Upon seeing Xing Yuan, Hong Mo and the others immediately bowed respectfully.
Next, Hong Mo recounted everything he had learned from Ye Cangtian.
Since he was unsure how to deal with Ye Cangtian, he decided to let Xing Yuan make the final decision.
"According to you, Ye Cangtian not only didn't make a mistake but even rendered merit."
Xing Yuan pondered for a moment, then took out a porcelain bottle and directly handed it to Ye Cangtian, saying, "This is a Nine-Revolving Golden Elixir, considered your reward."
This...
Looking at the porcelain bottle in Ye Cangtian's hand, Hong Mo, Huang Shan, and Luoluo's eyes widened instantly.
Envy and greed flickered in their eyes.
The three were no strangers to such elixirs.
To put it exaggeratedly, the Nine-Revolving Golden Elixir had the effect of reviving the dead and regenerating flesh and bone.
This was not all; it also had the effects of cleansing the marrow and improving cultivation, making it an absolute divine-grade elixir.
Such elixirs were extremely rare in the ruins, and even the three Earth-rank deans did not have them in stock.
Yet, Xing Yuan casually rewarded Ye Cangtian with one, which shocked the three of them and left them utterly bewildered.
"Why!"
Hong Mo finally couldn't help but ask. In his opinion, even if Ye Cangtian had not committed any offense, he could not be said to have rendered any merit.
Rewarding him with a Nine-Revolving Golden Elixir felt deeply unfair to him!
Upon hearing this, Xing Yuan glanced at Hong Mo and said indifferently, "Do I need to explain my decisions?"
Xing Yuan naturally had his own considerations.
The Dark Association had lost Chenghai and had Shangguan Yanran rescued, which was a significant blow to the Dark Association, inevitably lowering morale.
If Ye Cangtian were to be punished at this time, it would likely lead to widespread discontent.
Therefore, instead of punishment, a reward was necessary. It was a reward for Ye Cangtian's bravery in battle, for his courage in returning despite knowing he might be punished, and for setting him up as an example.
This would boost the morale of more people and also convey the message that as long as they remained loyal to the Dark Association, they would not be mistreated.
However, such tactics and intentions could not be openly stated in front of Ye Cangtian.
Meanwhile, Hong Mo clearly sensed Xing Yuan's gaze turning grim.
He trembled and quickly said, "Lord Xing Yuan, your subordinate admits his mistake. You must have your reasons..."
On the great hall, Ye Cangtian paid no attention to Hong Mo's awkwardness, his gaze fixed on the porcelain bottle in his hand.
From the gazes of the three Earth-rank deans, he knew that the elixir in his hand was undoubtedly a treasure.
Thinking this, he quickly bowed respectfully to Xing Yuan and said, "Thank you, Lord Xing Yuan, for your reward. Your subordinate will certainly dedicate himself wholeheartedly from now on..."
"No need for further words. Chenghai died for you, and you bear some responsibility. If you don't want Chenghai's death to be in vain, seize this opportunity!"
Without waiting for him to finish, Xing Yuan waved his hand, interrupting Ye Cangtian, and continued, "Remember, you only have one chance!"
What? m..oΓg
What opportunity?
Ye Cangtian was stunned by Xing Yuan's words. He had no idea about the medicinal effects of the Nine-Revolving Golden Elixir!
In his opinion, the elixir Xing Yuan rewarded him was at best a healing medicine similar to a Great Return Elixir, and he was unaware of Xing Yuan's hidden meaning.
Nevertheless, he still accepted it.
Meanwhile, after reprimanding Ye Cangtian, Xing Yuan ignored him and turned his attention to Hong Mo and the others.
He said lightly, "You all know about Chenghai's matter. Since he is dead, do not smear his reputation any further. Let everything be handled according to Chenghai's will, and blame it all on Xuan San Wu..."
With these words, including Ye Cangtian, Hong Mo and the others immediately understood that Xing Yuan was referring to Chenghai's peculiar habits.
Regarding this matter, no one raised any objections and immediately agreed. After all, Chenghai had rendered many merits for the Dark Association, and it was better to maintain some dignity.
...
Back in the room.
Ye Cangtian stared blankly at the small porcelain bottle in his hand.
Everything in the great hall had happened too suddenly, and he hadn't had time to process it. But now, upon careful reflection, everything still felt a bit strange.
The strangeness lay with Xing Yuan.
When Ye Cangtian had been waiting at the entrance of the ruins, he had inquired about Xing Yuan's whereabouts. Chenghai had directly revealed that Xing Yuan was in seclusion for his breakthrough.
Xing Yuan was a Heaven-rank expert, and his specific seclusion location was unknown. Even if such information was revealed, it was difficult for others to act upon it.
Moreover, Ye Cangtian was trusted by Chenghai at the time, so Chenghai had not paid much attention to it.
However, thinking of Xing Yuan now, Ye Cangtian felt something was amiss.
The timing of Xing Yuan's seclusion was too perfect, with most of the Earth-rank experts dispatched, leaving only Chenghai alone.
If Xing Yuan hadn't been in seclusion, Ye Cangtian wouldn't have dared to even consider rescuing Shangguan Yanran.
In addition, Xing Yuan's return was also perfectly timed. If Xing Yuan hadn't returned, Hong Mo likely wouldn't have let him off so easily.
And Xing Yuan, upon learning the cause and effect, had not punished him but had instead rewarded him with a Nine-Revolving Golden Elixir.
He knew that even if he had committed no offense, he had no particular merit either. Such a reward was definitely exceptional.
This point, coupled with the timing of Xing Yuan's departure and return, made Ye Cangtian unable to help but ponder.
He didn't know how difficult it was to break through to Heaven-rank, but he knew that breaking through to Earth-rank was already as difficult as ascending to heaven. How could the timing of Xing Yuan's breakthrough be so coincidental?
"Damn it, what am I guessing for!"
Thinking this, Ye Cangtian muttered to himself subconsciously.
He felt he was overthinking. Xing Yuan was one of the controllers of the Dark Association, a boss for the hidden group and the光明殿!
How could such a person do anything harmful to the Dark Association!
Everything that was happening now was merely a series of coincidences.
The next moment, Ye Cangtian opened the small porcelain bottle and poured out the elixir within. This elixir had made even Hong Mo and the others greedy, so it must be extraordinary.
Upon careful observation, the elixir was golden all over, with nine faint elixir patterns.
The moment he poured it into his hand, the entire room was filled with a rich medicinal fragrance.
Just by smelling the fragrance, Ye Cangtian felt refreshed, and even his chest wound, which had penetrated through his chest, seemed to be slowly healing.
Ye Cangtian was instantly greatly shocked. This was merely the medicinal fragrance; the effects after consuming the elixir were unimaginable!
Ye Cangtian hesitated slightly and directly put the elixir into his mouth.
Although the elixir was precious and Ye Cangtian was somewhat reluctant, since the Earth-rank deans like Hong Mo had shown greed, it was better for him to consume it early to avoid trouble.
The elixir melted in his mouth, and before Ye Cangtian could even absorb it, its medicinal effects had spread throughout his body.
Foremost, the wound on his chest healed at a visible speed, and within a short period, it completely recovered, leaving no trace of a scar.
This was not all. The surging spiritual energy flowed through his limbs and bones, expanding his meridians while also purging impurities from his body.
"This..."
Sensing the phenomenon within his body, Ye Cangtian was once again shocked. The next moment, Ye Cangtian sat down cross-legged on the ground.
The medicinal effects of the Nine-Revolving Golden Elixir were so powerful that he couldn't miss the opportunity to use this medicinal power to break through the last barrier that hindered him.
However, to his surprise, the barrier that he had been unable to break through despite all his efforts was easily breached with the aid of the medicinal effects.
And with more than half of the medicinal effects yet to be absorbed, Ye Cangtian decided to press on and continue striving for a higher realm...