The Quiet Victory

“Sect Leader, this junior succeeded in Foundation Establishment a few days ago by a stroke of luck. I have come to report this to you and hope to receive permission to open a cave dwelling.” Han Li did not mince words and stated his purpose directly.

“Recent Foundation Establishment?” Zhong Lingdao was startled at first, then understanding dawned. Cases like this—where a disciple received a Foundation Establishment Pill but did not consume it immediately, waiting until they felt the time was right—were not uncommon. The Sect Leader simply assumed Han Li was one of those.

“Hehe, congratulations, Junior Brother Han, on reaching Foundation Establishment! Our sect has gained another high-level disciple. This is cause for celebration!” Zhong Lingdao stroked his long beard and spoke with a smile.

“Han was merely fortunate. This also owes much to the Foundation Establishment Pill bestowed by the sect!” Han Li replied, his expression calm and composed.

Zhong Lingdao gave a faint smile at Han Li’s polite words and studied him once more. The more he looked, the more familiar the face became. He was certain he had seen this man before, but where and when, he could not immediately recall.

Lost in thought, Zhong Lingdao nodded to himself and fell into deep contemplation.

Han Li found this inwardly amusing but did not interrupt. He picked up his teacup and slowly savored the tea.

After a moment, a flash of inspiration struck Zhong Lingdao. He suddenly remembered the matter of the Ascension Token. The young man who had stood in the议事殿 on that day and the composed junior brother before him finally merged into one.

Recalling Han Li’s origins, Zhong Lingdao’s head snapped up. A look of utter astonishment crossed his face.

“It’s you! The disciple who entered the valley with the Ascension Token! You… you actually succeeded in Foundation Establishment?”

“Sect Leader has remembered me. I must thank you for your kindness in allowing me to join Yellow Maple Valley back then.” Han Li was not alarmed that the other had recognized him. He smiled lightly and expressed his gratitude.

Zhong Lingdao, hearing the other address him repeatedly as ‘Sect Leader,’ realized that the man before him was no longer the wandering cultivator who had once sought entry to the sect. He was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator of equal seniority. The astonishment on his face vanished in a flash, replaced by a composed expression. He spoke gently.

“It was nothing. I was merely following protocol back then. What is truly incredible is that you, Junior Brother Han, managed to achieve Foundation Establishment with a False Spiritual Root! If news of this spreads, you will become famous throughout the cultivation world overnight.”

Despite appearing to have regained his composure, Zhong Lingdao’s words still revealed his inner shock.

This was understandable. The Sect Leader knew Han Li’s situation all too well. That a possessor of a Four-Attribute False Spiritual Root could succeed in Foundation Establishment was indeed difficult to accept.

Han Li smiled at this and spoke in a half-joking tone.

“I didn’t expect it either. One Foundation Establishment Pill down, and it actually worked. I suppose Heaven was helping me. It seems I, Han, am a fool with foolish luck.”

Hearing this, Zhong Lingdao was genuinely amused.

“But, Junior Brother Han! Back then, didn’t you give your Foundation Establishment Pill to Junior Brother Ye’s grand-nephew? Where did you get a new one?” The Sect Leader had just stopped laughing when another question occurred to him.

“Hehe, Sect Leader. As it happens, that pill was given to me by you!” Han Li said with a cheerful expression.

“Me?” Zhong Lingdao was baffled. He had no memory of this.

“Has the Sect Leader forgotten? Of the few people who came out alive from the forbidden land, three were awarded a Foundation Establishment Pill. I was one of them.” Han Li finally put away his smile and spoke seriously.

“You are that nominal disciple taken in by Uncle Li?” Zhong Lingdao could no longer maintain his composure. His expression shifted.

“Correct. I am indeed a disciple taken in by Master Li Huayuan during that expedition into the forbidden land.” Han Li did not deny it and admitted it outright.

“So that’s how it is. No wonder the name Han Li sounded so familiar. So you are the disciple who caused such a stir in the valley a couple of years ago!” The astonishment in Zhong Lingdao’s eyes deepened, but his tone of voice became markedly more amicable.

His meaning was clear. Now that Han Li had achieved Foundation Establishment, his becoming a formal disciple of Uncle Li was all but certain. He naturally had no desire to make an enemy of Han Li. He mused to himself.

‘So that’s it. This Junior Brother Han was exceptionally lucky to succeed in Foundation Establishment. Given his aptitude, the odds were less than one in a hundred.’

Despite his internal grumbling, Zhong Lingdao remained outwardly courteous, exchanging a few pleasantries with Han Li before asking him to wait while he retrieved the registry.

Han Li readily agreed and sat quietly, waiting for the other to return.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhong Lingdao returned, carrying a white jade slip. Before Han Li’s eyes, he used a gold-lacquered brush to write Han Li’s name at the very bottom of the densely packed list of names on the slip, officially registering him.

Seeing this, Han Li felt a surge of joy. This meant he could now legitimately claim a cave dwelling.

Zhong Lingdao, experienced in handling such matters for newly established Foundation Establishment disciples, guessed Han Li’s thoughts from the smile on his face. He smiled slightly in return, then retrieved three mid-grade spirit stones and five small flags wreathed in a thin white mist from his storage pouch, handing them over.

“What is this?”

Han Li could somewhat understand the gift of spirit stones. It was probably a reward for Foundation Establishment disciples. But what were these five palm-sized flags for? From their strange appearance and the spiritual energy they exuded, they did not seem to be ordinary magical tools. They were clearly something special.

Before Han Li could ask, Zhong Lingdao retrieved a jade slip and handed it to him as well, then explained.

“These spirit stones are a one-time reward for every newly established Foundation Establishment disciple. From now on, you will also receive a single mid-grade spirit stone every year, without being required to perform any sect duties.”

“As for these Maze-Obscuring Flags, they are essential for opening a cave dwelling. The maze formation they set up is only the simplest of small formations, but it is more than enough to deter mortals or wild beasts. Of course, if you are well-versed in formation techniques, you may not need them. This jade slip contains the formation’s deployment methods and control techniques. I have also copied some matters that a newly established Foundation Establishment cultivator should be aware of. You can study it carefully when you return.”

“I am much obliged, Sect Leader.” Han Li accepted the items with both hands, repeatedly expressing his thanks.

These were precisely the things Han Li needed most urgently at the moment, and he could not help but feel delighted.

Once everything was settled, Han Li chatted with Zhong Lingdao for another quarter of an hour before taking his leave and departing the Hall of Affairs.

After leaving the stone hall, Han Li’s first thought was to fly out of Yellow Maple Valley immediately to personally scout out a suitable location for his cave dwelling.

But halfway there, after reviewing the jade slip Zhong Lingdao had given him, he changed his mind. Turning his flying tool, he headed towards a different part of the valley.

“Qilin Pavilion.” The name had a grand and imposing ring to it. It was also one of the most important locations in Yellow Maple Valley.

This was the place within the valley dedicated to raising and taming spirit beasts.

“Spirit beasts” were, in essence, demonic beasts. Once a demonic beast was tamed by a cultivator, it was naturally referred to as a spirit beast.

The spirit beasts within the Qilin Pavilion were mostly just first-tier. Even the occasional second-tier beast was one that someone else had entrusted to the pavilion and could not be casually commanded.

Nevertheless, even first-tier spirit beasts provided many convenient services for the valley’s disciples, such as transportation, guarding gates, searching for spiritual herbs, and assisting in attacks against enemies. Han Li was here for a specific type of beast called the “Double-Pupil Rat.”

This beast, which resembled an ordinary rat but was born with mystical eyes, was what Zhong Lingdao had recommended in the jade slip. It was the perfect assistant for scouting out cave dwelling locations.

This first-tier mid-grade demonic beast’s double pupils could easily see through fog, rivers, trees, and other obstacles that blocked an ordinary cultivator’s vision. Moreover, it was naturally inclined to burrow and nest in places with the densest spiritual energy.

With a little training, the Double-Pupil Rat became the ideal scout for finding spirit-eye locations. It was very popular among the sect’s disciples.

This was not Han Li’s first time at the Qilin Pavilion. He had passed by its entrance a few times on errands in the past, so he was not entirely unfamiliar with the place.

As he descended from the sky and landed on the reception platform of the Strange Beast Mountain, which belonged entirely to the Qilin Pavilion, a low-level female disciple immediately approached and greeted him.

“This Uncle-Master, have you come to rent a spirit beast?” After finishing in a clear voice, the young disciple, only sixteen or seventeen years old, could not hide the look of eager anticipation on her face.

Seeing this, Han Li gave a faint smile and spoke.

“Are there any Double-Pupil Rats available on the mountain right now? I want to rent one for two days.”

“Yes, of course! I will go and fetch one for you immediately, Uncle-Master!” The female disciple’s face lit up with joy at his words.