Two figures entered the doorway in succession. The one in front was a man—not tall, yet radiating an intense, thick scent of blood. His long hair was thrown back, his eyes sharp and vicious, and his face was crisscrossed with several savage scars, making him look as if he had just emerged from the Asura Purgatory itself. He wore a suit of dark leather armor, accentuated by a dramatic cloak that lent him an extraordinary aura. This youth was clearly Wu Peng from Shura Heaven, one of the eight supreme sects.

As expected, he knelt on one knee, his voice ringing out with powerful conviction: "Shura Heaven's Wu Peng, pays respects to the Alliance Leader."

"No need for such formality, such need for ceremony," replied Canglanzi, the Heaven Dao Alliance Leader, seemingly delighted, offering a hand in the void. "Rise."

"Thank you, Alliance Leader." Wu Peng took the opportunity to stand, and as he raised his head, just like Lei Dong had done upon entering, his calm gaze swept over the assembled company.

Behind him, a woman slowly walked in. She wore a simple, plain white gown, without much adornment, and her face was concealed by a veil, making her features impossible to discern. Even her eyes beneath the veil were slightly lowered, revealing only her skin, crystalline as jade and white as snow, and the long sweep of her lashes.

As she moved, her steps drifted like a wisp of pale mist, light and ethereal. Though she had put no effort into outward decoration, she exuded an indescribable, elusive aura of celestial elegance and purity. Even standing amidst a throng of thousands, she would be singled out at first glance. Yet, at that moment, Lei Dong’s heart clenched suddenly. When he tried to observe this woman’s cultivation base, his perception met only a hazy blur, impossible to clearly define. This kind of obstruction usually only occurred with individuals who were at least two full tiers above him. Could it be that she had reached at least the fifth layer of the Desolate Foundation Stage?

As the woman entered, the expressions of those present shifted dramatically. Wang Hui of the Carefree Path’s eyes brightened uncontrollably; he swiftly fanned himself and gazed deeply at her. Meanwhile, Xi Donglai of Mount Langya experienced a slight twitch in his facial muscles, his gaze sinking with shame and resentment.

The hand gripping his sword trembled faintly. It seemed the impression left by Tantai Bingyun on his heart was far from healed. Jie Shen of the Adamantine Temple also had his eyes wide open, but his light differed from Wang Hui’s. His gleam held excitement and fervor. Though he struggled to suppress it, the intense battle intent radiating from him could not be entirely concealed.

Li Hun Tian of the Demonic Prison Sect’s pupils contracted, his expression gradually hardening into solemnity; clearly, Tantai Bingyun presented him with considerable pressure. As for Qi Feifei of the Harmonious Union Sect, she curled her lip, attempting to display disdain, yet she could not hide the deep wariness she felt toward the newcomer.

"Tiantian Palace's Tantai Bingyun pays her respects to the Alliance Leader." Tantai Bingyun did not look askance, maintaining the demure posture of a wife raised under strict rules, her gaze slightly lowered. She approached with a graceful stride and offered a slight curtsy.

"Bingyun, no need for such ceremony." Canglanzi chuckled and gently helped her up. Seeing Tantai Bingyun, he was genuinely astonished. He had already found it rare enough that Wang Hui of the Carefree Path and Li Hun Tian of the Demonic Prison Sect had reached the fourth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage at such a young age—even he himself had been far inferior at that age. Who would have thought that Tantai Bingyun could surpass even them? This level of talent and potential meant that even Canglanzi dared not adopt an overly familiar demeanor. After all, this young woman's growth potential was immense, causing Canglanzi to muse that the current generation of juniors was getting stronger one after the other.

After paying her respects, Tantai Bingyun gracefully took a seat at the very end of the Righteous Path delegation, sitting there quietly. If Lei Dong had not sensed the profound danger emanating from her, and perceived her unfathomable cultivation level, he might have mistaken her for a quiet, gentle girl next door.

As if sensing Lei Dong’s scrutiny, Tantai Bingyun slowly raised her head.

She glanced at Lei Dong. For some reason, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. Her lowered gaze lifted slowly, meeting Lei Dong’s directly: "From the Yin Sha Sect?"

Lei Dong felt an icy chill strike him directly, akin to being targeted by a highly dangerous predator; the hairs on his arms prickled with alarm. But firstly, his resolve was firm. Secondly, he absolutely could not afford to let the Yin Sha Sect lose face in this assembly of the outstanding young disciples of the Eight Great Sects. Though inwardly highly vigilant, his face remained calm as he stared back at Tantai Bingyun, asking in a deep voice, "Correct. What guidance do you seek?"

"Why did your sect's Ding Wanyan not come?" The moment the name Ding Wanyan was spoken, a fierce battle intent erupted from Tantai Bingyun’s usually quiet and reserved eyes, as if questioning why the Yin Sha Sect had sent him instead of Ding Wanyan.

Hearing those three words, Lei Dong’s body also shook. He gazed silently at her for a long moment before forcing out a few words: "You know my Senior Sister?"

"Indeed. We exchanged blows a few times over two years ago." Tantai Bingyun’s gaze gradually returned to calm, though a distinct wave of disappointment and solitude was hard to conceal. "I had hoped to settle the score with her today."

Tantai Bingyun’s statement sent a wave of shock through the assembly. Could it be that Ding Wanyan was truly so formidable that she was no less capable than Tantai Bingyun? One by one, they turned their eyes to Lei Dong, hoping for an explanation. "Does Bingyun speak of Ding Wanyan of the Yin Sha Twin Heroes?" The Heaven Dao Alliance Leader, Canglanzi, stepped in to ease the tension for Lei Dong. "This woman’s innate talent is indeed extraordinary, and her strength immense. However, as she joined her sect relatively late, she has slightly exceeded the qualifying standard. As for Lei Dong, he is not the representative sent by the Yin Sha Sect this time; rather, he is a representative hired by our Heaven Dao Alliance. The Yin Sha Sect’s designated representative is someone else entirely."

A representative hired by the Heaven Dao Alliance? Lei Dong was somewhat confused by Canglanzi’s words, but he didn't have time to wonder before Li Yijian’s voice transmission reached his ear: "Nephew Lei, please remain calm.

The Heart Demon Palace opens once every hundred years, but no more than ten individuals can enter each time, and they must have a cultivation base exceeding the first layer of Foundation Establishment, with an age limit of thirty. Originally, an ancient ruin like the Heart Demon Palace within the Heaven Dao Alliance’s sphere of influence should have been our sole possession.

However, firstly, our Alliance does not possess such a large number of young prodigies internally. Secondly, the benefits derived from successfully navigating it are substantial, meaning the Eight Great Sects would never stand by and watch us monopolize it. Thus, after several negotiations, our Alliance granted each of the Eight Great Sects one slot, reserving two for ourselves. If you wish to enter, Nephew, you will need to utilize one of our Alliance slots."

Listening, Lei Dong began to understand. The Heart Demon Palace was not open to any exceptional youth under thirty; there were strict quotas. The Heaven Dao Alliance offering him a slot implied they likely couldn't find a second young prodigy internally, and giving it to him saved them wasting it. It was a way to curry favor while potentially gaining some advantage.

"Uncle Li, now that I have sat down and thought it over, since I joined the sect at thirteen, it has been eighteen years—by actual age, I am slightly over thirty. However, customs in my hometown include a grace period when reporting age, which inflates it by a year or two. By traditional counting, I am already over thirty, but by standard chronology, I am exactly thirty," Lei Dong transmitted back.

Li Yijian immediately replied: "It is fine. Even if you were chronologically thirty-one, it wouldn't be a major issue. Although I don't fully grasp the age-testing mechanism of the Heart Demon Palace's entry restrictions, based on our sect's long-held experience, even being off by a year or so presents no problem. It's likely the designers built in leeway to avoid misjudgments."

Lei Dong breathed a slight sigh of relief and replied respectfully via transmission, "Uncle Li, I merely wonder what price I must pay for this slot." "Within the Heart Demon Palace, there are a total of one hundred and eight towers. Each tower is guarded by an Illusionary Beast at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. Only by destroying that beast can one gain the chance to obtain a Heart Cleansing Fruit hidden within the tower. But among the one hundred and eight towers, only ten contain these fruits. Your task is to ensure that our Alliance's representative obtains one Heart Cleansing Fruit first." Li Yijian sighed, sounding somewhat resigned. "Our representative has only just broken through to the second layer of Foundation Establishment; ultimately, they are still a notch or two behind the disciples of the Eight Great Sects."

Lei Dong pondered this carefully, then responded firmly via transmission: "Understood. Send me the map of the Heart Demon Palace later."

"That will be useless. Disciples who have returned in previous years would draw maps based on memory, but every time the palace is entered, all the architectural layouts, scenic markers, and even the guardian beasts are completely refreshed." Li Yijian immediately transmitted back: "Once inside the Heart Demon Palace, only true ability will secure treasures and ensure a fruitful return. The Heart Cleansing Fruit is not the only thing in there. If your luck is good enough, you might even scavenge some rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures worth more than the fruit itself. We will not contest those items with you. You only need to guarantee our disciple obtains a Heart Cleansing Fruit first."

Lei Dong remained silent, while Li Yijian, seeing Lei Dong lacked any prior knowledge of the Heart Demon Palace, transmitted everything he knew to him piece by piece, providing a detailed explanation, especially regarding the effects of the Heart Cleansing Fruit.

The Heart Cleansing Fruit is found only in the Heart Demon Palace; its true origin is unknown. But its effects were extremely enticing to Lei Dong. This item had two functions: first, cleansing the heart—which essentially meant purifying the soul, removing impurities. This process would make the soul sturdier and less prone to injury, indirectly strengthening the power of one's divine sense. Second, it offered over a ninety percent chance for an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to break through a bottleneck, a fifty percent chance for a mid-stage cultivator, and roughly a twenty to thirty percent chance for a late-stage cultivator to overcome their bottleneck.

Strengthening the soul and breaking through bottlenecks were precisely what Lei Dong needed most at this moment. However, the item was not without limitations: upon consumption, one must immediately enter seclusion to temper the soul or achieve the breakthrough. Second, each person could only consume one; taking more would not only be useless but would actually harm the soul.

Lei Dong vaguely sensed that his Senior Sister might not have a chance to attend this time. If she truly couldn't come, he was determined to secure a fruit for her as well. Thinking of this, a subtle fierceness flickered in Lei Dong’s eyes.