The next morning, the sky was barely brightening.
Chen Yang slowly opened his eyes from meditation, exhaling a long, steady breath of stale air.
After a night of regulated breathing and rest, he felt not the slightest fatigue — on the contrary, his mind was clear and his spirit refreshed.
The spiritual energy within him was abundant, and the sluggishness in his meridians caused by his severe injuries had eased considerably.
Looking back on the events of the previous night, it all felt like a dream.
The sudden visit from the Silver-Haired Senior, Shen Hongmei, had left his heart unsettled.
But more than anything, he felt a long-missed warmth — the warmth of being remembered and guided by someone.
It was a feeling he had not experienced since Zhao Yanran had left.
"Benefactor… benefactor…"
Chen Yang murmured the word softly to himself, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth without him even realizing it.
With this Senior around, it seemed he had finally found a measure of support within the vast and unfamiliar Verdant Wood Sect.
The experience of soaring through the sky the previous night, gazing down upon the sect, had opened an entirely new door for him.
For the first time, he had felt so directly the breadth and wonder of the cultivation world, and he realized that before, he had been like a frog at the bottom of a well — knowing far too little about the sect.
Those cultivators who moved through the skies with ease.
The Divine Abilities that could move mountains and overturn seas.
And the passing remark Senior Brother Zhou Shan had once made — that "Core Formation cultivators can regrow a lost limb"…
All of it filled him with longing and aspiration.
Strength was the foundation of everything.
And knowledge determined how far one could go!
He turned his awareness inward. Under the sustained nourishment of the Minor Vitality Cultivation Pill's medicinal power, his injuries were recovering with remarkable speed.
What had originally been expected to require several days of rest now seemed like it might fully heal in just a few more days.
This pill truly had extraordinary effects.
Thinking of pills, Chen Yang's heart stirred. He reached into his Storage Bag and retrieved three Small White Jade Vials.
They contained the Minor Vitality Cultivation Pills gifted respectively by Senior Sister Zhuxiu, Senior Shen Hongmei, and Lin Yang.
He carefully tipped the three pills into his palm and examined them closely.
At first glance, the three appeared similar.
All were smooth and lustrous, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.
But upon careful sensing, subtle differences became apparent.
The pill gifted by Senior Sister Zhuxiu had a gentle medicinal potency.
However, the spiritual energy essence it contained seemed to be only about seventy percent — likely due to slightly insufficient heat control during refinement.
The one gifted by Shen Hongmei, on the other hand, was full and abundant in medicinal power.
Its spiritual energy flowed smoothly and completely — clearly a top-quality product at full potency, befitting the status of a Foundation Establishment Elder.
What surprised Chen Yang most was the pill Lin Yang had given him.
The medicinal power contained within it surpassed even Shen Hongmei's by more than twenty percent!
That pure yet subtly concealed surge of vitality seemed almost ready to burst through the pill itself.
This was no effect achievable by an ordinary Minor Vitality Cultivation Pill.
"Lin Yang… where on earth did he get this pill?"
Chen Yang's brow furrowed slightly.
Doubts multiplied in his mind.
Lin Yang was a man of unfathomable strength and enigmatic behavior. His reasons for gifting such a precious pill were surely far from simple.
But for now, the pill's extraordinary efficacy was a very real and tangible benefit.
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Chen Yang suppressed his suspicions and quietly reminded himself to be more vigilant around Lin Yang in the future.
Two more days passed.
The day arrived for the Monthly Stipend to be distributed to inner disciples.
In the early morning hours, the Steward Boy Xiaoshitou respectfully delivered a cloth pouch containing two hundred low-grade spirit stones to the courtyard.
Xiaoshitou also passed along a piece of news:
Roughly half a month from now, once the sect had finished repairing the Formations and dwellings damaged during the demon beast rampage, a Commendation Ceremony would be held to commend the disciples who had rendered meritorious service during the incident.
Chen Yang, having lured away the crocodile demon and rescued his fellow disciples, was certain to be among those rewarded.
This news filled Chen Yang's heart with even greater anticipation.
Sect rewards would surely be generous.
With spirit stones now in hand, Chen Yang immediately thought of his greatest trump card — that mysterious clay bowl.
He was eager to try duplicating the Minor Vitality Cultivation Pills, especially the one from Lin Yang with the strongest medicinal effect.
He closed the courtyard gate, activated the courtyard's restriction, then went up to the loft and shut the door behind him.
He solemnly retrieved the clay bowl.
He poured in clean water, transforming it into spirit liquid.
Then he carefully placed one of the Minor Vitality Cultivation Pills gifted by Lin Yang into the bowl.
At the same time, he added low-grade spirit stones as the "price," dissolving them into the spirit liquid.
A faint phantom image of the Minor Vitality Cultivation Pill slowly materialized in the water.
To his delight, the duplication process went exceptionally smoothly, requiring far fewer spirit stones than he had anticipated.
With just a handful of low-grade spirit stones, he successfully duplicated an identical pill!
The cost was even lower than when he had previously duplicated the Spirit Origin Pill that Shen Hongmei had given him.
Chen Yang thought it over briefly and understood the reason.
Senior Shen Hongmei had mentioned that the raw materials for the Minor Vitality Cultivation Pill were not particularly precious in themselves.
It was simply that the refinement process was complicated and the success rate was low, making it rare in circulation and therefore seemingly valuable.
The clay bowl's duplication cost seemed to be tied only to the "energy" or "essence" inherently contained within the object itself — it did not account for the hidden costs of labor and time spent during refinement.
"This clay bowl is truly extraordinary!"
Chen Yang's heart surged with excitement.
If that was the case, could he not mass-duplicate these exceptionally potent Minor Vitality Cultivation Pills and keep them as a trump card for healing and self-preservation?
Without hesitation, he immediately invested more spirit stones and duplicated several more Minor Vitality Cultivation Pills in one go, storing them carefully.
As for the pills gifted by Senior Sister Zhuxiu and Shen Hongmei, he decided not to duplicate them for now — their medicinal effects were somewhat inferior, and his current resources needed to be used where they mattered most.
With the matter of the pills settled, Chen Yang's divine sense swept across a corner of his Storage Bag.
There, a considerable number of demon cores were piled up.
Some had been obtained — and duplicated — when he was still a laborer, hunting Shadow Wolves, Blazing Flame Tigers, and other demon beasts in the back mountains.
Others were demon cores from lower-ranked demon beasts he had casually slain during the demon beast rampage a few days ago.
Although most were first-rank and second-rank demon cores of unremarkable quality, their quantity was substantial, and their origins were relatively "clean."
Demon cores, unlike pills, were difficult to trace back to a specific source.
They were perfect for exchanging for spirit stones.
Since Senior Shen Hongmei had already shown him the way, he decided to strike while the iron was hot and make a trip to the market.
He would offload these demon cores and exchange them for spirit stones to have on hand for emergencies.
It would also be a chance to truly experience the trading hub where the sect's cultivators gathered.
His mind made up, Chen Yang straightened his robes and pushed open the door to head out.
In the courtyard, Liu Yiyi and Xiaochunhua were already up.
Liu Yiyi was carefully watering a small, newly cultivated herb plot.
Meanwhile, Xiaochunhua was practicing basic fist techniques nearby with great enthusiasm, making vigorous sounds as she went, full of energy.
Seeing Chen Yang emerge, both girls immediately stopped what they were doing and came over to greet him.
"Brother Chen, good morning."
Liu Yiyi greeted him softly, her gaze warm and gentle.
"Senior Brother Chen! You're up so early today!"
Xiaochunhua was all smiles, bouncing up close to him.
Chen Yang looked at them both, in fine spirits, and smiled:
"Mm. My injuries are much better. I'm planning to head to the market."
As he spoke, his divine sense naturally swept over the two girls. He paused slightly, then a look of pleased satisfaction crossed his face:
"Yiyi, Chunhua — have you two broken through to the third level of the Qi Refinement Realm?"
Liu Yiyi flushed slightly at his words and gave a small nod:
"It's all thanks to the dense spiritual energy in the courtyard, and… and the traces of aura that drift out when Brother Chen cultivates. It seems to have benefited us greatly."
She had noticed that whenever Chen Yang cultivated, a comfortable, life-giving aura would permeate the surrounding air, nourishing them deeply.
Xiaochunhua was even more excited, jumping in eagerly:
"Yes, yes! Senior Brother Chen, I feel full of energy now! Cultivating is so much faster than before!"
Chen Yang understood inwardly — this was likely a side effect of the Yimu Immortality Art.
He knew that certain cultivation techniques worked this way, benefiting not only the practitioner but also aiding others in their cultivation.
He was glad to have been able to help them, and encouraged them warmly:
"Excellent! On the path of cultivation, a solid foundation is what matters most. Steady and sure — don't rush. When I return from the market, I may be able to bring back some pills to help you consolidate your cultivation."
The two girls beamed with joy at his words, thanking him repeatedly.
Looking at their hopeful faces, Chen Yang felt a surge of motivation himself.
He too needed to advance his strength as quickly as possible.
His cultivation at the peak sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm had already stabilized — it was time to consider pushing toward the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm.
In the cultivation world, one's realm was the foundation of everything.
The prerequisite for all else.
If he were to delay advancing his realm by focusing on spell techniques, that would truly be putting the cart before the horse.
"I'm heading out — keep an eye on things here," Chen Yang instructed, then turned and walked toward the courtyard gate.
"Come back soon, Brother Chen," Liu Yiyi said with a smile.
Xiaochunhua called out from behind, waving her hand:
"Senior Brother Chen, remember to look around the market for anything tasty or fun — don't forget to bring some back!"
Liu Yiyi quietly watched Chen Yang's retreating figure, her eyes carrying a soft, gentle look of concern and fondness.
Chen Yang stepped out of the courtyard, greeted by the rising morning sun, and drew a deep breath of the cool, moist morning air.