In the secret chamber, the four directors watched as Qin Ruqing used her flames to purify the gray crystals, turning them into shiny white stones.

Qin Ruqing and her team knew these stones were useful but didn’t fully understand what they were.

Only the directors knew that these stones were extremely rare top-grade minerals known as Soul Source Stones.

To be precise, these were virtual representations of Soul Source Stones within the Soul Cave.

The Soul Cave was a man-made artifact created by the celestial-grade families.

Of course, it couldn’t compare to a real Void Realm, which was an incredibly mysterious space connecting two worlds and a battlefield of ancient powers.

The vengeful spirits and the amount of resentment within a true Void Realm were on an entirely different level compared to the Soul Cave.

This is also why some gold-grade families received insider information: they knew that in the initial screening of talents, there was a crucial assessment that was critical to the entire process.

If someone performed poorly in this assessment, even if they made it to the second round or into the top ten, they wouldn’t be able to enter the Void Realm.

— If you can’t handle the Soul Cave, how can you hope to gain any inheritance or opportunities in the Void Realm?

You might go mad or become obsessed as soon as you enter.

At this moment, the Northern Region Director watched the red-clad female cultivator use flames to refine the gray stones.

Soon, the resentment was gone, and the stones turned into genuine Soul Source Stones.

He couldn’t help but voice his curiosity:

“What kind of fire is this? How can it purify resentment?”

The fire must be a type of heavenly fire.

However, none of the heavenly fires he knew had this characteristic.

The Western Region bald director said, “I had noticed this before. The characteristics and aura resemble the Golden Mist Soul Fire, but Golden Mist Soul Fire is like smoke and burns the soul. The fire in the Qin girl’s hands often appears in the shape of a golden lotus and is constantly alive, which is very different from Golden Mist Soul Fire.”

The Eastern Region Director had long noticed Qin Ruqing’s fire.

The girl’s extraordinary combat power was largely due to her flame and physique.

“This fire has the shadow of Golden Mist Soul Fire. Even if it’s not Golden Mist Soul Fire, it is probably related to it. It might even have evolved from Golden Mist Soul Fire.”

Evolution of fire?

Golden Mist Soul Fire is already one of the most powerful and mysterious flames in the world.

How could it evolve? What could cause such an evolution?

The Eastern Region Director implied, “It should be related to the girl herself.”

The two directors from the Eastern Region chatted intermittently, with the bald director from the Western Region occasionally joining in.

Meanwhile, the Director with big feet from the Southern Region remained silent, keeping his hands tucked away.

What a joke!

They were all experienced, knowing exactly what the others were thinking.

It was obvious they wanted to extract information about the girl’s special attributes.

It was likely some ancient physique or special constitution, and they might already have their answers, just not daring to be certain.

Knowing that you want to pry into my corner, what’s left to say? We’ll see who shows their true colors in the end.

The Eastern Region Director noted that the big-footed Director indeed kept silent and chuckled inwardly, choosing not to say more.

In the footage, the Qin girl clearly realized that the crystal stones could replenish soul power and was preparing to kill more vengeful spirits with her brother.

The directors were all indifferent.

If you have the ability to dispel resentment, then it’s only natural to obtain some crystals.

The purpose of such a grand event is to select and cultivate talents, which is why they provide valuable items like Spirit Refinement Balls and Soul Source Stones.

So, take as much as you can.

Can’t we Celestial be driven to poverty by just this?

In the Heart Soul Cave, Qin Ruqing and Qi Rong, knowing the use of the crystals, were like two wolves in a sheep pen, tirelessly harvesting.

Qi Rong called out, “Sister, there are more crystals to the east. You go east, and I’ll handle the west.”

Qin Ruqing nodded and said, “Don’t rush. Taking too much at once will increase the difficulty of purification. It’s better to take less and more gradually.”

Qin Ruqing had found a pattern in using her Daoist green breath for purification.

While green breath could purify resentment, there was a threshold.

If she tried to purify too much resentment at once, it would not only fail but could also consume the green breath.

She suspected this was related to her current strength and the incomplete development of her Dao body.

For now, they had to take a moderate amount, like taking just enough at a buffet.

After all, her green breath needed time to recover.

The once menacing vengeful spirits now seemed incredibly cute, with the roles of hunter and prey completely reversed.

Qin Ruqing and Qi Rong were energetically capturing the spirits in the air.

The first-ranked swordsman, Dan Qing, saw this scene:

The sky was dark and filled with vengeful spirits, each glowing with ghostly blue flames, floating and flickering in the dense blackness.

The air was thick with a suffocating, tormenting aura, making one’s hair stand on end and shivering with fear.

Amid this unsettling scene, a peculiar sight stood out—two figures moving with excitement among the spirits.

One said, “Sister, don’t you think this is a bit much?”

The other replied, “Not too much. Just make sure they don’t escape while I refine some.”

Like a giant beast swallowing a school of fish, they separated and consumed the spirits in chunks.

The red-clad female cultivator released a grand golden flame, encasing a small group of spirits in a fiery net.

She held one end of the flame, her delicate face expressionless, and squeezed the flame.

The smoky flame surged upward, devouring the spirits.

Their menacing, shrieking cries quickly faded, and the golden light vanished like clouds. Gray crystals fell like hailstones.

This effortless, casual scene of annihilation was even more eerie than being surrounded by vengeful spirits!

Just as Qin Ruqing was about to purify the crystals, she sensed someone approaching.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a person walking towards her with a slight smile.

Calmly, she sealed the crystals with flames and turned to face the newcomer.

If Qi Rong was lean, this person was robust.

With broad shoulders and a tall frame, dressed in black combat gear, his sharp features and the sword he wielded exuded a distinct aura of a sword cultivator.

It was as if he was saying, “Come and fight me.”

Qi Rong, who was expelling spirits in the air, also saw this person.

Calm and confident, he believed no peer could pose a real threat to his sister, so he continued following Qin Ruqing’s instructions and driving away the spirits.

The soul would not let them run away.

Qin Ruqing looked at Dan Qing, raising an eyebrow but saying nothing.

Dan Qing glanced at the golden flames holding the crystal stones and calmly said, “If you destroy so many crystals, you’ll face a lot of vengeful backlash.”

It was a kind reminder.

“Thank you for the reminder. I’m aware. I certainly won’t destroy all these gray crystals at once,” Qin Ruqing replied.

She naturally wouldn’t reveal that she could purify vengeful spirits.

After a moment of silence, Dan Qing asked, “On the day of the grand meeting, was it a fairy who attacked me with a flying sword?”

Oh, is this a demand for an explanation?

Qin Ruqing had nothing to hide, “Yes, that was me. But it wasn’t a sneak attack, just a greeting to Sword Brother. After all, the title of the Number One Swordsman of the Sword Sect is quite renowned. It’s better to see for oneself rather than just hear about it.”

Dan Qing didn’t speak but suddenly raised his sword to his chest and said indifferently:

“If you want to have a competition with me, just say so. The previous clash was neither painful nor itchy; it’s better to have a proper match now.”

Though the Number One Swordsman spoke in a calm tone, his sword intent began to rise, and his sword buzzed with a hint of an out-of-body stance.

Qin Ruqing raised her hand, “Wait a moment, Sword Brother. You know the rules of the Soul Cave. Time is precious, and this is not the best time for a duel. Besides, this is just the preliminary stage of the grand meeting. Later, you might still have a chance to spar with me!”

Dang Qing seemed to find her reasoning acceptable and reluctantly lowered his sword but said, “I am Dan Qing.”

Qin Ruqing readily responded, “Brother Dan.”

“… May I take some of the vengeful souls here?”

Dan Qing had come here because the vengeful souls around the cave had been driven to this area by Qin Ruqing.

The number of vengeful souls defeated affects the scoring, making them a resource to be contested by the elites.

Although he spoke politely, Qin Ruqing refused outright, “Sorry, these vengeful souls are captured by me.”

She wasn’t about to let anyone take advantage of her.

Her clan and Tang Zifeng were exceptions, but she didn’t know this person well.

Dan Qing seemed surprised by the straightforward refusal but quickly understood her stance and calmly nodded.

“I see.”

Qin Ruqing thought he would leave and was satisfied.

The elite list had mentioned that Northern Domain sword cultivators were best avoided since they could be quite crazy.

However, this Number One Swordsman seemed quite normal compared to the oddities she had encountered before.

To her surprise, the seemingly normal sword cultivator suddenly soared into the air, unsheathed his sword, and in a flash of cold light, killed two vengeful souls wandering nearby.