“Back to artifact forging!”

Li Meng turned away from the window.

In the following days, Li Meng divided his time strictly between forging and cultivation.

Artifact forging was a delicate craft. Apart from the final step of inscribing Dao patterns—which required uninterrupted focus and had to be completed in one breath—the initial process of refining raw materials was not as rigid.

Li Meng did not rush. Once his Mana was depleted from working the materials, he would immediately sit in meditation to cultivate. The process of recovering Mana accelerated the absorption rate of the medicinal pills in his system.

For Li Meng, both artifact forging and alchemy were forms of cultivation in themselves.

On this day, another visitor arrived outside Moon Gaze Peak.

She wore a gown of purple silk that shimmered in the sunlight, her jet-black hair cascading loosely down her back like a waterfall. Her figure was graceful and alluring, with elegant curves visible from every angle—a picture of beauty no matter how one looked.

“Inner Disciple Liu Siyue pays a visit to Junior Brother Li!”

Liu Siyue hovered on her flying sword, cupping her hands in a formal salute. She glanced up at the shimmering golden characters floating above the peak, and a faint, amused smile touched her lips.

This junior brother of mine really knows how to do business. I wonder if the master of Dan Wang Peak has any objections?

“Senior Sister Liu is too kind. Please, enter!”

The mists surrounding Moon Gaze Peak swirled, parting to reveal a clear path leading directly to the summit. Liu Siyue guided her flying sword into the passageway.

In the courtyard before the pavilion at the peak, Liu Siyue descended gracefully, her lithe form alighting softly on the grass.

“Junior Brother Li, congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment! It has been far too long.”

Liu Siyue smiled warmly as she looked at her junior brother seated by the tea table.

For someone with the so-called waste physique of Five Spirit Roots to achieve Foundation Establishment… such a thing was probably unheard of in a thousand years on the Tianlan Continent. It showed that Junior Brother Li was truly blessed by fortune.

Li Meng chuckled softly, stroking his white beard. “Senior Sister, please.”

With light steps, Liu Siyue approached the tea table and settled herself gracefully beside it.

“Has Senior Sister come to a decision regarding our previous matter?” Li Meng inquired, his tone casual.

Liu Siyue smiled behind her hand before picking up a teacup with slender, jade-like fingers. She took a delicate sip.

“Junior Brother, this tea is quite excellent.”

Seeing her deliberately change the subject, Li Meng understood that her visit today was not about their prior discussion. He felt no particular disappointment. There was no rush to secure that particular ‘advantage.’ Slowly increasing her Affection would serve the same purpose in time.

“I’m glad Senior Sister enjoys it,” Li Meng replied, taking a sip from his own cup.

The tea leaves were made from century-old spiritual plants; their flavor was naturally extraordinary. Although much of their spiritual energy had dissipated over time, appreciating tea was not about the quantity of Spiritual Power it contained.

Liu Siyue secretly observed the junior brother sitting across from her. The changes in him after Foundation Establishment were remarkable. He no longer appeared as aged and withered as before. Now, he exuded an ethereal, transcendent aura—his gaze sharp and penetrating, his spirit vigorous, embodying the very image of an immortal sage.

“Senior Sister, has this junior brother managed to stir your heart?” Li Meng asked with an amused grin, catching her stare.

A faint blush colored Liu Siyue’s cheeks. She smiled coquettishly and batted her eyelashes. “Perhaps… but there’s still just a little something missing.”

Li Meng shrugged helplessly, a smile playing on his lips as he set down his cup. “Then this junior brother can only strive harder.”

Liu Siyue smiled behind her hand again, looking at him with open curiosity.

“Junior Brother Li possesses the waste physique of Five Spirit Roots. How did you manage to join the Joyous Union Sect?”

The Joyous Union Sect generally did not accept disciples with aptitude below Three Spirit Roots. Those with Four or Five Spirit Roots simply weren’t qualified. For Junior Brother Li to have joined with a Five Spirit Roots waste physique… could he be a descendant of some Supreme Elder?

Li Meng chuckled, stroking his beard. “Senior Sister may not know this, but this junior brother used an ‘Ascension Decree’ to join the sect.”

Understanding dawned on Liu Siyue’s face.

So that was how he managed it.

The ‘Ascension Decree’ was a reward given by the sect to Golden Core Elders. Each Golden Core Elder could receive two in their lifetime: one upon their Breakthrough and ascension to Elder status, and another before they faced their third and final Sitting Death.

The sole purpose of the Ascension Decree was to allow an Elder’s mortal descendants unconditional entry into the Joyous Union Sect. Many of the sect’s Four Spirit Roots disciples had entered this way.

“No wonder Junior Brother Li is so fortunate—to achieve Foundation Establishment with a Five Spirit Roots physique! So you are a descendant of a Golden Core Elder,” Liu Siyue said with a nod.

Whether Junior Brother Li truly was a mortal descendant of a Golden Core Elder… the truth or falsehood didn’t really matter. The sect recognized the token, not the person.

Li Meng narrowed his eyes slightly as he stroked his beard, a flicker of unease passing through his gaze that he quickly concealed.

He was no descendant of any Golden Core Elder. That Ascension Decree of his had somewhat unclear origins as well. But such matters were fine as long as he didn’t speak of them; no one would ever know. The sect itself didn’t care whether he was truly an Elder’s descendant or not.

“Senior Sister, let’s discuss business,” Li Meng said, changing the subject.

None of the Foundation Establishment female cultivators in the Joyous Union Sect were simple characters. If nothing else, they certainly weren’t lacking in cunning.

Liu Siyue gave an enchanting smile and waved her slender hand lightly.

Seven spiritual plants flew out from a storage pouch at her waist, arranging themselves neatly on the tea table.

Li Meng swept his gaze over them. Their age was considerable—all over five hundred years old. Two were close to a millennium in age.

“Dragon Blood Vine, Fireheart Grass, Seven-petal Flower, Buddha Heart Fruit, Earthheart Ganoderma, Illusion Heart Grass, Ice Heart Fruit… These are the ingredients needed to refine ‘Dao Yang Pills,'” Li Meng identified them easily.

He looked Liu Siyue over appraisingly. “Senior Sister’s aura is steady and prolonged, your spiritual power restrained within… you don’t seem to be suffering from Dao injuries.”

Liu Siyue blinked at him playfully. “Can’t your senior sister be seeking Dao Yang Pills for someone else?”

As for who that ‘someone else’ might be, Li Meng had no interest in asking further questions. When doing business, one should maintain proper business decorum.

With a flick of his sleeve, Li Meng collected the spiritual plants from the table.

“Five top-grade Dao Yang Pills for one thousand spirit stones.”

Liu Siyue smiled and placed a storage pouch on the tea table.

Li Meng glanced at it before looking back at her.

“No haggling?”

Liu Siyue smiled behind her hand.

“No haggling. This senior sister is willing to let her junior brother earn a little extra.”

The corner of Li Meng’s mouth twitched slightly as he looked at her somewhat speechlessly.

She clearly wouldn’t agree to his previously proposed conditions regarding their Dao companionship, yet she constantly gave off an air of trying to seduce him. Her words were filled with teasing undertones; every movement exuded a fox-like charm.

She was clearly employing a Charm Technique.

Li Meng had initially thought this act was part of her bargaining strategy. It seemed he had been mistaken.

Li Meng chuckled and flicked his sleeve again.

The teapot rose into the air and refilled both their cups.

“In that case, this junior brother will graciously accept.”

After all, these were top-grade pills. Earning a bit more was justifiable.

He flicked his sleeve once more.

A jade pill bottle flew out from the Sword Nurturing Gourd at his waist and landed on the tea table before Liu Siyue.

Li Meng looked at her with a beaming smile.

“Then this junior brother will suffer a small loss—buy five, get one free!”

Looking at the pill bottle now sitting before her on the table, a trace of speechlessness flashed through Liu Siyue’s eyes.