Yuan Ming watched helplessly as the Three Cave Masters took him away, while Kun Tu dared not move at all, his face turning an iron blue.

"Fellow Daoist Kun Tu, we failed to root out the problem today, and now a deadly enmity is established. Sooner or later, it will be either your death or his." Elder Hu Huo's gaze was deep as he spoke.

"There's no need for you to tell me that." Kun Tu's eyes narrowed slightly as he coldly replied.

...

Feeling anxious for riding a spirit beast and soaring through the high skies for the first time, Yuan Ming couldn't help but be a bit nervous.

However, after a short adjustment, he settled down, feeling the whooshing sound of the wind next to him and leaning to look down below.

At this moment, hundreds of feet above the ground, the vast forest below had become obscure in the night, leaving only a hazy shadow of the rolling hills, which gave him a sense of insignificance, as if he was an ant atop a hundred-foot-tall pavilion.

Yuan Ming withdrew his gaze and looked up at the sky, only to see the clouds wispy and stars sparse above. Despite his high altitude, they didn't seem any closer.

Just then, Yuan Ming felt a gaze upon him. Turning, he saw the fire mink on the shoulder of the Three Cave Masters poking out half of its furry head, its round eyes staring at him.

Yuan Ming could be said to have been indirectly saved by it, so he smiled at the creature, and it blinked back.

The Fire Feathered Falcon spread its wings and soared, and in the darkness below, bright lights soon appeared. Yuan Ming looked and saw a vast array of buildings lit up within his field of vision.

The Biluo Cave Sect was backed by the Ten Thousand Mountains, also built in the vast forest, only the main body of the Sect was not as densely vegetated as the Ten Thousand Mountains.

As they drew closer, Yuan Ming suddenly noticed a layer of faint mist enveloping the area above the concentration of Sect buildings, too indistinct to see clearly.

Only when he gathered his Divine Soul Power around his eyes did he finally confirm the existence of that layer of mist.

Moreover, the mist seemed like a giant pot turned upside down, the closer to the base of the pot above, the thicker the mist; conversely, the closer to the edge of the pot, the thinner it became.

Yuan Ming wanted to ask about it, but seeing the cold back of the Three Cave Masters, he ultimately did not voice his question.

At that moment, the Fire Feathered Falcon reached the outside of the mist and suddenly stopped.

A reddish waist card on the Three Cave Masters waist suddenly flashed a light on its surface and lit up a hazy glow that enveloped them both along with both beasts.

Then, shrouded in the glow, they easily passed through the light screen and entered within.

Upon entering the mist barrier, the Fire Feathered Falcon began to descend, and the scenery below swiftly became clearer.

Yuan Ming immediately spotted the canyon and the bronze giant gate, located in the northeast of the Biluo Cave Sect, which he had passed through when he and a group of Wild Men had been captured together.

The entire Biluo Cave had an elevation that was high in the west and low in the east, arranged in a three-tiered step formation.

On the easternmost side was a spacious Green Stone plaza, with several Martial Arts Arenas slightly raised from the ground on both sides of the plaza, while the central area one level up housed seven or eight round buildings with an exotic flair.

This was virtually the same view Yuan Ming saw when he first entered Biluo Cave.

The highest area in the west, however, boasted three slightly elevated peaks in close proximity, with the southwestern peak being the lowest, resembling a rising hillock, where rows of partitioned fields were visible.

The central western peak was slightly higher, while the peak closest to the Ten Thousand Mountains to the north was the tallest and most expansive.

Although it was night, lights were still bright throughout the Sect's grounds, with various beast roars faintly audible.

The Fire Feathered Falcon flapped its wings and descended towards the central mountain of the three peaks.

As they drew near, Yuan Ming gradually made out several courtyards scattered on the mountaintop, differing in size and style from the round buildings below, and more resembling the Central Plains architecture in Yuan Ming's memory.

Ultimately, the Fire Feathered Falcon landed with them on a hundred-foot-radius White Stone plaza in front of the mountain.

After landing, Yuan Ming looked around and saw not far away, on the edge of the plaza, stood a Green Stele with a vertical line of Southern Border script on it: "Fire Refining Hall."

The Three Cave Masters immediately had Yuan Ming follow, and the two of them crossed the plaza to the front of a courtyard.

At that moment, a woman clad in a fire-red dress and wearing a striking green waist card ran over from a distance, stopped before them. She bowed her head to the Three Cave Masters.

"Greetings, Master."

At the sound of the woman's voice, Yuan Ming felt it somewhat familiar. He looked closely and indeed, it was someone he knew.

"Chen Wan, you've come at the right time. This is a new Registered Disciple who has just joined us, named... Yuan Ming. Take him to the Registered Disciples' quarters and arrange his accommodation," said the Three Cave Masters to the woman. My Virtual Library Empire (*) hosts the original.

Chen Wan's reaction was instantaneous upon hearing the name. She looked up, met Yuan Ming's gaze, but was momentarily stunned.

Regaining her composure, Chen Wan hurriedly obeyed, "Disciple obeys."

The Three Cave Masters nodded and were about to leave when they suddenly remembered something. Looking at Yuan Ming and noticing the scabs on his injuries, they were quite surprised by his healing ability.

"You were raised as a Fur Beast Slave, and the poison of the Corrosive Heart Pill in you must not have been cleared yet. Take these Heart Cleansing Pills with you; though it's not the specific antidote for the Corrosive Heart Pill, taking it continuously for three days will remove the remaining poison from your body," said the Three Cave Masters.

"Thank you, Three Cave Masters," Yuan Ming immediately said as he clasped his hands in gratitude.

After the Three Cave Masters left a small White Jade Porcelain Bottle, they walked away with the fire mink in their arms.

However, "Huo Chan'er" poked its head out once more from their embrace, looking back at Yuan Ming over the shoulder.

Once they had walked far enough away, Chen Wan dropped her respectful stance and looked at Yuan Ming with a tinge of confusion.

"The master's temperament is aloof, and she usually follows the Sect's arrangements, never having taken the initiative to bring back a Registered Disciple. How could she..." Chen Wan frowned, looking towards Yuan Ming, utterly puzzled.

"Why would she bring back a Fur Beast Slave?" Yuan Ming added.

Chen Wan did not avoid the topic, nodding frankly.

"Consider it a blessing in disguise. Speaking of which, I should thank Kun Tu..." Yuan Ming chuckled, starting to explain.

Upon hearing the name "Kun Tu," Chen Wan's heart skipped a beat, already sensing what had happened, but as Yuan Ming recounted the events, her expression grew increasingly grim.

"I never thought he would be so malicious, to conspire to harm you."

"Silencing someone by killing them, dead men tell no tales, there's nothing surprising about that..." Yuan Ming spoke up to this point but suddenly stopped and looked at Chen Wan.

Raising an eyebrow, he asked:

"What I'm curious about is, Senior Sister Chen, why didn't you report to the Sect about the secret plot to humiliate you previously?"

Chen Wan hesitated, her gaze flickering for a long time before she sighed and said, "What happened that day, all was hearsay without tangible evidence. Our words would not be believed."

He noticed she said "our words," not "your one-sided words," and Yuan Ming's expression eased slightly.

"Besides, Kun Tu has entered the Inner Sect, his master, Elder Meng Shan, is the second-in-charge of the Beast Taming Hall, his status is different from other elders, I..."

"I understand," Yuan Ming nodded.

He was not a stubborn pedant and naturally understood that sometimes people are forced into difficult situations.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize this would almost cost you your life... However, you also turned a misfortune into a blessing. I hope this matter can be left behind us. The master does not wish to involve herself in worldly affairs; I don't want to cause her trouble just after joining her disciples," Chen Wan suddenly changed the subject and said.

Just as Yuan Ming was about to reply, a long, drawn-out cat's meow echoed.

"Meow..."

That elongated sound seemed to convey a feeling of dissatisfaction.

Yuan Ming was surprised, his gaze sweeping around, but he saw no sign of any cat.

Chen Wan also expressed her puzzlement, "Strange, since when were there wild cats on the mountain?"

"Senior Sister Chen, please take me to my living quarters," Yuan Ming took the opportunity to change the subject.

Chen Wan nodded, leading him past a courtyard not far away as they walked and talked:

"This is the residence for the servants of the Fire Refining Hall, responsible for the disciples' daily living and meals. The Registered Disciples' quarters are at the back; currently, there are one hundred and thirty-eight Registered Disciples, each with a separate living room."

Following her introduction, they reached a wide expanse of buildings, room after room adjoining one another, none more than a few yards apart, without separate courtyards, which made it all seem quite compact.

"Senior Sister Chen, is there a quieter place?" Yuan Ming asked.

After a moment's thought, Chen Wan replied, "There is. After the last trial, eight Fire Refining Hall Disciples died, five of whom were close and lived nearby, and none of them returned. The area where they lived is now vacant, and for the time being, no one will choose to live there."

"Good, then take me there," Yuan Ming immediately said.

"You... Alright." Chen Wan hesitated for a moment but still agreed.

The two of them continued along the pathway between the houses, heading deeper into the back courtyard; the rooms ahead were pitch black, clearly unoccupied.

Yuan Ming was not at all superstitious and chose a house under a corner pine tree as his quarters.

"The bedding inside has been changed. Tomorrow, I'll inform the servant manager, and they will arrange for someone to clean for you daily. As for the coursework of the Fire Refining Hall, it's Second Senior Brother Fang Ge in charge. Once you go to the Fire Workshop tomorrow, you will know," Chen Wan instructed.

"Thank you," Yuan Ming took note of everything.

"Rest early," Chen Wan said before turning away to leave.

Just as Yuan Ming was about to push the door open, Chen Wan's voice came from behind him again, "By the way, I hope you won't reveal to anyone else that we know each other."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming stiffened.

Then, with a "creak," he pushed the door open and entered.

Yuan Ming lit the oil lamp on the table, and the room was illuminated by the dim yellow firelight, revealing simple yet elegant furnishings.

The room wasn't too large; a writing desk and a Taishi Chair were placed by the window to the left, with ink and an inkstone on the desk, but no paper or books.

In the center of the room, there was a round table with four stools, topped with teacups.

On the far right of the room, a latticed wooden rack hung with curtains created a simple partition; behind it, a rectangular jujube wood bed with bedding was neatly laid with a folded quilt on top.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yuan Ming felt the softness beneath him and was momentarily speechless.

Up until now, he had maintained his composure, but in reality, his mind was still somewhat dazed at this moment.

"Am I now a member of the Biluo Cave Sect?"