After a battle, the Killing Field had returned to its initial void configuration. Everyone sat in a circle beneath a threefold qi-focusing array, each layer stacked on the other like a set of revolving discs of scripture and geometric elements. Each disciple formed a node in the formation, and the qi channeled through the formation was of extreme purity and density.

  Normally, someone — the array master — would sit in the middle and benefit the most from this array, but no one took that spot; they each shared the benefits equally.

  This was an extremely difficult method similar to dual cultivation, but far less intimate. It required a very high degree of aptitude and knowledge on arrays and formations, but also complete trust and harmony with each other.

  “Sister Zhu, it looks like they are recovering their qi after the last battle,” Sun Yongzheng said, smiling.

  Zhu Xuelian had expected to see all sorts of surprises, but this went a step further than her imagination. These cultivators had been rivals until recently, and to advance from that to this closeness was quite a pleasant surprise. They also seemed more skeptical about this training method, but now even used formations to accelerate their recovery to continue benefiting from the Killing Field, and the large amount of contributions they were probably earning.

  Many of them had entered the Nascent Soul realm already, with the cultivators from the Frozen Peak Palace being the furthest ahead, except for Mu Jingyu who remained a Core Formation cultivator. The Frozen Peak Palace focused on the internal arts, so this wasn’t strange. Mu Jingyu had a single spiritual root, and though this increased her cultivation speed to be the fastest among her peers, there were still many factors that could slow her down, like the lack of appropriate methods to form her Nascent Soul.

  In this place, they did not have to accept whatever was available; they could wait for the perfect opportunity, and the perfect tool, to build the perfect foundation for their immortality.

  Ren Weisheng and Lei Yangming had also entered the Nascent Soul realm very recently, judging by the slight instability in their auras.

  “Brother Sun, who is the array master?” Zhu Xuelian asked. The more she looked at the array, the more elements she could recognize. It was very similar to some of the arrays that Yaoyue used to help Zhu Xuelian cultivate.

  “This might surprise you, but it is Xiang Liling,” Sun Yongzheng said.

  It did surprise Zhu Xuelian. Of everyone here, she would have expected Ren Jinhai or Lei Yangming to practice this art, because their sects held the value of formations and arrays in very high regard.

  “Ren Jinhai helped Xiang Liling learn, as part of his apology for what happened at the Red Conference, and it turned out that Xiang Liling is very talented,” Sun Yongzheng explained.

  “Red Conference…? Is that what they call it now?” Zhu Xuelian asked, but the question wasn’t directed at anyone.

  During the Martial Conference, the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion injured a Frozen Peak Palace disciple. There were insults hurled at each other, and then a bloody grudge match began between the two sects. Ren Jinhai and Xiang Liling were both the second-ranked members of their sects, and, to defuse the situation, Ren Jinhai forfeited to Xiang Liling who was still seeking justice for her injured sisters. What Ren Jinhai still had to apologize for after forfeiting the match, Zhu Xuelian did not know.

  Though, whether it was known as the Red Conference because of the grudge match, or because of what Zhu Xuelian did later, she didn’t want to know.

  The light of the array dimmed and then faded, and the disciples all stood up and dusted off their robes.

  Mu Jingyu was the first to notice Zhu Xuelian, and immediately made her way over.

  “Sister Zhu, are you all right? I was so worried for you!” Mu Jingyu exclaimed as she crossed the distance with only a few light steps.

  Zhu Xuelian smiled. “As you can see, Sister Mu, I am perfectly fine.”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Mu Jingyu stared at Zhu Xuelian, and more specifically, at the twin chains of metal and jade that were barely visible through the canvas of black hair.

  Zhu Xuelian tilted her head a bit to conceal the chains and the evidence that not everything was exactly “fine” or “normal”.

  Mu Jingyu smiled, but the warmth didn’t entirely reach her eyes. If anything, there was a little bit of sadness in Mu Jingyu’s eyes.

  “How about this, Sister Mu?” Zhu Xuelian said, smiling reassuringly. “I was going to ask Wu Yulan, but perhaps you could help me stabilize my gold core after this?”

  “I’d be happy to!” Mu Jingyu replied immediately, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Also, congratulations on achieving Core Formation.”

  The others who also caught up with Mu Jingyu by now also congratulated Zhu Xuelian, even though their achievement was much better than hers.

  “Congratulations, Sister Zhu,” they said, and cupped their fists respectfully.

  Zhu Xuelian returned the gesture and smiled. “You too,” she said. “You are progressing much faster than I initially thought.”

  Lei Yangming chuckled at her words. “Didn’t you say so yourself, Sister Zhu? Unfathomable treasures? Unmeasurable opportunities?”

  Zhu Xuelian smiled and nodded. Suddenly, she felt glad that she lost eight months to the Secret Sword Realm Nexus because, in those eight months, they all must’ve caught up to her. Without her around to challenge their expectations, they could truly experience and marvel at the wonders of Yaoyue.

  “Have you made much progress while I was cultivating?” Zhu Xuelian asked. She intentionally constructed the question in this way to give them carte blanche to brag as much as they want.

  As expected, they all straightened proudly and thrust their chests out just a little bit.

  “We can now defeat five thousand demonic beasts!” Ren Jinhai exclaimed.

  Zhu Xuelian blinked, and it took her a moment to remember how to breathe.

  “That is incredible,” she said.

  What did it mean to defeat five thousand demonic beasts? Wu Yulan and Zhu Xuelian could kill a thousand each. In reality, they could kill a lot more than that, but fighting more than two thousand at a time was simply unachievable for them. The amount of attacks they had to avoid, the countless variations in the battlefield developments, and the upper limit of their attack power made this unfeasible. At most, they could contend with two thousand demonic beasts — three thousand, if they were extremely lucky.

  Whether it was two cultivators or eight, this limitation was universal. Only an army could fight another army, regardless of how strong the individuals were.

  These eight cultivators could act as an army?

  They all watched as the mix of wonder, awe, and pride swelled in Zhu Xuelian, and they could see in her an image of themselves, and what they must’ve looked like when they regarded Zhu Xuelian’s incredible achievements.

  “We still have many things to improve on, Sister Zhu. Until recently, it would take us weeks to recover from each attempt, but with Xiang Liling’s arrays, and Lei Yangming’s alchemy, we have made great progress,” Ren Jinhai said.

  Zhu Xuelian looked at Lei Yangming. “I didn’t know you were an alchemist, Brother Lei.”

  Lei Yangming nodded. “I wasn’t until recently. The Martial Hall truly is marvelous. Even someone like me can learn alchemy and become an alchemist in a few months.”

  Tian Li smiled and then gestured to Yuan Qiuyue. “Yuan Qiuyue learned how to grow spiritual herbs,” he said and then nodded to Ren Weisheng. “Brother Ren is learning how to make talismans — it is in large part thanks to him that we can fight so many demonic beasts.”

  Zhu Xuelian smiled and nodded. It was strange that they all picked specialties like this when some of those specialties were more suitable to others considering the sect they came from. But she had an inkling of who might be responsible for this, though she wasn't exactly certain why she thought that.

  “Was this Fourth Elder’s suggestion?” Zhu Xuelian asked.

  They nodded.

  So that’s how it was.

  “And what about you, Tian Li? Do you have a specialty?” Zhu Xuelian asked.

  Tian Li smiled. “Sun Yongzheng and I process rare materials, since we are the furthest along in our martial arts, though we still rely on Wu Yulan and Yun Fei to help out for the higher-grade materials.”

  Zhu Xuelian nodded.

  “Ah, and Mu Jingyu is a weaver and tailor,” Tian Li added, and then glanced at the group, making sure he didn’t forget anyone else.

  “Since Fourth Elder helped you pick these specialties, and is supporting you, it is no surprise you have made such great progress,” Zhu Xuelian said.

  Though she praised Epsilon, she didn’t know who Epsilon truly was, but since Epsilon was a part of Yaoyue, it made sense that Epsilon was amazing.

  Of course, Zhu Xuelian could not have possibly known that her praise was inadequate. When Yaoyue left Epsilon in charge of the Inner Realm, it was to turn Wu Yulan and Zhu Xuelian into weapons that could subjugate the heavens. Now, these eight disciples benefited from the guidance of the most warlike and violent entity in the entire universe, who effortlessly conquered countless stars and galaxies in a past life. Before Epsilon, even gods of war would have no choice but to fall to their knees and worship.

  “Brothers and sisters,” Zhu Xuelian said with a smile. “I didn’t intend to be absent for so long, and things have changed a bit. There are a few things I’d like to discuss with you and hear your opinion. What do you say we continue this conversation in one of the meeting halls?”

  They nodded at Zhu Xuelian’s suggestion, and, together, they left for one of the disciple palaces.