After leaving the Pin Yin Sect’s herb garden, Qi Miaohan was called away by Jiang Baixiang.
Duan Mingyu’s group naturally huddled together quickly. Their relationship with Nie Shiyun was now as strained as it could possibly be. When Nie Shiyun glanced over casually, he was immediately met with hostile glares from several of them. However, he didn't care, treating them as if they were invisible. He wordlessly exchanged a look with Zhai Bairong before turning around and returning to the Yunqing Pavilion’s quarters alone.
Everyone was highly interested in spirit-grade herbs, especially the high-tier ones cultivated by the Pin Yin Sect, which were famous throughout the cultivation world. Nie Shiyun generously brought out the Heaven-Mending Lingzhi. Its plump body shimmered with a lustrous sheen, and the moment it was placed on the table, the entire room was filled with a permeating spiritual aura.
Aside from Nie Xing’an, Qi Xuan’er, and Du Zhi, the other disciples were also drawn over by curiosity. However, they didn't dare to crowd around, merely watching from a distance with immense envy.
"If my younger cousin finds someone to successfully refine this into pills, he might be able to break through to the late stage of the Golden Core realm in one fell swoop after consuming them," Nie Xing’an remarked with emotion.
Nie Shiyun smiled and did not contradict him. In truth, he had been slightly suppressing his cultivation speed lately. If he went all out and supplemented his efforts with this Heaven-Mending Lingzhi, reaching the Great Perfection of the Golden Core realm shouldn't be an issue.
"But I’ve heard there’s a chance of failure in alchemy. That would be a huge loss," Du Zhi said somewhat anxiously. "In the demon race, if it's just for increasing cultivation, everyone prefers to eat the spirit herbs directly. It’s actually not much worse than pills."
"I know what I'm doing, but thank you for the kind thought," Nie Shiyun nodded. There were very few cultivators among the demon race who excelled in auxiliary crafts, so their success rate in alchemy was naturally abysmal. Furthermore, the common rule in the world was that if a commissioned refinement failed, the materials would not be compensated, and the processing fee would still be charged. It was only natural that demon cultivators were unwilling to entrust their spirit herbs to alchemists.
However, Nie Shiyun had Zhai Bairong on his side, and he trusted him implicitly. Although Zhai Bairong’s alchemy skills might not be the absolute best among his peers, he was always cautious and meticulous. Combined with the boost from his Remnant Flame, his success rate and quality were top-tier.
Du Zhi felt a bit embarrassed; he had blurted out his thoughts without thinking. On second thought, Nie Shiyun had lived among the demon race; he didn't need Du Zhi to tell him these things.
"But, Boss... I mean, Senior Nie," Du Zhi nearly bit his tongue, "I haven't officially joined the Yunqing Pavilion yet. Can I really represent your sect in the match tomorrow?"
"Naturally. I'll personally vouch for this. Don't worry," Nie Shiyun stated without hesitation.
Once Du Zhi showed his hand, it would be disastrous if people saw him as a rogue cultivator. By attaching the Yunqing Pavilion’s name to him early on, no one would be able to poach him.
Du Zhi expressed his gratitude again, mentioning how Nie Xing’an had given him spirit stones in advance. He hadn't expected to receive spirit stones just by joining a sect. Fearing he might misunderstand the rules of human sects, Qi Xuan’er hurried to explain: "Only disciples at the Foundation Establishment stage or above receive a salary. Those below that level, as well as outer disciples, actually have to pay spirit stones to the sect."
"Oh, is that so?" Du Zhi was delighted, feeling that he had been recognized and appreciated upon his arrival. He was full of energy, declaring he would definitely do his best.
Qi Xuan’er remembered something and said to the group, "By the way, my sister is holding a celebratory banquet in the Pin Yin Sect later. It's only open to their own cultivators, but she said those of us from Yunqing Pavilion could go and have fun. However... I thought that might be a bit inappropriate, so I told her to just celebrate with her own sect members."
The others all agreed she had handled it correctly. Although they were close with Qi Miaohan, showing up at such a time would only make the members of the Pin Yin Sect think they lacked etiquette.
Qi Xuan’er breathed a sigh of relief. "I’m glad you all feel the same way. But sister said that tomorrow, she wants to drink and celebrate with us privately. At that time... please do her the honor of attending."
Nie Shiyun could guess that Qi Miaohan’s original words weren't so polite. He thought to himself that her actual words were likely something along the lines of: "Tell them all to wait for this lady, and don't let a single one of them run away."
He sat for a while longer, but since he had things on his mind, he excused himself early. The exchange match the next day wasn't a formal competition, but it was to be held in the bustling central plaza. The Yunqing Pavilion group was quite looking forward to it, agreeing to meet the next day and show their true capabilities.
***
Meanwhile.
"Senior Brother..."
"I am naturally willing to help you, but as for the others, I must ask them to find their own alchemists," Zhai Bairong said with a smile.
Duan Mingyu knew he was overstepping by asking his senior brother to refine pills for the others, but it was a well-known fact that the sooner spirit herbs were refined after being picked, the better the effect.
"Don't bother him. It's just an alchemist; it's not like our Red Rock Cliff lacks them. Besides, he’s never even touched a spirit-grade herb. What if he ruins the refinement? Why should I take that risk?" Xu Yehua said coldly.
"Yehua! You're going too far..." Duan Mingyu hurriedly glanced at Zhai Bairong’s expression and rebuked Xu Yehua disapprovingly.
"That is for the best," Zhai Bairong said indifferently.
Rong Lü didn't speak, but he also seemed unwilling to hand his materials over to Zhai Bairong. Since both of them had rejected his kindness and his senior brother was clearly unhappy because of it, Duan Mingyu had no choice but to drop the idea of asking Zhai Bairong to refine pills for the whole group.
In the past, he always felt that as long as he spoke up and persuaded them kindly, Senior Brother, Brother Rong Lü, and Yehua would get along harmoniously. But lately, he felt more and more that he couldn't control the situation. This made Duan Mingyu somewhat sad, feeling that his words were no longer held in such high regard.
However, rather than throwing a tantrum, he preferred to wallow in self-pity and wait for others to ask him what was wrong. Unfortunately, as he indulged in his self-pity, the three men in the tense atmosphere didn't even notice.
Ignoring the others, Zhai Bairong took the Golden Sun Flower that Duan Mingyu had selected earlier and headed down the mountain alone.
He arrived at the entrance of the building where earth-fire rooms were rented. He didn't rush to rent a room but instead looked around the hall. After a moment, he approached the notice board in the hall and carefully checked the commission slips.
There were always trading areas like this in front of rental rooms, functioning similarly to a consignment shop, except they didn't trade finished products. Both the clients and the cultivators taking the orders could remain anonymous. However, because alchemy and forging were prone to loopholes—no one could guarantee the materials wouldn't be pocketed—not many people used the commission board.
Zhai Bairong scanned the board. He had been doubting himself, wondering if he had misinterpreted Nie Shiyun’s meaning or if he had arrived too early. But looking closely, he soon saw an inconspicuous commission. It read: *Requesting a face-to-face meeting. Reward: One cauldron.*
Zhai Bairong smiled knowingly. With a wave of his hand, the paper pinned to the board by spiritual energy drifted into his palm.
"Senior, are you taking this order?" The receptionist at the counter received the notification at the same time and poked his head out, asking respectfully.
"Yes."
The cultivator felt this wasn't a good job. This commission had just been posted by an unremarkable cultivator who seemed unsure about the reward, scribbling something down without even specifying the grade. It was obviously not anything good. The person at the counter wanted to warn Zhai Bairong that the client likely wouldn't give him anything worthwhile, but professional ethics kept his mouth shut.
"The client probably hasn't gone far. Shall I notify him now?"
"Yes. Rent an earth-fire room. Go and tell that person to come to the room for a meeting."
Zhai Bairong gave his instructions. The counter attendant immediately arranged a high-grade earth-fire room for him and presented the spiritual key with both hands.
"Thank you."
Zhai Bairong smiled. The man felt as if he were bathed in a spring breeze and immediately nodded eagerly. He thought to himself that although this senior had a profound cultivation, his attitude was truly friendly. Today was likely just a whim; the cultivator who posted that commission had truly struck gold.
Once inside the earth-fire room, Zhai Bairong skillfully set up a barrier to prevent others from peeking or eavesdropping. Then, instead of using the fire provided in the room, he summoned his own Azure Lotus Remnant Flame and started the cauldron.
Spirit-grade herbs were not to be trifled with. Zhai Bairong was afraid of making a mistake and worried about being interrupted later, so he first refined a few batches of "sugar beans" for Meiqiu to eat as a warm-up. Just as he was pouring the pills into a narrow-necked bottle, there was a knock at the door.
Zhai Bairong put down his things and stood up to open the door.
When he opened it, the face that met his eyes was not a familiar one, but Zhai Bairong wasn't surprised. He stepped back to let the person in.
"Why this appearance?" Zhai Bairong laughed.
"A famous man is like a fat pig—everyone wants a piece," Nie Shiyun, who had taken a Disguise Pill, said helplessly as he closed the door behind him. "After taking a spot in the top eight, the number of people who recognize me has clearly increased. I was afraid someone might see the two of us together."
Even though they were intimate, it was difficult for them to even appear together openly, forced to be on guard at every turn. Thinking of this, Zhai Bairong felt a bit dejected and guilty.
"I knew you would understand." The first thing Nie Shiyun did after stepping forward was to hold his face and give him a kiss.
"I only had a rough guess. I was only certain after seeing your commission slip," Zhai Bairong smiled, his dejection fading slightly.
"There was no need to be in such a rush, but the effect of spirit herbs diminishes with each passing day. Besides, we'll have to separate for a while soon. I thought today was the perfect time."
What Nie Shiyun said was exactly what Zhai Bairong was thinking. The two understood each other without needing to speak.
Without further ado, both of them took out their spirit herbs, only to be stunned. They had actually chosen the exact same thing—the Heaven-Mending Lingzhi.
Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong couldn't help but laugh, glancing at each other.
"This makes things easier. Refining two identical portions is much simpler than handling them separately." Zhai Bairong took Nie Shiyun’s portion of the Heaven-Mending Lingzhi. It seemed their thoughts were aligned. When one's cultivation was temporarily unimpeded and the body had no hidden ailments, the simplest and most effective path was to increase one's cultivation level. Everything was built upon the foundation of cultivation.
"What herbs did the others choose?" Nie Shiyun asked casually.
"Duan Mingyu chose the Golden Sun Flower. This thing is pure Yang, which actually conflicts with his constitution. However, both are extremes. If refined together with fire-attribute herbs like Fire Spirit Grass, it can temporarily alleviate his body's coldness," Zhai Bairong said, his expression turning somewhat helpless. "This time, I might still have to help him refine it. I want to keep things strictly business with him, but..."
Nie Shiyun knew he was in a difficult position and didn't dwell on such small matters. "It's fine. Just refine it for him as usual. In fact, for various reasons, his constitution is flaring up earlier than I expected. If the situation changes too much, I'm worried it will cause more trouble. You helping him refine this is actually beneficial to me as well."
Nie Shiyun exaggerated a bit, partly to comfort Zhai Bairong. Zhai Bairong vaguely sensed this and felt a wave of warmth in his heart.
"But his portion isn't urgent. Let's refine ours first. You rest for a bit." After saying this, Zhai Bairong returned to his position, controlling the cooled Remnant Flame to flare up again.
This was the first time Nie Shiyun had personally witnessed the alchemy process. He was quite curious and quietly found a place to sit down, lowering his presence so as not to disturb Zhai Bairong.
The Heaven-Mending Lingzhi was the main ingredient, but refining the pills required other auxiliary herbs. On his way here, Zhai Bairong had spent a large amount of spirit stones at a herb shop to buy ten other auxiliary herbs, such as Jade Lotus Heart and Longevity Grass. Although they weren't spirit-grade, they were all high-tier treasure-grade materials.
This was the first time in his life refining a spirit-grade pill, and Zhai Bairong wasn't a hundred percent certain of success. He had thought earlier that perhaps commissioning a senior alchemist or simply consuming it raw would be safer. But Nie Shiyun hadn't mentioned a word of doubt, entrusting the item to him with complete confidence. This gave Zhai Bairong a great deal of courage.
He took a deep breath, calmed his mind, calculated the proportions of the herbs, and placed them into the cauldron in order.
Unlike forging, the refinement of herbs was much faster. After a short while, the ten herbs turned into liquid. Zhai Bairong manipulated the Azure Lotus Remnant Flame with his spiritual power, and the medicinal liquids in the cauldron swirled and merged together.
Most earth-fires were red, but Zhai Bairong’s Azure Lotus Remnant Flame was a rare color. Under the blue-green firelight, Zhai Bairong’s serious profile was expressionless, appearing cold and sharp. Watching him focus so intently on the refinement, Nie Shiyun also became entranced for a moment.
Zhai Bairong let out a short breath and added one Heaven-Mending Lingzhi. Immediately, the medicinal liquid in the cauldron began to boil. With a steady wave of his palm, the Azure Lotus Remnant Flame surged, enveloping the entire cauldron and heating it evenly. Nie Shiyun couldn't see the intricacies, but he knew Zhai Bairong was focusing twelve-tenths of his attention. It was said that the final step of alchemy was when the cauldron was most likely to explode; this was likely that moment. An alchemist’s aura, mindset, and the stability of their control over the flame and spiritual power all determined the quality of the final product. If it was worse than low-grade, it was a failed batch—an explosion. In that case, all the spirit herbs would be wasted, a situation every cultivator loathed.
Nie Shiyun didn't dare to breathe loudly, but the process didn't last long. He saw the spiritual energy around Zhai Bairong being gathered as if it were visible to the naked eye. Soon, the medicinal liquid in the cauldron divided into four equal parts, taking shape at the bottom.
Zhai Bairong withdrew his hands but didn't snap out of it immediately, looking forward thoughtfully. Nie Shiyun guessed he had entered a state of sudden enlightenment and naturally didn't disturb him.
After a while, Zhai Bairong’s expression showed no small amount of pleasant surprise as he came back to his senses. At this moment, he felt that refining spirit-grade pills was no longer so stressful, as if he had crossed a certain threshold.
With a wave of his hand, four pills landed on the low table prepared nearby. Nie Shiyun leaned over to check them with him. Although the quantity wasn't large, the quality was excellent. Only one was low-tier spirit-grade, while the others were mid-to-high tier. For someone at the Golden Core realm, this could be considered hitting the ceiling.
"I’ve heard that if senior alchemists perform well, they can produce ten pills in one batch."
Hearing Zhai Bairong’s humility, Nie Shiyun couldn't help but say, "How old are you? Comparing yourself to those cultivators who are hundreds of years old is just making things hard for yourself. In my eyes, this is already superb."
Although Zhai Bairong had heard many compliments since childhood, none compared to the thrill he felt seeing Nie Shiyun’s eyes sparkling with admiration. He finally couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile. "It has indeed exceeded my initial expectations."
The freshly refined pills were incredibly fragrant. The two didn't hesitate, each immediately swallowing one and then sitting cross-legged in the earth-fire room to cultivate.
After being refined into pills, the effect of the Lingzhi was indeed much better than eating it raw. Nie Shiyun immediately felt his stagnant mid-stage Golden Core cultivation surging upward. He believed that after turning the remaining Lingzhi into pills and slowly digesting them within the jade pendant, reaching the Great Perfection of the Golden Core realm before entering the secret realm would not be difficult.
"For the upcoming Hantian Secret Realm, those with cultivation at the Nascent Soul realm or above cannot enter," Nie Shiyun reminded him, though he knew he was likely worrying over nothing. "You have these pills and that extra Bone-Refining Pill. Maybe you should take it easy with your cultivation for a while."
Zhai Bairong was indeed amused by him. "You’re overthinking it. In just these few days, could I possibly form a Nascent Soul? Single-root cultivators are only a bit faster than you double-root cultivators; there are limits."
The two smiled at each other. Zhai Bairong decided to strike while the iron was hot and refine the other Heaven-Mending Lingzhi while he was in a good state.
Perhaps because he was more familiar with it now, or because the first success and Nie Shiyun’s affirmation had given him confidence, this second batch actually produced a full eight pills—double the amount. He himself found it hard to believe. Nie Shiyun, however, wasn't shocked. These "protagonists" in the original work were all so outstanding they couldn't be measured by ordinary standards; their progress was always rapid.
However, pills that significantly boosted cultivation couldn't be taken all at once. They divided the pills, each taking a bottle to put into their storage rings, planning to steadily increase their strength over the coming month.
"Aren't you going to do Duan Mingyu’s portion while you're at it?" Nie Shiyun asked, seeing Zhai Bairong retract the Azure Lotus Remnant Flame as if he were going to rest.
But Zhai Bairong leaned over and sat down next to Nie Shiyun. "No rush. You're here now, but after the day after tomorrow, we won't be able to see each other for a while. Even though I know we'll meet again soon, just thinking about it is a bit hard to bear."
Seeing that Zhai Bairong’s eyes and heart were full of him, Nie Shiyun naturally felt pleased. Recalling the handsome way the other had looked while refining pills, he couldn't help but want to get closer, placing his palm on Zhai Bairong’s back to pull him in.
"By the way, you stopped at the top eight and didn't get a Bone-Refining Pill. That's a top-grade spirit medicine that I can't refine at my current level. How about my portion..."
Nie Shiyun immediately interrupted him. "No. It's not like you have an extra one. You're just going to give it to me for nothing? I can't take it."
"You need it more than I do," Zhai Bairong said sincerely.
Nie Shiyun reached out to stop Zhai Bairong from continuing. While he felt comforted, he was also a bit helpless. "That’s not necessarily true. Look, I’m a double-root cultivator, yet isn't my cultivation on par with yours now? I naturally have my own unique methods... Alright, don't mention this again. Find an opportunity to take it yourself. I won't take yours."
Seeing his firm attitude and that his mention of "unique methods" didn't seem like a lie, Zhai Bairong stopped pushing and nodded in agreement.
***
