Su Qingzhu raised her fair hand, and a bamboo token shot through the air toward Zhou Kai.

“This is the access token for my lakeside courtyard. With this, Fellow Daoist Zhou, you may come and go as you please. When you’re not refining pills, feel free to stroll around the island and relax.”

Zhou Kai caught the token, weighing it in his palm. “Thank you, Miss Su.” He tucked it into his Storage Bag, his opinion of the woman ticking up a notch.

Her actions were refreshingly straightforward. As a Qi Condensation Great Perfection cultivator and an Array Master, she had every right to be arrogant, yet she treated him with surprising courtesy.

Originally, Zhou Kai had planned to find an excuse to leave after a few days—staying in the territory of a powerful stranger felt like walking on thin ice. But looking into Su Qingzhu’s clear eyes, he sensed she genuinely thought this arrangement was convenient for him.

After bidding farewell, Zhou Kai took Chen Ziyi to a small, quiet cottage in the front courtyard to settle in.

The cottage was modest but fully furnished. Outside the window, a verdant bamboo grove rustled in the breeze, creating a serene atmosphere that was a far cry from the blood-soaked chaos of the outside world.

Chen Ziyi walked around the room, running her fingers over the furniture.

“Husband, this Miss Su is truly well-mannered,” she said softly, admiration in her voice. “She’s a Great Perfection cultivator, yet she’s so polite to us. She even refers to herself humbly.”

Zhou Kai sat at the table and poured himself a cup of tea. He took a sip, savoring the light bitterness.

“It is unexpected,” he admitted. “Judging by her actions, she doesn’t seem to harbor ill intentions.”

He recalled the split-second tightening of her fingers when she saw the Truth-Seeking Jade. She definitely knew something, but for now, her goodwill seemed genuine.

Chen Ziyi walked over to him. She sat close, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“I actually quite like Miss Su. She seems pure-hearted…” She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Although Miss Qiaoqiao has also shown favor toward you… I always feel a calculation in her gaze. Interacting with her isn’t comfortable. But Miss Su’s eyes are clear.”

Zhou Kai set down his teacup. He looked at her with a half-smile, reaching out to pinch her soft, flushed cheek.

“Oh? Is my Ziyi analyzing hearts for me now?” He leaned in, his voice teasing. “Or are you scouting for a new sister to join the harem?”

Chen Ziyi’s face turned a deep shade of crimson. She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, but didn’t pull away.

“Husband… your kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain,” she murmured. “My Spirit Root, my cultivation… everything I have is because of you. The path of immortality is hard. I fear becoming a burden, unable to help you…”

She looked up, her eyes shining with earnest devotion. “I want to serve you wholeheartedly. If there are other women of pure character who can aid you on your path… Ziyi would be truly happy. Miss Su has profound cultivation and is an Array Master. If she treats you sincerely, she would be a powerful ally.”

She came from a minor cultivation family where duty was paramount. Since that life-and-death battle outside Broken Wood Bay, she had done a lot of thinking. She refused to be just a vase. If she couldn’t match his strength, she would support him in other ways.

Even if that meant finding other women to share the load.

Zhou Kai wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her onto his lap. A warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with cultivation.

“Silly girl,” he whispered, stroking her hair. He understood her heart. From their first meeting, she had been this way—selfless to a fault.

He didn’t press the topic. Instead, he kissed her forehead and shifted gears.

“Alright, enough about that. I need to start refining the Soul Channeling Nether Grass. Ziyi, guard the door for me.”

Refining a six-hundred-year-old spirit herb was no joke. It touched the threshold of Third-Grade alchemy, and the medicinal properties were notoriously fierce.

Zhou Kai sat before the furnace, popping a Green Spirit Pill to refresh his mind. A cool sensation washed over him, sharpening his focus.

He ignited the pill fire. Crimson flames licked the bottom of the furnace, the temperature rising steadily.

First, the supplementary herbs. He added them one by one, using his spiritual energy to melt them into a viscous liquid. Once the base was stable, he took a deep breath and dropped in the small fragment of the Soul Channeling Nether Grass.

Sizzle—!

The moment the herb touched the liquid, a violent surge of soul force erupted.

CRACKLE!

The medicinal liquid inside the furnace churned wildly, threatening to explode.

“Hmph!” Zhou Kai grunted, veins bulging at his temples. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

He had expected resistance, but this was like trying to wrestle a dragon!

He didn’t hold back. His spiritual energy surged, and his Divine Sense split into countless invisible threads, weaving a net to suppress the chaotic energy. He combed through the violent soul force, forcibly taming it inch by inch.

Worthy of being a six-hundred-year-old herb. Just a fragment is this troublesome!

Beside him, Chen Ziyi held her breath, clutching the hem of her dress. She didn’t dare make a sound.

Time blurred. The room filled with a rich, heady fragrance mixed with strange ripples of soul power.

“Condense!”

Zhou Kai’s eyes snapped open, shooting out beams of intense light. His hands formed a blur of seals, sending a final surge of energy into the furnace.

The flames surged, then vanished.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

The crisp sound of pills landing on the tray echoed in the silent room.

Success.

Zhou Kai slumped back, drained. He forced himself to open the lid.

Three pills, the size of millet grains, lay at the bottom. They were jade-green and shimmering with flowing light, emitting a fragrance that seemed to penetrate directly into the soul.

“Husband!” Chen Ziyi rushed forward, supporting his swaying body.

Zhou Kai leaned against her soft, fragrant shoulder. He picked up one of the pills, feeling its pure, gentle power.

“Mission accomplished. But damn, that herb is extraordinary.”

He looked at the pill in his hand. “I need to test the efficacy first.”

He tossed the Soul Channeling Pill into his mouth. It melted instantly, a cool, sweet current flowing down his throat. Unlike the violent raw herb, this was like a warm spring enveloping his soul.

[Ding! Host Panel Updated!]

A system prompt chimed in his mind.

Zhou Kai blinked. He immediately pulled up his status panel.

There, a brand new entry had appeared:

[Divine Sense: No Technique]

Realization dawned on him.

He had always possessed Divine Sense, but the system had never displayed it as a separate stat. Now that the Soul Channeling Pill had significantly nourished and strengthened his soul, the system acknowledged it.

It was just like when he first helped Chen Ziyi cultivate. Her panel had shown [Vitality: No Technique] because eating demon beast meat had boosted her constitution before she even started training.

“So that’s how it is…” Zhou Kai smirked. “System, oh System. You’re telling me that if a stat gets high enough through external means, you’ll display it.”

“But since I don’t have a cultivation method for it, there’s no numerical value.”

He stroked his chin. “So, I need to find a Divine Sense cultivation technique. And probably… a beauty who can help me ‘strengthen’ it, huh?”

Zhou Kai presented the remaining two pills to Su Qingzhu.

She examined them briefly, unable to suppress her joy. True to her word, she handed over the rest of the Soul Channeling Nether Grass, entrusting him to refine it for her brother.

Zhou Kai estimated the remaining herb was enough for a dozen batches. To be safe, he decided to refine one batch every three days.

Over the next few weeks, a routine settled in.

While Zhou Kai refined pills, Chen Ziyi cultivated on her own. Occasionally, she went to the front courtyard to chat with Uncle Sun, helping the old man tend to the flowers.

She had her own little plan.

For my husband’s future, learning more is never wrong.

She hoped to glean information about Su Qingzhu from the old servant. Scouting for like-minded sisters was a responsibility she took seriously.

Uncle Sun seemed fond of the polite, sensible girl and often shared stories with her.

One day, just after Zhou Kai finished a round of “cultivation” with Chen Ziyi to accumulate points, she ran in from outside, looking excited.

“Husband! Husband! I found something out!”

“Slow down. What’s so exciting?” Zhou Kai smiled, handing her a cup of water.

Chen Ziyi took the cup but didn’t drink. Her eyes sparkled with mystery.

“Husband, you know the Spirit Gathering Array at Zhao Tieshan’s family home?”

Zhou Kai nodded. “Yeah? What about it?”

“I heard from Uncle Sun today that the person who laid that array was actually Miss Su’s ‘idiot’ brother—Su Mingyuan!”

“Su Mingyuan?” Zhou Kai raised an eyebrow.

“Yes!” Chen Ziyi nodded vigorously. “Uncle Sun said Young Master Su Mingyuan was an extremely talented Array Master. At a young age, he was already renowned far and wide! Husband, the Su family must be a remarkable array clan, right?”