Another slap

"I've truly exhausted my mind and energy to achieve this Talent..."

It was the morning of the second day after Su Bai returned to Heavenly Star City. He sat cross-legged in the meditation Quiet Chamber of the Number Nine Pill Shop, slowly finished his practice, and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Yesterday, after escorting Dragon Daoist and his son back, and briefly handing over his shift to Dragon Daoist, he immediately changed back into Lu Jiu's clothes, rushed back to the shop, and plunged into the Alchemy Room, racing against time to start refining pills.

The business of Number Nine Pill Shop is now the foundation, the capital that allows us to make a living on the surface, and it cannot be cut off!

A continuous supply of high-quality Golden Marrow Pill is the foundation for maintaining reputation, stabilizing income, and supporting all his plans.

Fortunately, he had anticipated the potential for people to travel and had worked overtime to stock up on a considerable amount of inventory.

Otherwise, they would be overwhelmed just dealing with daily sales, let alone Clone to perform those troublesome bodyguard duties.

However, risks and opportunities coexist.

While skillfully processing the new batch of Golden Marrow Pill Ingredients, Su Bai analyzed the current situation.

"The Immortal Palace and the Holy Hall took action one after another, once through bewitching and once through abduction, but both failed, and instead suffered losses of manpower."

"In a short period of time, they will need to readjust their plans, and the likelihood of them launching another attack will decrease, which gives me the buffer period I need."

The reaction from the Heavenly Punishment Platform was expected. Lu Ming and the Officer Chen had already been transferred back. The Heavenly Punishment Platform was short-staffed and could not indefinitely dedicate two elites to private matters.

Being able to help Dragon Daoist repel two attacks already shows a great deal of camaraderie.

Due to his special circumstances, Dragon Daoist's position was temporarily retained, and he was tacitly allowed to stay by his son's side to handle this family matter. This was probably the maximum leniency that the Heavenly Punishment Platform could provide.

As an observer, Su Bai saw things more clearly than those involved.

That kid Little Dragon's heart has already become wild; his yearning for exploring extreme paths within the Immortal Palace is like an addiction deeply ingrained in his heart.

With Dragon Daoist's strict defenses, he might be able to keep his men trapped for a while, but he could never win back their hearts.

Prolonged suppression will only lead to a more violent rebound.

"But... for the sake of [Immortal Talent Reflection] refreshing in more than two months, and for that Lightning Attribute Spell Talent that is very likely to be at the Mysterious Tier, this bodyguard's act has to continue."

The reward of 100,000 Spirit Stone for an assassination mission is certainly tempting, but compared to a Mysterious Tier Talent that could potentially lead directly to the Great Dao, the difference is self-evident.

Spirit Stone can be earned again, but such rare and Top Grade examples of Talent, once missed, may be lost forever.

Moreover, the protection mission and the assassination mission do not currently conflict directly; in fact, the protection action can provide him with excellent cover for approaching and observing the target.

"Tomorrow is the start of the Alchemy Competition... I still need to go to the Star Luo Pill Pavilion."

Su Bai remembered that his neighbor Han Yanzi had come over this morning to invite him. Han Yanzi was also a member of the Star Luo Pill Pavilion, and they agreed to go together tomorrow.

This Alchemy Competition is specifically for members in the Foundation Establishment Realm. The Pavilion Master True Man He, will personally appear to give a lecture, making it a rare opportunity.

For Su Bai, who urgently needed to broaden his Dao of Alchemy in alchemy and accumulate advanced experience, this was an event he absolutely could not miss.

After refining the two batches of Golden Marrow Pill for the day, Su Bai handed the warm, Dark-Golden Pill to Zhang Ying, who was eagerly waiting. He then gave her a few instructions about the shop and quietly left the Number Nine Pill Shop again.

Before long, he had changed his clothes through the secret passage, wearing an inner Black Azure-Fish Robe and an outer Gray Veiled Hat and Robe, and reappeared like a silent shadow in the secluded courtyard of the Starlight Academy.

Inside the courtyard, the morning light was just beginning to break.

Little Dragon was standing in the center of the courtyard, his eyes slightly closed, his expression focused with a hint of suppressed excitement.

He held his hands loosely in front of his chest, palms facing each other, Silver-Purple Thunderball, about the size of a fist, twisted and flickered constantly, rolling and leaping within it as if it were alive!

Dragon Daoist leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed, closing his eyes to rest, but his Qi and Blood were subtly circulating throughout his body, indicating that he was not truly relaxed.

"Quasi-Second-Tier Thunder Method... the prototype of [Palm Thunder Prison]?"

Su Bai's gaze, hidden beneath her Veil Hat, narrowed slightly as she instantly recognized the origin and rank of this Thunder Method.

This is not Law Technique a seventh- Qi Refining Stage Cultivator should possess!

What's even more alarming is that, judging from the fluency of Little Dragon's spellcasting and the solidity of the Thunderball, his mastery of this technique is not merely that of a beginner, but has reached a remarkably proficient level!

That effortless, masterful control was something a Cultivator at the Qi Refining Layer Seven could never possess.

Su Bai thought to himself that if it were an ordinary Cultivator who had just entered the Foundation Establishment and was unprepared, they would probably suffer a great loss in the face of this sudden Quasi-Second-Tier Thunder Method.

Such Talent...

Su Bai's assessment became even more certain, "His understanding and control of Thunder Method, as well as that extraordinary cultivation speed... even Yellow Tier Talent might not be able to fully explain it; the possibility of him being Mysterious Tier talent is extremely high!"

This is the first Mysterious-Tier Spell Talent he has been able to clearly perceive and has the opportunity to Copy since arriving in this world, and its value is immeasurable.

In comparison, although Lu Ming's Sword Dao Talent is also good, in Su Bai's opinion, it is roughly between the Third Tier (corresponding to an ordinary genius) and the threshold of the Yellow Tier, making it difficult for him to crush strong opponents of the same rank.

As for Dragon Daoist's Body Refinement Talent, Su Bai had too few samples of Body Cultivator to accurately determine its level. However, judging from the terrifying Qi and Blood energy, dragon transformation characteristics, and terrifying defense and strength during battle, it must be related to some powerful Bloodline or special physique, at least at the Third Tier, and possibly even on the edge of the Yellow Tier.

"You've arrived." Sensing Su Bai's presence, Dragon Daoist opened his eyes and greeted him calmly.

Su Bai nodded slightly in response.

Dragon Daoist twitched the corner of his mouth and, unusually, spoke first, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing. "Brother Hai Jiu, your job as Assassin... seems rather unprofessional."

"Didn't you say you were supposed to protect my son after accepting the mission? If you keep doing this half-heartedly and something goes wrong, won't your generous mission reward be gone?"

He actually turned the Heavenly Gang on Su Bai, using Su Bai's previous words to put Su Bai in a difficult position, seemingly testing him and perhaps trying to relieve some of the heavy pressure he had been under for days.

Su Bai's Veil Hat fluttered slightly, and her indifferent voice rang out. "To be honest, if it weren't for the task assigned to me by the hall that I couldn't refuse, someone like me who only knows how to kill would never have chosen such a stupid and troublesome job as a 'protector'."

"Restricted movement, constrained actions, and having to deal with stubborn little brats."

His complaints sounded perfectly reasonable, fitting the image of a ruthless Assassin forced to take the job.

Upon hearing this, Dragon Daoist revealed a rare, bitter smile, shook his head, and said nothing more.

As fellow guardians of the world, perhaps in that instant, the two felt a sense of shared suffering.

"Easy! So easy!"

Just then, the Little Dragon in the courtyard suddenly let out an agitated growl and abruptly dispersed the terrifying Thunderball in its hand.

The silver-purple lightning dissipated, and instead of the joy of mastering profound Law Technique, his face was filled with barely suppressed resentment.

He bent down, grabbed a Pale-Purple Jade Slip from the ground, and slammed it down hard!

"This level of stuff is completely insufficient for me! Father, you are simply limiting my Talent! You are killing my future!"

The Jade Slip was hard and did not break, but the sound of it hitting the ground was particularly jarring in the quiet morning.

A deep sense of helplessness flashed across Dragon Daoist's face. He looked at Su Bai and explained in a low voice, "I only gave him that Quasi-Second Tier Jade Slip containing the cultivation secrets of [Palm Thunder Prison] five days ago."

"The exchange records in the Academy's Scripture Depository show that he... has already reached such a level today."

His words conveyed shock, but also a deeper sense of powerlessness.

The more Talent the son is, the more acute the conflict with reality seems to become.

Su Bai looked at the nearly out-of-control Little Dragon, then at the bitter-faced Dragon Daoist, his brows furrowing slightly beneath his Veil Hat.

This can't go on. If Little Dragon's emotions continue to build up, it will eventually lead to bigger trouble and affect his Talent Copy plan.

"Leave it to me."

Su Bai said something to Daoist Long, his voice calm and composed.

Then, he strode towards Little Dragon, who was still panting heavily and looking defiant in the courtyard.

As Little Dragon was immersed in self-pity and resentment towards his father, he suddenly felt a cold aura approaching. Looking up, he saw the mysterious Veil Hat, whom he both feared and hated, striding towards him.

A shadow loomed over him, and an invisible pressure made his heart clench suddenly.

"What... what are you going to do?!"

Little Dragon Consciousness took a half step back, his voice trembling slightly, "Don't... don't come any closer! I'm warning you! Don't hit me..." The taste of that slap from last time was still fresh in his mind.

"Smack!!!"

The crisp, loud sound of a slap echoed through the courtyard once more, interrupting Little Dragon's blustering but ultimately weak warning.

Su Bai's movements were extremely fast, leaving only a blur in Little Dragon's eyes.

The immense force struck, Little Dragon had no time to react. He felt a sharp pain in his left cheek, his head buzzed, the world spun around him, and he was sent flying sideways, crashing once again onto the hard ground in a sorry state.

A familiar metallic sweetness filled his mouth. He opened his mouth and spat out a few teeth that had just grown in and were now gloriously retired. His left cheek quickly swelled up and burned with pain.

"You...!"

Little Dragon covered his face, curled up on the ground, looked up at Su Bai, his eyes filled with resentment and deep-seated fear.

This mysterious person was ruthless! And he didn't even get a chance to explain!

Su Bai looked down at him, the shadow of his Veil Hat obscuring his expression; only his cold voice rang out. "Hey, kid."

"No matter how strong your Spell Talent is, it's all for nothing if your Cultivation Realm can't keep up. Look, you can't even dodge this 'small' slap of mine."

He paused, his tone laced with undisguised sarcasm. "Don't look at me like that. If it were your father, a Body Cultivator, slapping you, your head would be smashed to pieces like a watermelon."

"If you lose your life, what's the point of talking about the path to the Immortal Palace?"

Little Dragon froze, a hint of lingering fear flashing in his resentful eyes.

He had witnessed some of the Dragon Daoist's power when he was a mischievous child...

Su Bai continued, his voice softening slightly. "I know what you're thinking."

"You think staying at the Academy is a waste of your Talent, right? You think only the Immortal Palace understands you and is willing to nurture you, right?"

"Fine, even if you're determined to join the Immortal Palace, tell me—would the Immortal Palace accept a Qi Foundation Establishment waste who isn't even at the Foundation Qi Refining Stage stage and has no Talent whatsoever? Would they bet their precious resources on a genius who might die at any moment because of his low cultivation level?"

These words were like ice water poured over Little Dragon's feverish head.

He froze, clutching his swollen and painful face, a crack appearing in the stubbornness in his eyes.

"If you want others to value you and invest in you, you at least need to have some decent assets to offer."

Su Bai pointed at him, "Foundation Establishment is the lowest threshold."

"You haven't even reached the Foundation Establishment. Your so-called Talent is nothing but a mirage, a castle in the air, in the eyes of those great figures."

"They might be interested, but they certainly won't pay a high price for you, much less risk a complete falling out with the Heavenly Star Alliance to forcibly take you away, just like what the Holy Hall did yesterday. And what was the result?"

Little Dragon shuddered involuntarily as he recalled the suffocating feeling of being enveloped by the Black Substance yesterday, and the news that the Holy Hall Cultivator had been killed.

"So," Su Bai concluded, "Until you can prove you're qualified for a formal invitation from the Immortal Palace, stay put and focus on improving your cultivation."

"At the very least, advance to the Foundation Establishment first. Otherwise, you won't even have the right to talk about choices."

Little Dragon opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't find any compelling words.

Although the mysterious man's words were harsh, they were like a knife, cutting open certain realities he had always been unwilling to face.

He struggled, hissing, "What do you know! My Spirit Root... is Six-element Spirit Root! Do you know that? Six-element Spirit Root! My cultivation speed is as slow as a snail! If I stay in the Academy, stay in the Heavenly Star Alliance, and follow the established path, I might never even reach the threshold of Foundation Establishment in my entire life!"

"Only the Immortal Palace... only the Immortal Palace possesses the Secret Method, the means, and is willing to invest resources in me to help me break free from the shackles of my Spirit Root!"

This was his deepest fear, something he believed his father and the Academy could not provide.

Su Bai paused for a moment.

To some extent, what Little Dragon said wasn't entirely unreasonable.

Starlight Academy is a gathering place for geniuses. Although it has abundant resources, the allocation will inevitably favor Disciple with greater potential and better foundations, such as those geniuses with Single Spirit Root or Variant Spirit Root.

Little Dragon's Six-element Spirit Root put him at a huge disadvantage on the conventional cultivation path, and the Academy would not pour massive resources into a prodigy with little hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment.

In contrast, an organization like the Immortal Palace, which acts ruthlessly and without restraint, might actually possess some unconventional Secret Method that could help geniuses like Little Dragon, who are severely unbalanced in their studies, quickly break through their limitations.

Su Duanqiu's example seems to indirectly confirm this point.

But Su Bai wasn't there to debate with Little Dragon about the Dao Path; he was there to calm the kid down.

A slap in the face has shaken his spirit and shattered his illusions; now it's time to offer a little something sweet.

Without saying another word, he took a Jade Bottle from his Storage Bag and casually tossed it to the Little Dragon lying on the ground.

Little Dragon Consciousness caught it; it felt warm to the touch.

Upon uncorking the bottle, a pure medicinal fragrance mixed with a unique dark golden hue wafted out. Just one whiff was enough to make the faint Spiritual Power within my body feel a little more active.

"This is the best quality Golden Marrow Pill currently available in the Alchemy Street. It has very little Pill Toxin and pure medicinal power, and it is extremely effective for Late Qi Refining Cultivator to break through bottlenecks and solidify their foundation."

"Those Cultivator outside, even if they queue up, might not be able to buy it."

Su Bai's voice remained calm, "You got off easy, kid. Focus on your cultivation and stop thinking about nonsense all day."

"Strength is the foundation of everything. Without strength, even if the Immortal Palace manages to get you in, you'll only be cannon fodder struggling at the bottom."

Holding the Jade Bottle, Little Dragon looked at the round, Dark-Golden Pill inside, his resentment replaced by surprise and suspicion.

This mysterious person... why? First, he ruthlessly reprimanded me, and now he's giving me such a precious Pill? What exactly does he want?

He couldn't help but look at his father.

The Dragon Daoist under the corridor met his son's questioning gaze. His expression was complicated, but in the end, he nodded almost imperceptibly, his eyes seemingly conveying the message that he should listen to him.

Little Dragon felt even more suspicious and uncertain.

He stared at the blurry silhouette beneath the mysterious man's Veil Hat, and an absurd yet irresistible thought surfaced: Could it be... that this powerful, mysterious, and sometimes fierce, sometimes caring Hai Jiu was actually some Bloodline relative he had never met?

Were they secretly sent by the Lineage to protect (or rather, monitor) them?

Otherwise, how can his contradictory behavior be explained?

Su Bai had no idea that a melodramatic scene was already playing out in Little Dragon's mind.

Seeing that he had basically achieved his goal, intimidated the Little Dragon, offered a carrot, and temporarily stabilized the situation, he said no more. He nodded slightly to the Dragon Daoist, turned around, walked to another corner of the courtyard, and closed his eyes to rest.