Just as Zhang Yiyi arrived at the entrance to the sacred land, she saw Luo Qiheng stepping out from within. Noticing the subtle but significant changes in his aura, Zhang Yiyi immediately understood that he had successfully advanced in rank. She offered her congratulations without hesitation.

"Congratulations."

"I need to enter seclusion," Luo Qiheng replied curtly upon seeing Zhang Yiyi, tossing out four words that clearly indicated he wouldn't be accompanying her to the Canglang Sea to hunt beasts anytime soon.

His advancement had indeed gone smoothly. Thanks to a sudden epiphany, he had saved at least ten years of effort. However, space within the sacred land was extremely limited; once someone successfully advanced, they couldn't linger to consolidate their cultivation within. While his new level wasn't entirely stable, and he had gained fresh insights during his breakthrough, Luo Qiheng naturally needed to retreat and fully process it.

Such a retreat could last anywhere from three to five months—or even three to five years.

Zhang Yiyi wasn't particularly surprised by this and nodded in understanding. She replied that she would simply head to the Canglang Sea on her own.

"That's fine. I'm mostly ready anyway. I can go to the Canglang Sea by myself. You should return and focus on your seclusion."

Without much else to prepare, Zhang Yiyi planned to depart for the Canglang Sea immediately to hunt spirit beasts. Although her stock of spirit stones had grown somewhat, her daily consumption remained astonishingly high.

For example, during her twenty days in the library alone, she had spent over 100 medium-grade spirit stones just to replenish her spiritual energy and restore her divine sense.

That wasn't 100 low-grade spirit stones—but over 100 medium-grade ones!

Her rate of spirit stone consumption far exceeded that of most cultivators, leaving her no room to sit idle and live off her reserves.

Beyond earning spirit stones, this trip to the sea also provided an excellent opportunity to gather materials for her physical refinement. According to the knowledge she had absorbed recently, the Canglang Sea contained several beasts whose beast cores and blood could substitute for the rare materials required to break into the fifth stage of body refinement.

Additionally—and perhaps most importantly—she could use the trip as combat practice against the various spirit beasts in the sea. While she had become somewhat proficient in the first technique of the Starry Sky Swordsmanship, she had yet to truly master it. The second technique could also begin to be explored, and no practice partners were as convenient or effective as spirit beasts.

For Zhang Yiyi, this trip was a rare threefold opportunity: earning spirit stones, collecting materials, and refining her skills. As for the Gate of Time and Space, she could slowly decipher its boundary barriers in her spare time. Her schedule was perfectly arranged, leaving nothing overlooked.

"Wait."

Just as Zhang Yiyi turned to leave, Luo Qiheng stopped her. After a moment of hesitation, he finally asked, somewhat awkwardly, "Lend me more spirit stones. I'm worried I don't have enough for a long retreat. I'll repay you later."

Zhang Yiyi blinked. It was rare for Luo Qiheng to take the initiative to speak so many words to her, but to do so just to borrow spirit stones? It gave her the odd feeling that she had somehow become his benefactor.

"How much?" she asked, knowing Luo Qiheng likely didn't have many spirit stones left. Aside from the recent reward from the Wang family head, he probably had little else remaining. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been planning to go to the Canglang Sea to hunt spirit beasts for money in the first place.

"Two thousand," he replied, then added, "medium-grade spirit stones."

Luo Qiheng hadn't asked for an exorbitant amount. The spirit stones he had received as a reward for reaching the Golden Core mid-stage were nearly depleted, and given that his upcoming seclusion wouldn't be short, 2,000 medium-grade spirit stones was already a frugal estimate.

The root of the issue lay in the inadequate spiritual energy of this realm. Back in his sect's personal cultivation abode, he wouldn't need to consume spirit stones to supplement his spiritual energy.

"Can't you use low-grade spirit stones?" Zhang Yiyi wasn't stingy about lending them, but her supply of medium-grade spirit stones was limited. Most of the time, she herself relied on medium-grade stones for cultivation.

Before Luo Qiheng could reply, Zhang Yiyi added, "I can lend you at most 1,000 medium-grade spirit stones. The rest will have to be low-grade stones."

Although Tang Xi had lost 10,000 medium-grade spirit stones to her in a bet, they weren't nearly as abundant as they seemed. Lending 2,000 stones to Luo Qiheng would leave her with even fewer. While she considered him a close companion, she couldn't sacrifice her own needs and resources entirely for the sake of generosity.

"Fine," Luo Qiheng agreed without hesitation. While low-grade stones weren't as efficient, the fact that she was willing to lend them at all was already a favor. "Thank you."

After a simple expression of gratitude, he didn't linger. Taking the storage bag filled with spirit stones, the two parted ways once again.

Once out of the Wang family estate, Zhang Yiyi immediately took to her sword, heading toward the Canglang Sea. Three days later, she arrived at the nearest settlement, Canglang Town.

Although called a "town," the place was more akin to a small city. Its streets were lined with a variety of shops, most of which specialized in the collection and sale of materials harvested from sea monsters. The nearby port buzzed with activity, as teams of cultivators either set sail or returned from the sea. The bustling scene was truly a sight to behold.

This was Zhang Yiyi's first visit to the area, and unfamiliar with the local customs, she decided not to venture into the sea immediately. Instead, she took her time exploring and observing her surroundings.

"Fellow Daoist, are you planning to hunt beasts at sea?"

Before long, someone approached her with a polite smile. "Our team happens to be short a member. Would you be interested in joining us?"

Solo cultivators were a rarity in the Canglang Sea. The region was fraught with dangers and unknowns, making teamwork essential for survival. Additionally, venturing out to sea wasn't a short-term endeavor. Between navigating treacherous waters and fending off sea monsters, the cost of a specially crafted sea vessel was steep, so most cultivators sought companions to split expenses.

Thus, it wasn't unusual to see people recruiting teammates on the spot. Even established teams occasionally needed to fill vacancies due to casualties or injuries.

Zhang Yiyi understood the norm but knew the crux of the matter lay in whether the person inviting her could be trusted.

She looked over the female cultivator who had spoken to her. Dressed as a married woman, the stranger exuded an air of modesty. Her cultivation level was at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, and she didn't appear particularly remarkable.

"May I ask how many members your team has and what its general situation is?" Zhang Yiyi asked, simultaneously sizing up the stranger.

The woman, for her part, was also scrutinizing Zhang Yiyi. From the moment Zhang Yiyi had arrived, she had drawn the attention of many in the area.

Young in age but with cultivation on par with her peers, Zhang Yiyi's understated attire couldn't hide her exceptional demeanor. Her beauty only made her stand out more, ensuring she was noticed by nearly everyone present.

"My name is He Jie. Those over at the tea stall are my teammates." He Jie pointed to a group of cultivators sipping tea nearby and explained, "Our team originally consisted of six members, all friends or family. We've been hunting sea beasts together for over three years and have built strong rapport. Our experience is solid; injuries are rare, and no one has ever lost their life. Unfortunately, one of our teammates sustained a serious injury on our last trip and needs time to recover, so we're temporarily short-handed."

He Jie's earnest expression and forthright explanation weren't deceitful. She continued, "We're just a group of ordinary rogue cultivators, but we've earned a decent reputation for trustworthiness around here. If you don't believe me, feel free to ask around. As for you, Fellow Daoist, you seem new to hunting sea beasts. Although you might lack experience, you don't strike me as someone with ill intentions, which is why I'm inviting you to join us."

He Jie's openness and sincerity impressed Zhang Yiyi. Her offer made it clear that she wasn't seeking someone to take the lead but simply looking for a reliable temporary teammate.

After considering He Jie's demeanor and glancing at the other team members—all of whom nodded politely when she looked their way—Zhang Yiyi made her decision.

"My name is Han Lin. I'm pleased to have my first sea hunting experience with a dependable team," she said, agreeing to the invitation.

He Jie was delighted by Zhang Yiyi's acceptance and quickly introduced her to the rest of the team. Besides He Jie, the group included her Dao companion, Liu Song, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator; He Jie's younger brother, He Ze; and Liu Song's friend, Zhang You.

Once the introductions were complete, He Jie wasted no time explaining the team's rules, tasks, and profit-sharing arrangements to Zhang Yiyi. Her upfront approach ensured there would be no misunderstandings or disputes later on, which Zhang Yiyi appreciated.

"Everything sounds good to me," Zhang Yiyi said after hearing the arrangements. The terms were reasonable, with He Jie even showing some consideration for her as a newcomer.

With everything settled, the team prepared to set out. However, just as they were leaving, a sharp voice called out from behind:

"Han Lin! Wait a moment!"

Turning around, Zhang Yiyi saw two familiar figures—Tang Xi, who had lost 1,000 spirit stones to her, and Tang San, the third master of the Tang family.

"It's you two. What do you want?" Zhang Yiyi asked, surprised to see them here. Canglang Sea was primarily frequented by rogue cultivators hunting beasts, though some family disciples came here for training.

Tang Xi strode up, ignoring the others around Zhang Yiyi, and demanded, "Have you given it any more thought?"

"Given what more thought?" Zhang Yiyi feigned ignorance, though Tang San's amused smirk quickly gave away the answer. Of course, they were referring to the Tang family's earlier offer for her to join as a guest elder.

"Oh, thank you for your kind offer, but as I said before, no need," Zhang Yiyi replied with a polite smile before turning and walking away without further ado.

Tang Xi was visibly upset, gritting her teeth as she returned to Tang San. "Third Uncle, why do we even bother with her? She's so arrogant and ungrateful. Why not just kill her already?"

"You? Kill her?" Tang San raised an eyebrow, his gaze cool as he dismissed her suggestion.

Flustered, Tang Xi's face turned red. "Fine, I can't kill her, but you can! Is she really that important?"