"Yes, Elder Shui."
Xing Feng obediently took the pill.
The graceful woman waved her hand casually, her expression indifferent, clearly not taking the matter to heart. She then turned her gaze toward where Chu Ge stood, watching quietly.
As time passed, even the assembled masters began to grow restless.
"A whole quarter of an hour has passed. Why hasn't it ended yet? Could something have gone wrong?"
"Liu Sandao, what's your hurry? If you don't want to wait, just leave!"
"Old Ghost Li, I dare you—"
Two of the masters began arguing loudly, the same pair who had previously clashed at the slightest provocation.
Now, their faces were red, their necks bulging with rage. One had patches of blue and white across his face, while the other's robe was torn in several large holes, still marked with a few footprints—the remnants of their earlier fight.
"You two fools, what are you bickering about? Down below, there are juniors watching—don't you feel any shame?"
A white-haired elder stepped forward, his voice sharp and scolding.
He raised his dark green bamboo staff and, with a single swing, struck the heads of the two arguing masters.
Even these two powerful figures, being scolded like children, did not take offense. Instead, they immediately quieted down and obediently shut their mouths.
"Elder Xu's admonishment is well-deserved. These two blockheads needed a proper lesson!"
The others chuckled knowingly; this sort of scene was far from unusual.
The elder glared at the two obedient masters and spoke again.
"I just carefully sensed the flow of energy. This young friend with the Sacred Body is continuously growing stronger. Judging by the current situation, it should be a good sign. Nothing serious has occurred."
"Could it be that this Spirit-Measuring Stone contains some hidden opportunity, and it was triggered today by the Sacred Body's origin power?"
A few voices expressed curiosity.
Elder Xu stroked his beard thoughtfully and slowly explained:
"Perhaps some of you don't know. This Spirit-Measuring Stone was personally brought to the Sacred Land by Patriarch Leixiao himself."
"At the time, many speculated that it might hold some hidden opportunity. After numerous attempts without success, it was eventually forgotten."
"Now it seems, the Spirit Stone indeed contains a mystery. But over all these years, no one in Taihuang has possessed such fortune, which is why the opportunity remained obscured."
At these words, everyone's eyes widened in astonishment.
Who would have thought that such an unassuming Spirit Stone could not only survive the passage of countless years but also be linked to Patriarch Leixiao himself?
"In that case, this young friend, before even entering the sect, has obtained an opportunity personally brought by Patriarch Leixiao. Truly, this is a blessing of profound fortune!"
"Possessing such a Sacred Body, with such deep fortune backing him, and looking this handsome to boot… this young man is truly enviable!"
"Hehe, brother Zhao, I suppose what you envy most is this young friend's appearance?"
"It's true. If back then I had this young friend's extraordinary looks, perhaps I wouldn't have pursued that peerless goddess in vain. At least there would have been a chance to see her once."
"Don't tease brother Zhao too much. That goddess was famous for disdaining the ordinary-looking. Those denied a true glimpse were more than just brother Zhao! Hahaha!"
The one being teased was a middle-aged man, his appearance seemingly plain and unremarkable. Yet beneath this ordinary exterior lay terrifying cultivation—a master of high rank, whose presence alone marked him as exceptional, even by worldly standards.
Despite the jest, he did not grow angry, only offering a faint smile.
He recalled the past—if he had possessed the looks of the Sacred Body before him, perhaps the outcomes would have been very different.
But who could say for sure? Without the hardships of the past driving him forward, he might never have become what he was today.
Now, as a peak lord, he could easily alter his appearance—handsome or ugly—all by a single thought.
But what of it? Such things were never truly his own.
Those who achieved greatness all understood the mind's true nature. If one could not see through such trivialities, one would have long turned to ash and dust, never attaining the heights he now stood upon.
Everything in life—every sip and every bite—follows its destined path.