[On the Emperor's Birthday]

[The main streets of the capital were decorated with colorful archways adorned with auspicious plaques and couplets]

[As night fell, countless exquisitely crafted lanterns illuminated the lantern towers and streets of the capital]

[Transforming the night into bright daylight]

[Hu Zhongxuan also entered the palace to attend Li Anlong's birthday celebration]

[During the banquet, various imperial relatives and high-ranking officials presented their congratulatory gifts]

[Hu Zhongxuan stepped forward to present his gift as well]

[Seeing Hu Zhongxuan approach, Li Anlong publicly commended him before all officials for implementing the Taxation by Land Acreage policy]

[The expressions of the officials varied dramatically]

[When it was Li Yu's turn to present his gift, Li Anlong gave him a long, meaningful look]

[Then Li Anlong suddenly remarked: "So Prince Yongning knew all along. It seems We were the foolish ones."]

[Li Yu immediately knelt in terror, kowtowing violently: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This unworthy grandson is too dull to understand Your Majesty's meaning!"]

[Li Anlong chuckled: "As you wish."]

[A barely concealed smile flashed across Li Yu's face: "Many thanks, Your Majesty!"]

[That night, Hu Zhongxuan returned to his residence]

[He hurried to check on Deng Wanshu immediately upon returning]

[Seeing you safely cultivating in the secret chamber, he sighed in relief]

[You slowly opened your eyes and smiled: "Uncle-Master, back from the extravagant banquet?"]

["Those palace delicacies were just nibbles! Only we master-nephew pair can truly feast. Come, tonight we drink until we drop!"]

[You stood up: "Until we drop."]

[After a night of heavy drinking, you both retired separately]

[You returned to your cultivation]

[You balanced pill refining with cultivation]

[During this period, you also began preparations for the Guarding Gate Body Technique]

[You captured numerous fierce beasts - lions, tigers, bears of all sizes, wild boars - none escaped your grasp]

[Now wealthy beyond measure, you purchased a large plot on the capital's outskirts and built a manor to house these beasts]

[You gave this manor a lovely name: the Zoo]

[Hiring specialized caretakers, you visited daily to feed the animals body-enhancing pills]

[Initially giving them human-grade strengthening pills]

[Later innovating animal-specific pills: the second-grade Blood Beast Pills]

[As a proper seventh-grade pill refiner advancing toward eighth-grade, creating such pills came easily]

[The Blood Beast Pills proved remarkably effective - one pill equaled five previous doses, with all animals giving glowing reviews]

[Your zoo thrived - rhinos grew elephant-sized, elephants doubled in size, creating a spectacular sight]

[Were it not inconvenient, you'd have opened ticket booths to recoup costs]

[Your zoo currently housed over fifty animals of ten-plus species]

[You planned to raise them for a year before testing the Guarding Gate Body Technique with their blood]

[Your daily routine involved feeding Blood Beast Pills to animals and Rou Sheng Pills to Auntie]

[Alternating between them, you feared someday mixing them up and sending Auntie into beast-blood frenzy]

[Fortunately, you never made such elementary mistakes]

[A year passed quickly]

[Year 43]

[Under your meticulous care, the zoo animals grew plump and glossy]

[Frequent Blood Beast Pill feedings made them adore you - they'd come thundering over whenever you appeared]

[A thousand-pound striped tiger nuzzled like a golden tabby]

[A three-ton rhino demanded to be lifted]

[Helpless, you indulged them all]

[Today you returned to the zoo]

[The year had come - time for blood extraction]

[Taking one drop of essence blood from each species' strongest specimen left sixteen drops total]

[Though just one drop, the essence loss left the beasts listless, their affectionate gazes gone]

[You released them back to the wild]

[Beginning blood fusion]

[Sitting in meditation, you activated the Guarding Gate Body Technique, absorbing each blood drop]

[The fusion proceeded smoothly, each drop bringing slight physical enhancement]

[With all sixteen absorbed, crimson light flashed in your eyes as your lean muscles gained definition]

[Though outwardly unchanged, you felt definite physical improvement]

[Sixteen blood types proved insufficient for major combat boosts]

[But having tested the method, you planned continued beast-raising for future extractions]

[That year, Hu Zhongxuan brought startling news: Prince Yongning Li Yu had successfully fused with Earth Source, achieving Ultimate Grandmaster!]

[Soon after, Li Yu memorialized the throne with evidence of Duan Qian's corruption and oppression in Danzhou]

[Claiming he'd meant to report to the Censorate, but Duan Qian resisted violently, resulting in accidental cranial disintegration]

[Li Yu requested imperial punishment]

[Li Anlong cited Li Yu's merit in capturing the rebel crown prince, dismissing it as accidental - punishment: three ceremonial drinks]

["Li Yu an Ultimate Grandmaster now? Even more unkillable," you muttered]

[Redoubling cultivation efforts]

[Your enhanced talent - now rivaling top sect disciples - brought astonishing progress]

[Soon you broke through to peak Essence Refining!]

[Combined with ninefold true qi refinement, your combat power now crushed peak Grandmasters]

[Only Ultimate Grandmasters could threaten you now]

[In your courtyard, you laughed wildly: "Hahaha! Without Ultimate Grandmasters, who in this wide world dares oppose me? Who can oppose me?!"]

[At peak Essence Refining, you deemed yourself ready for Earth Source fusion]

[Only two remaining Earth Source sword qi insights stood in the way]

[But recent progress had slowed - those last two insights proved stubbornly elusive]

[Your pill refining also advanced]

[Your eighth-grade pill skill surpassed beginner level, reaching initial achievement!]

[You could now produce three or four successful eighth-grade pills per batch]

[Though far from mastery, this success rate already made you Danxia Sect's top pill refiner!]

[As the sect's new top refiner, you remained humble]

[You merely visited Hu Zhongxuan and "accidentally" dropped four steaming eighth-grade pills during conversation]

[The pills rolled to Hu Zhongxuan's feet, stunning him]

["He Yu, these are..."]

[Feigning surprise, you looked down: "Uncle-Master, I seem to have dropped my freshly refined eighth-grade pills by your feet. Could you pick them up? My back suddenly won't bend."]

[Hu Zhongxuan gasped, summoning the pills to his palm with a gesture]

[One glance made him leap up]

[Overjoyed: "You...you've achieved initial eighth-grade success?!"]

[You smiled faintly: "You bet."]

[Delighted, Hu Zhongxuan rushed over: "Hahaha! You never cease to amaze me!"]

["Haha, yes, yes..." You laughed guardedly, then extended a hand: "First return my four eighth-grade pills!"]