Great Bamboo Peak.
Shou Jing Hall.
As soon as Tian Buyi finished speaking,
Lin Jingyu's eyes lit up, and the way he looked at Ye Xuan changed.
He'd only joined the sect two years earlier?
Yet his cultivation was already among the best in the Qingyun Sect?
What kind of genius did that take?
Even Zhang Xiaofan, who had kept his head bowed and stared at his toes, couldn't help sneaking a glance at Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan wore white robes as pure as snow. A lazy smile played on his lips as he idly toyed with a jade pendant in his hand.
He certainly had an extraordinary air about him.
"Lin Jingyu (Zhang Xiaofan) greets Seventh Senior Brother!"
The two didn't dare delay. They bowed respectfully to Ye Xuan.
"No need for such formalities."
Seeing this,
Ye Xuan's lips curved slightly into a faint smile.
"Since you've called me Senior Brother,"
"I can't exactly give you a shabby welcome gift."
As he spoke,
Ye Xuan tapped his Storage Bag.
Two exquisite little jade bottles appeared in his palm out of thin air.
"These are Marrow Cleansing Pills I refined myself."
"Marrow Cleansing Pills may not be rare treasures of heaven and earth,"
"but for disciples who haven't yet achieved Spirit Induction into Body, they're certainly a rare treat."
"Take them tonight when you get back."
"Even if they can't completely remake your bodies, they'll purge the impurities you've accumulated since birth."
"Your meridians will flow more freely as you cultivate, and you'll suffer a little less."
Ye Xuan casually tucked a jade bottle into each of their arms.
His gesture was so casual, as though he were handing them a couple of sweets.
But his words brought the atmosphere in Shou Jing Hall to a standstill.
The simpleminded smile on Song Daren's face froze.
Wu Dayi's teacup stopped in midair.
Du Bishu was just reaching for his dice. His hand jerked, and he nearly dropped them on the floor.
Even Tian Buyi, who had seen plenty in his time, was stunned.
Marrow Cleansing Pills?
What were those?
The Qingyun Sect cultivated the Tai Chi Xuan Qing Dao, emphasizing gradual progress and drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body.
As for alchemy?
The Qingyun Sect dabbled in it, but didn't have much expertise.
"Seventh."
"You just said... what kind of pill was that?"
A moment later,
Tian Buyi leaned forward slightly.
His eyes, already small to begin with, were now wide as saucers as he stared fixedly at the two little jade bottles.
"Master, they're Marrow Cleansing Pills."
Ye Xuan turned and cupped his hands toward Tian Buyi, his expression unchanged.
"Bring one here. Let me see!"
Tian Buyi beckoned.
An invisible force surged forth.
The jade bottle in Lin Jingyu's arms hadn't even had time to warm up before it flew into Tian Buyi's hand with a whoosh.
He pulled out the stopper.
A faint, sweet fragrance instantly spread through the hall.
The scent wasn't strong, but it carried remarkably far.
Just one breath made them feel clear-headed and refreshed, as if every pore on their bodies had opened at once.
Su Ru couldn't stay seated either. She leaned in to take a look.
At the bottom of the bottle lay a round black pill.
A muted sheen seemed to flow across its surface. On closer inspection, several intricate patterns could be seen etched into it.
Even if they'd never eaten pork, at least they'd seen pigs run.
Its appearance and medicinal fragrance alone made it clear this was no ordinary pill!
Tian Buyi's expression shifted unpredictably.
He carefully tipped the pill out, held it beneath his nose to smell it, then scraped off a little powder with his fingernail and tasted it.
It melted on his tongue.
A warm current slid down his throat and into his stomach, then spread through his limbs and bones.
In an instant,
Tian Buyi's eyes lit up.
Such potent medicinal effects—and not a trace of impurities!
"This..."
"Seventh, did you really refine this pill yourself?"
Tian Buyi jerked his head up and looked at Ye Xuan with a searching gaze, even a hint of shock in his eyes.
The Qingyun Sect had no dedicated tradition of alchemy.
Each peak concocted its own pills.
For example, Tian Buyi could refine Dahuang Pills, which were excellent for healing injuries.
But apart from Dahuang Pills,
Tian Buyi had no other pills he was particularly skilled at making.
Even so,
Tian Buyi's alchemy skills ranked among the best of the Seven Peaks.
But what about Marrow Cleansing Pills?
Even though he'd never formally taken one,
he knew their effects far surpassed those of Dahuang Pills!
Had their own Seventh really refined a pill like this?
"Master."
"Your disciple did indeed refine the Marrow Cleansing Pills."
"When I was traveling below the mountain, I happened upon the legacy of a senior."
"Now, I've made a little progress in alchemy, artifact crafting, and formation-setting."
Faced with Tian Buyi's question,
Ye Xuan kept smiling and replied with ease.
Two years ago,
when he first joined Great Bamboo Peak,
he'd received Low-tier Alchemy Mastery through a system sign-in.
But
Ye Xuan had only just begun cultivating back then.
He had no ingredients for refining pills.
And he had no way to explain why he knew how to make them.
Now,
Ye Xuan had spent more than a year traveling below the mountain.
He could naturally come up with an excuse to reveal some of the skills he'd mastered.
Besides,
Tian Buyi and the others hadn't been around when he left the mountain.
Couldn't he have gotten a little absurdly lucky and come across a master's legacy?
"Uh..."
Hearing Ye Xuan's explanation,
Tian Buyi's mouth twitched. He didn't know what to say.
The legacy of a senior master?
It was true that great masters sometimes left behind legacies across the Divine Land.
But obtaining one was no easy task.
Years, even decades, might pass without a single lucky soul finding one.
And his own Seventh was one of those lucky souls?
That was right.
From beginning to end,
Tian Buyi hadn't once suspected that Ye Xuan was lying.
Ye Xuan possessed the Innate Dao Body, a legendary cultivation physique.
Perhaps that was precisely why
his Seventh had been so lucky.
Just then,
a pink-clad figure suddenly darted out.
"Seventh Senior Brother!"
"I want one too!"
"I want a pill too!"
Tian Ling'er grabbed Ye Xuan's arm and practically hung off him.
She tipped up her delicate, doll-like face and blinked her big eyes, looking adorable.
"Hey!"
"Junior Sister, calm down."
Watching Tian Ling'er's antics,
Ye Xuan gave a disdainful little scoff.
Back then,
he and Tian Ling'er had made a bet.
Whoever chopped down the Black Bamboo first would be the Senior Brother or Senior Sister.
Ye Xuan had won.
But Tian Ling'er refused to admit it.
From that day on,
Ye Xuan called Tian Ling'er Junior Sister.
Tian Ling'er called Ye Xuan Junior Brother.
Now,
Tian Ling'er had taken the initiative to change how she addressed him.
That actually made Ye Xuan feel a little uncomfortable.
"Seventh."
"Don't forget about your Senior Brothers."
"Do we get a share of these Marrow Cleansing Pills?"
After Tian Ling'er spoke,
Du Bishu and the others gathered around, chiming in one after another.
Even Song Daren, usually the most honest of them all, swallowed visibly, clearly tempted.
After all!
Who didn't want to get stronger?
"Senior Brothers,"
"the effects of the Marrow Cleansing Pills are limited."
"They work quite well on ordinary people."
"You've all been cultivating for a while, so you can't be considered ordinary people."
"Even if you took a Marrow Cleansing Pill, it wouldn't do much for you."
Seeing this,
Ye Xuan shook his head and explained softly.
"Tch."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Hearing Ye Xuan's words,
Tian Ling'er immediately shook off Ye Xuan's arm.
What a loss.
A huge loss.
That stinking junior brother had actually tricked her into calling him senior brother.
"But..."
"I also refined a kind of Foundation Replenishing Pill."
"One Foundation Replenishing Pill is worth five years of hard cultivation."
"..."
Before you continue