Yan Taibai was naturally unaware of what was happening outside Yan Family Fortress. Following the orders of the Yan Family Ancestor and using the jade token provided by Mr. Xuanye, he was currently occupied on the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion, poring over books, jade slips, and handwritten notes left behind by the predecessors of the Yan family.
These items were among the most precious treasures of the Yan family, representing a core part of their foundation. Even if the family were to decline in the future, these relics provided a glimmer of hope for a resurgence. Most of the jade slips, ancient texts, and journals in this section contained the family’s top-tier cultivation techniques, divine abilities, and hard-won experience—knowledge rarely seen on the two floors below. This allowed Yan Taibai to once again experience a rapid surge in his "Read Ten Thousand Volumes" progress bar.
However, much like the shopping apps of his previous life, the progress began to slow down and stagnate as the content started to repeat with similar techniques, spells, and secret arts. This left Yan Taibai feeling quite frustrated. Still, it was significantly faster than the lower floors, and he was confident that he would soon complete the "Read Ten Thousand Volumes" simulated cultivation task.
He was eagerly anticipating the unknown reward that awaited him. After all, the last time he had been rewarded with the Metal Heavenly Spiritual Root, which elevated him to the most important person in the Yan family—not to mention earning him a little fiancée!
While Yan Taibai remained in the Scripture Pavilion as usual, the Yan Family Ancestor, Mr. Xuanye, and several core Foundation Establishment cultivators were in deep discussion within the Flying Cloud Pavilion.
"Ancestor, there have been unidentified cultivators lingering outside the fortress for days. I suspect something is amiss, yet I haven't been able to gather any concrete information," a Yan Family Fortress steward reported, his expression grim.
In truth, ever since two children with Heavenly Spiritual Roots appeared in Yan Family Fortress, there had been no peace in the fortress or even the entirety of Lin Prefecture. The marketplace under the Yan family's jurisdiction had seen frequent disturbances, mostly caused by cultivators from other states. The Yan family had been hesitant to resort to bloodshed, settling for expulsions instead. Because the Seven Sects of Yue Country constantly suppressed them, the Yan family had maintained frequent exchanges and ties with cultivation sects and families in neighboring regions to counter this pressure.
The existence of Yan Taibai and Yan Ruyan, both with Heavenly Spiritual Roots, had made many sects and families uneasy. Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivators face no bottlenecks before the Core Formation stage; once these two matured, the Yan family would possess two additional Core Formation Cultivators. The current Yan Family Ancestor was not yet four hundred years old, meaning the Yan family would soon have at least three Core Formation Cultivators. Furthermore, as Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivators, the chances of Yan Taibai and Yan Ruyan reaching the Nascent Soul stage were far higher than most. Such a family was a rarity in the entire Tiannan Immortal Cultivation World.
The Yan Family Fortress had considered keeping the secret, but such a thing was impossible to contain. It was better to admit it openly and secure sufficient benefits. While some feared the Yan family's rise, others sought to curry favor and latch onto their coattails. After consulting with Mr. Xuanye, the Yan Family Ancestor chose to go public to trade that information for real gains. The Moon Masking Sect, for instance, had ceded thirty percent of the profits from one mine and twenty percent from two others just to take Yan Taibai and Yan Ruyan under their wing.
It wasn't merely about Old Man Qiong and Fairy Nishang accepting them as disciples; the web of interests involved was complex and bound the Yan Family Fortress more tightly to the Moon Masking Sect. The hope was that, in time, the Yan family—the premier cultivation family of Yue Country—would completely defect to the Moon Masking Sect, ensuring that everything invested today would eventually return to them.
Yan Taibai didn't understand the full scope of these politics, but he could guess. Only the naive little Yan Ruyan thought she had simply gained a beautiful master and a brother.
The Yan Family Ancestor remained unfazed by the steward's report. His eyes glimmered with a cold, piercing intensity as he issued a stern order: "It seems some people refuse to give up. In that case, there is no need for courtesy. Pass the word: warn the cultivators outside. Before Taibai officially enters the Moon Masking Sect, anyone caught lingering within a hundred miles is to be dealt with by the Martial Hall. Show no mercy—execute them on sight."
"Understood, Ancestor," the steward replied quickly.
"Go and instruct the Martial Hall," the Ancestor commanded, his tone softening slightly.
"As you command, Ancestor."
The steward departed the hall, and the remaining stewards began reporting on various other matters. Anything concerning Yan Taibai—such as pills, Spirit Stones, and other resources—was treated with the utmost importance, requiring the Ancestor’s personal decision.
"Starting next month, double Taibai's monthly allocation of pills and Spirit Stones," the Ancestor decreed. "We must ensure he reaches the 13th Layer of Qi Condensation before he joins the Moon Masking Sect. Once he does, he can enter seclusion to attempt a successful Foundation Establishment and become a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"Yes, Ancestor!" the elder in charge of resources hurriedly agreed, not daring to be even slightly negligent.
...
Life in the Yan Family Fortress became even more comfortable for Yan Taibai. With the doubled supply of pills and Spirit Stones, his cultivation speed increased naturally. However, his focus remained on the "Read Ten Thousand Volumes" progress, and he awaited his unknown reward. He paid no mind to the internal affairs of the fortress; it was none of his business, and he felt no need to interfere. As for upholding justice, that had even less to do with him.
Time passed in a flash, and two years drifted by. During this period, having no bottlenecks, Yan Taibai naturally progressed to the 13th Layer of Qi Condensation, and his "Read Ten Thousand Volumes" progress reached one hundred percent.
The second simulated cultivation session began!
*Metal Heavenly Spiritual Root, reached Qi Condensation at three, joined the Moon Masking Sect at eight, successful Foundation Establishment, then assassinated and died. Reward: "White Emperor Golden Emperor Slash".*
"Assassinated? And the 'White Emperor Golden Emperor Slash'... isn't this the 'Five Emperors Great Demon Divine Ability' from *Immortality*? To think it’s this technique. But who on earth was behind this assassination?"
After reading the extremely brief summary of the simulation, Yan Taibai’s expression turned grim. After all, nobody wanted to be assassinated and die so prematurely.