Danzun War God

Chapter 18 allows the bringing of attendants.

The two searched around, observing their surroundings. Han Qi noticed that the colors and textures of the scattered boulders seemed out of place with the environment, suggesting they had been added later by humans. This formation was definitely related to these stones.

Han Qi looked at Li Ke and, seeing that he was still confused, said, "Brother Li, look at these huge rocks around us. They seem to have been placed here by people. They may be related to the formation."

Upon hearing this, Li Ke examined the boulder carefully and exclaimed with delight, "Brother Han is absolutely right. It is indeed rather strange that these stones are placed here."

The two then stood atop the rock, examining the positions of the boulders more closely. They saw eight similar boulders arranged in an octagonal pattern. Han Qi suddenly recalled a movement technique: the Eight Gates Shrinking Earth Formation. However, this formation was very rare, and he hadn't expected to encounter it here. The eight gates of the Eight Gates Shrinking Earth Formation corresponded to the eight directions of the Bagua: Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui. These were also the eight gates of Rest, Life, Injury, Block, View, Death, Shock, and Open. To escape this formation, one needed to determine the Life Gate and move the rock at its location—the very eye of the Eight Gates Shrinking Earth Formation.

Under normal circumstances, the Gate of Life is located in the northeast, while the Gate of Death is located in the southwest. The two then determined the location of the Gate of Life based on the position of the sun. The next step was to move the boulder at the Gate of Life to break the formation.

Because the boulder was extremely heavy, the two of them couldn't move it even an inch despite their combined efforts. They tried to break the boulder, but it was too hard to break after several attempts. Helpless, they had to think of other ways.

Just as the two were at their wits' end, Li Ke angrily struck the ground with his palm, and the ground cracked open. The two then had a bright idea. They dug a deep pit on the side of the boulder facing downhill, and then slowly removed the rubble from under the boulder. Before long, the boulder began to tilt and rolled down the mountain along the deep ditch they had dug beforehand.

As the boulder rolled down, the clouds and mist on the mountaintop quickly dissipated, and the two continued to walk rapidly towards the summit. Soon, they reached the top, where they discovered a swirling mist. Overjoyed, they realized this was the exit of the Fire Essence Stone Secret Realm.

The two entered the vortex one after the other, and with one step they appeared on the arena. The surrounding crowd cheered, and the two were the first to leave the secret realm.

At this moment, below the arena, Situ Yuanhao watched Han Qi emerge from the secret realm first, his face beaming with joy. According to the Xuan Tian Sect's management, recruited disciples must first cultivate the art of alchemy within the Danxiu lineage. Only after achieving a certain level of proficiency can they enter the Wuxiu lineage to continue their cultivation. Only disciples exceptionally skilled in alchemy are qualified to remain permanently within the Danxiu lineage. In Situ Yuanhao's eyes, Han Qi's talent in alchemy undoubtedly qualified him to remain in the Danxiu lineage, hence his high expectations for Han Qi.

With less than an hour remaining in the three-hour test, Han Qi and Li Ke bowed to the crowd below the stage and then waited for the final results to be announced. Countless people in the martial arts arena cast envious glances at the two of them.

Before the three hours were up, several people emerged one after another. Only ten people passed the test, and each person's experience was different. Everyone encountered the illusion and the monsters, but the strength of the illusion and the level of the monsters varied slightly. As for the formation, apart from Han Qi and Li Ke, the others did not encounter it.

At this moment, Lu Hongsheng walked to the Fire Essence Stone, waved his hand, and opened the exits of several secret realms. The remaining people came out, only to be told that they had failed the test because they did not come out within the specified time. Although everyone was disappointed, they were ultimately glad that they had come out, because nearly ten people who participated in the test did not come out and must have perished inside.

At this moment, Lu Hongsheng put away the Fire Essence Stone, which shrank back to the size of a palm and was put into his pocket. Then he said in a loud voice, "The third test is over. Ten people have passed the test. Congratulations in advance on joining the Xuantian Sect. Please report to the Xuantian Sect in three days. If you have any questions, you can ask my disciple Sun Yaozu."

After speaking, he stepped down from the arena and left the martial arts arena with Situ Yuanhao and the others, carrying the list of those who passed the test. Only Sun Yaozu and two other disciples of the Xuantian Sect remained in the arena. Han Qi and the others immediately stepped forward to greet them one by one.

Seeing Han Qi emerge from the secret realm first, Sun Yaozu knew his abilities were not to be underestimated. He secretly pondered, "This man is now considered a disciple of the Xuantian Sect, and Elder Situ has shown him great favor. His future is truly limitless. Why not win him over to my side and have him serve me? Even if he rises in power later, it will definitely be beneficial to me." After making his decision, he specifically asked Han Qi, "Junior Brother Han, is there any problem?"

Han Qi naturally understood Sun Yaozu's intentions and was happy to be won over. After all, it would be much easier to handle things if someone led the way when arriving in a new place. So he said enthusiastically, "Senior Brother Sun, I wonder if it is permissible to bring attendants when joining our Xuantian Sect?" He was thinking about what would happen to Chen Wei and Lin Yuyao, who were following him, after he joined the Xuantian Sect, so this was the first question he asked.

Sun Yaozu immediately said, "Well, this is a possibility, but it requires Master's approval. Also, there can only be a maximum of two attendants. I can mention it to Master when I get back and see what he says. But as the first place winner, I don't think there should be any problem."

After asking a few more questions, everyone dispersed, and the onlookers in the martial arts arena gradually left as well.

When Han Qi returned to his residence, Lin Yuyao and Chen Wei had already prepared a table of food and drinks to celebrate with him. Although the two of them did not go to the scene to watch, the names of the ten people who were admitted by Xuantian Sect had already spread throughout Huoyun City. Originally, the two of them also wanted to go to the scene to watch, but considering the safety issues and in order not to distract Han Qi, they stayed at home.

At the dinner table, Lin Yuyao raised her glass and said, "Come on, let's congratulate Brother Qi on successfully passing the Xuantian Sect's selection and becoming a formal disciple of the Xuantian Sect."

After downing a glass of wine, Lin Yuyao's cheeks flushed, her eyes glazed, making her appear even more alluring. She parted her red lips and said softly, "Brother Qi, you went to the Xuan Tian Sect alone. Where will we go? I don't want to go back to Mu Yun City." She then ate her food in silence, her heart filled with sorrow. She had been pondering this problem for the past few days, and it had been very troubling. She didn't want to return to Mu Yun City for the time being; if she went back, her family would definitely stop her from staying at home, and the outside world was nothing like the fun it offered.