“Yes, disciple has been taught!”

Li Meng straightened his back and gazed respectfully at the Sect Leader Senior.

Today, she wore the same purple palace-style long skirt that clung to her mature curves in all the right places. The rich violet hue only accentuated her regal, yet deeply sensual aura. The beauty of her chest, the slenderness of her waist… everything was designed to test a man’s resolve.

Li Meng forcibly suppressed the impulse to rush forward and embrace her again. He turned sharply, summoned the wind, and flew towards the exit of the peak without looking back.

Watching his retreating figure, a flicker of melancholy passed through Li Qiushui’s eyes.

She had never expected her Junior Nephew to become her bedmate. Yet, as she watched him disappear into the clouds, she felt a strong premonition: her remaining years would no longer be dull or boring.

Moon Gaze Peak

Li Meng landed gently in the courtyard of his pavilion. He didn’t pause, hurrying straight through the main doors.

Click.

Inside his study, Li Meng placed a meditation cushion before his desk and sat cross-legged. With a wave of his sleeve, three large demon beast skins flew out from his Sword Nurturing Gourd and laid themselves flat on the floor.

Although a single skin could be cut into multiple sheets of Talisman Paper, concentration was the essence of quality. The more he divided it, the weaker the paper would be.

Li Meng formed hand seals, his expression focused.

“Rise.”

The three skins floated into the air. Five-colored spiritual light erupted from his body, forming a True Essence Fire that enveloped the materials, refining them with intense heat.

Three skins would yield six sheets of Third-Grade Talisman Paper.

If he could craft just two Second-Grade Divine Thunder Golden Light Body Protection Talismans, he would be virtually invincible against anyone below the Golden Core stage. Even facing an army of thousands, they couldn’t harm a hair on his head.

He had the Golden Light Mantra Talisman as an offensive option, but its consumption of spiritual soul power was too immense. If he didn’t kill his enemy quickly, he would be left drained and vulnerable. It was a trump card to be used only when absolutely necessary—and when used, it demanded total annihilation of the threat.

Three days later.

The doors of the Moon Gaze Peak pavilion opened. Li Meng, dressed in a sturdy yellow robe suitable for travel, walked out briskly.

He summoned the wind and shot into the sky, heading towards the sect’s exit.

Standing at the window on the upper floor, Leng Yixue watched his departure silently.

“Junior Brother,” she whispered, her clear, cold voice tinged with a rare note of worry. “Have a smooth journey.”

Joyous Union Sect, Inner Sect Territory Cloud Soaring Peak

In the lakeside pavilion, Wen Huanhuan sat alone, staring distractedly at the sparkling water.

“Hmph. Stinky man!”

With an irritated snort, she swept her sleeve across the stone table. The teapot and cup flew off the edge, splashing into the lake with a plop.

“When I told you not to come, you really didn’t come? But when you hugged and kissed me, why didn’t you ask for permission then?”

Her voice was exasperated, bordering on a tantrum. She had expected Li Meng to return, to press his “shameless offensive.” She hadn’t expected him to actually listen to her.

“Junior Sister, who made you angry?”

A cold, stern voice cut through her complaints. A green streak of light descended into the pavilion, resolving into the figure of Han Li. He sat down gracefully, his black martial attire stark against the bright surroundings.

“Who is he?” Han Li asked, his eyes narrowing with fierce killing intent. “Senior Brother will kill him for you!”

Wen Huanhuan rolled her eyes at her “husband.”

“Husband, kill all the men in the Sect for me!”

The corner of Han Li’s mouth twitched. He wisely chose not to respond, turning his gaze to the lake instead.

Wen Huanhuan pursed her lips. Senior Brother was as clueless as ever.

After a moment of silence, Han Li spoke again. “Junior Sister, have you heard of the ‘Bodhi Tree’?”

“No,” she replied absentmindedly.

“Rumors say a ‘Bodhi Tree’ has appeared in the Western Region Desert. Major sects across the Tianlan Continent are dispatching disciples to investigate. I just saw Disciple Nephew Li leaving the sect in a hurry, heading west.”

Wen Huanhuan’s expression sharpened instantly. “Heading west? Is he going to the desert?”

“It seems so.”

“What is an Alchemist doing in the Western Region Desert?” Her voice rose in agitation. “Even if the sect needs investigators, why send him? Is this the Sect Master’s idea? Or that woman from Masked Moon Peak?”

“Is he alone?” she demanded.

Han Li nodded. “I heard the two traveling Supreme Elders are already in the region, and the sect sent another team, but Li Meng is traveling separately.”

A flash of genuine anger lit up Wen Huanhuan’s eyes. Had Li Meng offended a Supreme Elder? Sending a lone Alchemist into such a dangerous zone was madness.

“If the rumors are true,” Han Li continued gravely, “the Western Region Desert will soon become a slaughterhouse. Cultivators from other continents will come. It will be chaos.”

Wen Huanhuan’s face shifted through a complex array of emotions. Li Meng was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage. He wasn’t a fighter. Going there was a death sentence.

“Hmph. Good riddance,” she muttered, though her fingers gripped the edge of the table tightly. “Let him die. It saves me the trouble of dealing with him. He has no hope of forming a Golden Core anyway. Dying early is just reincarnating early.”

She paused, then looked at Han Li with feigned casualness.

“Senior Brother… let’s go join the fun.”

Han Li’s expression didn’t change. He waved his sleeve, and two new sets of tea utensils appeared on the table.

“Good. Senior Brother was thinking the same.”

He poured himself a cup, sipping it slowly while glancing at his secretly pleased Junior Sister. He sighed inwardly. He didn’t know if pushing Li Meng towards her was the right choice, but he had made it. Right or wrong, he would see it through to the end.

“Let’s go now then!” Wen Huanhuan urged, draining her cup in one gulp.

“Good.”

Han Li stowed the tea set. The two transformed into streaks of light, soaring out of the pavilion and vanishing into the clouds, heading west.

Shu Country Wood Mulberry City

After leaving the Joyous Union Sect, Li Meng traveled west without pause. It took him seven days to cross the State of Zhao, then another week to navigate through the territories of Wu and Qi, detouring around hostile sect lands.

Finally, on this day, he crossed the border into Shu Country.

He arrived at Wood Mulberry City, a bustling trade hub on the western edge of Shu, bordering the State of Jin. The city was alive with the noise of commerce and travel, a gateway to the wilder lands beyond.