Once Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong retreated into their cave dwelling, they did not emerge for a full three months.
The lobbyists outside waited and waited, leaving only to return again. When they realized they truly could not wait them out, they had no choice but to return to their respective sects to report back.
Ultimately, Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong were only at the Integration Stage. Even with the uncertain connection to the Phoenix Clan factored in, the fact that major sects were willing to invite them repeatedly was already showing them a great deal of face. After being met with a closed door several times, most chose to give up. Some, who thought highly of themselves, even grumbled behind their backs that the two did not know what was good for them, warning that such an opportunity would not come twice.
Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong were entirely oblivious to this. They were focused on their cultivation within the space. In what seemed like the blink of an eye to the outside world, the two of them had progressed from the Mid-Integration Stage directly to the Great Perfection of the Integration Stage with inconceivable efficiency.
Zhai Bairong, possessing a single spiritual root, naturally had outstanding cultivation efficiency. He finished his session a step ahead of Nie Shiyun. Seeing that Nie Shiyun was still deep in meditation, eyes closed as he grasped new insights, Zhai Bairong quietly moved to the side to study the art of alchemy.
Although he had worked in a pill shop for a time after arriving in the Upper Realm, he had been an outsider after all. He had seen some basic pill recipes, but nothing from the Earth Grade upwards. Fortunately, he had previously accepted the kindness of Madam Shang and obtained some ancient texts; otherwise, purchasing pill recipes would have been a massive expense.
It was often said that alchemists made a fortune, but there were also many in the world who could not make ends meet. If one had no channel to acquire new recipes, every purchase was a significant outlay. Furthermore, the first few attempts at a new recipe usually ended in failure. The cost of materials for practice was enough to burden an average person. If one’s talent was mediocre and their success rate was low, it was not unheard of for an alchemist to bankrupt themselves through their own practice.
Zhai Bairong’s strength lay in the fact that he did not require repeated practice. Once he had a recipe, he could master it in fewer than two attempts, and his success rate was frighteningly high. Back in the Yingyue Sect, he had indeed been introduced to the craft by an alchemy master during his youth, but after reaching adulthood, he had reached his current level almost entirely through self-study.
Nie Shiyun noted that Zhai Bairong did not usually enjoy immersing himself in an alchemy room to practice as Nie did with smithing. Unless there was a specific need, Zhai had little interest in alchemy, yet his talent was so high it was unstoppable; he learned everything instantly.
Zhai Bairong’s approach to alchemy was purely pragmatic. Now that both of them were facing a breakthrough—especially Nie Shiyun, whose dual spiritual roots would make it more difficult than Zhai’s single root—Zhai Bairong intended to refine the Grade 4 Spirit Intent Pill, which aided in breakthroughs, before Nie Shiyun emerged from seclusion.
As luck would have it, at the very moment Zhai Bairong completed the pill, Nie Shiyun also felt the barrier to the next stage and ceased his cultivation.
"What a fragrant scent."
Zhai Bairong had been concentrated intensely. Hearing Nie Shiyun’s voice, he turned his head as if snapping out of a trance. "When did you wake up?"
Nie Shiyun replied, "Just now. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw your pill was finished... This color, this scent—why haven't I seen this one before?"
Zhai Bairong smiled. "Naturally. This is the Spirit Intent Pill; it helps a cultivator break through. I reckon we are both nearing the Great Ascension Stage. From the Integration Stage onwards, every breakthrough is a hurdle. It is always good to have some insurance."
Although Nie Shiyun could not refine pills, he had a fair understanding of them. Seeing that Zhai Bairong had refined a Grade 4 pill, he was pleasantly surprised.
"Are you about to break through as well?"
Zhai Bairong nodded. "Yes. However, this is not the best place for a breakthrough. Besides, I only used this Spirit Intent Pill for practice; the spirit herbs I used were not of the highest quality. If you are to take one, we should go out and find better materials to refine a new batch. We can just sell these."
Hearing that this was just a practice run with existing herbs, Nie Shiyun couldn't help but ask how many attempts it had taken.
"My luck was quite good. This was the first time," Zhai Bairong replied. Having received the expected answer, Nie Shiyun raised an eyebrow and showered his dao companion with unreserved praise.
Zhai Bairong merely gave a faint smile, saying, "It is nothing much."
When they emerged from their cave dwelling, the outside was completely quiet. The two breathed a sigh of relief and headed first to the town’s pill shop to sell the pills.
Over the past two years, the shop assistants had become well-acquainted with the two of them. Seeing them visit after several months, they greeted them warmly, asking if they were there to buy or sell.
However, even though they knew Alchemist Zhai’s skill was high, seeing him produce a Grade 4 pill still left them slack-jawed with shock.
"Alchemist Zhai, did you refine this as well?"
"Indeed."
The assistant’s eyes went wide. Those who had worked in the shop for a long time knew that when Zhai Bairong first arrived in the upper reaches of the Upper Realm decades ago, he had been just like them, greeting customers at the front desk, and had even learned many Grade 1 pill recipes on the spot. He had reappeared a few years ago already as a Grade 3 Alchemist, leaving his former colleagues stunned. And now, he was producing Grade 4 pills! This rate of progress was simply inconceivable.
"Alchemist Zhai, please wait a moment! I’ll have someone call the manager. Please, both of you, come inside and sit," the assistant urged. One had to understand that being able to refine a Grade 4 pill—even one of the lowest quality—was enough to secure a position in a major clan. The pill shop did not lack cultivators selling pills retail, but none of them casually handed over Grade 4 pills.
A short while later, the manager came scurrying over.
Seeing that Zhai Bairong had truly produced Grade 4 Spirit Intent Pills, the man was both delighted and shocked. He saw that the bottle contained a significant quantity, all of the same type, though mostly of low quality. He asked tentatively, "Are you two... perhaps preparing to attempt a breakthrough to the Great Ascension Stage?"
"Correct, though we still need to prepare for a while longer," Zhai Bairong answered. He then produced a list and asked the manager if they had the appropriate raw materials.
The manager scanned the list and was stunned. Every single item was of the highest grade; a small shop like theirs might not see a single one in ten years. His mind raced, and he quickly understood—they intended to save the best for their own use! No wonder they were so generous as to sell an entire furnace's worth of finished pills to him.
"I am truly sorry, but our shop has not reached that level. However, the main house of our parent family certainly has them. I wonder if you would like me to make an inquiry..." The manager wiped away a bead of sweat.
Zhai Bairong and Nie Shiyun knew that the parent family behind this shop was a certain major clan. Since they were currently avoiding entanglements with such sects and families, they politely declined the manager's suggestion.
"I see. In that case, perhaps you could check the larger cities or try your luck at an auction house," the manager suggested. "If you succeed in the refinement later, and if there are any leftovers after your breakthroughs, our shop would be more than happy to take them, regardless of the quantity."
Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong exchanged a look; they were clearly thinking the same thing. Zhai Bairong gave the manager a polite smile. "I will see when the time comes."
The manager understood this was likely a polite refusal. He felt a slight pang of regret but also felt it was only natural. He had known long ago that Zhai Bairong was no ordinary man, but he hadn't expected the other to move beyond the level of their small shop so quickly.
After receiving their payment, Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong exchanged a few more pleasantries, said they had other business, and took their leave.
Though he knew this pill shop always gave them fair prices, Nie Shiyun couldn't help but marvel repeatedly at the fact that Zhai Bairong had sold a single batch of pills for ten thousand immortal crystals.
" I’ve felt this for a long time—alchemy is much more profitable than smithing! No one needs a new magical treasure all the time; when times are tight, they can just patch up the old ones and make do. But pills? You swallow them and they're gone in a breath, aren't they?"
Zhai Bairong said helplessly, "All medicine has a trace of toxicity; no matter how good a pill is, one cannot eat them every day. Why don't you mention that when an upper-tier cultivator commissions a custom treasure, excluding the material costs, just the fee for a master smith's work can sometimes cost hundreds of thousands of immortal crystals?"
The higher the cultivation, the less frequent the need to replace magical treasures. But once the quality reached a certain level, master smiths could live for a hundred years off a single commission.
Nie Shiyun had not yet opened up market channels since arriving in the upper reaches, having spent his time immersed in cultivation and research, so he hadn't made that kind of money yet.
He simply wanted to praise Bairong. Seeing Zhai Bairong seriously explaining the difference between smithing and alchemy, he couldn't help but tease him intentionally. "In any case, I'm currently earning less than you. Setting up formations for our breakthroughs and establishing the Yunqing Pavilion will cost money everywhere. I'll have to rely on you to support me."
Zhai Bairong glanced at him, about to say, "With your skills, wouldn't making money be easy?" But seeing the smile in Nie Shiyun’s eyes, he swallowed the words and played along. "What's so hard about that? I shall support you then."
Hearing him cooperate, Nie Shiyun laughed heartily. The two walked toward their destination, chatting and laughing, completely ignoring the many gazes of passersby who couldn't help but steal glances at them.
"Manager, wasn't that Zhai Bairong! When did he return? How come I didn't know!"
Since the two had just walked out of the pill shop, a customer nearby recognized Zhai Bairong.
"Oh, if it isn't Miss Zhuo! What a coincidence that you ran into him. Alchemist Zhai returned to the upper reaches two years ago, but he didn't return to work at our shop. He only comes by occasionally to look at spirit herbs. He didn't want to make a scene, so I didn't tell everyone. My apologies!" the manager said courteously.
"Is that person beside him the dao companion he mentioned? So it really is a man... He doesn't seem like anything special," the female cultivator said, pouting.
Miss Zhuo was one of the regular customers who, along with other young ladies, had been "infatuated with his beauty" and frequented the shop. It wasn't that these young women were truly devoted to Zhai Bairong, but seeing him intimately paired with another person still brought a sense of regret.
The shop manager knew that Nie Shiyun’s talent was no less than Zhai Bairong’s, but he had no place to introduce Nie Shiyun to others. He simply smiled and offered a few agreeable words before dropping the subject.
By the time Miss Zhuo discovered that Nie Shiyun had become a figure whom even the elders of her clan would have to wait in line to see, it would be far too late for her to regret not taking a better look at him now.
Meanwhile, after leaving the pill shop, Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong did not go to an auction house to try their luck. The two had shared a silent understanding back in the shop, and once they were outside and asked each other, it turned out they had the same idea.
Since the White Tiger Clan had already agreed to assist Nie Shiyun, they were willing to accept that favor and trouble the White Tiger Clan when necessary. Zhai Bairong, of course, would not take things for nothing. He and Nie Shiyun only needed two pills for their breakthrough; the remainder would naturally go to the White Tiger Clan. Based on the market rates for a Grade 4 Alchemist, the White Tiger Clan would still be the ones profiting.
the White Tiger Clan's foundation was deep and ancient, incomparable to a mere town's pill shop. Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong didn't have to exert much effort before they received the consent of the White Tiger Clan's manager. They were then led by a subordinate of the beast race to the storehouse to select spirit herbs.
The fact that Zhai Bairong could refine Grade 4 pills was shocking enough, but the first thing the White Tiger Clan manager noticed was that after not seeing them for a mere three months, the cultivation of both Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong had jumped two minor stages, heading straight for the Great Ascension Stage.
The human race had always been more skilled at alchemy than they were, but even the beast race, who possessed a natural advantage in cultivation, wouldn't dare claim to reach such a realm so quickly.
As soon as the two left, the White Tiger Clan manager couldn't help but sigh to his young attendant, "We haven't interacted with the Lower Realm for thousands of years. I thought the spiritual energy there was thinning and that cultivators would only become more and more insignificant. But now it seems it was we, the cultivators of the Upper Realm, who were narrow-minded."
Setting aside the exchange of interests, he now had a premonition: these two humans were absolutely not to be underestimated.
***
