Chapter 56: A New Round of Exploitation!

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The cave dwelling where Lin Fan resided had undergone a complete transformation, evolving into a genuine immortal abode.

Its area had expanded manifold, and the interior was extraordinarily well-designed with numerous chambers arranged in an orderly fashion, alongside a newly cleared, vast spiritual herb garden.

Within the garden, spiritual vegetables and fruits had begun to sprout, exuding a faint, refreshing fragrance.

Bai Xiyue was currently directing Bai Jie and Li Jiu as they busily tended to the plants.

At the entrance of the cave, Lin Fan lay leisurely on a rocking chair, basking in the warm sunlight.

He appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, he was reviewing his attribute panel.

[Name: Lin Fan]
[Remaining Lifespan: 16,508 years]
[Cultivation Realm: Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment]
[Spiritual Roots: Five-Element Spiritual Roots]
[Hoarded Cultivation: 7,386 + 60]

Below the attribute panel, lines of text continuously popped up.

With every new line that appeared, the number representing his hoarded cultivation would fluctuate accordingly.

[Ji Qingwan is cultivating. Cultivation +60]
[Zhao Xu is cultivating. Cultivation +60]
[Nangong Miaoyu is cultivating. Cultivation +200]
……

As the feedback of cultivation kept pouring in, the numbers in the hoarded cultivation column rose steadily.

Lin Fan felt a secret thrill deep within his heart.

This sensation was just like watching the balance in a bank account continually tick upward—immensely pleasing to the spirit.

Right at that moment, the sound of rushing wind pierced through the sky.

A streak of spiritual light landed right in front of Lin Fan.

Focusing his gaze, two lovely figures materialized.

One of them wore a light pink long dress, while the other was dressed in a light blue long dress.

Their facial features were almost identical, as if they had been carved from the very same mold.

Yet, their temperaments were diametrically opposed.

The woman in the light pink dress possessed an alluring charm; with every flicker of her gaze, she radiated infinite romantic appeal.

The woman in the light blue dress carried an icy and distant demeanor, resembling a lotus upon a snowy peak, giving off an unapproachable aura.

They were none other than the sisters Su Xingyue and Su Xingyu.

"Husband, Xingyu has come. From now on, let her stay by your side and personally attend to your daily needs!"

Su Xingyue spoke, a hint of flattery coloring her voice.

Lin Fan understood Su Xingyue's underlying intention.

As the saying goes, fertile water should not flow into another's fields.

Only, this "fertile water" was not Su Xingyue, but Lin Fan himself.

She was well aware that both she and Su Xingyu possessed only average aptitude. If they could remain by Lin Fan's side, their future potential on the path of cultivation would be limitless.

Su Xingyu's pretty face flushed slightly, her gaze carrying a trace of shyness.

Before Lin Fan could utter a word, she stepped forward and hooked her arm around his.

"Big Sister, rest assured, I will definitely take good care of my brother-in-law from now on!"

Her voice was sweet and tender, capable of melting anyone's bones.

These two sisters—one fiery and enthusiastic, the other as cold as frost—possessed a rather unique and captivating charm.

Bai Xiyue was meticulous and cared for Lin Fan's daily life with utmost thoroughness.

However, there were simply too many miscellaneous matters inside the cave dwelling now, and she had been finding it somewhat overwhelming to handle everything alone.

Having one more person like Su Xingyu around was hardly an issue.

Lin Fan nodded.

"Very well, you may stay in the cave dwelling from now on."

"Thank you, brother-in-law!"

Su Xingyue smiled brilliantly, her voice as sweet as honey. "Husband, Master has already relocated her cave dwelling over. She wants you to go over and help people break through their realms."

Lin Fan gave a slight nod, understanding instantly.

Clearly, Ji Qingwan was once again capitalizing on his abilities, trading opportunities for realm breakthroughs in exchange for cultivation resources.

Lin Fan held no aversion toward such arrangements.

"Let's head over right now then!"

Answering with a word, Lin Fan leapt up, soaring into the air on his spiritual energy, and sped toward a nearby hill.

"Little Sister, familiarize yourself with the environment here first and take good care of your brother-in-law in the future. Staying by his side will bring you boundless benefits!" Su Xingyue instructed Su Xingyu.

Su Xingyu nodded obediently in agreement.

Shortly after, Su Xingyue also took flight, chasing after Lin Fan.

Before long, Lin Fan arrived in front of Ji Qingwan's cave dwelling.

Compared to before, Ji Qingwan's dwelling looked largely unchanged.

Clearly, she had directly employed some sort of divine ability to move her entire original cave dwelling over intact.

"My good disciple, you've arrived!"

Catching sight of Lin Fan, Ji Qingwan greeted him with a beaming smile—a smile even warmer than the spring breeze of March.

"Just like before, we'll use the spiritual spring within the former secret technique as an excuse to help others break through!"

As she spoke, she handed over a storage bag.

Lin Fan took the storage bag, swept his divine sense inward, and instantly froze.

Contained within this storage bag were a full ten thousand spirit stones!

One must realize that ten thousand spirit stones might not mean much to an ordinary Core Formation cultivator.

But for Ji Qingwan, this was undeniably a colossal fortune.

After all, she had only recently stepped into the Core Formation stage and her foundation was still relatively shallow.

"Master, isn't this... aren't there a bit too many spirit stones?"

Lin Fan asked with a hint of perplexity.

"Not many at all, not many. Today, I've arranged for over a dozen people to come to the secret chamber to cultivate and break through," Ji Qingwan said with a beaming smile.

"I know this takes quite a heavy toll on you, so..."

Lin Fan: "……"

Good grief!

This woman, Ji Qingwan, was working him like a pack mule!

Did she have no intention of keeping his abilities hidden anymore?

Bringing so many people at once—what on earth was she planning?

Doubt swirled in Lin Fan's mind as a string of question marks surfaced in his thoughts.

"Master, this... ten people... I..."

Though inwardly rejoicing—after all, these were all spirit stones!—Lin Fan wore an expression of deep difficulty on his face, as if he were suffering a massive loss.

"Ahem... My good disciple, once you finish helping them break through, Master will reward you with even more spirit stones!"

Ji Qingwan coughed lightly twice, a flattering smile appearing on her face.

"But isn't this too many people? It's going to completely drain me dry!"

Lin Fan protested reluctantly, his voice tinged with resistance.

"I *want* to drain you dry. If I don't use you, wouldn't I just be letting Nangong Miaoyu reap the benefits!"

Ji Qingwan stated bluntly.

"Besides... I estimate that Nangong Miaoyu is already studying how to squeeze you dry herself. I reckon it won't be many days before your ability to help others break through leaks out to the public."

She paused, a flash of shrewdness passing through her eyes.

"So before that happens, my good disciple, help your Master earn a few more spirit stones."

Ji Qingwan did not mince words and spoke her mind directly.

At that exact moment, a sharp piercing sound suddenly rent the sky, like a torn scroll shattering the tranquility.

Streaks of escaping light, carrying formidable auras, surged from afar and sped rapidly toward their location.

A smile bloomed on Ji Qingwan's face. She turned to Lin Fan and said, "Good disciple, go get ready. They're here!"

A moment later, more than a dozen figures appeared before the entrance of Ji Qingwan's cave dwelling.

A sweep of Lin Fan's divine sense revealed that the person leading the group was none other than Qin Ran.

Trailing behind her were mostly cultivators in the mid-to-late Foundation Establishment stage—men and women, old and young, each with distinct appearances.

The moment these individuals touched the ground, they began curiously eyeing their surroundings, seemingly searching for something.

Eventually, all their gazes locked onto Ji Qingwan, their eyes brimming with anticipation.

"Greetings, Junior Sister Ji. Earlier, Fellow Daoist Qin told us that Junior Sister has something here capable of helping people break through their bottlenecks. I wonder if it's true?"

A gray-robed elder at the late Foundation Establishment stage stepped forward to ask.

He was lean and withered, his face mapped with wrinkles, yet his eyes shone with a piercing brilliance.

"Indeed, Junior Sister Ji. We all came here specifically upon hearing Fellow Daoist Qin's words."

"We've been trapped in our bottlenecks for years. If such a treasure truly exists, we are willing to pay any price!"

"Please enlighten us, Junior Sister Ji!"

The others chimed in one after another, their tones laced with longing and urgency.

Some wore excited expressions, others flickered their eyes cautiously, while a few stared unblinkingly at Ji Qingwan.

For a moment, a chorus of voices intertwined, turning the previously tranquil cave dwelling into a bustling marketplace.

Ji Qingwan smiled faintly and gently waved her hand to signal for silence.

"Fellow daoists, please restrain your impatience."

Her alluring eyes swept across each and every person present.

"However, this matter is of grave importance. I must ask all of you to swear a Heart Demon Oath."

Ji Qingwan parted her lips, her voice soft yet clearly ringing in everyone's ears.

"Today's events must not be divulged to a single soul."

"Should any violate this, you shall suffer the backlash of the heart demon and have your cultivation utterly destroyed!"

"Of course, if anyone is unwilling, I will not force you."

"You may leave right now."

Ji Qingwan's gaze swept over them one by one.

A Heart Demon Oath was not something to be taken lightly.

Once broken, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, Ji Qingwan was merely demanding that today's events not be spoken of aloud.

Therefore, for these people, there was no real loss involved.

"I am willing to swear the Heart Demon Oath!"

The late Foundation Establishment elder who spoke first declared.

"I am willing as well!"

"Count me in!"