You and Xie Huide sat down in the main hall.

The table was fully laden with a sumptuous spread of dishes.

“Come, Master Xie, I’ll toast you for your help with pill refining!” You downed your drink in one go.

Xie Huide raised his cup and said, “Young Master He, you’re too kind. The payment for the Blood Essence Pills has already been settled!”

You smiled faintly, saying nothing more. “Come, let’s eat!”

You and Xie Huide ate, drank, and chatted idly for a while.

Finally, Xie Huide asked, “May I ask which sect your ancestor, the pill refiner, came from?”

You pretended to be surprised and replied, “Master Xie, it’s been so long that even my family elders don’t remember. I have no idea. Is there a problem?”

Xie Huide smiled, “No problem at all. From the recipe of your Blood Beast Pills, your ancestor’s skill was very high!”

“How high?”

“As high as a three- or four-story building!”

“You flatter me, Master Xie.” You chuckled, leaning back in your chair like a silly fool.

Xie Huide glanced at you and continued, “The key point is, I feel many of your ancestor’s methods and techniques resemble the style of our Danxia Sect very closely!”

“Oh? Really?” You looked astonished.

“Even…” Xie Huide hesitated for two breaths, “I even saw quite a few traces of myself in them!”

Your eyes widened in surprise. “Is that even possible?!”

Xie Huide nodded earnestly. “I find it strange too, which is why I couldn’t help but come ask Young Master He about it.”

You thought for a moment and said leisurely, “Though I don’t know if my ancestor had ties with the Danxia Sect, I do know quite a lot about his life and deeds!”

Xie Huide’s eyes lit up. “Please, Young Master He, tell me.”

So, you recounted the life story of one of the childless founding patriarchs of the Danxia Sect, tweaking the details slightly, and told it to Xie Huide.

The more Xie Huide listened, the more intrigued he became, his eyes narrowing with fascination.

When you finished, Xie Huide was still in slight disbelief.

You then magnified the moment by pulling out your ancestor’s portrait and thrusting it in front of Xie Huide’s face.

“Master Xie, do you recognize this portrait?”

The moment Xie Huide saw the portrait, he was so excited he nearly wet himself.

“Ah! Young Master He, you really are a descendant of our Danxia Sect’s old ancestor!”

You played along, “Master Xie, is that so?”

“Absolutely!”

Ignoring your surprise, Xie Huide immediately stood up and rushed back to the Danxia Sect overnight to fetch the old ancestor’s portrait.

Comparing the two portraits side by side, they looked like twins.

Xie Huide became even more excited. “Young Master He, do you believe now?!”

You clicked your tongue in amazement. “Wow! They really are identical. This is freakishly strange. What’s going on here?”

“Young Master He! You are indeed a descendant of our Danxia Sect’s old ancestor!” Xie Huide was ecstatic.

Then Xie Huide told you the old ancestor’s life story in detail.

Actually, this ancestor’s legacy was passed down directly through Xie Huide’s lineage, which explained his excitement.

He narrated the old ancestor’s life story to you.

Though you feigned surprise with “Oh my!” on the surface, in truth you felt nothing and were almost falling asleep.

You had already studied that ancestor’s story thoroughly and could recite it by heart.

Finally, you expressed astonishment and said it was all fate!

On the spot, you grabbed Xie Huide and proposed becoming sworn brothers.

Xie Huide felt the age gap was too large and said it was inappropriate.

You insisted that age was not a problem and gender was no barrier, forcibly pulling Xie Huide into swearing brotherhood.

You had already prepared the incense altar and asked Old Wang to set it up.

You knelt down there and said, “Lord Guan Er above…”

“Who’s Lord Guan Er?”

“None of your business.”

You pulled Xie Huide down with you, and the two of you knelt with three bows and nine kowtows, completing the ceremony.

From then on, you each did your own thing—you called him Master, and he called you little brother.

After you both finished the brotherhood ritual, dawn was nearly breaking.

“Old Xie, I suppose this counts as recognizing my ancestors and returning to my roots!”

Xie Huide looked a little stunned. “Well, I guess it does…”

You indeed recognized your roots, except you had added a generation to yourself. You guessed that the next simulation might even add another generation.

Every generation you earned was the result of your own effort, and you felt at ease in your heart.

Half a year later,

Since that day of swearing brotherhood, you often visited the Danxia Sect.

You revealed to Xie Huide that you were a third-rank pill refiner and had read many ancestral pill manuals passed down.

Therefore, discussing pill refining with Xie Huide felt completely natural.

You often said things that enlightened Xie Huide deeply.

You and Xie Huide grew closer as big brothers.

He also took the opportunity to tell you about Deng Wanshu’s condition.

After listening, you cautiously asked, “For your wife, my sister-in-law, with her condition, the Reviving Yang Pill should work, right?”

Xie Huide looked at you in surprise and then sighed silently before replying, “I’ve studied many pills and also believe the Reviving Yang Pill is the last hope!”

You deliberately showed a clearly conflicted expression, so obvious that Xie Huide noticed.

Xie Huide slowly stood and asked solemnly, “Little Brother He, do you have any clue about the Reviving Yang Pill?!”

You did not answer but just looked at him with discomfort in your expression.

Finally, you forced a relieved smile and said, “Hey, Old Xie, you’re overthinking. How could I have news of the Reviving Yang Pill? It requires Earth Source to refine, and even among eighth-grade pills, it’s top-tier!”

Xie Huide looked at you with half-belief. Though anxious, he did not press further.

The next day,

After breakfast, you unusually did not cultivate but waited for Xie Huide.

You had not agreed to meet him today, but you knew he would come.

Sure enough, just as the morning mist was clearing,

Old Wang said Xie Huide had arrived.

Xie Huide and Old Wang walked toward the main hall.

Inside, you stood up. “Old Xie, why have you come? Craving the cooking skills of my house chef again?”

Xie Huide sat down with a hesitant expression.

You poured him a cup of tea.

You glanced at him, “Old Xie, why so quiet today? Becoming shy?”

Xie Huide finally spoke, “Little Brother He, I have an unworthy request!”

“Old Xie, speak.”

“I want to ask you to share any news about the Reviving Yang Pill with me!”

Xie Huide cautiously did not say you had any clues, fearing it would sound abrupt and raise your suspicion.

You froze for a moment, then slowly put down the tea cup. “Old Xie, your deep affection for my sister-in-law is rare in this world, but the Reviving Yang Pill is no ordinary thing. Even a single Earth Source ingredient causes Ultimate Grandmasters to fight desperately over it!”

Xie Huide caught your meaning, knowing you wanted to see his offer.

His expression brightened instantly, and his lips trembled slightly.

Moreover, he was clearly prepared.

“Little Brother He! If you’re willing to give me… uh… the news about the Reviving Yang Pill, I vow to refine pills for you all my life. If you need pill recipes, I will give them all. Additionally, I will provide an Earth Source to you. If you have other conditions, just say them!”

You caught the keyword: “Earth Source? The Danxia Sect has an Earth Source?!”

You remembered that during the last simulation at this point, the Danxia Sect did not have an Earth Source. Otherwise, they would not have gone to help Li Anlong refine the Spirit Fusion Mother-and-Child Pills.

Xie Huide hesitated a moment, then said, “I will be straightforward with you. We have news of an Earth Source, but the Danxia Sect paid a huge price, sending five Ultimate Grandmasters to compete for it. Once we get the Earth Source, we’ll hand it over to you!”

You nodded slowly. According to the last simulation’s development, the Danxia Sect did not obtain this Earth Source, so naturally, they couldn’t give it to you.

You thought it over and decided to get this Earth Source yourself.

You turned your head, feigning hesitation for a while before saying, “Old Xie, your sincerity has moved me!”

Xie Huide was so excited he knocked over his teacup and stood up. “Little Brother He! You agree?!”

“Because we’re good brothers!”

“All right!! Hahaha…”

Xie Huide’s face loaded smile after smile but kept failing to hold it, his expression system nearly collapsing.

Finally, he burst into two bouts of wild laughter: “Ah ga ga ga ga…”

After Xie Huide calmed down, you said, “Old Xie, don’t get too excited. I have one more condition!”

Xie Huide was stunned, then asked, “Little Brother He, what condition?!”

“You have to tell me the exact information about this Earth Source. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’re just fooling me!”

Xie Huide breathed a sigh of relief and said excitedly, “No problem!”

Then Xie Huide told you detailed information about the Earth Source that was about to appear.

This Earth Source would emerge ten days later, in Liuzhou, the prefecture governing Youtong County.

But it would not appear in Youtong County itself, rather in Maoxian County within Liuzhou.

You could make it there in five or six days at full speed.

Your current strength had slightly surpassed Yan Zhixue.

Your third Source Power refinement would also be completed within these few days, and by then you would fully surpass Yan Zhixue, the top Ultimate Grandmaster.

Moreover, other Ultimate Grandmasters did not even know you existed as a formidable contender. With some patience, you had a strong chance of seizing the Earth Source.

You asked Xie Huide who calculated the Earth Source’s appearance time and location.

Xie Huide told you that Great Qian had more than ten Ultimate Grandmasters capable of roughly predicting when and where Earth Sources would appear.

You asked about these dozen or so Ultimate Grandmasters.

You found out that the Earth Sources they fused with were all of the Kun Earth affinity type.

Ultimate Grandmasters with Kun Earth affinity were close to the earth, able to sense ley lines and manipulate feng shui. Their combat power also benefited from the earth beneath their feet.

Of course, their most valued ability by other Ultimate Grandmasters was to predict roughly when and where Earth Sources would appear.

This time, the Ultimate Grandmaster who discovered this Earth Source had fused with the Water River Chart, ranked seventeenth among Kun Earth affinity Earth Sources—a fairly good Earth Source.

In fact, based on these traits, once enough Earth Sources appeared, Ultimate Grandmasters would eventually classify them into categories.

By then, your early advantage would vanish, so you had to quickly collect more Earth Sources.

You yourself had fused with a Qian Metal affinity Earth Source, which made the user adept at offense, increasing toughness and sharpness, directly boosting combat power greatly.

During the last simulation’s siege on Li Anlong, you were the main attacker not only due to the protagonist’s aura but also because your fusion with the Qian Metal affinity Earth Source greatly enhanced your combat strength.

After clarifying all the information from Xie Huide, you agreed that as long as Xie Huide fulfilled his conditions, you would give him the Reviving Yang Pill.

You knew Xie Huide would not obtain the Earth Source this time. Later, you planned to ask him for a few ninth-grade pill recipes as compensation.

After sending Xie Huide off, you began cultivating.

You planned to train for three days before setting out, attempting to complete the third Source Power refinement, increasing your strength by one point for added assurance.

Time passed quickly.

Three days later,

…