After a moment’s thought, he pulled a thick stack of silver notes from his robes—ten thousand taels more than he had borrowed from Shen Xiuyong.

"Junior Martial Uncle Shen, thank you for your help before. I’d like to pay you back."

Chen Qing handed the silver notes over.

"Alright. I happen to be short on silver for this trip."

Shen Xiuyong didn’t stand on ceremony, simply taking the notes and tucking them into his robes with a laugh. "In that case, I’ll take them! So, how about it? Interested in a trip to Fengle Mansion with your uncle? We could try our luck, check out the auction... who knows, you might find something incredible. It would be a great experience, if only to see more of the world."

Chen Qing shook his head with barely a moment’s hesitation. "Thank you for the kind offer, Junior Martial Uncle, but my Cultivation is still low. I’m a long way from reaching the Astral Force Realm. Instead of chasing an uncertain opportunity, I’d rather stay grounded and focus on improving my own strength first."

’My top priority is improving my strength.’ The Astral Condensing Pill might be a priceless treasure to others, but for him, its use was limited.

Shen Xiuyong didn’t press the issue. He clapped Chen Qing on the shoulder. "Alright then, you focus on your Cultivation and wait for good news from me! If I hit the jackpot and get an Astral Condensing Pill, heh heh, I’ll make sure there’s something in it for you!"

......

「Deep within Lake Heart Island.」

He Yuzhou stood before a window with his hands behind his back, gazing at the gentle ripples on the surface of Dingbo Lake.

Sang Yanping stood respectfully to the side, his hands at his sides.

"It seems Xiao Bieli will come again," He Yuzhou said, his voice calm.

Sang Yanping nodded, his brow furrowed slightly. "Those words he said as he left were no empty pleasantry. Cold Jade Valley’s supposed ’Lifeng’ is a facade. Their true intention is to use Xiao Bieli to crush the morale of our Three Sects’ younger generation, all to flaunt their power as the Cloud Forest Leader and prove they have worthy successors!"

"I imagine Second Master He of Qixia Manor and the leaders of Xuanjia Sect also saw through Leng Qianqiu’s intentions. Feng Shuhao was defeated soundly, and Shi Ziyi was no match for him. They likely chose to avoid a direct confrontation to preserve their strength, holding back their top disciples from a fight to the death with Xiao Bieli."

He Yuzhou gave a cold snort. "Hmph, a fine scheme from Leng Qianqiu! He thinks he can use one disciple to humiliate the younger generation of our Three Sects and build up momentum for Cold Jade Valley. The defeats of Feng Shuhao and Shi Ziyi, coupled with Yao Yang’s defeat today, are more than enough to elevate Cold Jade Valley’s reputation even further."

Astral Force masters acted as a Sect’s Stabilizing Needle and rarely made a move. The strength and reputation of the younger generation traveling the Jianghu were crucial for a Sect’s influence in Yunlin Prefecture, its share of resources, and its ability to attract new blood.

In the Jianghu, fame brought fortune.

Sang Yanping couldn’t agree more. "Indeed, Sect Leader. Cold Jade Valley is powerful and their foundations run deep. With the Demon Sect currently lying dormant, Shi Kaishan and Zhou Nianchu clearly don’t want to clash head-on with them right now. They’d rather not expend their own Primordial Qi, so they’ve chosen to swallow their pride and wait."

He Yuzhou nodded slightly and turned around. "Be that as it may, this matter concerns the reputation of our Wutai Sect! If our young disciples’ morale is crushed, the long-term effects will be profound. Since Xiao Bieli has declared he will return, we cannot just sit here and do nothing! The next time he dares to show up at our door, someone from the Wutai Sect must step forward to meet his blade! And it must be a clean victory!"

He walked to the desk and rapped his fingers heavily on the tabletop. "Send down the order! Starting next month, the supply of Centennial Earth Core Milk is to be doubled! Prioritize the Core Disciples and any Elders or Stewards who have the potential to break through their bottlenecks! Also..."

A glint of determination flashed in He Yuzhou’s eyes. "Spread the word. The next time Xiao Bieli comes to issue a challenge, anyone who steps onto the stage to face him, regardless of victory or defeat, will be rewarded with one drop of ’Three Hundred Years Earth Core Milk’!"

"Three Hundred Years Earth Core Milk?!"

Upon hearing this, Sang Yanping’s eyes flew wide open. "Sect Leader! That... The three-hundred-year variety of Earth Core Milk is produced in extremely small quantities from the spring’s depths, and our reserves are... nearly depleted! This substance is immensely beneficial for Astral Force masters to stabilize their Cultivation and reach for higher Realms. To use it on disciples like this..."

"No matter!"

He Yuzhou waved his hand dismissively. "Resources are meant to be used! Better to use them to improve the strength of the disciples than to let them gather dust in the Treasure Vault! This is to motivate those with potential who are hiding their true strength! Otherwise, they’ll all just focus on self-preservation, avoiding strong opponents, and keeping their abilities as a trump card while they watch their fellow disciples be humiliated without lifting a finger! The Wutai Sect has no need for such ’clever’ people! What I want are sharp blades, eager to fight and determined to advance!"

Sang Yanping instantly understood the Sect Leader’s deeper meaning. "Sect Leader, are you talking about... that Miss Nie from the Gui Water Institute? She..."

"Hmph!"

He Yuzhou snorted coldly, cutting Sang Yanping off. "A Cultivation that has opened Eleven Orthodox Meridians. I noticed it during the last grand celebration, but she hides it well and is unwilling to stand out! Now that Yan Yaoyang has been defeated, she’s even less likely to show herself! And there are others, no doubt hiding their strength as well. This kind of attitude is unacceptable!"

"We will provide the resources, but they must be given for a clear reason—to those disciples who dare to fight for the Sect’s honor, who dare to challenge powerful enemies! Great rewards are sure to bring forth brave souls! Let’s just see how much fighting spirit the younger generation of the Wutai Sect has left!"

Sang Yanping took a deep breath and cupped his fist. "Yes! Your foresight is profound, Sect Leader. I understand. I will see to it at once. I’ll make sure the news about doubling the Centennial Earth Core Milk supply and the bounty of the Three Hundred Years Earth Core Milk gets out... *thoroughly*. That will surely light a fire under the young ones!"

He Yuzhou nodded and waved his hand.

Sang Yanping accepted the order, bowed, and retreated from the Quiet Chamber.

Only He Yuzhou remained in the Quiet Chamber.

He once again looked out the window at the vast expanse of Dingbo Lake, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

’Cold Jade Valley has dominated for too long...’ 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

....

「Gui Water Institute.」

Chu Jinyun took a deep breath and told Nie Shanshan the news she had just received.