The path to immortality through martial arts begins with being forced into marriage!

"Your actions today have already caught the attention of the sect leader."

"This is an unprecedented opportunity since the sect's founding. If we can seize it well, we might rise to the top in one leap!"

"This matter has only been communicated at the summit level and has not yet been made public."

"How the Ancestor will select them, what standards he will use, and when he will announce it are all unknown."

"You should be more careful with your words and actions recently, and focus on your cultivation, but you don't need to hide your talents too much."

"After all, the list isn't finalized yet; when it's time to fight for it, we shouldn't back down!"

"yes!"

Seeing Cui Yi's serious demeanor, Chi Gui suddenly smiled and said, "Kid, don't put too much pressure on yourself. It doesn't matter if you don't get selected as a core disciple."

"what?"

Cui Yi clearly didn't understand what Chi Gui meant, and Chi Gui didn't intend to explain further, instead keeping it a secret: "You'll find out when the time comes."

"This status as a core disciple is mostly dispensable to you."

"Alright, you can cultivate on your own now. I need to go ask the sect leader for some rare and precious materials to repair the spiritual spring."

After the red demon left, the cave returned to silence.

Cui Yi breathed a sigh of relief, squatted down, and patted the baby dragon's dusty head, chuckling softly, "You almost gave yourself away. Looks like you'll have to be more careful when you eat from now on."

The young dragon rubbed against his hand, seemingly understanding, and blinked its amber vertical pupils.

Judging from its appearance, it didn't seem to be afraid of the terrifying red-robed man from before, but was more interested in the warm aura coming from Cui Yi's palm.

With the magic weapon refined and the dragon egg hatched, Cui Yi naturally had no reason to stay in the cave.

Ultimately, he had also ruined a spiritual spring. It was already a kindness that the Red Demon hadn't bothered him. Staying here would only annoy the old man.

After much deliberation, Cui Yi decided to leave early and flew towards his courtyard in a flash.

......

......

The Blood-Clad Sect occupies a vast area, and there is a considerable distance between the thirteen peaks.

Although Cui Yi was already a Foundation Establishment cultivator and could control the Qieman Flight, it still took him some time to arrive.

It was midday, and the sunlight was perfect in the courtyard.

Several clean coarse cloth dresses were drying on a simple clothes rack in the yard. A small patch of land in the corner had been carefully tended, but no crops had been planted yet, so it looked empty.

Seeing this heartwarming scene, Cui Yi felt a warmth in his heart and walked over quietly.

At this moment, Xu Yunyan and Tang'er were busy in the kitchen, with a clear division of labor between them.

Xu Yunyan was rolling up her sleeves and struggling to pour a small bag of rice into the rice jar.

Tang'er wasn't tall enough, so she had to stand on a small stool and tiptoe to wipe the stove. Her face was full of seriousness, and she was muttering something inaudible.

"Yunyan, Tang'er."

Cui Yi stood at the door and called out softly.

The two of them froze simultaneously, then suddenly turned around.

"Young Master!"

"Yi'er!"

Tang'er threw the rag she was holding onto the stove with a smack, then skipped over to Cui Yi, asking, "Why are you back so early?"

"The ceremony is over, and I had nothing else to do, so I came back to see you all."

"That's wonderful! Young master, could you take us down the mountain?"

"This morning, Sister Yunyan took me to the nearby Zayi Peak."

"That place is huge! They have all kinds of fruits, vegetables, rice, noodles, and cooking oil, plus lots of little gadgets I've never seen before. They look so amazing!"

Her face immediately fell, and her voice lowered: "But... the senior brother in charge there said that we need to use some contribution points to exchange for it, and neither Sister Yunyan nor I have any."

Xu Yunyan stood to the side, gently put her arm around Tang'er's shoulder, and gave Cui Yi a somewhat helpless yet apologetic smile: "Yi'er, Tang'er is right."

"We thought we couldn't rely on you for everything, so we tried to find out how to be self-reliant."

"But this immortal realm is ultimately different from the mortal world. All kinds of resources require either contribution points or spirit stones..."

Xu Yunyan turned her head to look at the misty scene outside the window, her tone tinged with a hint of bewilderment: "Later, we thought that perhaps there were ordinary markets in the towns and villages at the foot of the mountain, where we could buy things with money."

"The mountains here are so high, and it's all shrouded in clouds and fog, that you can't see the road at all."

"We dare not risk wandering around, for fear of getting lost and causing you unnecessary worry."

Hearing Tang'er's innocent words, Cui Yi couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

But for Xu Yunyan and Tang'er, two ordinary women with no cultivation, this place was more like a magnificent prison.

Life in Cuijia Village was certainly poor, and people often had to struggle for three meals a day, but at least the neighbors and villagers were all ordinary people, and there was a lively atmosphere and human warmth there.

They stayed in this quiet but desolate little courtyard, and apart from each other, there was probably no one else they could talk to.

The magnificent world of cultivation is nothing more than a series of clouds that isolate them from the outside world.

"It was my oversight."

Cui Yi's voice lowered: "At the time, I was only thinking about getting you away from danger, but I didn't think about how you would live here."

"For you, the Blood-Clad Sect is indeed not as comfortable as it is in Cui Family Village and Donghai City."

"Contribution points and spirit stones are all external things."

"From now on, there's no need to be frugal with household expenses; just use the spirit stones I left behind to exchange for them."

"I will find a safe way in the future so that you can still have some contact with the outside world when I am not around."

Hearing Cui Yi's words, Tang'er's eyes lit up again, and she nodded vigorously.

Even the usually composed Xu Yunyan couldn't help but nod along.

After all, such a life of seclusion in the immortal realm is truly too agonizing for mortals.

"It just so happens that my cultivation has come to a temporary halt today, and I have nothing else to do."

The two women stopped what they were doing upon hearing the sound and turned to look at him.

"How about I take you down the mountain for a walk?"

Cui Yi said gently, "Haven't you been wanting to buy some daily necessities? Then go and take a look at the market down the mountain."

"Go down the mountain?!"

"Young Master is going to take us down the mountain?!"

Two surprised voices rang out almost simultaneously!

Tang'er's eyes widened, and a bright smile instantly bloomed on her little face. She didn't even care about the stove she was wiping halfway, and wiped her wet little hands haphazardly on her apron.

Xu Yunyan put down the water ladle in her hand, a hint of barely suppressed joy flashing across her face, but then she hesitated, "Yi'er, won't this... interfere with your cultivation? And we..."

"It's alright, cultivation isn't something that can be done in a short time."

Having received Cui Yi's affirmative answer, the two women no longer cared about cleaning up the kitchen that they had only half-finished.

"Sister Yunyan, the straw hat! Where did you put the straw hat you dried last time? It's very sunny down the mountain!"

"Bamboo basket! We need the biggest bamboo basket! And the carrying basket too, bring the small one!"

"Where's the water pouch? What if we get thirsty on the road?"

"We still have some dry rations; we can manage a bite if we come down the mountain late!"

"Tang'er, where's your purse?"