It wasn’t until the bright moon hung high in the sky that Qin Sang finally completed the day's tasks. Dragging his exhausted body, he entered a meditative state to cultivate.

Controlling the Five-Elemental Cloud to nourish the spiritual herbs had nearly drained all of his spiritual power. However, as he cultivated, he felt that his cultivation seemed to have slightly improved, though the progress was so minimal that Qin Sang, with his poor aptitude, barely noticed. Having grown accustomed to the Soul Pills, this small improvement was hardly worth his attention.

Since he had just joined the Yuanzhao Sect, even if he wanted to escape, now wasn’t the right time. Qin Sang decided to endure for a while, keeping a low profile and observing the situation. His top priority now was to increase his strength.

The medicinal energy from the Qi-Gathering Pill had yet to be fully refined, and within his Mustard Seed Pouch, there remained a bottle of Stone Milk and a sufficient supply of Soul Pills. Qin Sang estimated that it wouldn’t take long before he could break through to the seventh stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

Qin Sang used his inner vision to observe his Qihai, where the medicinal energy from the Qi-Gathering Pill had been suppressed. It was time to start refining it.

…

More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye. This period had been incredibly peaceful, with no disturbances.

The fellow disciples of Cloud Valley were all busy, each tending to their own small plots of land. No one paid any attention to this newly arrived junior brother, let alone caused him any trouble.

During all this time, Qin Sang had only gotten to know one person, Meng Ruhui.

However, what made Qin Sang uneasy was that Yu Hua still hadn’t come to find him.

Qin Sang had already adapted to the rhythm of life in Cloud Valley. During the day, he manipulated the clouds and rain, maintaining the herb garden. In the evenings, he quietly cultivated in his cave dwelling, refining the medicinal energy from the Qi-Gathering Pill. His cultivation level advanced rapidly.

"Another ten days should be enough to completely refine the medicinal energy from the Qi-Gathering Pill."

Qin Sang calculated silently as he controlled the Five-Elemental Cloud to water a spirit field where a patch of Seven-Star Paris plants was growing.

If everything went smoothly, by the time he had fully consumed the medicinal energy from the Qi-Gathering Pill, his cultivation level would have solidly advanced to the late sixth stage, with only a small gap left to the seventh stage. At that point, consuming the bottle of Stone Milk would likely allow him to break through in one go.

However, once he reached the seventh stage, he would need to find a way to rid himself of the menial chores.

Currently, every time Qin Sang refined a portion of the Qi-Gathering Pill's medicinal energy, he had to pause his cultivation and allow his body time to completely digest the energy. This also helped him adapt to the rapid advancement of his cultivation level. Rushing this process would not only be counterproductive but might also leave hidden risks.

Therefore, during this period, the chores in the herb garden hadn’t actually hindered his cultivation.

But after refining the medicinal energy and breaking through to the seventh stage, there would be no more shortcuts. He would have to rely on hard work, and at that point, the herb garden would become a significant obstacle.

After he finished watering the last spirit field, the sky was still early. At that moment, two streaks of light flew into the valley. Seeing that it was Meng Ruhui, Qin Sang hurriedly went forward to greet him.

Beside Meng Ruhui was a young man of similar age to Qin Sang, his face showing barely concealed joy. It was only when he saw Qin Sang that his expression slightly calmed.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Meng. May I ask this senior brother’s name?" Qin Sang cupped his hands in respect.

The young man returned the gesture and said, "Junior Brother Qin, my surname is Bi."

Qin Sang noticed that Meng Ruhui appeared hesitant, his expression somewhat strange. Curiously, Qin Sang asked, "Senior Brother Meng, Senior Brother Bi, is there something you need from me?"

After a brief hesitation, Meng Ruhui spoke, "Junior Brother Qin, be honest with me—did you ever offend Senior Uncle Yu?"

Yu Hua!

Qin Sang's heart immediately tightened, but his face remained calm as he responded with confusion, "I’ve only met Senior Uncle Yu once during the ascension conference, and I followed his instructions to come to Cloud Valley. I don’t believe I’ve done anything disrespectful." Ř

Meng Ruhui shook his head and said, "Junior Brother Qin, from now on, this part of the valley will be under Junior Brother Bi’s care. Come with me."

Qin Sang was filled with doubt, unsure of what Yu Hua intended. After bidding farewell to Senior Brother Bi, he returned to his cave dwelling, packed up his belongings, and flew after Meng Ruhui, using his artifacts to follow him to his residence.

Meng Ruhui’s residence was a simple thatched hut built in a river valley, nestled against the mountain and beside a stream. He even kept a few azure oxen for company, living a peaceful and leisurely life. According to him, the house was modeled after memories from his childhood.

"Come in, Junior Brother Qin, try some of Junior Sister Yan's freshly picked Spirit-Nourishing Tea. You won't find tea this good anywhere else," Meng Ruhui said with a warm smile.

Meng Ruhui had a friendly nature. Although Qin Sang had only met him a few times, he already felt that Meng Ruhui was a good person.

However, Qin Sang wasn’t in the mood for tea. He cupped his hands and said, "Senior Brother Meng, please be honest with me. What exactly is going on? You've seen how I've conducted myself since joining the Yuanzhao Sect. I've been diligently tending to the spiritual herbs in Cloud Valley and haven't even set foot in the lecture hall. There’s no way I could have offended anyone."

Meng Ruhui’s smile faded as he let out a light sigh. "Junior Brother Qin, I also believe you're not the type to act recklessly. But in this world of immortal cultivation, if your strength is lacking, there's no reasoning with others. Sometimes, a single gesture, a look, or even the tone of your voice might cause someone to hold a grudge. From now on, Junior Brother, you must be more cautious in how you interact with others..."

After offering a long string of advice, Meng Ruhui finally said, "That Junior Brother Bi from earlier? He accidentally offended a Foundation Building Realm senior uncle. I was given a hint and had no choice but to assign him the most difficult menial tasks. He endured for ten years. Luckily, we’re within the sect, where even Foundation Building Realm cultivators must follow rules and can’t just resort to violence. If this had happened outside, he might’ve lost his life."

Qin Sang understood and spoke in a serious tone, "Senior Brother Meng, are you saying…?"

Meng Ruhui nodded. "Follow me, Junior Brother."

The two flew directly out of Cloud Valley, heading west. Along the way, Qin Sang noticed several valleys similar to Cloud Valley, all shrouded in mist. Before long, Meng Ruhui stopped in front of one such valley, took out a spiritual talisman, and opened the array. Then, he handed the talisman and a jade slip to Qin Sang.

They entered one after the other, and Qin Sang immediately smelled a rich herbal fragrance. He guessed that this valley must also contain a herb garden.

"This is Huiyang Valley. It’s also under my care, and like before, it’s planted with spiritual herbs," Meng Ruhui explained. After a pause, he glanced at Qin Sang. "However, the spiritual herbs here are all used by the Longevity Hall for refining pills. Each plant is far more troublesome to tend to than those in Purple Bamboo Valley. But since you are already familiar with how to care for herb gardens, you should find it easy to adapt…"

Huiyang Valley was slightly larger than Purple Bamboo Valley, and the variety of spiritual herbs in its fields was several times greater. When Qin Sang used his spiritual consciousness to scan the jade slip, he saw rows of detailed requirements and taboos, which left him feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.

Caring for this herb garden would take up even more time than his duties in Purple Bamboo Valley.

Just as Meng Ruhui turned to leave, Qin Sang hurried to catch up. "Senior Brother Meng, please wait."

Meng Ruhui assumed that Qin Sang was unwilling to endure the injustice and began to offer consoling words, "I understand your frustration, Junior Brother Qin. But you must endure for a few more years. Once Uncle Yu's anger subsides, things will go much more smoothly. When the next ascension conference comes, I’ll do my best to help mediate the situation."

Qin Sang smiled and said, "Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I’m quite familiar with the concept of 'endurance.' What I wanted to ask, though, is if you could advise me on where I can buy a few items I urgently need?"