I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Xuantian Sect, Pill Pavilion.

Inside the Earth Fire Chamber, three alchemy furnaces were operating simultaneously.

Zhao Ling sat on the futon, her hands constantly changing hand seals, causing the flames to shrink and seal the last bit of medicinal power in the furnace into the pill.

A soft sound was heard.

The alchemy furnace was opened, and twelve Qi Condensation Pills flew into the jade plate, each pill having three clear pill patterns on its surface.

Top-grade elixirs.

Zhao Ling put away the pills and was about to clean the alchemy furnace when the communication jade slip at her waist suddenly vibrated.

She glanced at the doorway, raised her hand to activate the soundproofing array, and then probed the jade slip with her divine sense.

Tie Feng's voice came through.

"Miss Zhao, something has happened at the Qingyun Sect."

"Qin Cang personally led the raid, and the Qingyun Sect's headquarters has been destroyed. The sect leader and several elders are missing and their fates are unknown. The mirage has activated its self-destruct formation."

"Yifei will make you leave Xuantian Sect immediately."

The sound stopped there.

Zhao Ling held the jade slip and remained seated in the same position for a moment.

The flames beneath the alchemy furnace were still burning.

She reached out and turned off the earth fire, then put all the newly refined Qi Condensation Pills into a jade bottle.

The Qingyun Sect is gone.

Now that Qin Cang has taken action, the purge will begin sooner or later.

However, she comes from a small family and is neither a member of the Xu family nor a core disciple of the Qingyun Sect.

In the eyes of the Enforcement Hall, she was just an insignificant early Foundation Establishment disciple in the Alchemy Hall. Even if they were to arrest someone, she wouldn't be at the top of the list.

There is still time.

Zhao Ling touched the storage bag.

It contained the Earth Essence that Zheng Yifei had given her.

Once she consumes the spiritual essence, she can reach the peak of Foundation Establishment within a few days and break through to the Golden Core stage, which requires forming the Golden Core. If she encounters a bottleneck while attempting to advance her realm, it's best to also take a Breakthrough Pill.

She originally planned to seek guidance from her master.

not now.

Her apparent cultivation level was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Suddenly asking for a Golden Core was tantamount to writing "I have a problem" on her face.

Zhao Ling changed out of her alchemy clothes and walked out of the Earth Fire Chamber.

The alchemy hall was built on a branch of a volcano, and the air was filled with the smell of medicine all year round. The disciples along the way were busy transporting spiritual materials, and no one paid attention to her.

Instead of heading to the mountain gate, she turned around and went to the Dan Ge Barter Hall.

The barter hall is specifically for disciples of the Alchemy Hall to exchange pills, spiritual materials, and contribution points. Ordinary disciples can only trade on the first floor, while inner disciples can enter the second floor.

Zhao Ling swiped her ID card and went straight upstairs.

On the second floor, there were dozens of wooden shelves, on which were placed jade bottles sealed with protective seals. Behind the shelves, in front of a counter, sat a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

The young man's name was Luo Cheng. He was a disciple of the Third Elder of the Pill Pavilion and had a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.

He was looking down at the account books when he noticed someone approaching and casually raised his eyelids.

Upon seeing who it was, he immediately closed the ledger and stood up.

"Junior Sister Zhao."

Luo Cheng straightened his collar, a smile spreading across his face: "Weren't you refining pills in the Earth Fire Chamber? What brings you here today?"

"Change some things."

Zhao Ling placed the two jade bottles on the counter: "Five top-grade Qi Condensation Pills, five top-grade Spirit Nourishing Pills, one high-grade Golden Core Pill, and one high-grade Barrier Breaking Pill."

Luo Cheng's smile immediately faded.

He uncorked the bottles and examined them one by one.

All ten pills are of the highest quality.

In particular, the Spirit Nourishing Pill can nourish the spirit, and the Nascent Soul and Golden Core elders of the Xuantian Sect are willing to pay high prices to acquire it.

"Junior Sister Zhao, did you refine these pills?"

"It was a gift from my master."

Zhao Ling had already prepared her explanation: "I don't need it for the time being, but I want to exchange it for a breakthrough pill for an elder in my clan."

Luo Cheng nodded, not delving into the matter further.

It's not surprising that the sect leader's personal disciple possesses top-grade pills.

He picked up the ledger beside him and slowly flipped through a few pages.

"A high-grade Breakthrough Pill has appeared. As for a high-grade Golden Core Pill..."

Luo Cheng drawled out his words, looking up at her: "There's only one left, but it's already been reserved by Senior Brother Sun."

Zhao Ling glanced at the top of the wooden frame.

There was a blue jade bottle there, with three characters written on the label.

Forming the Golden Elixir.

The insulated area remains intact, indicating that the transaction has not yet been completed.

"According to the rules of the barter hall, a transaction is not considered complete until the goods are delivered," Zhao Ling said.

"Rules are rules, and personal relationships are personal relationships. Senior Brother Sun's uncle is a steward of the Pill Pavilion, and I can't afford to offend him."

Zhao Ling did not reply, but reached out to take back the jade bottle.

"Junior Sister Zhao, don't worry."

Luo Cheng immediately pressed down on one of the jade bottles: "Things aren't unnecessarily unnecessarily negotiable."

Zhao Ling looked up at him.

Luo Cheng lowered his voice: "Senior Brother Sun only made a verbal reservation and didn't pay a deposit. Giving you the Golden Core Pill is perfectly acceptable on the books."

"What are the conditions?"

"There are no conditions whatsoever."

Luo Cheng smiled, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment: "You've been in the Alchemy Hall for so long, always busy refining pills. We've been fellow disciples for years, yet we've never even shared a meal together."

"Tomorrow night, at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion at the foot of the mountain, it's my treat."

Zhao Ling did not agree immediately.

Luo Cheng's hand was still on the jade bottle, his fingertips tapping the bottle body intermittently.

"Junior Sister Zhao, only three Golden Core Pills are sent each year. If you miss this one, you'll have to wait at least four months for the next one."

Four months.

What wouldn't normally last long could be deadly now.

Zhao Ling winked at him: "I'm free tomorrow night."

Luo Cheng's eyes lit up.

"really?"

"really."

"Then it's settled."

Luo Cheng walked around the counter and reached for the two jade bottles in front of Zhao Ling. He didn't take them directly, but instead placed his palm on the back of Zhao Ling's hand.

Zhao Ling stopped, feeling nauseous, but still smiled.

Luo Cheng gently stroked the jade bottle before taking it away, his smile widening.

"Junior Sister's hands don't seem like those of someone who refines pills every day."

Zhao Ling lowered her eyes and did not pull her hand away.

"Senior Brother Luo, the pills."

"Look at me, I almost forgot the important thing in my excitement."

Luo Cheng turned around and took out a blue jade bottle, and then took out another white jade bottle from under the counter.

He checked the seal and pushed the two bottles of pills in front of Zhao Ling.

"One high-grade Golden Core Pill and one high-grade Barrier Breakthrough Pill."

"Ten top-grade third-tier pills are worth even more. I'll convert the extra amount into contribution points and record it on your identity card."

Zhao Ling handed over the identity token.

Luo Cheng finished his work, but did not immediately let go.

"I'll be waiting for you at Zuixianlou tomorrow night at dusk. Don't leave me waiting in vain, junior sister."

"Don't worry, senior brother, I will definitely keep my promise."

Zhao Ling took the identity token and the pills, then turned and went downstairs.

After leaving the barter shop, she neither returned to her residence nor went to see her master.

You can't take anything from the place.

A few ritual implements and some daily necessities are insignificant compared to life.

She walked along the mountain path, maintaining a normal pace throughout.

Disciples of the Xuantian Sect's inner sect only need to use their identity tokens to pass through the formation when entering and leaving the sect. Unless the sect enters a wartime lockdown, the gatekeepers are not authorized to search their storage bags.

Along the way, she encountered many patrolling disciples.

No one stopped her.

At the mountain gate, two Foundation Establishment disciples are verifying their identities.

When it was Zhao Ling's turn, one of them scanned her ID card.

"Alchemy Hall, Zhao Ling."

"What are you doing leaving the sect at this hour?"

"Go to the market and get a batch of Ice Heart Grass for Master."

Zhao Ling handed over a jade slip for procurement.

This is an old receipt she used when purchasing spiritual materials; the alchemy hall mark is still on it.

The people in the alchemy hall often go out in the middle of the night to purchase spiritual materials, and no one wants to offend the alchemist for a few herbs.

"Let it go."

A gap was opened in the mountain gate formation.

Zhao Ling put away the jade slip and stepped out.

She did not use her sword to fly, nor did she immediately accelerate; instead, she walked down the stone steps.

Hundred feet.

Three hundred feet.

Only when the Xuan Tian Sect's mountain gate was obscured by clouds and mist did Zhao Ling turn into the dense forest, take out a disguise talisman from her storage bag, and stick it on her face.

Her appearance changed rapidly, and the inner disciple's robe she was wearing was replaced by a black cloak.

Zhao Ling took out the cyan jade bottle and confirmed that the Golden Core formation was successful before letting out a breath.

The feeling of Luo Cheng touching his hand still lingered on the back of his hand.

She took out a handkerchief, wiped the area vigorously several times, and then threw the handkerchief away.

"We're having dinner tomorrow night, but you won't even get a seat at the head table."

Zhao Ling took out a communication jade slip and sent a message to Tie Feng.

"I've got the items, I'm leaving the sect."

No sooner had the news spread than a bell suddenly rang out from the direction of the Xuantian Sect.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Nine shots in a row.

This is the Fengshan Bell.

Immediately afterwards, numerous array patterns rose from between the mountains. The Xuantian Sect's protective array completely closed, sealing off all passages inside and outside the mountain gate.

More than a dozen streaks of light rushed from the main peak toward the alchemy hall and the array pavilion.

Zhao Ling's identity tag suddenly heated up.

A thin red line appeared inside the originally white jade pendant.

Tracking has been initiated.

A cold voice came from the identity card.

"By order of the Grand Elder, all disciples of the Qingyun Sect shall immediately proceed to the Hall of Enforcement for investigation."

"Those who leave their clan without permission shall be punished for the crime of treason."

After listening, Zhao Ling placed the identity token in her palm.

Flames rise.

The jade pendant quickly cracked and burned into a mass of black residue.

She looked up at Xuantian Sect.

Less than half an incense stick's time after she left, the cleansing began. Luckily, she was almost locked up in the sect.

Above the mountain gate, Hu Xiaotian held a list in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the rapidly gathering disciples of the Enforcement Hall.

"Xu Zhenghai, Xu Muyao, and Zhao Ling, these three people have already left the sect ahead of schedule."

Hu Xiaotian put away the list and pointed out the mountain.

"Someone tipped them off."

"Seal off Xuantian Market and search every house!"