Chapter 187: Demon Subjugation Domain

The Demon Subjugation Realm was not located within the capital, but in a mountain range tens of miles outside the city, where security was extremely tight.

From the outside, it appeared as a heavy, massive stone gate. Beyond the gate lay a magical array, and one had to enter through the central array, which was guarded by various other arrays, to be teleported to the special area below.

The instructor leading the team was Wang Yueshen, a third-rank practitioner. While this level would qualify him as a sect master outside, at the Alchemy Academy, it was only equivalent to an assistant lecturer.

Lu Xingzhou had attended one of his classes and found his teaching mediocre. Afterwards, he told A'nuo that Wang Yueshen wasn't even fit to carry Lady Ye's shoes.

Although A'nuo suspected her master himself wanted to carry Lady Ye's shoes, there was no evidence, so she couldn't say for sure.

Regardless, this level of skill was more than enough to lead a trial in the first layer of the Demon Subjugation Realm.

The first layer was where Sheng Yuanyao completed her graduation trial at the Demon Suppressing Division's Martial Arts Hall when she was sixth-rank. Students at the Alchemy Academy were at least sixth-rank, mostly fifth-rank, meaning they were entering what should be a low-level area. However, it was well-known that alchemists had very weak combat abilities; most probably had even weaker combat skills than Sheng Yuanyao did before her graduation. Thus, they required protection.

Wang Yueshen led the group into the array, and soon an endless landscape unfolded before their eyes.

Looking down from mid-air, the landscape below was not uniform. It featured barren mountains, scorched earth, deserts, and more. Overall, the conditions were extremely harsh; at first glance, there was very little greenery, indicating scarce vegetation.

A faint demonic aura permeated the air; low-level cultivators would shiver just by standing there, with a natural fear rising in their hearts. But at the same time, peculiar Buddhist chants filled the ears and a refreshing Daoist aura blew, suppressing the demonic energies, preventing them from stirring up trouble.

The moment Lu Xingzhou stepped into the area, he felt something. His "Yin-Yang Millstone" defensive technique was very similar to the method used here to suppress demonic energies: Heaven and Earth acted like a millstone, gradually grinding away external objects.

Of course, this didn't mean his cultivation technique had any direct connection to this place. It simply meant that the Great Dao was universally present, and different schools often reached the same destination through different paths.

Wang Yueshen was explaining: "This is the first layer of the Demon Subjugation Realm. All demonic creatures below the third-rank are placed here. Although there are some stronger fourth or fifth-rank demonic creatures, their power has been weakened through suppression and attrition. The general entry requirement is sixth-rank, which is perfect for your trial."

"The trial method is simple. This place contains medicinal herbs not found outside, minerals that can be used for alchemy, or demonic creature remains, and so on. You are to search for these yourselves and only use what you find here to refine elixirs. This tests your luck and observational skills, as well as your understanding of pharmacology to combine limited resources and successfully refine elixirs. It also tests your composure in harsh environments and your ability to handle sudden crises."

"At that time, your trial scores will be ranked based on the grade, quality, and quantity of the elixirs you refine. The top three will receive extra rewards from the Academy and may be considered by top grandmasters like the Dean when choosing disciples."

"Note, first: using medicines from your storage rings is useless. We will know immediately if you use anything brought from outside. If discovered, your score will be invalidated."

"Second, there is no earthly fire here. Only a few areas have volcanic terrain, which count as having fire, but these flames are unstable and not suitable for alchemy. All of you are alchemists and cultivate fire-based techniques; this trial will hone your own fire control skills. If you truly cannot manage, you may seek help from classmates, which also encourages collaboration among you, depending on your individual connections. Therefore, you can proceed alone or in groups; there are no restrictions."

"Third, any treasure discovered, whether medicinal herbs or other items, will belong to you. However, infighting and disputes are strictly forbidden. Anyone causing injury or death will be expelled from the Alchemy Academy."

Lu Xingzhou narrowed his eyes.

That last sentence was interesting... If this Old Wang was an enemy, then couldn't anyone who ran into trouble just blame Lu Xingzhou, achieving the outcome of "expulsion from the Alchemy Academy"?

And if he feared such a thing, his response to others causing trouble would naturally be restrained. If he were to be killed by someone, Old Wang could just say whatever he wanted, and it would simply be reported as an attack by a demonic creature.

This is why judges must never be biased. Unfortunately, Old Wang couldn't be trusted.

"Finally, there are undying demonic creatures here, and also special attacks formed by already deceased demonic creatures. Risks can arise at any moment. Neither I nor the members of the Demon Suppressing Division will accompany you for protection. We will only remain stationed here and assist only if something goes wrong. During this time, you must rely entirely on yourselves to solve problems; do not expect anyone to save you."

"Alright, that's all. You may now form teams or proceed alone."

"The trial begins."

The students exchanged glances. For a moment, no one moved.

On the surface, forming a team was naturally the best option. It allowed them to jointly confront risks and share resources, benefiting everyone.

But the problem was that they hadn't been enrolled for very long, and their relationships weren't well-established. This trial was essentially a "bonding exercise."

The ice hadn't been broken yet, and they didn't fully trust each other. While mutual help was good, what if they teamed up with someone who held them back? Being held back was one thing, but what if they teamed up with someone who'd stab them in the back?

Lu Xingzhou had originally thought he could go with Guamei and Xiaobaimao, but it seemed they weren't joining him. So, what was the point of teaming up with others? He simply said, "A'nuo, let's go."

A'nuo immediately pushed the wheelchair and moved.

"Brother Lu, wait a moment," someone called from behind. "I would like to team up with you, Brother Lu. What do you think?"

A'nuo paused and stopped.

Turning to look, it was a familiar face: Chen Yu, who ranked in the top five of the entrance examination. He was from Spring Mountain Pavilion, a sect renowned for alchemy.

He had thought it would be Daoist Xuanqing... Lu Xingzhou subtly glanced at Xuanqing, who was looking left and right, seemingly also considering team members, without revealing any suspicion.

At this moment, he couldn't determine if Chen Yu genuinely wanted to bond with classmates or had ulterior motives. To avoid further complications, Lu Xingzhou simply declined: "I am accustomed to traveling alone; I must decline your kind offer, Brother Chen. After this matter is concluded, I will host you at the Misty Rain Pavilion for a drink, how about that?"

Chen Yu sighed with a touch of regret: "Alright, then I won't disturb Brother Lu in his search for treasures and elixir refining."

The master and disciple casually picked a direction and quickly moved far away. Only then did A'nuo whisper, "What was that person doing?"

Lu Xingzhou shook his head. "It's not strange for classmates to genuinely want to interact with us. It's hard to tell now, so let's ignore it for the time being."

"So where are we going?" A'nuo scratched her head. "How about that volcano over there?"

Smart people would have roughly memorized the terrain while descending from mid-air, but Lu Xingzhou and his disciple didn't need to be that smart.

Because he had a map Sheng Yuanyao had secretly slipped into his pocket.

"Many people lack confidence in their fire-based techniques, so the volcanic area will likely be the most chosen destination. Although the volcanic fires are unstable, there's still a chance to use them. But that's meaningless for us..."

"Will there be any special flame seeds?"

"If flame seeds existed in such an obvious area, they would have been long since snatched up by trial participants like Guamei from the Demon Suppressing Division. Logically, there shouldn't be any." Lu Xingzhou thought for a moment. "Let's go to the desert area."

Without a word, A'nuo turned towards the desert. "Why?"

"In the desert area, from what we saw from the air, there's almost no vegetation. For alchemists seeking herbs, it should be the least visited place, perhaps even entirely uninhabited. Since we don't want to interact with them much, this place is perfect."

"But doesn't that mean we'll have no medicinal ingredients?"

"Less vegetation doesn't mean none..." Lu Xingzhou lowered his voice. "Besides, minerals and remains can also be used for alchemy. In this kind of special area, the possibility of a desert forming due to geographical reasons like wind and sand is nonexistent. There's no wind and sand blowing in, right? So why is there a desert?"

A'nuo's eyes lit up. "Master, are you saying there's a greater chance of finding flame seeds beneath the ground?"

"Yes, it's just a guess, needing confirmation. There are smart people everywhere in the world, and many should have thought of this. But no one has found it yet, so there might not be any... But don't we have an advantage in treasure hunting over others?"

A'nuo showed her neat white teeth.

Even with scarce vegetation in the desert, there would still be some. Her spiritual connection to plants was a treasure-hunting specialty.

Where everyone had gathered, the Alchemy Academy students also dispersed in small groups, heading off to search for herbs. At this time, the protectors from the Demon Suppressing Division quietly dispersed, following closely behind the students to protect them secretly.

They openly stated there would be no direct protection, only support if something went wrong. That was just for the students' ears, to prevent them from blindly relying on others and thus losing the trial's effectiveness. In reality, they were of course secretly guarding them; these were all precious gems of the Empire.

Within the Demon Suppressing Division, the internal grouping was decided by the leading commander, Sheng Yuanyao. Theoretically, the Holy Land disciples who came to assist also followed the Demon Suppressing Division's arrangements. Sheng Yuanyao, with a righteous expression, said: "The task of accompanying Lu Xingzhou and his disciple will be personally handled by this commander. As for you, white-haired one, go to the volcanic area."

Dugu Qingli: "Huh?"

Sheng Yuanyao said righteously: "Don't you see that's where the most people are going? Your strength is the greatest; you instantly defeated the top rookie with a single sword stroke. If someone as powerful as you doesn't go protect the most populated area, running off to a less populated area would be a pure waste of talent, wouldn't it?"

That made so much sense, the white-haired one couldn't refute it. After holding it in for a while, she said: "You need to be in charge of central dispatch; how can you go out personally? Let me go instead."

Sheng Yuanyao giggled: "Instructor Wang is in charge of central dispatch. Or you can be in charge if you want, providing support at any time?"

Dugu Qingli: "..."

Sheng Yuanyao began to impose a label: "Are those from the Holy Land not supposed to follow orders?"

Dugu Qingli gripped her sword hilt, expressionless: "Then I will provide support from here at any time."

In any case, she couldn't just dive into the volcano. She wouldn't be able to observe any changes happening outside. It was better to stand here and oversee from a higher vantage point.

Speaking of which, when Commander Sheng was in Xia State, she seemed quite innocent with him—just like herself.

How did she change so much once they arrived in the capital?

Watching Sheng Yuanyao smugly slip away towards the desert, Dugu Qingli took a deep breath, sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, and extended her nascent divine sense to quietly observe the entire area.

As she closed her eyes, Wang Yueshen, who had seemed to be smiling while watching the girls argue, lost his smile. He squinted, looking towards the desert, his eyes holding an inscrutable expression.

He didn't know that the gifted white-haired girl beside him, though not yet third-rank, could already use her divine sense. Her seemingly closed eyes clearly perceived the change in his expression. Her white hair stirred on its own, as if caught by a sudden breeze.