On a secluded hilltop, the land granted to Devor by the sect brimmed with natural energy. Gentle breezes carried the faint scent of spirit herbs, and the carefully cultivated garden radiated a quiet harmony.

  Within a modest but well-crafted wooden hut, Devor sat in quiet meditation. His breathing was slow, measured, his senses attuned to the pulse of the land. The soil here was rich, ideal for growing Spiritual Plants, yet even more valuable for cultivation itself.

  The rhythmic crunch of footsteps over gravel stirred him from his trance. Opening his eyes, he saw Yulin approaching, her figure framed against the rising sun.

  "Your first class is about to begin," she said, stopping a few paces away. "Are you worried not many students will show up?"

  Devor offered a calm smile. "The number isn’t my concern. Teaching a large group, however, will be more difficult than a handful of dedicated students."

  His method relied on hands-on demonstrations, guiding disciples through the intricacies of plant nurturing and energy flow. Too many students would dilute the experience.

  Yulin hummed, her expression unreadable. "Well, I hope everything goes according to plan," she said, then added with a knowing look, "You asked me to come—was there something specific you wanted to talk about?"

  Devor nodded. "There are a few things." His gaze sharpened. "First, I’ve identified the mastermind behind the people who targeted me in the past."

  Yulin raised an eyebrow, a flicker of curiosity flashing across her face. Then, as if piecing together a puzzle, her expression shifted. "The sect told you?"

  Her tone was direct, yet beneath it lay an understanding. If the sect had known, they had allowed it to happen—for reasons unknown.

  Devor’s eyes darkened slightly. "That’s right. If their reasons were unclear, they would have acted already. The fact that they haven’t means the situation is… complicated."

  Yulin crossed her arms, thoughtful. She hadn’t expected him to analyze it that way, but it made sense. "And the mastermind?"

  "Yiru Fu." Devor’s voice carried a weight. "A princess of the Fu Empire."

  Yulin’s brows furrowed in mild surprise, but she quickly composed herself. "A noble? What reason would she have to target you?"

  "There are many reasons," Devor admitted, exhaling slowly. "And I was just one of her targets."

  Silence settled between them before he continued, "I know you’ve been investigating this matter. That’s why I wanted to tell you directly—Yiru Fu isn’t someone we can confront carelessly."

  A slow smile tugged at Yulin’s lips. "You figured that out?" Her voice carried a trace of amusement. "I knew it wouldn’t be just anyone, but still… we can’t let her subordinates roam freely, can we?"

  Devor gave a slight nod. "Agreed. But be careful, Sister Yulin. I don’t want you making unnecessary enemies because of me."

  Yulin’s smile turned sharp. "Don’t underestimate me, Devor. I’m not as fragile as you are."

  He chuckled softly. It was true—she was far from weak. Compared to her, he was still lacking.

  Then, with a flick of his wrist, he summoned an item from his Spatial Ring.

  Three small black boxes materialized in his left palm, stacked neatly.

  "They just finished these yesterday," Devor said, extending the boxes toward her. "You’ve always stood by my side, and I wanted to express my gratitude."

  Yulin’s eyes glinted with curiosity as she picked up the top box. "You’re wealthy enough to give a Core Formation Cultivator a gift?" she teased, though there was genuine intrigue in her tone. "This looks expensive. What is it?"

  She opened the lid, revealing a smooth, palm-sized orb resting within.

  The moment she extended her Spiritual Sense, her pupils dilated.

  "This…" she murmured, caught off guard. A rare reaction from her.

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  "After some thought, I realized you have a certain… obsession with Flying Swords," Devor said with a knowing smile. "I don’t know much about them myself, but the Sect Master recommended this as a suitable gift—an Adaptive Flying Sword Orb."

  Without hesitation, Yulin channeled her energy into the orb. The moment her Qi flowed into it, the object responded.

  With a flick of her wrist, the black sphere unraveled, stretching and reforming into a sleek, floating sword.

  Her eyes gleamed as she tested its balance, adjusting its length with practiced ease. Despite being her first time wielding this particular weapon, she handled it as though she had trained with it for years.

  Within moments, she cycled through three distinct configurations—one prioritizing speed, another durability, and the last sheer cutting power.

  Devor watched in silent admiration. Even among elite cultivators, few could adapt to a new weapon so seamlessly.

  After a few more experimental movements, Yulin returned the blade to its spherical form, cradling it in her palm with a satisfied expression.

  "This thing…" Yulin furrowed her brows as she ran her fingers across the smooth surface of the orb. A faint pulse of energy radiated from within, refined and potent. "It feels… expensive."

  "Do you like it, Sister Yulin?" Devor asked, his voice carrying a rare note of anticipation.

  Yulin glanced at him, amused by his eagerness. "Of course." Her lips curled into a beautiful smile. "Thank you, Devor."

  His expression brightened. "I ordered three of them. You can take all of them."

  "T—Three?" Yulin’s eyes widened slightly in disbelief. She had assumed the other two boxes contained something different. Who would have thought they all held the same high-grade artifact?

  She hesitated for only a moment before accepting them. She wouldn’t pretend to refuse something she genuinely needed.

  "Because of you, I wasted two years of effort," she said with a wry smile. "I had already gathered materials to craft an Flying Sword Orb and was just about to commission a Forging Master."

  Devor blinked. "You… were going to forge one yourself?"

  She nodded. "I’d collected about eighty percent of the materials—enough to make a single orb. Yet today, I receive three all at once." She exhaled, shaking her head in mock exasperation. "I should’ve just waited."

  Devor chuckled. "You can always buy enhancement materials for them. I heard these orbs are easier to upgrade than most weapons."

  Yulin examined the artifacts again, her fingers tightening slightly over the boxes. She could tell at a glance—these were no ordinary Flying Sword Orbs. The materials, the craftsmanship… they were leagues beyond what she could have acquired on her own.

  "Thank you, Devor," she said at last, her voice softer than before. A rare flicker of emotion passed through her eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

  For a few minutes, they talked—nothing heavy, just casual conversation. Yet an unspoken understanding had formed between them, as if the bond they shared had deepened in ways neither needed to say aloud.

  Then, it was time.

  The moment Devor had been waiting for.

  Together, they descended the hill toward the teaching grounds. Below, rows of small garden plots stretched out, tended to by sect disciples. The scent of earth and budding spirit herbs lingered in the air, a testament to the growing vitality of this place.

  As they neared the base, Devor’s gaze swept over the assembled students.

  He had expected a modest turnout—Apprentices, maybe some Nameless Disciples. But what greeted him was far more than that.

  Among the gathered crowd, he spotted not only Apprentices and Nameless Disciples but Outer Disciples as well. And standing slightly apart from the rest—watching with calculating eyes—were Inner Disciples.

  Devor’s brows lifted slightly. An Inner Disciple? Here?

  Yulin smirked as she observed his reaction. "Surprised?"

  "You knew about this?" Devor asked.

  "Of course." She crossed her arms, amusement dancing in her gaze. "I heard some Inner Disciples were curious. You didn’t think word of your class would stay hidden, did you?"

  Devor glanced at the disciples again. The presence of an Inner Disciple changed things. If one of them deemed his lessons worthless, rumors would spread—and not in his favor.

  "Are you confident you can teach them?" Yulin continued, her tone teasing. "Honestly, if it were me, I’d be a little nervous. After all, these aren’t just ordinary students."

  Devor stood still for a moment, studying the faces before him.

  Nervous? Of course.

  Afraid? Not at all.

  Of all aspects of cultivation, this was the one thing he was sure of.

  Spiritual Plants. The lifeblood of alchemy, the foundation of countless cultivation techniques, the secret to longevity and power. This was the path he had chosen, and he knew it better than anyone else here.

  "This is just the beginning," Devor said calmly. "I don’t see today’s success as my ultimate peak."

  Then, without hesitation, he stepped forward.

  Yulin watched him go, her expression shifting subtly. That aura…

  For a long time, she had thought of Devor as someone uncertain—someone walking a path filled with hesitation. But at this moment, something within him had shifted. His steps carried a quiet confidence, a conviction that hadn’t been there before.

  She tilted her head slightly, her smirk softening.

  "I hope you achieve your true purpose in this life, Devor," she thought.

  The light in her eyes flickered—something unseen by others, yet undeniable.

  Then, suddenly—

  A ripple of energy surged through her body.

  Yulin stiffened. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but for a cultivator of her level, it was unmistakable.

  Something had changed.

  She clenched her fist instinctively. Deep within her meridians, a shift had occurred, as if an invisible seal had loosened—no, cracked.

  Her pulse quickened. This feeling… it’s as if…

  She exhaled slowly, suppressing the strange sensation, her mind racing with possibilities.

  Then, finally, a small smile crossed her lips.

  "In this lifetime, that boy is quite interesting, isn’t he?" she mused to herself.

  Far above them, the clouds drifted lazily, but somewhere beyond sight, the delicate balance of fate had shifted.

  — End of Volume 1 —