Chapter 238: Era's Driving Force (7)

"Ah~"

At the No. 13 Qihuang Hall, Medicine Master Xu gazed at the silent east room, sighing for what felt like the umpteenth time.

The other seven medicine boys also wore expressions of deep frustration and helplessness—how did they end up following a hall master who showed no ambition and kept disappearing at the drop of a hat?

The hall master had obtained a high-grade secret realm, like a pie falling from the sky and smashing right onto their heads; even if the hall master disliked them, she had no choice but to use them.

Each of them had their own backers and were well-informed, having already gathered news about some secret realm of the Divine Tree from other realm masters.

Every secret realm, even low-grade ones, contained countless spiritual herbs.

If the hall master would just let a tiny bit slip through her fingers, it would be more than enough for their cultivation needs.

But the infuriating thing was...

Their hall master did nothing!

They had never seen someone like Hua Changxi; other secret realms were already blazing ahead with development, while on her side, there was not a single stir.

In the eyes of all the medicine boys, it was like guarding a mountain of treasure—able to see it but powerless to touch it.

At this very moment, their hearts were suffering unimaginable torment!

"Manager Xu, a few days ago the Spirit Realm Pavilion held a meeting and elected a pavilion master, but no one came to inform our hall master. This matter, at the very least, we must inform the hall master about."

Hua Shuran, after all, cared that Hua Changxi was a member of the Hua clan; seeing her being sidelined from the Spirit Realm Pavilion truly made her angry.

Medicine Master Xu was also furious about this.

But the east room was set with restrictions, and he worried that Hua Changxi might be cultivating; if he rashly disturbed her, he feared it would affect her cultivation.

For a moment, Medicine Master Xu hesitated and did not move.

Seeing this, He Sirong thought for a moment and said, "Medicine Master Xu, today is the day when the eighteen Qihuang Hall masters begin rotating lectures."

"When I first arrived, I saw the other Qihuang Hall masters heading toward Hall No. 1—clearly, they were going to support Hall Master Mu."

"The Qihuang Halls are one entity; the eighteen hall masters will certainly have interactions and dealings in the future."

"Right now, the hall masters don't know much about each other. Our hall master already missed the previous Spirit Realm Pavilion meeting. If she also misses another hall master's first lecture, it might harm her future social connections."

Hearing this, Medicine Master Xu finally made up his mind, walked to the east room, and activated the restriction.

Inside the secret realm, Hua Changxi had already built two ridges running north-south and east-west across the first layer of the realm. She had cut down a batch of bamboo from the fourth layer and constructed two rows of bamboo huts along the ridges to store medicinal herbs.

At this moment, she was collecting Primordial Spirit Grass.

Apprentices entering the secret realm in their first year, because they had to gather herbs and reclaim spirit fields, could receive one bottle of first-grade Primordial Spirit Pill each month. She needed to refine the pills in advance.

Seeing that the Primordial Spirit Grass on the first layer of the secret realm had been completely harvested, Hua Changxi had just smiled when she sensed someone activating the restriction in her room.

The cycle of day and night in the Divine Tree Secret Realm was the same as outside. Realizing she had been in the realm for over ten days, Hua Changxi stored the Primordial Spirit Grass in the bamboo hut and flashed out of the realm.

At the No. 13 Qihuang Hall, just as Medicine Master Xu was about to activate the east room restriction a second time, the door opened.

Seeing Hua Changxi walk out of the room, Medicine Master Xu nearly cried with joy. "Changxi, you've finally come out."

Saying this, he quickly informed Hua Changxi of everything about the Spirit Realm Pavilion meeting and the election of the pavilion master.

While Medicine Master Xu reported, Hua Shuran and the others watched Hua Changxi's expression closely. Unfortunately, Hua Changxi remained expressionless throughout, and they could discern nothing.

Hua Changxi knew she had been excluded from the Spirit Realm Pavilion, and it did feel a bit stifling.

Although she did not care much about others' opinions, being so blatantly isolated and sidelined still made her deeply uncomfortable.

"Uncle Xu, prepare yourselves. In a while I will be recruiting secret realm apprentices; you will be in charge of the recruitment."

Seeing that Hua Changxi had finally assigned them tasks, Medicine Master Xu and the others were overjoyed.

However...

Zhu Yu hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "Hall Master, you've been staying in the secret realm these days, so you may not know—the other secret realms have already recruited most of the physicians and alchemists among the cultivators in the capital."

The hall master had neither connections nor was she lagging behind other realm masters in every aspect—how could she possibly recruit anyone?

Hua Changxi glanced at him. "I'll tell you what to do, and you do it."

Zhu Yu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied, "Yes."

Hua Changxi was quite curious about the attainments of the various hall masters in medicine and alchemy. She couldn't help but look at Xu Yaoshi: "When the Qihuang Hall master teaches, can everyone listen?"

Xu Yaoshi nodded: "That's what the higher-ups announced. However, the space in Qihuang Hall is limited after all..."

Hua Changxi heard this and said: "Then let's go. We'll also go to Hall No. 1 to listen."

It wasn't until Hua Changxi had already walked out the door that Xu Yaoshi and the others realized that Hua Changxi meant for them to follow along to attend the lecture together.

This really caught them off guard.

"Everyone, hurry and follow!"

"Granny Sun!"

To go from the Qihuang Hall behind the Apprentice Hall to the Qihuang Hall behind the Chores Hall, they had to pass through the Old Courtyard at the square.

Just as Hua Changxi, leading Xu Yaoshi and the others, approached the square, she saw from afar Granny Sun leading a group of people into the Old Courtyard.

Among them were many who had previously belonged to the Chores Hall.

Seeing Hua Changxi staring at the Old Courtyard, Xu Yaoshi quickly shared what he had learned: "Aunt Sun is Senior Gu's capable right hand."

"The grade of the three public secret realms under Senior Gu's management was announced on the sixth day of the first lunar month, the day the Spirit Realm Pavilion held its first meeting."

"One high-grade seventh-grade secret realm, and two third-grade secret realms."

"The high-grade secret realm is personally managed by Senior Gu. Of the two third-grade secret realms, one is managed by Aunt Sun, and the other is managed by the Xia family."

After hearing this, Hua Changxi's eyes flickered continuously.

Before this, she had thought Gu Xing was a loner. She never expected Granny Sun to be his person!

"Senior Gu has announced the grade of his secret realms. What about the other secret realm masters? Have they announced theirs?"

Xu Yaoshi nodded: "The day after the Spirit Realm Pavilion selected its pavilion master, Pavilion Master Meng ordered all secret realm masters to report the grades of their secret realms."

Hua Changxi was surprised: "All the secret realm masters cooperated?"

Xu Yaoshi nodded again.

At this point, Hua Shuran interjected: "The grades of secret realms can actually be roughly guessed. Low-grade secret realms don't need to be concealed anyway."

After she spoke, the others began to voice the grades of each secret realm master, one after another.

The first batch of eighteen secret realms in the Alchemy Saint Hall included: nine third-grade secret realms, five fourth-grade secret realms, one fifth-grade secret realm, and two seventh-grade secret realms.

So far, only Hua Changxi's secret realm grade remained unknown.

However, given that the high-grade secret realms in Meng Qingyao and Gu Xing's possession were both seventh-grade, various parties speculated that Hua Changxi's secret realm was also seventh-grade.

Seeing Hua Changxi's surprise at the other secret realm masters having announced their grades, He Sirong also took the opportunity to speak: "The level of a secret realm's grade indicates the amount of resources one controls."

"Nowadays, more and more people are detected with spiritual roots, yet cultivation resources are not abundant."

"Once the secret realm grades are announced, it can attract many cultivators to come and pledge allegiance."

After hearing this explanation, Hua Changxi finally showed a look of sudden understanding. She glanced at Hua Shuran and He Sirong and had to admit that those from good backgrounds had seen more and were better at seeing the essence through appearances.

Crossing the square, the group stood on the street where Qihuang Halls No. 1 through No. 9 were located.

"Why are there so many people?"

The closer they got to Hall No. 1, the more people there were. By the time they reached Qihuang Hall No. 1, the area outside the hall was packed with people in layers upon layers.

Xu Yaoshi: "Hall Master, should we still go in?"

Hua Changxi looked at the people waiting eagerly outside Hall No. 1, seeing the look of thirst for knowledge in their eyes. Her expression turned somewhat serious, and in her mind, she recalled the Qihuang Hall No. 1 after the wooden token had been opened.

It was so spacious that it could comfortably accommodate everyone present with room to spare!