Hours later, Chen Qingyuan suddenly opened his eyes, feeling a pure strand of spiritual energy within his body, without any hidden dangers.

“What’s going on?”

Chen Qingyuan felt more fear than joy. He had just been in a strange state, inexplicably relaxed. If trouble had come, it would have posed a threat to his safety.

In this ancient secret realm, even the special will of his master, Yu Chenran, had been suppressed and could not be activated.

The only thing that gave Chen Qingyuan a bit of security was the prayer bead from the Buddhist Sect. However, in this area, the prayer bead might also be ineffective.

Oh, there was another treasure he had never used—the talisman given by the Red-Dressed Girl.

Back when he left Sky Abyss, the Red-Dressed Girl had given him not only a jade bracelet but also a life-saving item. According to her, until he fulfilled their agreement, his life belonged to her, and he couldn’t die even if he wanted to.

Although domineering, Chen Qingyuan didn’t feel uncomfortable at all; in fact, he found it quite normal.

“You’ve passed the test. The thing I just gave you is a reward. Now, leave!”

Xiao Ling suddenly appeared, looking down on him. Her voice had lost the initial warmth and respect, now cold and indifferent.

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Ling waved her sleeve, sending Chen Qingyuan to a corner of the ancient hall.

At first, Xiao Ling had been overjoyed to learn that Chen Qingyuan had lived a new life, unable to control her emotions, which made her act respectfully and speak some truths.

After regaining her composure, Xiao Ling had to take this last resort to make amends.

After sending Chen Qingyuan out, Xiao Ling murmured to herself, “I hope Mr. Chen won’t blame me in the future.”

The mystical state Chen Qingyuan had entered earlier was Xiao Ling’s doing.

The sound of the Dao entering the soul could stabilize Chen Qingyuan’s Dao body foundation and promote his cultivation level. The benefits of this would not be apparent in the short term, but over time, they would become very obvious.

Buzz!

In an instant, he found himself in a side hall bearing the marks of countless years.

The hall contained simple items, though some were decayed, they were all extremely precious treasures, otherwise, they wouldn’t have survived the long years.

“Passed the test?” Chen Qingyuan muttered in confusion, frowning. “I didn’t do anything, did I?”

After pondering for a long time without understanding, he decided to put it aside for now.

Looking at the items before him, Chen Qingyuan’s gaze locked onto a spot. “What’s that?”

On the left side of the hall was a dark cabinet with many jade bottles on it.

Approaching it, he noticed that the surface of the cabinet seemed to have no prohibitions.

Chen Qingyuan tentatively reached out his right hand, his fingertips touching a jade bottle.

His body was unharmed, unimpeded.

So, Chen Qingyuan picked up the jade bottle, opened it, and used his divine sense to look inside.

“Breaking Infant Pill!”

There were nine perfect-quality Breaking Infant Pills, which greatly surprised Chen Qingyuan.

Within the Elemental Infant Realm, taking a Breaking Infant Pill could accelerate cultivation. If one encountered a bottleneck in breaking through a minor realm, refining this pill could increase the chances of a breakthrough.

Generally, Heaven’s Pride and evildoers wouldn’t take such pills, as spirit pills also had some toxicity, which could hinder future cultivation.

However, perfect-quality pills were different.

Without any impurities, they fused all the essence of the medicinal materials. As long as the cultivator refined the pill completely, there would be no side effects.

In the Northern Wilderness, even in the Imperial Province, alchemists capable of refining perfect pills were extremely rare. Such figures could secure a high position wherever they went, living a worry-free life.

“What might be in those other bottles?”

Curious, Chen Qingyuan opened the other jade bottles.

“Soul Condensing Pill.”

If the soul became chaotic during cultivation, this pill could ensure safety.

“Calming Pill.”

It dispels evil thoughts and calms the mind.

“Bone Refining Pill.”

It greatly aids in the cultivation of body techniques.

“……”

There were over a dozen jade bottles, each containing different pills, all of perfect quality.

Chen Qingyuan unceremoniously took them all, his face beaming with joy as he muttered, “These pills are rare treasures. If I ever run out of money, I can just sell a few bottles.”

The Academy had several high-realm alchemists who could also refine perfect spirit pills. However, not every attempt was successful, and the success rate was very low.

Moreover, alchemy required a lot of time, ranging from three to five months to three to fifty years. Even if successful, only a few dozen pills might be produced in one batch.

“Could this also be a reward for passing the test?”

Chen Qingyuan murmured.

No wonder the ancient powerful figures were so generous.

But when did I undergo a test? Didn’t I just drink a few cups of tea and say a few words?

Unable to figure it out, he decided to stop thinking about it.

He attributed it all to luck, or perhaps his own talent.

After confirming that he had thoroughly looted the treasures in the hall, Chen Qingyuan reluctantly walked out.

As soon as he stepped out of the side hall, a gentle force sent him outside the ancient hall.

“Hmm?”

The door of the ancient hall was tightly closed, and an ancient stone tablet stood to one side, inscribed with the character “Dao.”

Chen Qingyuan stood there dumbfounded, at a loss. “Why was I sent out?”

“Could it be that after passing the test, one is directly sent out?”

Chen Qingyuan stood there in a daze, filling in the gaps with his imagination.

Outside the ancient hall, besides Chen Qingyuan, there was no one else.

Xiao Ling was worried that if Chen Qingyuan stayed in the ancient hall for too long, he might easily obtain the inheritance of the master, Xiang Qiyou. Given Chen Qingyuan’s talent and fate, it was very likely to happen.

It wasn’t that Xiao Ling didn’t want Chen Qingyuan to obtain the inheritance, but it wasn’t necessary. Besides, Chen Qingyuan needed to walk his own path, and even if he obtained the inheritance, he might not be able to cultivate it due to various reasons.

Therefore, Xiao Ling planned to carefully assess those who entered to find a suitable inheritor.

As for Chen Qingyuan, he should stay out of it.

Naturally, Chen Qingyuan, being the person involved, was unaware of this.

“Just wait!”

This trip had been very rewarding, and Chen Qingyuan was very satisfied.

While waiting, Chen Qingyuan’s gaze was unconsciously drawn to the stone tablet.

Then, his gaze fixed on the character “Dao.”

As he stared, a strand of his consciousness seemed to enter it.

The character “Dao” carried the life of an ancient powerful figure.

In a trance, Chen Qingyuan saw the figure that had once been invincible in the world.

At first, the figure was very blurry. Slowly, it became clearer and clearer.

The person wore plain clothes and gradually turned around.

“Is he… that predecessor?”

Chen Qingyuan’s heart trembled, his face full of shock.

Their eyes met, as if crossing the long river of time, and time seemed to freeze at this moment.