Chapter 205: Extravagance

Coupled with the endless Magic Treasure light from the surrounding crowd, and the Cloud Heaven Sect having stated that any method could be used, Wang Lin's Restriction technique wasn't noticed by anyone.

The moment the Restriction struck the black mist pillar, Wang Lin clearly sensed a Jade Slip inside, flashing with golden light and slowly flying outwards.

Wang Lin's eyes flickered. The Restriction immediately imprinted itself on the Jade Slip, causing its flight speed to suddenly drop. At the same time, he cast another Restriction. This time, the Restriction instantly landed on a Medicinal Pill within the black mist. The Medicinal Pill abruptly shot out from the black mist, transforming into a golden light, and landed in the hand of a young man on a stone platform.

The person was stunned for a moment, then shouted in ecstasy, "This… I… I passed!"

At this moment, the middle-aged man from the Cloud Heaven Sect's eyes widened. He stared at the Medicinal Pill, then quickly leaped to the young man's side.

Without a word, he grabbed with his right hand, and the Medicinal Pill immediately flew into his grasp. After examining it carefully, a strange expression appeared on his face as he looked up and down at the ecstatic Disciple. After a long pause, he slowly said, "Congratulations, you don't need to compete anymore. You will directly become an Inner Sect Disciple of my Cloud Heaven Sect. You will go up the mountain later to meet the Sect Leader, who will arrange a Master for you. Keep this Medicinal Pill well; it is a gift for your Master after you become his Disciple. It's a pity this Medicinal Pill is fire-attributed; otherwise, I could have been your Master!"

The Disciple's eyes revealed intense joy. He nodded repeatedly, his heart filled with excitement.

Wang Lin's gaze was calm, but his heart stirred. The items he saw within the black mist were only three: a Medicinal Pill, a Jade Slip, and a token.

Clearly, these three items represented very different meanings. Obtaining a Medicinal Pill meant directly becoming a Disciple. Obtaining a Jade Slip meant passing this stage. So what about obtaining a token?

Wang Lin pondered for a moment and did not act rashly again. He was cautious. One instance might be an accident, but if he used the Restriction repeatedly, once discovered, everything would be lost, and it wouldn't be worth it.

Moreover, Wang Lin analyzed from the middle-aged man's demeanor that perhaps not many Disciples obtained Medicinal Pills during the triennial Disciple recruitment ceremony. According to his analysis, most Disciples probably only obtained Jade Slips.

"There's only one hour left until the deadline. I can tell you now that there are four items within this black mist pillar: a Jade Slip, a Medicinal Pill, a token, and a Pill Furnace.

Among the four items, those who obtain a Jade Slip pass this stage. Those who obtain a Medicinal Pill directly become Inner Sect Disciples. Those who obtain a token, in addition to becoming Inner Sect Disciples, can use the token to exchange for a Grade Three Spirit Pill at the Hidden Pill Pavilion.

If you can obtain the Pill Furnace, then congratulations, you will be one of the very few Sect Leader Disciples of my Cloud Heaven Sect. However, to this day, my Cloud Heaven Sect has been established for over eight thousand years, and only six Seniors have ever obtained a Pill Furnace. I hope one of you can be the seventh!

Once you become a Sect Leader Disciple, you can choose any Medicinal Pills to consume, and you will have access to profound Alchemy techniques," the middle-aged man said slowly, his tone even.

As soon as these words were spoken, the youths on the platform who wished to become Disciples all took a deep breath and turned their gazes towards the black mist pillar. In their eyes, this pillar represented a lifetime's fortune.

Wang Lin was startled when he heard this. He had only seen three items earlier and had not discovered the fourth—the Pill Furnace. After a brief silence, Wang Lin did not continue observing. Instead, he cast a Restriction and drew out a Medicinal Pill.

Golden light flashed, and a water-blue Medicinal Pill immediately flew out, caught by Wang Lin in his hand.

It wasn't that Wang Lin couldn't choose the token, but with his personality, he truly didn't want to attract too much attention. If taking a Medicinal Pill didn't directly make him a Disciple, he definitely wouldn't have chosen it, opting instead for the lowest standard Jade Slip.

Noticing the color of the Medicinal Pill, the middle-aged man's eyes immediately lit up. He stepped forward and snatched the Medicinal Pill from Wang Lin's hand. After a glance, he scrutinized Wang Lin and smiled, "Are you willing to take me as your Master?"

Wang Lin's face showed a look of profound respect and trepidation, but within this apprehension, a hint of excitement shone through. He nodded repeatedly.

The middle-aged man smiled and nodded lightly, saying, "Stand aside with me. After it's over, I'll lead you up the mountain to meet the Sect Leader."

Wang Lin respectfully followed the middle-aged man to a corner of the stone platform. His demeanor appeared full of awe and ecstasy, but in reality, he sneered inwardly. He had seen the middle-aged man's disappointed expression when he discovered the first Medicinal Pill was fire-attributed. He immediately analyzed, and with his careful observation, he could roughly judge that the Medicinal Pill this person needed was most likely water-attributed. After all, other attributes could be compatible, but only water-attributed Medicinal Pills were diametrically opposed to fire-attributed ones.

Thus, when Wang Lin used the Restriction to draw out the Medicinal Pill, he deliberately chose a water-attributed one. Because if his analysis was correct, the middle-aged man, in his joy, would naturally lower his guard and not delve too deeply into why two Medicinal Pills had appeared consecutively.

Over the next hour, three more people were selected. One of them was the young girl who had traveled with Wang Lin earlier; she obtained a Jade Slip.

As time drew near, the middle-aged man looked up at the sky, about to announce the results. But just then, the entire black mist suddenly began to churn violently, and dark clouds appeared in the sky, with lightning occasionally streaking across the heavens, dancing like silver serpents across the firmament.

At the same time, rumbling sounds emanated from within the black mist pillar. A massive Pill Cauldron, resembling a small mountain, revealed a corner within the black mist.

This Pill Cauldron was slightly purple in color, with a black Dragon carved upon it, locked by an iron chain. The Dragon's eyes were wide with rage, revealing intense unwillingness, and from a distance, it looked as if it was on the verge of roaring out.

At this moment, an invisible force emanated from within the black mist pillar. All the Disciples standing on the stone platform were pushed away, involuntarily retreating. Soon, the entire stone platform was empty, except for the middle-aged man and Wang Lin beside him (who were protected by a Magic Treasure the middle-aged man had conjured), and a single frail youth. The youth looked up blankly at the Pill Cauldron, speechless for a moment.

Wang Lin's heart stirred. His eyes were fixed on the Pill Cauldron within the black mist. With his Divine Sense eyes, he clearly saw a layer of faint black light enveloping the Pill Cauldron. Each time the Pill Cauldron moved out a fraction, the color deepened slightly.

"Sub-Cauldron, this is the Dragon Sub-Cauldron!" The middle-aged man standing beside Wang Lin said, his eyes filled with solemnity.

But just then, the Pill Cauldron suddenly trembled, no longer flying outwards, but slowly retracting. At the same time, a golden token flashed out from the black mist and landed in the youth's hand.

The middle-aged man sighed softly. He witnessed the same scene several times every thirty years, but each time, the Pill Cauldron ultimately failed to escape the black mist.

"Send the others out of the Cloud Heaven Sect. Those who obtained items, follow me up the mountain!" After the middle-aged man finished speaking, he looked back at Wang Lin, summoned with his right hand, and immediately grabbed Wang Lin's waist. At the same time, he leaped to the side of the only youth who had obtained a token, picked him up as well, and with the two of them, his body transformed into a long rainbow, flying towards the mountain peak.

Behind him were three Cloud Heaven Sect Disciples, each grabbing one of the three lucky individuals who passed this stage, flying up the mountain peak.

Wang Lin kept looking around. As the middle-aged man's speed increased, they got closer to the mountain peak. After passing through a defensive Formation resembling water ripples, Wang Lin's vision suddenly changed.

The original mountain scenery, with its lush trees like waves and verdant beauty, instantly transformed and disappeared. What appeared before Wang Lin were magnificent, towering buildings. These dwellings were entirely crafted from jade. At first glance, even with Wang Lin's extensive experience, he couldn't help but gasp, thinking to himself that the Cloud Heaven Sect was indeed incredibly wealthy.

Not all, but at least eighty percent, of the Cloud Heaven Sect's buildings and carvings were made from natural jade. In terms of value, if these jade stones were made into Spirit Stones or Jade Slips, it would undoubtedly be an unimaginable sum.

At the same time, due to the abundance of jade here, it naturally created an atmosphere of immortal Qi. Just by taking a breath, Wang Lin felt a wave of comfort throughout his body. He briefly analyzed that if one meditated here, a single day of cultivation could yield three days' worth of effort.

As Wang Lin marveled, he looked at the others and found that those who had been selected, just like him, were all dumbfounded, gazing at the scenery within the Cloud Heaven Sect, with strange expressions in their eyes.

The several Cloud Heaven Sect Disciples behind the middle-aged man, after passing through the water-like defensive layer, released their arms. Those who came to the Cloud Heaven Sect to become Disciples naturally possessed some flying technique. At this moment, they all took to the air, closely following the middle-aged man, and rapidly flew towards the depths of the sect.

Their speed was not fast. Along the way, Wang Lin was once again stunned. He saw a group of immortal cranes flying from a distance, with several beautiful women seated upon them. These women wore colorful clothes, looking like dancing butterflies, causing people to involuntarily turn their heads to gaze.

"Senior Brother Zhou Lin, are these the newly admitted Disciples?" As the group of immortal cranes approached, a woman sitting on one of them spoke with a sweet and melodious voice, like a nightingale.

This girl was in the prime of her youth, graceful and elegant, with teeth like polished shells and a slender waist like a willow. She was truly a beauty in the making. Especially the small mole at the corner of her lips, which made her appear quite charming and alluring.

The middle-aged man laughed heartily and said, "Indeed, six people have been selected in this Disciple recruitment ceremony."

The woman's beautiful eyes swept over, her gaze subtly shifting, revealing a hint of captivating charm. Finally, it landed on the young girl who had traveled with Wang Lin, and she smiled sweetly, "What a beautiful little sister. If Master saw her, she would surely be taken as a Disciple."

After the woman finished speaking, the other women on the immortal cranes all looked over. After a flurry of chirping and whispering, they giggled and departed with the immortal cranes.

—

I really can't write anymore today; my head hurts badly. I haven't had a cold in three years, and I didn't expect to catch one this time. This season in the Northeast is the coldest. Heating won't be turned on until October 15th, so these days are tough. It's already minus 4 or 5 degrees here at night.

Last night, I went out and probably caught a chill. When I came back, I had a continuous high fever. The fever is gone today, but my head still hurts terribly. I'm really sorry everyone. It's not that Er Gen doesn't want to update, but as I write, my mind is a mess.

Actually, this chapter shouldn't have been posted today, because I barely thought about it; I was typing in a daze the whole time. It might not be satisfactory, so please don't nitpick. If I'm feeling better tomorrow, I will make up for today's chapter.

Also, please don't cast催更票 (Urge for Update Tickets). Er Gen is a bit afraid of these tickets now. In the future, I won't speed up for updates. This way, not only is the quality not guaranteed, but writing is also very tiring, especially 12,000 characters. For Er Gen, if I want to update that much, I would have to sleep 3 or 4 hours a day to write it.

Er Gen can complete 6,000 characters, and occasionally 9,000 if in good condition, but 12,000 is too difficult… (Although these words are many, you don't need to spend extra money to read them. The word count for this chapter of the novel is 3095.)