Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

"Alright, Qingxuan, you go ahead with your business! Let's go."

The Fifth Palace Master waved to Yang Qingxuan and walked forward.

Yang Qingxuan picked up his hoe, winked at Xia Jin, lowered his voice and said, "Let's talk later," before turning around with a smile and heading towards his spirit field.

Xia Jin didn't hesitate. After glancing at Yang Qingxuan who was leaving, she followed the Fifth Palace Master.

The two walked one after the other, and finally stopped in front of a small courtyard near the hillside.

"From now on, you will be here."

The Fifth Palace Master stood at the courtyard gate, not going in, but simply said something.

Xia Jin walked into the courtyard and looked around. Although it was simple, it was quiet and secluded.

"Thank you, senior."

He turned around and cupped his hands in greeting to the Fifth Palace Master.

The Fifth Palace Master waved his hand, his cloudy eyes revealing no emotion: "No need to thank me. Getting this far is your own achievement."

After he finished speaking, he turned around, but after taking only a few steps, he stopped again and said, "Kid, someone will come looking for you later and tell you some of the rules in the Third Heaven. Take this time... to rest well and prepare yourself."

"You might only have one month left!"

The words had barely left his mouth when he was already gone.

Xia Jin stood in the courtyard, looking at the gray-robed figure who exuded a sense of desolation, and frowned slightly.

Could I have misread it?

"Prepare well? Only one month left? Could this Fifth Palace Master be reminding me of the extraterrestrial race?"

Oh well, what's done is done. Why think so much?

He withdrew his gaze and turned to examine his "new home".

After tidying up briefly, I sat down at the stone table in the courtyard.

Xia Jin took out a jar of wine from her storage ring and poured herself a bowl.

The wine was given to him by Mu Qing'er when he was in the Second Heaven, so it was quite precious.

Especially in such a quiet, almost deserted place, having a few bowls of this drink has a unique flavor.

He picked up the bowl, took a small sip, and looked over the courtyard wall at the distant, rolling mountain shadows.

The Third Heaven… Now that I've stepped into this place, I'll be qualified to fight against those alien races.

"Knock knock knock".

There was a knock on the courtyard gate.

It was more like a casual knock than a simple tap, conveying a sense of nonchalance.

Xia Jin looked up at the courtyard gate.

He remembered that the gate was not closed when he came in, and it was ajar, so that people could see directly into the courtyard from the outside.

Sure enough, a hand reached in through the open door crack and gripped the door frame, followed by a head peeking in.

He was a man who looked to be around thirty years old, with a head of black hair loosely tied back. He was wearing a loose blue robe, and he looked as if he had just been woken up from his afternoon nap.

The other person's eyes were fixed on the jar of wine on the stone table in front of Xia Jin.

His eyes were like those of a cat that had been starving for a long time, suddenly spotting a plump fish.

Xia Jin, holding her wine bowl, met the man's gaze for a moment and couldn't help but chuckle.

"If you want a drink, come in."

He put down his wine bowl and smiled and nodded at the man at the door.

Upon hearing this, the man's eyes lit up as if two lamps had been lit. Without saying a word, he pushed open the courtyard gate and strode in.

"Then I won't be polite!"

The other person walked a few steps to the stone table, and without any politeness, plopped down on the stone chair opposite Xia Jin, reached out and grabbed the jar of wine on the table, raised it to his lips, tilted his head back and poured it into his mouth.

Wine dripped from the corners of his mouth, soaking the collar of his blue robe. He didn't seem to care, just gulping it down as if someone who had been thirsty for three days and three nights had suddenly found a clear spring.

Xia Jin watched him quietly, without stopping him.

After filling more than half of the jar with wine, the man finally put down the jar and exhaled a long breath of wine.

"Phew~"

He let out a loud burp, squinted his eyes, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

"Excellent, excellent, your wine is excellent!"

Xia Jin smiled but didn't say anything. He simply flicked his hand across the table.

More than a dozen jars of wine appeared neatly on the stone table.

"Drink as much as you like." Xia Jin picked up her wine bowl, took a small sip, and said, "I have plenty of this wine."

The man stared blankly at the dozen or so jars of wine that had suddenly appeared in front of him, then burst into laughter.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"I could tell you were a good person at first glance!" He gave Xia Jin a thumbs up. "Very generous, just my type!"

As he spoke, he picked up another jar of wine, broke the mud seal, took a big gulp, then sighed contentedly, leaned back on the stone chair, and squinted at Xia Jin.

"This young man looks unfamiliar."

"Looks like this is your first time visiting our Three Heavens, isn't it?"

Xia Jin nodded: "I just arrived today."

"No wonder, no wonder."

"I was wondering why I'd never seen you before. The Third Heaven is such a small place, and it's always the same few old faces coming and going. I could count them all with my eyes closed. Your face... I really haven't seen it before."

As he spoke, he sat up straight, placed the wine jar on the table, and composed himself.

My name is Li Zhan. People call me "The Drunkard".

When he said the word "drunkard," there was not a trace of embarrassment in his tone; on the contrary, there was a hint of pride, as if this nickname was some kind of great honor.

"Of course, according to the rules of the Three Heavens, you can also call me Third Senior Brother. Or... Senior Brother Li is fine too. Whatever you prefer."

Third senior brother.

Xia Jin's heart stirred slightly.

He had just encountered his second senior brother, Yang Qingxuan, and now his third senior brother, Li Zhan, had arrived.

He stood up and bowed to Li Zhan.

"Xia Jin greets Third Senior Brother."

Li Zhan waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down: "Don't be so formal. We don't have so many rules here in the Third Heaven. Sit down when you're supposed to, drink when you're supposed to, why bother with all that formality?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Jin didn't stand on ceremony and sat down again.

"According to seniority, I should call you Junior Brother. Since you're new here, you must be quite unfamiliar with the Three Heavens."

His gaze fell on Xia Jin's face. "I drank your wine and took your things today, so there are some things I need to explain to you. Otherwise, if word gets out that I, Li Zhan, am eating and drinking for free, I'll lose face."

Xia Jin picked up the wine bowl and said solemnly, "Please enlighten me, Third Senior Brother."

"I wouldn't call it giving you advice, it's just some advice based on my experience."

Li Zhan placed the wine jar on his lap and leaned back.

"These three heavens, they're not that big, but they're not that small either."

"However, for newcomers, there is one place in these three realms that you absolutely must visit."

"Hmm?" Xia Jin frowned slightly. "Where?"

"Primordial Spirit Pool".

When Li Zhan said those three words, his tone became noticeably more serious.

"Yuanling Pool?" Xia Jin repeated the unfamiliar name.

"Indeed, the Yuanling Pool of the Third Heaven can cleanse the physical body, repair those invisible hidden injuries, and mend the subtle cracks left during the breakthrough process, allowing your physical body to reach a state of... perfect fusion."

"You can think of it this way: each of our physical bodies is like a weapon that is constantly being forged. Every breakthrough is a tempering process, but the tempering process inevitably leaves tiny cracks. The Yuanling Pool is the hammer that reforges you, transforming you from 'almost' to 'completely integrated'."

After listening, Xia Jin nodded thoughtfully.

"Excuse me, Third Senior Brother, where is this Yuanling Pool?"

"The back mountain." Li Zhan gestured with his chin in a certain direction outside the courtyard. "If you follow this road north, and pass through that spirit field, you'll see a valley. The Yuanling Pool is at the deepest part of that valley."

"Besides the Yuanling Pool," Li Zhan said vaguely, "you'd better visit your senior brothers here more often during this time. Get to know them and become familiar with each other. After all..."

He suddenly stopped, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"After all what?" Xia Jin asked.

Li Zhan remained silent for a while before saying in a low voice, "After all, we might still need your help in the battle a month from now."

The battle a month later.

Xia Jin frowned, about to ask further, but Li Zhan had already stood up.

He picked up two unopened jars of wine, one in each hand, and casually carried them to his side.

But his back view,

The carefree, playful feeling I had when I entered had completely vanished, replaced by an indescribable... desolation.

"Third Senior Brother."

Xia Jin called out to him.

Li Zhan paused, turning his head slightly to the side.

"The battle you mentioned a month from now," Xia Jin paused, looking directly at him, "is it the battle against that extraterrestrial race?"

Li Zhan did not answer immediately.

He stood at the gate of the courtyard, and after a long while, he softly hummed in agreement.

"Didn't the Fifth Palace Master tell you?"

"They only told me to prepare well, but didn't go into details."

Li Zhan remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly.

"That's true. These are long stories, and he probably didn't want to bother explaining them."

"Junior brother, I've taken the wine. I'll come find you to drink with me later."

He didn't answer Xia Jin's question; after saying that, he turned and walked out of the courtyard gate.

Xia Jin stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching his figure disappear around the bend in the road.

"It seems that no one is entirely confident about the battle against the extraterrestrial race that will take place a month from now."

"However, no matter who the opponent is, how could I possibly lose!"