Chapter 261: Dan Yuan Peak
Number Four Qihuang Hall.
After learning that the Heavenly Department had dispatched a team of retired Demon Suppressing Army soldiers to join the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, Master Zhang came to the Medical Affairs Department from the Celestial Master’s Mansion.
After Wei Zhenjie, Prince Shou, Xia Zhen, and others had finished their discussions, Master Zhang called Wei Zhenjie to Number Four Qihuang Hall.
At this moment, the two were playing chess.
After Master Zhang placed a piece, he smiled at Wei Zhenjie, “Why did you decide to help Hua Changxi?”
Wei Zhenjie sighed with a smile, “When people only watch from the sidelines or only listen to others, they can’t truly understand their essence.”
“To understand a person, you must interact with them personally.”
Master Zhang chuckled, “It seems you have many thoughts.”
Wei Zhenjie shook his head with a smile, “My interaction with Hua Changxi this time truly surprised me.”
“Despite Hua Changxi’s arrogant demeanor and actions, she is actually a straightforward and honest child deep down.”
“She hasn’t even grasped the complexities of human interaction; at best, she’s a novice just starting out.”
“I now somewhat understand why, despite being the most outstanding child of the Hua Family, she hasn’t gained the support of the Hua Family members.”
“She doesn’t know how to leverage her own advantages and resources to control or manipulate people, and I don’t think she’s even considered it yet.”
“If I were her, holding the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, I could easily subdue all the Hua Family members with just a few resources.”
“The most critical point is that she treats others the same way she treats her family. She possesses a mountain of gold but doesn’t use it, and she lacks understanding of her own value, which is why she’s in a passive position, being jointly resisted by Prince Shou and others.”
Master Zhang’s expression turned serious upon hearing this, “According to you, Hua Changxi should be a very pure and kind person.”
Wei Zhenjie looked surprised, “You seem to admire such an obvious flaw in Hua Changxi?”
Master Zhang replied, “Is it not worth admiring someone who doesn’t treat people as tools? Someone who holds abundant resources but doesn’t use them for selfish desires or pursue the vanity of being superior to others, is that not worth admiring?”
Wei Zhenjie chuckled, “If Hua Changxi were at your level, she would naturally be admirable. But she is fundamentally different from you; she hasn’t even touched the threshold of ‘engaging with the world,’ yet you describe her with honors reserved for those who have ‘transcended the world.’ You’re overestimating her.”
“No, it’s not overestimating; it’s setting her up for a fall.”
Master Zhang smiled, “I observe a person’s true heart. As for ‘engaging with the world’ or ‘transcending the world,’ these are merely experiences and choices people make in the world.”
Wei Zhenjie countered, “That’s too early to say. Hua Changxi is still so young. What if, through her worldly experiences, she forgets or changes her true heart?”
Master Zhang didn’t continue to argue with Wei Zhenjie and smiled without speaking.
Wei Zhenjie continued, “People still need a sect and guidance. Otherwise, relying solely on self-discovery will lead to too many detours.”
“Hua Changxi’s background is not high, her vision is limited, and she has no one to guide her. Even with the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, a mountain of gold, she doesn’t know how to utilize it.”
“She has a great hand but plays it poorly, and even puts herself in danger.”
“Sigh.”
Wei Zhenjie became more emotional as he spoke.
Master Zhang looked at him, “Everyone has their own path to walk. You, don’t try to infer other people’s lives based on your own life experiences.”
“What is a dangerous situation for you might be an opportunity for Hua Changxi.”
Just as Wei Zhenjie was about to retort, Wen Lanzhou and Huo Yunxiao entered together.
After greeting them, the two quickly relayed the message from Prince Fu.
Upon hearing this, Wei Zhenjie snorted coldly, “The Royal Family can only resort to such underhanded tactics now.”
Master Zhang sighed and said nothing.
Huo Yunxiao looked at Wei Zhenjie, “Master, Prince Fu and the others clearly intend to continue resisting Hua Changxi’s recruitment of apprentices. Will you still intervene in this matter?”
Wei Zhenjie glanced at his disciple, “This is the Medical Affairs Department, not the Heavenly Department. My reach isn’t that long, and I can’t manage everything. Do you want me to work myself to death?”
“It was already overstepping for me to help Hua Changxi prevent Prince Shou and the others from targeting the Hua Family. If I interfere further, the Heavenly Department will become the target.”
“How to break through the blockade by Prince Shou and the others can only depend on Hua Changxi herself.”
Wen Lanzhou looked at Master Zhang and smiled, “It’s a good thing that Prince Shou and the others continue to obstruct Hua Changxi’s recruitment of apprentices.”
“Many soldiers have retired from the Demon Suppressing Army over the years. You can let all of them into the Dan Yuan Secret Realm. This would also provide them with a way out.”
Upon hearing this, Huo Yunxiao’s eyes lit up, “That’s right.” He then looked at Wei Zhenjie, “Master, what do you think?”
Wei Zhenjie chuckled, “If Hua Changxi is willing to accept them, I have no objections.”
Since Prince Fu had already made it clear, causing people to misunderstand that the Heavenly Department intended to seize the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, he had to reluctantly accept the situation.
It would indeed be excellent if the retired Demon Suppressing Army soldiers could truly enter the Dan Yuan Secret Realm.
However, doing so would be a bit like bullying the honest child, Hua Changxi.
He actually felt a little guilty about it.
But for the development of the Four Spirit Realm, he had to resort to bullying the weak.
Wen Lanzhou saw the smile almost overflowing from the Heavenly Department Minister’s eyes and subtly pouted.
Well, Prince Shou and his cronies had schemed meticulously, only for Minister Wei to reap the benefits!
Meanwhile, Hua Changxi couldn’t let over a thousand retired Demon Suppressing Army soldiers continue to gather outside Number Thirteen Qihuang Hall. After the first hundred Demon Suppressing Army soldiers filled out their resumes and listened to Pharmacist Xu explain the various precautions, she led them and Eunuch Yu and the other three to the Oath Tablet in the Dan Yuan Secret Realm on the plaza.
The group arrived at the plaza in a grand procession, immediately drawing attention from all sides.
From a distance, Prince Shou gritted his teeth, “That really benefits Wei Zhenjie.”
Elsewhere, Xia Zhen also looked contemplative. He had originally thought that with the backing of his Guardian of the Dao identity, the Xia Family could quickly gain control of the situation in the Medical Affairs Department.
However, the complex situation in the Medical Affairs Department far exceeded his expectations.
Having been in the Medical Affairs Department for so long, their side had gained almost no advantage.
Now that the Heavenly Department was openly intervening in the affairs of the Medical Affairs Department, the situation was likely to become even more chaotic.
“Alas, everyone has their own selfish desires. The path to the realm’s revival is still long and arduous!”
Beneath the Oath Tablet.
Hua Changxi looked at Eunuch Yu and the other three, as well as the other retired Demon Suppressing Army soldiers, “For cultivators, Heart Demon Oaths cannot be made lightly. You still have the chance to back out now.”
Hearing this, no one indicated they wanted to withdraw.
Seeing this, Hua Changxi said no more. With a wave of her hand, a wooden table appeared before the Oath Tablet, followed by a hundred or so Identity Tokens on the table.
“Now, line up to make your Heart Demon Oaths. After receiving the recognition of the Oath Tablet, you will receive an Identity Token for entering and exiting the secret realm.”
The onlookers in the distance heard this and a brief commotion ensued.
They had always thought that making a Heart Demon Oath was enough to join the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, never expecting that they would also need the Oath Tablet’s recognition.
This made many people with ulterior motives suddenly nervous and apprehensive.
Hua Changxi saw that Eunuch Yu and the others were also a bit nervous and reassured them, “Don’t be nervous. As long as you sincerely wish to join the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, you will receive the Oath Tablet’s recognition.”
In the crowd, Huo Yunxiao had a look of “just as I expected,” “I knew Hua Changxi’s recruitment conditions wouldn’t be that simple.”
Sincerity, this condition seemed low but was actually terrifyingly high!
Eunuch Yu and the other three, as Stewards of the secret realm, shouldered their responsibilities and stepped forward first.
Eunuch Yu was the first.
Hua Changxi waved an Identity Token, which floated before Eunuch Yu, “Drip a drop of Essence Blood onto it, and then you can make your Heart Demon Oath.”
Eunuch Yu took a deep breath, forced out Essence Blood, and dripped it onto the Identity Token.
The moment the Essence Blood merged into the token, both the Oath Tablet and the Identity Token emitted a faint golden light.
Instantly, the golden light enveloped Eunuch Yu entirely.
“I, with my three souls and six spirits as my guide, and my life’s Essence Blood as my contract, bow to the nine heavens and ten earths, and call upon all spirits of the myriad realms.”
“From this day forward, I voluntarily pledge to become an Apprentice under the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, affiliated with the Dan Sheng Hall, with ‘Refining Heaven and Earth Spiritual Medicine, Cultivating Supreme Pill Heart, Assisting Cultivators in Breaking Through Realms and Overcoming Tribulations, and Saving All Beings from Suffering’ as my lifelong pursuit.”
As Eunuch Yu continued to recite the oath, the golden light began to surge, as if it had come alive, repeatedly washing over Eunuch Yu’s body.
“Heaven and Earth as my witness, Sun and Moon as my alliance, this oath, once made, is indestructible! Should I break this oath, my soul shall scatter, and I shall fall into eternal purgatory!”
As he finished speaking, the golden light dissipated, and the Identity Token landed steadily in Eunuch Yu’s hand.
The Oath Tablet had confirmed Eunuch Yu’s sincerity, and Hua Changxi’s face also showed a smile. Just as she was about to ask Eunuch Jia to proceed, the space above the Oath Tablet suddenly distorted.
The next moment, a vibrant green Tree Branch shot out from the void.
In an instant, the entire Medical Affairs Department, the entire Capital City, and everyone within saw a magnificent, mirage-like spectacle.
A colossal tree, so vast it obscured the sky and reached into the heavens, flickered in the air.
Looking at the giant tree, Wei Zhenjie and Master Zhang rushed to the plaza, their faces filled with astonishment.
“The Undying Divine Wood!”
Hua Changxi was also dumbfounded. Amidst her shock, the Tree Branch above the Oath Tablet flexibly circled the Oath Tablet, as if inspecting it.
Watching this scene, everyone held their breath.
After ‘inspecting’ for a while, the Tree Branch floated before Hua Changxi.
Then, the Tree Branch moved, and a green light appeared at its tip, inscribing a character ‘Yuan’ in the air.
As soon as the character ‘Yuan’ took shape, it began to descend slowly.
Seeing this, Hua Changxi’s expression shifted slightly. She quickly extended her right hand, watching the character ‘Yuan’ slowly merge into her hand and disappear.
“Thank you, Divine Wood, for legitimizing the Dan Yuan Secret Realm.”
With the character ‘Yuan’ integrated into her right hand, Hua Changxi immediately understood its function. Now, with just a thought, the character ‘Yuan’ would instantly appear.
Hearing this, the Tree Branch trembled slightly.
Then, the Tree Branch swept eastward, and everyone standing before the Oath Tablet felt a wave of dizziness as their bodies rapidly moved eastward.
As for the people in other parts of the Medical Affairs Department, they looked on with wide-eyed astonishment.
They watched with their own eyes as the hundred or so people before the Oath Tablet moved eastward with a ‘whoosh,’ as if they had been pulled into another Space.
When everyone regained their senses, the Medical Affairs Department had expanded again.
On the east side of the plaza, a rough and barren giant peak appeared. On the Stone Cliff at the mountain peak, three prominent characters were carved—Dan Yuan Peak.
