Chapter 261

No. 4 Qihuang Pavilion.

Upon learning that the Heavenly Department had sent a team of retired Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers to join the Cauldron Origin Secret Realm, Zhang Tianshi came from the Tianshi Mansion to the Medical Department.

After Wei Zhenjie finished talking with Prince Shou, Xia Zhen, and the others, Zhang Tianshi called Wei Zhenjie to the No. 4 Qihuang Pavilion.

At this moment, the two were playing a game of chess.

After Zhang Tianshi placed a piece, he looked at Wei Zhenjie with a smile: "What made you think of helping Hua Changxi?"

Wei Zhenjie smiled and sighed: "People, just by watching from the sidelines and listening to what others say, one cannot truly understand their essence."

"To understand a person, one must have personal contact."

Zhang Tianshi laughed: "It seems you have many thoughts."

Wei Zhenjie smiled and shook his head: "This contact with Hua Changxi really surprised me."

"Don't let Hua Changxi's words and actions fool you into thinking she's arrogant; inside, she's still a straightforward and honest child."

"She hasn't even mastered the ins and outs of human interaction; at best, she's a novice just starting out."

"I now understand why she is the most outstanding child of the Hua family, yet hasn't gained the support of the Hua family members."

"She doesn't know how to use her own advantages and resources to command and manipulate people at all, and I see that she hasn't even thought in that direction."

"If I were her, holding the Cauldron Origin Secret Realm, I could easily bring the Hua family to heel just by taking out a few resources."

"The most fatal thing is that how she treats her family is how she treats other people and things. Possessing a golden mountain but not using it, and lacking an understanding of her own value, is why she has fallen into the passive position of being jointly boycotted by Prince Shou and the others."

After hearing this, Zhang Tianshi's expression became serious: "According to what you say, Hua Changxi must be a very pure and kind person."

Wei Zhenjie looked surprised: "Hua Changxi has such obvious shortcomings, yet you seem to appreciate them?"

Zhang Tianshi: "Is not 'not treating people as tools' worth appreciating? Holding so many resources, not using them to satisfy private desires, and not pursuing the vanity of being above others—is that not worth appreciating?"

Wei Zhenjie laughed: "If Hua Changxi had reached your level, it would naturally be worth appreciating, but she is fundamentally different from you in that she hasn't even touched the door of 'entering the world,' yet you use the honor of 'transcending the world' to describe her—you are overestimating her."

"No, it can't even be called overestimating; it's 'killing with praise'."

Zhang Tianshi smiled: "This poor Daoist observes a person's original heart; as for 'entering the world' or 'transcending the world,' those are merely a person's experiences and choices in the world."

Wei Zhenjie: "That's saying it too early. How old is Hua Changxi? What if, in her experiences in the world, she forgets and changes her original heart?"

Zhang Tianshi did not continue to argue with Wei Zhenjie, smiled, and said nothing.

Wei Zhenjie continued: "People still need a sect, still need someone to teach them; otherwise, relying solely on one's own exploration, one will take too many detours."

"Hua Changxi's background is not high, her vision is limited, and without guidance, she doesn't know how to utilize the golden mountain that is the Cauldron Origin Secret Realm."

"Clearly holding a good hand of cards, yet playing it into a mess, and even putting herself in danger."

"Sigh..."

The more Wei Zhenjie spoke, the more emotional he became.

Zhang Tianshi looked at him: "Everyone has their own path to walk; you, don't use your own life experience to judge the lives of others."

"What is a dangerous situation to you might be an opportunity for Hua Changxi, who knows?"

Wei Zhenjie was just about to retort when Wen Lanzhou and Huo Yunxiao entered together.

After the two paid their respects, they quickly relayed the news that Prince Fu had leaked.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhenjie immediately snorted coldly: "The Imperial House can now only play these underhanded tricks."

Zhang Tianshi sighed and said nothing.

Huo Yunxiao looked at Wei Zhenjie: "Master, Prince Fu and the others are clearly going to continue boycotting Hua Changxi's recruitment of apprentices. Are you still going to manage this?"

Wei Zhenjie glanced sideways at his disciple: "This is the Medical Department, not the Heavenly Department. Your Master's hands aren't that long to manage everything; do you want to exhaust me to death?"

"I was already overstepping by helping Hua Changxi stop Prince Shou and the others from dealing with the Hua family; if I intervene in anything else, it will be the Heavenly Department that gets targeted."

"How to break through the blockade of Prince Shou and the others can only depend on Hua Changxi herself."

Wen Lanzhou looked at Zhang Tianshi and said with a smile: "It's a good thing that Prince Shou and the others continue to block Hua Changxi from recruiting apprentices."

"The number of soldiers retiring from the Demon-Suppressing Army over the years is not small; you can put them all into the Cauldron Origin Secret Realm. This can be considered finding them a way to survive."

Hearing this, Huo Yunxiao's eyes lit up: "That's right." As he spoke, he looked at Wei Zhenjie: "Master, what do you think?"

Wei Zhenjie chuckled: "If Hua Changxi is willing to accept them, I naturally have no objections."

Since Prince Fu had already spread the word, causing people to misunderstand that the Heavenly Department wanted to occupy the Cauldron Origin Secret Realm, he had no choice but to reluctantly accept it.

If all the retired Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers could really enter the Cauldron Origin Secret Realm, that would naturally be for the best.

It was just that doing so was a bit bullying to Hua Changxi, this honest child.

Don't say it, he really felt a bit guilty in his heart.

But for the development of the Four Spirit Realms, he could only bully the small with the big.

Seeing the smile in the Heavenly Department Minister's eyes almost overflowing, Wen Lanzhou quietly curled his lips.

Fine, Prince Shou and the others calculated everything, only for Minister Wei to pick up the big bargain in the end!

On the other side, Hua Changxi could not keep the thousand-plus retired Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers gathered outside the No. 13 Qihuang Pavilion. After the first hundred had filled out their resumes and listened to Pharmacist Xu's explanation of the various precautions, she took them and the four eunuchs to the Oath Monument of the Cauldron Origin Secret Realm in the square.

The group arrived at the square in a mighty procession and immediately received attention from all sides.

In the distance, Prince Shou gritted his teeth: "It really is a bargain for Wei Zhenjie."

Elsewhere, Xia Zhen also sighed; he had originally thought that with the blessing of the Guardian identity, the Xia family would quickly control the situation in the Medical Department.

However, the complex situation in the Medical Department far exceeded his expectations.

Having been in the Medical Department for so long, their side had hardly gained any advantage.

Now that the Heavenly Department had openly stepped in to intervene in the Medical Department's affairs, the situation in the future would likely become increasingly chaotic.

"Sigh, everyone has private desires; the road to promoting the revival of the interface is still long and arduous!"

Under the Oath Monument.

Hua Changxi looked at the four eunuchs and the other retired Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers: "For cultivators, the Heart Demon Oath cannot be taken lightly. You still have a chance to back out now."

Hearing this, no one indicated they wanted to quit.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi said nothing more. With a wave of her hand, a wooden table appeared in front of the Oath Monument, and then, a hundred or so identity tokens appeared on the table.

"Now, line up to take the Heart Demon Oath. Once you receive the recognition of the Oath Monument, you will get an identity token to enter and exit the secret realm."

The onlookers in the distance heard this and a moment of chaos ensued.

They had always thought that as long as they took the Heart Demon Oath, they could join the Cauldron Origin Secret Realm; they hadn't expected that they would actually need to receive the recognition of the Oath Monument.

This made many people harboring other intentions suddenly feel nervous and uneasy.

Seeing that Eunuch Yu and the others were also a bit nervous, Hua Changxi reassured them: "Don't be nervous. As long as you are sincerely joining the Cauldron Origin Secret Realm, you will all be able to receive the recognition of the Oath Monument."

In the crowd, Huo Yunxiao had a 'just as I thought' expression: "I said it, Hua Changxi's conditions for recruiting people wouldn't be that simple."

Sincere and earnest—this condition seemed low, but in reality, it was terrifyingly high!

As the managers of the secret realm, the four eunuchs stood out first, duty-bound.

Eunuch Yu was the first.

Hua Changxi waved an identity token, which hovered in front of Eunuch Yu: "Drop a drop of essence blood on it, and then you can take the Heart Demon Oath."

Eunuch Yu took a deep breath, forced out a drop of essence blood, and dripped it onto the identity token.

The moment the essence blood merged into the token, the Oath Monument and the identity token simultaneously erupted with a faint golden light.

In an instant, the golden light enveloped Eunuch Yu entirely.

"I take my three souls and six spirits as the guide, and my natal essence blood as the contract, to kneel and worship the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and to knock and ask the myriad spirits of the heavens."

"From this day forward, I voluntarily join the Cauldron Origin Secret Realm under the Sage Cauldron Hall as an apprentice, with 'refining the spiritual herbs of heaven and earth, cultivating the supreme Cauldron Heart, assisting cultivators in breaking through realms and crossing tribulations, and saving the common people from illness and suffering' as my lifelong pursuit."

As Eunuch Yu continued to speak the oath, the golden light began to surge, as if it had come alive, washing over Eunuch Yu's body again and again.

"With heaven and earth as the witness, and the sun and moon as the alliance, once this oath is made, it shall never be destroyed for ten thousand kalpas! If the oath is broken, may my soul scatter and I fall into the Avici Hell forever!"

As the words fell, the golden light dissipated, and the identity token landed steadily in Eunuch Yu's hand.

The Oath Monument confirmed Eunuch Yu's sincerity, and a smile appeared on Hua Changxi's face. Just as she was about to let Eunuch Jia continue, the space above the Oath Monument suddenly twisted.

The next moment, a lush, dripping-green branch broke through the air.

In an instant, everyone in the entire Medical Department and the entire capital saw a magnificent scene like a mirage.

A towering giant tree that blocked the sky and pierced the firmament kept flashing in the air.

Looking at the giant tree, Wei Zhenjie and Zhang Tianshi rushed directly to the square, their faces full of astonishment.

"The Undying Divine Wood!"

Hua Changxi was also dumbfounded. In her shock, the branch above the Oath Monument nimbly circled the Oath Monument, as if it were patrolling.

Watching this scene, everyone held their breath.

The branch 'patrolled' for a while and then hovered in front of Hua Changxi.

Then, the branch moved, and green light emerged from the tip, carving a 'Yuan' character out of thin air.

Once the 'Yuan' character took shape, it began to descend slowly.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi's expression shifted slightly; she quickly extended her right hand and watched the 'Yuan' character slowly sink into her hand and disappear.

"Thank you, Divine Wood, for validating the Cauldron Origin Secret Realm."

The 'Yuan' character merged into her right hand, and Hua Changxi immediately knew its function; now, as long as she had a thought, the 'Yuan' character would instantly appear.

Hearing this, the branch shook slightly.

Then, the branch swept toward the east, and everyone standing in front of the Oath Monument felt a wave of dizziness as their bodies moved rapidly to the east.

As for the people in other parts of the Medical Department, they were dumbfounded.

They watched with their own eyes as the hundred-plus people in front of the Oath Monument 'whooshed' and moved to the east, as if they had been pulled into another space.

When everyone came to their senses, the Medical Department had grown larger again.

On the east side of the square, a rugged and desolate giant peak appeared, and on the stone cliff at the summit, three eye-catching characters were carved—Cauldron Origin Peak.