Gao Feiyang’s gaze swept over the remaining eleven individuals. “Congratulations to the eleven Junior Brothers and Sisters! From this moment on, you are officially Outer Sect Disciples of our Calamity Abyss Valley! Devote yourselves to cultivation henceforth, and the Great Dao lies right before your eyes!”

He paused for a moment, then waved his arm in a grand, sweeping gesture.

“Enough idle chatter! All who have passed the assessment shall now depart for Calamity Abyss Valley alongside the Young Miss! As for the Spirit Stones you surrendered earlier, they will naturally be returned to you after you enter the sect and complete the registration process.”

Zhou Kai stepped forward, cupping his hands respectfully toward Gao Feiyang, his tone sincere. “Senior Brother Gao, I still have some mundane matters to settle at home, and I wish to return to handle them properly first. I wonder if it would be permissible to grant us some time? After finishing our affairs, we can proceed to the sect on our own to report.”

Chen Ziyi cooperatively stepped forward as well, offering a graceful bow to Gao Feiyang. Though her figure appeared burly beneath her wide cloak, her demeanor remained surprisingly gentle and refined.

Upon hearing this, Gao Feiyang’s peach-blossom eyes lifted slightly. His gaze lingered on Zhou Kai’s face for a moment before flicking toward Chen Ziyi, who was practically bundled up like a rice dumpling behind him. He chuckled carelessly.

“Ah, such a trivial matter! Our Calamity Abyss Valley has always been unconventional, emphasizing freedom of action and unrestrained ease!”

He retrieved two types of tokens from his Storage Bag.

One token was forged entirely of red gold, warm to the touch, and engraved with intricate emblems that faintly shimmered with spiritual light.

Gao Feiyang held it in his palm and introduced it. “This is the Red Gold Registered Token! Three hundred Spirit Stones apiece—a fair price for all! It requires a drop of blood to bind to its owner, is non-transferable, and should be stored within the dantian. It must not be lost! Should the owner unfortunately perish, this token will automatically shatter. Holders of this token need only report to our Calamity Abyss Valley within six months!”

He then picked up the other type of token. This one was completely jet-black, cold and heavy in the hand. Its material resembled iron but wasn’t quite iron. It bore only the simple inscription “Token,” appearing plain, unadorned, and even somewhat crude.

“This is the Black Iron Anonymous Token,” Gao Feiyang said, hefting the black iron token in his hand, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. “Ten Spirit Stones each—a reasonable price! This item serves only as proof of qualification. It is unregistered and unbound; whoever holds it gains entry.”

“Of course, lost tokens are not replaced. If it gets robbed or stolen on the way, or if you carelessly lose it yourself… well, then you can’t blame anyone else.”

Though his words were spoken lightly, his meaningful glance subtly swept over the eleven individuals present, focusing especially on Zhou Kai’s group and Fu Sheng’s group.

A look of “serious contemplation” appeared on Zhou Kai’s face, though his mind was already racing.

Gao Feiyang’s words practically spell out that open robbery is allowed. That kid Fu Sheng brought two helpers but only managed to snatch two Flowing Light Sparrows; they definitely want all three of them to enter the sect together. Perfect timing—I’ve got my eye on their tokens, too.

Having thought this through, an expression mixing “pained reluctance” and “calculation” surfaced on Zhou Kai’s face as he addressed Gao Feiyang.

“Senior Brother Gao… I’m truly short on funds. That Red Gold Registered Token is really… So, I’ll take two Black Iron Anonymous Tokens.”

As he spoke, he took out twenty Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and handed them over. He didn’t forget to shoot a meaningful glance, tinged with provocation, toward Fu Sheng, who stood not far away.

“Oh?” Gao Feiyang glanced at Fu Sheng before smiling at Zhou Kai. “Junior Brother Han is quite shrewd and discerning! Here you go!”

Fu Sheng naturally noticed Zhou Kai’s provocative look as well. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and an inscrutable smile tugged at his lips.

As if in response, he also stepped forward and cupped his hands toward Gao Feiyang.

“Senior Brother Gao, Junior Brother Wu and I also wish to return first to handle some private matters. We will trouble you for two Black Iron Anonymous Tokens as well.”

He promptly paid twenty Spirit Stones and received two Black Iron Anonymous Tokens.

Zhou Kai took his tokens, handing one to Chen Ziyi and keeping one for himself. He turned to Fang Lizhe, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke earnestly.

“Lizhe, you should first accompany this… hmm… Young Miss Martial Aunt and the other fellow disciples to the sect. Big Brother will follow after handling some matters at hand.”

“Yes! Big Brother!” Fang Lizhe nodded emphatically.

At that moment, up on the high platform, the Young Miss who had remained shrouded in mystery finally moved.

Her fair hand lifted slightly, her jade-like fingers making a subtle motion.

Instantly, a profound and vast aura spread through the air!

A massive palanquin—jet-black all over and as large as a pavilion—materialized out of thin air in mid-air!

The palanquin possessed an ancient design. Its body was carved with countless intricate and profound Netherfire runes; wisps of black flame flowed and danced between them, emitting an eerie chill that stirred unease in one’s heart.

Bone wind chimes hanging from its four corners moved without any wind, emitting an eerie ding-ling-ling sound that seemed capable of hooking souls.

The appearance of this palanquin caused the temperature across the entire plaza to drop several degrees.

Zhou Kai’s pupils contracted sharply!

This… this palanquin! A storm of shock raged within him. So that mysterious large palanquin Fang Lizhe glimpsed from afar in the mountain forest back then was actually hers! And this palanquin wasn’t taken out from a Storage Bag… it was summoned forth from her dantian!

This is… a Lifebound Treasure!

A Lifebound Treasure was connected to a cultivator’s soul spirit; they shared thoughts and intent. Its power far surpassed that of ordinary magical treasures.

To refine such an enormous palanquin into a Lifebound Treasure—the amount of rare heavenly materials consumed and the demands placed on its owner’s soul spirit were simply unimaginable!

Good heavens! How many precious materials must have been piled up to create such a massive Lifebound Treasure! What kind of background does this woman have? Zhou Kai inwardly clicked his tongue in astonishment.

The Young Miss remained silent as ever. Her figure flickered like a ghostly apparition as she drifted into the palanquin. The curtain fell silently behind her, concealing everything within.

Immediately after, that colossal black palanquin rose silently into the air and hovered before the cliff face. It waited only for the new disciples to prepare before it would depart through the skies.

Seeing this from atop the high platform, Gao Feiyang seemed injected with adrenaline once more, his excitement reaching its peak!

His eyes shone with fanatical light as two brand-new, even larger, and more magnificent giant vertical banners unfurled once more upon the wall!

Whoosh—

The two banners snapped open like twin crimson waterfalls cascading from heaven, once again covering that bare cliff face!

The left banner, its calligraphy bold and sweeping like dragons and snakes, its bloody radiance soaring skyward:

“Three thousand tolls of the spiritual vein bells respectfully send off the immortal carriage returning to the Jasper Terrace!”

The right banner, its strokes strong as iron hooks and silver threads, overflowing with baleful aura:

“Nine thousand miles of bowing Sword Mounds kneel to welcome the divine light sheltering the myriad provinces!”

Between these two vertical banners, that even more eye-catching horizontal scroll had been replaced by five glittering golden characters—large as bushels, exuding domineering arrogance:

“Humbly Bidding Farewell to the Young Miss!”

Gao Feiyang planted his hands on his hips, threw back his head, and laughed heartily toward the sky, his heart swelling with immense satisfaction.

Hmph! Last time my flattery missed its mark. This time, this master’s literary talent rivals that of immortals descended from the Ninth Heaven! The Young Miss will surely be immensely pleased and transfer me away from this godforsaken Broken Wood Bay!

Mid-air, the colossal black palanquin poised for departure suddenly halted.

In the next instant, a slender, fair jade hand—its nails trimmed round and neat, yet seemingly containing terrifying power capable of destroying heaven and earth—slowly extended from behind the palanquin curtain.

That jade hand, separated by several dozen zhang, made a faint patting motion toward Gao Feiyang below on his high platform, where he was lost in self-admiration.

Immediately following, a clear, cold voice drifted leisurely from within the palanquin. It was tinged with a trace of something barely perceptible… Disdain? Resignation? Yet it reached everyone’s ears with perfect clarity:

“Noisy.”

Thump!

“Aiya——” Gao Feiyang let out a pained cry as he was sent flying like a kite with its string cut by an invisible, tremendous force.

With a loud thud, he struck a distant cliff face in an extremely contorted posture, smashing a human-shaped crater into the hard rock. Rubble clattered down around him.

Even so, from within that dust-covered face emerged an obsequious smile uglier than crying. Struggling out from the stone crater onto one knee, one hand clutching his chest while raising the other high above his head, he shouted hoarsely:

“The Young Miss’s divine might shakes all under heaven! Peerless Mana! That palm strike… was excellent! Superb! This disciple feels my cultivation… has advanced further! Many thanks for your guidance, Young Miss!”

“You shall remain stationed at Broken Wood Bay for another three years…”

The colossal black palanquin lingered no longer. Transforming into a streak of flowing light and enwrapping the new disciples within it, it vanished beyond the horizon’s edge in an instant.

It left behind only those few Calamity Abyss Valley disciples atop the high platform, whose mouths twitched uncontrollably while they desperately suppressed their laughter.