System crash? I prove it with my control panel!

Riding a crane, soaring through the heavens.

However, Chen Wen had no interest in appreciating the beautiful scenery.

Although he did not know how the sect's punishment hall would punish He Qingpu.

However, the fundamental difference between Foundation Establishment disciples and Qi Refining disciples is there, so it's probably just a matter of raising them high and then letting them fall gently.

He was afraid that if he ran too slowly, he would be caught.

He is indeed a true disciple, but he is only a Qi Refining disciple.

If He Qingpu comes looking for me despite the punishment, he'll probably die, and I guess he'll just have to pay some spirit stones in return.

However, he still gleaned some information from that conversation.

The tenth peak of the sect is definitely a place you shouldn't mess with.

With one force suppressing nine peaks, even the arrogant He family, when they made a mistake, obediently accepted their punishment. What power that is!

However, he could also see that the He family of Hundred Refinement Peak held a relatively high position in the sect, but at the same time had the worst relationship with the other peaks.

Although the He family was constantly hampered by the other peaks, they were not afraid of them at all.

You can tell from how Beast Peak threatens with resources at the drop of a hat that as long as the He family doesn't completely break off relations, they will still have to provide the resources they are entitled to.

The return journey was almost twice as fast as the journey there.

Chen Wen also paid double the fare.

Instead of returning to his own Luoyun Mountain, he went directly to Qin Shuiru's cave.

After landing, he stood in front of the array outside the cave, holding the egg in one hand and frantically slapping the array with the other, his face filled with anxiety and fear.

"Sister, save me!"

"I've been set up!"

"Sister, please open the door!"

...

The formation rippled.

The maids and servants in the mountains cast strange glances at him, wondering how a true disciple could behave in such a manner.

However, Chen Wen seemed oblivious and continued to applaud.

Finally, a soft shout rang in his ear: "Shut up, old man...you've completely disgraced me!"

Suddenly he felt a pulling force coming from the back of his neck.

The next moment, he was lifted up by a tremendous force and then carried into the cave.

Before long, he arrived at the waterside pavilion inside the cave.

Qin Shuiru, dressed in a thin veil, had her crystal-clear jade feet immersed in the pool, with spirit fish swimming and darting around her feet.

puff~

Chen Wen was thrown to the ground, protecting the beast egg very well, while he himself fell and grimaced.

Chen Wen was not surprised but delighted. He immediately got up, put the spirit beast egg aside, ran behind Qin Shuiru, skillfully massaged her shoulders, and said with a fawning smile:

"Sister, you almost never saw me again today, but luckily I'm blessed with good fortune!"

"Oh, really? Didn't you go off to show off?"

Qin Shuiru's expression was indifferent. She waved her hand, grabbed Chen Wen, and suspended him above the water, her eyes fixed on him with a cold gaze.

"You've grown quite audacious in just a few days! You actually dare to scheme against a Foundation Establishment cultivator! Tsk tsk tsk, unbelievable! In a few more days, are you going to ascend to the heavens?!"

Chen Wen's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, why are they angry this time? Don't they have a grudge against the He family?

He frantically waved his hands, pleading, "Sister, please let me explain! I've been set up!"

Qin Shuiru's eyebrows furrowed, and she said coldly, "Is that so? Do you think the people of Beast Peak could force you to acknowledge your spirit beast as your master? And after He Qingpu stopped you, why did you continue to acknowledge it as your master?"

Chen Wen was surprised, not expecting that Qin Shuiru already knew everything that had just happened at Beast Peak.

But the act had to continue, so he lowered his eyes and said with a wronged expression:

"Sister, I was set up by that scoundrel Zhai Ji..."

He sincerely shifted all the blame onto Zhai Ji, but he didn't change a single word about the actual situation on the ground. If he couldn't change it, he simply didn't mention it.

These words were clearly effective, and Qin Shuiru's eyebrows relaxed a little as she listened.

However, he was still quite displeased and said, "Since you already knew it was a spirit beast egg belonging to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, why did you still try to claim it as your master?"

"Of course, I also wanted to give up, but at that time, someone whispered in my ear that I should quickly acknowledge the Lord. I was so shocked that I was in a daze and unconsciously did as I was told."

Chen Wen chuckled and continued:

"When I came to my senses, the spirit contract was about to be completed. I thought to myself, I can't let myself be tricked for nothing. Anyway, I've already offended the He family. Whether I acknowledge them as my master or not, I'm going to offend them anyway. I might as well take some benefits, hehe~"

"You still have the nerve to laugh!"

Qin Shuiru rolled her eyes at him, waved her hand, and sent him back to the shore.

After landing, Chen Wen immediately got up and cast a cleansing spell on himself before reaching out to touch Xiang's shoulder and continuing to massage her.

Seeing that Qin Shuiru did not push him away again, he thought to himself, "It's all settled!"

Qin Shuiru's breathing became a little heavier, but she still maintained her composure and spoke with a hint of reproach:

"Xiao Wen, it's not that I want to blame you, but this matter seems to be just a scheme against the He family, but in reality, it's not like that."

Chen Wen was puzzled. Could it be that something else was involved?

He quickly asked, "Sister, why do you say that?"

"You are trampling on the dignity of Foundation Establishment cultivators!"

Qin Shuiru snorted and said:

"You were caught up in this, so you're still able to maneuver. Otherwise, I would have had no choice but to kill you with tears in my eyes."

Chen Wen felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and cold sweat poured down his back.

Qin Shuiru spoke in a soft and gentle voice, but the murderous intent in her eyes was real.

Seeing his unpleasant expression, Qin Shuiru slightly curled the corners of her lips and continued:

"Foundation Establishment is different from Qi Refining for us. It means that we have already stepped into the threshold of cultivation, and naturally our status is extraordinary."

"Foundation Establishment cultivators can be bullied and killed at will, but Qi Refining cultivators cannot. This is called reversing the Heavenly Principles!"

"You are challenging the authority and dignity of Foundation Establishment cultivators. They may not say anything to your face, but we cannot do nothing."

Chen Wen nodded knowingly, feeling a wave of lingering fear.

This is similar to bringing milk tea into a company meeting and your boss smilingly asking what flavor of milk tea you like.

Is he concerned about you?

No, he's telling you not to bring milk tea into the meeting.

Foundation Establishment cultivators are those leaders.

Qin Shuiru is a subordinate supervisor who understands how to get things done.

As for him... he should be considered the straw in that cup of milk tea!

Zhai Jicai is that cup of milk tea.

Chen Wen suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. The straw could be thrown away with the milk tea, or it could be pulled out and placed aside at any time. It was something that could be done without.

He couldn't help but feel relieved that he had been overthinking things and had tried to stop Zhai Ji from leaving. Then, the Snow Winged Eagle suddenly started giving birth, exposing him to everyone's attention.

Chen Wen couldn't help but wonder, was it really just a coincidence? Could there be another expert lurking in the shadows?

He couldn't help but rub his temples. His status was too low, and his access to information was too limited; he simply couldn't make judgments about many things.

Qin Shuiru glanced at him and said indifferently:

"But don't get too excited, I never said I was going to protect you!"

"Oh dear, Purple Tsk~"

Chen Wen immediately uttered a sound that even he found nauseating.

"Sister, help me! I even prepared a surprise for you!"

Qin Shuiru was startled by the sudden voice and shuddered. "Speak properly!"

Then he added, "What kind of junk are you planning to trade for what I have this time?"

"This isn't junk!"

Chen Wen pouted, took out the jade box as if presenting a treasure, and handed it to Qin Shuiru, saying with a wronged expression:

"I went through countless hardships and exhausted all my savings to get this."

Qin Shuiru became somewhat interested upon hearing this, and took the jade box, though she still expressed her disdain as before.

"You said the same thing about the lotus-patterned rouge you gave me last time; even my maid wouldn't want it!"

Chen Wen smiled awkwardly, "That is indeed a new product from Chunxiang Pavilion. I really did queue for three days to get it!"

After saying that, he added in his mind, "My subordinates lining up is also considered as me lining up."

Qin Shuiru didn't expect him to give her any gifts, but when she opened the package, her eyes lit up, and she wondered if it was a fake.

Gently pick up the jade pendant lying in the jade box and immerse your spiritual sense in it to examine it.

Qin Shuiru was immediately surprised; it was actually true!

She smiled and said, "This time, I'll say you've put in some effort."

She had no shortage of mid-grade magical artifacts, but rare playthings were hard to come by, especially the early works made by Master Wenyang himself, which were even rarer to see.

She held it in her hands, playing with it, clearly enjoying it, but her words were sharp and sarcastic.

"It's alright, considering you put in some effort, I'll let you off this time. Just don't be so careless in the future..."

At this point, Qin Shuiru suddenly paused, remembering that her younger brother seemed to dislike going out and always kept his head down, cultivating.

Then he changed his tone and said:

"Don't just bury yourself in cultivation; you need to relax occasionally. Once you reach the later stages of Qi Refining, your treatment should be improved. I will inform Master at that time."

"Thank you, sister. Jingwen will remember this!"

Chen Wen quickly bowed to express his gratitude, not expecting such an unexpected surprise.

As for the late stage of Qi Refining, that's something anyone can do!

Qin Shuiru continued to instruct:

"Once you reach the late stage of Qi Refining, you should prepare for Foundation Establishment. I won't remind you about essence, energy, and spirit, but you must try your best to cultivate the technique to perfection."

"Read more Taoist scriptures in your spare time. Also, save your contribution points and go to the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion to find some top-grade first-tier spells to exchange for."

"Those spells that are only a hair's breadth away from second-tier spells are not only means of fighting enemies, but also help you to enhance your understanding."

"I know you enjoy learning magic, but those basic level spells become meaningless after a while. Once you've grasped their essence, you'll be able to understand their true nature at a glance when you look back at them. You won't need to practice them anymore; you'll just know them naturally."

Chen Wen listened attentively the whole time, realizing that the difference between people lies in their ability to acquire information.

Qin Shuiru could see the deputy peak master whenever she had free time, so she naturally knew more about him.

Every single word he uttered was a golden piece of advice.

She had previously told him not to rush to improve his cultivation level, as higher and faster cultivation wasn't necessarily better. He agreed wholeheartedly because he was pushing the limits shown on the panel with each step, taking solid steps, and naturally knew the benefits.

What she's saying now are naturally some of the secrets to breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

However, there were some things she couldn't elaborate on.

Chen Wen discovered that the entire sect became taboo and mysterious once it came to Foundation Establishment.

However, when he thought back to how He Qingpu had almost yelled him to death with a single sentence, he gained a new understanding of Foundation Establishment—it was something inhuman!

He had also seen the spells on the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion and was quite envious.

I've just been reluctant to exchange contribution points because they're useful.

Since Qin Shuiru has mentioned it, it seems we need to find a way to earn some contribution points and then exchange them for some spells.

Chen Wen silently planned his next move.

At this moment, Qin Shuiru suddenly spoke again.

"Little brother, once you reach the late stage of Qi Refining, could you help me retrieve something from a secret realm?"

Chen Wenyi is here!

He had long known that there is no such thing as a free lunch, except for those who live off women.

Especially after Zhai Ji told him that the entire sect knew that he was favored by Qin Shuiru.

But with his small arms and legs, Qin Shuiru naturally wouldn't be interested in him.

That must mean they need something from me!

But since we have received their kindness, we must naturally give back.

He was already prepared.

He immediately patted his chest and assured them:

"My sister's kindness to Jingwen is as vast as the sea. If my sister wanted the stars in the sky, Jingwen would pluck them down and give them to her!"

Qin Shuiru chuckled upon hearing this, "Hehe~ Okay, then go pick them~"

"what?"

Chen Wen was immediately dumbfounded. No, why aren't you playing by the rules?

However, he still managed to improvise, saying, "Sister, could you please grant me some more time? Once I have completed my Purple Mansion cultivation, I will pluck the stars from the sky for you."

Qin Shuiru immediately bent over laughing, her breasts heaving, and teased, "You think you can become... a star-plucker? Hahaha~"

Chen Wen's eyes were empty as he said seriously, "Sister, the most important thing in life is to have dreams. If you don't have dreams, what's the difference between you and a salted fish!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Qin Shuiru's beautiful eyes, but it quickly disappeared, as if it were just a joke.

He then continued:

"I want your once-in-a-decade chance to enter the secret realm. Aren't you going to reconsider?"

Chen Wen replied without hesitation, "No need to think about it. My sister has saved me several times, and I never thought I could repay her. Now that I have the opportunity, it's my duty to do so!"

Qin Shuiru's smile faded, and she looked at him seriously, saying:

"What if I wanted your chance to establish your foundation?"

Chen Wen was startled, but the Profound Yellow Heart Refining Technique allowed him to remain calm, though he deliberately made his expression more serious, not even blinking, and said:

"Sister, please speak frankly, Jingwen will never refuse!"

"good!"

Qin Shuiru's eyes lit up, a glint of surprise flashing within them. She smiled radiantly, like a hundred flowers blooming, and said sweetly:

"Do you know why the sect allows its true disciples to enter the secret realm once every ten years?"

Chen Wen's heart skipped a beat, and he had some guesses, but he still shook his head, "Aren't we supposed to go in and cultivate?"

"Heh, the spiritual energy within the sect is abundant, even enough to condense spiritual liquid. Why would we need to go to that secret realm?!"

Qin Shuiru looked at him like he was an idiot, then explained,

"There are many secret realms of various sizes in the sect. Some are specifically for disciples to compete and train, while others are for planting spiritual herbs, but most of them are auxiliary secret realms."

"There are only three secret realms that are specifically for disciples to collect the Qi of Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends."

Upon hearing this, Chen Wen couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Qi?!"

Qin Shuiru nodded slightly and said, "The Qi of Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends cannot be stored and can only be left to roam between heaven and earth. Therefore, the sect has specially attacked and captured several secret realms to store this Qi."

Qin Shuiru's eyes held a hint of melancholy. She paused for a moment before continuing.

"Each true disciple can enter once every ten years, and inner disciples every twenty years, but they can be exchanged for contribution points, merits, etc."

"I've already entered two secret realms, but I still haven't found the Earthly Fiend Qi I'm looking for. There's only one left, and I can't wait any longer, so I'm asking for your help."

"However, there is a rule in the sect that disciples who have obtained the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Qi are not allowed to enter again."

She stood up, her feet still in the pool, turned around, her beautiful eyes fixed on Chen Wen, and asked, word by word, as she parted her lips slightly:

"Now, are you still willing to help me?"

........