"I heard that the Spirit Level Alchemist from the branch has arrived, so naturally, I came to pay a visit."

His words, though seemingly harmless, emphasized the word ’visit’ so heavily that it carried an unmistakable undertone of hostility.

"No nonsense!" Xia Tianwu’s face darkened as he sternly interrupted.

Jing Tian slightly curled his lips, a faint but arrogant smile appearing: "This is a normal exchange, why does Elder Xia call it nonsense?"

After saying this, his proud eyes slowly moved, finally resting on the disciples of the branch.

Most of the people were swept past by his disdainful gaze until his eyes settled on the five people around Mu Qingge.

The enchanting red color surrounding them made a flash of admiration pass through Jing Tian’s eyes, quickly followed by intense jealousy.

’Is it possible for a man so stunning to exist in this world?’ Jing Tian mused inwardly.

He hid his emotions and looked at the four people beside Mu Qingge, seemingly unfazed.

At a glance, he realized each of them was outstanding, remarkable in their own right!

The man in white, ethereal as mist, was detached and indifferent. The man in a green robe, fresh as bamboo, carried an innate nobility and warmth, suave and graceful. And the woman in green? She was charming and seductive, exuding a natural allure that captivated the soul.

When Jing Tian saw Shang Zisu, his eyes immediately brightened. It seemed that this proud and aloof, exquisite woman had piqued his intense interest.

His gaze greedily scanned Shang Zisu up and down.

This gaze made Shang Zisu extremely uncomfortable, causing her to frown slightly and unconsciously move closer to Mu Qingge.

This small gesture caught Jing Tian’s eye, and his expression suddenly turned cold.

Looking at Mu Qingge again, hostility was already evident in his eyes!

Mu Qingge felt Shang Zisu’s unconscious movement and also sensed Jing Tian’s unabashed scrutiny.

"Hmph." Zhao Nanxing snorted coldly, stepping forward to completely shield Shang Zisu with Mu Qingge, cutting off Jing Tian’s line of sight.

A thin layer of anger quickly rose in Jing Tian’s eyes.

At this moment, Xia Tianwu stepped forward, standing between the two groups. After casting a glance at the somewhat fearful branch disciples, he said to Jing Tian, "Exchange and sparring aren’t for today. Please leave for now; save any matters until they have rested."

Xia Tianwu’s protection surprised Jing Tian.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, cast a deep glance at the side-turned Shang Zisu, and smiled at Xia Tianwu, "Fine, I’ll come another day."

Hearing this, Xia Tianwu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Jing Tian’s next words made him furrow his brow again.

"Which of you is that Spirit Level Alchemist?"

The sudden question made all the branch disciples look towards Mu Qingge.

Jing Tian’s gaze once again fell on Mu Qingge. Even though the four people around her were equally outstanding, he still found this red-dressed youth exceedingly eye-catching. Her unparalleled beauty made him feel a sense of inferiority in front of her.

"So it’s you." Jing Tian suppressed his feeling of ’inferiority’ and said with a playful tone.

Mu Qingge looked at him calmly, without saying a word.

Jing Tian’s eyes narrowed as he said ambiguously, "Very well, very well." After that, he left with his entourage, grandly.

As Jing Tian left, the branch disciples felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from their hearts.

Zhao Nanxing, Mei Zizhong, and a few others slightly furrowed their brows, looking at Mu Qingge. It seemed as if they were saying that trouble had come knocking even before they joined the Main Courtyard.

"It seems that Jing Tian holds a high position in the Main Courtyard," Zhao Nanxing said to Mu Qingge.

Speaking, he also looked at Shang Zisu and said to her, "Zisu, that man looked at you with ill intentions, so don’t walk alone for the time being."

Shang Zisu glanced at him, didn’t retort, and just gently nodded her head.

"Sigh! Let’s go," Xia Tianwu sighed heavily and urged everyone to continue toward the Main Courtyard.

On the way, Xia Tianwu walked alongside Mu Qingge, quietly explaining to her, "This Jing Tian is the foremost disciple of the Medicine Tower Headquarters. His talent even surpasses some renowned Alchemy Masters. Thus, he has developed an arrogant and spoiled character, accustomed to being the supreme among the Main Courtyard disciples, even disregarding some Elders. Your arrival seems to have unsettled him since the branch now has a Spirit Level Alchemist younger than him."

"Is he also a Spirit Level Alchemist?" Mu Qingge picked up on the hint from Xia Tianwu’s words.

Xia Tianwu nodded and said, "Yes, he is the only Spirit Level Alchemist among the disciples. Most others are Advanced Alchemists or Intermediate Alchemists. Only some newly admitted disciples are Low Level Alchemists."

Mu Qingge listened silently, then asked Xia Tianwu, "Elder Xia is also a Spirit Level Alchemist, right?"

Xia Tianwu laughed, "Yes, I am a Spirit Level Alchemist. In the Main Courtyard, apart from the dean being a Treasure Level Alchemist, all other Elders are Spirit Level Alchemists."

"Elder Xia, could it be that Jing Tian coincidentally happens to be the dean’s disciple?" Zhao Nanxing asked beside him.

Xia Tianwu shook his head with a smile, "The Main Courtyard has a rule that once a disciple reaches the level of a Spirit Level Alchemist, they can leave their teacher and establish their own house. Jing Tian’s former mentor was the Main Courtyard’s Great Elder. After Jing Tian’s breakthrough, they severed their mentor-disciple relationship."

To sever a mentor-disciple relationship because of advancement!

This revelation gave the five of them a new understanding of Jing Tian.

It seems this person truly is heartless and unfeeling, completely disregarding old ties.

"How is the Great Elder now?" Zhao Nanxing asked again.

Xia Tianwu sighed and said, "The Great Elder once regarded Jing Tian as his own and devoted himself to nurturing him. He probably never imagined that one day his prized pupil would be so eager to sever ties with him. Since then, he has gone into seclusion and hasn’t emerged for three years."

Is this the outcome?

The five looked at each other.

Mei Zizhong was silent for a moment, then asked with pursed lips, "Why must the mentor-disciple relationship be severed? There’s no conflict between severing ties and establishing one’s own house."

"Indeed," Xia Tianwu nodded with a sigh, "The so-called leaving the teacher is merely graduating. Even if you establish your own house, you can still respect your teacher and the Dao. Maybe it was Jing Tian’s departure that broke the Great Elder’s heart."

"So what is Jing Tian’s current status in the Medicine Tower?" Mu Qingge looked at Xia Tianwu.

Xia Tianwu was silent for a while before saying, "He is currently preparing for the Medicine Tower Elder assessment."

Mu Qingge raised her eyebrows but did not continue to ask questions.

When they reached the courtyard gate, Xia Tianwu suddenly stopped, smiled at Mu Qingge, and said, "Now that he has noticed you, he will probably seek you out sooner or later. If he challenges you to Dan Fighting, feel free to put him in his place."

Mu Qingge smiled without acceptance or refusal and simply said, "Let’s go, Elder Xia."

Unable to discern her attitude, Xia Tianwu could only nod and remain silent.

The gates of the Main Courtyard were even grander and more imposing than those of the branch.

Or perhaps... one could say that the branch is just a smaller version of the Main Courtyard.

Once inside the gates, the scenery of the Main Courtyard unfolded before everyone. The ancient trees towered, surrounded by green foliage. The only difference was that amid the swathes of green, jade-white steps appeared everywhere, and the resplendent palaces were arranged in layers.

Initially, the Medicine Tower Branch, which had amazed Mu Qingge, now seemed small and petty compared to the current Main Courtyard.

"Wow—! So beautiful!"

"Truly stunning!"

"So vast!"

Exclamations of amazement continuously came from behind.

Summer Heaven nodded with satisfaction and said to Mu Qingge and the others, "Follow me. Let’s first go to your resting place; I’ll slowly introduce you to everything along the way."

"Given Elder Xia’s status in the Main Courtyard, why would he personally accompany us?" Mu Qingge asked before taking more than a few steps.

Summer Heaven was taken aback and then smiled at her sudden insight. "As expected, you’re a clever one. Well, to be honest, I volunteered for this assignment."

"Why?" Mu Qingge’s eyes flashed as she asked.

Summer Heaven feigned a deep thought before replying, half-jokingly, "Naturally, I wanted to get closer to you to see if I could keep you in the Main Courtyard."

Mu Qingge gently lowered her gaze with a casual smile, "Elder Xia, you jest."

Summer Heaven, unoffended, simply went along with her, "If you say it’s a joke, then it’s a joke."

"The Main Courtyard is divided into three towers like the Branch, with similar regions for Alchemy, Medicine Fields, and disciple residences. Those larger palaces you see are where the elders and their disciples reside," explained Summer Heaven as he introduced the Main Courtyard to them along the way.

Zhao Nanxing asked, "Elder Xia, while we’re at the Main Courtyard, can we visit these places freely?"

Xia Tianwu thought for a moment and said, "The Pill Recipe Hall, similar to the Branch, is limited by the level on your token. The Hidden Pill Tower requires a token to enter, but you can visit the Alchemy Room, Medicine Field, and Arena Area to watch Dan Fighting, or even challenge yourself."

"What about the Spiritual Consciousness Tower?" Mu Qingge suddenly asked.

"Spiritual Consciousness Tower?" Xia Tianwu was slightly surprised, seemingly not understanding why Mu Qingge would ask this. But he still answered honestly, "The Spiritual Consciousness Tower is where disciples are evaluated upon entry. Generally, after passing the evaluation, people don’t go back in. However, it’s not forbidden; if you’re interested, you can give it a try."

Towards the end, Xia Tianwu seemed to understand Mu Qingge’s intentions and spoke with a hint of implication.

Mu Qingge’s eyes twinkled slightly, and she smiled at Xia Tianwu, "Thank you for the guidance, Elder Xia."

Xia Tianwu brought the members of the Branch to a rather remote grand hall and declared loudly, "Here is where you’ll be staying during your time at the Main Courtyard. The elders from your Branch will report back one by one and won’t be staying with you. The rules of the Main Courtyard aren’t too different from those of the Branch; you should be aware of them. If you have any questions, you can ask the seniors in charge here."

Just as he said this, a few Medicine Tower Disciples came out of the hall, appearing much more humble than the ones they had encountered before.

They walked up to Xia Tianwu and bowed, saying, "Disciple greets Elder Xia."

Xia Tianwu barely nodded and addressed the Branch disciples, "These are the seniors managing this place; if you have any issues or questions, just ask them."

After speaking, he waved his sleeve, walked over to Mu Qingge, and said, "If you run into any trouble, feel free to come find me."

Then, he departed gracefully.

Once Xia Tianwu left, the group gathered together without rushing to pick their rooms with the few Main Courtyard disciples.

"It seems the waters of this Main Courtyard run deep!" Zhao Nanxing sighed.

Mu Qingge, however, remained calmly composed and said, "Where there are people, there’s a Jianghu; where there’s a Jianghu, there’s conflict."

"Tsk, tsk, I didn’t expect you, Junior Brother Mu, to be so insightful at such a young age," Zhao Nanxing teased.

Mei Zizhong suddenly asked, "Qingge, if Jing Tian comes looking for trouble again, what will you do?"

Mu Qingge, unconcerned, replied, "I’ll deal with it when he comes; must I choose an auspicious day to trounce someone?"

This statement immediately alleviated some of the invisible pressure.

Mu Qingge said to the others, "You guys rest for now; I’m going to check out the Spiritual Consciousness Tower."

"You’re going now?" Zhao Nanxing asked in surprise.

Mu Qingge nodded.

Zhu Ling said, "Then I’ll go see how the entry evaluations for the Main Courtyard are conducted."

"I’ll go with you," Shang Zisu suggested to Zhu Ling after some thought.

Zhao Nanxing frowned, recalling the way Jing Tian looked at Shang Zisu, "It wouldn’t be convenient for you two ladies to go; I’ll accompany you instead, and Zisu can stay here with Senior Brother Mei."

Shang Zisu glanced at him without saying anything.

Zhu Ling heard the caution in Zhao Nanxing’s words and nodded at Shang Zisu, saying, "Yes, Zisu, you shouldn’t go."

Shang Zisu looked back at her, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright."

Mei Zizhong initially intended to accompany Mu Qingge to the Spiritual Consciousness Tower, but the current arrangement made it awkward for him to say anything, so he remained silent.

"Senior Brother Mei, Junior Brother Mu, Senior Brother Zhao, Senior Sister Shang, Senior Sister Zhu, come quickly, we’ve reserved some good rooms for you." A Branch disciple in the hall said excitedly.

The group smiled gratefully, then dispersed according to the arrangement.

Mu Qingge smiled slightly, turned, and left the hall, heading towards the Spiritual Consciousness Tower.

...

’In the depths of the Spiritual Consciousness Tower here, does that item still exist?’ Mu Qingge couldn’t help but swallow as she gazed up at the Spiritual Consciousness Tower.

Even though Mu Qingge still didn’t know that the light ball she got in the Branch’s Spiritual Consciousness Tower was a Spiritual Sense Fruit, she knew it greatly benefited spiritual sense.

Having come all this way to the Medicine Tower Headquarters, how could she miss such an opportunity?

With a wave of her sleeve, Mu Qingge stepped through the doors of the Spiritual Consciousness Tower.

Currently, it’s not the time for the Main Courtyard’s disciple recruitment, so the Spiritual Consciousness Tower was empty.

As Xia Tianwu mentioned, disciples who have already passed the evaluation generally don’t return to the Spiritual Consciousness Tower.

Mu Qingge was an exception.

The elder in charge of the Spiritual Consciousness Tower was surprised to see the token at Mu Qingge’s waist upon her entry. However, since there was no rule in the Medicine Tower prohibiting disciples from re-entering the Spiritual Consciousness Tower, he did not stop her.

Having had prior experience, Mu Qingge stepped directly through the evaluation gate.

As her feet touched the steps, everything around turned dark, and the only light was the staircase winding up, the end of which was unseen.

Mu Qingge looked toward the staircase’s end and, without hesitation, began to ascend.

Meanwhile, a light suddenly appeared on the Obsidian Stele at the Medicine Tower Headquarters, attracting the attention of passing disciples.

"Huh, who entered the Spiritual Consciousness Tower?"

"It’s not time for the new disciple evaluations; why would anyone go there?"

"I heard some Branch disciples arrived today; could it be them?" Someone speculated, unknowingly close to the truth.

"It can’t be; they just got here, why would they run to the Spiritual Consciousness Tower? Does the Branch not have one?" someone’s mockery provoked a round of derisive laughter.

To those from the Main Courtyard, the Medicine Tower Branch in the Third-class Country seemed like bumpkins who had never seen the world.

"Maybe it’s precisely because they haven’t seen it that they’re so eager?" Someone mocked.

"That makes sense; our Main Courtyard disciples only enter the Spiritual Consciousness Tower during the entry evaluation. Who would go in otherwise? Seems like the one in there is certainly a bumpkin from the Branch."

"We have some idle time now; why not watch and see how far this Branch disciple can go?"

"Let’s place bets! I’ll be the bookmaker; place your bets!" A disciple known for gambling immediately sat cross-legged, spread a silk scarf from his pocket on the ground, and opened a betting pool.

"Count me in!"

"Me too!"

"I’m also in!"

His call to action gathered a crowd of eager participants.

The scale on the Obsidian Stele used to measure disciples’ spiritual sense strength had now become the odds for their bets.

The higher one went, the higher the odds.

Gradually, more and more Main Courtyard disciples gathered around the Obsidian Stele, and the number of participants in the betting pool was countless. Meanwhile, the light on the stele was silently climbing upward.

"The highest odds are fifty-to-one?" Someone squeezed in to check the odds and, surprised, said to the bookmaker, "If this person reaches the highest mark, you’ll be bankrupt!"

The disciple running the betting pool smirked dismissively, "Only if someone bets on them reaching that far! Don’t forget, even our Main Courtyard’s best record hasn’t reached the highest mark; even Senior Brother Jing Tian only reached the second-to-last one."

His words made the inquirer nod repeatedly. After thinking it over, he placed a gold block at the middle mark, where the odds were only one-to-one.

The bookmaker looked at him, and he chuckled, "I think you’re right; no matter what, the person inside can’t match Senior Brother Jing Tian, so betting here is the safest."

The betting pool operator was secretly vexed.

He thought he should have coaxed more people to bet high, so he could make a hefty profit!

The Obsidian Stele was located in a plaza outside the Spiritual Consciousness Tower, providing a clear view of the tower’s entrance and exit. The crowd grew larger, eventually drawing Zhao Nanxing and Zhu Ling over after they finished their errands and were heading back to their residence.

They had deliberately taken a detour past the Spiritual Consciousness Tower to check if Mu Qingge was done, hoping to return together.

Unexpectedly, a large crowd had gathered outside the tower; at a glance, there were at least five or six hundred people!

The two exchanged a puzzled glance, and Zhu Ling asked, "What’s going on?"

Zhao Nanxing thought for a moment, "Let’s go and see."

Zhu Ling, however, grabbed his sleeve and hesitated, "We’ve just arrived and are unfamiliar with the Main Courtyard; we shouldn’t cause trouble."

"We’re only going to see what’s happening; how could that cause trouble?" Zhao Nanxing said. With a smile, he scrutinized Zhu Ling and added, "Why do I find you increasingly cautious and timid these days?"

Zhu Ling glared at him playfully, "I’m the weakest here, so naturally, I don’t want to cause you any trouble."

Zhao Nanxing shook his head helplessly, "Let’s go, and see what’s happening."

The two of them walked towards the crowd together, and before they even got close, they could already hear the loud shouts of betting odds and the sound of bets being placed inside.

The two exchanged confused looks, seemingly not understanding why someone would openly set up a gambling game in the Medicine Tower.

Zhao Nanxing grabbed a person next to him and politely asked, "Excuse me, senior brother, could you tell me what’s happening here?"

The person was holding gold borrowed from somewhere else and was initially unhappy about being pulled aside. But upon seeing Zhao Nanxing and Zhu Ling’s exceptional demeanor and appearance, he toned down his attitude a bit and said to them, "You don’t know, do you? Someone has entered the Spiritual Consciousness Tower, probably those country bumpkins from the Branch. So, Senior Brother Zhe Xiu started a gambling game for everyone’s amusement."

After listening to his explanation, Zhao Nanxing and Zhu Ling exchanged a knowing glance.

They didn’t need to think hard to know who was inside the Spiritual Consciousness Tower.

In their ears, the betting odds were being shouted loudly. When they heard that the highest odds offered were fifty to one, Zhao Nanxing suddenly smiled and thanked the helpful senior brother, "Thank you, senior brother."

"No problem, let’s all get rich together." This person wasn’t too difficult to interact with. He looked Zhao Nanxing and Zhu Ling over carefully again, and asked with curiosity, "You both look unfamiliar, are you new students just entering the Tower?"

Zhao Nanxing smiled slightly and explained, "We’re from the Branch, we just arrived today."

"You’re from the Branch?" Upon hearing their background, the enthusiasm of the senior brother who was previously warm and friendly cooled down. His expression turned a bit disdainful, and he spoke with a hint of arrogance, "Oh, so you’re juniors from the Branch. Good, I’ve told you everything you need to know, suit yourselves."

Saying this, he cupped his hands perfunctorily, then walked away briskly, as if the two of them were a plague.

Watching his retreating figure, Zhu Ling covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Zhao Nanxing sighed helplessly, "Given his earlier helpful explanation, I was going to offer him a path to wealth. It seems he won’t be able to enjoy it, so it’s not my fault."

Zhu Ling also laughed, "Our Junior Brother Mu is truly blessed. As soon as he arrived, he’s brought us a windfall." Saying this, she looked at Zhao Nanxing and playfully said, "Your Highness, I don’t have much money on me. How about lending me some? I’ll return it with thirty percent interest later."

Zhao Nanxing shook his head and refused, "How could I miss out on such a chance for fortune!"

Zhu Ling mockingly pouted, "Stingy! Don’t you understand the principle of sharing wealth with everyone?"

"Alright, alright, I’ll lend you a hundred taels of gold. Also, buy a hundred taels for Senior Brother and Zisu." Zhao Nanxing shook his head, pulling out a stack of gold notes commonly used in Linchuan Continent from his pocket.

Zhu Ling happily took the gold notes, then handed them back to Zhao Nanxing, explaining while he looked at her in surprise, "There are so many people over there, and I’m just a girl, how can I squeeze through? I’ll have to trouble you to do it!" With that, she bowed her head obediently.

Zhao Nanxing sighed, "Very well then!"

Parting from Zhu Ling, Zhao Nanxing turned and squeezed his way towards the crowd.

After much difficulty, he reached the front and slapped the entire stack of gold notes onto the bet with the highest odds.

His bold move immediately silenced the noisy crowd. The organizer, Zhe Xiu, looked up at Zhao Nanxing in surprise.

He looked at Zhao Nanxing with a gaze as if he were looking at an idiot!

"Who is he? Why would he bet so much money on that?"

"Who knows? Probably some fool with too much money, thinking there might be an upset!"

"When the results come out, he’ll probably be crying!"

Gradually, the mocking voices rose, but Zhao Nanxing remained unfazed.

Zhe Xiu snapped back to his senses from his shock and confirmed with Zhao Nanxing, "Uh, junior brother, are you sure you want to bet here?"

Zhao Nanxing nodded without hesitation.

Zhe Xiu’s eyes immediately lit up, and he quickly said, "Alright! I’ll prepare your betting ticket right away!" Saying so, he offered Zhao Nanxing a couple of insincere compliments, "Junior brother has a keen eye, maybe there will be an upset!"

"Senior brother is right, I also think there might be an upset this time." As soon as Zhao Nanxing finished speaking, a wave of snickers and ’boo’s came from the surroundings.

He didn’t care in the least and took the betting ticket Zhe Xiu prepared for him as he squeezed out of the crowd.

"Who is this guy? What an idiot!"

"Don’t know him. Thinks there’ll be an upset? Does he think the Spiritual Consciousness Tower is just for show?"

"Hehe, Senior Brother Zhe Xiu is going to make a lot this time!"

"Just wonder how this guy will react when he sees himself lose and loses so many gold notes." Someone said gloatingly.

At this moment, the disinterested disciple from earlier who had a brief chat with Zhao Nanxing squeezed in and said, "He’s from the Branch, probably just supporting a fellow disciple with money."

"He’s from the Branch? I thought he was a noble young master from some prominent family given his poise."

One sentence was enough to quell everyone’s interest in Zhao Nanxing.

Zhao Nanxing returned to Zhu Ling’s side, their conversations echoing behind him.

Zhu Ling covered her mouth and laughed, "Didn’t see it before, but you’re quite devious. Knowing our Junior Brother Mu’s abilities, yet you didn’t warn anyone."

Zhao Nanxing matter-of-factly said, "Even if I told them, they wouldn’t believe it. So, let’s quietly rake in the big bucks, why bother explaining to them?"

"Makes sense." Zhu Ling nodded and smiled.

The two stood silently in a more secluded spot, occasionally exchanging a few words, seemingly indifferent to what was happening with the Obsidian Stele.

Their behavior puzzled the disciples from the Main Courtyard, but they didn’t think much of it.

At that moment, all the disciples who had placed bets directed their attention to the Obsidian Stele. What originally was just a Spiritual Sense Strength assessment unrelated to them had now become intimately tied to hundreds of people.

Everyone stared intently at the Obsidian Stele. Each time the light on the Obsidian Stele rose a bit, their breaths tightened correspondingly. It seemed they wished that the steadily climbing light would just stop!

Among them, the most nervous person was naturally Zhe Xiu, who had organized the gambling. The higher the light on the Obsidian Stele rose, the more money he would lose.

The only solace was that not many people bet on an upside.

However...

Zhe Xiu subconsciously squeezed the pile of gold notes tucked in his bosom.

"If the person inside really reaches the highest scale, won’t I have to..." Zhe Xiu suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, as if all the blood in his body had turned cold. He shook his head fiercely, silently thinking to himself, "No, it can’t be! Even Jing Tian, a talent unseen in a century, couldn’t do this. How could the person inside possibly achieve it?"

He recalled the image of Jing Tian in his mind, which seemed to instantly restore his confidence a hundredfold!

The gambling outside the Spiritual Consciousness Tower had no effect on Mu Qingge inside the tower. Her purpose lay in the reward at the end, completely unaware that outside, a big crowd was betting on her for profit.

In a residence filled with celestial aura within the Medicine Tower Headquarters, Xia Tianwu stood respectfully behind a person.

The person in front of him was sitting cross-legged on a cushion, with a mirror in front of him. The scene in the mirror was that of the Obsidian Stele.

"Haha, it’s rare to see such liveliness in the headquarters!" He laughed, showing no signs of anger in his voice.

Wearing white clothes that softly fluttered with his movements, every gesture was brimming with celestial grace.

Xia Tianwu respectfully said, "Director, they’re openly gambling, this..."

He waved his hand, interrupting Xia Tianwu, "There’s no rule against gambling in the courtyard regulations. It’s okay, it’s okay."

Xia Tianwu’s mouth twitched, silently lamenting to himself: The predecessors who made these rules never anticipated a day like this!

"Right now, I’m rather curious about how far the young one in the tower can go." He watched the mirror intently, the scene inside showing an enlarged view of the situation on the Obsidian Stele, allowing him to clearly see the light representing Mu Qingge.

...

"Why is it still rising?"

"What is that person in there eating to reach this height?"

"It’s still rising!"

"It’s already at the second-to-last scale, matching Jing Tian’s score back then!"

The disciples from the Main Courtyard surrounding the Obsidian Stele gradually became shocked amidst their tension. At this moment, they temporarily forgot their bets, marveling at the steady and uninterrupted rise of the light on the Obsidian Stele.

"It... it passed..."

When the light finally broke through the second-to-last level and began heading towards the highest indicated scale, an uproar of amazement erupted outside.

"It actually surpassed Jing Tian!"

"Is the person inside really from the Branch? How could someone from the Branch have such high Spiritual Sense Strength?!"

"This is impossible! Could it be cheating?" someone questioned.

However, someone immediately retorted, "Are you a pig? How could there be cheating in the Spiritual Consciousness Tower?"

Immediately, the person who questioned fell silent.

"Ah—! My money!"

"My half-year’s meal money!"

Suddenly, someone finally realized that a certain ominous thing was quietly descending upon them.

By the Obsidian Stele, waves of wails rose and fell.

Every single one of them was heartbroken over their wallets.

Yet, there was one person who couldn’t feel happy as he should have. Because, even though he won others’ money, facing Zhao Nanxing’s high compensation, it was enough to bankrupt him, and even that wasn’t enough!

Suddenly, he felt as if he had lifted a stone only to drop it on his own foot.

Why did he even start this bet?

Zhe Xiu truly wanted to give himself a few slaps!

He wanted to escape, but for some reason, or perhaps it was his imagination, he always felt that the guy from the Branch was watching him with a smile.

He could ignore the Branch people.

But, he still needed to stay at the Main Courtyard, and he couldn’t lose his reputation because of this incident!

So, even if it meant going broke, he couldn’t leave!

Instantly, Zhe Xiu felt like crying.

He prayed that the dot of light on the Obsidian Stele wouldn’t reach the last mark and hoped it would stop in the middle. That way, he would be the biggest winner of this bet!

However, the dot of light on the Obsidian Stele seemed to go against his wishes; not only did it not stop, but it accelerated.

When the dot of light broke through the last mark and kept rising, he only felt darkness in front of him, unable to hear the wails around him, wishing he could die right there!

"It seems, this little guy came for the Spiritual Sense Fruit in the Spiritual Consciousness Tower!" The eyes staring at the mirror flashed with a strange light, quickly filling with a smile.

Xia Tianwu restrained his expression and said with a grin, "I guess he gained some benefits in the Spiritual Consciousness Tower of the Branch, which is why he entered the Main Courtyard’s Spiritual Consciousness Tower."

The person in front nodded slightly and said, "Quite an ambitious little guy." This sentence revealed no emotion and made Xia Tianwu behind him frown.

In his heart, he wondered: ’Is the Dean’s comment an appreciation or disdain?’

Inside the Spiritual Consciousness Tower, Mu Qingge stepped onto the last step and once again saw the incredibly tempting light ball.

’I’ve finally arrived!’ Mu Qingge looked at the light ball, a slight smile on her lips.

This time, her journey through the Spiritual Consciousness Tower was much easier than before. She faintly felt it was related to the change in her Spiritual Sense.

And the key to the change in her Spiritual Sense was the light ball before her.

There was a hint of anticipation in Mu Qingge’s eyes as she slowly reached out her hand, wanting to touch the light ball, seemingly intending to see what it truly was.

The moment her finger touched the light ball, it seemed to tremble slightly.

The crystal-clear white light, as if being drawn, followed Mu Qingge’s finger, flying toward her brow.

As the light made contact with her brow, her body froze, her mind shaking as if struck by lightning.

The light continuously poured into Mu Qingge’s brow, freezing her in place. Fortunately, her view was unaffected, and she watched as the luster on the light ball gradually thinned, revealing a baby fist-sized, incredibly smooth green fruit inside.

The light she absorbed seemed to come from the green fruit.

"What is this?" Mu Qingge wondered in her heart.

The next moment, she immediately began matching the fruit in front of her with countless herbs in her memory.

When she reached the depths of her memory, her eyes suddenly lit up with an answer! ’A Spiritual Sense Fruit! It has great nourishing effects on Spiritual Sense!’

The green fruit turned into a crystalline light, entering Mu Qingge’s brow.

The powerful impact caused a tremor in her Spiritual Sea. It felt as if the ’lake’ that carried her Spiritual Sense had become bigger and deeper, with ’water’ that was purer and cleaner...

An indescribable transformation was happening within Mu Qingge.

The result of the outside bet had already concluded.

Yet, the disciples of the Main Courtyard who knew the outcome didn’t want to leave, guarding their wounded hearts and bleeding wallets, waiting outside the Spiritual Consciousness Tower with complex expressions, seemingly wanting to see what the person who caused their financial ruin looked like.

They waited for over half an hour before the doors of the Spiritual Consciousness Tower opened from the inside.

A figure, radiant as the sun, emerged from the Spiritual Consciousness Tower, her appearance seemingly outshining the brilliant sun above.

There’s a kind of person who naturally attracts attention, even if she simply stands there doing nothing.

Mu Qingge was such a person.

As she stood clearly in everyone’s view, the Main Courtyard disciples who had waited for so long were stunned. Perhaps they had not imagined that someone who could refresh the Spiritual Consciousness Tower’s record could look so... so...

In an instant, it seemed that all the adjectives paled in the presence of Mu Qingge.

’What’s going on!’ Bathing in the sunlight and feeling incredibly comfortable, Mu Qingge blinked at the hundreds of people gathered outside.

Her bewildered and innocent look immediately stirred a protective instinct in everyone’s hearts.

Even though, she needed no one’s protection!

"Junior Brother Mu," Zhu Ling’s gentle call broke the silence brought by Mu Qingge’s appearance.

Mu Qingge turned her gaze and saw Zhao Nanxing and Zhu Ling standing together under a tree. With a faint smile, she stepped toward them.

However, this slight smile drew numerous gasping sounds.

As if that smile was a disaster capable of toppling a nation, causing everyone to be instantly captivated.

Yet, the unwitting Mu Qingge remained unaware of her impact.

She reached the two and curiously asked, "What are you doing here? And why is there such a crowd outside the Spiritual Consciousness Tower?"

Zhu Ling covered her mouth and laughed, "It’s all because of you."

"Me?" Mu Qingge looked confused.

Zhao Nanxing chuckled, "Seems like you don’t know the commotion you’ve caused." He didn’t rush to explain to Mu Qingge but instead took out the betting slip he kept close to him and said to the two, "Wait a moment, I’ll be right back."

After saying this, he turned and headed toward the ashen-faced Zhe Xiu.

Mu Qingge looked at him, puzzled, and asked Zhu Ling, "What’s he going to do?"

Zhu Ling’s smile widened as she solved the mystery for her, "He’s going to take his money."

"Take money?" Mu Qingge was even more puzzled.

Seeing her confusion, Zhu Ling quickly explained the situation to Mu Qingge in brief words.

After listening, Mu Qingge suddenly realized.

Looking around at the disciples glaring at her with resentment, her expression turned playful. ’So they actually bet on me?’

"Junior Brother Mu, we also placed bets, you’re not angry, are you?" Zhu Ling, seeing Mu Qingge silent for a long time, feared she might be upset for being used as a betting subject, asked carefully.

Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she said ambiguously, "I don’t mind, not at all."

As the two were talking, suddenly, there seemed to be a dispute where Zhao Nanxing was. Though they didn’t hear what was said, they saw the person opposite him suddenly shouting loudly, seemingly arguing about something.

Mu Qingge squinted and asked, "Who is that person?"

Zhu Ling glanced over and replied, "That’s the one who set up the bet."

Enlightenment flashed in Mu Qingge’s eyes, and then she noticed a group of people approaching from a distance, led by the same Jing Tian who previously attempted to cause trouble...