The top three spots were still occupied by Yu Huasheng, Tian Bu'er, and Dan Tai Qingqing. The fourth and fifth positions were taken by Li Biao, the true inheritor of the Wusheng Demon Sect, and Xuan Zhen, the Buddha Son of the White Dragon Temple.

Looking at the records, Li Sheng couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Ever since he comprehended the manifestation, his combat strength had multiplied several times. After the previous battle, his information should have spread, but being ranked only sixth on the Talented Ones List was somewhat unexpected.

"It seems these five ahead are not simple..." Li Sheng muttered to himself.

As he scanned downward, he noticed that the number of holders of celestial-grade divine abilities had increased from fourteen to twenty-one, indicating that more prodigies had emerged.

"It looks like the journey to the Central Domain a month from now will be lively. I wonder if, by then, the six-path formations will be complete enough to overpower all those prodigies..." A glimmer of anticipation flashed in his eyes.

Exiting the mysterious stone space, Li Sheng arrived at the colorful little tree atop the spiritual vein. The small tree, while appearing petite, exuded a sense of ancient weight. After being nourished with spiritual energy over the past few days, its vitality had become even more robust.

Tuan Tuan, the small creature, leaned against the tree's branches and was sound asleep. The crystalline leaves shimmered like they were breathing, harmonizing beautifully with Tuan Tuan's gentle breaths.

Seeing this scene, Li Sheng felt a calm wash over him.

At that moment, a figure in a black robe, exuding a somewhat wild aura, emerged and tossed a bottle of elixirs over to him. In recent days, his avatar had been busy refining elixirs and integrating techniques, while also absorbing the essence of despair-level magical creatures daily.

Although the lack of suitable techniques meant his strength didn't appear to change much, his foundation had become increasingly solid.

In these days, the avatar had also attempted to cultivate spiritual-level martial arts but with minimal success, resembling the repulsion situation mentioned by his junior sister. Li Sheng decided that during the trip to the Central Domain, he would finalize the techniques for his avatar.

After the avatar departed, Li Sheng's consciousness swept across the entire Qing Ling Sect.

Outside the mountain gate, Hong Ying led a group of villagers from Qing Ling Village to channel the water from the spiritual pool to irrigate the fields, while Wang Hu, Tie Zhu, and Chen Xixi were busy cultivating wasteland, cutting down trees, and weeding.

Now that the disciples had completed their techniques, they planned to rest for a few days before resuming their cultivation. Watching the energetic smiles on the disciples' faces, Li Sheng felt particularly joyful.

Sensing the shift in his main body's emotions, the avatar sent a message indicating that two-fifths of the medicinal materials had been consumed.

Li Sheng nodded and took out a black mysterious stone, leaving a message for Qingyi to come collect her reward and to purchase another batch of resources.

"I wonder if Miss Qingyi is still in Lingchuan Prefecture..."

Looking at the messages on the wall, Li Sheng pondered before exiting the mysterious stone space. The sect had enough resources for the disciples to reach the fourth-grade realm, so there was no need to rush.

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Retrieving his consciousness, Li Sheng settled down next to the colorful little tree. Over the past few days, he had figured out the tree's energy transfer mechanism: it could only draw out three unique energy streams per day, beyond which would deplete its essence and take a long time to recover.

Previously, he had been with Tuan Tuan and Bai Ye; now that his junior sister had left, it felt wasteful to not use it.

With this thought, his gaze fell on the sleeping Tuan Tuan. He shook the little creature awake and asked it to summon Hong Ying.

"Chirp!"

Tuan Tuan responded and vanished in a flash.

Moments later, Hong Ying hurried over with an aggrieved expression, her hair in disarray.

Before she arrived, her complaining voice echoed, "Big brother, you need to discipline Tuan Tuan; that guy keeps bullying me... I'm the master sister of the Qing Ling Sect, and it's embarrassing to be humiliated in front of others, which tarnishes the sect's image!"

"Serves you right!" Li Sheng chuckled, looking at the little girl's frustrated face. "Who told you to always tease Tuan Tuan? That little creature holds a grudge against you now."

"And you should call me Master Uncle; how can you be so disrespectful?"

"Oh!"

Liu Hong Ying hung her head in dejection.

"Alright, stop fooling around. If you want to avoid being bullied, focus on raising your realm and place your hands on the tree's branches."

Liu Hong Ying squatted in front of the tree, curiously examining it. As her small hands touched the branches, a stream of energy gently flowed into her body.

The little girl's face flushed instantly, and her aura began to fluctuate wildly.

"Ah, it's going to explode... My energy sea is going to explode..."

"Alright, hurry and go cultivate. You can come by every day for the energy transfer to assist your cultivation," Li Sheng said with a smile, sending her off.

He then channeled a unique energy stream to begin refining the fifth divine seed.

With a deep understanding of spiritual-level martial arts, he bypassed the forms and directly comprehended its essence. Coupled with the enlightening effects of high-quality elixirs, his efficiency skyrocketed.

As he delved into his cultivation, the slender, twisting little tree swayed slightly, and a seven-colored aura gradually enveloped it.

...

Days blurred as he immersed himself in training, and three days later, they reached the capital of Jingzhao Prefecture, Shengjing, which was also the capital of Dayan. It spanned a vast area, with a permanent population of over thirty million, including three inner cities and nine outer cities.

The outer city was home to common folk, while the inner city was the domain of officials and nobles, with prosperity that felt like two different worlds compared to the outer city.

In the inner city, near the palace, stood a grand and imposing mansion. Dressed in a flowing white gown that partially obscured her face, Bai Ye stood still, staring at the familiar residence, her eyes reflecting a hint of daze, filled with nostalgia.

In front of the spacious mansion, two rows of guards, a total of sixteen, stood, all at the fifth-grade realm, exuding an extraordinary presence.

Noticing Bai Ye standing still, one guard stepped forward and clasped his fists, saying, "This is the Wang Royal Mansion; Miss, are you at the wrong place?"

Although the girl's face was obscured by a veil, her ethereal aura made the guard instinctively lower his posture.

"It's been three years; Captain Er Qiang is still stuck at the fifth-grade realm..."

A crisp and pleasant voice rang in the dark man's ear.

"You are...?"

The man named Er Qiang looked puzzled, carefully scrutinizing the girl, his confusion gradually turning into astonishment.

"Princess Miao Yi?!"

"Surprised that you still remember," Bai Ye smiled lightly.

"No, it's just that Lady Bai was quite kind to us while she was alive, and Er Qiang has always been grateful and cannot forget!"

"Lady Bai... In this vast Wang Royal Mansion, how many still remember my mother?" Bai Ye scoffed, her tone dripping with mockery.

Er Qiang's face turned pale, and he quickly lowered his head.

"Princess Miao Yi, be cautious with your words, be cautious..."

"Alright, go and announce my visit!" Bai Ye waved her hand, closing her eyes and waiting.

Sensing the chilling aura radiating from Princess Miao Yi, Er Qiang was filled with astonishment.

Three years ago, when Lady Bai and the princess were expelled from the mansion, her realm was merely at the initial ninth-grade.

Now, just the aura she exuded made him tremble with fear, comparable to that of several grandmasters in the mansion.

"What has the princess experienced these past few years? She has become so powerful... This time, it seems she has not come with good intentions..."