"Alright, our young disciple has only just arrived—don't treat him with such a lecturing tone from the very beginning!" Seeing Han Li's uneasy demeanor, the young wife smiled warmly. "Very well, I'll take that into account. Regardless, this excellent disciple is the one who saved our lives—so as your master, I'll certainly make it up to him!" Li Hua Yuan gazed at the young wife with a gentle expression, then turned to face Yu Kun, who was still standing by. "You go ahead now. I'll be talking privately with your sister-in-law and Han Li. We won't need anyone else present." "Understood, Master!" Yu Kun replied respectfully, then cast a look of admiration at Han Li before quietly stepping aside. "A savior? Compensation?" Han Li was truly taken aback. He had no idea how these two terms could apply to himself. When had he ever done anything so significant—something he hadn't even realized? Seeing Han Li's dazed, foolish expression, the young wife couldn't help but smile gently and said, "Husband, please explain it all clearly! Your disciple knows absolutely nothing—don't leave her completely confused!" After hearing the young wife's words, Li Hua Yuan smiled slightly, nodded, and then addressed Han Li: "Han Li, now you should understand why I took you as my disciple, right? There's no need to feel embarrassed—indeed, as an elder, I did have a strong desire for those heavenly elixirs, so I used the guise of taking you as a disciple to secure half of your share. Otherwise, you would have received two Foundation Pills instead of just one! Though I must admit that I've reduced your rewards somewhat, I've also ensured that you'll have my name as a solid backing in the future, so that you won't be easily humiliated. This is fair to you, after all. Considering your initial qualifications, even with an extra Foundation Pill, it seemed unlikely you'd succeed in achieving Foundation Stage!" Li Huayuan spoke calmly, as if he found nothing amiss with what had happened that day. "But later things changed. Shortly after I obtained these spiritual herbs and intended to prepare pills to enhance my own spiritual power, my wife suddenly made a mistake during her practice and fell into critical condition. Fortunately, the heavenly herbs I received from you had not yet been used, which allowed her to survive temporarily. Over the following years, using the remaining herbs, I prepared healing pills that finally brought her back to health a few days ago. When we spoke about the origin of these herbs, my wife immediately insisted that I should compensate you—after all, it was precisely these herbs that saved her life. You can truly be considered her savior." As Li Huayuan spoke of the moment his wife's life hung in the balance, his face changed several times, as though recalling the severity of that crisis. It was clear that he truly cherished his young wife deeply. "After hearing this, I thought it made perfect sense, so I decided to formally admit you as one of my disciples even if you hadn't yet achieved the foundational stage. But I never expected that, before I could take any action, I already received the news of your successful foundation stage. This truly came as a surprise to me! Indeed, I had personally stated at the time that as soon as you entered the foundational stage, you would be officially recognized as one of my disciples. Thus, this cannot be considered any form of compensation. I'll have to think of other ways within my means to make up for it." Li Huayuan finally recounted the entire situation, leaving Han Li somewhat stunned. He never imagined that such a fortunate turn of events could happen to him—despite having heard Li Huayuan clearly express his willingness to compensate, Han Li still found it hard to believe, standing there in quiet astonishment. "You should think carefully about this—your master isn't usually very generous, so this is quite a rare opportunity!" The young wife glanced at Li Hua Yuan before speaking softly to Han Li. Li Hua Yuan managed a few awkward, forced laughs, looking rather embarrassed. Finally regaining his composure, Han Li hesitated a moment, intending to make specific requests regarding the cultivation technique, but upon hearing his wife's words, he felt it would be impolite to decline her kind offer and simply nodded in agreement. Then, Li Hua Yuan summoned Yu Kun and asked him to accompany Han Li as they explored the vast inner sanctuary. The elder brother immediately beamed with enthusiasm and eagerly agreed, then promptly took Han Li outside. Even before they had stepped fully out of the hall, he began describing the entire estate to him. "The Master's Green Wave Cave spans hundreds of mu in area—houses and all," the young wife said to Li Hua Yuan, smiling as Han Li and Yu Kun gradually walked farther away. "Do you think our new disciple can bear Yu Kun's constant bother? Even before he speaks, just the sight of him opening his mouth makes me feel a headache. His persistent chatter truly wears one out!" "Oh! Don't just say that, Lady—right now, even I find myself at a loss! Han Li won't last long!" Li Hua Yuan sighed, clearly helpless. "That's true. But tell me, what will your disciple ask for?" the young wife suddenly widened her round eyes, a hint of cunning in her gaze. "What could he possibly ask for? Just the usual things—herbal pills, cultivation techniques, or magical artifacts. If it weren't for Lady's repeated insistence on rewarding this well-behaved disciple, I'd honestly be reluctant to be so generous." Li Huayuan hadn't even produced the items yet, but it seemed he was already feeling the pain. "What's this? If I don't repay my life-saving grace, there will be a flaw in my Ice Heart Technique—definitely preventing me from achieving the ultimate, perfect state! How could I then enter the Consolidation Stage and share my life with you, forever together?" The young wife first gave Li Huayuan a withering look, but the next sentence flowed with deep affection, deeply touching Li Huayuan. He immediately puffed out his chest, vowing to fully meet Han Li's demands and ensure that his wife would have no future concerns in her cultivation. Han Li naturally didn't know that the large gift that had just fallen into his lap was actually connected to the young wife's cultivation technique. At present, he was strolling around the Hall of Sword-Exchanging with his senior brother, yet he still felt that this good fortune had come unexpectedly—giving him a sense of unease and something odd. "Hmm, why is Yu Senior Brother here at the Hall of Sword-Exchanging? Shall we have the two of us exchange some techniques?" "When Yu Kun brought Han Li near a very large stone hall, a sturdy man stepped out just then. Upon seeing Yu Kun, he casually remarked, yet his eyes kept scanning Han Li continuously. 'Who doesn't know Fourth Brother's mastery of the Five Elements techniques in practical combat? He's the very best under the Master! Well, I'll just bow out and avoid any embarrassment!' Upon hearing this, Yu Kun's face flushed slightly, then he chuckled and politely declined. But suddenly, turning around, he pointed at Han Li and said with a cheerful smile, 'I haven't introduced Fourth Brother yet. This is the Master's newly admitted formal disciple, Han Brother, who will soon become our Eighth Brother!' 'And this is Fourth Brother Song Meng. You may call him Song Senior Brother as well! Come, let's all meet and greet. After all, we'll soon be fellow brothers under the same sect!' 'Eighth Brother!' Hearing this, the Fourth Brother's eyes sparkled brightly, fixing his gaze firmly on Han Li!" Han Li's expression remained unchanged, yet he silently sighed inside. This man clearly had the temperament of a battle-mad warrior—once he was spotted, there was no good outcome to expect. Without waiting for the man to speak first, Han Li stepped forward and said, "Good morning, Fourth Brother. My brother has only just reached the Foundation Stage, so I kindly ask for your continued guidance and care!" After bowing formally, Han Li's words, however, fell flat. The man looked visibly disappointed, lost interest immediately, gave a few brief nods, and then turned his back, walking straight past them without another glance. Only Han Li and Yu Kun remained in place, staring at each other in quiet silence for a long while. Han Li naturally adopted a receptive attitude, and the two immediately resumed their cheerful conversation and continued on their journey. Although the estate was spacious, aside from Li Hua Yuan's couple, Yu Kun, and the other scholar named Song Meng, there were no other residents. Han Li had not seen any of the five senior brothers, but later learned that each of them, like himself, maintained their own separate abodes outside and only visited Li Hua Yuan's couple occasionally. As for Yu Kun and Song Meng, they had grown up since childhood under Li Hua Yuan's care and had developed deep bonds with the couple, so they had naturally chosen to remain here and never established their own independent residences. Through casual conversations with Yu Kun, Han Li gradually gained a clearer understanding of the other senior brothers, and in the process, he had, without realizing it, walked through the entire estate. Yet, this eldest brother seemed particularly enthusiastic, so he took Han Li by the arm and led him straight to his own bedroom, eager to continue their in-depth discussion. Han Li was slightly surprised but didn't mind much—he simply followed along with a matter-of-fact attitude. After all, this was the senior brother, and some face had to be given. At first, he listened attentively to everything the senior brother said, hoping to find something useful. But not long after, Han Li gradually realized how tedious and verbose the senior brother was. The constant stream of words, like a magical incantation that drilled into his mind, began to make him headache-pressed after listening for several hours. At that moment, Han Li understood that the senior brother's initial warm reception had been nothing short of genuine enthusiasm—it was simply a rare opportunity to indulge in his own verbal flair. After a while, unable to bear it any longer, Han Li finally excused himself, citing fatigue, and hurriedly escaped to a guest room where he settled down to rest. The verbal attacks he had just endured truly took a toll. Han Li had now completely given in to the senior brother. How could there be a man so talkative and verbose! Truly eye-opening! (The third surge has just concluded today. Don't forget to keep calling for the monthly ticket, Wan Yu!)