Elder Zhang and Meng Gaofei felt a wave of relief. Had Martial Heaven arrived any later, they might have been forced to their knees.
Martial Heaven scanned the scene, then turned to Lou Mengyu with surprise. "What's the meaning of this?"
Lou Mengyu's heart swelled with indignation. She shot a venomous glare at Qin Yang, who stood nearby with hands clasped behind his back, feigning disinterest.
Before she could explain, Elder Zhang interjected, his voice sharp but trembling with uncertainty. "Our Thousand Hidden Sect's outer disciple stole pill formulas and caused a disturbance at the Pill Dispensary when discovered. Your men were deceived into attacking our sect members. I demand to know your intentions!"
Meng Gaofei chimed in hastily, "Are you trying to bully us into believing the Thousand Hidden Sect lacks capable members? To meddle in our internal affairs and strike with such force—"
Martial Heaven's divine sense swept through the area, his gaze shifting toward Lou Mengyu. "Did you orchestrate all this?"
Lou Mengyu's words caught in her throat as she reluctantly nodded.
"Hahaha! Excellent, excellent!" Martial Heaven roared with laughter, his praise ringing through the air. "I never expected such tactical brilliance from you in actual combat. Truly worthy of the Lou Clan's legacy!"
Elder Zhang and Meng Gaofei exchanged stunned glances. Since when was this man offering praise?
Martial Heaven's expression darkened. "Bully you? I know Lou Mengyu's temperament well. She would never act without provocation."
Martial Heaven frowned as he looked at Qin Yang. "How could an outer disciple like him steal your pill formulas? Even if he did, he couldn't possibly refine them."
As his words hung in the air, an awkward silence settled over the group.
"What?" Martial Heaven found himself more confused than ever.
Elder Zhang and Meng Gaofei's faces flushed crimson with suppressed anger. They'd already achieved top-grade results—how could they claim Qin Yang couldn't refine the pills? If he was trying to protect Qin Yang, shouldn't he at least know something about the boy?
Lou Mengyu spoke softly, "He didn't steal the formula, and Qin Yang can refine it."
She proceeded to recount everything from the beginning of the competition to the recent events, including how Qin Yang's guidance had enabled her to swiftly defeat the Inner Sect disciples.
The more Martial Heaven listened, the more he doubted. He scrutinized Qin Yang from head to toe—this young man simply didn't look capable of such extraordinary feats...
"You're claiming Qin Yang stole the formula for a second-grade supreme-grade Face-Preserving Pill?" Martial Heaven asked.
"Exactly!" Elder Zhang insisted.
Martial Heaven let out a dry laugh. "Are you aware no such formula exists? The highest-grade Face-Preserving Pill formula is merely superior-grade. Even a master alchemist might produce a supreme-grade pill through sheer luck..."
At this point, Martial Heaven turned to Lou Mengyu, seeking confirmation with his gaze.
Lou Mengyu nodded slightly. This matter was undeniably true, and she had already consumed that supreme-grade Face-Preserving Pill... The thought brought a wave of complicated emotions. She felt profoundly uneasy, as if Qin Yang had taken complete possession of her, both inside and out.
Martial Heaven said, "Even if such a formula existed, it would have been lost long ago. How could it possibly belong to your Thousand Hidden Sect?"
Elder Zhang argued, "The truth stands clear. Qin Yang is our Thousand Hidden Sect's outer disciple, and everything about him belongs to the sect!"
Meng Gaofei interjected, "If he hands over the formula, we'll immediately destroy his cultivation and expel him from the sect!"
He feared that if Qin Yang remained, he might usurp his position as eldest disciple.
Elder Zhang looked at Meng Gaofei with exasperation, thinking: This incompetent fool who only brings disaster...
"You're abandoning such a valuable disciple?" Martial Heaven couldn't comprehend. As for the claim that everything belonging to an outer disciple was the sect's property, the temporary Mission Hall manager knew this all too well.
The so-called outer disciples were essentially unpaid slaves. They were given the "honorable" title of providing cultivation grounds, but the sect showed no concern for their welfare. Those with good aptitude could enter the inner sect, while those with poor aptitude became free laborers.
"We can't afford to keep such a traitor in our Thousand Hidden Sect!" Meng Gaofei said.
His words silenced Elder Zhang's thoughts, leaving the elder unable to voice his objections.
"Nonsense!" Elder Zhang whispered. "This boy possesses the formula for a second-grade premium Face-Preserving Pill and has extraordinary cultivation talent. Keeping him would be immensely beneficial to the sect!"
Meng Gaofei feared this argument most. "That's precisely why we can't keep him," he countered quietly. "With what's already happened today, there's no turning back now."
Martial Heaven spoke directly: "In that case, he's free to go. Stop messing around with the formula matter. If you have any issues, have your sect leader come speak to me."
With that, he produced a jade token and handed it to Qin Yang.
Qin Yang accepted the token and examined it. The entire piece was exquisitely crafted, crystalline and translucent—a high-grade jade. Though it couldn't compare to his Dragon Jade, it still appeared quite valuable.
The front bore the ancient yet imposing characters "Cang Qiong," while the back displayed intricate, complex patterns.
"What's this? A token for the Celestial Academy? Does this mean I'm a student there now?" Qin Yang asked.
Martial Heaven smiled. "Gaining entry to Celestial Academy isn't as simple as you might think. This is merely an assessment token. During the beast tide, this token will tally points based on the demonic beasts you slay. Only those who rank among the top hundred on the Northern Plains' Beast Hunter List qualify for admission."
"The top hundred? How many tokens are there in total?" Qin Yang inquired.
Martial Heaven replied, "Several thousand at least. These tokens were distributed in advance, and only the most exceptional talents receive them."
"Several thousand?" Qin Yang's eyes widened. Hunting demonic beasts was already arduous enough, and now he had to compete against thousands of others?
As for exceptional talents, Qin Yang couldn't be more delighted.
Elder Zhang and Meng Gaofei stood to the side, utterly dumbfounded. Meng Gaofei whispered, "What exactly is this Celestial Academy?"
Elder Zhang shook his head, murmuring, "It must be a major sect. With thousands of candidates for their selection process, and they're using the beast tide as part of the assessment...?"
"What should we do now?" Meng Gaofei asked, at a loss.
Elder Zhang felt a headache coming on. Had the formula for the second-grade premium Face-Preserving Pill truly slipped through their grasp? The two men remained silent, observing the situation with bated breath.
"Teacher Martial, why have you suddenly appeared here?" Lou Mengyu asked curiously.
Martial Heaven suddenly remembered and said, "I have an urgent matter to attend to and must leave. Lou Mengyu, you'll be in charge of receiving guests at the Thousand Hidden Sect."
Qin Yang also recalled that Martial Heaven had previously instructed him to thoroughly clean the mountain gates, mentioning there would be many visitors during this period.
Lou Mengyu glanced at the Inner Sect disciples wailing across the courtyard, looking troubled. "This... might not be the best time."
Martial Heaven considered for a moment. "The location is already set and can't be changed. Here's what we'll do: Let them handle themselves as they wish. You two go to Wanshan City first. When the beast tide arrives, begin the assessment immediately."
"Oh, and I have an important task for you," Martial Heaven added.
Lou Mengyu blinked. "What task?"
Martial Heaven looked at Qin Yang. "Keep an eye on this kid. He's got potential, so we can't let him stray from the right path."
Lou Mengyu was taken aback. This...
Qin Yang immediately brightened, clasping his hands. "Don't worry, Teacher Martial. I'll be obedient and take good care of my junior sister."
Martial Heaven felt uneasy, but with the situation urgent, he couldn't press further. He vanished in a flash.
"Huh? Won't you give us a lift?" Qin Yang called out.
But Martial Heaven was already gone.
Qin Yang grinned at Lou Mengyu. "Shimei, let's go!"
Lou Mengyu's heart tightened. Qin Yang's smile looked suspiciously mischievous. "Go... go where?"
"Wanshan City, of course. I don't know the way," Qin Yang replied.
Elder Zhang and Meng Gaofei exchanged glances. If Martial Heaven had left... they wanted to stop them, but they simply lacked the strength...
Qin Yang glanced at Elder Zhang and Meng Gaofei, chuckled softly, and followed Lou Mengyu toward Wanshan City.
"We're just letting them go like that?" Meng Gaofei's eyes burned with envy. This should have been his chance! But Martial Heaven hadn't even looked his way!
Elder Zhang spoke meaningfully, "Don't worry. We know where they're headed, don't we?"