Betrayed Again

Being able to freely enter and leave Second Master Yang's Alchemy Room and receive Second Master Yang's guidance was no longer merely a matter of countless benefits. It was an honor—an honor that meant gaining Second Master Yang's recognition. With Second Master Yang's recognition alone, even if Yang Chen still failed to enter the Body Refinement First Level three months later at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, his household registration would not be revoked.

Anyone favored by Second Master Yang was an Alchemy Genius. Would the Yang family dare expel an Alchemy Genius from its registry?

Everyone thought Yang Chen had stepped in **** luck.

The angriest of all was undoubtedly Yang Heng.

Yang Heng had always held an absolute sense of superiority over Yang Chen. Whether in alchemy or martial cultivation, he far surpassed Yang Chen. Yet Gu Mingyue simply refused to submit to him, and that was what gnawed at his heart the most. Still, that was one thing—he had always retained his superiority over Yang Chen.

But now...

That sense of superiority was gone.

He believed he was the one most qualified to receive Second Master Yang's favor, yet today, Yang Chen had snatched that qualification away from him!

Hmph. Alchemy is still just alchemy. Even Second Master Yang is a dispensable figure in the Yang family. He's only skilled at alchemy. Yang Chen likely gained Second Master's favor because Second Master saw his own former shadow in him. But someone who cannot set foot on the martial path is ultimately trash. Yang Chen is still a worthless piece of trash. Yang Heng thought. This self-consolation more or less put his mind at ease.

Yang Chen had no idea what Yang Heng was thinking, nor did he have the time to bother with him. Hearing Second Master Yang's words, he hurriedly said, "Thank you, Second Grandfather."

"Haha, no need to thank me. Though you have grasped my techniques and the finer details, you still lack some seasoning if you wish to refine the Clear Fire Pill. Come to Second Grandfather's place more often in the future. With my guidance and your talent, perhaps you will soon be able to refine Clear Fire Pills on your own. By then, you will be a First-Rank High-Level Alchemist." Second Master Yang spoke with immense gratification.

"Thank you for fulfilling this wish, Second Master." Yang Chen was equally overjoyed.

Second Master Yang waved his hand. "All right, today's lesson is over. All of you, go back. Yang Chen, stay behind."

Seeing this, Yang Heng and quite a few others gnashed their teeth in hatred, yet there was nothing they could do. They could only leave one after another, not daring to defy Second Master Yang's wishes.

In the blink of an eye, only Yang Chen and Second Master Yang remained in the Alchemy Room.

The more Second Master Yang looked at Yang Chen, the more pleasing he found him. Yang Chen's words about not judging a hero by temporary success or failure had especially struck a chord with him. Standing with his hands behind his back, he said, "Earlier, I promised you that as long as you could comprehend my methods for refining the Clear Fire Pill, I would grant you a benefit and fulfill one request. Yang Chen, what do you want? Tell me."

This was precisely what Yang Chen had been waiting for. How could he hesitate? He promptly said respectfully, "Second Grandfather, Yang Chen would like to ask for some materials to practice with when I return. I still lack much experience with certain pills."

"Hahaha, it is truly good that you possess such an urgent desire to practice." Second Master Yang was not stingy in the slightest, nor was he surprised by Yang Chen's request.

For an alchemist to mature into someone capable, immense amounts of alchemy materials were undoubtedly needed to cultivate them.

Without materials to practice with, becoming an Alchemy Master was undoubtedly as difficult as ascending to heaven.

How could Second Master Yang be stingy toward the astonishing talent Yang Chen had displayed? He said kindly and gently, "Yang Chen, come with me."

"Yes, Second Master." Yang Chen followed behind Second Master Yang.

As the Yang family's foremost Alchemy Master, all the heavenly treasures and Great Wilderness spiritual herbs Second Master Yang possessed had been approved and personally bestowed by the Yang family. After all, an Alchemy Master like Second Master Yang was undoubtedly a treasure trove to the Yang family.

Thus, there truly were few people in the Yang family who could compare to Second Master Yang in wealth.

With Second Master's permission, Yang Chen swiftly selected several spiritual herbs, then returned home feeling thoroughly satisfied.

Naturally, he had not chosen these spiritual herbs to refine pills. He had other plans for them.

By the time he returned to his residence, Yang Chen had already made all the necessary preparations.

What he intended to make was a cultivation method known only to certain colossal powers in the outside world: a medicinal bath!

Using medicinal baths to nourish the body before the Body Refining Realm is a method employed by all those great sects and powerful factions. It is absolutely impossible for such a thing to exist in the Great Wilderness. And the medicinal bath I specially developed is even more advanced than theirs. Unfortunately, although Second Master Yang possesses considerable wealth, the spiritual herbs in his possession are still insufficient to support the medicinal bath I want. Yang Chen sighed inwardly.

The medicinal bath he required did not have particularly demanding material requirements. However, the Great Wilderness was an extremely remote land where heavenly treasures were exceedingly scarce. Gathering everything he needed was indeed immensely difficult.

"Still, these spiritual herbs are enough to make a medicinal bath and nourish my body. As for future medicinal baths, I will think of them later." Yang Chen murmured.

The Body Refining Realm, put simply, was the realm of refining the body.

It was the foundational realm for martial artists, divided into nine levels.

This was a realm that tempered the sinews, bones, and every part of the body. The benefit of a medicinal bath was that during this realm, one could use medicine to thoroughly transform the body's sinews and bones. This was an effect that could not be achieved through cultivation techniques alone, because the changes brought by a medicinal bath were qualitative transformations.

Once he successfully soaked in the medicinal bath, Yang Chen would have thoroughly laid his foundation. In his future advancements, he would achieve twice the result with half the effort and be that much faster than others.

This was the most crucial point.

I cannot lose to others at the starting line. Yang Chen thought to himself. The medicinal bath was nearly ready.

He dumped all the spiritual herbs he had obtained from Second Master Yang into the medicinal bath at once. Without even taking off his clothes, he impatiently leaped into it with a splash.

The instant he entered the medicinal bath, Yang Chen immediately felt the medicinal power of those spiritual herbs sweep over every inch of his body. That astonishing medicinal energy seemed to be drilling through his pores and into his body, making him feel both delighted and agonized.

Yang Chen had expected this sensation. The medicinal power within the bath was altering his body to a certain extent.

Yang Chen had never trained his body since childhood. He had always been weak and sickly, so the tempering effect of the medicinal bath would likely be a very lengthy process.

The pain seemed capable of tearing his body apart, but how could Yang Chen's will yield to such pain? He gritted his teeth and endured. Gradually, the pain vanished without a trace, replaced by a refreshing comfort that spread through his entire body. His furrowed brows relaxed as he let out a long breath.

Beyond that, his body felt like a fish returning to water. Under the nourishment of the medicinal bath, it seemed to gain layer upon layer of strength in an instant.

This was a strength Yang Chen had never felt in either his previous life or this one.

"Body Refining Realm First Level." Yang Chen smiled.

It truly was the Body Refining Realm First Level.

Haha, this was simply wonderful.

Yang Chen had never imagined, even in his dreams, that he would truly be able to set foot on the martial path.

The Body Refining Realm First Level was not difficult for others, but for Yang Chen in his previous life, it had been as difficult as ascending to heaven. He had been born unable to practice martial arts, without the aptitude for martial cultivation, destined never to set foot on the martial path. He had struggled and searched for methods, yet in the end, it had all been in vain.

Who could understand all the bitterness along the way?

But now, he had finally entered this realm. Though it was merely the Body Refining Realm First Level, only a beginning, it was enough. At the very least, it meant he had already set foot on the martial path. In the future, he could enter the Dao through martial arts and stand atop the heavens!

"Wonderful." The medicinal bath's effects had gradually faded, and Yang Chen could feel the utter difference in his body.

With the medicinal bath's effects at an end, Yang Chen rose. After changing into a fresh set of clothes, he left his room, intending to make further plans.

At present, the Body Refinement First Level clearly could not satisfy him. The medicinal bath made from the resources he had received from Second Master Yang had simply been too weak. He needed more resources to make medicinal baths and nourish his body.

The Body Refining Realm was a foundational realm, and establishing a solid foundation within it was essential. If one failed to build that foundation well, one would fall a step behind at the starting line.

Just as he finished dressing and pushed open the door, he suddenly heard a commotion outside the courtyard.

"What is going on?" Yang Chen was puzzled as he pushed the door open and looked outside.

He saw Gu Mingyue's pretty face flushed red as she said furiously, "Zhou Huaiyi, you actually betrayed Young Master! Young... Young Master, why did you come out?"

Yang Chen smiled. "Something happened outside. How could I possibly not hear it from inside?"

Gu Mingyue bit her lip, staring at Zhou Huaiyi before her as she said in a low voice, "Young Master, this... this Zhou Huaiyi, he..."

Yang Chen stared straight ahead. Yang Heng had somehow arrived at his residence again, while Zhou Huaiyi was conspicuously standing beside Yang Heng with a servile expression. At some unknown time, he had clearly already decided to seek refuge with Yang Heng.

Hearing Gu Mingyue's furious words, Zhou Huaiyi sneered. "Gu Mingyue, do you think everyone is as stubbornly unyielding as you? Young Master Yang Heng is a genius of our Yang family. As a servant of the Yang family, I am not merely Yang Chen's servant. Following Young Master Yang Heng is the path to a future. I have long abandoned darkness for the light."

"Young Master, he... he!" Gu Mingyue was so angry that she gnashed her teeth, yet she did not know how to refute him. "Our Young Master is not what you say he is."

Yang Heng bared his teeth in a grin. "Gu Mingyue, what is the point of being so single-minded? Yang Chen is trash who cannot cultivate martial arts. Everyone knows that. Am I wrong to call him trash?"

Yang Heng had repeatedly been humiliated in alchemy, so now, he naturally wanted to seek a sense of superiority over Yang Chen through martial cultivation.

Yang Chen stood beside Gu Mingyue with his hands behind his back, watching Zhou Huaiyi and Yang Heng with great interest.

Not only was he not angry, he actually smiled happily.

Zhou Huaiyi harbored ulterior motives—Yang Chen had long seen through that. More importantly, after thinking it over carefully, why had Yang Heng learned so quickly that he had hanged himself? The matter of his suicide by hanging had been extremely secretive. How could it have spread throughout the entire Yang family so quickly?

This affair had been strange from the start. Now that he thought about it, he understood.

Most likely, Zhou Huaiyi had long since gotten in touch with Yang Heng. That was why, the moment Yang Heng heard that he had hanged himself, he had come searching with the sharpness of a dog's nose.

Zhou Huaiyi's betrayal was not strange at all.

Yang Chen remained calm and unruffled, completely unmoved by it.

Indeed, what he hated most was betrayal.

However, Zhou Huaiyi was ultimately only a servant. His betrayal? One more made no difference, one less made no difference. On the contrary, sooner or later, Yang Chen would make Zhou Huaiyi understand just how foolish a choice it had been to betray him.

Here is the current update schedule: one chapter at noon and one chapter at night. Updates will gradually speed up after some time.