Another twenty days slipped by in a blur.

For Han Yu, time felt scarce. Despite his urgency, his Qi Refining progress remained painfully slow. Even with his Three Spirit Roots, advancing from the third to the fourth layer of Qi Refining using the orthodox Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method would take a year or two at best.

Even if he pushed his body to the limit, absorbing Spirit Breath until saturation every single day, he would still need over six months to see a breakthrough.

Realizing this, he shifted his focus entirely to the Blood Refining Technique. His goal was immediate survival.

Finally, his efforts bore fruit. He reached the third layer of Blood Refining.

At the Tanzhong acupoint on his chest, the blood talisman fully formed, three distinct blood runes converging into a unified seal. His refined essence blood could now materialize into forty-five lethal Blood Droplets.

As his cultivation deepened, the quality of his essence blood transformed. When condensed outside his body, the droplets shone like polished red agate, translucent and menacing. Their penetrating power had increased dramatically—earth, wood, metal, and stone offered little resistance. His control over them was fluid, precise, and effortless, far surpassing his previous capabilities.

These forty-five Blood Droplets represented not just a quantitative increase, but a fundamental evolution in lethality.

This was the single greatest achievement of his frantic cultivation.

Han Yu didn’t know the true depth of the Demon Blood Sect’s heritage, nor what a standard third-layer Blood Refining disciple should look like. He only knew that Wanchun Valley could fall at any moment. His life hung by a thread. If enemies came for him, they wouldn’t politely match his cultivation level.

Strangely enough, just as he braced for the four-sect alliance to breach the valley and carve it up, the last twenty days had seen the sect return to an eerie calm. In fact, it seemed more “prosperous” than before.

The Exceptional Promotion Order had swelled the ranks. Inner Disciples increased by dozens, Outer Disciples by hundreds. Even the Laborer Disciples saw their numbers grow by over a hundred as Rogue Cultivators were recruited to fill the gaps.

The sect was a hive of activity: reinforcing the external Guardian Formation, constructing new arrays on the main peak, and ramping up resource collection. Everyone was busy practicing spells or running missions. On the surface, Wanchun Valley appeared to be thriving.

Han Yu didn’t know what method the sect leadership had used to stabilize the situation, but the bustling atmosphere offered a sliver of hope.

Perhaps Wanchun Valley can actually hold? Maybe we won’t be overrun?

Swish! Swish!

As Han Yu stepped out of his stone hut at dawn, the sharp hum of a sword cut through the air.

He wasn’t surprised. Li Tonghai, the “swordsman” neighbor, never parted with his blade. Every morning, he practiced his forms without fail.

This habit made the other Laborer Disciples wary. Such obsession with the sword reeked of the Spirit Sword Sect. However, Li Tonghai claimed to be a mere second-layer Qi Refiner practicing a mundane family technique. With over twenty Rogue Cultivators now in the Spirit Field Department and supervision lax, no one bothered to investigate him too closely.

Since the Promotion Order, everyone was focused on their own survival. Laborer Disciples scrambled to reach the third layer; Outer Disciples raced to improve their cultivation. As long as the Rogue Cultivators paid their dues and didn’t riot, the sect turned a blind eye.

Li Tonghai finished his set, sheathed his longsword on his back, and gave Han Yu a curt nod before disappearing into his hut.

“Brother Qing… time to eat!”

From another hut, Hui Ling stood in the doorway, calling out to her husband, Tian Qing, who was standing by the fields.

“I know! Stop nagging!” Tian Qing snapped impatiently. He turned and nodded to Han Yu. “Fellow Daoist Han!”

“Fellow Daoist Tian.”

Tian Qing turned to leave. Hui Ling, embarrassed by the public scolding, gave an awkward smile and started to retreat inside.

Just then, a large green shadow swept over them.

A massive Plantain Leaf descended from the direction of the main peak. Han Yu looked up, as did Tian Qing and Hui Ling.

A lively young girl in the green robes of an Outer Disciple stood on the leaf. A striking crimson sash was tied around her waist, fluttering in the wind. Behind her stood a boy of about ten.

“This is the Spirit Field Department!” the girl announced to the boy. Suddenly, she gasped. “Xiao Bai! Where are you going?”

A white Spirit Dog leaped from the leaf before it even touched the ground. It darted straight toward Han Yu, tongue lolling, tail wagging so furiously it kicked up a cloud of dust.

The girl’s cheeks flushed pink. She was an Outer Disciple Senior Sister now; she needed to maintain her dignity in front of the laborers. This dog was making a fool of her!

But when she saw Han Yu, her annoyance turned to surprise.

“Eh? Junior Brother? Didn’t we meet at the Hundred Herb Pavilion in the market?”

Han Yu bowed slightly. “Senior Sister. Indeed we did. You sold me some Moon Gazing Herbs.”

He recognized her immediately. It was Zhong Yue, the girl who sold herbs with her dog. It seemed she had a true fondness for red; even with the mandatory green uniform, she insisted on keeping her crimson sash.

“Right, right! It is you!” Zhong Yue beamed. “How strange. Xiao Bai is never this friendly with strangers.”

She started to chatter excitedly but caught herself. Remembering her new status, she tried to compose her face into a mask of stern authority. She puffed out her cheeks, which only made her look more like a pouting child than a strict senior.

lowering her voice to a comically serious register, she nodded. “Junior Brother. Greetings.”

Han Yu suppressed a smile and matched her tone. “Greetings, Senior Sister.”

Just as they exchanged a knowing look, Tian Qing strode forward.

He bowed deeply, his posture perfect, his voice dripping with exaggerated reverence. “Esteemed Senior Sister of the Outer Sect! This humble one is Tian Qing, a Laborer Disciple. I pray for your eternal health and a smooth journey on the Immortal Path!”

He slowly raised his head, angling his handsome face to catch the morning light just so.

Zhong Yue stared at him. Her brows knit together in immediate distaste.

“You. Your heart isn’t good. If you speak to me again, I’ll have Xiao Bai bite you.”

“Ah?” Tian Qing froze, his charming smile cracking. He hadn’t expected his perfect etiquette to be met with a threat of dog violence.

Hui Ling rushed over, trembling. “Brother Qing… what did you say to the Senior Sister?”

Tian Qing shot her a venomous glare, silencing her. He quickly bowed to Zhong Yue again. “Senior Sister’s command is absolute. This junior withdraws.”

He grabbed Hui Ling’s arm and dragged her away, hissing under his breath.

“Who told you to come over and embarrass me?”

“But I… I was afraid you didn’t know the rules…”

The couple bickered in hushed tones as they disappeared into their hut.

Zhong Yue watched them go with a scoff, then turned back to the boy.

“Wei Xiaoluo, you’ll be living next to this Junior Brother. I’ll explain the rules to you, but if you have questions later, ask the others.”

She pointed to the vacant stone hut that had once belonged to Old Daoist Li.

Wei Xiaoluo, a boy with cunning, shifting eyes, nodded vigorously. “Yes, Senior Sister.”

Once the boy had scurried inside his new home, Zhong Yue turned her attention to the traitorous dog still fawning over Han Yu.

“Xiao Bai! Get back here! If you don’t come now, no dinner for you!”

The threat of starvation worked. The white Spirit Dog reluctantly trotted back to her side.

“Bad dog. I’ll deal with you later.” She gave it a gentle, playful kick and hopped back onto her Plantain Leaf.

As the artifact began to rise, she paused and looked down at Han Yu.

“Junior Brother, listen. I probably shouldn’t say this, but since no one else is around…”

She glanced around to ensure they were alone.

“Xiao Bai likes you too much. That means you likely have high-quality spirit herbs on you. If you use them for cultivation, you will progress quickly.”

Her expression turned serious.

“The Exceptional Promotion Order is a rare chance. If you can reach the third layer of Qi Refining, prioritize that above all else. Become an Outer Disciple. The resources and safety are far beyond what you have here.”

“Also… another decree is coming soon. As a Laborer Disciple, you should prepare yourself for the Grand Competition.”