"Oh, right. You said just now that incantations could conceal cultivation?" Qi Yan shook his head, shaking off that sigh from a world away, and decided to talk about something useful instead.
Little Crybaby perked up too. "Yes. You don't know that kind of incantation, Brother?"
Qi Yan thought it over. The Qi Clan's texts really did not contain any such incantation. That was normal, too. The Qi Clan's ancestor had only been a Golden Core cultivator. According to his master, their cultivation method was quite powerful, but clearly his knowledge could not have been all that extensive. How many of the world's countless incantations could he have understood...
"I really don't know this incantation. Will you teach me? It sounds useful."
"Yes, of course!" Little Crybaby was delighted. She recited the incantation, then added, "This Breath-Concealing Incantation can be cultivated. Once you reach a profound level, you can conceal all your presence, not just a little. Mm... it's also a prerequisite for the Invisibility Incantation, but I don't know that one either."
"Concealing your presence, invisibility... Dao Arts have both too, except they're called arts rather than incantations."
"Mm, the principles behind the two are a little different. One reduces your own presence, while the other blocks outside perception. Something that can break one usually can't break the other." Little Crybaby scratched her head. "Since you're studying Witchcraft, Brother, I'll pick it back up and study a little when I have time, so I can help you."
"Just focus on your current Dao cultivation path. Don't waste that kind of time just to help me, unless you think it's useful yourself and want to cultivate both. That's a different matter."
"Oh." Little Crybaby agreed obediently, but for the first time, she did not listen to Qi Yan in her heart.
I definitely have to pick Witchcraft back up. I have to be able to help Brother. Otherwise, once Brother knows even more Witchcraft than I do, there won't be anything he needs Little Crybaby for anymore.
As for whether it was useful... Qi Yan had felt nothing particular from their brief exchange, only that the two systems had different effects. But Little Crybaby suddenly felt that perhaps the two could complement each other, producing even more distinctive advantages.
So when it came to talent and comprehension, Qi Yan already counted as quite good, but he probably only came up to Little Crybaby's feet.
For once, Little Crybaby needed to end their conversation first, because the sect had only given them an hour to assemble, and time was almost up...
Little Crybaby reluctantly ended the call. As she entered the sect's main hall, she felt several rather chilling gazes on her. Her face, which had still held a lingering hint of sweetness, instantly turned stern. She gave a "hmph" and joined the ranks without speaking.
Several elders stood near the seat of honor. They frowned at the atmosphere among those from the main peak, but said nothing.
The elder presiding slowly began, "The location arranged for your trial this time is the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, a thousand li to the south. Poisonous miasma fills the forest. Given your cultivation, that alone amounts to little, but the miasma will obscure your sight and even affect your spiritual sense. Finding treasures will therefore be difficult, and coming to one another's aid even more so. Strange beasts and demonic creatures also appear and vanish like ghosts within, making it very dangerous. Anyone who does not wish to go may withdraw now."
Little Crybaby froze for a moment, a strange thought arising in her heart.
An environment so perfectly suited for ambushes. Was that a coincidence, or...
The elder's voice continued, "You all know the trial's rules well, so there is no need to repeat them. If no one wishes to withdraw, you will have three days to prepare. You will depart at this time three days from now."
The disciples bowed and accepted the order. "Yes."
Little Crybaby evaded the senior brothers who seemed to be coming over to speak to her and slipped away in an instant.
The fellow disciples exchanged looks, thoroughly frustrated. Little Seven had truly become impervious to both oil and salt lately. She refused even to talk, leaving them no chance to use their old verbal tricks to trap and coax her.
Even her bearing had changed. Before, she had been so guileless. "Senior Brother, it's fine. I'll do it..."
Now, when her eyes swept over them, they held a little wariness and mockery. Faint traces of an icy beauty's aura were actually beginning to emerge, and some people even thought she had grown much prettier...
Perhaps this was what growing up meant?
But the more presence she gained, the more unsettling it became...
"It's been a while, Little Seven. You seem to have grown up, hm?" Inside the Alchemy Hall, an elder also studied her curiously. "Why do you look a little different... oh, right. Could that incident with the Essence-Draining Incantation last time have dealt you a blow?"
Little Crybaby offered an apologetic smile. "No, no."
That cute, apologetic smile swept away her earlier bearing entirely, turning her back into the little girl everyone knew.
Yet this alchemist lacked Grandpa Wu's kindness. Instead, his slightly cautious manner turned condescending again. "What have you come here for?"
Little Crybaby frowned slightly and sighed inwardly.
So that's how it is. People are different... Grandpa Wu's kindness comes from his own character. But there are other people who think you're easier to bully the softer you are.
Unfortunately, this seemed to be the prevailing attitude in the Wondrous God Sect, and throughout the entire world.
Little Crybaby said nothing more, only asking, "I'd like to have Liquid Condensation Pills refined. How much would the refining fee be?"
The alchemist sneered. "Liquid Condensation Pills? Do you even have the ingredients?"
That tone... the ingredients must be very valuable? That would make sense...
Little Crybaby remained wary and took out only a single Snow Condensation Flower. "Is this the main ingredient?"
The alchemist sneered even harder. "A Snow Condensation Flower? Its medicinal properties barely fit, but its potency is insufficient. Have you ever seen a pill for helping Golden Core Stage cultivators break through rely on this cheap rubbish? You heard someone spout a few bits of nonsense about medicinal principles somewhere, and now you're blindly messing about yourself. Out, out, out."
Little Crybaby had an idea of the situation now. With an embarrassed expression, she apologized and returned with the flower.
There couldn't be anything wrong with the formula Brother A-Yan gave me. Even this alchemist said the main ingredient's medicinal properties were right.
It could be that regional differences had produced different varieties of spiritual herbs with somewhat different medicinal properties. Generally, though, even if varieties caused some differences in medicinal properties, the gap would not be this large. After all, products from different continents had been exchanged before, and variations caused by different varieties stayed within a basic range.
If the difference truly reached the gulf between Qi Refinement and Golden Core, it most likely would no longer be called a Snow Condensation Flower. Its name would surely have changed.
Then there was another possibility: a barrier to understanding born of perceived value. Just as most people would not consider something they had used during Qi Refinement when refining a Golden Core magical treasure, subconsciously looking down on it, that thing's function remained what it was. With a suitable combination, it could still produce the intended effect.
Because of regional differences, these things were produced in smaller quantities on Brother A-Yan's side and were more valuable. Their understanding of medicinal combinations differed from hers, giving rise to their own ingredient ratios.
That was the most likely correct answer.
I mustn't reveal my cheap formula. Otherwise, it could bring a fatal disaster.
Little Crybaby's heart pounded. Forcing her face to remain calm, she returned to her cave abode. The moment she entered, she took out the jade pendant again. "Brother A-Yan!"
Qi Yan was practicing the newly learned Breath-Concealing Incantation. Puzzled, he answered, "What is it?"
Little Crybaby recounted what had just happened. Qi Yan's hair stood on end. "You did the right thing! We didn't think of that before. We were careless. I nearly got you killed."
"How can you say you nearly got me killed, Brother?" Little Crybaby sighed. "If anything harms people, it's other people's arrogance and greed."
Qi Yan still felt lingering fear. "I didn't expect such a huge difference between our continents. We didn't notice it from the cultivation methods before. Now we need to be careful."
Little Crybaby said, "Brother, what should we do now? I don't dare approach any alchemist."
Qi Yan said decisively, "Learn it yourself. It'll be very useful in the future too."
"Huh?"
"Looking at it this way, Liquid Condensation Pills can't be the only case. It'll keep being useful over the long term. Also, there must be things that are incredibly valuable on your side but very cheap on mine. Finding these differences would bring immeasurable benefits to both of us."
Little Crybaby's eyes lit up.
That's true... after all, apart from talent and cultivation methods, resources are what limit people's cultivation most. If we could greatly reduce all those costs, the benefits would go without saying.
Enthusiastically, the two began comparing notes on the spot, each choosing some everyday items to check against the other's.
The results were somewhat disappointing, however... some things did indeed differ in value, but most were much the same. At least, a simple comparison like this could not turn up another example as clear-cut as Liquid Condensation Pills.
Qi Yan was not discouraged. "Thinking of things off the cuff and comparing them at random won't get us very far. How about we ask each other first whenever we need something expensive? Perhaps this could extend beyond medicinal herbs to other materials."
"All right." Far from being disappointed, Little Crybaby was delighted.
This meant she would have plenty of reasons to contact Brother A-Yan in the future. Any material could serve as an excuse.
What was the price?
Merely learning alchemy herself.
At present, Little Crybaby had essentially not studied any of the hundred auxiliary crafts alongside her cultivation. She needed to choose a few to learn anyway, so starting with alchemy was not bad.
No sooner said than done. Little Crybaby huffed and puffed as she carried over a book on the basics of alchemy and began learning right away. There were still three days to prepare. That was enough!
On the other end, Qi Yan ended the call and sighed a little too. They had not managed to find anything good that suited him in their comparison just now. What a pity, what a pity.
But speaking of pills... apart from having no money right now, he still had all the pills he needed. Qi Yan took out one of his master's specially made pills for dual cultivation of Witchcraft and the Dao, swallowed it, and began pushing toward the late Qi Refinement stage again.
Master really is badass. Refining pills custom-made for the individual-compared with ordinary alchemists, that's absolutely a dimensional gap...
I wonder whether Little Crybaby has enough time, with things so urgent...
Huh... wait.
As Qi Yan felt his blood and qi rapidly strengthening, then being converted into his qi sea through the ice-jade bed, he was somewhat surprised.
He had taken pills to push for a breakthrough before too, but had felt unable to grasp the knack. Yet on this next attempt, he was about to break through... both times, he had cultivated with pills; both times, he had sat on the ice-jade bed. What was different?
Right... I practiced the Breath-Concealing Incantation just now.
His previous breakthrough had come from entering the realm of the Dao through artifact refining, a cultivation process that had brought his mind to fulfillment. Then he had switched, using Witchcraft to stir his blood and qi... thus, one contraction and one release, inner nature and life united: this was the Dao.
He broke through to the seventh layer of Qi Refining in a single surge.
Only ten days had passed since Mu Xunzhen had assigned him the task of "reaching the late stage within a month."
PS: Little Crybaby currently feels an extreme psychological dependence on Qi Yan, so she fears any possibility of someone "stealing him away." It hasn't reached the level of love yet; she's simply a girl who doesn't understand her budding feelings. Thus, the so-called "confession" is only something she thinks about. She couldn't express it before reaching that point, so don't worry about it being "too fast."
Conversely, while some people worry it's too fast, others think they should immediately exchange all their personal details after just a few chats. I don't know what they're thinking either. Who gives an online friend their full particulars before they've even started an online romance? They've only just mentioned whether they're in Asia or Africa (which also happens to bear out the previous point: the two simply aren't at that stage).
As for falling in love later, that's a matter for later. I haven't yet written what circumstances led them not to exchange those details afterward. In other words, "why haven't they told each other?" is a "mystery" on the timeline, so please stop picking at this every time they talk. You're asking for spoilers while thinking you've found a huge plot hole... my head hurts.