I treated you like a brother, but you want to be my brother-in-law.

Lin Yuan held the Spirit Stone in his hand, feeling an extremely pure Spiritual Qi surge from his palm into his Meridians, making his whole body feel comfortable. He couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

With this item, when he impacted his Realm Bottleneck in the future, his chances of success would increase by at least ten percent.

He contentedly put the Spirit Stone away and gave Gu Zheng a brilliant smile: "Thank you, Senior Sister! I will definitely repay you well in the future!"

Looking at his sincere smiling face, Gu Zheng's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and a faint blush appeared on her face, but she turned her head away, feigning coldness: "It's good that you know."

Hmph, once I thoroughly warm up this stubborn stone that is you, let's see how I make you "repay" me!

Lin Yuan shifted his gaze to Li Xinghe: "How many Contribution Points is this Spirit Stone? I'll transfer them to you!"

Li Xinghe glanced at Gu Zheng, and tentatively held up one finger: "One thousand?"

Gu Zheng's eyebrows twitched.

Li Xinghe immediately changed his tune, his voice much quieter: "Five hundred?"

Gu Zheng's gaze began to turn dangerous, as if saying, "Try guessing again."

"One hundred! One hundred will do, right! It can't be any less!" Li Xinghe was on the verge of tears, almost kneeling to beg for mercy.

Gu Zheng nodded in satisfaction and raised her eyebrows at Lin Yuan: "One hundred Contribution Points, no more, lest people say I bully my Junior Brother. But don't worry, in a few days, Senior Sister will help you find another one..."

Lin Yuan watched this comical scene, nearly laughing out loud.

This was truly Bloodline suppression from Senior Sister! He guessed that when they were young, Li Xinghe must have been beaten by Gu Zheng quite a bit, otherwise, it was impossible for him to be this scared.

He also hadn't expected that the High-Grade Spirit Stone he had been longing for would be obtained so smoothly.

Just then, a streak of spiritual light tore through the night sky, flying straight toward the small courtyard.

Gu Zheng grabbed at the air, and the streak of light steadied, turning into an exquisite Paper Crane that landed in her palm.

She brought the Paper Crane to her ear, and the voice of Old Ancestor Xuan Yin, filled with both authority and a hint of joy, clearly emerged from it.

"Zheng'er, the Blood River Spirit Mine has been completely taken by our Sect!"

"Organize personnel immediately and go to preside over the mining operations. Do not fail!"

The message was short, but its weight was shocking.

Gu Zheng crushed the Paper Crane and turned to look at Lin Yuan, her cold phoenix eyes carrying a question.

"Are you going?"

Lin Yuan didn't even think about it, shaking his head like a rattle-drum.

Are you kidding?

That place had just changed hands and was a veritable Dragon's pool and tiger's den. Heaven knows if the Misty Immortal Sect would launch a counterattack.

Gu Zheng seemed to see through his thoughts, and a rare, faint smile appeared on her icy, pretty face.

"Rest assured, after the last battle, the Misty Immortal Sect suffered heavy losses to their Origin Qi. One Elder at the Late Core Formation Stage died, and another was seriously injured. In the short term, they cannot stir up any trouble."

Lin Yuan continued to shake his head, his attitude extremely resolute.

He put on a worried expression and said righteously: "Senior Sister, think about it. If I leave, who will refine the Medicinal Pills?"

"Now that a great victory is imminent, this is the critical moment when Medicinal Pills are needed to stabilize morale and treat the wounded."

"My little life is not important, but the Sect's grand cause cannot suffer any mishaps!"

These words were spoken with great righteousness, half-true and half-false, yet they precisely struck the vital point.

Upon hearing this, deep thought flashed through Gu Zheng's cold phoenix eyes.

She had to admit that Lin Yuan was right.

Let her go to the Spirit Mine alone and leave this guy full of devious tricks in Black Stone City by himself? Then wouldn't her "investment" of this past month all go down the drain? And how would she make him "deeply entangled"?

A perfect excuse instantly formed in her mind.

"Your words make sense."

Gu Zheng actually nodded solemnly, and with a flat tone, made a decision that almost made Li Xinghe's eyeballs pop out.

"Then I won't go either."

"I will write to Grandfather, saying that to ensure the absolute safety of the rear Medicinal Pill supply, I must personally sit in Black Stone City and supervise your Alchemy!"

"..."

Li Xinghe listened from the side, dumbfounded, his whole person stunned.

He quietly gave Lin Yuan a thumbs-up, his eyes full of reverent admiration.

He knew this Senior Sister's temper all too well.

Apart from Cultivating, she was cold as ice to everything else.

Those two guys, Bai Yixuan and Shi Tai, racked their brains trying to please her, but couldn't even get a straight glance from her.

But when it came to Lin Yuan...

Not only did she forcefully snatch her Junior Brother's treasure, but now, just to stay and accompany him, she even dared to make excuses to shirk the Sect's important tasks personally issued by Grandfather!

This... is this still the icy Senior Sister he knew?!

...

Meanwhile, ten thousand miles away, at the Misty Immortal Sect.

In Lanyue City, inside a Quiet Room of a secluded pavilion.

Yue Qingyao suddenly opened her eyes, and a bone-chilling killing intent erupted, causing the temperature of the entire Quiet Room to drop suddenly.

"Mother, what's wrong?"

Su Qinghan, who was sitting cross-legged and meditating nearby, noticed the anomaly and quickly asked with concern.

Now, she had already successfully reached Foundation Establishment, her aura solid, and she was only one step away from the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage.

Yue Qingyao slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, forcibly suppressing the killing intent in her heart, her voice as cold as ice.

"Nothing. The Shape-Shifting Puppet I infiltrated into Black Stone City has been destroyed by someone."

"Destroyed?" Su Qinghan's heart tightened abruptly, "Then our plan..."

"No matter." A trace of extreme mockery curled on the corner of Yue Qingyao's mouth, "That Puppet was originally just a spare move. Our Sect's hidden spies have already figured out the defenses of Black Stone City clearly."

Cold light flickered in her eyes.

"Now, those idiots from the Yin Corpse Sect have just taken the Blood River Spirit Mine and are at their most arrogant and complacent moment."

"In order to convert resources into strength as quickly as possible, they will inevitably withdraw most of the elite forces in the city to go and mine."

"When Black Stone City's defenses are at their emptiest, that will be the day our Sect captures it in one fell swoop!"

Yue Qingyao's voice was full of absolute confidence, but in her mind, a young and detestable face involuntarily appeared.

Since parting at Demon Falling Valley, she had originally thought that the brat had long since died inside and turned into dry bones.

Who could have thought that not only did he not die, but he appeared in Black Stone City alive and kicking, and even successfully reached Foundation Establishment, his Foundation so solid it was unbelievable!

The Shape-Shifting Puppet she had painstakingly refined was actually seen through by him at a glance and destroyed on the spot!

"Mother... I want to go to the sneak attack on Black Stone City too."

Su Qinghan suddenly spoke, her eyes carrying a hint of undisguisable expectation.

"Nonsense!" Yue Qingyao scolded sharply without thinking, "On the battlefield, blades have no eyes. What are you going there for? Have you forgotten last time..."

Her words stopped abruptly because she knew who her daughter was thinking about.

Thinking that her only daughter had fallen so deeply in love with a little demon brat from the Yin Corpse Sect, she was furious.

"He is already dead! Do not hold any more fantasies!"

"What if he isn't?" Su Qinghan bit her lower lip, her eyes as stubborn as a fawn, "He has always been meticulous in his actions; I don't believe he would die so easily. Mother, I want to go find him!"

"Sigh..."

Yue Qingyao looked at her daughter's appearance, a monstrous sense of helplessness surging in her heart, finally turning into a long, drawn-out sigh.

Forget it.

Forget it!

The helplessness and fatigue in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a coldness that could freeze one to the bone.

Since you are so obsessed and unwilling to wake up, then Mother will personally help you sever this attachment!