Ascending from the mortal realm to become an immortal begins with taking charge of a grotto-heaven.

Three days later, at dawn.

Zhang Li woke up leisurely in Tongfu Inn, washed up briefly, and went straight out the door.

Walking slowly along the long blue stone street in the south of the city, it didn't take long before we arrived at the gate of Yuntianyuan.

The two servants in blue robes guarding the garden today were the same two as before, but this time they did not stop him and let him in directly.

As he stepped into the courtyard, he could hear the sounds of conversation coming from the pavilion. Under the pavilion where he had met Su Qinghe a few days ago, four fellow disciples dressed in different clothes were already sitting.

After exchanging greetings with the group, Zhang Li gained a basic understanding of his senior brothers and sisters.

Qin Linwu, at the eighth level of Qi Refining, was responsible for guarding the spirit stone mine at Broken Cliff Mountain and was the one with the highest cultivation level among them.

Sitting beside him was a female cultivator named Liu Yan, who was at the sixth level of Qi Refining and was responsible for guarding the Ding Er San Er Medicine Garden.

Sitting diagonally opposite were two brothers, one older and one younger. The older brother, Liu Changjun, was at the sixth level of Qi Refining and was responsible for guarding a farm, while the younger brother, Liu Hui, was at the fifth level of Qi Refining and was responsible for guarding a spirit beast park.

These people were all more powerful than Zhang Li, but they were all fellow disciples and had no grudges against each other. They sat together chatting and laughing, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

Before long, another male cultivator arrived, with a rather muscular build, broad shoulders and a thick back, dressed in a short, tight-fitting outfit.

After being introduced by several fellow disciples, Zhang Li learned that this senior brother was a rare body-refining cultivator in the sect, named Tan Kai. His cultivation level was equivalent to that of a Qi Refining cultivator at the ninth level, and he was not far from becoming a second-level body cultivator.

Tan Kai sat down next to Zhang Li. With just a breath, Zhang Li could feel the powerful force contained in that body. Just sitting still, he exuded a terrifying sense of oppression.

He had no doubt that if he were to clash with Tan Kai with his current cultivation level, Tan Kai could truly tear him apart alive. The only thing on Zhang Li's body that could possibly harm Tan Kai was probably those three Thunder Explosion Pearls.

In a flash, Zhang Li hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother Tan."

Tan Kai also cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Junior Brother Zhang."

After exchanging greetings, the group resumed their conversation.

As the person with the lowest cultivation level in the entire room, Zhang Li sat quietly to the side and listened attentively. His senior brothers and sisters had been in the cultivation world for a longer time and had more experience.

From their words, he indirectly witnessed the vastness of the world, which truly broadened his horizons and strengthened his resolve to make a fortune quietly using the space.

After another cup of tea's time, a female cultivator dressed in a yellow outfit and with her long, black hair tied up high strode into the pavilion. "Fellow disciples, Lu Ran is late. Please forgive me."

"Not too late, not too late. We just arrived. Junior Sister Lu, please sit down."

Tan Kai took over the conversation, pointing to the empty seat next to him.

"Yes, yes, Senior Sister Lu, please take a seat..." The others chimed in, their tone full of politeness.

Lu Ran nodded her thanks and sat down next to Tan Kai.

Not long after Lu Ran took her seat, Su Qinghe also appeared before everyone. She was wearing a light blue dress and her black hair was loosely draped over her shoulders. As soon as she appeared, she attracted everyone's attention.

He was followed by eight maids, who filed in one after another in two rows.

The maids carried long, carved mahogany platters, on which were placed a jade pot, a plate of red jade spirit fruit, and two jade plates, one with tender steamed spirit fish and the other piled high with spirit beast meat soaked in broth.

Zhang Li could see clearly that the steamed spirit fish on the plate was indeed the Azure Spirit Carp, and the jade pot contained what appeared to be a kind of spirit wine. The wine was clear and had a sweet aroma, and it did not look simple.

Add in the beast meat and spirit fruit, and this set will cost at least a dozen spirit stones, bringing the total to nearly a hundred spirit stones.

As expected of a cultivator from a prominent family, he is indeed very generous.

Su Qinghe walked slowly to the main seat in the pavilion and sat down. She spoke softly, "Everyone is stationed at various spiritual sites and mines. It's hard work. There are no strict rules for today's meeting. Let's have a drink and rest while we exchange information."

Everyone stood up to express their gratitude, with Qin Linwu speaking the loudest, "Junior Sister Su is too kind. Junior Sister convened this small meeting among fellow disciples, giving us the opportunity to exchange information, yet you have gone to such lengths for us. We are truly ashamed."

The others echoed in agreement, but their hands were quick to move, some pouring wine, others eating food, creating quite a lively scene.

Only Zhang Li, Lu Ran, and Liu Yan paid a little attention.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Su Qinghe put down her jade chopsticks, took a sip of the sweet spiritual wine, and glanced at everyone in the pavilion. Only after everyone had stopped eating did she slowly speak.

"The reasons for gathering you all here today are twofold: first, to allow fellow disciples on duty outside the region to exchange resources and materials to supplement their cultivation needs; and second, to allow everyone to get to know each other so that we can help each other if we encounter difficulties in the future."

"Junior Sister Su is so kind, I thank you very much," Tan Kai said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Qin Linwu followed suit, cupping his hands in greeting, and said in a gruff voice, "Junior Sister Su is very thoughtful. We are from the same sect, so we should indeed be closer to each other."

The brothers Liu Yan and Liu Changjun also expressed their gratitude, and the atmosphere in the pavilion was harmonious.

Su Qinghe smiled faintly and said, "Since that's the case, let's not waste any more time on small talk. Let me start by throwing out an idea."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and swept it across the table, revealing a sword, a hammer, and a jade bottle before everyone's eyes.

"Please look, everyone. These three items are the Golden Dragon Sword, the Earth-Shaking Hammer, and the Yellow Dragon Pill."

"Let's talk about the Yellow Dragon Pill first. It's a top-grade first-level spiritual pill that has a remarkable effect on breaking through the bottleneck of the late stage of Qi Refining. One pill can increase the probability of breaking through by nearly 70%."

"Both the Golden Dragon Sword and the Earthshaking Hammer are first-grade high-quality magic weapons. The former is extremely sharp, and when paired with the right sword technique, it is difficult to withstand a single strike unless one has a high-quality defensive magic weapon on hand."

"While this Earthshaker may not possess any extraordinary properties, it is extremely heavy and hard, making it ideal for close-quarters combat."

Two high-grade magic artifacts and a pill that can help break through the bottleneck of the late stage of Qi Refining—as soon as Su Qinghe finished speaking, she instantly attracted the attention of all the cultivators present.

Liu Changjun's eyes shone brightly as he stared intently at the jade bottle containing the Yellow Dragon Pill, his breathing becoming slightly rapid.

He had been stuck at the sixth level of Qi Refining for a long time, unable to break through the bottleneck of the late stage of Qi Refining. This pill was like a timely help to him.

"Senior Sister Su, please stop beating around the bush. How do you plan to exchange these three treasures?"

Unable to contain his inner turmoil, Liu Changjun spoke first, his voice revealing an undisguised eagerness.

The people in the pavilion snapped out of their daze, their eyes all falling on Su Qinghe, each with their own agenda.

Liu Changjun and Liu Yan were preoccupied with the Yellow Dragon Pill, Tan Kai stared intently at the heavy Earthshaking Hammer, and Lu Ran's gaze lingered on the Golden Dragon Sword, which gleamed with a cold light.

"What Qinghe seeks are the spiritual herbs needed to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill. If you have any one of the three main ingredients—Purple Jade Mushroom, Dragon Transformation Ginseng, or Soul Condensation Liquid—you can exchange them all for her, with additional compensation. Alternatively, if you have definite information about any one of the main ingredients, you can choose any one of them."