A whole year of dey—that meant lost cultivation, lost opportunities, and lost chances to meddle in other people’s fortunes.

  “Good,” Lauren said quietly. “Keep an eye on her for me. If she comes down the mountain, let me know right away.”

  She had already decided: every time that woman showed up, she’d make sure to put her back in bed for another year or two. Let’s see how those people pnned to use her as a spy in this realm when she couldn’t even walk straight.

  She handed Zane a small pouch of spirit stones. “Thanks for keeping tabs.”

  Zane blinked at the weight of the pouch. “Young Master… do you have a grudge against her?”

  If his instincts were right, it had been Lauren who seriously injured Indiana st time.

  Lauren’s lips curved slightly. “What do you think?”

  That was all the answer he needed. The tension in her eyes said it all—this wasn’t just a grudge. It was blood-deep animosity.

  “By the way,” she continued, “do you have any fourth-tier beast cores?”

  Zane shook his head. “No. Even third-tier ones are scarce. Do you need those?”

  “I don’t want third-tier cores. Post a quest for fourth-tier ones.”

  He raised a brow. “How many?”

  “Ten of each attribute to start.”

  “That’ll be pricey.”

  “I can handle it.”

  She pulled out a jade slip and handed it to him. “And I need these materials too.”

  Zane took a look, his eyebrows climbing. “These are all high-grade talisman materials. You could get cheaper ones for practice, you know.”

  “No problem,” Lauren said. “Buy them and keep them here for me. How much for the deposit?”

  “One moment, I’ll calcute.”

  Lauren waited patiently, confident for once. Her master’s “small gold pouch” could handle it. Spending a few extra spirit stones was nothing if it saved her time.

  Lauren waited as Elder Zane tallied the deposit. He invited her into the tea room while he worked. Through the small window, she could see Thunder Sect disciples lined up outside—some were submitting completed tasks, others exchanging gathered materials.

  Completing tasks earned points.Submitting materials earned spirit stones.

  In contrast, the task-posting window sat practically deserted. Two young disciples lounged there with their legs crossed, chatting idly and boasting about nothing in particur. It was the perfect blend of exhaustion and boredom.

  By the time Zane finished his calcutions, Lauren had already drained half a cup of tea. She paid the deposit and stood to leave.

  Zane accepted the payment with a cheerful grin and walked her out personally.

  As soon as they entered the outer hall, Lauren noticed several disciples gncing her way—and then quickly looking elsewhere when she met their eyes.

  Elder Zane chuckled. “Ms. Lauren, there’s no need to hide it anymore. Everyone in Thunder Sect knows who you are now.”

  Lauren blinked. “What do you mean?”

  He raised a brow. “Have you forgotten about the Honor Roll? You’re ranked first on the Core Formation list.”

  “Wait—what?” She froze. “I’m number one?”

  “Of course. You donated a mountain of resources after the st expedition. Did you forget?”

  Lauren’s mind went bnk. Donated? She hadn’t donated a damn thing.

  “Goodbye,” she said abruptly and rushed off toward the main pza.

  The Honor Roll stood there in glowing script for all to see. Her name was right at the top—bold and unmistakable.

  She was really number one.

  “What the hell…?” she muttered. Dante’s name wasn’t even on the list.

  She immediately sent him a message, but there was no response. Probably in closed-door cultivation.

  Next, she pinged Nash and Westin. Nash didn’t reply either, but Westin did.

  > “We decided to compete under your name,” he wrote. “All the items were donated in your honor.”

  Lauren nearly dropped her communication jade. “Why would you do that?”

  > “If we split it four ways, we wouldn’t even reach the top five,” Westin replied. “Pooling everything under your name put us in first. The reward for first pce comes with a fat pile of spirit stones. You can just collect it and split it among us ter.”

  Lauren sighed. So it was all about spirit stones again.

  Still… why her?

  “Westin, where are you right now?”

  “Hyakka Valley.”

  Perfect. She was headed there anyway.

  “Wait for me there. I’m coming down now.”

  When she arrived at Hyakka Valley, she spotted Westin standing by the entrance, waiting patiently.

  “Ms. Lauren,” he greeted with a smile.

  Lauren stopped in front of him and pulled out the Weak Tree branch Edmund had breathed life into.

  “Here. Take this.”

  Westin accepted it carefully. The moment his fingers brushed the surface, he felt its immense vitality surge through him. The branch pulsed with living energy—it had clearly been refined, and the Weak Tree’s divine essence had been awakened.

  Such a thing… could only have been touched by an Immortal.

  Westin was both moved and thrilled. He hurriedly bowed to her.

  Lauren raised a hand. “There’s no need for such a grand gesture. I only hope you cultivate diligently and don’t disappoint his expectations.”

  Westin nodded again and again, already convinced this was the will of the Immortal Venerable himself.

  With a heavy thud, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed toward the direction of Starfell Summit.

  Not long after, Westin entered seclusion.

  Lauren went out to gather flower dew. By the time she was done, she had filled nearly ten bottles. Only then did she return to Starfell Summit.

  She carefully inscribed the Talisman Sect’s inheritance onto a jade slip and asked, “Do you think this will work?”

  Edmund replied, “He naturally hopes someone will carry on his talismanic arts. But you must be careful—this inheritance cannot fall into the hands of someone with a wicked heart.”

  Lauren was already busy with her own cultivation and had no time to sift through candidates one by one.

  “I’ll ask my master to handle it. What do you think?”

  “If your master doesn’t mind the trouble,” Edmund said after a moment, “then it should be fine.”

  His words made her uneasy.

  But for the sake of the future, she still went to see Drake.

  Drake took the jade slip. After reading the introduction, his eyes widened in shock. “So talismans that can detonate without spiritual power… they really aren’t just legends.”

  “Master,” Lauren asked, “was the Talisman Sect’s lineage completely severed in the cultivation world?”

  “Yes,” Drake said, his expression grave. “It was cut off tens of thousands of years ago. The talisman techniques passed down today are nothing more than imitations—empty shells that capture the form but not the essence.”

  He sighed, then added, “In recent years, even the Alchemy Sect has lost a vast number of pill formus. It’s been reduced to nothing more than a third-rate sect.”

  “Where did you get this?”

  “Edmund gave it to me,” Lauren replied.

  “So, he brought it down from the Upper Realm?”

  Lauren nodded.

  “Master, do you think we should pass it on?”

  Before Drake could answer, Edmund slithered out from her sleeve, coiling himself on the table. The man and the dragon locked eyes in silence, tension filling the room.

  Lauren stood there awkwardly, feeling like an extra in her own story.

  After a long, quiet moment, Drake finally spoke. “I’ll see to it that it’s passed on—but not directly. Leave it with me. You don’t need to worry about the rest.”

  Lauren could only nod. “Okay, Master. I’ll listen to you.”

  Better to stock up now than scramble ter when she needed something rare. Wandering around looking for materials herself would waste weeks—and if luck turned against her, she might even lose track of rare herbs like Seven Star Grass altogether.

  Her time was too valuable for that kind of nonsense.

  Two years ter, she successfully reached the Core Formation Grand Perfection.

  Having lived three lifetimes, she finally turned twenty.

  To celebrate, Lauren, who had long since stopped eating ordinary food, decided to indulge herself with a single bowl of longevity noodles at the Thunder Sect market.

  In her second life, Indiana’s luck had been absurd. Every adventure brought her treasures, every danger ended in a windfall. By eighteen, she had already reached Great Perfection in the Core Formation stage. When she failed to break into the Nascent Soul realm, she’d gone to the Evercrest Family to stir up trouble.

  This life, however, things were different. Beaten and bedridden by her, she’d lost precious years and missed countless opportunities. According to Elder Zane, the st time Lauren had asked, Indiana had only just reached mid–Core Formation. It seemed something had gone wrong with her pns concerning the Evercrest Family.

  Before eating, Lauren decided to check in with Elder Zane again.

  “Don’t worry,” the old man said when she asked. “She won’t be leaving Moonlit Sect anytime soon—because she’s getting married.”

  Lauren froze. “Getting… married?”

  “Yes. Immortal Herbert himself will officiate the ceremony. She’s marrying Timothy.”