Heavenly Light Sect.
At this moment, the Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor was speaking gravely to Li Yaotie.
"Disciple, breaking through to Divinity Transformation relies on the Nascent Soul. You've poured all your aptitude and intelligence into artifact refining and puppetry, neglecting to temper your Nascent Soul deeply enough.
Even the cultivation method you practice is the most unremarkable among Earth-rank methods, and you haven't even mastered it."
"Perhaps you should delay breaking through to Divinity Transformation. You're not even five hundred years old yet; there's no need to rush."
A Divinity Transformation cultivator under five hundred years old, and a monstrous talent who had held the top spot on the Nascent Divinity List for over two hundred years—the Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor was already very satisfied with Li Yaotie's achievements; he hadn't lost him any face at all.
The Li family's old friend, Wang Jinhu, was also present.
The burly man, still clad in armor, said to Li Yaotie, "The Grand Ancestor is right. If it really doesn't work out, we can just delay for a while."
"Hehe."
Li Yaotie rubbed his bald head. When he wasn't busy, the fellow was still quite cheerful.
"Master, General Wang, don't worry. You don't actually think I'm going to break through via the path of a fifth-rank artifact refiner, do you?"
"Huh?" The Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor was stunned for a moment, then grew angry.
"You brat, what are you trying to do?! If you don't break through via the path of a fifth-rank artifact refiner, and word gets out later, where will I put my old face¹?"
"What's so great about breaking through via that path? Old Senior, don't just worry about your own face."
Li Yaoqing smiled and said, "There are five tiers within Divinity Transformation. Each tier differs in domain range and spiritual pressure, and breaking through also multiplies one's future cultivation speed.
But our third brother is different. He's an artifact refiner with strong talent. The Divine Puppet he refined is already enough for him to contend with Divinity Transformation experts. For him, it's better to forge a Dharma Treasure independently sooner rather than later."
"As for cultivation speed," she continued confidently, "I have plenty of spirit medicine, and our family has plenty too. Our family distributes rewards based on contribution. Third Brother's annual stipend is very large, but he sent Dharma Treasures back to the family, so the family owes him a huge debt. By the way, Third Brother, how much does the family owe you?"
Li Yaotie counted on his fingers. "They don't owe me. Oh, right, I still owe a debt of twenty thousand years."
"Huh?" Li Yaoqing was taken aback. "How come you owe so much?"
"Hehe." Li Yaotie gave a simple smile and shook the storage ring in his hand. "A while ago, I had the family send over all the ore materials from the treasury."
"Your family... keeps such strict accounts?" Wang Jinhu's mouth twitched.
Hearing this, Li Yaoqing rolled her eyes.
"General Wang doesn't know. The family has many people to support, and we also have numerous subordinate powers, all of which require expenses.
Back then, so many people from Azure Cloud died in the war, and now, natural disasters are ceaseless.
Our family can't just let their descendants starve, can we? This is all about Spirit Stones. Our debt relates to the income and expenses of all of Merit City."
"I see."
Wang Jinhu understood now. He then asked, "And what about Lady Yaoqing? How much do you owe?"
"Two hundred thousand years."
"Ah?" Wang Jinhu was stunned.
Li Yaoqing looked proud. "It's the family that owes me two hundred thousand years."
"See? I told you being a physician is a great way to earn Spirit Stones!" Li Yaotie shrugged enviously, then looked towards the Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor.
"Master, don't worry. My sister has spirit medicine; I can just break through casually. I've calculated it. To be truly confident of breaking through to the fifth tier of Divinity Transformation, I'd need to prepare for at least four or five hundred years. But in that time, I might even be able to refine a mid-grade Dharma Treasure."
"That... does make sense."
The Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor no longer objected. He went out of the Heavenly Light Sect with Li Yaotie to protect him during his breakthrough.
The others departed.
In this age of great chaos, the Heavenly Light Sect was at its busiest.
Its unorthodox methods were always useful in the conflicts on the Northern Border against the Demon Clan, in the southwest against the Wu Clan, and on the battlefields of Duskwild Prefecture.
Inside this Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Light Sect emerged from his cave-dwelling.
He gazed in the direction Li Yaotie had departed, his expression complex.
Ever since Li Yaotie had become the Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor's personal disciple, coupled with his reputation as number one on the Nascent Divinity List, his authority as Sect Master within the Heavenly Light Sect had been threatened.
Also, because he had hindered Wang Jinhu from rescuing the Li family in the past, his relationship with Wang Jinhu had deteriorated to the point that his position as Sect Master was now under threat.
Many elders of the Heavenly Light Sect, due to Li Yaotie's closeness with Wang Jinhu, had begun to lean towards Wang Jinhu's side.
After a moment, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Light Sect summoned several disciples.
"Go, spread the news that the Grand Ancestor's personal disciple is about to break through to Divinity Transformation."
"Yes, Sect Master!"
As the few disciples departed, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Light Sect took out a jade slip.
He hesitated for a long time before the jade slip finally shone brightly with golden light, and a deep voice came from within.
At the same time, somewhere high in the sky, jade pavilions and magnificent towers were hidden among the clouds.
Within a great hall inside, a young man was sitting cross-legged in cultivation when a jade slip appeared floating before him.
"Li Yaotie of the Li family is about to break through to the Divinity Transformation realm."
The voice of the Sect Master of the Heavenly Light Sect sounded.
This caused a flash of displeasure to appear on the handsome, youthful-looking man's face.
"You're becoming more useless the older you get. Who is Li Yaotie? This Seat has never heard of him."
"He is the Grand Ancestor's personal disciple. If he doesn't die, Wang Jinhu will eventually seize my position as Sect Master of the Heavenly Light Sect."
The handsome man's expression grew even colder.
He crushed the jade slip.
"Useless trash! Can't even deal with some nameless nobody who hasn't even reached the Divinity Transformation realm!"
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