Chapter 876 Re-entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation
The name Yangxin Hall sounds quite harmless.
Ouyang Rong turned his head and glanced at the sky outside the cave.
Although there is no concrete evidence, the true name and identity of the strange hall that lured him into this situation last night are almost certain.
As for the temporary absence of Lady Zhishuang and the Second Lady, Ouyang Rong was probably the one who knew the reason best.
The two women who presided over the strange hall where he was trapped last night were also two. Connecting this with the information that Lady Zhi Shuang accidentally revealed when she was "alone" and making a threatening statement, the Sixth Lady should have been responsible for going out to find his physical body and was not presiding over the hall. The three women also corresponded to the three sword intents that attacked him in the middle of the night at the beginning.
After hearing what Song Zhian said, Ouyang Rong understood what Lady Zhishuang had been busy with lately. No wonder she had held back until last night to use her snow-white longsword as a backup plan to ambush him.
This Hall of Mental Cultivation is quite peculiar, and its use is limited; it's impossible to endlessly bring people in.
It must take a lot of resources or costs to maintain Yunmeng Sword Marsh, and it just so happens that it is time to use it for assessment.
However, having experienced its power firsthand, Ouyang Rong did not underestimate this hall in the slightest. It was not merely used to test one's mental fortitude. In fact, the mere assessment of the new Yue women was not worth using such a strange hall; it was only a secondary purpose.
Regardless, knowing some of the inner workings of this palace, Ouyang Rong no longer needs to worry about Lady Zhi Shuang using her snow-white longsword to "ambush" him in the middle of the night, and he no longer needs to be a frightened bird.
On the contrary, he could time it out, waiting for the new Yue woman's assessment to end today and the Yangxin Hall to cease operations, so that Ouyang Rong could take out the snow-white longsword and use it to meet Lady Zhishuang from afar.
So you're in seclusion for cultivation? Then let's see how detached and indifferent Your Majesty can be when your most deeply bound natal sword is in someone else's hands.
At this moment, Ouyang Rong's mind was as clear as a mirror.
Nearby, Song Zhian and the other two women were talking with Lu and Sha. He maintained his taciturn demeanor, standing behind the four of them, listening silently.
After hearing Song Zhian finish speaking, Lu Jinghong casually steered the conversation:
"By the way, Miss Song, I heard from Senior Sister Yuan that in the second test, among your batch of new Yue women, there is a young lady who is a divine-grade embryonic bottle, I think it is called something like Purple Gold Jade Bottle."
"That's right, that's right."
Just as Song Zhian was about to speak, Yu Xiaoniangzi excitedly interjected:
"I saw that young lady. She even passed by me when she came off the stage. She looked thin and frail, with delicate features. It was just a bit of a pity about the tattoo on her forehead. She was such a pretty young lady... But the senior sisters all liked her. They even gave her a jade headband to cover the tattoo. Her eyes were very bright, and she was very polite. She seemed to be younger than me and Sister Song. Anyway, she was much better than that sullen Sister Chen..."
She shared it with great enthusiasm, as if she were eating rice:
"You don't know, because she won the first round, everyone was paying a lot of attention to her. Even Sister Chen wanted to beat her. Sister Chen was the first to go up, and the test showed that she was a crystal bottle. The bottle was clear and flawless, and it showed seven colors when the light shone on it... She was a top-notch talent, which caused a sensation throughout the audience."
"But the story didn't end there. The Chen family sister's happiness didn't last long. Later, the tattooed young lady went up to examine her slowly. Uncle Tang touched her forehead and suddenly fell silent for a long time, his expression very serious. At first, everyone thought something had happened, but Uncle Tang solemnly reported that her dantian embryo bottle was as clear as glass, perfect and flawless, surpassing even the base of a glass vase, and also possessed the rare phenomenon of purple smoke rising from the sun, making it almost a legendary purple-gold jade bottle!"
"It is said that the spiritual energy she will cultivate in the future will naturally have a purple hue. It's like being fed by God. As long as her mind is unobstructed, she will be guided all the way to the purple qi cultivation level... You don't know, when it was announced, the scene was completely silent. Even the senior sisters who came to watch and chat were a little quiet."
Lu Jinghong, Sha Ergou, and the others were speechless. Song Zhian also sighed, her eyes filled with admiration, and she was convinced of the young woman's talent.
After being completely outmatched in three consecutive rounds, even the proud and arrogant Song Zhian couldn't help but admit defeat.
As if remembering something, Miss Yu said crisply:
"Also, Brother Liu, Brother Sha, Young Master Lu, do you know what that tattooed girl said back then?"
Before anyone could react, Madam Yu continued:
In front of everyone, she asked Uncle Tang if, once she cultivated the Purple Qi cultivation level, she could travel freely down the mountain and come and go in the world without any hindrance.
"Uncle Tang said that's about right. He also said that if she is pure of heart and doesn't make any big mistakes, she still has a chance to become the new female ruler of our sect and enter the Queen's Palace. However, the tattooed girl didn't seem very happy after hearing this. It's a bit strange. I wonder what she's thinking."
Ouyang Rong lowered his head and pressed down the brim of his hat.
Song Zhian glanced at the direction of the Hall of Mental Cultivation above her head, a complex look in her eyes, and said:
"This young lady is definitely not an ordinary person; she has extraordinary willpower, and on top of that, she has such talent..."
Lu Jinghong cleared his throat and also offered a compliment:
"Indeed impressive, far surpassing our Bamboo Hall assessment. They even produced a divine-grade embryo bottle. Our side pales in comparison, sigh..."
These words immediately attracted the attention of Song Zhian and Yu Xiaoniangzi.
The latter asked out of curiosity:
"How's the situation on your end?"
After a pause, she spoke again:
"Sister Song and I both have top-grade aptitude, but Sister Song's embryonic bottle is more perfect, which can be considered half a crystal vase. It's just a pity that Uncle Tang can't be considered a completely top-grade aptitude. He can only be considered a very high-grade aptitude, which is slightly higher than the average top-grade aptitude."
"Oh, is that so? Miss Song is already very outstanding. My apologies for not recognizing her."
Lu Jinghong clasped his hands in a fist salute to Song Zhian and said earnestly.
Lady Yu asked in confusion, "Why don't you apologize to me?"
Lu Jinghong's lips twitched, and he forced a fist salute to her, adding:
"I admire you greatly."
Miss Yu nodded happily and continued to ask:
"Wait a minute, what about you, Young Master Lu and Brother Liu? How did you do in the third round?"
This time, before Sha Ergou could even speak, Lu Jinghong immediately blurted out:
"It's so-so. As for what I am, I don't really know. Uncle Tang didn't reveal much about it."
"Lu's medicine bottle? What kind of vial is this, Sister Song? Have you heard of it?"
Yu Xiaoniangzi couldn't help but turn her head and ask Song Zhian.
The latter shook his head, his eyes also showing some curiosity as he looked at Lu Jinghong.
As was her habit, Lady Yu counted on her fingers, saying, "It doesn't seem to be among the four types of embryonic bottles that my senior sisters mentioned, the Lu family's medicine bottle... wait, this kind of unique naming, could it be divine..."
Lu Jinghong waved his hand, seemingly reluctantly and modestly interrupting Yu Xiaoniangzi's guess.
"Oh, no, no, how could I possibly be worthy of such a divine artifact?"
He glanced around, not looking at the crowd, and said in a somewhat indifferent tone:
"I don't quite understand why it's so special and has a unique name. It's not like it's a divine-grade embryo bottle. I came down from the stage quickly and didn't ask Uncle Tang much, but Uncle Tang seemed to have said that it's similar to a crystal vase..."
As he finished speaking, Lu Jinghong crossed his arms and tightened his grip on his sword, his upper body unconsciously leaning back slightly, while glancing at the front of him out of the corner of his eye.
Sure enough, the scene I had been waiting for unfolded:
Song Zhian raised her head, looked at him repeatedly, and looked somewhat surprised.
It's human nature for women to admire strong men to some extent.
Yu Xiaoniangzi, standing to the side, also widened her eyes. Realizing what was happening, she pointed at Lu Jinghong and said:
"Equivalent to a crystal vase? That's top-grade aptitude! Wow, Young Master Lu, you have top-grade Qi Refining aptitude?"
Lu Jinghong had just changed his sword-holding posture and felt his steps were a little unsteady when he heard the words "You can be," and a black line appeared on his forehead.
Can't you even speak properly?
Lu Jinghong looked somewhat uneasy, nodded hastily, and turned his face away from Yu Xiaoniangzi, turning to Song Zhian and saying:
"Hmm, I was lucky this time and barely managed to get the top spot, but I'm still no match for Miss Song and your group. The divine-grade embryo bottle is simply unbelievable. I really don't know what kind of environment gave birth to such a powerful young lady. This world is so big, there are really all kinds of wonders. Thinking about it, I don't have anything to brag about. Hey."
Song Zhian glanced at his humble and sighing expression, then nodded slightly and said:
"That's true, but don't underestimate yourself. Young Master Lu is already very impressive, as expected of someone from a prestigious family. I heard from my senior sister that if you can achieve top-grade aptitude in the second round, you can directly enter the Bamboo Hall. As long as you don't perform too badly in the third round... So, I'd like to congratulate Young Master Lu in advance. Entering the Bamboo Hall this time shouldn't be too difficult."
Lady Yu nodded in agreement: "Yes, that's right, really impressive."
Lu Jinghong smiled broadly, then tried to suppress his smile and nodded modestly:
"Actually, we can't draw conclusions so early. We still need to pass the third hurdle. But... thank you for your praise, Miss Song. I am unworthy of such praise."
Lu Jinghong clasped his hands in a fist salute to Song Zhian, his expression somewhat proud and confident.
Lady Yu tilted her head and asked him:
"I also praised her, so why did Young Master Lu only thank Sister Song?"
Lu Jinghong's expression stiffened slightly. He turned his head and gave her a perfunctory fist salute.
"Thank you for the compliment."
Lady Yu waved her hand modestly:
"It's alright, Young Master Lu. I'm not petty. You have something to show for yourself. As Sister Song would say, a worthy opponent can help you improve. Hmm, I slightly outperformed you in the first round, but you slightly outperformed me in this round. We've had a fair fight."
Lu Jinghong: ...?
Song Zhian smiled wryly.
Sha Ergou listened with envy.
Brother Liu seemed lost in thought, remaining silent throughout, occasionally glancing outside the cave entrance, seemingly listening to the conversation or lost in thought.
Song Zhian is understanding and has high emotional intelligence. After learning about Lu Jinghong's good performance in self-preservation, she did not take the initiative to ask Ouyang Rong and Sha Ergou about their assessment results, which they had not mentioned.
However, Lady Yu, being simple-minded, didn't hold back. After offering a few words of encouragement to her worthy rival, Young Master Lu, she turned and asked curiously:
"Brother Liu, Brother Sha, where are you?"
Sha Ergou scratched his head, looking embarrassed, and said:
"I forgot what that pottery bottle was called, I think it was something like rusty pottery... Brother Liu and I are both of medium quality, not as outstanding as Young Master Lu, but not at the bottom either."
Lu Jinghong also volunteered:
"There's still a third hurdle, there's still a chance. Brother Lu, Brother Sha, don't be impatient, let's work together to deal with it."
“That’s right, that’s right.” Sha Ergou nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
At this moment, they saw a Yue female senior sister returning from the cave entrance, seemingly leading the newcomers over.
Song Zhian spoke up to tell him:
"The third test has ended today. The results of the assessment of the new Yue woman and the Bamboo Hall sword cultivator will be announced immediately after the next test is completed, by the Sixth Lady."
Ouyang Rong snapped out of his daze, glanced at his four companions, and slowly nodded.
A cold voice came from ahead, seemingly addressed to the last group of young women in line:
"Ten more people."
Song Zhian and the young lady were already standing at the back because they were chatting with Ouyang Rong and the other two.
They immediately stepped forward upon hearing the sound.
However, including the two women, there were only five young ladies on the field, less than ten people... The five young ladies looked around.
Senior Sister Yuan also noticed this, whispered a few words to her companion, and after what seemed like a conversation, continued in a cold voice:
"It's getting late, so we won't distinguish between men and women anymore. Five more men are coming."
Upon seeing this, Lu Jinghong immediately stepped forward, and Ouyang Rong and Sha Ergou subconsciously followed.
They were chatting casually, and the three of them were already standing near the front.
And so, the five people who had secretly banded together belonged to the same assessment team and, led by Senior Sister Yuan, walked out of the cave.
The mountain wind was fierce, howling and scraping my face like a knife.
Below them was a sheer cliff, but as Ouyang Rong had expected, there was indeed a winding and rugged path to the right of the cave entrance. It was only three steps wide and had no railings. It stretched along the cliff face all the way to the top of the cliff.
Ouyang Rong raised his hand to press down on his felt hat to prevent it from blowing off.
Braving the mountain wind, after two cups of tea, the group finally reached the summit.
They looked up and saw a magnificent white marble hall, its plaque blurred, towering majestically atop the cliff.
There were some broken pillars and ruins around, but they remained unmoved in the raging mountain winds.
The main hall and the mountain peak seem to blend into one, standing for countless years, untouched by the passage of time.
The main hall looks close, but you still have to walk a bit further after climbing to the top of the cliff.
Ouyang Rong looked up and saw several white Wu-style robes fluttering in the wind outside the palace. As he approached, he saw that they were eight Yue women with veils on their faces and waist tags made of strange materials, who seemed to be some kind of guards.
As Ouyang Rong and his group of ten approached, sharp gazes fell upon them, as if trying to pierce through them.
Ouyang Rong did not meet their gazes. He followed his companions, head down, and under the guidance of Senior Sister Yuan, arrived at the entrance of the main hall.
"Go in."
Senior Sister Yuan stopped at the door, rested her hand on her sword at her waist, turned her head, and gave them a slight nod.
Ouyang Rong and the other nine people looked at each other in bewilderment, and then one by one they entered the hall.
All ten of them looked around curiously.
Looking inside from their perspective, the main hall appeared somewhat empty, but it was likely the outer hall. There seemed to be an inner hall inside, which was even larger.
Before they could take more than a few steps, their vision began to blur.
Ouyang Rong saw that familiar white mist again.
That's it, no doubt.
(End of this chapter)
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