Deacon Liu concluded his report, confirming two critical facts: a Wanchun Valley Outer Disciple had been murdered by the Spirit Beast Sect, and Han Yu had retaliated by slaughtering two of their disciples and a Demonic Cultivator.

Armed with this verification, Elder Lü grabbed the three enemy Storage Bags and the Spirit Beast Bag, practically dragging Han Yu and Deacon Liu toward the Sect’s Main Hall.

Inside, they stood before Sect Leader Qi Wanfa. Elder Lü and Deacon Liu laid out the sequence of events, cross-referencing the evidence with Han Yu’s testimony.

Qi Wanfa listened intently, his brow furrowing slightly. “You say there were traces of Foundation Establishment realm Talismans at the scene? Who used them?”

“This disciple used them,” Han Yu replied calmly. “I previously spent thirty-five Minor Merits to exchange for a Geng Metal Talisman and a Thunder Lightning Talisman, both at the Foundation Establishment tier.”

“Sect Leader, I personally handled that transaction,” Deacon Liu added from the side. “The records match.”

Qi Wanfa nodded slowly.

Elder Lü couldn’t help but interject, his voice booming with vindication. “And a good thing he did! If he hadn’t spent that merit, my disciple would be a cold corpse right now.”

Qi Wanfa ignored the outburst and focused on Han Yu. “Han Yu, did the Spirit Beast Sect disciples or the Demonic Cultivator say anything to you before they died?”

“They asked for my identity and name,” Han Yu reported. “And they asked specifically about the secrets of Wanchun Valley’s Earth Vein.”

“The Earth Vein?”

Qi Wanfa’s expression tightened. He paced slowly, muttering to himself. ” The three factions of the Spirit Beast Sect, and now the Demon Blood Sect… are they all targeting our Earth Vein?”

He shook his head, puzzled. “But what secret could a mere Earth Vein hold? It is simply a channel for natural spiritual energy that powers our Grand Formation. While Wanchun Valley is unique in that our Ancestral Tree is rooted directly into the vein—integrating the Tree, the Vein, and the Formation into one—that is hardly a secret.”

“Outsiders cannot cultivate our specific techniques. Even if they seized it, what benefit could they possibly gain?”

Unable to find an immediate answer, Sect Leader Qi suppressed his doubts and asked a few more routine questions.

Seeing the interrogation winding down, Elder Lü stepped forward with a grin. “Sect Leader, since the facts are verified, surely Han Yu deserves a substantial reward?”

Qi Wanfa clasped his hands behind his back and nodded. “He does indeed.”

“Han Yu killed three enemies and avenged a fallen disciple. record this as another Major Merit. He is granted two entry tokens for the Technique Pavilion.”

Qi Wanfa gestured to the pile of loot. “As for the spoils of war… excluding the Sect Keepsake Tokens, the Beast Heart Psychic Pact, and the Blood Refining Art, which must be surrendered for security, Han Yu may keep everything else. Additionally, reward him with a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills—”

“Clear Heart Qi Gathering Pills,” Elder Lü whispered loudly. “He cultivates faster with those.”

Sect Leader Qi shot him a glare and cleared his throat. “Two bottles of Clear Heart Qi Gathering Pills. And five Foundation Establishment realm Talismans to replace his stock.”

Elder Lü frowned, unsatisfied. “Just two bottles? No Thousand-Year Sunkwood Heart? No Ancestral Tree Spirit Liquid? At the very least, a defensive Foundation Establishment artifact would be appropriate.”

“Let me finish,” Qi Wanfa said, his tone carrying a warning edge. “Han Yu has already received Sunkwood and Spirit Liquid before, and he has Major Merits to exchange for more if he wishes. Redundant rewards are wasteful.”

“He has rendered great service repeatedly, and normally, a Foundation Establishment artifact would be the standard gift. However, his cultivation base is too low. He cannot control such an artifact effectively, nor can his body withstand the potency of Foundation Establishment pills.”

Qi Wanfa paused, seemingly weighing a heavy decision.

“Therefore… I will grant him one session of cultivation beneath the Ancestral Tree, directly tapping into the Earth Vein.”

Elder Lü froze. Then, his eyes went wide. “It’s a deal!”

He didn’t give the Sect Leader a chance to retract. “When? Elder Wen and Elder Mu are currently in seclusion there. It might be crowded.”

“We will wait until they exit seclusion,” Qi Wanfa said. “Otherwise, the conflicting Qi fluctuations would crush Han Yu.”

Elder Lü was beaming, nodding furiously. He slapped Han Yu on the shoulder hard enough to rattle his bones. “Did you hear that? Forget searching for spirit-boosting pills!”

“Just this one session will be enough to push you from the fourth layer of Qi Refining to the fifth!”

Han Yu was genuinely astonished. “If the Sect has such a miraculous cultivation resource…”

“Why not let everyone use it?” Elder Lü finished the question for him, chuckling. “Because the ‘Spirit Infusion Power’ nurtured by the union of the Ancestral Tree and the Earth Vein is incredibly scarce. It takes years to accumulate even a small amount.”

“Recently, the Sect has poured massive amounts of Spirit Stones and medicine into the roots to catalyze this power, doubling its output. But this is reserved strictly for Elders at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, to aid their breakthrough into the Golden Core realm.”

“The Sect’s primary goal is to produce more Golden Core masters. Naturally, we can’t spare a drop for anyone else.”

Elder Lü looked at his disciple with pride. “But because you’ve stacked merit upon merit, the Sect Leader is making an unprecedented exception. Even with your… modest Spirit Root, raising your cultivation by a full layer will be trivial.”

“Hurry up and thank the Sect Leader!”

Han Yu hastily bowed deeply. “Thank you, Sect Leader!”

“Don’t thank me, thank your Master,” Qi Wanfa grumbled, pointing a finger at Elder Lü. “If everyone demanded benefits like you, Wanchun Valley would be bled dry within a month!”

Elder Lü laughed heartily, slapping Han Yu’s shoulder again.

“My disciple is worth it! Unmatched in combat among his peers, number one in techniques among the Outer Sect… frankly, how many Inner Disciples could even stand against him?”

“With such talent, if we don’t rush to improve his cultivation, wouldn’t we be wasting his innate gifts?”

Qi Wanfa felt a vein throb in his temple. This Lü Qing… not only did he snatch the best disciple, but he also took every opportunity to brag about him and loot the Sect’s treasury on his behalf. The worst part was that Han Yu actually lived up to the hype.

Why isn’t he my disciple?

“Go,” Qi Wanfa waved his hand dismissively. “The matter is settled.”

Elder Lü wasn’t done. “Sect Leader, don’t you want to hear the thrilling details of how Han Yu dismantled his enemies?”

You got the rewards, and you still want to show off?

Qi Wanfa nearly laughed out of sheer exasperation. The golden crown on his head trembled. With a flick of his gold-trimmed sleeve, a surge of Golden Core pressure erupted—gentle but irresistible.

It swept Elder Lü, Han Yu, and Deacon Liu off their feet and deposited them softly outside the Main Hall doors.

“Get out.”

“What’s he so angry for?” Elder Lü chuckled, dusting off his robes and grabbing Han Yu. “Come, let’s go to the Deacon’s Office. We need to inventory your haul!”

Deacon Liu followed, shaking his head with an amused smile.

At the Deacon’s Office, the rewards were processed.

One Major Merit. Two Technique Pavilion passes. Two bottles of Clear Heart Qi Gathering Pills.

And five Foundation Establishment Talismans: Geng Metal, Thunder Lightning, Protection, Blazing Flame, and Ice.

Back at Elder Lü’s residence, Han Yu took stock of his personal loot.

From the enemies, he kept: a bottle each of Beast Spirit Pills, Qi Gathering Pills, and Qi Condensation Pills; a Spirit Beast Bag; over two hundred Spirit Stones; the poison needle set; and a handful of Qi Refining tier talismans.

The three Storage Bags were known to the Sect, but the contents he had pocketed earlier—the Spirit Eye Technique and Object Explosion Technique Jade Slips—remained his secret.

But the true prize was the Sect’s special reward.

Access to the Ancestral Tree Earth Vein. A chance to bathe in the Spirit Infusion Power.

“The Sect Leader was definitely hesitant,” Elder Lü said with a grin. “I had to twist his arm.”

“Even so, I’ll need to smooth things over with Elders Yan, Bai, and Mou tomorrow to ensure they don’t object.”

Elder Lü’s expression turned serious. “This opportunity is priceless. Prepare yourself. Your goal is to reach the fifth layer of Qi Refining within a year. The stronger you are when you enter, the more benefits you can absorb.”

“Yes, this disciple understands!” Han Yu responded solemnly.

“One last thing,” Elder Lü warned, his gaze sharp. “The Ancestral Tree Earth Vein is the heart of the Sect. Before you enter, your identity, aptitude, and techniques will be rigorously re-examined.”

“Until then, do not cultivate recklessly. Rely only on the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method and the Beast Heart Psychic Pact. Do not let anyone sense anything… unusual about your Qi. Do you understand?”