Qin Lu swapped his crafting robes for fresh attire and entered the main hall, where a familiar, wiry figure awaited him.

It had been a month since they last met, and Gu Can looked like he had been dragged through a desert. His skin was tanned to the color of dark bronze, and a layer of road dust coated his clothes. He didn’t look like a young Immortal Master anymore; he looked more like a country cousin visiting his wealthy relatives in the city, carrying the grime of the fields with him.

“Where the hell have you been, kid?” Qin Lu asked, looking him over. “You look like you’ve been roasted in a kiln.”

“Hehe. I intended to visit my hometown,” Gu Can replied, rubbing the back of his neck with a grin. “But I ran into some… complications on the road and had to turn back. Spent the whole month running back and forth. Hence the tan.”

“Hometown?” Qin Lu paused, the gears in his mind turning.

Over the past few weeks, he had pieced together the siblings’ background. They weren’t natives of the Wuji Market; they hailed from Shuntian City, a massive cultivation metropolis far from here.

Why two talented cultivators would leave the safety and prosperity of a major city for this dangerous, backwater market remained a mystery Gu Can carefully avoided explaining.

“Is that why you missed the tournament?” Qin Lu asked.

“Not at all! I actually went to sign up,” Gu Can said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “The registrar kicked me out. Said I hadn’t lived here for five years, so I wasn’t eligible. Since I had nothing to do, I decided to go for a wander.”

“I see…” Qin Lu nodded. The residency rule was a convenient bureaucratic hurdle. “So, what brings you here today?”

Gu Can’s grin widened, revealing white teeth against his darkened face. “To fight, of course! I ran into quite a few demon beasts on the road. My combat experience has improved by leaps and bounds, and I even figured out two new moves. I need a training dummy—uh, I mean, a sparring partner!”

He puffed out his chest, radiating a fierce, almost feral confidence.

“Fine by me,” Qin Lu agreed. He never turned down a chance to analyze someone else’s techniques.

They walked side-by-side toward the courtyard.

“By the way,” Gu Can said casually, adjusting his bracers. “I sparred with my sister last night. I have to say, Foundation Establishment is terrifying. I couldn’t fight back at all. She wiped the floor with me.”

Qin Lu stopped dead in his tracks.

“What?” He whipped his head around, staring at the boy. “Your sister succeeded? She reached Foundation Establishment?”

“Yeah,” Gu Can said, confused by Qin Lu’s shock. “She got back a couple of days ago. We fought last night. Totally one-sided.”

“How is that possible?” Qin Lu asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.

From what he knew, breaking through from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment was a perilous ordeal requiring months, sometimes years, of secluded meditation. For Gu Yue to succeed in barely a month was unheard of.

“I dunno. She had a [Foundation Establishment Pill],” Gu Can shrugged. “Guess that speeds things up.”

Qin Lu’s eyes widened.

The [Foundation Establishment Pill]. A Grandmaster resource worth thousands of Spirit Stones, capable of dramatically increasing the success rate of the breakthrough. They were so rare that even large auctions seldom saw them. They were items of strategic deterrence, not just commodities.

Qin Lu nodded slowly, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. “So… all those times your sister went out ‘borrowing’ things… was she trying to scrape together enough for the pill?”

“No idea. She never tells me anything.”

“Right.”

“Anyway, enough chatting!” Gu Can summoned his silver spear, slamming the butt against the flagstones. A sharp, aggressive aura exploded from his body. “Let’s dance!”

“No, no…” Qin Lu waved his hands frantically, taking a step back. “We’re not fighting today.”

Gu Can blinked. “Why?”

“Your sister is a Foundation Establishment expert now,” Qin Lu explained, straightening his robes. “Protocol demands I pay my respects and bring a congratulatory gift. Ignoring it would be a grave insult.”

Since saving Gu Can’s life, Qin Lu had grown close to the siblings. But friendship was one thing; the hierarchy of the cultivation world was another. A new Foundation Establishment cultivator was a local titan. Ignoring this shift in power dynamics was a good way to get killed.

“Uh… I guess that makes sense,” Gu Can grumbled, dismissing his spear. “Boring, though.”

The Gu Residence, Courtyard.

Led by Gu Can, Qin Lu finally laid eyes on Gu Yue after her month-long absence.

She sat by a stone table, dressed in her signature pristine white dress. Her expression was tranquil, her movements carrying a gentle, water-like grace that naturally evoked a desire to protect her.

But Qin Lu wasn’t fooled.

With his [Heavenly Eye Technique] active, he saw the terrifying density of spiritual pressure coiling beneath her skin. The gentle girl was gone; in her place was a lethal powerhouse.

“Senior Gu,” Qin Lu said, bowing deeply with cupped fists.

Gu Yue paused, amused surprise dancing in her eyes. “What’s this? ‘Senior Gu’? Since when are you so formal?”

“You have ascended to the Foundation Establishment realm. You are a Senior now,” Qin Lu said, keeping his posture respectful but offering a slight smile.

“Oh, stop it. Sit down.” She laughed, waving a hand.

Qin Lu took a seat opposite her. He brushed his hand over his [Storage Bag], retrieved a delicate magical hairpin, and placed it on the table.

“Congratulations on your breakthrough. A small token of respect. Please accept it.”

Gu Yue’s eyes brightened as she picked up the hairpin. “You really are too polite, Qin Big Mouth.”

She had learned his nickname some time ago and used it exclusively when she wanted to tease him.

“Heh…” Qin Lu gave a dry, awkward laugh. He waited a beat before shifting the topic. “So, now that you’ve broken through… what are your plans?”

“Plans? I’m Foundation Establishment now. What plans do I need?” Gu Yue admired the hairpin in the sunlight, answering absently.

Qin Lu leaned in slightly. “It’s not that simple. Your presence changes the balance of power in Wuji Market. The other four Foundation Establishment cultivators—especially the Sect leaders—are going to be wary of you. Aren’t you going to prepare for the fallout?”

“What is there to worry about?” Gu Yue dismissed his concern with a shrug. “I cultivate alone. I’m not seizing their shops, I’m not stealing their resources, and I’m not starting a sect. Why would they target me?”

Qin Lu fell silent, internally cursing her naivety.

He had studied The Art of Thick Blackness—the philosophy of ruthlessness and manipulation. He knew that in this world, innocence was no defense. Human greed didn’t need a logical reason to erupt. The mere fact that she possessed power was a threat to their hegemony. If the established powers decided she was a risk, they would strike to kill.

To survive in the ‘Cultivation Underworld,’ one had to plan for the knife in the dark long before it was drawn. Gu Yue, it seemed, believed she could play nice with tigers.

“I still think you should be careful,” Qin Lu pressed gently. “The local powers—Wuji Sect, Dragon Tiger Sect—they aren’t simple people. They don’t like variables they can’t control.”

“Let them come.”

Gu Yue laughed softly, but the sound had a metallic edge. She looked up, and for a second, her eyes held a cold, imperious arrogance. “You are too timid, Qin Lu. If they want trouble, let them try. It is not certain who will live and who will die.”

She arched a delicate, willow-leaf eyebrow—a gesture identical to her brother’s battle-crazy expression.

“We are cultivators,” she declared. “Why should we fear a battle?”

Qin Lu stared at her, speechless. They really did come from the same womb, he thought. She’s just as much of a maniac as he is.

“Oh! Before I forget.”

Gu Yue suddenly sat up straighter. With a flick of her wrist, a silver band materialized above her palm.

“This [Hidden Spirit Bracelet] is useless to me now that my realm has stabilized. Do you want it? I’ll give you a friendly price.”

Qin Lu’s heart skipped a beat. This was the very artifact she had used to mask her cultivation level—a tool essential for someone trying to hide their true strength.

“Absolutely,” Qin Lu said, masking his eagerness. “How much?”

Gu Yue smiled—a radiant, merchant’s smile—and held up five slender fingers.

“Five hundred Spirit Stones!”