[Master of the Changhong Sword: I see. Thank you, Group Owner.]
Hongmao replied with a disappointed sigh and shook his head.
He had been weak.
He couldn't beg the Group Owner to solve everything. That the Group Owner could grant him the power of darkness and send him Lantu's location was already a kindness he couldn't repay in three lifetimes.
Now, even the matter of going to the Santai Pavilion to find Lantu's memories had to be entrusted to him?
Then what use was he, Hongmao? What use was the Demonic Rainbow Sword in his hand?
"So, Hongmao, any information?"
Seeing Hongmao's dejected look, Lantu quickly tightened her grip on his hand and asked softly.
"No, but we'll be able to find the answer ourselves soon."
Hongmao gripped Lantu's right hand in return, revealing a sharp smile.
"The Santai Pavilion holds a disciple recruitment assembly every ten years. Each assembly has three trials. The one who passes all trials and ranks first receives the world's ultimate treasure, the Purity Origin Pearl."
From the Phoenix Martial Arts School's records, he had obtained quite a bit of information.
The three major trials included Unconventional Skills, Proof of the Forbidden Land, and finally, the Martial School Competition.
Unconventional Skills tested disciples' proficiency in abilities beyond martial arts.
It covered herbs, cooking, embroidery, woodworking, mechanisms, blacksmithing, and so on.
The Santai Pavilion didn't accept martial arts fanatics who only knew how to fight. Every disciple accepted under its banner was a versatile talent proficient in multiple fields.
Proof of the Forbidden Land, also known as 'Proof of the Sacred Beast, Compete in the Forbidden Land'.
Before the recruitment assembly began, the Santai Pavilion would scatter prepared tokens to various forbidden lands and sacred sites around the world.
These places might have perilous terrain with countless twists and turns, bizarre and sinister strange scenes, or be guarded by powerful sacred beasts.
Only by passing the tests of these 'forbidden lands' could one pass the second trial and enter the final Martial School Competition.
The disciples filtered out from hundreds of martial schools, sects, and families would form teams and engage in brutal elimination battles.
On the arena, life and death didn't matter, and methods didn't matter.
Poison, hidden weapons, driving fierce beasts… all were within the rules.
There was only one goal.
Defeat the opponent, or kill them!
After the brutal arena battles, the final five elites selected would be accepted into the Santai Pavilion, becoming the highly esteemed Santai Disciples.
And the champion would be awarded the Purity Origin Pearl, produced only once every ten years, hailed as the world's number one treasure!
The Purity Origin Pearl could purify all filth and all curses in the world.
It could also increase one's power by a hundred years, turning a talentless good-for-nothing into a top-tier master in the martial world!
This was the foundation of the Santai Pavilion.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to this Santai Pavilion quickly."
Lantu grabbed Hongmao's hand, trying to pull him forward.
But Hongmao shook his head helplessly and sighed softly.
"The Santai Pavilion's whereabouts are uncertain, its headquarters hidden. Even the invincible Demonic Sect of the past couldn't find their hiding place."
Although Santai Mountain was located in Hangcheng, the hiding place of its sect, the Santai Pavilion, was like the moon in water, a flower in a mirror.
It could only be viewed from afar, while the method to enter remained elusive.
Over the past ten years, he and the Seven Swords had experienced countless great disasters and calamities.
Yet the Santai Pavilion managed to avoid every catastrophe, remaining untouched, continuing their decade-long disciple recruitment assemblies and accumulating strength.
The Phoenix Martial Arts School's records said the Santai Pavilion's Sect Leader had the ability to spy on heavenly secrets.
Now it seemed that might be true.
"Then what do we do? Will we never find the Santai Pavilion in our lifetime?"
"No, there's only one way to knock on their door."
A slight curve lifted the corner of Hongmao's mouth as demonic aura surged around him.
"Participate in the Santai Pavilion's decade-long disciple recruitment assembly, which openly invites all martial world comrades, one month from now!"
In the group chat, after some usual casual chatting, Hattori gradually learned about Hongmao's recent situation.
Recently, they planned to rest temporarily on Coconut Island.
First, place the Seven Swords, who had turned into infants, with a kind-hearted woman's family, to prevent them from affecting their participation in the competition.
Next, help Lantu re-cultivate the Ice Soul technique, restoring some of her pre-amnesia strength.
For martial arts masters, having profound internal energy without knowing techniques or moves was far from enough.
Dealing with lackeys in the fighting arena, Lantu might still be more than capable.
But in the Proof of the Forbidden Land and the final Martial School Competition, those sacred beasts suppressing entire regions, the hidden experts held in reserve by major sects…
They couldn't be defeated with just a few punches and kicks.
Hongmao also joined Lantu in re-cultivating the Ice Soul technique.
The Heavenly Demon's Wild Dance Divine Art was too conspicuous. If exposed immediately, it would inevitably alert the Santai Pavilion.
Although Hongmao was confident his demonic arts could definitely suppress and kill most of the Santai Pavilion's disciples, even break through their mountain gate, if he was exposed prematurely, forcing the Santai Pavilion to close its doors and go into hiding, the loss would outweigh the gain.
Therefore, in the first few trials of the recruitment assembly, Hongmao planned to use the Ice Soul internal energy against enemies, concealing his demonic arts.
As for why he didn't cultivate the Changhong internal energy...
The combination of the Demonic Rainbow Sword + Changhong internal energy + his appearance was simply too conspicuous.
Anyone with normal intelligence would connect it to Hongmao, the leader of the Seven Swords, which was no different from exposing his demonic arts.
Lantu didn't need to worry.
The Ice Soul technique's internal energy was unpredictable, with multiple moves and body techniques.
This time, during re-cultivation, Hongmao planned for Lantu to take another path of the Ice Soul Divine Art…
Long-range Control!
In the original work, Lantu practiced close-quarters swordplay like Hongmao, bold and powerful, incredibly agile, with remarkable power.
A single sword swing could create an icy, snowy world, like heavenly maidens scattering blossoms.
However, within the Jade Toad Palace's secret Ice Soul techniques, there was another path.
Focusing on cultivating the Jade Toad Palace's unique hidden weapon, the 'Embroidery Goddess Needles', adopting a combat style of formations, body techniques, and long-range control.
This way, firstly, it could conceal her identity as the Ice Soul Sword Master.
Secondly, it could coordinate with Hongmao, making it easier to achieve a high ranking in the Martial School Competition.
And so…
For the next month, Hongmao and Lantu decided to re-cultivate the Ice Soul Divine Art, preparing for the recruitment assembly.
Niu Xuanfeng would take the infant Doudou and return to the Huangshi Village Six Wonders Pavilion.
He would visit Doudou's senior brother from back then to seek a method to restore them to their original forms.
The story of the Brave Return dimension thus temporarily comes to an end here.