The courtyard on Little Spirit Void Peak was far larger than his old residence in Mengshan City, especially the backyard, which spanned several hundred square meters and was planted with fruit trees and tea bushes.
Several meditation chambers lined the courtyard, but Han Yi typically only cultivated in the one adorned with a painting of a Sword Immortal, rarely visiting the others.
First, he thoroughly inspected the courtyard, both inside and out, to ensure its security. After all, he had been away for a year, and since the courtyard had been unoccupied, its protective Courtyard Formation remained inactive, making it vulnerable to intruders.
As for the Hall of Law Enforcement personnel tasked with checking vacant residences for unauthorized occupants, they were far too busy to conduct thorough inspections.
Of course, any Outpost Disciple unwilling to descend the mountain who thought they could secretly hide in an unoccupied residence would face dire consequences if discovered: immediate expulsion from the Sect, forfeiture of their cultivation base, and banishment from the mountain.
Such was the Sect's rule: what was granted was yours to take; what wasn't, even if left idle, remained forbidden. Seizing what wasn't yours meant forfeiting your hand.
Han Yi had always been one to abide by the rules.
After confirming the courtyard's security, he didn't immediately retreat into secluded cultivation to grind his progress bar or hone his skills, as he would have done in Mengshan City. Instead, he did something rare: he left the courtyard.
The courtyards of the Profound Pill Sect differed significantly from those in Mengshan City, where Formation Plates were required to control their defenses.
Here, each courtyard possessed a central control hub. By channeling Mana into this hub, one became the courtyard's master. As long as the master remained within the courtyard's boundaries, they could manipulate the Courtyard Formation with a mere thought.
Naturally, this control was limited to basic functions such as partially activating, fully activating, or deactivating the defensive Formation.
However, because the Courtyard Formation was connected to the Spirit Vein of Little Spirit Void Peak, its foundation was far superior. Even these basic functions could withstand attacks from cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Leaving his courtyard, Han Yi headed straight for Zheng Hai's residence.
Zheng Hai didn't live on Little Spirit Void Peak itself, but on the adjacent Little Boulder Peak.
Upon reaching Little Boulder Peak, Han Yi knocked on Zheng Hai's door for quite some time, but no one answered. He concluded that Zheng Hai was either deeply immersed in cultivation or pill refinement, unable to be disturbed, or simply absent from the courtyard on some errand.
"Oh well," Han Yi sighed. "I'll share the good news of my return in a couple of days. We can take Zheng Hai to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion to celebrate then."
Han Yi felt a pang of regret at not being able to visit the Drunken Immortal Pavilion that day.
The Drunken Immortal Pavilion was a renowned tavern on the Outer Peak. Its wines and liquors were crafted from rare Spirit Pills and Elixirs, brimming with potent Spirit Qi. Extremely expensive, Han Yi had only heard of it and glimpsed it from afar since joining the sect, never daring to set foot inside.
Having successfully passed the Sect Return Assessment and returned to the Sect, Han Yi was elated. With money in his pocket, he decided to celebrate with his good friend, He Yihe.
"Oh, and Senior Brother Guan Di too," he thought.
But the thought of Guan Di immediately brought back the memory of his guilt over Guan Sheng in Mengshan City, causing him to hesitate. After a moment, however, he resolved to seek out Guan Di and explain everything. This unresolved issue had become a weight on his heart, and it needed to be settled.
Guan Di had originally resided on Little Boulder Peak, but after advancing to the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, he had moved to Little Dragon's Whisker Peak, one of the top three peaks on the Outer Peak. Upon reaching the Sixth Layer, he had even secured a coveted posting at Vermilion Bird Peak. This prestigious position offered abundant opportunities for personal gain, broader connections, and the chance to accrue favor with influential figures. Many Sixth Layer Outer Peak disciples pulled every string to secure such a coveted spot.
Han Yi descended Little Boulder Peak and made his way directly to Little Dragon's Whisker Peak. This time, his journey wasn't in vain. Guan Di was indeed in his courtyard, not having ventured out.
"Senior Brother Guan Di, I've passed the Sect Return Assessment!" Han Yi announced without preamble, his face beaming with joy.
Regardless of what had transpired, it was Guan Di who had initially helped him devise a plan and arranged his assignment to Mengshan City. Although the Jiang De incident had occurred during his time there, Han Yi harbored no resentment toward Guan Di.
Guan Di's expression froze momentarily before swiftly transforming into a warm smile. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Han!"
After the congratulations, Guan Di produced a letter. "Oh, by the way, Junior Brother Han, I was just about to look for you. I didn't expect you to come here yourself. My uncle wrote recently, saying you broke your word and left without a word. I suspect there might be some misunderstanding?"
Han Yi felt a pang of shame. After the Jiang De incident, he had harbored suspicions about Guan Sheng's intentions, though he lacked any real evidence. Outwardly, Guan Sheng had shown him considerable kindness and had done him significant favors. Now that Guan Sheng had written, directly accusing him of breaching their agreement, Han Yi couldn't deny it.
"Senior Brother Guan," Han Yi began, "here's what happened. When Senior Brother Guan Sheng asked me to handle that matter, I was at a critical juncture in my pill refinement breakthrough. I ended up delaying his plans. After I emerged from seclusion, I was too embarrassed to face Senior Brother Guan Sheng directly, so I left without saying goodbye."
"Oh, right. Here are the Evil-Repelling Pills I agreed to return to Martial Uncle Guan Sheng, as per our agreement. And this is my apology."
"That's all I have for now. Please pass them on to Senior Brother Guan Sheng."
Han Yi produced three bottles of Evil-Repelling Pills, calculated based on his fifteen percent success rate in refining them. He decided not to take his usual twenty percent share, giving everything to Guan Sheng instead. He also presented three bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills, all of standard quality. He dared not reveal his higher-quality pills yet, fearing they would attract unwanted attention.
Guan Di frowned, picked up the Evil-Repelling Pills and Qi Nourishing Pills, and examined them closely. His brow relaxed.
"Not bad, kid! I wouldn't even guarantee I could easily refine pills of this quality."
"Your Pill Refinement skill has improved so much! No wonder you passed the Sect Return Assessment so quickly."
"And you've already reached the Qi Refining Third Layer? No, judging by your aura, you must be close to the Fourth Layer!"
"To think you'd make such strides in both Pill Refinement and cultivation during your year as an Outpost Disciple... It's no exaggeration to say you've undergone a complete transformation!"
"Alright, I'll deliver these pills. We're all family here, so there shouldn't be any issues. Even if there are minor disputes, we can overlook them. I'll inform Clan Uncle about it."
Han Yi breathed a sigh of relief as Guan Di accepted the pills. This matter was now mostly resolved. Any remaining debts could be repaid later, once he grew stronger.
Just as Han Yi was about to leave, Guan Di stopped him.
"One more thing, Junior Brother Han. Have you considered moving to Little Dragon's Whisker Peak? With your newfound Pill Refinement skills, you could definitely secure a better courtyard. Plus, the Peak Lords would likely show you special consideration."
Han Yi politely declined. Though disappointed, Guan Di didn't press the matter.
Back at Little Spirit Void Peak, Han Yi activated his courtyard formation and began cultivating.
His goal for this session was clear:
To reach the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.
Han Yi was now just one step away from breaking through to the next cultivation realm.
Furthermore, entrusting the medicinal pills to Guan Di had resolved his lingering matter in Mengshan City, freeing him from a mental burden and allowing his state of mind to progress further toward perfection.
Earlier, he had rented a cultivation chamber on Little Spirit Void Peak for ten days. Although he hadn't deliberately pushed his progress, his mana had naturally reached 94 out of 100.
As the saying goes, "Everything is ready; only the final push remains."
Inside the courtyard's meditation chamber, Han Yi laid out all his remaining spirit stones, Qi Nourishing Pills, and Evil-Repelling Pills.
He first swallowed four Evil-Repelling Pills, then, feeling it wasn't enough, took two more for good measure.
Next, he activated the spirit stones he had placed around the chamber.
Instantly, the sealed meditation chamber filled with surging spirit qi, its concentration rapidly approaching the level of a third-tier spirit vein.
Such extravagance would be unimaginable for other Outer Sect disciples.
But for Han Yi, every spirit stone was meant for this breakthrough. If not now, when? A little waste was of no consequence.
Boom!
The surging spirit qi washed over him, compressing, coalescing, and merging with his mana.
The process of transformation continued unabated.
Unbeknownst to Han Yi, who remained secluded on Little Spirit Void Peak, several days later in Mengshan City—thousands of miles away—Guan Sheng received a letter and the entrusted items from Guan Di.
After reading the letter, Guan Sheng gazed at the medicinal pills laid out on the table.
He remained silent for a long time.