A Fortune Made in Passing

"Were things going well for you in the Inner Academy?"

"Yeah. It's a great place to train, especially... Uh, you'll understand once you get in. You definitely won't regret it."

Wu Bai had almost mentioned the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower, but he remembered something and hurriedly stopped himself.

"Oh, and Elder Huo told me the prizes for the top five in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament would be generous. He said I shouldn't miss it."

"My mentor told me that too. I shouldn't have any trouble making the top five this year."

Hearing that everything Wu Bai had to say about the Inner Academy concerned training, Han Yue finally relaxed.

Given how Wu Bai barely ever went out, he probably hadn't met any girls in the Inner Academy. He might not even have met many boys...

"You're a Seven-Star Great Dou Master now?"

Wu Bai stroked Han Yue's long legs as he sensed her aura.

"Yes. Thanks to that Medicinal Pill you gave me, and the Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill."

The pill that improved her aptitude had given Han Yue, who was already talented, a considerable boost.

The Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill had raised her cultivation several stars in just a few hours.

She had already been an Eight-Star Dou Shi before Wu Bai left. More than eight months had passed since then, and with the help of the pills, reaching Seven-Star Great Dou Master had been well within her grasp.

In fact, she had deliberately slowed down to solidify her foundation, spending more time practicing Dou Techniques and honing her skills.

After answering, Han Yue asked Wu Bai curiously, "What about your cultivation now?"

"Same as yours. Heh... That's why I want you to go to the Inner Academy."

Wu Bai smiled. Training in the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower had saved him a great deal of time stabilizing his cultivation. A few rounds of tempering his Dou Qi with the Heart Flame were enough to keep it from becoming unstable.

He had solved the most time-consuming problem in the shortest possible time.

"A sixteen-year-old Seven-Star Great Dou Master..."

Even though Han Yue had expected as much, hearing it confirmed still left her stunned.

At this rate, barring any surprises, Wu Bai might become a Dou Wang before he turned twenty.

The thought made Han Yue feel inadequate.

So he really was a dragon trapped in shallow water, a tiger fallen on hard times.

As he continued to grow, he was beginning to look like a dragon poised to rise from the sea. One day, he was bound to soar through the heavens and become someone who could command the wind and rain.

As for her... If she weren't the Han Family's Young Lady, she would never be able to keep up. All she could do was watch him from behind.

"Hey, what are you thinking about? Are you sleepy?"

"No. I was just thinking about the Inner Academy Selection Tournament in a little over three months."

Han Yue shook her head. Seeing how Wu Bai couldn't keep his hands off her, she felt a little relieved—and a little smug.

"The Inner Academy Selection Tournament..."

Wu Bai paused at the mention of it, then smiled.

With their cultivation, entering the tournament would be a little unfair to everyone else.

But that was reality. If someone got pushed around, they would just have to take it. They should have been stronger.

Late that night, Han Yue returned to her room. She did not let Wu Bai fall asleep holding her long legs.

After getting his fill of touching them, Wu Bai felt sleepy for once. Without much hesitation, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Ever since reaching the "Full Spirit, No Need for Sleep" state, he had never fought off drowsiness unless something was especially urgent.

Next door, Han Yue thought for a moment, then followed her own wishes and lay down to sleep.

"My lady, that man's Soul Power is definitely beyond that of a Fifth-Rank Alchemist!"

"So he's a Sixth-Rank Alchemist? A sixteen-year-old... Sixth-Rank Alchemist?"

No matter how Gu Xun'er considered it, the conclusion seemed absurd. It was simply too hard to believe.

A sixteen-year-old Sixth-Rank Alchemist? What kind of joke was that?

Her Brother Xiao Yan was also sixteen this year, yet he could only refine a few first-rank pills.

Xiao Yan's Soul Power was exceptional, but it was merely comparable to that of some second- or third-rank Alchemists.

Having the Soul Power of a Sixth-Rank Alchemist at sixteen defied all reason.

Even in the Yao Clan, someone under twenty with such outrageous Soul Power would rank among the very best.

More outrageous still, that Soul Power truly belonged to the man himself.

"...Have the clan investigate him."

After a full eight hours of sleep, both Wu Bai and Han Yue woke the next day refreshed and full of energy.

Neither had risen early for once, and neither felt like eating breakfast. Instead, they sat by their windows and chatted idly across the gap.

Suddenly, Han Yue slapped her forehead.

"I just remembered. After you left, a few more people came to ask you to refine Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills. I explained the situation, and they said they weren't in a hurry. They offered some exceptionally rare Medicinal Herbs, too, so I accepted on your behalf."

"Good call. While training in the Inner Academy, I also refined the excess Medicinal Herbs in my Storage Ring into pills. They're all sought-after ones, like Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills."

Han Yue found the list and the Medicinal Herbs and handed them all to Wu Bai.

Wu Bai took a look. There were only three people on the list.

"Only three?"

"How many did you refine while you were away?" Han Yue asked curiously. Knowing him, she suspected the number would be considerable.

"Let me see."

Wu Bai glanced with his mind at the small pile of jade bottles in his Storage Ring.

"A little over... thirty, I think."

"What?!"

Han Yue opened her mouth, but all she could manage was an astonished cry.

"I had too many ordinary Medicinal Herbs stored away. They were taking up space, so of course I had to use some of them. It helped me keep my hand in, too."

Wu Bai's casual explanation only deepened the astonishment on Han Yue's face.

She had so much she wanted to say about his nonchalance, but she could not find the words.

Those were Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills. Each could sell for at least a million Gold Coins, and even then, there was nowhere to buy one.

If he really wanted to exchange the pills for Gold Coins, he could get 1.2 million apiece without a problem!

More than thirty pills meant over thirty million Gold Coins...

Even a power like the Han Family, which controlled half a city, could not produce thirty million Gold Coins in cash all at once!

It was hard to say whether even the Han Family and the Hong Family together could manage it.

After all, for great families like theirs, Gold Coins were the least valuable thing to hold. Turning them into something of real value as soon as possible was the sensible approach.

That was the staggering wealth an Alchemist could generate. Yet for an Alchemist, earning money was merely something done in passing.

What made an Alchemist truly formidable was the vast web of connections behind him. Who knew how many powerful people he could call on at once?

Wu Bai did not have many connections yet, but how old was he?

With his extraordinary alchemy skills, countless powerful people would surely be willing to befriend him in the future.