The moment Li Qiwen heard his sister’s voice, his face changed faster than a Sichuan opera master.

The blue killing aura in his hand vanished instantly. His entire demeanor shifted from “I will grind your bones to dust” to “Gentle and Considerate Big Brother” with the flip of a switch.

“Youci! Why are you here? Big Brother just heard you brought a man back and came to check it out!”

Li Qiwen rubbed his hands together, his previously towering posture shrinking by several inches. There wasn’t a trace of Golden Core dignity left.

The boulder hanging over Zhou Kai’s heart finally crashed to the ground.

As expected! The only way to counter a Sister-Con is the sister herself!

He suppressed a laugh, keeping his face respectful, though the corner of his mouth twitched traitorously.

Li Youci descended from the sky, her expression anything but gentle. The ambient temperature seemed to drop several degrees the moment her feet touched the ground.

“Brother, are you bullying my subordinate?”

“Aiya, Youci, you can’t put it like that!” Li Qiwen’s face was a mask of desperate smiles. “I’m just worried about you! You’re a young lady; how can you let a strange man ride in your carriage? What if…”

Seeing the opening, Zhou Kai quietly activated his Cicada Veil and retreated into the background. He had no desire to be the third wheel while a Golden Core cultivator got scolded by his little sister.

However, his curiosity was too strong. He carefully extended a sliver of Divine Sense to eavesdrop.

Li Qiwen was rambling on with the usual protective brother clichés: Men and women shouldn’t be too close, The carriage is a noble treasure, Loose cultivators aren’t loyal, and so on.

Li Youci’s response was a single, heavy question:

“Are you trying to steal my person?”

Zhou Kai listened with relish, his mind racing.

Ren Zhengze had mentioned that the Li Family Young Master was extremely protective of his own people. If that was true, this was a golden thigh he couldn’t afford to miss.

A High-grade Spirit Root might get noticed, but a Heaven-grade Spirit Root would drive any faction crazy.

If he was going to cling to power, he needed to show undeniable value. Fortunately, he hadn’t spent his Spirit Root points yet.

System!

Zhou Kai’s consciousness dove into the interface.

Dump all Spirit Root exchange points and 470 Universal Points into the Wood Spirit Root!

The text on his panel blurred and reformed instantly:

[Spirit Root: … Wood (Heaven-grade 100/100) …]

Zhou Kai felt a violent shift. His affinity with the ambient Wood Spirit Qi skyrocketed. It felt as if the trees and grass around him were suddenly his kin, waiting for his command.

Heaven-grade Spirit Root! Done!

Meanwhile, Li Qiwen was still nagging, and Li Youci looked ready to explode.

“Youci, you have to let me verify his background at least! What if he’s a fraud or has mediocre aptitude? It would delay your plans…” Li Qiwen pleaded.

“Fine!” Li Youci snapped. “Zhou Kai, get over here!”

She, too, was curious about his true potential. If he was truly talented, she would finally have a capable weapon.

Zhou Kai stepped forward and bowed. “Young Master. Grand Miss.”

“Extend your hand.”

Li Qiwen’s face was expressionless as he produced a palm-sized crystal disc glowing with soft white light. It looked far more advanced than the cheap orb Gao Feiyang had used.

Zhou Kai placed his hand on the Spirit Testing Disc.

Li Qiwen watched with haughty skepticism. He wanted to see what this kid was made of to warrant his sister’s defense.

High-grade Spirit Root? Hmph. Even if it is, without resources and background, he’s useless.

As Zhou Kai’s palm touched the surface, faint spots of red, yellow, and white appeared. It was dimmer than a typical High-grade result.

Li Qiwen’s lip curled into a sneer. As I thought…

Suddenly, a brilliant emerald light exploded from the disc!

HUM!

A pillar of cyan light shot into the heavens, blindingly bright. A shockwave of pure life force swept out, causing the withered grass nearby to instantly turn green.

The intensity far exceeded a High-grade Spirit Root.

“This—!”

Li Qiwen, a mid-stage Golden Core expert, reacted instantly. He waved a massive hand, creating a barrier to shield the light from prying eyes. Li Youci’s phoenix eyes widened in genuine shock.

Fish Baibai’s jaw dropped so low she could have swallowed an egg. She pointed a trembling finger.

“It’s a Heaven-grade Spirit Root!”

The cyan pillar lasted for several breaths before condensing into a single, glowing character in the center of the jade disc:

[HEAVEN]

Heaven-grade Wood Spirit Root!

What did this mean?

It meant reaching the Nascent Soul stage was practically guaranteed. No bottlenecks. Even the legendary Soul Formation stage would have a success rate several times higher than normal.

If Zhou Kai followed the path of Body Cultivation with this foundation, he could one day rival Nascent Soul cultivators with raw physical power alone.

Such talent was as rare as a phoenix feather. Any sect would treat him like a national treasure.

“This is serious.” Li Qiwen’s voice dropped an octave. The playfulness was gone; he looked at Zhou Kai with grave intensity.

“A Heaven-grade Spirit Root cannot be ignored. I must report this to Father immediately!”

He pulled out a communication jade token and began to channel mana.

“Wait!”

Li Youci stepped forward. With a flick of her slender wrist, a wisp of black-and-white flame appeared on her fingertip. She tapped the air.

Fwoosh.

The jade token in Li Qiwen’s hand disintegrated into ash before it could send a single signal.

Li Youci lowered her hand, her voice cool. “Does Father need to know about my person?”

Li Qiwen stared at the dust in his hand, then at his sister’s face—a face that clearly said, ‘Try me.’

He felt a headache coming on.

“Youci! Do you understand what a Heaven-grade Spirit Root represents? This isn’t just about you!” Li Qiwen hissed, lowering his voice. “The family needs—”

“I know,” Li Youci cut him off. “That is exactly why he must stay with me. I will arrange his cultivation. The family does not need to interfere.”

Li Qiwen felt a phantom toothache. His sister had always been stubborn, but this? A Heaven-grade genius, just casually pocketed like a shiny rock?

After a long, tense silence, Li Qiwen sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

“Fine. Fine! I’m afraid of you! He’s the only subordinate you like, so I won’t fight you for him. I’ll… handle the family side. I’ll cover it up.”

Zhou Kai was screaming internally.

No! Brother-in-law! Don’t give up! Fight for me! I want to join the main family! Take me to your daddy! Let me bow to a Nascent Soul Ancestor and swim in resources! Don’t leave me with this crazy woman!

But alas, Li Qiwen’s love for his sister was too strong.

He tossed a token to Zhou Kai. “This is for the Aurora Cave on Yantian Peak. You may cultivate there once a month. The spiritual essence inside will cleanse your Mana and Vitality.”

Zhou Kai caught the token and bowed deeply, hiding his internal tears. “Thank you for your generosity, Young Master! Zhou Kai will not disappoint you or the Grand Miss!”

Li Qiwen waved his hand, turning to leave. But then he noticed something terrifying.

His sister was staring at his waist. Smiling.

“Youci… what do you want?” Alarm bells rang in Li Qiwen’s head.

“Since Big Brother cares so much about my subordinate,” Li Youci cooed sweetly, “Isn’t a single token a bit… stingy?”

Li Qiwen paled. He clamped his hands over his Storage Bag. “No! This is my private stash!”

“So you’re not giving me face?” Her smile didn’t falter, but the temperature dropped another ten degrees.

“I… I’m warning you—!”

Swish.

Zhou Kai saw a blur. By the time he blinked, the Storage Bag was in Li Youci’s hand.

“AH! My Three Suns Tempering Spirit Grass! My Fire Spirit Jade Marrow! I’ve been saving that for years!”

“Zhou Kai, aren’t you going to thank the Young Master for his generosity?” Li Youci asked calmly as she tucked the bag away, ignoring her brother’s wails.

“You! You are my nemesis!” Li Qiwen shook his head in despair. “Forget it! Keep it! It’s yours!”

He turned into a streak of light and fled toward the horizon, moving significantly faster than when he arrived—terrified she might strip him of his clothes next.

Zhou Kai stood in silence, pretending to be deaf and blind.

Only when Li Qiwen was a speck in the distance did Fish Baibai finally speak, her voice trembling with awe.

“Junior Brother Zhou! You… you have a Heaven-grade Spirit Root just like the Young Miss!”