Hao Lie sweated profusely as he cast his gaze around, trying to determine the direction of the roar. His intuition told him the roar's owner was far stronger than him. Perhaps it was even stronger than Liang Zun.
After waiting for a long while, Hao Lie couldn't hear or see anything, and the threatened feeling in his heart had also dissipated.
"Maybe it's already gone." Hao Lie looked at Ning Yue and said in a low voice.
Ning Yue nodded slightly while holding the pendant tightly.
"Can we find a third-rank herb here? I don't think it's a good idea to venture deeper." Hao Lie asked.
Ning Yue looked around briefly and shook her head, indicating it was probably not enough here.
Hao Lie frowned deeply and said. "How about we search around here first? We can go further after we can't find it."
Ning Yue had no objection. The two of them immediately began their search.
***
"How is it?" After Chen Xue walked into a spacious room, Qin Weizhe, who had initially sipped tea, asked immediately.
Chen Xue glanced at him and said. "It's done. He's nothing but a hillbilly from the capital city."
"You actually called someone from the capital city a hillbilly? Don't you find it ridiculous?" Huang Yuchun looked at Chen Xue strangely.
Chen Xue merely glanced at him and offered no explanation before finding a vacant seat nearby to sit down.
Qin Weizhe put the cup down and said calmly. "It seemed I was overthinking about it."
"I told you, Brother Qin." Huang Yuchun chuckled. "How could he be an expert as you thought?"
Qin Weizhe took a sip of tea and changed the topic. "There are five months before the assessment. I think it's time for us to enter the inner division now."
Chen Xue furrowed her brows. "Did you hear something from your elder brother?"
Qin Weizhe smiled and said. "The academy entry quotas this year have increased twice the previous year's number. It's a good opportunity for us."
"What?" Huang Yuchun was shocked. "Then, it would be twenty places this year?"
Chen Xue was also surprised. She thought for a moment and said. "What a pity. Ning Yue's ability is handy."
"Who said we are going to kill her?" Qin Weizhe said.
"You mean?" Chen Xue looked at him suspiciously.
"We will give her to the sect master. This will increase our chances," Qin Weizhe said with a dark smile.
Chen Xue frowned slightly and soon relaxed. "Well, you're right."
On the side, Huang Yuchun's eyes lit up as he hurriedly asked. "Brother Qin, can you give her to me before sending her away?"
Although Ning Yue was malnourished and unkempt, her facial features were relatively high. If she was properly fed, she would undoubtedly be a great beauty.
Hearing this, Chen Xue rolled her eyes at him in disgust, but she didn't say anything. To her, Ning Yue was nothing but a tool she raised. The reason she deliberately helped her from time to time was to make Ning Yue trust her so that she could manipulate her easier.
Qin Weizhe glanced at Huang Yuchun and said. "Don't break her. She still has a value."
Huang Yuchun became excited upon hearing this. He immediately patted his chest and said. "Don't worry. I know how to hold back."
At this moment, the door was opened, and a handsome young man and a beautiful woman walked into the room. The man's appearance resembled Qin Weizhe, but his temperament was more sophisticated.
Meanwhile, the beautiful woman was full of charms. Every step she took seemed to make a flower bloom.
"What are you talking about?" The man asked calmly.
"Elder brother. Sister Chen." Qin Weizhe stood up and greeted the two. "It's nothing. Huang Yuchun just bragged about his new woman."
Hearing this, Huang Yuchun quickly put on an embarrassed smile and greeted the two. "Greetings, Young Master Qin and Young Miss Chen."
"Elder sister. Senior Brother Qin." Chen Xue also greeted the newcomers politely.
The man, Qin Jun, smiled and looked at Huang Yuchun. "Although you're young, you should learn to restrain yourself."
On the side, the beautiful woman, Chen Lan, curled her lips and said in contempt. "If you put your mind on your practice like you were indulging in women, your father probably wouldn't have a headache right now."
Huang Yuchun scratched his head in embarrassment and said nothing. Although the Huang Clan was considered one of the five major clans of the Chu Country, their strength was far weaker than the Qin and the Chen Clans. Facing the two, who represented the future of the clans, he simply couldn't do anything.
Qin Weizhe asked. "Why are you coming here, elder brother?"
Qin Jun sat down and took the teacup that Huang Yuchun hurriedly handed it over. "I'm here to tell you about the upcoming royal banquet."
Hearing this, Qin Weizhe and Chen Xue glanced at each other in surprise. The so-called royal banquet was a grand banquet the Great Zhou's royal clan organized every ten years.
Although it was called a banquet, it was, in fact, a competition to find top practitioners among the younger generations.
Qin Jun looked at the two and said. "I know why both of you are unwilling to enter the inner division."
The expressions of Qin Weizhe, Chen Xue, and Huang Yuchun changed drastically when Qin Jun spoke this.
Seeing their expressions, Qin Jun smiled and said. "Don't worry. I won't snatch that little girl away from you. Although her talent is good, it doesn't benefit me."
The trio heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Qin Jun said further. "I want all of you to enter the inner division and participate in this royal banquet."
Qin Weizhe frowned slightly and asked in doubt. "Isn't the banquet required a divinity level to enter? It has nothing to do with us, right?"
Qin Weizhe's true strength was already at the peak of the Divine Ascending Tribulation Realm, but it was still miles away from reaching the Divine Foundation Realm.
It was Chen Lan who took the initiative to answer. "This year is special. The Heavenhold Divine Academy issued a special recruitment notice yesterday. They are going to recruit anyone above the Monarch Profound Realm."
The Great Zhou Royal Clan got twenty quotas for a practitioner below the Divine Foundation Realm and fifty for the ones above. Hence, they are eager to find youngsters willing to represent the kingdom."
She took a deep look at Chen Xue and Qin Weizhe. "This is a great opportunity for you."
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶