Although Bai Xiu'er was nominally a servant girl from the Earth Clan, she had always treated Huangfu Bing'er like a sister, and seeing her after such a long time filled her with joy.

Huangfu Bing'er took Bai Xiu'er's hand. Noticing that many late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, and even some early-stage Golden Core cultivators, entering and exiting the Qingdan Workshop regarded Bai Xiu'er with a degree of awe, she asked in surprise, "Xiu'er, what is going on? Why are they afraid of you?"

Bai Xiu'er immediately put on a distressed expression and said, "Sister Bing'er, you have no idea. After you and Brother Ye left, I buried myself in cultivation for over twenty years. I subdued all the tribal warriors in more than thirty surrounding blocks. I even fought with Golden Core cultivators, but they couldn't defeat me! They said I'm now a late-stage High-Tier Warrior and refuse to spar with me anymore."

"Late-stage High-Tier Warrior?! Heh heh, naturally, they won't fight if they can't win."

Huangfu Bing'er was surprised and asked, "Xiu'er, what about the senior martial brothers and the other Qingdan disciples? I won't be staying long this time in Baifu City, I specifically wanted to see them." "They are all busy refining pills inside. I said I wanted to help with the alchemy, but they wouldn't let me. So, Xiu'er has just been sitting here bored out of her mind."

Seeing that Huangfu Bing'er was asking about serious matters, Bai Xiu'er quickly explained. As she spoke, Bai Xiu'er slightly tilted her pretty face and smiled proudly. However, suddenly, she seemed to remember something, glanced around nervously, and asked with a mixture of anticipation and disappointment, "Sister Bing'er, didn't Brother Ye come back with you?"

"He went to the Purple Sword Palace; he should be back shortly. Let's go in first!"

Huangfu Bing'er led Bai Xiu'er into the Qingdan Workshop.

"Martial Uncle Huangfu! You've returned!"

The Qingdan cultivators busy inside were overjoyed to see Huangfu Bing'er appear and rushed over to pay their respects.

"Junior Sister Huangfu..."

The few Golden Core cultivators managing the Qingdan Workshop, including Sun Ran, also hurried out of the alchemy chambers, their faces alight with pleasure.

Everyone crowded around Huangfu Bing'er and led her to the main hall of the Qingdan Workshop's upper floor.

Martial Sister Huangfu took the seat of honor in the main hall, while the other cultivators stood along the sides. The Golden Core cultivators sat directly, while the Foundation Establishment cultivators stood respectfully behind them.

Huangfu Bing'er looked across the assembled crowd inside the workshop.

The Golden Core cultivators in the Qingdan Workshop now included the four mid-stage Golden Core cultivators—Sun Ran, Chen Weidan, Yuan Ningzhi, and Feng An—who had formed their cores before coming to the East Sea, along with five disciples, Yan Dong and Shen Bao among them, who had recently reached the Golden Core stage—making a total of nine. If one added the many cultivators who had reached late-stage Foundation Establishment and showed high potential to form Golden Cores after taking the Golden Core Pills, this hall was certainly filled with high-tier cultivators.

The Qingdan Workshop cultivators in the hall looked at Huangfu Bing'er with growing envy, reverence, and respect. If previously, their support for Huangfu Bing'er as the Workshop Master was partly due to her being Huangfu Rui's daughter and a cultivator with extremely high potential, now, Huangfu Bing'er's current strength made her the undisputed Master. In just a few decades, she had cultivated to the peak of the seventh layer of the Golden Core stage, with the potential to impact the Nascent Soul realm. Once she became a Nascent Soul cultivator, she would be qualified to establish her own Immortal Palace and become a renowned figure in the East Sea. For most of them, this was an unattainable realm.

"Senior Brother Sun, how has the situation in the workshop been recently?" Huangfu Bing'er asked softly.

"The Qingdan Workshop has recalled most of the Qingdan Sect cultivators who were previously assigned to other Immortal Palaces. Furthermore, these past few years, five disciples from our Qingdan Workshop broke through the Golden Core bottleneck and were allocated several small spirit islands from the Heavenly Dao Alliance. We are planting medicinal herbs on these islands, and in a few more years, we can start harvesting them for alchemy. However, the Qingdan Workshop still consists only of cultivators born from the Qingdan Sect; we have not recruited outsiders."

"Several years ago, I focused intensely on alchemy techniques and fortunately achieved a breakthrough, becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster capable of refining seventh-tier spirit pills. Additionally, we now have over ten Alchemy Masters. Our Qingdan Workshop is gradually making a name for itself in Baifu City. Some smaller-scale cultivation gardens and merchant guilds have already sought us out for cooperation."

"The major herb cultivation gardens and merchant guilds are tightly controlled and struggle to earn much spirit stone income—only the meager earnings from the hardship of alchemy. However, things have improved somewhat in recent years. Junior Brother Shen Bao often uses the name of Elder Ye of the Purple Sword Palace, and many cultivation gardens show us some respect, significantly boosting our profit margins from alchemy."

"Besides refining spirit pills for cultivators, we have also specifically researched and refined the Earth Clan Blood Spirit Pill. Bai Xiu'er mobilized many Earth Clan warriors in the city to purchase Blood Spirit Pills at the Qingdan Workshop. Although not many Earth Clan warriors possess the spirit stones to buy them, the alchemy rooms refining Blood Spirit Pills are very few, so competition in this area is not fierce, actually yielding considerable profit."

"With increased profits, the cultivation progress of the disciples in the workshop has also accelerated significantly."

"And there is Bai Xiu'er, who receives Blood Spirit Pills daily. Her cultivation has advanced extremely quickly; she is already a High-Tier Warrior!"

Vice-Master Sun Ran reported every detail meticulously.

Huangfu Bing'er listened attentively.

"For the Qingdan Workshop to operate to this extent is quite commendable, and it is thanks to the senior martial brothers and sisters who have maintained the overall structure. I am returning this time and will be leaving soon to prepare for my tribulation crossing. For the workshop's affairs, I still ask the senior martial brothers and sisters to take good care of them." Huangfu Bing'er smiled slightly.

"Junior Sister Huangfu, rest assured, we will certainly devote ourselves fully..."

"The affairs of the workshop are naturally not as important as crossing the tribulation to achieve Nascent Soul. We will handle these trivial matters," Sun Ran and the others quickly assured her.

Huangfu Bing'er nodded, dismissing everyone to return to their respective duties.

Half an hour later, Ye Qin arrived at the Qingdan Workshop and bade farewell to several fellow disciples. However, this time, he did not gather all the cultivators; Ye Qin only called over Shen Bao, Yan Dong, and a few other disciples.

"Junior Sister Yan, the spirit herbs planted on Huo Yin Island have matured for fifty years now. The island is rich in spiritual energy, and many spirit herbs should be ripe. Senior Sister Bing'er and I probably won't return for many years. When you have time, go look after the herb garden on the island, and collect some spirit herbs for alchemy. Don't sell them; keep them for your own cultivation. Your cultivation aptitude is better than the other disciples; don't delay your progress," Ye Qin said lightly.

"Here is the restriction token for accessing the island; Junior Sister Dong'er, keep it safe." Huangfu Bing'er smiled faintly, holding Yan Dong's hand.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Ye and Senior Sister Elder! In previous years, thanks to Senior Brother's Golden Core Pill, I successfully became a Golden Core cultivator and didn't delay my progress. Otherwise, being delayed for a hundred years, even if I eventually became a Golden Core cultivator, my hopes of reaching higher realms would be slim," Yan Dong said, her eyes slightly red, as she accepted the token.

Afterward, Ye Qin pulled Shen Bao aside for a private word.

"Shen Bao, how many of the alchemy ingredient seeds I asked you to find over the years have you sourced?"

"Senior Brother, I have never forgotten this matter over the years. I have mostly prepared the seeds for low-tier spirit herbs on the list! However, for some high-tier spirit herb seeds of the tenth tier and above, I am of low standing and truly lack the channels to obtain them. Those large cultivation gardens refuse to sell such seeds," Shen Bao said hurriedly, presenting a storage pouch and a list from his waist in a fawning manner.

Ye Qin took the spirit herb seed list and was pleased after a glance. Shen Bao's diligence in collecting these complex seeds was commendable. As for the high-tier auxiliary spirit herb seeds needed for the Spirit Root Potential Pill, he had already acquired them at great expense from various merchant pavilions in Linhai City over the years. Coupled with the large quantity of low-tier herb seeds Shen Bao had gathered, it was enough for his needs.

"Good, these spirit herb seeds are sufficient! In the future, you need to put more thought into the affairs of the Qingdan Workshop," Ye Qin smiled.

"That is natural. Senior Brother, how long do you expect to be gone this time to undergo your tribulation?" Shen Bao asked.

"It's hard to say; it could be as short as thirty years or as long as fifty or sixty. Moreover, the situation at the Blood Sea is extremely tense now; this great war could erupt at any moment. Even after successfully crossing the tribulation and reaching Nascent Soul, I might not have time to return," Ye Qin shook his head.

"I heard that during the Immortal-Demon War, the Heavenly Dao Alliance will conscript a large number of Golden Core cultivators to go to the Blood Sea. I worry I might be conscripted. With my low strength, if I'm not careful, I could lose my life. I finally managed to form a Golden Core; I don't want the several hundred years of my life to end here," Shen Bao worried deeply.

"Heh heh, only those at the mid-stage Golden Core level, at least, will be sent to the Blood Sea. You only reached the early-stage Golden Core the year before last; your cultivation is still far off. Cultivate with peace of mind and manage the Qingdan Workshop well," Ye Qin chuckled, shaking his head.

Just then, Huangfu Bing'er walked over with Bai Xiu'er and said, "Husband, Xiu'er can't be of much help in the Qingdan Workshop and is completely idle. She said she wants to go to the Blood Sea with us. What do you think...?"

"Go to the Blood Sea with us? That doesn't seem appropriate! The Blood Sea is extremely dangerous; if we run into big trouble, we won't be able to look after her," Ye Qin was startled, frowning.

"Senior Sister Elder, I agree with her leaving. She causes trouble in the Qingdan Workshop all day long. If I ask her to watch the furnace fire, she ends up knocking the cauldron over. If I ask her to deliver goods, she runs off midway to mingle with the Earth Clan in the city and completely forgets her task. Also, any guest at the Qingdan Workshop who carelessly offends her has received a beating from her! I wish for her to leave quickly every day," Shen Bao said with great delight.

"What are you talking about! Say another word, and watch out, I'll beat you!" Bai Xiu'er glared fiercely at Shen Bao, then immediately changed her expression to one of aggrieved pleading toward Ye Qin, "Big Brother Ye, it’s too boring here; it’s hard even to find someone to fight. I dare not provoke the powerful cultivators, and the cultivators I dare to provoke can't beat me! I heard the Blood Sea has many high-tier demon beasts. If I go with you to slay them, I can earn money! Let me go!"

"Slay demon beasts?" Ye Qin nearly rolled his eyes.

"Xiu'er is currently a late-stage High-Tier Warrior, her combat strength is completely comparable to that of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. Furthermore, we have a ship. If necessary, we can just send her back; there is no need to worry too much about her safety," Huangfu Bing'er said with a smile.

Ye Qin sighed and agreed.

The next day.

Ye Qin, Huangfu Bing'er, and a happily excited Bai Xiu'er left Baifu City for Linhai City, then used the teleportation array in Linhai City to travel to a stronghold in the Sea of Blood—the Blood Sand Stronghold.

As an Elder of the Purple Sword Palace, Ye Qin had spent over twenty years gathering intelligence in Linhai City, bringing a group of Purple Sword Palace Golden Core cultivators with him. He had a relatively deep understanding of every stronghold in the Sea of Blood. Hundreds of strongholds were scattered deep within the vast interior of the Sea of Blood, serving as hidden bases.

The Blood Sand Stronghold was one such place, virtually unknown. Because this stronghold rarely yielded rare spirit items and had few demon beasts appearing, most treasure-hunting and beast-hunting cultivators in the East Sea rarely visited it. People would often fly for ten thousand miles without spotting a single cultivator.

But it did attract the attention of some.

As the trio from Ye Qin stepped out of a teleportation array leading to the Blood Sand Stronghold in the central plaza of Linhai City, three Golden Core cultivators from the Wanluo Palace, who had been pretending to converse casually while monitoring the teleportation arrays nearby, instantly changed expression.

"Damn it, we've been monitoring that Ye fellow for over twenty years, and finally, we spotted him heading to the Sea of Blood. Hurry, you two pretend to be cultivators heading to the Sea of Blood to explore, immediately go to the teleportation point, and continue tracking Elder Ye. I will return immediately to report to the Young Palace Master!" the leading cultivator said at once.

"We obey!"

The other two Golden Core cultivators nodded in response and hurried toward the teleportation array where Ye Qin's group had vanished. Every teleportation array in Linhai City had a corresponding destination stronghold. Ye Qin and his companions had clearly gone to the Blood Sand Stronghold. After paying a sum of spirit stones, the two of them quickly vanished into the array heading to the Blood Sand Stronghold, tracking the trail of Ye Qin's group.

In Linhai City's well-known 'Immortal Winnowing Tower,' Wang Shiwei, the Young Palace Master of the Wanluo Palace, was dancing to the singing of the courtesans on the central stage, fanning himself with a paper fan, while sensuously kneading the full, soft chest of a beautiful and alluring woman, his face filled with intoxication.

At that moment, a Golden Core cultivator from the Wanluo Palace ascended the tower hurriedly, waved for the surrounding women to withdraw, and then whispered into Wang Shiwei's ear, "Young Palace Master, we have tracked Elder Ye of the Purple Sword Palace; he just left Baifu City and headed to the Blood Sand Stronghold in the Sea of Blood! Accompanying him are only his wife and an Earth Clan maidservant; there are no Nascent Soul cultivators."

"Oh, he stayed in Linhai City for twenty years, and he is finally leaving the East Sea for the Blood Sea?! Haha, heaven must be helping me! It wasn't a waste of the decades this Young Master spent having people constantly monitor his movements!" Wang Shiwei let out a low exclamation, his eyes instantly turning ice-cold and clear.

Ever since the direct conflict with Ye Qin at the Blood Sea Merchant Pavilion auction, he had been waiting for an opportunity—for Ye Qin to venture into the Sea of Blood. However, in the East Sea cultivation world, whether in Linhai City or Baifu City, there were too many taboos that prevented him from making a move. Only in the chaotic Sea of Blood could he strike and eliminate this thorn in his side, Ye Qin! After waiting for over twenty years, the opportunity had finally arrived.

"Then, Young Palace Master, shall we...?" The reporting Golden Core cultivator, seeing the cold and ruthless look in Wang Shiwei's eyes, immediately flattered him.

"Kill! What else is there to ask? Unless he is eliminated, I cannot quell the anger in this Young Master's heart!" Wang Shiwei snapped his folding fan shut with a 'pa' sound, his eyes full of viciousness.

Although the cultivator had vaguely guessed Wang Shiwei's intentions, hearing him confirm it made his heart skip a beat. He quickly said, "Young Palace Master, Elder Ye possesses the Great Five Elements Sword Array, famed as 'Invincible at the Golden Core Stage' in the Purple Sword Palace, and it has never been known to fail. He might be hiding many ruthless methods, and his strength is truly extraordinary; ordinary Golden Core cultivators cannot deal with him. Furthermore, the Nascent Soul Elders of our Wanluo Palace are currently occupied with their own important tasks, so we cannot ask an Elder to act personally. Our chances of success are not high..."

"Hmph, Invincible at the Golden Core Stage? In the eyes of this Young Master, he is already a dead man. This Young Master is not some stupidly rigid person. To kill him, must I go up and fight him one-on-one like Du Qingliang of Shangtang Palace? Even if that Ye fellow possesses heaven-defying methods, if one or two Golden Core cultivators are no match for him, I will personally lead dozens of late-stage Golden Core cultivators to surround and kill him. Let's see if he has three heads and six arms and can escape this calamity!" Wang Shiwei said with disdain.

"Young Palace Master, what worries this subordinate most is the possibility of the news leaking out. Attacking a Purple Sword Palace Elder in such a manner—the consequences would be too much to bear...!" The Golden Core cultivator's eyes flickered with caution.

"We have already torn the facade; we can't afford to worry about that too much. As long as the person is killed and everything is cleaned up, if there is no evidence, the Purple Sword Palace won't know who did it. Even if they suspect, what evidence do they have to persuade the Elder Council of the Heavenly Dao Alliance that I was the one who killed him?" Wang Shiwei tapped his left palm lightly with his folding fan and sneered.

Besides, the outside world rumored that Elder Ye had managed to compile the Purple Sword Palace's Great Five Elements Sword Array, possessed extremely high potential, and earned his semi-honorary Elder position through the favor of Palace Master Zhou. He had always looked down upon Ye Qin as an Elder and treated him with utter contempt.

"Since we are doing this, we must do it cleanly. What happens in the Sea of Blood will not reach the East Sea! Issue my order: summon all direct lineage Golden Core cultivators currently in Linhai City who do not have urgent duties to carry out this secret mission with this Young Master! Not a single piece of news must leak out!"

"Yes!" The Golden Core cultivator immediately accepted the order.

Wang Shiwei was certain, his killing intent fully revealed.

"Hmph, if the Palace Master hadn't repeatedly instructed me not to openly break ties with the Purple Sword Palace! Otherwise, this Young Master would just kill Ye Qin and announce it to the world. That way, that cowardly wretch Du Qingliang and Fairy Meng Ling and the others would know that what they dare not do, Wang Shiwei dares to do! However, the competition for the position of Northern Sect Master is fierce right now; the timing is wrong. This Young Master will endure for now. Once our Wanluo Palace secures the Northern Sect Master position, ha ha, this Young Master will see who dares to offend the Wanluo Palace, who dares to offend this Young Master!~"