Gradually the liquid Qi within the depression continued to solidify into metal and take a metallic feel to it.

About an hour later, the first depression had completely solidified into a metal pillar, then the metal elemental Qi moved on to the second depression and in another hour, it was completely solidified.

​​

This process repeated itself until the nine depression were solidified into Qi Pillars, then these nine pillars began to transform into nine separate massive altars in the middle of the 'Yuan Wonder Gate'.

Min Hong looked at the mysterious process and variation that his Dan had just experienced.

Normally, when one forms their Dan in the 1 Star Dan Formation stage, they were initially supposed to break the containments housing their nine Qi Seas, causing all nine of them to merge together into one giant Qi Ocean before they then begin to solidify the Qi Ocean into a massive altar.

When this altar is formed, they would be said to have entered the 1 Star Dan Formation stage.

After this altar had been formed, then the cultivator would now be required to fill it up with Qi gradually increasing in stars in relation to the level of Qi contained within the Dan (Qi Altar).

So, they had one Qi pillar turn into a single Dan (Qi Altar). But in Min Hong's case, the variation within the [Wonder Gate Codex] actually allowed him to form nine separate altars.

Thus, if the attack of an ordinary 1 Star Dan Formation expert contains 5 tonnes of force, then that of an ordinary 2 Star Dan Formation expert would contain {5+5} = 10 tonnes of force.

But in the case of Min Hong who had nine separate Qi altars, he would have the force equivalent of 5 tonnes in the 1 Star Dan Formation stage (all things being equal).

But when he gets to the 2 Star Dan Formation stage, he would possess a force of {5 X 5} = 25 tonnes of force!

Similarly, in the 3 Star Dan Formation stage, it would be equivalent to {5 X 5 X 5} = 125 tonnes of force…

But even though Min Hong knew that the variation happening within him would bring him massive amounts of strength, he never knew it would be so overpowered!

So, he just kept transforming all the Qi into pillars and when they all floated within the 'Yuan Wonder Gate'.

He then began to fill them up and the moment the metal elemental Qi surged and began to fill the first altar, Min Hong came to a bitter realization that it was going to take a while before he can cultivate to the 9 Star Dan Formation stage.

Though, he had no problem with the Qi, this was just akin to cultivating to the Peak of Dan Formation stage nine times.

The first pillar kept filling up as Min Hong focused fully on cultivation…

Meanwhile…

Somewhere outside the gates of Sunfire City… Twelve hooded figures were approaching the gate of the city.

Though they were covered from head to toe in their brown cloak, the way they smartly moved in a triangular formation as well as the subtle but overwhelming aura they were giving off signified that they were a group with strong tactical and military-like coordination.

They moved with one figure in the front, followed by another three behind and then four and lastly another four experts.

They were then stopped by the guards at the Sunfire City guards who thought they were just another mercenary group that were planning to come make a name for themselves in the Dogon Empire.

When they got to the gate, one of the three experts on the second row came forward and paid the dues for the rest of them.

After receiving the payments, the guard that was scared about his commander skinning their teeth noticed that this group of mercenaries weren't moving. So, he asked;

"If you do not have anything else to say, then you should move on. Though, the Desert Sun Sect's entrance selection exams had ended, we still have a lot of people to attend to."

He said with a dismissive tone and wave trying to urge on these group of experts.

Hearing this, the single expert I front of this hooded group who seemed to be their leader nodded his head as another one of the three experts behind him came forwards with a rolled piece of cloth in hand…

The expert then unfurled this rolled up cloth to reveal the image of the Min Hong group as he asked;

"Have you seen anyone of these guys around here?" He asked in a clearly masked but deep voice.

The guard instantly realized that these guys were not simple mercenaries and since they could send this much strong experts after what looks like a bunch of kids, then clearly the kids were not simple either.

Furthermore, he remembered that amongst the entire group, the only person he didn't see was the image of a pretty innocent girl who was clearly Min Qing.

But either ways, he still answered;

"No, I have never seen them before."

He lied with a flat tone and straight expression.

Understanding the reason why the guard refused to give them any valuable information, the figure leading this hooded group nodded his head as the third figure behind him came forward and discretely dropped one High-grade Spirit stone into his hands.

The guard saw this and was visibly moved, but then he looked at his composed partner who acted like the spirit stone wasn't worth a fart, then he replied once more;

"Never seen them and still don't know who they are…"

The leading hooded figure once again nodded as the third figure behind him added two more High-grade Spirit stones into his hands.

Seeing that his partner shook his head sideways unsatisfactorily, the other guard spoke once again;

"This isn't about spirit stones, we really haven't seen these kids before…"

But the leading hooded figure who knew it was impossible for Min Hong's group to travel and not pass through this city, except if they were looking to die of exhaustion, he nodded once again.

The spirit stone figure then moved forward as he place an extra two High-grade spirit stones into the guard's hand.

This time when the guard looked to his partner, he saw him nod I=his head in approval, so he instantly revealed;

"Oh, I remember now. I seem to have seen these four figures about a week ago.

They ran into some trouble with some Super Clans from this empire."

When the leading hooded figure heard the term 'Super Clan' he sighed in a crestfallen manner because even though he was sent by the Imperial Clan of the East Wind Empire, he knew how valuable and prestigious a Super Clan was.

Thus, if Min Hong's group had made trouble with one of such clans which were only a bit lower than the power backing him, then retrieving them would be very much more difficult and troublesome.

But then, he heard the remaining statement from the guard and heaved another sigh. But this time, it was one of huge relief;

"But they were rescued and helped by one of the heirs of the top ten Super Clans of the Dogon Empire; The Long Super Clan…" The guard added.

"But since, the young master of the Long Super Clan was here for the Desert Sun Sect's entrance selection exam and they have not returned even after a week, then I guess they must have been accepted into the Desert Sun Sect."

"But this is just my inexperienced view about the matter, they might as well also be dead or captured and forced to serve another power at the moment."

The guard added with a knowing wink which the rest of the hooded group easily knew the meaning of.

Thus, the leading hooded figure nodded for a third time as the spirit stone figure added one extra High-grade spirit stone into his hands in gratitude.

The guard was instantly elated and stoked as he kept gazing greedily at the five High-grade spirit stones in his hands to the extent that he didn't even realize when the group of hooded figures left as they all scoffed and derisively scorned at him like some silkpants looking at a village born bumpkin who was seeing a metropolitan city for the first time in his life.

When these hooded figures left, the guard wit the spirit stones looked at his partner in shock as he kept staring at the five High-grade spirit stones in his hands which was equivalent to two years of their total income if they worked every day without rest.

Then his partner smiled as he spoke;

"I know what you are thinking. Don't worry we can just give the commander three of them and take one each for ourselves."

"What do you say?" is partner asked as the guard gulped a gallon of his spit as he responded with a numb expression;

"Are you sure we can take one each for ourselves without the commander knowing?" he asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about, we only received three High-grade spirit stones from them. Isn't it?"

The partner responded with another question and a knowing wink as the guard finally synced with his partner…

Meanwhile…

Somewhere within an inn which was sold-out to the hooded figures, the figure with the spirit stones then asked the leading figure;

"Captain, did we really need to give an ordinary guard five high-grade spirit stones?"

He asked his leader who was about to enter his room within the inn they just rented-out.

"From the amount of information we just gleaned from that guard, how much do you think we would have to pay if we were to receive such amount of information from their commander?"

The Captain asked. Understanding where his captain was going the spirit stone figure apologised with a slight bow;

"Pardon my inexperience captain. I have been fortunate to gain from your wisdom once again…"

The guard said before entering his room. But he didn't notice that one of his colleagues only pretended to enter the room but approached the captain when he had locked his doors.

The captain who didn't see this person left his door opened as if expecting someone before this hooded figure dashed into his room;

"Oh, wise captain. Why don't you teach me some wise tactics tonight?"

The figure who finally removed the hood turned out to be the a very sexy hourglass female figure who had an outfit that only covered her chest and a quarter of her waist region from both the front and behind spoke in an alluring and playful manner as she coyly role-played a hunting tigress whilst approaching the captain who just removed his cloak from behind…

"Jun Yue, this is not the time to be fooling around…"

The captain who appeared like a wrestler from modern day earth replied the so-called Jun Yue without looking back.

But Jun Yue who was aroused for some strange reasons which seemed to either be the captain's fit and firm figure which could send any lady screaming with open thighs at him or just because of her inner fetish and lecherous thoughts and desires, walked up to the captain from behind as she began to touch and caress his back before moving to cup his chest in her hands.

Then one of her hands trailed downwards as it approached the captain's lower body causing the macho captain to tremble like a weak willow leaf in the middle of a hurricane.

Unable to endure the appealing touch of Jun Yue, the captain finally turned around as his breath had already turned ragged before ripping what seemed to be the cloth Jun Yue was wearing, making her sensual body to pop out along with the jiggling of her bountiful and upstanding twin mountains which instantly turned a screw loose within the captain's head.

In less than two minutes, the pounding of flesh against flesh as well as the masochist moans of a girl filled the entire room as the duo drowned in their lecherous and lustful desires…

They kept at it for about an hour before the noises and moans subsided and when the rest of the figures within the inn thought I was over, another series of licking and slurping sounds rang across the entire floor before the thick and manly but pleasurable moans of an adulterous adult male followed behind.

Then, everything went quiet as they all prepared to go to sleep, only for another batch of slamming, grinding and pounding sounds to echo through the floor followed by the unrestrained, ecstatic and lecherous moans of a female once again.