“This is the Celestial Asking Road.” Xin Yuyao pointed at the road of auspicious clouds with a smile. “This path will take you to the celestial mountain. After that, you simply need to pass through the Heart Asking Door to become a disciple of the Eight Views Sect.” The group cheered when they heard this. Xin Yuyao continued, “The key to the Celestial Asking Road is ‘celestial asking’. It means to ask from a celestial the way to complete one’s Dao. In more pragmatic terms, celestial energy will purify your bodies so that you may shed your tainted mortal shell and attain a flawless body.” Everyone grew even more excited when they heard this. If Xin Yuyao wasn’t still here, they would probably be rushing up the road already. “Of course, it’s inevitable that you will feel some pain when the celestial energy purifies your body. Moreover, you cannot retreat once you’ve set foot on the Celestial Asking Road. The pain will not stop until you have reached the top of the mountain, or if your purification is complete. Please take note of this.” “Of course, the pain will not threaten your lives.” “Those unwilling to join the Eight Views Sect may leave now.” “We’re not leaving!” “As if a mere obstacle is enough to impede our desire for the dao!” “We came all the way here to join the Eight Views Sect. Why would we back down now?” “Yeah, celestial. We won’t back down. We will join your sect one way or another.” If crossing the Celestial Asking Road might threaten their lives, then they might have hesitated a little. But Xin Yuyao promised that it wouldn’t, and it would purify their bodies. Even if they failed to join the Eight Views Sect in the end, they would have walked away with a flawless body. With that in mind, who in their right mind would withdraw now? “Very well.” Xin Yuyao nodded in satisfaction when she noted that not one person chose to leave. “In that case, please step onto the Celestial Asking Road. Yuyao wishes you all success in your journey to meet the celestial and attain your Dao.” “Thank you, celestial.” The group saluted her before running up the Celestial Asking Road in a hurry. The Celestial Asking Road was completely made up of clouds. Stepping on it was like stepping on cotton or water. It felt soft, effortless, and comfortable. Not only that, they could feel wisps of profound and miraculous, light and unfathomable qi slipping into their body and swimming about their flesh, blood and bones; meridians and bodily points; five organs and six viscera. They immediately felt pain like a snake or an insect was biting their bodies, or a rapid current was attacking a bottleneck. It was painful. However, they could also sense that their flesh and blood was growing denser, their bones and muscles were becoming stronger, their meridians were becoming increasingly smooth, their inner organs were growing tougher, and their minds were growing purer... In conclusion, their bodies were undergoing a comprehensive transformation toward greater heights. The group was beyond excited, of course. They hurried ahead. The higher they climbed, the greater the concentration of the miraculous qi became, and the more pain they felt. However, this also meant that their bodies were evolving faster. For a time, everyone was grimacing and grinning at the same time. It was like they were masochists. “What pure celestial qi. It’s an impressive investment.” On the Celestial Asking Road, Ye Qing was astonished by what he discovered while probing the surrounding energies. This qi was definitely celestial qi. It was pure, untainted celestial qi as well. As Xin Yuyao said, this celestial qi could aid someone in purifying their bodies and achieving a complete transformation. Even an ordinary person of average talent would become a genius after they were purified by this celestial qi. It would be too much to say that they would become unparalleled or even rare talents, but they could at least tower over their peers effortlessly. To make a comparison, they would be on par with the inner disciples of a famous clan or major sect. Naturally, this left a sense of doubt in Ye Qing. Celestial qi this pure was precious and valuable everywhere in the world, and the Eight Views Sect was willing to share it with outsiders? If everyone in this group was an extraordinary genius or natural talent, then he would be fine with it. However, the large majority of them were average at best and mediocre at worst. Of course, he and Feng Qingyou were exceptions. No matter how he looked at it, he could not think of the Eight Views Sect’s gesture as anything but wasteful. Either the Eight Views Sect was so wealthy that “a few wisps of celestial qi” was nothing, or they weren’t planning to recruit these people as disciples. They had an ulterior motive. After all, if this Eight Views Sect really was the Eight Views Sect of the past, and if they really were in possession of such refined celestial qi, could they not recruit a group of much, much higher caliber? Of course they could. It wasn’t long before Ye Qing determined that the Eight Views Sect was not wealthy. It was because his senses were telling him that the total quantity of celestial qi on the Celestial Asking Road wasn’t endless. In fact, it was terribly limited. They hadn’t stepped onto the Celestial Asking Road for long, and already the large majority of the celestial qi in the air was gone. It was now pretty thin. This all proved that the Eight Views Sect was not as wealthy as they appeared to be. If his first theory was wrong, then that left only one other possibility. The Eight Views Sect had an ulterior motive. This would fit with their earlier assumption. “Show me what you’re plotting.” Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou exchanged a mysterious smile with each other. Then, they bowed their heads at the same time and pretended to be in pain. They were now Sages and no longer mortal. Naturally, the so-called purification of the body no longer applied to them. The celestial qi was completely ineffective against them, so of course they couldn’t feel any pain. They were just putting on a show for the members of the Eight Views Sect. That’s right. Ever since they set foot on the Celestial Asking Road, Ye Qing had felt multiple people watching them. The emotions behind these gazes were fairly varied. There was anxiety, greed, hostility, malice... There was no doubt about it. They had to be members of the Eight Views Sect. He still had no idea what his enemies were aiming for. Now wasn’t the right time to reveal themselves either. So, he decided to keep up his act. Let’s see who will have the final laugh of this “game”! “Why aren’t you moving? Are you not willing to join the Eight Views Sect?” On the sea, Xin Yuyao looked at Fu Qingbai and the small group of people standing behind him, puzzled. “Apologies, celestial, but we are members of the Southern Sea Ship Alliance. We cannot change our sects willy-nilly. We beg for your forgiveness!” Fu Qingbai replied. Googlᴇ search novᴇlfire.net Although Fu Qingbai very much wanted to set foot on the Celestial Asking Road and gamble on the chance that he might obtain that unparalleled celestial fortune—in fact, he was extremely confident that he would be able to cross the Celestial Asking Road, enter the Heart Asking Door, and join the Eight Views Sect—he was a guest warrior of the Southern Sea Ship Alliance. They were paying him handsomely for his services, so of course he must obey their rules and restrictions. He could not just betray the Southern Sea Ship Alliance and join another sect willy-nilly, or his friends, families and more would all suffer. In short, he wanted to, but he couldn’t. If even he did not have the right to walk the Celestial Asking Road, then the rest of the crew could only fare worse. They were all servants of the Southern Sea Ship Alliance. Their very life was in the hands of their faction. They of all people could not change their faction willy-nilly. “It’s fine. You still made it all the way here, which means that you are fated with the Eight Views Sect.” Xin Yuyao smiled. “Therefore, you too can walk the Celestial Asking Road, purify your bodies, and increase your cultivation without having to join the Eight Views Sect.”