Meng Shiyu’s heart skipped a beat. Qin Yun’s initial smear campaign had centered on the Dual Ink Jade Talent. ’If Qing Cang realized that and planned ahead, it’s entirely possible.’

"His Talent has to be flawed!" Qin Tianlin said with conviction, but his expression only soured.

If Su Chen’s Talent, strength, and Heart could all keep pace, his position as Star Seed would only become more secure, leaving no room for him at all.

At this thought, the good mood Qin Tianlin had forced upon himself was instantly shrouded in gloom.

"He was already the top combatant among the Tier Fives when he was only Tier Four. So now..." Meng Shiyu suddenly realized, and his expression became quite a sight.

Qin Tianlin instinctively snapped, "Impossible! The higher the Tier, the greater the gap. It won’t be that easy for him to surpass me."

Meng Shiyu fell silent, saying nothing more.

Just as Fan Zhao was about to speak, his Wristband vibrated violently. He glanced down and frowned. "It’s that spineless coward, Zhou Yunyang..."

After a moment’s thought, he decided to answer. A virtual screen popped up, revealing Zhou Yunyang’s large, beaming face. "Hall Master Fan."

He sounded chummy, conspicuously leaving out the "Vice" in his title.

"What is it?" Fan Zhao asked, his expression cold.

"Well, it’s like this..." Zhou Yunyang lowered his voice. "Su Chen came to the Artifact Hall today. He wants to get some materials and purchase a weapon."

"Su Chen?" Hearing that name again, Fan Zhao’s face darkened. He glared at Zhou Yunyang. "Did you give them to him?"

Zhou Yunyang shook his head profusely. "Of course not. I’m calling to ask for your guidance, aren’t I?"

Fan Zhao’s expression eased. In a low voice, he said, "The materials and weapons of the Artifact Hall can only be exchanged for Contribution Points. He’s just arrived, so where would he get any Contribution Points?"

Zhou Yunyang’s expression flickered. "So, you mean to say...?"

A cold smirk touched Fan Zhao’s lips. "Sect rules are rules," he said lightly. "Not even the Star Seed can be an exception."

A look of dawning comprehension spread across Zhou Yunyang’s face. "I understand, I understand."

"Hmph. At least that Zhou Yunyang knows what’s good for him," Fan Zhao remarked as he switched off the virtual screen.

"The man is a master of playing both sides. Su Chen may be in the ascendant now, but potential, no matter how great, takes time to convert into actual power."

Qin Tianlin and Meng Shiyu’s expressions also relaxed considerably. While it was a trivial matter, it offered a glimpse into the bigger picture, revealing the attitudes of many within the Sect.

Fan Zhao’s mood also lifted. "Let’s pay a visit to the Lan Family."

...

Meanwhile, in an office at the Artifact Hall, Zhou Yunyang pushed the door open and walked out, his face beaming with a deferential smile.

"Young Master, I’ve had a look for the materials you mentioned. We have a good amount in stock. As for the Spiritual Weapon, I’ve picked out one that should meet your requirements."

"However, you can’t take them today. If you’ll just wait a bit, I’ll personally have them delivered to you."

"I can’t take them?" Su Chen asked, a thoughtful look in his eyes as he studied the smile on Zhou Yunyang’s face. "Alright then, how many Star Coins will that be?"

"Star Coins? What Star Coins? Do you really think our relationship can be measured in Star Coins? These materials are a trifle." Zhou Yunyang carefully closed the office door, his face a mask of smiles.

"However, I must tell you something beforehand. Don’t make a fuss about these materials, and more importantly, don’t tell anyone you got them from me. There will be no official record of this transaction at the Artifact Hall."

’This guy is a real piece of work...’ Su Chen thought, staring at Zhou Yunyang’s smiling face. He had a pretty good idea of what was happening. This was probably coming out of Zhou Yunyang’s own pocket.

He didn’t want to offend Fan Zhao, but he didn’t want to offend him, either.

"Fan Zhao?" Su Chen said suddenly.

The smile on Zhou Yunyang’s face froze. He hadn’t expected the Star Seed to be so perceptive.

But he was nothing if not slick. The stiff expression melted into one of resignation as he sighed. "You must understand, sir. Though my ancestors had the glory of a Morning Star, my generation has struggled to uphold that legacy. I’m just a minor figure, trying to walk a fine line to survive. Please don’t hold it against me."

"Not at all." Su Chen was genuinely impressed. This Zhou Yunyang was both bold and meticulous. "If it’s truly inconvenient for you, you can give the items to Ming Lin. He can pass them on to me."

’This kid is a cunning one,’ Zhou Yunyang thought. ’The Desolate Planet really forges a person. No wonder there are rumors in the Sect that they’re going to start sending Holy Hall students to a Desolate Planet for their training...’

The thought flashed through Zhou Yunyang’s mind, but his expression remained unchanged. "In that case, I won’t see you out."

"I appreciate the trouble." Su Chen stood up and walked out.

Watching Su Chen leave, Zhou Yunyang finally let out a sigh. "Ah, dancing on a knife’s edge... Who could possibly understand my struggle?"

He said this, but there wasn’t a trace of fear on his face. In fact, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy living the life of a double-dealer.

As he was mulling things over, a message popped up on his desktop terminal. A quick glance made his heart jump. ’He’s Tier Five? Already?’

A glint appeared in his eyes, and the smile on his face grew even wider. "Who could ever know the bitterness in my heart?" he murmured sardonically.

...

The news of Su Chen’s promotion to Double Fifth Tier spread like wildfire. Speculation about his Talent was rampant, with many believing it couldn’t possibly be a mere Ink Jade Talent. It had to be at least Double Scarlet, or perhaps even Double Profound Purple.

Once his official file was updated, his resource allocation was quickly adjusted. Everything was upgraded to the Tier Five standard and delivered to his Floating Island.

A few days later, Zhou Yunyang quietly found Ming Lin and handed him a heavy package of materials to take back.

With the materials in hand, upgrading his gear was a simple matter.

Inside the training room, it didn’t take long for Su Chen to upgrade all four of his Secret Artifacts to Tier Five.

He was now turning a small crystal skull over in his hand. Transparent flames burned within the hollows of its eye sockets and mouth.

[Soul Skull—Tier Five: Compressed and forged from a Spiritual Source Crystal.]

This was the Tier Five Spiritual Weapon that Zhou Yunyang had so carefully selected for him. It was incredibly versatile, capable of both amplifying Mental Type abilities and providing a degree of defense against incoming Mental Attacks.

His Spiritual Power gradually saturated the skull, making it one of his new Control Secret Artifacts. Simultaneously, it sank into his sea of consciousness, enveloping his Spirit Core.

He glanced at his status panel again. The Sly Fox Essence had been refined. He immediately used it for the Tolerant profession, fulfilling one of its requirements.

The difficulty for taking the profession had increased, now requiring four Top Level Physical Side professions. However, he still met the criteria and didn’t need to reduce the difficulty, so he could acquire it directly.

A gentle warmth surged from deep within his lower abdomen, splitting into several distinct currents of heat that ascended along the core of his torso.

Wherever the heat passed, his muscles swelled slightly and a faint, tingling numbness spread through his bones. It felt like a living root system branching out along the natural network of his veins and nerves.

The warmth permeated his entire body, and a faint rosy flush appeared on his skin. Acquiring this profession was a gentle process, and it was over quickly.

[Tolerant Profession acquired. Obtained Professional Ability - Bottom Power: When Physical Strength is depleted, your body’s potential will be stimulated, instantly restoring 30% Physical Strength.]

[Bonus Reward: Physical Strength recovery increased by 20%.]

’It triggers when my Physical Strength is depleted?’ Su Chen mused, scanning the panel. The ability was quite good, and the bonus reward further increased the amount restored.

That was equivalent to recovering half of his total Physical Strength after it had been completely depleted.

’However...’ His eyes glinted. He casually used Holy Hand to enhance an ability, draining his Spiritual Power, then began converting his Physical Strength to replenish it.

Just as he expected, the moment his Physical Strength was completely depleted, currents of warmth surged from an unknown source within his limbs and bones, refilling his drained body.

At the same time, the nutrients stored by his Gourmet ability were also converted.

But Su Chen didn’t stop. He continued to use Holy Hand, draining his Physical Strength once more. To his surprise, another wave of warmth surged through him.

"It actually works..." Su Chen raised an eyebrow. Thanks to his Inversion-Gourmet system, he could repeatedly create the conditions of depleted Physical Strength in a short period, allowing him to trigger the Tolerant ability over and over again.

"This gives me two extra opportunities for a Holy Hand Enhancement out of thin air, tsk tsk..." Su Chen was very pleased. The more professions he acquired, the better.

You never knew when they might create a marvelous synergy with his existing Professional Abilities, making a once-ordinary ability much stronger.

However, shortly after he finished testing the ability, before he even left the training room, an overwhelming hunger surged through him. It was a hunger so intense it felt like his eyes would turn green, every cell in his body screaming as if it wanted to devour him from the inside out.

He quickly downed several mouthfuls of a Tier Five Nutritional Potion, which only slightly alleviated the sensation.

He let out a long sigh of relief, feeling the nutrients being rapidly broken down and absorbed within his body. ’It seems,’ he thought, ’that the restored Physical Strength doesn’t come from nowhere.’