Li Qiwen watched his younger sister’s silhouette vanish through the cave abode’s entrance, a blue vein throbbing ominously at his temple.

This time, he was genuinely panicking.

What if Zhou Kai actually managed to “root” his precious cabbage? What if he really defiled her?

Just moments ago, the Peak Master of Yantian Peak—their father and the current Patriarch of the Li family—had summoned all Elders for an emergency council. He announced the destruction of the Lone Goose Palace and the formation of a grand alliance between the Eastern Region’s five major Righteous Sects to wage war against the Demonic Path.

After the assembly, Li Qiwen returned to his abode with Li Youci to discuss the impending war. Who could have predicted that Li Youci would accidentally spot the ancient tome he had left on the table, along with the Jade Slip serving as a bookmark?

That Jade Slip contained the detailed dossier he had privately compiled on Zhou Kai.

Although Li Qiwen had reacted with god-like speed, snatching the tome and slip away instantly, who was Li Youci? Her Divine Sense was monstrously powerful; she had already imprinted the entire contents into her mind with a single glance.

That was why she had suddenly brought up Li Qiwen’s evaluation of Zhou Kai as a “Seed of Romantic Chaos.”

Under her relentless interrogation, Li Qiwen couldn’t hold his ground. He eventually confessed his theories regarding Zhou Kai’s unique constitution and revealed the contents of the ancient text, leading to the scene where they verified it together.

If not for that slip-up, given Li Qiwen’s cautious nature, how could he ever let Li Youci learn about Zhou Kai’s special physique?

His precious sister claimed she had no romantic feelings for Zhou Kai, but who could predict the future?

“No!” Li Qiwen slammed his hand onto the table. “Youci is too pure-minded. She even insists on ‘fair trade’ when cultivating her Divine Sense. Now that she’s interested in that scoundrel’s physique, what if she gets tricked by his sweet words?”

The more he thought about it, the more his sister’s parting words—“Big Brother just needs to find him a proper Dual Cultivation method”—sounded like a bad omen.

“Cultivation Vessels. I must find them! I must arrange suitable women for him immediately,” Li Qiwen muttered, his eyes hardening with resolve. “I need quantity, and I need top-tier quality. I need to keep him so busy and drained that he won’t have a spare moment to pester Youci.”

He made up his mind.

This operation had to be executed in secret, completely behind Youci’s back!

Meanwhile, Li Youci did not return to Taiji Peak.

With a light tap of her toes, her figure dissolved into a faint phantom, speeding toward an exquisite pavilion deep within Yantian Peak.

The pavilion was named “Yunmeng Residence.” Unlike the austere and bitter cave abodes of ordinary cultivators, this place was a paradise of pavilions, terraces, small bridges, and flowing water—a scene of utter leisure.

The master of this residence was none other than Li Youci and Li Qiwen’s paternal aunt, Li Yunmian.

Li Yunmian possessed a mid-stage Golden Core cultivation. In the genius-filled Li family, she wasn’t considered top-tier, and her cultivation talent was merely average.

However, her aptitude for talismans was terrifying. She was a Fourth-Grade Talisman Master, her skills bordering on the divine. Even the Nascent Soul old monsters of the valley occasionally had to humble themselves to request high-grade talismans from her.

Inside the inner chamber of Yunmeng Residence, sandalwood incense curled through the air.

Li Yunmian, dressed in a loose, cloud-patterned brocade robe, reclined lazily on a soft couch lined with snow-white fox fur. Her jade-like hand propped up her chin, and her phoenix eyes were half-closed, hovering between sleep and wakefulness.

She was beautiful, her skin fair and delicate. Time seemed to have spared her, leaving behind only a mature, enchanting allure.

“Oh? It’s Youci?” Li Yunmian didn’t even lift her eyelids, her tone languid as if she had just woken up.

“Aunt,” Li Youci said calmly. “Your niece wishes to request your assistance in crafting the Spirit Platform Fuel Fire Talisman.”

“Spirit Platform Fuel Fire Talisman?” Li Yunmian finally opened her eyes, a flicker of surprise crossing her gaze.

“Five…” Li Youci paused for a moment. Fish Baibai? No, forget her.

“Four,” she corrected herself after her eyes flashed with calculation. “Three at the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment, and one at the fifth layer of Body Tempering. I’m troubling you, Aunt.”

“Hmm?” Li Yunmian was genuinely shocked now. She looked Li Youci up and down, her tone filled with helpless exasperation.

“What is wrong with you siblings today? First, Qiwen inexplicably foists a nominal disciple onto me, and now you want this obscure, thankless, labor-intensive talisman—and you ask for four at once!”

She extended a slender, jade-white finger and tapped the empty air.

“Do you have any idea? Each Spirit Platform Fuel Fire Talisman takes me at least five days to draft. The consumption of Mana and mental energy is immense. Four talismans mean I have to suffer for twenty straight days! After I finish, I’ll need to go into seclusion for a month just to recover!”

Li Youci didn’t argue. With a flip of her pale hand, over a dozen spirit herbs emitting a gloomy, soulful energy appeared in her palm.

“Soul Channeling Nether Grass. And all of them are over a thousand years old.” Li Yunmian’s eyes instantly lit up.

“Deal!” Li Yunmian agreed without a second of hesitation, her eyes curving into a smile. “Bring the people here. Let me see which little guys have provoked you into doing this.”

Zhou Kai left Li Qiwen’s cave abode and headed straight for the Aurora Cave.

The Aurora Cave was hidden behind a secluded cliff halfway up Yantian Peak. Without a token to guide the way, an ordinary person would never find the entrance.

The cave mouth was narrow, allowing only two or three people to enter abreast. Several disciples wearing the standard robes of Calamity Abyss Valley stood guard on both sides, while an Elder patrolled the front.

Zhou Kai stepped forward and presented the two tokens Li Qiwen had given him.

A guard took the tokens. After Zhou Kai recited the cover story Li Qiwen had prepared, the guard inspected the tokens carefully and spoke with a stone face.

“Two thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.”

“Tsk…” Zhou Kai’s mouth twitched.

Just as Fish Baibai had said, the people of Calamity Abyss Valley were incredibly “pragmatic.” Spirit Stones opened all doors; it was a fair trade for everyone, young or old.

Just as he stepped into the tunnel, a crisp female voice called out from behind him.

“Junior Brother Zhou, wait!”

Zhou Kai turned around. A female cultivator was hurrying toward him. She wore a plain, elegant Daoist robe and had clear, pretty features, though her brow carried a stubborn, intense air.

It was Mo Qianyuan, whom he had dealt with before.

“Senior Sister Mo, can I help you?” Zhou Kai asked.

“Junior Brother Zhou, when did you become my Master’s nominal disciple? Why have I never heard Master mention it?” Mo Qianyuan fired off questions like a repeating crossbow.

“And if you are Master’s disciple, why have I never seen you on Yantian Peak before? What is your primary cultivation method? Do you have any experience with Master’s talisman arts? Divine Sense Intensity is critical for talisman crafting—what is your current level…”

Zhou Kai realized she must be his “cheap” senior sister. He simply repeated the explanation Li Qiwen had taught him.

Unexpectedly, Mo Qianyuan’s frown only deepened. Her questions came one after another, her posture suggesting she wouldn’t rest until she had interrogated him thoroughly.

Zhou Kai felt a headache coming on. He always kept a respectful distance from women of this temperament. It didn’t matter how beautiful they were; who could tolerate someone buzzing in their ear all day like a fly?

“If Senior Sister has doubts, you can go ask Master personally.”

Zhou Kai couldn’t be bothered to tangle with her. He dropped that sentence and strode quickly into the depths of the cave without looking back.

“Hey, you…” Mo Qianyuan wanted to chase him, but Zhou Kai’s figure had already vanished around the bend.

The interior of the Aurora Cave was a world of its own.

The passage was deep and winding. After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the view suddenly opened up.

A massive underground cavern appeared before Zhou Kai, spanning several miles. Countless stalactites of bizarre shapes hung from the ceiling, shimmering with multicolored specks of light, creating a dreamlike, illusory atmosphere.

In the center of the cavern lay a wide, flat clearing. Currently, about forty people were sitting there cross-legged.

These people were clearly divided, sitting far apart from one another to avoid interference. Most were at the early or mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Their expressions were solemn as they meditated with closed eyes, quietly waiting.

Zhou Kai found a secluded corner and sat down, sweeping his gaze across the area.

This Aurora Cave felt less like a cultivation paradise and more like a massive natural mine. The Spirit Qi in the air was dense, but it carried a violent, chaotic impurity that made it unsuitable for direct absorption.

It seems the key really lies in that so-called ‘Spiritual Essence Eruption,’ Zhou Kai mused.

Time ticked by slowly.

The cave was dead silent, save for the faint sound of breathing.

After an indeterminate amount of time, a low, deep hum suddenly resonated from the depths of the cavern!

Immediately after, a terrifyingly vast wave of energy surged up from deep underground, like a waking prehistoric beast!

“It’s coming!” someone whispered excitedly.

Boom!

In an instant, the entire cavern began to shake violently!

The shimmering specks of light on the ceiling flared with blinding intensity, projecting thousands of dazzling rays. On the ground, mysterious array patterns materialized out of thin air, weaving together to form a massive net of light that encaged the entire space.

Rumble—!

The earth quaked and the mountains trembled!

Pillars of light—pure, concentrated, and glowing with the seven colors of glazed glass—erupted violently from the center of the cavern floor, shooting straight toward the ceiling!

These pillars shattered in mid-air, exploding into a sky full of radiant rain that drifted down in a glittering shower.