The Tallest Tree in the Forest

For the next ten days, Wu Ming's life rhythm returned to the mode he found most comfortable and satisfying: grinding scripts.

He would wake up at four in the morning, practice the lessons left by his senior sisters one by one, collect the system's daily rewards, and then meet up with his teammates at the small hill where he had once left his face-planted mark.

After that, they would head straight to Qingjing Lake to unleash the Five Extremes Mysterious Steel Array in a violent barrage. Once everyone was nearly exhausted, they would activate the array's movement technique and retreat all the way back to the Gray Plains.

After a midday nap, they would run a round of random hunting, returning only when they had their fill by evening. They would find a tavern for a simple meal and drink, then return to their respective lodgings to regulate their breathing and restore their spirits in preparation for the next day.

During this period, letters from their sect arrived occasionally. Most were reminders to focus on their cultivation and stay safe. Though the words were brief, the sentiment was profound. It was just a pity that both senior sisters had encountered important matters in their own cultivation and could not break away in the short term to visit them in town.

This fulfilling, rhythmic life—like a strong man driving piles—lacked surprises and, more importantly, lacked significant main-quest rewards. Yet, it was actually well within Wu Ming's comfort zone.

What professional wouldn't love to grind?

After ten days of intense grinding, the cultivation of the three youngsters advanced by leaps and bounds once again. Wu Ming was on the verge of reaching the fifth rank, while Liu Sanlang and Zhang Miao were both more than halfway through the fourth rank.

At this point, the Tribulation of Lost Li hanging over the three of them was nearing its end. Following their original plan, they returned to Qinghe Village to revisit the site.

As expected, the old scholar at the early stage of Foundation Establishment had respawned by the river. He was still staring blankly at the fish swimming in the water, showing no signs of vigilance, as if he had absolutely no memory of the previous encounter.

The group did not stand on ceremony. They launched a sneak attack, abducted the man, and harvested him in one smooth motion. Having had the experience of digesting him once before, Wu Ming's efficiency in this second digestion was much higher.

"This man is from the neighboring Li Family Village. He once earned a scholarly title in Ming County, but after retiring, he came to live in Qinghe Village for reasons unknown, spending his years gazing at the river and longing for his hometown..."

After the stream of information, everyone was left dumbfounded.

Neighboring village? Ming County? A scholarly title?

Could it be that this second floor of the Moli Immortal Mansion actually contained a fully functioning country?!

Upon realizing this, everyone felt as if a barrier had been shattered. Following that, the omens of the Tribulation of Lost Li on Wu Ming and the others dissipated into thin air.

"Tsk, it seems I digested a bit too much this time... I'll have to control my strength a little better next time."

Although Wu Ming still felt a lingering sense of wanting more, on the whole, the group's joy at their great victory remained undiminished.

After returning to the small town, Liu Sanlang was very self-aware. He took the initiative to bring out a portion of the Li Chen belonging to the Liu Family and booked a private room at the most luxurious restaurant in town at a high price to treat everyone to a grand feast.

The food and wine served were no ordinary items, and there were musicians and dancers performing songs and dances to soothe the mind and spirit. The group had originally suffered various losses and hidden injuries, but after the feast, not only were their wounds fully recovered, but there was even a faint stirring of further breakthroughs in their cultivation.

Except for Liu Sanlang's wallet, which had suffered heavy damage, everything else seemed flawless.

By the time the music ended and the guests dispersed, even the masked man in black, who never revealed any emotion, seemed to be smiling beneath his mask.

This day had been another satisfying, resounding victory. A barrier that no one had broken through in the past three hundred years was now being swept aside like bamboo!

As long as they strictly followed Wu Ming's plan, everyone could keep winning and winning, without ever growing tired of it!

However, as they returned home in high spirits, they began to hear... whispers of shock and suspicion rising all around them.

"Who are those people? Are they Immortal Guiding Envoys from Luohuang Mountain?"

"They don't look like official Immortal Guiding Envoys... Look at that tallest youth; his aura is as sharp as a hanging sword. That must be the Lijin True Qi of the Wu County Liu Clan!"

"The Wu County Liu Clan? No wonder! It seems they are going all out to compete for the immortal destiny now that the Zhuoquan Immortal Mansion has appeared. They even managed to hire people from Luohuang Mountain to act as their protectors! And they've been here for how many days now? Even if they aren't official Immortal Guiding Envoys, this level of influence is no small matter."

"It seems we underestimated these frontier clans. Then again, perhaps the Immortal Masters of Luohuang Mountain are looking to use this opportunity to reshape the landscape of the frontier regions, haha."

The chaotic chatter soon drifted away with the wind. While the speakers made no effort to hide their voices, they clearly knew when to stop.

Those who heard the discussion, however, clearly began to feel the pressure.

The smile on the face of Liu Sanlang stiffened in an instant.

"My apologies. I got carried away for a moment and forgot the basic principle that wealth should not be flaunted."

Yi Yi clapped his hands lightly and shook his head. "No need to blame yourself. There was no need to hide it in the first place. Although this town is bustling with all sorts of people, for those who are truly observant, there are no real secrets here. We gained quite a lot in the Moli Immortal Mansion; someone was bound to notice. Trying to hide it would only make it more obvious."

Han Gang also added, "If we truly needed to keep a low profile, we would have warned you long ago. Don't worry. As long as we follow the rules of this place, what others say is none of our business."

"Follow the rules..." Liu Sanlang repeated in a low voice, his heart feeling increasingly heavy.

Just a moment ago, when the discussion reached his ears, Liu Sanlang thought he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the tavern—it was the servant attire of the Kang Family, the second-ranked clan in Wu County.

Although he desperately hoped it was just his imagination, but...

"Don't worry."

The next moment, the voice of Wu Ming sounded by his ear.

"As long as we do our own part, changes on the outside won't affect us much."

Liu Sanlang forced a smile and nodded, but the burden in his heart did not diminish in the slightest.

--

The following ten days were a methodical, scripted routine.

Having gone through two previous rounds of harvesting, the understanding that Wu Ming and the others had of the Li Yao had gradually taken shape. Every day, as they lured monsters at Qingjing Lake, they began to see familiar faces among the Li Yao.

The progress in their understanding brought comprehensive improvements. Even Yi Yi and the others felt that every move they made within the Moli Immortal Mansion was smoother and more natural than before. The Li Chen that kept accumulating and clinging to their bodies also seemed to have become sparser.

Wu Ming's theory of cognition had undoubtedly been validated once again. The smooth progress of the third round of harvesting boosted everyone's confidence even further. It felt as if, by continuing to slay Li Yao by the shores of Qingjing Lake, accumulating echoes, and weaving together the lives of the Qi Refiners who had been lost in the outer perimeter, they could uncover the secrets of the entire Immortal Mansion...

Of course, considering that the Immortal Mansion had a second floor, a third floor, and even deeper levels, they didn't think things would be that simple. However, this kind of near-risk-free cultivation in the Immortal Mansion, where there were tangible gains every day, was truly addictive.

By the time they ventured into the second floor for the third time and uncovered more secrets of the Peach Blossom Spring, Wu Ming was only one step away from the fifth rank.

In just one month, the junior disciple of the Gujian Sect, with his mere seventh-grade Spirit Root, had traveled the path that took ordinary clan elites more than half a year to complete. As for the genuine clan elites, although they were less efficient at digesting the echoes, they were still following closely behind, thanks to the advantages of their backgrounds.

Naturally, this anomaly attracted the attention of more and more people.

In fact, when the third round of harvesting began, their group had already caused quite a stir in the small town.

Because they were simply too persistent... staying in the Immortal Mansion for over twenty consecutive days was practically inconceivable!

The existence of the Tribulation of Lost Li was no stranger to anyone living in the town for a long time. Even for those just living in the town, the influence of Li Chen was pervasive in every aspect. Once one ventured deep into the mansion, it was a direct countdown to the end of one's life.

Except for the Immortal Guiding Envoys from a few prominent sects who possessed unique secret methods to suppress the erosion of Li Chen, others—especially those young ones with shallow cultivation—had absolutely no ability to resist this erosion.

Therefore, generally speaking, even with a legitimate Immortal Guiding Envoy protecting them, young Dao Seeds would usually enter a state of recuperation by the seventh or eighth day, waiting ten days or half a month before re-entering the Immortal Mansion to dispel the tribulation.

However, the Wu County Liu Clan clearly could not afford a legitimate Immortal Guiding Envoy, and Liu Sanlang and that Desolate People youth could hardly be considered the top Dao Seeds of Qiongzhou... Yet, it was this very team that had repeatedly entered and exited the Moli Immortal Mansion for over twenty days, with the cultivation of the young people even showing explosive growth.

How on earth did they do it!?

No matter how people guessed or reasoned, they could never find the answer to this question.

So finally, on the thirtieth day, someone chose the simplest and most direct method—asking to their face.

Just as Wu Ming and the others walked out of the Immortal Mansion, exhausted, and stepped back onto the small hill, a group of people was already waiting there, greeting them almost nose-to-nose.

"Liu Sanlang, it has been several months since we last met. Your progress in cultivation is truly astonishing. You must have had some incredible gains in the Immortal Mansion! I also wish to follow your example; would Sanlang be willing to offer some guidance?"

Under normal circumstances, this kind of direct inquiry into someone's unique cultivation secret was both rude and foolish; one would usually just wave it away.

However, facing this sudden questioner, Liu Sanlang could only respond with a standard smile and a bow.

"Greetings, Senior Sister Kang. It has been several months since we parted, and your grace is even more impressive than before..."

The one addressed as Senior Sister Kang was Kang Yunshu, the second young lady of the Kang Family, the second most prominent family in Wu County.

Although she was a daughter of a noble family, this Kang Yunshu wore her shoulder-length hair in a slightly messy style. Her features were delicate, yet her brows were bold and spirited. Her honey-colored skin made her appear full of vitality, and her temperament was restless and energetic.

She was six years older than Liu Qi and was already at the peak of Qi Refining. Her talent for cultivation was considered quite exceptional even among the noble families.

Because of this, she had also become a disciple of Lord Yanliu, a True Person of the outer mountains of the Sanqing Immortal Sect. She was not merely a registered disciple but had already entered the outer sect, holding a status one rank higher than Liu Sanlang.

Furthermore, while the core of the current Liu Clan was the eldest son, Liu Cheng, the core of the Kang Family was not Kang Pingxiang, but this very Kang Yunshu. With these factors combined, Liu Sanlang had no choice but to humble himself when meeting her.

After her aggressive questioning, Kang Yunshu saw Liu Sanlang return the courtesy formally and immediately laughed, her sharp edge vanishing.

"Haha, Sanlang, you are too polite! Let's not talk on the road. I have already prepared a banquet at the Hongbin Restaurant in town, just in time to welcome you all back from the Immortal Mansion!"

From beginning to end, she never once glanced at anyone else.

Wu Ming was just about to speak, but he saw Liu Sanlang quietly give him a hand signal.

So, he said nothing more, simply taking half a step back to detach himself from the group. Naturally, no one cared about his departure.

Just as he, too, did not care at all about the arrival of Kang Yunshu.