Before returning to Green Leaf Peak, Song Yan made a detour to return the Tales of Ancient Swords to the library.

In the following days, he continued to guide Qi into spirit, condense Sword Qi, and practice and refine his Sword Control Art in his free time.

Within the Liangyi Realm, the black flame waves surrounding the "Heart Demon" seemed to slowly spread outwards, encircled by the nascent Dao Heart.

However, Song Yan did not plan to remove the "Heart Demon" from the realm for refining until it completely stopped moving.

The liangyi pearl had helped him too much; it had even taken his Flying Sword into itself without his consent, so there must be a reason for it.

On this day, inside his Immortal Cave.

Song Yan sat cross-legged on the stone bed, and with the Small Spirit Gathering Array’s augmentation, a large amount of Spiritual Qi surged around him.

He took out a white jade porcelain Medicinal Pill bottle from his qiankun bag.

Just as he was about to take out a Medicinal Pill, he suddenly frowned and stopped his action.

He continued to condense Spiritual Qi, and after absorbing all the Spiritual Qi from the Small Spirit Gathering Array, he slowly ceased his cultivation.

"I’m still a bit short of reaching Qi Refining Stage 6; it’s not something that can be achieved overnight..."

"Blindly Cultivating will not only result in slow progress but also easily lead to impatience."

He took a deep breath and put the Medicinal Pill bottle away again.

Medicinal Pills were not cheap; each one had to be used wisely.

He got down from the stone bed and stretched.

"Xiao He, I’m going to the Cultivation Institute to practice calligraphy. Are you coming?"

"No, no!"

Xiao He had recently been very engrossed in the little trinkets she collected.

When Song Yan was Cultivating, she went out to play by herself and somehow picked up a small jade ball with an engraving that was deep in the middle and shallow on both sides.

That hairpin, sword, wine gourd, detachable clay figurine, and this small jade ball were now her favorite things.

"Alright, then you take good care of the house."

"Got it."

Song Yan walked out of the Immortal Cave, left Green Leaf Peak, and headed towards the Cultivation Institute.

Speaking of which, the freckled girl he met at the Lingyuanze Market that day had not appeared since.

It was clear that sewing a Daoist robe didn’t take that long.

At first, he thought the girl was a swindler.

But then he thought, ruining one’s reputation for three Spirit Stones was truly incomprehensible... Since he didn’t need it now, he temporarily didn’t pursue the matter.

"I have an appointment next month. If it hasn’t been delivered by the time I leave the Sect next month, I’ll have to go to the market and talk to the Seamless owner."

Three-patterned Spirit Stones were still Spirit Stones.

Resources were accumulated bit by bit like this.

North bank of Wen Dao Gorge, Modao Courtyard.

Song Yan stepped into the institute, where Senior Brother Sun Zhengfu was still sitting in the center of the courtyard.

The two nodded and smiled at each other without speaking, considering it a greeting.

Today’s calligraphy model was a cursive script.

"Mid-Autumn Festival Post."

Song Yan was not very skilled at it; after several attempts at copying, he only grasped its form but not its essence.

"Oh? Senior Brother Song!"

He turned around blankly and found it was Junior Sister Gu Qingqing from Lianyou Peak, but she was accompanied by a male Cultivator dressed in an Inner Sect Daoist robe.

"Ah, Junior Sister Gu, what a coincidence."

"I came to complete this month’s assignment, and I didn’t expect to run into you here."

Gu Qingqing’s serene face smiled, revealing two shallow dimples.

The male Cultivator stepped forward, standing closer to Gu Qingqing: "Junior Sister Gu, may I ask who this is?"

"This is Senior Brother Song Yesheng. Last time in Peach Blossom Dock, Senior Sister Qin brought Senior Brother Song and a Senior Brother named Li Qingfeng to save me."

"So it’s Junior Brother Song. Inner Sect Disciple, Dan Zifeng. I’ve long heard of your name."

Long heard of his name?

Song Yan was stunned. What great name did he have that this Inner Sect Senior Brother had long heard of?

After thinking about it, it seemed the only thing was the incident when the three Elders of Profound Origin Sect came to Entrance Plaza to demand an explanation when he returned to the Sect from Jiran Valley.

An Outer Sect Disciple getting caught in a storm, losing all his cultivation, was known throughout the Sect.

But this was not a glorious matter.

Song Yan pondered the strange implication in the other party’s words, feeling somewhat baffled.

This Senior Brother seemed to have animosity towards him?

Because of what?

His gaze fell on Gu Qingqing beside him. Was it because of her?

No.

He wasn’t very familiar with Junior Sister Gu either.

At this moment, Sun Zhengfu in the center of the courtyard suddenly glanced their way, frowning slightly, seemingly hesitant.

His gaze fell on Dan Zifeng, and his eyes dimmed as he muttered, "Trouble comes from the mouth... trouble comes from the mouth..."

Gu Qingqing didn’t know if she had heard the strange implication in Dan Zifeng’s words and said, "Senior Brother Song has now recovered his cultivation, and his Sword Control Art is truly impressive, even Senior Sister Qin Ying praises it."

"Oh? Is it truly that exquisite? Then I must have a good spar with Junior Brother Song another day."

Song Yan waved his hand: "Not at all... My Aptitude is dull, I can only refine a trick or two, I certainly can’t match Senior Brother Dan."

He had no intention of chatting with the two of them, so he buried his head in writing again.

Dan Zifeng seemed very satisfied with Song Yan’s "humility" as an Outer Sect Disciple, which satisfied his superiority as an Inner Sect Disciple.

He turned his head only to find that Gu Qingqing had already sat down in the seat next to Song Yan, arranging her brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

"..."

"Senior Brother, this calligraphy model is so difficult."

Song Yan casually replied, "Yes, it’s cursive script after all, so the demands on brushwork should be higher."

Gu Qingqing scratched her head: "Why do I always mess up this part..."

"I don’t write very well either."

Song Yan casually picked up a piece of his own earlier writing and handed it to her.

"Pfft."

Gu Qingqing realized that this Senior Brother Song indeed had no intention of being humble; his writing was not much better than hers.

"Oh? Senior Brother Song..."

She suddenly let out a soft exclamation, her small head leaning over, realizing that this Senior Brother was not copying the Mid-Autumn Festival Post.

"Hmm, I’ve already completed the Mid-Autumn Festival Post assignment. Right now, I’m just writing casually; it’s a calligraphy model I obtained elsewhere."

The Mid-Autumn Festival Post was truly a bit difficult for the current Song Yan. He wasn’t copying it now, but merely writing the Eight Directions Returning Origin Sword Post based on his feelings.

Dan Zifeng sat to Gu Qingqing’s right, watching Gu Qingqing and Song Yan chatting and laughing, feeling annoyed.

Just as he was about to say something else, Song Yan had already stood up, preparing to leave.

"Junior Sister Gu, Senior Brother Dan, the assignment is complete, I’ll be leaving now."

"Alright, goodbye, Senior Brother Song."

Song Yan nodded and left.

Just as he walked out of the courtyard, he was called by a familiar voice.

"Junior Brother Song."

"Hmm? Is there something, Senior Brother Sun?"

Sun Zhengfu didn’t speak, but patted him and accompanied Song Yan all the way out of the Cultivation Institute, still transmitting his voice to him.

"Junior Brother Song, do you still remember that day when the Profound Origin Sect came to demand an explanation..."

"The Sect Master once said that the Profound Origin Sect should send some compensation?"

Upon hearing this, Song Yan nodded: "Yes, there was such a matter, but I thought it was probably just a deterrent..."

Sun Zhengfu smiled bitterly: "Junior Brother Song, our Sect Master is a Golden Core Realm Cultivator; in this Chu Kingdom, his word is law."

"Who would dare to think his words were just casual remarks..."

"There really is compensation?"

Song Yan was shocked, thinking, what were his hard days all about then?!

"Then..."

Sun Zhengfu said: "When the Profound Origin Sect sent someone to deliver the compensation, Junior Brother was in seclusion. According to Sect rules, it was temporarily stored at Inner Sect Tongchen Peak."

"This Dan Zifeng is from the Tongchen lineage, and these miscellaneous matters are handled by him."

"Although he wouldn’t dare to privately embezzle it, delaying it for a few days is no problem."

"He probably intended to wait until you felt hopeless about Cultivation before dealing with you, and then no one could say anything if he embezzled these things..."

"Those who knew about this might have thought you had already received it..."

"But I know Dan Zifeng’s character."

"Not just you, Sect rewards, miscellaneous stipends... anything that passes through his hands, he will extort."

"He always gives strange excuses, pushing the blame onto those Elders who are in perennial seclusion, or the True Disciples."

"..."

Sun Zhengfu sighed softly.

"Presumably, he didn’t even tell you about the compensation."

Song Yan’s eyes flickered.

"Senior Brother has said all he can. How to proceed is up to you."

Sun Zhengfu finished speaking, waved his hand, and returned.

Song Yan bowed: "Thank you for informing me, Senior Brother Sun."

"..."

Song Yan slowly walked back to his Immortal Cave, deep in thought.

He wasn’t thinking about things like "how did I provoke him" or "how can such people exist in the world," but rather... "how can I silently..."

"Kill him..."

Undoubtedly, Song Yan was usually a gentle person.

But now, someone wanted to embezzle his Cultivation spiritual items... Without Cultivation resources, his cultivation progress would be slow.

Being outmatched in a fight would lead to death.

Having little Lifespan and being unable to Breakthrough would lead to death.

To Song Yan, this was no different from taking his life.

Strangely, the malevolence in his heart only appeared for a moment, then quickly subsided, leaving only infinite calmness.

"No rush..."

"No rush..."

"Cannot make a move within the Sect."

He calmed his emotions slightly: "I need to come up with a foolproof plan..."

"Besides..."

Song Yan was not clear about Dan Zifeng’s Spiritual Root Aptitude, but estimating from his spiritual energy aura, he was slightly weaker than Senior Brother Lin Qing, roughly at the Late Stage of Qi Refining, around the seventh stage.

Currently, his own strength was still insufficient to deal with him.

"At least a few days later, after the Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s Immortal Cave matter is concluded..."

Other things, he could choose to tolerate.

But touching his Cultivation resources... At this moment, Song Yan’s mind held only one incredibly clear thought: to try every possible means... by any means necessary... he must kill him!

...In the Cultivation Institute, Dan Zifeng did not pick up a brush. He rarely touched these things, considering them a waste of time.

As an Inner Sect Disciple, he had many ways to evade such rules, such as hiring a Disciple with some Spirit Stones.

"This Junior Brother is a bit too impolite. You came for him, yet he showed no intention of waiting for you to leave together."

"What are you talking about, Senior Brother Dan? Everyone has their own things to be busy with."

Gu Qingqing traced the calligraphy model in her hand, unconcerned.

"We Outer Sect Disciples have to do many chores and also balance Cultivation, it’s really hard work."

"Junior Sister Qingqing, you really don’t have to be like this, I..."

"Alright!"

Gu Qingqing put down her brush with a small hand, picked up this piece of work, currently her most satisfying, and examined it up and down, very pleased.

"Hmm... not bad. Better than Senior Brother Song’s writing, isn’t it?"

Dan Zifeng subconsciously chimed in: "Naturally."

"Good! I must keep this one and show it to Senior Brother Song next time I see him."

"Senior Brother Dan, since you’re already here, you should properly finish your assignment. I’m returning to Lianyou Peak now."

"Hey, Junior Sister Gu..."

The girl left the Cultivation Institute, her expression quite cheerful.

Dan Zifeng’s face darkened.

Song Yan was not concerned with things that didn’t happen in front of him.

He was now rushing back to Green Leaf Peak, to his Immortal Cave, with a hurried expression.

Just now... the liangyi pearl seemed to have an unusual movement.