After receiving his orders, Sang Yanping departed. Before long, he had brought Chen Qing to Lake Heart Hall on Lake Heart Island.

"The Sect Leader is inside. You can go in by yourself."

Sang Yanping whispered.

Chen Qing nodded, straightened his robes, then pushed open the door and entered.

Inside the hall, He Yuzhou stood before a window with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out at the tranquil surface of Dingbo Lake. Hearing the sound of someone entering, he slowly turned around.

Chen Qing took a few steps forward, bowed deeply, and said respectfully, "Disciple Chen Qing greets the Sect Leader."

He had converted all the True Qi in his body into Cyan Wood True Qi, greatly reducing the risk of exposing his secrets.

He Yuzhou’s gaze fell upon Chen Qing, and he studied him for a moment, his eyes filled with unconcealed admiration and wonder. "Excellent. This time, you decisively defeated Xiao Bieli, turned the tide against all odds, and preserved the Wutai Sect’s honor. Your contribution is monumental."

’He truly hadn’t expected that the Dean of the Cyan Wood Institute, who had joined the sect not long ago, could have hidden his abilities so well, only to unleash such astonishing power at the critical moment.’

It had far exceeded his expectations and came as an incredible surprise.

With a humble expression, Chen Qing lowered his head slightly. "Sect Leader, you flatter me. As a member of the Wutai Sect, it was only natural for me to do my utmost. It was simply my duty; I dare not take credit for it."

"A great deed is a great deed. There’s no need to be overly modest."

He Yuzhou waved his hand dismissively. "The Sect is clear about its rewards and punishments. You have performed a great service, so you must be handsomely rewarded."

He contemplated for a moment, weighing his words, then announced, "I will bestow upon you thirty drops of Centennial Earth Core Milk. Furthermore, you are granted special permission to enter the Fourth Layer of the Tingchao Armory once and choose any one Martial Arts technique."

Chen Qing’s heart stirred at his words.

’Thirty drops of Centennial Earth Core Milk!’

’That’s enough to massively boost the cultivation speed of my other four paths of True Qi, allowing them to quickly catch up to my Cyan Wood True Qi!’

’And I’ve been wanting to visit the Fourth Layer of the Tingchao Armory again, too.’

’I just never had the opportunity.’

’Wait, didn’t the Sect Leader already give me a drop of Three Hundred Years Earth Core Milk?’

’Why is he giving me another major reward?’

Of course, Chen Qing wasn’t foolish enough to say any of this out loud. He immediately bowed and said, "Thank you for your generous gift, Sect Leader!"

’Who would complain about having too many resources?’

’Especially a treasure like Earth Core Milk, which is excellent for Strengthening the Foundation and Nourishing the Essence. It would be a huge help in solidifying my Five Elements foundation.’

’I’ve already taken the Three Hundred Years Earth Core Milk; its main effect was improving my Root Bone. A large quantity of the Centennial version, however, is better suited for accumulation through daily Cultivation.’

He Yuzhou said slowly, "Yes, you’ve earned it. If next year weren’t the time for our tribute, I would have given you the last drop of Three Hundred Years Earth Core Milk in our vaults. We must keep it in reserve for unforeseen needs. In the future... when there’s another chance, I can make it up to you."

"Tribute?" A flicker of confusion crossed Chen Qing’s face.

"That’s right."

He Yuzhou nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of subtle solemnity. "The Earth Core Milk Cave has an annual yield. Most of it is left to settle and accumulate age, but the portion of the highest quality and greatest age must be regularly offered as tribute to the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect."

"The Wutai Sect is only permitted to use a fraction of it. If not for this arrangement, which earns us the protection and recognition of the Upper Sect... well, the miraculous effects of the Three Hundred Years Earth Core Milk alone, with its ability to induce Bone Transformation and cleanse one’s marrow, would have drawn countless predators to covet and seize it. How could the Wutai Sect have known such peace until today?"

Chen Qing understood.

’In this world where the strong prey on the weak, strength is the root of everything.’

’Any sect that could be revered as an ’Upper Sect’ was, without exception, a true behemoth.’

’There were only six such sects in all of Yan Country.’

’The Celestial Treasure Upper Sect was one of them. It was the largest Sect across the Three Paths of Feng Hua, Qiu Dragon, and Huang Feng—a regional titan wielding immense power and influence.’

’For the Wutai Sect, which occupied a treasured land like the Earth Core Milk Cave, exchanging regular tribute for protection and recognition was a perfectly normal path to survival.’

’It wasn’t just the Wutai Sect; Cold Jade Valley, the Xuanjia Sect, and others all had intricate ties to the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect.’

’If not for this underlying relationship with the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect, the political landscape of Yunlin Prefecture and the surrounding regions would have looked vastly different long ago.’

"I understand," Chen Qing said with a nod.

"But don’t you dwell on it. The Sect will never forget your meritorious service."

He Yuzhou’s expression softened as he offered encouragement. "You must now guard against arrogance and impatience. Make good use of these rewards, solidify your foundation, cultivate diligently without pause, and prepare to assail the Astral Force Realm as soon as you can. That is the true path."

"Yes. I will take the Sect Leader’s teachings to heart."

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Qing asked, "Sect Leader, today I observed Elder Leng unleash his Dual True Astral. They were perfectly integrated, their power was immense, and they could actually merge into one another..."

Before he could finish, He Yuzhou, already understanding his implication, raised a hand to cut him off. His gaze grew stern. "Banish that thought from your mind!"

He looked at Chen Qing and said with grave sincerity, "Simultaneously practicing two paths of True Qi, let alone attempting to merge them, is a path fraught with unknowable dangers. Cultivating a single profound Heart Method is already a great drain on one’s Heart and Spirit, time, and resources. To cultivate two at once is exponentially harder; you will achieve half the results for twice the effort!"

"You must understand this: when a martial artist breaks through the shackles of a Realm, the younger they are, the more vigorous and abundant their vitality, and thus the greater their chance of success. This is because even if they fail, they have sufficient reserves and time to build up their strength and try again."

"If you divide your focus by simultaneously cultivating two Heart Methods, even if you are lucky enough to master both, it will inevitably take far longer than it would for an ordinary person. By the time you are finally ready to assail the bottleneck, I fear your potential will be exhausted and your vitality will have waned. If you fail that breakthrough, your martial path will be severed, and it will be too late for regrets! You must not be so ambitious that you lose sight of the bigger picture, sacrificing a great deal for a minor gain!"