A Divine Being Emerged

"Of course there was." Ji Feng nodded.

Bai Lan nodded knowingly, quietly calculating in her heart.

The value of a pill formula was clearly far greater than that of a single pill. If she wanted to obtain the formula from Ji Feng, she would have to think of a way.

Ji Feng looked at the thoughtful look in Bai Lan's eyes and suddenly had a bad feeling.

One did not fear a thief stealing, only a thief setting their sights on one. Although he knew this little junior niece in front of him did not count among petty thieves...

He still had a bad feeling, as though once someone had their eye on something of his, they would move heaven and earth to get that pill formula from him.

"Does the host truly plan to enter the Nine Yin Secret Realm?" The system floated out of the Void Stone.

Bai Lan nodded. "Naturally. Long Aotian and Bai Ling are both going. How could I fall behind?"

Or rather, she had to strike first and seize the initiative.

She absolutely could not let Long Aotian or Bai Ling obtain those opportunities first. If they grew powerful, she would be the first to die in the future.

"Hmph!"

A familiar snort suddenly came from behind her, but this time Nan Xianshi did not reach out to pat Bai Lan's shoulder.

After being given an over-the-shoulder throw by Bai Lan last time and suffering a psychological shadow from it, she had changed the way she greeted Bai Lan to verbal communication.

"This time, you won. One hundred Spirit Stones. Keep them safe."

Bai Lan turned around with a beaming smile. "Congratulations, congratulations. It seems Martial Uncle Nan successfully entered under the Sect Master's tutelage. A joyous occasion indeed, a joyous occasion indeed."

Nan Xianshi wore a strange expression.

She had thought the Sect Master would refuse her request, but unexpectedly...

"You knew all along. Why?" Nan Xianshi lowered her voice.

Bai Lan lowered her voice as well. "To be honest, I can tell fortunes."

"Then can you calculate when I'll be able to establish my foundation?"

Bai Lan nodded, half-closing her eyes and counting on her fingers. Only after a long while did she speak faintly. "After counting on my fingers... you will establish your foundation when your cultivation reaches the great completion of Qi Refining."

Nan Xianshi: "? That's common knowledge in the cultivation world, all right! Everyone knows that after Qi Refining reaches great completion, one must establish their foundation. Did you really need to tell me that?"

"Because you asked."

"...Forget it. I shouldn't have talked nonsense with you." Nan Xianshi spoke mysteriously. "Did you know? Today, an extraordinary person appeared among the outer sect's menial disciples!"

"Hm?"

"That person, as nothing more than a menial disciple, defeated an inner sect disciple in just a few dozen exchanges. Afterward, she was completely unscathed—not even a strand of hair was out of place. The rumors have spread like wildfire, and some even say that an inner sect elder has taken a liking to that menial disciple, making her an inner sect disciple!"

Bai Lan: "..."

So what?

So where was this inner sect elder who had taken a liking to her? She would very much like to leap into the inner sect in one bound. After all, inner sect disciples received much better stipends.

"If there's a chance, I truly want to witness her skills." Nan Xianshi's face was full of anticipation.

Bai Lan's expression did not change. "Indeed. She's truly impressive."

"Actually, I came to bid you farewell today." Nan Xianshi sighed softly before getting to the point. "I'm going to the Nine Yin Secret Realm. It is an incomparably dangerous grotto-heaven. In previous years, when Qi Refining stage disciples entered, more than half were always killed or injured."

Bai Lan halted.

"If I die in the secret realm, then it will be fate. Keep this letter safe. If I truly fail to come out after half a month, give it to my imperial father and mother. Consider it... my last testament." Nan Xianshi looked dejected.

"All right." Bai Lan nodded and accepted the letter. "But I will also be entering the Nine Yin Secret Realm."

"Huh?" Nan Xianshi snatched the letter back. "You're going too!? Then why did you agree just now? What if you also fall... wouldn't my last testament have been written for nothing?"

"Because I'm confident I'll come out alive." Bai Lan chuckled softly.

Nan Xianshi: "..."

She stuffed the "last testament" into her robes and let out a cold snort. "Naturally, I'll come out alive too. Hmph."

"So why are you going? Did you lock horns with Bai Ling again?"

Nan Xianshi's expression stiffened, clearly having been seen through. "Bai Ling is going, so naturally I'm going too. Otherwise, wouldn't it make me look like I'm afraid of her? Besides, opportunities are sought amid danger. It's perfectly reasonable to try my luck."

With True Person Qing Xuan pouring every resource into assisting her, Bai Ling's cultivation had soared by leaps and bounds. Less than three months after entering the sect, she had already reached the middle stage of Qi Refining.

"Forget it. As long as you're happy." Bai Lan waved a hand. "Since you don't need me to deliver your last testament, then forget it. See you around."

Half a month later would be the time to enter the secret realm, and Bai Lan naturally would not waste this period of time.

She was going into seclusion to cultivate.

Now that she had ample Spirit Stones in hand, it was not impossible to spend half a month piling her cultivation up to Qi Refining level four.

Everyone believed Five Spirit Roots were trash, but that was only because cultivators with Five Spirit Roots required an enormous amount of spiritual energy to advance and break through. With every additional spirit root, they needed to absorb an additional share of spiritual energy.

Thus, many cultivators with Five Spirit Roots never broke through the bottleneck of the Qi Refining stage in their entire lives before their lifespan came to an end.

After all, none of them had appeared like Bai Lan, someone who gobbled Spirit Stones down like candy beans.

With a small pile of Spirit Stones before her, Bai Lan, seated in meditation, could feel an endless stream of spiritual energy pouring into her body.

So this was what it felt like to spend money for power?

Swallowing dozens of Spirit Stones a day truly made cultivation much faster, though the Spirit Stones also flowed away with a rushing roar like water.

But it was worth it. Time was precious. If she had sufficient Spirit Stones on hand, she did not mind using them to shorten her cultivation time.

At the very least, she had to break through to Qi Refining level four. After entering the middle stage of Qi Refining, she would be safer when exploring the Nine Yin Secret Realm.

When the time came to fight, she would be able to use intermediate Mystical Techniques.

Time slipped by in a flash.

The matter of that menial disciple defeating an inner sect disciple half a month ago had spread far and wide, yet after the battle ended, the person at the center of it had vanished without a trace.

Now that Bai Lan had once again appeared before the public eye, she instantly became the focus of everyone's attention.

It was not because of her astonishing record from half a month ago, but because...

Amid the uniform snow-white disciple robes, Bai Lan's gray robe and youthful appearance were simply too eye-catching.

Menial disciples of the Azure Origin Sect wore gray, outer sect disciples wore white, and inner sect disciples wore blue. Their embroidered patterns differed as well, serving as symbols of identity.

Yet among the disciples heading to the Nine Yin Secret Realm this time were white and blue robes, while gray appeared only as a single streak.

Among the menial disciples, only Bai Lan had come.

The surrounding disciples all discussed the matter heatedly.

"It's not that I look down on menial disciples—I came from the menial ranks too—but entering a secret realm at Qi Refining level four, isn't that too dangerous?"

"Why do you care what someone else does?"

"She looks a little familiar."

"I remember now! She's the one who defeated the inner sect disciple Long Aotian on the fighting platform half a month ago!"

Standing in a corner with her eyes closed in repose, Bai Lan secretly sighed. She did not need to open her eyes to know that quite a few people were covertly examining her.

She should have known to wear white before coming. The Azure Origin Sect did not have any rule requiring disciples to wear uniforms anyway.