"Ancestor Master, perhaps Disciple Brother Wang Xiaoqiang just has more female friends!" In that moment, Ye Qingcheng unusually spoke up in Wang Xiaoqiang's defense.

"Ha ha..." Taiyi Immortal laughed heartily, "It should be said that he has quite the charm with the ladies. However, I can't be bothered with such mundane worldly affairs. As long as Wang Xiaoqiang seriously cultivates and abides by the sect's rules from now on, that's all that matters..."

Seeing that the True Person of Taiyi was not blaming him, Wang Xiaoqiang heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, Ancestor Master! The disciple will definitely bear in mind your words, cultivate diligently, and revitalize our sect..."

Taiyi True Person stroked his white beard with a hand and nodded, smiling as he said, "Mm, Wang Xiaoqiang, I have high hopes for you. As long as you don't stray down the wrong path or fall into the Demon Path, I believe that with your cultivation base, with just a bit of nurturing, in time, you will definitely become an outstanding talent of our Taiyi Sect..."

Seeing the Ancestor Master, who hardly ever praised anyone, actually giving compliments to Wang Xiaoqiang, Ye Qingcheng's beautiful eyes turned to look at him, and she gave him a wink. "Quick, thank the Ancestor Master!"

"Thank you for the Ancestor Master's praise!" Wang Xiaoqiang immediately responded. He didn't really care about being a talent or outstanding, he just hoped to rely on the big tree of the Taiyi Sect to keep his family safe and his business smooth sailing.

"Good, good... This is an amulet for your family members, take good care of it!" Taiyi True Person waved his hand, and from within his wide sleeve, a roll of talisman paper flew out.

The talisman paper, controlled by an unseen force, flew in front of Wang Xiaoqiang and stopped mid-air without falling.

Wang Xiaoqiang reached out to catch it, a thick stack, it seemed to be quite a few.

"Many thanks, Ancestor Master!"

"Mm, as for the specific usage, have your master or your Junior Sister Ye tell you about it...," said Taiyi True Person, and with that, he waved them off, signaling that they could leave.

"Thank you, Ancestor Master, we will take our leave now!" The two of them bowed again and left the grand hall.

"Wang Xiaoqiang, the Ancestor Master thinks very highly of you... It seems that when the venerable one ascends to immortality, you'll be the next Sect Leader of the Taiyi Sect!" Once outside the grand hall, Ye Qingcheng gazed at Wang Xiaoqiang and exclaimed with surprise.

"Cough... you're giving me too much credit. The Ancestor Master was merely saying that; it wasn't to be taken literally. Besides, while everything in this world follows patterns, it's also full of uncertainties. Who knows what the future will bring..." Wang Xiaoqiang said, gesturing with his hands.

"Tsk... you clearly don't understand the Ancestor Master, he has never praised anyone like this before. Besides, your cultivation is evidence itself, it won't take many years for you to break through to Nascent Soul. The Ancestor Master reached Divinity Transformation at sixty, but I estimate you'll achieve it by thirty... You'll be twice as formidable as the Ancestor Master, and by then, the position of the Patriarch of the Taiyi Sect will unquestionably be yours."

"Ha ha... they say women love to fantasize, and now it seems that's no lie!" Wang Xiaoqiang shook his head and chuckled as he looked at Ye Qingcheng.

"Hmph, I'm being considerate for your sake, and you laugh at me; that's really unappreciative, I won't bother with you anymore!"

Ye Qingcheng pouted and turned her back on Wang Xiaoqiang.

"Alright, my mistake, I apologize. There, are we good now?" Wang Xiaoqiang apologized.

"Humph, that's more like it!" Ye Qingcheng's expression lightened, and then she tugged on Wang Xiaoqiang's hand, "Come on, let's go rent a house for you!"

"Ah, that is crucial,"

So, the two of them went to rent a house together.

The Taiyi Sect was located in a valley within the Land of Sacred Emptiness, and this valley was no small place, encompassing tens of thousands of acres. Besides some ancient architectural buildings, there were also some modern constructions like villas, apartment buildings, commercial streets, etc.… It was like a small world unto itself.

However, all the real estate and shops here were developed by people of the Taiyi Sect. Which is to say, everyone in the valley was a disciple of the Taiyi Sect, they all possessed cultivation, not a single ordinary person was among them.

"What kind of house would you like to rent?" As the two walked along the commercial street, with rows of apartment buildings to either side and villas further out, Ye Qingcheng looked towards the villas and suggested, "How about renting a villa?"

After she spoke, Ye Qingcheng turned her gaze back to Wang Xiaoqiang, full of anticipation.

"Sure, why not!" Wang Xiaoqiang agreed readily.

While Ye Qingcheng knew about Wang Xiaoqiang's cultivation strength, she wasn't aware of his financial situation. She had heard that the Rolls-Royce he drove in Hong Kong was borrowed, and she suspected that previously, Wang Xiaoqiang might have helped rich people with his cultivation and made some profit in the process, rather than being a cash-rich business magnate. She thought he'd be tight on funds if he rented a villa, so she was taken aback when he accepted so easily—as if renting a villa was as trivial as buying a toy.

"It's not that... do you... do you know that renting a villa for one year costs over a hundred thousand?" Ye Qingcheng said, "Are you sure you want to rent?"

"Hey, what exactly do you mean? Do you want me to rent the villa or not?" Wang Xiaoqiang was bewildered by Ye Qingcheng's swift change of attitude.

"Of course, I hope you rent it. The villa is spacious, perfect for accommodating guests..." she trailed off.

"Guests?" Wang Xiaoqiang asked in surprise, "Doesn't the Taiyi Sect forbid outsiders from entering? What guests are we talking about?"

"Pfft, for example, if I... if I were to visit... I'd be a guest, right?" Ye Qingcheng said, her eyes lowering slightly with a touch of awkwardness.

"Uh, we're sect siblings, there's no need to talk about guests..." Wang Xiaoqiang, a seasoned individual from the sea of Myriad Flowers, was no stranger to romance, and immediately suggested, "How about this, Little Ye, just cancel your apartment and move into the villa with me?"

"That wouldn't be appropriate, I can't just live there for free..." Clearly, Ye Qingcheng liked the idea but was just being modest.

"You've helped me out so much, consider it my thanks!" Wang Xiaoqiang shrugged.

"Pfft, as if I'd dare live with you, you playboy," Ye Qingcheng rolled her eyes at him and walked towards the villa district.

"Hey, you're slandering me again," Wang Xiaoqiang followed her, protesting.

"It's not slander if it's true. Xia Guifang, Zhong Ping, Liu Juyi, Little Xu Xiaoya, plus two women surnamed Qiao, two surnamed Zheng, three foreigners... My goodness! Are all these women really just ordinary friends of yours...?"

Wang Xiaoqiang let out a wry smile and shook his head. He didn't want to lie to her, and simply said, "That was all in my past. Now I'm just an ordinary disciple of the Taiyi Sect..."

"The landscape can change, but nature can't," Ye Qingcheng declared, staring at him pointedly.

"Let the clean be clean and the tainted be tainted. I can't be bothered to explain any further. Think whatever you want! Ah..." Wang Xiaoqiang sighed and picked up his pace toward the villa district.

Ye Qingcheng quickly caught up with him. Once they arrived, they saw each villa was a two-story structure with a blend of Eastern and Western architectural styles, grand yet exuding elegance, looking very attractive.

"These villas are really nice. Hey? Qingcheng, are these for sale?" Wang Xiaoqiang asked, shocking Ye Qingcheng with his question.

"What? You, you want to buy it?... These villas cost millions to build. If they were for sale, they'd be tens of millions..." Ye Qingcheng came from a well-off family with financial power comparable to Xu Qingxue, but was far behind Wang Xiaoqiang. It wouldn't be easy for her to buy a villa worth tens of millions, but for Wang Xiaoqiang, it was just a matter of typing a few passwords; she didn't know his true wealth, so his comments surprised her.

"Is ten million a lot?" Wang Xiaoqiang said indifferently, "Two years ago, I already had ten million in funds... As long as the villa is for sale, I don't mind buying one."

"Ah..." Ye Qingcheng stared at Wang Xiaoqiang in awe, "So it turns out I've encountered a tycoon..."

Inside the Taiyi Sect, most disciples came from wealthy families and could be called 'rich second generation'. However, joining the Taiyi Sect was to seek protection for their families. Aside from a few high-ranking members, ordinary disciples couldn't make money. On the contrary, cultivation, buying pills, and magic artifacts required burning through cash, all provided by their families, which wouldn't allow for frivolous spending. The monthly allowance was limited. Those from generous families might afford to rent a villa, but no one heard about a disciple wanting to buy one—especially since the villas weren't for sale.

Wang Xiaoqiang was different; despite his young age, his wealth was staggering. With all his assets combined, he had a monthly income of several billion RMB, and he could spend it as he pleased. Buying a ten-million-RMB villa was like buying a toy for him. But seeing Ye Qingcheng's astonishment, he felt a bit too extravagant and added, "I don't dare claim to be a tycoon, but I do have the money for a villa!"

"Too bad, these villas aren't for sale," Ye Qingcheng spread her hands, "It's better to rent!"

"Hmm, then let's rent!" Wang Xiaoqiang decided.

"Let's go, let's rent a villa!" Ye Qingcheng grabbed Wang Xiaoqiang's hand once more and headed for the rental office.

At the rental office, Wang Xiaoqiang swiped his card and paid a year's rent in one go. Watching him spend tens of thousands without blinking an eye, Ye Qingcheng truly believed that he was wealthy. Her gaze filled with a new kind of radiance.

She wasn't materialistic, she just understood that in this world, money was important. Even in the Taiyi Sect, to make a name for oneself, one needed money. In the End of Dharma Era, nature's spiritual energy was scarce, though the Land of Sacred Emptiness had denser energy than other places, it still wasn't enough. To rapidly increase cultivation, one had to replace spiritual energy with pills, whose prices were often staggeringly high. A small Qi Gathering Pill for Qi Cultivation Stage disciples cost 10,000 RMB.

A Nine-Turn Golden Core Pill for Golden Core Stage cultivators cost a million each!

In the end, money isn't everything, but without it, nothing is possible. This saying applied both in the secular world and in the small world of the Taiyi Sect! (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly passes, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

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