Ever since she personally witnessed Fang Yang claim the thirty-sixth spot on the Earth Ranking, Minghai Nanyu had been paying extremely close attention to his whereabouts.

Therefore, it didn’t take long for Minghai Nanyu to learn that Fang Yang and Sen Hui had gone to attend Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint’s grand lecture.

Minghai Nanyu’s willow-like brows furrowed. "Brother, what do you think Fang Yang is up to?"

Across from her, Minghai Dongli didn’t answer right away. He simply lowered his gaze, lost in thought.

After a moment of silence, a sigh escaped Minghai Dongli’s lips. "Alas, that brat is not worth making plans with."

Dongli wasn’t sighing over Nanyu, but over Murong Caiwei’s blind arrogance.

At the same time, he actually found himself feeling a bit envious of Fang Yang.

According to all the intelligence he had gathered, Sen Hui would actually listen to Fang Yang’s opinions.

Gradually, a sense of sorrowful indignation and desolation grew in his heart. It felt like a fishbone lodged in his throat, a feeling he simply couldn’t shake.

「Two days later.」

The task of refining the Tier Four Nourishing Spirit Pill was ultimately assigned by Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint to Sen Hui, not Caiwei.

In Qingye Valley, waterfalls cascaded down.

Murong Caiwei sat silently on a giant boulder, with Minghai Dongli waiting to the side.

At this moment, having learned that the dust had settled on the assessment task, Murong Caiwei was desperately trying to suppress her rage.

"Damn it, damn it! She’s nothing but the daughter of a concubine! By what right?! By what right?! AAAAAH—!" Murong Caiwei could no longer hold back. Her phoenix eyes snapped open as she shot to her feet and let out a long scream toward the heavens.

BOOM!

The volcano in her heart erupted, and rage filled her chest, threatening to burn her to cinders!

"This is all your fault! All your fault! You useless piece of trash, why didn’t you convince me to go to the Medicine Hall for the grand lecture?!"

Murong Caiwei roared, her eyes blazing with fire, as she rained a chaotic flurry of fists and palms down on Minghai Dongli.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...

The massive booms were like claps of thunder, erupting one after another without pause.

Minghai Dongli activated a technique, making his body as hard as divine iron and allowing Murong Caiwei to vent her fury on him.

But the brilliant flames from Murong Caiwei’s attacks evaporated an ancient pool and scorched the green mountains.

Her chaotic flailing sent sand and stones flying, causing the mountains to crumble and the very earth to crack!

One could only imagine Murong Caiwei’s fury, and Minghai Dongli’s suffocating frustration.

...

While some were consumed by rage, others were naturally overcome with joy.

Even Sen Hui hadn’t expected to receive the assessment task so quickly.

This outcome was somewhat beyond her expectations.

"Ah Yang, please, stay seated."

Sen Hui pressed on Fang Yang’s shoulders, keeping him from rising.

Then, she skipped lightly toward the courtyard to begin cooking.

In the courtyard kitchen.

Sen Hui was preparing some specially acquired beast meat, planning to make a medicinal meal.

Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she was dressed in simple clothes. Her soft, fair hands gripped a cleaver, bringing it down hard on the beast meat. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!

Seeing her like this, exuding a different kind of simple elegance, made Fang Yang’s eyes light up.

A smile on his face, Fang Yang watched her quietly, not saying a word.

For a moment, a rare sense of peace and warmth settled over the scene.

「Elsewhere.」

Qinglian Dojo.

Qinglian Dojo was the name of the island where Sen Wei resided.

Not long ago, Qinglian Dojo had welcomed a rare visitor: Sen Yue.

Sen Yue had come to discuss the matter of Sen Hui becoming a disciple of Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint.

Of course, this was merely a budding opportunity, so Sen Yue’s task was to strike while the iron was hot and solidify the relationship.

If Sen Hui successfully became Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint’s disciple, there was a high probability she would become a Saint unlike any in the Sen clan’s history, adding another Saint’s Skill to their repertoire!

Of course, the most crucial thing was Sen Hui’s own path of cultivation.

At that moment, Sen Yue gazed toward the Wind Peng Dojo, his sight seeming to pierce through countless barriers to fall upon Fang Yang and Sen Hui.

Sen Wei said, "For Xiaohui to have earned Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint’s approval so quickly... I imagine it’s inextricably linked to Fang Yang’s strategies and the fact that he accompanied her to the Medicine Hall."

Hearing this, Sen Yue nodded with a smile. "He has indeed earned his merit. What’s even rarer is his willingness to put Xiaohui’s interests first.

"According to Senior Qing Zhao, he now has the protection of a damaged Yimu Saint Spear. That being the case, this skill should be suitable for him."

As he finished speaking, Sen Yue gave a slight wave of his hand.

In an instant, a bolt of Yimu Divine Thunder appeared, its oppressive might spreading in all directions.

At this moment, the bolt of Yimu Divine Thunder, which resembled a great Cyan Dragon, obediently submitted in the palm of Sen Yue’s hand.

Gradually, the divine thunder dissipated, revealing a white jade slip engraved with thunder patterns.

"The Five Elements Divine Thunder Skill Department? Ah, I see. It’s the Yimu Divine Thunder Skill Department from the Five Elements Divine Thunder Skill," Sen Wei said, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly before a faint smile graced her lips.

The Five Elements Divine Thunder was divided into Maojin Metal Divine Thunder, Yimu Divine Thunder, Sunflower Water Divine Thunder, Bing Fire Divine Thunder, and Earth-Suppressing Divine Thunder.

When all five thunders converged, they were like a heavenly tribulation, meant to punish the mortal world.

If one possessed all the Five Elements Divine Thunder Skill Departments, it would be a Divine Technique of the Great Sage Level.

Of course, even the Yimu Divine Thunder Skill Department on its own was an incredible, Saint-level Divine Technique.

The Yimu Divine General of old had used this very skill to slay several Demon Saints before finally perishing.

Now, gifting it to Fang Yang was by no means a waste of a priceless treasure.

...

"Ah Yang, let me show you what I can do."

Standing before the Vermilion Pill Cauldron, Sen Hui was brimming with energy.

Under Fang Yang’s watchful gaze, she walked forward slowly with one hand behind her back.

Then, she took out various medicinal herbs and Spiritual Liquids, placing them into the pill furnace.

The Nourishing Spirit Pill was a Tier Four Pill whose primary function was to mend a Cultivator’s Soul, preventing them from becoming delirious and muddle-headed.

It was an incredibly difficult recipe, to say nothing of the fact that Sen Hui was only a Tier Three Pill Master.

But at this moment, perhaps because she was being watched by Fang Yang, Sen Hui was in peak form, proceeding through each step of the process with incredible smoothness.

Flames surged beneath the pill furnace.

Inside, the liquid began to boil.

’So this is your true brilliance...’ Fang Yang’s eyes flickered as he gazed at Sen Hui, who seemed to be radiating light.

It went smoothly. Incredibly smoothly.

In a mere two hours, Sen Hui refined the Nourishing Spirit Pill at an astonishing speed.

If word of such a feat were to get out, it would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar.

Who didn’t take three days and three nights, or even ten days and ten nights, for alchemy? This was especially true for higher-tiered Pills.

There were even rumors of some Pills that required a hundred years to refine.

But in Sen Hui’s hands, all such conventions were shattered!

With that, Sen Hui submitted the Nourishing Spirit Pill to Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint and received her approval.

For the most part, Sen Hui could look forward to a relatively easy ten years ahead.

If Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint decided to show favoritism, Sen Hui would likely never have to worry about how to complete an assessment task again.

On the very day she completed this preliminary assessment task, Sen Hui and Fang Yang watched the sunrise together.

The boundless Cloud Sea stretched out before them as the sun gradually ascended.

Sen Hui held Fang Yang’s large hand tightly, refusing to let go.

She simply nestled quietly in his embrace, watching the sunrise over the Cloud Sea with him.

Gradually, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, safe in his arms.

Fang Yang’s thoughts, however, drifted between the *Yimu Divine Thunder Skill Department* manual and the woman in his arms.

With the *Yimu Divine Thunder Skill Department*, he could now repair the Yimu Saint Spear with much more confidence.

At this moment, Fang Yang’s feelings were somewhat complicated.

’If I’m not mistaken, is this Sen Yue’s way of placating me, or rewarding me?’

’Can’t deny, it’s a pretty sweet deal.’