Ning Fan returned to his cave dwelling.

"Husband, shall we dual cultivate?"

Yun Qingyao blinked her bright eyes and approached, throwing herself into Ning Fan's arms in a single bound. She leaned in innocently, rubbing her forehead against his chest.

"Be good. Not today."

Ning Fan gently stroked her back.

He wanted to cultivate as well. However, it was already approaching noon, and Shao Hong would likely arrive any moment. Compared to dual cultivation, exploring the Clear White Land took priority.

Just as the words left his mouth, a knock sounded at the door.

"Thump, thump-"

Without a doubt, it was Shao Hong.

Ning Fan opened the door to the cave dwelling.

Shao Hong stood outside alongside his Dao partner. Naturally, the arriving pair immediately saw Ning Fan and Yun Qingyao.

In an instant, Shao Hong's gaze locked onto Yun Qingyao.

Beautiful. She was truly breathtaking.

Though Zhao Yuankai was prone to stirring up trouble, his description of Yun Qingyao's beauty had not been exaggerated in the slightest. She truly rivaled the number one beauty of the Divine Sect, Fairy Lingxu.

Shao Hong's mouth hung slightly agape, and he nearly began to drool.

His lecherous demeanor made Yun Qingyao quite uncomfortable, and she instinctively shrank back to hide behind Ning Fan.

This movement finally snapped Shao Hong back to his senses.

"Heh, hehe."

Shao Hong let out two awkward laughs, looking at Ning Fan as he attempted to smooth things over. "Junior Brother Ning, your Dao partner is truly a peerless beauty. I am afraid only a handful of people in the entire Divine Sect can compare to her. You are truly a man of great fortune."

"Naturally."

Ning Fan raised his chin slightly and cast a cold, sideways glance at Shao Hong, his tone laced with a thin veil of threat. "I will protect my own Dao partner. Anyone who harbors designs on her should first weigh their own worth."

Ning Fan had inquired about Shao Hong's character that morning.

To everyone in the sect, the man was a complete slave to his lust. But if he dared set his sights on Yun Qingyao, Ning Fan would not mind taking another life.

Shao Hong's mouth twitched. Seeing the tension, his Dao partner stepped forward and bowed slightly to Ning Fan and Yun Qingyao.

"I am Bai Ran. Greetings to you both. My husband is reckless by nature, so I ask that you please bear with him. This expedition to the Clear White Land is fraught with danger, and we must work together with one heart if we wish to obtain more fated chances."

With Bai Ran speaking up, the tense atmosphere finally eased a little.

"Let us depart, Junior Brother Ning," Shao Hong said, making an inviting gesture.

"Please."

---

The back mountain of the sect was immensely vast, an entire mountain range cordoned off by the sect to cultivate heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Within its depths lay several spirit veins.

As they walked, Shao Hong spoke up. "Junior Brother Ning, please tread carefully. Heavenly materials and earthly treasures are difficult to nurture and require a massive amount of Spiritual Qi to grow. However, wherever Spiritual Qi gathers in abundance, demon beasts are bound to be born."

"Demon beasts?" Ning Fan frowned.

"Yes. Beasts that absorb the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth to condense a demon core within their bodies. There are many of them inside the Clear White Land, so we must be cautious. Of course, hunting them and harvesting their demon cores is also a grand harvest. Those cores can be used for pill refining, artifact forging, or even directly for cultivation. They are decent cultivation resources in their own right."

Shao Hong rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with greed. "A single inner core from a ninth-layer Yellow Extreme Realm demon beast is worth roughly two hundred Spirit Stones. If we can hunt three or four, this trip will be well worth it."

"Heh, hunt three or four?" Bai Ran glanced sideways at him. "I would prefer it if we didn't encounter any demon beasts at all. Wouldn't it be better to simply gather materials without risking any injuries?"

"That makes sense as well," Shao Hong muttered thoughtfully.

Listening to their exchange, Ning Fan's thoughts began to stir. It appeared that the Clear White Land held plenty of fated chances.

If nothing else, those demon cores were highly enticing. He needed a massive amount of Spirit Stones, and since demon cores could be exchanged for them, gathering a few would allow him to dual cultivate several more times.

As the four of them conversed, they finally arrived at the edge of the back mountain.

"We are here."

Shao Hong and Bai Ran stopped before a small path winding deep into the forest. Aside from their group of four, there were seven other pairs of Dao partners waiting.

Those who could secure a token were naturally the outstanding elites of the sect. The weakest among these seven pairs were at the eighth layer of the Yellow Extreme Realm, with several at the ninth layer, and even a few true Profound Realm cultivators.

Those seven pairs were also sizing up Shao Hong and Ning Fan.

"Oh?"

Suddenly, a frivolous voice echoed out. Ning Fan immediately tracked the sound to a man dressed like a young master. He waved a folding fan, exuding an overbearing arrogance with every movement.

"Shao Hong, if this young master is not mistaken, the person traveling with you is a new disciple? Heh, a mere newcomer is worthy of entering the back mountain?"

The young master looked Ning Fan up and down with utter disdain. This man was a half-step Profound Realm disciple.

"Nan Li, it is none of your business who I choose to travel with," Shao Hong replied calmly, showing no anger.

He knew Nan Li's character; the man didn't target him specifically but was simply arrogant toward everyone, always needing to pick a fight. His Dao partner was exactly the same.

Nan Li and Song Nianxia came from prominent family backgrounds, so they never feared even those disciples whose cultivation surpassed theirs.

Shao Hong was used to tolerating it, but Ning Fan was not.

Ning Fan frowned as he glared at Nan Li. The next moment, he spoke up coldly, "Whether I am worthy or you are worthy-why don't we let our fists settle it?"

"Hmm?" Nan Li stared blankly for a second before his expression darkened.

This new disciple actually dared to challenge him?

Before Nan Li could flare up, however, two figures walked over from the distance. The moment they appeared, everyone else immediately pulled back their gazes and fell silent.

"Ji Wuxi, Lin Yao."

"Senior Brother Ji, Senior Sister Lin, you have arrived."

Several pairs of Dao partners instantly swarmed forward, surrounding the newcomers with fawning smiles and flattering compliments.

"Ji Wuxi and Lin Yao were the top-rank disciples of the previous cohort. They are likely the strongest among us, and they possess immense backing," Shao Hong whispered into Ning Fan's ear. "Remember, do not offend them under any circumstances. Moreover, the two of them have some rather vile habits. Word has it that they enjoy exchanging Dao partners with others, so it is best to keep your distance."

Ning Fan nodded slightly. He had no desire to actively provoke anyone, but if trouble came knocking on his door, he was not one to fear it.

"All disciples, present your tokens."

Suddenly, a resonant voice broke the chatter. Everyone turned toward the source to see an elderly man standing at the entrance of the forest path.

"Greetings, Elder."

The crowd bowed and displayed their entry tokens. Ning Fan followed suit.

The Elder was slightly surprised when his gaze swept over Ning Fan's token, looking at him a few extra times, though he ultimately said nothing. After verifying everyone's credentials, the Elder waved his wide sleeve.

The grand restriction sealing the Clear White Land parted, a faint membrane of light flashing before vanishing completely. Instantly, a thick, dense wave of Spiritual Qi erupted from the forest.

"Seven days. You have exactly seven days to explore. Once the time is up, return to this entrance and wait for the restriction to be reopened. Any heavenly materials and earthly treasures you find during this period will belong to you."

"However, should you be injured or perish within..."

"The sect will bear no responsibility. If anyone wishes to back out, this is your last chance."