Chapter 259: Heaven-Sent Assistance

Wei Zhenjie was pleased with the oath stele Hua Changxi had erected, as well as the publicly announced conditions for recruiting apprentices and the benefits offered.

The four great sacred lands of Pill, Formation, Talisman, and Artifact, serving as the array eyes to suppress the Demon Prison, work in tandem with the Central Sacred Land, which serves as the array core.

A stable array core can reduce the suppression pressure on the array eyes; conversely, stable array eyes can also reduce the suppression pressure on the array core.

The stability of both the array eyes and the array core largely depends on the degree of the sacred lands' revival; the higher the degree of revival, the stronger the ability to suppress the Demon Prison.

As spiritual energy continued to revive, increasingly more demonic qi seeped out from the array core; to alleviate the suppression pressure on the array core, Wei Zhenjie was extremely eager for the four great sacred lands of Pill, Formation, Talisman, and Artifact to revive quickly.

However, among the current four great sacred lands, only the Pill Sacred Hall was reviving at a faster pace, while the other three showed no signs of movement; thus, it was necessary to vigorously promote the continued revival of the Pill Sacred Hall.

Everything Hua Changxi did was strengthening the prestige of the Pill Sacred Hall.

Wei Zhenjie could see that Hua Changxi's conditions for recruiting apprentices were so simple, and the resources invested in the apprentices so abundant, clearly indicating an intention to cultivate alchemists for the Pill Sacred Hall.

The more alchemists there were, the more prosperous the atmosphere of medical arts and the Dao of Pills throughout the Four Spirit Realms would become, which would surely drive the further revival of the sacred lands.

For this reason alone, he had to step in and help Hua Changxi.

"Hmm?"

Wei Zhenjie, immersed in his own thoughts, suddenly sensed an intense gaze; looking down, he saw that Hua Changxi, who had been locking eyes in a standoff with Prince Shou, Xia Zhen, and others, was now fixing her sight upon him.

She had discovered him?!

Wei Zhenjie was startled; he believed he had hidden himself well, so well that even Xia Zhen, at the Spirit Platform realm, had not detected him, yet Hua Changxi had!

What exactly was this person's strength?

After a moment of slight surprise, joy appeared in Wei Zhenjie's eyes.

The stronger Hua Changxi became, the better; this way, she would have more confidence to contend with the imperial family and those from the Dao-Protecting families.

The Medical Bureau had been controlled by the imperial family for hundreds of years; imperial power had permeated every aspect, so that even people from the Dao-Protecting families could only maintain a superficial peace with the imperial house.

To promote the revival of the sacred lands, the stagnant situation under imperial rule must be broken; otherwise, if the structure of the Medical Bureau remained unchanged, only the rule of the Chu imperial clan would continue.

To break the stagnation, chaos must precede order.

Previously, he had pinned his hopes on the Dao-Protecting families to break the deadlock, but unfortunately, those from the Dao-Protecting families were too driven by selfish desires; when faced with the choice between the revival of the sacred lands and family interests, they always chose to profit their own clans first.

Fortunately, there was Hua Changxi; for now, this person was the best pathfinder to break the situation.

Wei Zhenjie knew Hua Changxi was worried about her family; to allow Hua Changxi to exert her maximum capability and stir the thick, stagnant waters of the Medical Bureau into even greater turmoil, he needed to let her act freely, and he had to help her resolve this lingering concern.

Thinking thus, Wei Zhenjie flashed forward, landing directly beside Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi looked at Wei Zhenjie before her, alert in her heart; she feared his sudden appearance was also intended to force her to remove the oath stele.

Sensing Hua Changxi's apprehension, Wei Zhenjie smiled and asked, "Does the Pill Yuan Secret Realm accept old, weak, sick, or disabled cultivators?"

Hua Changxi frowned, unsure of Wei Zhenjie's meaning, and remained silent.

Wei Zhenjie continued, "There is a batch of retired soldiers from the Demon-Suppressing Army; I have reviewed your standards for recruiting apprentices, and they all meet them."

Seeing he was serious, Hua Changxi said, "To enter the Pill Yuan Secret Realm, one must first swear a Heart Demon Oath."

Wei Zhenjie replied quickly, "They are willing."

Hua Changxi said, "...Then it is acceptable; the Pill Yuan Secret Realm is willing to give any cultivator who wishes to learn the Dao of Pills and medical arts an opportunity."

Seeing her agree so readily, Wei Zhenjie paused for a moment, then laughed, "I have a request of you; why do you not make any demands of me?"

Hearing this, Hua Changxi was stunned.

Seeing her reaction, Wei Zhenjie shook his head with an amused smile, "You are the master of the secret realm; everyone who wishes to enter your realm is, in effect, making a request of you. The initiative lies in your hands, and you can fully utilize this point to achieve your objectives."

Hua Changxi was somewhat confused; was the Minister of the Celestial Department teaching her how to act? Yet, what he said indeed made perfect sense; on such matters, she had always been too lazy to think deeply.

Wei Zhenjie continued, "For instance, since you have accepted the disabled soldiers from my hand, you could ask me to do something for you in return."

Considering Hua Changxi's humble origins and limited experience, Wei Zhenjie worried she might not consider enough factors, so he simply laid it out plainly.

"What do you think if I step forward to ensure the imperial family and other powers do not harass your family?"

Hua Changxi's eyes brightened; if the Minister of the Celestial Department could truly resolve this issue for her, it would be a great help, though she still harbored some doubt.

"Can you do it? Will the imperial family listen to you?"

Wei Zhenjie laughed, "On the Central Continent, the highest authorities are the five great sacred lands, and among the five great sacred lands, the Central Sacred Land is supreme. Since I dare to promise you, I naturally have the ability to accomplish it."

Hua Changxi looked at him with confusion, "Why help me?"

Wei Zhenjie smiled and said only one phrase: "The five great sacred lands share the same breath and are interconnected."