At that moment, two figures suddenly crossed the threshold into the grand hall of Taiyi Tower.

A middle-aged man draped in a purple Daoist robe strode forward. He possessed thick raven hair and radiated an aggressively imposing aura.

Nestled against his side was a woman with a remarkably seductive figure. She appeared to be in her twenties, though her true age was obscured, clinging to the older man's embrace like a languid kitten.

Senior Sister Liu! It is her!

Recognizing her visage, a wave of profound shock crashed over Xu Changshou.

This woman was actually Liu Rushi, the goddess of Xu Changshou's childhood dreams.

What was the relationship between Liu Rushi and this middle-aged man? Looking at their intimate display, it was undeniably not that of an elder and a junior.

There was only one grim possibility: Liu Rushi was this man's maidservant, his forbidden concubine.

Within the Green Immortal Sect, women willingly offering their bodies to curry favor with Foundation Establishment grand cultivators were as common as the clouds.

He simply never imagined that Liu Rushi, the lofty goddess he had always revered, would eagerly throw herself into the arms of an old man.

Sigh...

Xu Changshou exhaled a soft breath, at a loss for words.

Regardless of who they were, once a person stepped into the brutal world of Cultivation, they would exhaust every conceivable method to claw for resources. What woman with a shred of beauty would not yearn to attach herself to a Foundation Establishment expert?

Weighed against the absolute necessity of cultivation resources, what value did chastity hold? It was utterly worthless.

Viewed through that lens, Senior Sister Liu had made no error.

As a cultivator, who did not harbor a desperate thirst for immortality?

"Greetings, Martial Uncle Zhang."

"Greetings, Martial Uncle Zhang."

"This disciple pays respects to Martial Uncle."

Catching sight of the purple-robed man, Ye Shanhu, Zhang Feixian, Lin Xian'er, and the others hastily cupped their fists and bowed in deep reverence.

"Rise!"

The middle-aged man waved his hand dismissively before leading Liu Rushi toward the private chambers on the second floor.

Jiang Xiaochuan lowered his voice to a whisper. "Senior Sister Ye, who was that?"

Lin Xian'er was the first to reply. "That is Martial Uncle Zhang Zongchang of our Danxia Peak. His alchemy arts are profoundly terrifying."

Xu Changshou smiled bitterly in his heart. So he is an alchemist. No wonder Liu Rushi attached herself to him.

"That Senior Sister looked familiar."

"That was Liu Rushi of the West Mountain Liu Clan."

"She is favored by the heavens to have become Martial Uncle Zhang's maidservant."

"Indeed!"

...

A Foundation Establishment cultivator, huh...

Xu Changshou clenched his fists. The burning avarice in his heart to reach Foundation Establishment intensified.

A brief moment later.

A slender youth draped in a purple Daoist robe strolled into Taiyi Tower. It was none other than Li Linhao.

Within the Green Immortal Sect, the color of one's garments was dictated by strict hierarchy.

Miscellaneous Disciples were bound to coarse green robes.

True Inner Sect Disciples donned purple Daoist robes, a privilege shared by Foundation Establishment experts.

Golden Core Almighty were rumored to wear golden robes. As for what color draped the shoulders of Nascent Soul Ancestors, Xu Changshou could not even guess.

"Senior Brother Li has arrived."

"Senior Brother Li, it has been too long."

"Senior Brother Li, to think you were an Inner Sect Disciple all along. You kept us utterly blind."

Upon his arrival, the flock of youths swarmed around him. Even Ye Shanhu offered a strained smile and addressed him as "Senior Brother Li."

Xu Changshou scrutinized Li Linhao. He wore his usual affable smile and walked with an unhurried grace. He seemed entirely unchanged.

He had always been this way-unassuming, a man of few words, and quick to smile.

As a privileged cultivation heir with a Golden Core Almighty for a great-grandfather, Li Linhao's ability to maintain such a low profile proved he was no simpleton.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoists, it has been a long time. Come, let us speak upstairs." Li Linhao gestured with a warm smile.

"Let us go, let us go!"

"Senior Brother Li, after you."

"Mind the steps, Senior Brother Li."

Jiang Xiaochuan and the others hovered around Li Linhao, practically carrying him up to the second floor.

Li Linhao had secured a private chamber in advance, and the entourage filed straight inside.

The room was dripping with extravagance. The antique wooden furnishings were inlaid with precious spirit materials.

Even the floor beneath their boots was paved with solid mortal gold.

"Junior Brothers, please take a seat."

"Senior Brother Li, please sit first."

"Senior Brother Li must take the seat of honor."

They settled into their seats according to the unspoken hierarchy. Li Linhao swept his gaze slowly across the room.

Then, he offered an apologetic smile. "Junior Brothers, please forgive my deception. It was a strict edict from my grandfather. I was forbidden from revealing my lineage until my eighteenth year."

"The Patriarch's arrangements are undeniably flawless."

"Indeed, the Patriarch possesses deep foresight."

"We mortals dare not attempt to fathom the mind of a Golden Core Almighty. His decisions naturally align with the Great Dao."

The sycophantic chorus rose in immediate agreement.

Observing Jiang Xiaochuan and the rest, a wave of profound boredom washed over Li Linhao.

They had cultivated together for three years. Before his true identity was unveiled, they had shared a genuine camaraderie. Now, everything was tainted.

They walked on eggshells around him, treating him like a fragile artifact. The old, easy bond was dead and buried. Disappointment soured his mood.

Forcing a chuckle, he asked, "It has been quite some time. How is everyone faring?"

"Passable."

"Ordinary."

"Surviving."

They shook their heads, their faces masked with dissatisfaction.

They were the dregs of the sect, Miscellaneous Disciples shackled to agonizing labor, and none were content with their lot in life.

"I spend my days desecrating graves and excavating tombs until I am sick to my stomach. A single Spirit Stone a month is not enough to sustain cultivation."

"My fate is no better. I was exiled to the refuse peaks to sort through sect filth all day. The stench seeps into my very marrow."

"That still beats my torment. I am forced to memorize the Myriad Herbs Scripture until my sea of consciousness threatens to rupture."

"Deciphering foundational Formations from dawn to dusk is a torture of the mind. I could never compare to Senior Brother Li's fortune."

A suffocating gloom descended upon the room as they aired their endless grievances.

Listening to their complaints, Li Linhao maintained a detached tranquility. His gaze drifted past the whiners until it locked onto Xu Changshou. "Senior Brother Xu-ah, Junior Brother Xu-of all of us present, it appears you are living the most comfortably."

Xu Changshou forced a bitter grimace. "Senior Brother Li, please do not mock me. It is no secret that Green Ink Peak demands the most agonizing labor. I draft talismans until my Spiritual Qi runs dry and my spirit nears collapse."

Li Linhao chuckled knowingly. "I am not so easily fooled. Junior Brother Xu, that Storage Bag at your waist is a recent acquisition, is it not? That is a high-grade artifact, commanding a price of twelve Spirit Stones. If you were truly struggling, you would never squander resources on such a luxury."

"Ah..."

Xu Changshou was struck dumb. He never anticipated a mere pouch would betray his hidden wealth.

As an Inner Sect Disciple, Li Linhao possessed the discerning eye to recognize premium goods.

"What? Twelve Spirit Stones?"

"Senior Brother Xu, you hid your depths well!"

"To think Senior Brother Xu is so flush with wealth."

"A hidden tycoon in our midst."

A palpable wave of envy rippled through the gathered disciples.

Even Ye Shanhu could not suppress the shock in his eyes as he stared at Xu Changshou's waist.

"Junior Brother Xu, despite being cast into the desolate Green Ink Peak, you remain the most extraordinary among us. Excluding those born into privileged lineages, no one here can match your prowess."

Li Linhao's tone was entirely earnest.

His assessment was objective. Despite being a scion of an illustrious clan, he lacked the overbearing arrogance typical of his station.

He remained as he always was: quietly observant and unpretentious.

"Senior Brother Li praises me too highly. I am but a firefly before the moon!"

Xu Changshou shook his head in vehement denial.

Li Linhao waved him off. "Enough, enough. Let us dispense with the hollow flattery. The hour grows late; serve the feast."

Within moments, a parade of exquisite delicacies was carried into the chamber.

Xu Changshou sampled the fare. Taiyi Tower lived up to its reputation; the spirit ingredients were of the highest caliber, bursting with rich, vital energy.

"Come, come! Senior Brother Li, I offer this cup to you!"

"Drink deeply, drink deeply!"

"Senior Sister Ye, to your health!"

The banquet descended into a blur of wine and rich food. Flushed and mildly intoxicated, the conversation shifted to the gossip of Chuxiu Peak.

When the bill finally arrived, the feast demanded a staggering toll of five Spirit Stones.

Li Linhao settled the debt without batting an eye. He had orchestrated this gathering to salvage the ghosts of their past camaraderie, not to flaunt his immense wealth.

Weighing the night's events, Xu Changshou reached a silent conclusion: for the time being, Li Linhao was a man worth keeping close.

As for what would transpire when true fated chances and fatal interests collided in the future? Only the Heavenly Dao knew.

The cultivation world was a slaughterhouse ruled by absolute self-interest. A scion raised in a towering cultivation dynasty would understand that bloody truth better than anyone.