Fair dealing for young and old alike

On the quiet mountain peak, the two looked at each other.

Ning Yuxin looked at Lu Changsheng with utter sincerity, her eyes full of doubt.

"What do you mean, will it work? Young lady, have you ever heard of the Clear Sword Heart Pill?"

"No!"

Ning Yuxin shook her head decisively.

As the daughter of the richest man in Cang Province, what rare treasure could she not get her hands on? Yet she really had never heard of this thing Lu Changsheng mentioned.

Lu Changsheng nodded. "As you shouldn't have!"

"What do you mean?"

"It's my master's secret art, never taught to outsiders. He didn't even teach my two senior brothers, only me. Take just one, and I guarantee you'll comprehend the Sword Dao within three days and enter its first level!"

"Really?"

"The genuine article, fair dealing for young and old alike. Just ten thousand Spirit Stones each!"

"I'll buy one!"

Ning Yuxin spoke without hesitation, and a cloth bag appeared in her hand. It was a Law Artifact that could hold many things.

Her action left Lu Changsheng stunned. He had prepared a whole pile of arguments for a prolonged battle, yet she had bought it before he could even use them!

"You're buying it just like that? Won't you think it over?"

Ning Yuxin shook her head. "Although your reputation isn't very good, and your character doesn't seem that great either, and everyone tells me to stay away from you, I don't think you're bad at heart!"

Lu Changsheng was speechless. Was she praising him or insulting him?

Ning Yuxin continued, "Besides, it's only ten thousand Spirit Stones each!"

"What do you mean, only?"

Lu Changsheng felt some regret. He had still underestimated Ning Yuxin's wealth.

He sighed inwardly as well. Sure enough, people's joys and sorrows were not shared!

Then Lu Changsheng took the Spirit Stones.

Ning Yuxin asked eagerly, "When will you give it to me?"

"Delivery tomorrow morning!"

"It's a deal!"

A smile returned to Ning Yuxin's face. For Zhou Qingyu, she had traveled countless miles to come here.

He was her idol, and no matter what, she had to give it a try.

As Ning Yuxin left, Lu Changsheng glanced at the bag in his hand and happily headed toward the Alchemy Chamber to make her pill.

But when he entered the Alchemy Chamber, he saw Ye Tianyi sitting there in a daze, along with two exploded Pill Furnaces.

"Senior brother, were you refining... explosive thunderbolts?"

"What explosive thunderbolts? I'm refining Clear Heart Pills for our eldest senior brother to help him cultivate the Sword Dao!"

"Then why did the Pill Furnaces explode?"

Ye Tianyi said, "I don't know whether the refining steps were wrong or there was a problem with the medicinal ingredients!"

He pondered, repeatedly recalling the process from earlier.

But Lu Changsheng took one look and said, "Both were problems. Clear Heart Grass is the most crucial ingredient. It needs to be added the instant the pill forms, or it'll clash with the pill fire, and naturally the Pill Furnace will explode. Besides, your heat was clearly too high!"

"How did you know?" Ye Tianyi was astonished. It was as though Lu Changsheng had seen the entire process, and he could not help asking, "Can you refine pills too?"

"I just know a little!"

"Then you..."

"Oh, I used to take walks on Pill Cloud Peak and happened to hear the Peak Master mention it!"

"You took walks on Pill Cloud Peak?"

Ye Tianyi fell into a daze.

Pill Cloud Peak specialized in the Dao of Alchemy. Had its Peak Master and elders not been in seclusion, he would not have done it himself.

Moreover, the Peak Master of Pill Cloud Peak had once taken a fancy to his talent, but his own master had forcibly dragged him away to Qingyun Peak.

After these years of practice, he had also developed considerable pill-refining skill.

Lu Changsheng said no more. He walked over to an exploded Pill Furnace, wiped a handful of pill ash from its inner wall, then turned and left.

Watching him, Ye Tianyi took out the ingredients, half believing and half doubting, and prepared to try.

Lu Changsheng had already returned to his room.

His two soot-black hands rolled out a thumb-sized pill.

"That should do!"

Looking at the thing, he nodded in satisfaction.

Then he formed a hand seal, and mighty Sword Qi surged through the room. Gusts of fierce wind swirled up, and a sword phantom flashed past.

That was his origin sword intent. He drew out a wisp and sealed it inside the pill.

With everything done, his Clear Sword Heart Pill was complete.

He had made up the name on the spot, purely to sell it to Ning Yuxin for Spirit Stones.

Of course, it was not a scam either. The pill contained a wisp of his origin sword intent. After entering Ning Yuxin's body, it would take root within her as it was nurtured.

That way, Ning Yuxin would be able to comprehend the Sword Dao and attain first-level sword intent!

As for how far she could go afterward, that would depend entirely on her talent and fortune.

Lu Changsheng had discovered this method by chance. It had no real side effects, except that it used up a little of his own sword intent, which would take some time to replenish!

But for the sake of Spirit Stones, he had no choice.

After all, the Myriad Tribulations Immortal Physique required an enormous amount of Spiritual Qi, and after core formation, the requirement became even more terrifying. If he did not think of something, who knew what year of the monkey he would finally break through.

Having finished all this, he lay down contentedly.

With twenty thousand Spirit Stones in hand, he felt richer than ever. Once he finished the matters at hand, he could cultivate again.

At this thought, he felt both joy and sorrow.

Early the next morning, he slept until noon before getting up. The moment he opened the door, Ning Yuxin was already standing there.

"Junior sister, what are you..."

"Didn't we agree on delivery first thing in the morning? It's already noon!"

Ning Yuxin sounded a little resentful. She had waited all night, full of anticipation, and had finally made it to morning, only for him to sleep until now.

"Sorry, I slipped up. I stayed up too late refining the pill last night!"

As Lu Changsheng spoke, he took out the pill.

Ning Yuxin looked at it, doubt showing on her face.

"Is this pill edible?"

"Don't worry. Eat it, and I guarantee you'll cultivate sword intent!"

Ning Yuxin swallowed and asked with some difficulty, "Senior brother, what did you make this from?"

Hearing this, Lu Changsheng thought for a moment.

"They're all extremely precious spirit medicines. I saved them up for ages just to refine this one pill. If not for our friendship, I wouldn't even have been willing to bring it out. I'm not making any Spirit Stones off you for this one. In fact, I'm even taking a small loss!"

Lu Changsheng spoke with an expression of pained regret.

Ning Yuxin was somewhat moved, feeling all the more that this senior brother was different from the rumors outside.

Watching her, Lu Changsheng was filled with anticipation.

Ning Yuxin immediately said, "Senior brother, thank you. I'll take it right now!"

With that, she turned and ran toward her room.

Lu Changsheng was dumbfounded.

After he had gone that far, she wasn't going to show her appreciation at all? She was just leaving like that?

"Ah, young girls these days aren't easy to fool. Spirit Stones are getting harder and harder to earn too!"

Thinking about this, he felt helpless.

There was nothing for it. He shook his head with a soft sigh. At least he had quite a few Spirit Stones, so he found somewhere to prepare to cultivate.

But another shout came from the Alchemy Chamber. Ye Tianyi rushed out and looked at Lu Changsheng.

"Did it work?" Lu Changsheng asked.

"It did!"

A smile appeared on Ye Tianyi's face.

"That's good. Carry on, senior brother!"

Lu Changsheng spoke and was about to leave.

But Ye Tianyi stopped him.

"Junior brother, I'd like to talk to you!"

Lu Changsheng froze. Looking at his senior brother's serious face, he could not help frowning.

"What is it, senior brother?"

"Judging by these past two days, your character may be somewhat lacking, but you're very talented. You could see the problem with our eldest senior brother's Sword Dao and remember how to refine a pill after hearing it just once. That shows you're very talented!"

Lu Changsheng opened his mouth, about to speak.

Ye Tianyi continued, "Presumably, with Master absent all these years and our eldest senior brother engrossed in cultivation, your discipline has been neglected. From now on, I'll supervise your cultivation. Given time, you'll surely achieve something!"

"Senior brother, I..."

"Say no more. My mind is made up!" Ye Tianyi said with a firm gaze. "The Cangyun Secret Realm will open soon. When the time comes, you'll go in with me!"

"Senior brother, there's really no need. I think..."

"You don't need to worry. Rest for now. Starting tomorrow, I'll officially begin supervising your cultivation!"

With that, he took the pills to find Zhou Qingyu, giving Lu Changsheng no chance at all.

"It's decided just like that?"