The night deepened, and the rich, mellow aroma of Drunken Immortal Wine drifted through the small courtyard of Green Bamboo Peak.

Wang Yu, his face flushed a boisterous red from drinking, was gesturing animatedly. “Young Master, you should have seen it! That Three-Headed Demon Lizard actually thought it could crawl away at the end…”

Shen Xian reclined lazily in a rattan chair, his fingertips lightly tapping against the rim of his wine cup. Under the moonlight, his eyes were as clear and bright as distant stars, betraying not a single hint of drunkenness.

“Take this. It will help with your recovery.” Shen Xian produced a third-grade healing pill he had brought from the Shen Family estate.

Such a pill was a treasure to most cultivators, but to Shen Xian, it was merely an investment. It was far better to give it to a loyal follower like Wang Yu to cement his devotion.

“This… this…” Wang Yu stared at the glowing pill, his tongue tangling. “Young Master, you should keep this for yourself! You’re only in the Qi Refining Realm, you need it more than I do!”

Shen Xian chuckled softly and tossed the pill to him regardless. “Take it. I have plenty.”

Wang Yu fumbled to catch it, clutching it as if it were a priceless relic.

Just then, a knock sounded at the courtyard gate. A duty disciple stood respectfully outside. “Junior Brother Shen, the Holy Son ordered me to deliver this.”

He presented a sandalwood box. Inside, five crystal-clear spirit stones were neatly arranged, each one vibrating with a staggering amount of spiritual energy.

“Top-grade spirit stones?!” Wang Yu’s voice cracked. Even his master, Elder Li, rarely handled stones of this quality.

Shen Xian merely glanced at them with a bored expression. “Leave them there.”

Once the disciple withdrew, Wang Yu clicked his tongue in amazement. “The Holy Son really does look out for you, Young Master.”

A major reason Wang Yu had chosen to follow Shen Xian was the shadow of the Holy Son standing behind him. Under the moonlight, Shen Xian’s smile turned thin and indistinct.

“Yes… excessively so,” Shen Xian murmured. He tilted his head back and drained his cup, a flicker of cold mockery passing through his eyes. This “brotherly affection” from his elder brother was a debt that would eventually be repaid in blood.

“By the way,” Shen Xian said, changing the subject. “That wine cup of yours…”

Wang Yu immediately produced the Nine Revolutions Warming Wine Cup. “It’s an ancestral heirloom, Young Master. They say it can refine anything into spiritual liquid. But it’s damaged now… refining that fourth-grade beast was my absolute limit.”

Shen Xian nodded, not prying further.

As the night wore on and the alcohol took hold, Wang Yu’s gaze grew solemn. “Young Master, my family was once a prestigious clan. Now, only this cup and a legacy of blood feuds remain. I study artifact forging to restore our glory. I followed you for the Shen Family’s influence, but today…”

He looked up, his eyes sparkling with raw sincerity. “Young Master treats me with true heart. I, Wang Yu, swear I will never betray you!”

Shen Xian didn’t offer a flowery response; he simply raised his cup in a silent acknowledgment.

The days flowed by like quiet water, and soon, it was late autumn. Since becoming an official disciple, Wang Yu was rarely seen, buried deep within the Artifact Forging Hall.

“The weight of his family… it drives him,” Shen Xian mused.

He understood that Wang Yu’s desperate efforts were so that he could one day stand honorably by Shen Xian’s side. As for Shen Xian, he spent his days in the Rainfall Pavilion, idly playing with a jade slip.

It was another letter from his brother, inquiring about his progress.

“Qi Refining Realm, sixth layer…” Shen Xian casually etched the number into the slip before tossing it aside. It was a pace that satisfied his brother’s expectations without drawing undue attention.

As he was flipping through an ancient text one afternoon, a sudden shock resonated through his heart. The spiritual energy in his body began to boil, and waves of scorching heat emanated from his dantian.

“This is…” He frowned, realizing a Dao Companion had broken through.

[Host’s Dao Companion Wei Zhaoli has broken through from Early-stage Golden Core to Mid-stage Golden Core. Blessing bestows fifty times the cultivation increase gained from the breakthrough.]

In an instant, a torrential sea of spiritual energy poured into his body from the void.

The meridians throughout Shen Xian’s body swelled; faint golden patterns surfaced on his skin. In his dantian, the illusory Golden Core solidified, its surface revealing nine profound Dao patterns.

Boom!

The core stabilized, its volume tripling. It radiated a dazzling, divine light.

Late-stage Golden Core!

Shen Xian opened his eyes, a flash of gold vanishing into his pupils. He instantly suppressed his aura, returning to the appearance of a lazy, harmless young master.

He took out the cyan jade talisman Wei Zhaoli had left him. The cloud patterns on it had turned to gold.

“I suppose it is time for another gift,” Shen Xian murmured.

The next day, Wang Yu rushed into the courtyard, breathless with excitement. “Young Master! I just heard! Senior Sister Wei has emerged from seclusion!”

Shen Xian raised an eyebrow. “Your news is swift.”

“Her breakthrough triggered celestial phenomena!” Wang Yu grinned. “Even the Sect Leader was startled!”

As they spoke, a graceful figure in moonlight-white descended. Wei Zhaoli stepped into the courtyard, a faint spiritual mist still swirling around her.

“Senior Sister Wei!” Wang Yu scrambled to bow, nearly knocking over a wine jar.

Wei Zhaoli gave a slight nod, but her gaze was locked on Shen Xian. Her lips parted slightly. “I broke through.”

Shen Xian set down his book, a lazy smile playing on his lips. “Congratulations.”

A subtle, heavy silence fell over the courtyard. Wang Yu, sensing the shift in the air, tactfully scooped up a wine jar.

“I… I have matters at the hall! I’ll take my leave!” He scurried off, disappearing in an instant.