it seemed to lose its solidity, transforming into a bottomless vortex.

An immense, irresistible suction force erupted from it, instantly enveloping Qi Yun’s entire body.

After a dizzying spell of vertigo that made the world spin, the feeling of solid ground finally returned beneath his feet.

Qi Yun frowned and shook his head, forcing down the urge to vomit as he focused his eyes on his surroundings.

He was in an extremely ancient, deep, and long corridor.

The stone slabs underfoot were mottled and covered in worn tracks. The walls on both sides were a dark bronze, carved with countless ancient murals that were now faded beyond recognition.

And along the walls of this seemingly endless corridor...

...a bronze lamp was embedded every few dozen feet.

Atop each lamp, a flame of a different color and size burned quietly. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The flames took on a myriad of forms: some blazed like the scorching sun, emitting searing light;

some were a ghostly blue like soul-ice, radiating a bone-chilling cold;

some were a vibrant, verdant green, brimming with vigorous life;

some were as black as ink, seeming to devour all light;

and strangest of all, some were a bizarre grayish-white, flickering with a heart-pounding silence...

’Could these flames be the insights left behind by previous Cultivators?’ Sensing there was something extraordinary about these flames, Qi Yun strode forward.

Beneath each lamp, a line of small Ancient Seal characters was clearly carved, like a helpful label, explicitly stating the nature of the insight contained within the flame above.

"Insight into ’Blood Slaughter Saber Intent’ — Left by Zhang Ling, Qi Refining Fifth Layer"

"Essentials of the ’Little Five Elements Escape Technique’ — Left by Wu Daozi, Qi Refining Sixth Layer"

"Notes on the ’Yin Ghost Refining God Chapter’ — Left by Ghost Granny, Qi Refining Sixth Layer"

"Reflections on ’Basic Alchemy Skill - Fire Control’ — Left by Li Dantong, Qi Refining Fifth Layer"

...

The types of insights were numerous and all-encompassing.

They ranged from combat arts to Escape Technique Secret Arts, from Refining God Heart methods to Alchemy and Artifact Refining Techniques.

They covered almost every aspect a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator could possibly encounter.

And all of them were clearly labeled and easy to see.

If an ordinary Cultivator were to arrive here and see so many insights from their predecessors displayed like goods on a shelf, free for the taking, they would probably be ecstatic, eager to choose the one most suited for them to absorb.

Qi Yun, however, stopped in his tracks.

The trace of curiosity on his face quickly faded, replaced by a slow-frowning brow. His eyes showed no surprise, but rather a deep-seated vigilance and suspicion.

’Something’s wrong!’

’Something’s very wrong!’

’Where is this?’

’This is the Wuji Holy Sect, a place that squeezes you for all you’re worth and would turn your corpse into a zombie if you died!’

’Free entry into the Hall of All Laws?’

’A dazzling array of free insights from predecessors?’

’And they even fucking labeled them all so thoughtfully, as if they were afraid you’d pick the wrong one?’

’If something seems too good to be true, it probably is!’

Qi Yun’s gaze swept over the quietly burning, clearly labeled flames again. He couldn’t help but feel that behind their flickering light, pairs of cold, calculating eyes were hiding.

’I need to find someone to test it first.’

An idea popped into Qi Yun’s head as his eyes darted around.

It was highly likely that the Hall of All Laws truly contained insights from predecessors, but it was 99% certain that these insights were booby-trapped.

So what was the best solution?

Naturally... it was to find someone to jump in and fill the pit first.

With a plan in mind, Qi Yun’s form flickered and he vanished, becoming like a Clear Wind. He hid in a corner, quietly waiting for the Outer Mansion Disciples behind him to enter.

Soon, spatial fluctuations rippled behind him. One after another, Outer Mansion Disciples holding Enlightenment Bells were teleported in, their faces full of excitement and anticipation.

Seeing the hall filled with a dazzling variety of insights, their breathing couldn’t help but quicken.

But their basic instincts as Holy Sect Disciples also made them share the same worry as Qi Yun.

’This kind of considerate treatment... it’s probably a trap, isn’t it?’

Seeing his fellow disciples being overly cautious, with no one willing to be the first to test the "laws," Qi Yun could only sigh internally.

’The world is in decline, people aren’t what they used to be.’

’Why is everyone so wary of their own Sect?’

He gave his sleeve a gentle shake and took a small porcelain vial from his Storage Pouch. It contained a colorless, odorless, pale pink Secret Medicine.

Qi Yun’s gaze scanned the crowd.

He soon locked onto a Cultivator standing alone in a remote corner, craning his neck to curiously examine a cluster of green flame.

’Good thing I still have a little of this Six Desires Enchanting Powder left.’

’Junior Brother, allow your Senior Brother to help you out.’

...