Immortality and Cultivation: I can extract entries from all things.

As the sun sets below the horizon, the pier on Qing'ao Island gradually quiets down.

Fang He returned to the pharmacy and pushed open the old wooden door in the backyard.

This pharmacy is the foundation of his business, which he has built over many years.

The front hall was filled with various medicinal herbs, while the back courtyard housed a quiet room and living quarters.

Su Yun'er was tidying up the shelves in the front hall. When she saw him return, she nodded slightly in greeting.

As soon as Fang He stepped into the inner room, she sensed something was amiss.

A faint array fluctuation permeated the air, as if someone was waiting here in secret.

"Counselor Fang."

A clear voice came from the shadows.

Fang He glanced around and saw Qin Wujiu sitting on a chair in the corner of the inner room, his aura concealed. If Fang He hadn't been so perceptive, he would have been almost unable to detect his presence.

"Mr. Qin."

Fang He cupped his hands in greeting, his expression remaining unchanged.

Qin Wujiu was usually a deep and reserved man, but today he had a furrowed brow, clearly something was wrong.

"Mr. Qin, what brings you here so late at night?"

Fang He gestured for Su Yun'er to leave and closed the door to the inner room.

Qin Wujiu lowered his voice, his tone grave.

"Counselor Fang, a message has come from the inner sect of Qingyuan Sect. It is of great importance, and I have no choice but to inform you privately."

Fang He felt a chill run down her spine.

"What is it?"

Qin Wujiu's gaze was deep as he slowly spoke:

"Ye Chen failed to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage."

Fang He was taken aback.

"Ye Chen?"

He had heard of that name before.

He is recognized as the number one genius in the inner sect of Qingyuan Sect for the past twenty years. He has exceptional talent and his cultivation is going smoothly. He is regarded by countless people as the hope for future Foundation Establishment and even Core Formation.

"It is indeed this person," Qin Wujiu said. "When he was attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, his Dao heart was unstable, and he failed at the crucial moment."

After failing to establish his foundation, his Dao heart collapsed, and his personality changed drastically.

Fang He remained silent for a moment.

"How will things change drastically?"

Qin Wujiu sneered.

"He caused a huge disturbance in the sect, injuring three fellow disciples who tried to stop him. He used extreme language, accusing the sect of favoritism and unfair resource allocation."

He then left the sect and his whereabouts are unknown.

Injuring fellow disciples and criticizing the sect?

Fang He frowned.

This was completely different from the image of Ye Chen he had heard about.

The rumored Ye Chen was arrogant and confident, but he had never acted so extreme.

"People whose Dao heart has collapsed often make extreme choices," Qin Wujiu said. "Ye Chen is eager to find a way to restore his Dao heart, and the vice sect leader's sect... has such forbidden techniques."

Forbidden Technique?

Alarm bells rang in Fang He's mind.

"What is the price?"

"Completely corrupted, cultivating evil techniques, gaining power at the cost of harming living beings." Qin Wujiu's tone was calm, as if stating a common matter. "The Vice Sect Master's faction has been secretly cultivating such cultivators. If Ye Chen joins them, he will become a pawn in their fight against the Sect Master's faction."

Fang He took a deep breath.

Ye Chen has turned to the dark side and joined the vice sect leader's faction. What does this mean?

"Does Mr. Qin believe Ye Chen will side with the Vice Sect Leader's faction?"

"Very likely," Qin Wujiu said. "The blow of this person's failure to establish his foundation was too great. He is eager to restore his Dao heart and is willing to pay any price."

not to mention."

His eyes flickered slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips.

Ye Chen has accumulated a lot of pressure over the years.

You stole the limelight from the outlying islands, and Zhou Xiaolan favored you over him—all of this sowed the seeds of future trouble in his heart.

Fang He was startled.

Does Ye Chen harbor hatred towards him?

He had never had any direct interaction with Ye Chen, and they had never even met.

But Qin Wujiu's words made him realize a fact: Ye Chen's existence itself was a form of invisible competition.

The prominence on the outskirts of the islands and Zhou Xiaolan's attitude were, in Ye Chen's eyes, evidence that he had been "surpassed".

"A corrupted genius whose Dao heart has collapsed hates you to the bone," Qin Wujiu said calmly. "If he really joins the Vice Sect Master's faction, he is very likely to show up during the operation in the outer sea."

Councilor Fang, you must be careful.

Fang He remained silent.

Qin Wujiu stood up, and before leaving, he uttered one more sentence:

"In addition, Xiao Yichen, the new agent sent by the deputy sect leader, has already set off."

This person is nineteen years old, at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, and possesses a deep and unfathomable mind; he should not be underestimated.

Xiao Yichen.

At nineteen years old, he reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Fang He silently memorized the name.

A top rival among his peers, the corrupted Ye Chen, and other elites from the Vice Sect Master's faction. The journey to the outer seas is doubly perilous.

"Thank you for informing me, Mr. Qin."

Fang He bowed and thanked him.

Qin Wujiu nodded slightly, his figure blending into the night as he quietly departed.

Fang He stood in the inner room, gazing at the darkening sky outside the window, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

Ye Chen has turned to the dark side, Xiao Yichen has gone ahead, and the battle for the outer sea ruins is about to begin. This battle will not be easy.

But his path has never been easy.

From a humble cultivator to a policy advisor, every step has been taken through crises.

As night fell, the lights in the front hall of the pharmacy came on.

As soon as Fang He stepped out of the inner room, she saw Zhou Xiaolan standing at the door with a strange expression.

"Counselor Fang."

Her voice was a few decibels lower than usual.

Fang He could tell at a glance that she had already heard about Ye Chen from other sources.

The Zhou family's intelligence network is not weak, and Zhou Tieshan must have already known about such a major change.

"Miss Zhou."

Fang He gestured for her to come in.

Zhou Xiaolan stepped into the front hall, and Su Yun'er silently brought over a pot of warm tea before stepping aside.

Have you heard?

Zhou Xiaolan asked in a low voice.

"Ye Chen... failed to establish his foundation."

Fang He nodded.

"Mr. Qin just told me."

Zhou Xiaolan remained silent for a moment, her gaze lowered, as if she were recalling something.

"I've heard of his deeds." Her voice carried a complex emotion. "In my youth... I admired his charm."

Fang He listened quietly without interrupting.

"Back then, he was an inner sect genius, shining brightly," Zhou Xiaolan sighed. "We, the collateral disciples from the outlying islands, could only watch from afar."

I thought someone like him was destined for success.

She looked up, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.

"Now that I hear that his Dao heart has collapsed, his temperament has changed drastically, and he has even injured his fellow disciples... I feel both regret and unease."

He understood how she felt.

The admiration of a young girl is a pure longing.

Now, this admiration has been shattered by reality, replaced by a person whose moral compass has collapsed and whose temperament has become extreme and corrupted.

It takes time to process this difference.

Fang He handed over a cup of warm tea and said calmly:

"The past is the past."

He chose his own path; we can only face the challenges before us.

Zhou Xiaolan took the teacup, her fingertips trembling slightly.

After a moment, her gaze gradually hardened.

"you're right."

She looked up, a bitter smile appearing on her lips.

"I just... need some time to process this."

Now my focus is on exploring the open seas, on the Zhou family, on…”

She paused slightly at the end of her sentence, the word "you" carrying a hint of subtlety.

Fang He understood.

He was not indifferent to Zhou Xiaolan's feelings.

But this is not the time to talk about feelings. A crisis is looming overseas, Ye Chen's descent into darkness poses a threat, and Xiao Yichen is watching with predatory eyes.

"Tomorrow we're going to Ironbone Island to recruit Xu Haichuan," Fang He said. "If Miss Zhou is ready, she can come with me."

Zhou Xiaolan nodded.

"it is good."

She stood up, and before leaving, she glanced back at Fang He one last time.

"Counselor Fang, take care."

Fang He watched her leave, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

Zhou Xiaolan's feelings, Ye Chen's descent into darkness, and Xiao Yichen's threats—these intertwined clues foreshadow an eventful journey to the outer seas.

After Zhou Xiaolan left, the front hall returned to silence.

Su Yun'er silently tidied up the tea set, her eyes filled with concern.

"Young Master."

She asked in a low voice.

"Will that Ye Chen... be a threat to you?"

Fang He pondered for a moment.

"possible."

He did not hide it.

"If Ye Chen really joins the Vice Sect Master's faction, he will harbor hatred towards me and is very likely to show up during the exploration of the outer sea."

But whether he comes or not, the journey to the open sea is a necessary one.

Su Yun'er looked worried, but didn't say anything more.

She simply placed a storage bag on the table silently.

"Young master, these are the dry rations and healing pills I have prepared."

Take care on your journey.

Fang He took the storage bag and felt her concern.

Thank you.

In the dead of night, he was the only one left in the pharmacy.

Fang He took out the jade slip left by Qin Wujiu and began to study the sea race's formation information inside.

The information contained in the jade slip was not much, but it was precious enough.

The formations of the sea race are completely different from those of the human race. They are centered on the rhythm of the tides and emphasize resonance with the ocean currents.

Fang He's array mastery attribute can analyze arrays below the second tier, but the sea race's arrays involve ancient inheritances, so whether he can successfully decipher them remains to be seen.

He studied silently, constantly deducing the direction of the array patterns in his mind.

Ye Chen turns to the dark side, Xiao Yichen goes first, and the struggle for the overseas ruins begins.

This battle was tough, but his path was never easy.