"Ah Yang, is this your companion?"
Early in the morning, Lingfang looked up, her eyes wide with surprise.
It wasn't just her; Sen Hui also stared with curiosity at the White Feathered Eagle chick perched on Fang Yang's shoulder.
"Companion... Heh, I suppose so."
Fang Yang replied casually before returning to his desk.
Sitting on the carved red chair, he didn't rush to study the *Medicinal Scripture*. Instead, he tapped his storage pouch, took out a bronze basin, and placed it by his feet.
The bronze basin was filled with minced meat, honey, and cordyceps.
With a flutter of wings, the chick-like White Feathered Eagle expertly hopped into the bronze basin and began to dig in!
Only after he had done all this did Fang Yang unhurriedly open the *Medicinal Scripture*.
Seeing this from her desk across the room, Sen Hui gritted her teeth and thought to herself:
'That despicable Fang Yang, daring to ignore me! Just you wait for the assessment. I'll grind you into the dust, hee hee...'
These past few days, perhaps because she was free from her sister Sen Wei's influence, Sen Hui had been much more at ease within the Cangmu Banner.
As a result, her disposition was no longer as timid and cautious as it once was; she had grown a bit more cheerful.
Although a trace of her inferiority complex remained, it was only noticeable when one spoke to her directly.
'What's that foolish woman smirking about?' Fang Yang frowned.
Sen Hui was undeniably attractive, with a delicate air that made one want to coddle her, but that didn't mean he was going to give her any special treatment.
With the Path of Longevity laid out before him, his ambition was a spear that would not distinguish between friend or foe, man or woman, young or old.
All who stood in his way would die!
With that, Fang Yang looked away and devoted his full attention to the *Medicinal Scripture*.
*Tier Two Spirit Grass: Marvelous Sights Division—Cloud Sea Lingzhi.*
*Flavor: Pungent. Property: Cold.*
*Primarily affects the heart and lungs, nourishes the eyes, and tonifies Qi. It can serve as the primary ingredient for the Tier Three Harmonizing Pill or as a supplementary ingredient for the Tier Four Blood-Quenching Pill...*
*Habitat: Commonly found within the mists of the Cloud Sea, rarely seen on thousand-zhang cliffs...*
The *Medicinal Scripture*'s entry on Cloud Sea Lingzhi was only a few short lines, yet the information it contained was immense.
And the *Medicinal Scripture* contained thousands upon thousands of entries just like the one for Cloud Sea Lingzhi.
That was why becoming a ranked Alchemy Master was so incredibly difficult.
Merely memorizing the *Medicinal Scripture* was enough to deter a vast number of aspirants, to say nothing of the need to independently practice alchemy, refine ingredients, and concoct pills.
It was no wonder Lingfang had been so proud before.
While Fang Yang studied diligently, the White Feathered Eagle at his feet did nothing but eat and sleep, growing all the while.
Whenever it needed to relieve itself, the White Feathered Eagle would tug on Fang Yang's pant leg with its beak as a signal.
Fang Yang's solution was to toss the White Feathered Eagle outside the hall.
He would let the White Feathered Eagle do its business in a corner, intending to clean it up later.
Lingfang, however, could not simply stand by and do nothing.
She was not a member of the Changkong clan, so her status was nowhere near as high as Fang Yang's. She couldn't afford to stir up any trouble.
Thus, Lingfang had no choice but to go outside and clean up after the White Feathered Eagle—and by extension, clean up Fang Yang's mess.
"Thanks, Lingfang," Fang Yang said.
Lingfang smiled gently. "It's no trouble. My master sent me here precisely to handle such matters for you all."
One shouldn't be fooled by the sight of Lingfang toiling away for Second Uncle Fang.
Back in her own tribe, she was a pampered young lady who lived a life of comfort and privilege.
She thought nothing of cleaning up after Fang Yang. After all, back in her own tribe, others had done the same for her—they had even fought for the privilege.
It was, in short, a classic case of being crushed by superior status!
Damn this evil social hierarchy! Wait, what's that? I'm one of the elites who profits from it? Oh, well, never mind then.
Sen Hui, however, didn't seem to grasp this principle.
She didn't seem to understand why the Profound Domain was divided into the hierarchical ranks of the Golden Clan, the Silver Tribes, the Bronze Tribes, and the unranked rabble.
「As the sun began to set.」
The doors of the hall swung shut.
"F-Fang Yang, I think you're going too far. You should be responsible for your own affairs."
Sen Hui stood outside the hall, blocking Fang Yang's way.
She had mustered her courage, wanting to stand up for Lingfang.
In that moment, her shadow stretched long behind her, and her small frame seemed to be bathed in a righteous glow.
"I didn't force her. Besides, Lingfang doesn't mind, so what are you trying to prove?" Fang Yang said coldly.
The White Feathered Eagle on his shoulder spread its wings and let out a sharp screech, assuming an attack stance.
"I... I can tell. Lingfang isn't really happy about it."
"Not happy? In this world, how many people truly get to do as they please?"
"I... I..."
"Besides, did you even ask Lingfang if she wanted you to stand up for her?"
"You... you..."
Faced with Fang Yang's oppressive presence, Sen Hui stammered her replies but still refused to step aside.
So, Fang Yang stared hard into Sen Hui's eyes.
Seeing she still wouldn't yield, Fang Yang simply started walking straight forward. But Sen Hui gritted her teeth and held her ground in the middle of the path.
He got closer.
And closer.
They could feel each other's breath, sense each other's presence.
With a dull THUD, their shoulders collided—one high, one low. Fang Yang simply shoved Sen Hui aside, sending her staggering back several steps.
Sen Hui panted, her face flushed crimson.
She was furious. Truly furious.
She thought she had escaped her sister Sen Wei's shadow, only to find that everyone from the Changkong clan seemed to possess the same natural, infuriating arrogance.
'No, it shouldn't be like this!'
In that instant, Fang Yang's departing figure suddenly overlapped with the image of her sister, Sen Wei.
Sen Hui's pupils widened. A montage of memories flashed through her mind.
"Xiaohui, dear, it's fine. She's a sensible girl."
"This was Wei'Er's. Since Wei'Er doesn't want it anymore, you can have it."
"Lady Wei'Er is so incredible, far more capable than the Second Miss. I don't know where the Second Miss gets the nerve to even compare herself to Lady Wei'Er."
"..."
The rims of Sen Hui's eyes turned red.
Suddenly, a powerful wind whipped through the corridor, making her robes billow and her long black hair dance wildly.
A divine halo rose behind her, suffused with an azure glow, as the phantom of an ancient Yi Wood tree, nearly a hundred zhang tall, materialized in the air.
"Fang Yang, you will... STOP!"
Sen Hui slowly lifted her head, her expression as proud as her sister's, her aura so intense it felt like it could devour a man whole.
No matter how dim her own light shone, she was still the sister of Sen Yue and Sen Wei. Once she truly lost her temper, she would be a real handful.
But...
The long corridor was completely empty.
Fang Yang had already left while she was busy working herself into a rage.
"Huh?"
Sen Hui was dumbfounded, frozen on the spot.
'Isn't Fang Yang supposed to be a peerless prodigy? Why didn't he wait for me to make my move?'
As Sen Hui stood there in a daze, the Yi Wood phantom behind her began to flicker and fade.
Gradually, everything returned to normal. The wind died down, and all was calm.
「Meanwhile.」
In a shadowy corner of the palace.
Second Uncle Fang, who had not been seen for some time, slapped his forehead in exasperation.
'How did things end up so different from what I imagined?'
'No wonder the clan elders think so highly of Ah Yang. That personality, so arrogant it borders on detestable... he's just like the Ancestor...'
It was hopeless. Utterly hopeless.
Second Uncle Fang had originally planned for Fang Yang and Sen Hui to build a bond, to become trusted friends, or ideally, for something more than friendship to blossom between them.
But now, it seemed he had been far too optimistic.
The boy, Fang Yang, was certainly as proud as an eagle and exceptionally talented, but did he not understand the wisdom of riding a favorable wind to soar to the heavens?
...
「Beneath the twilight sky.」
Fang Yang walked slowly onward, gradually vanishing into the darkness.
'A favorable wind can lift me, by its strength, up to the heavens.'
'The shock I gave Sen Hui this time was definitely a powerful one. It was enough to provoke her, to sear my image into her memory.'
'Now, I just have to watch for the right moment to turn this around and win an even greater degree of her affection!'
As he thought this, Fang Yang stroked the White Feathered Eagle, his gaze profound.
The internet in his past life had been an incredible thing. There was practically a standard playbook for how celebrities could turn their most vicious haters into loyal fans.
Even though Fang Yang had only been an ordinary student, he'd been exposed to enough of this information deluge to have picked up a few of the techniques.
And a hater-turned-fan was often the most loyal, the most devoted of all!
In truth, Fang Yang would have preferred to soar through the heavens on his own wings, free and untethered.
But since this foolish woman Sen Hui had to come barging in, she couldn't blame him for treating her like prey.
If he could, Fang Yang would truly rather not use his brain. He'd prefer to just brute-force his way through everything.
Unfortunately, his current reality didn't permit such reckless arrogance.
The Fang Clan... was simply too weak!
...
Sen Hui's anger had arrived in a flash, and it dissipated just as quickly.
Perhaps Lingfang's pleading had something to do with it.
In the days that followed, Fang Yang continued to act as he always had.
As a result, whenever Sen Hui ran into Fang Yang, she would either snort with contempt or pointedly roll her eyes at him.
'Even though she was born to a concubine, Sen Wei and Sen Yue have protected her far too well,' Fang Yang thought with a sigh as he brushed past Sen Hui yet again.
It was hard to imagine that the fiercely competitive Sen clan, a clan that produced one prodigy after another, could have someone like Sen Hui in its ranks.
He had assumed that Sen Hui was not the focus of much attention, but after interacting with her up close, he discovered the opposite was true:
—Sen Hui was actually the center of a great deal of attention!
Because of this, Fang Yang abandoned his plan to "hunt" her and began to focus on his own growth.
He was confident he could handle Sen Hui, but he had no confidence in dealing with the other powerhouses of the Sen clan.
He couldn't afford to provoke Sen Wei, and he couldn't afford to provoke Sen Yue. As for the Sages of the Sen clan who stood behind them, he could afford to provoke them even less.
He couldn't guarantee that his little scheme wouldn't be seen through by those cunning old foxes.
When it came to the Sen clan, he had no room for error.
Perhaps to an outsider, he might seem overly cautious, even stifled.
But Fang Yang didn't feel stifled in the slightest.
Wasn't this part of the joy of seeking the Path?
If a favorable wind is hard to borrow, then when can one ascend to the heavens? There is only one way: rely on yourself!
"Hahaha..." Fang Yang laughed heartily.
He strode forward, like a celestial eagle gathering its strength—an eagle that, once it took flight, would dominate the world!