"Junior Brother Han, we've been waiting here specifically for you," Chu Jinmo said, wasting no time on pleasantries. "Martial Uncle Qi told us you passed the Sect Return Assessment, so we came to invite you to move to Little Sea-Viewing Peak."
Han Yi's brow relaxed. He had suspected this was the only reason for their visit.
"I apologize, but after much consideration since returning, I've decided against moving for the time being," Han Yi said, clasping his hands in a formal greeting to make his position clear.
"Junior Brother Han, won't you reconsider?" Chu Jinmo pressed. "Moving to Little Sea-Viewing Peak would not only grant you a larger courtyard, but with so many junior sisters there, you'd have no trouble finding a Dao Companion."
Chu Jinmo hadn't anticipated such a firm rejection. She grew flustered at his immediate refusal.
"I won't reconsider," Han Yi replied.
"Senior Sisters, if there's nothing else, please take your leave."
Han Yi clasped his hands again, brushed past Chu Jinmo, catching a faint floral fragrance from her, and opened the courtyard gate. He stepped inside and slammed the gate shut behind him, showing not a trace of regret.
"Senior Sister," Yan Ru, who had been standing behind Chu Jinmo, said, "let's go. He's clearly determined to stay put and doesn't seem particularly interested in finding a Dao Companion. Little Sea-Viewing Peak's advantages no longer apply here. There's nothing left to discuss."
Behind Chu Jinmo stood Yan Ru, her voluptuous figure radiating power, her face impassive as she analyzed the situation.
Chu Jinmo sighed. "Within the sect, there aren't many Outer Sect disciples like Han Yi, with such a low Cultivation Realm but such exceptional Pill Refinement skills. If he were to join Little Sea-Viewing Peak, it would greatly benefit us."
"What a pity," she lamented. "What a pity."
"Let's go."
As the two women departed, Han Yi, separated from them by only a wall, made no attempt to eavesdrop. Instead, he waited until they were gone before returning to his Meditation Chamber.
If Little Sea-Viewing Peak sent someone personally, will representatives from Little Raging Fire Peak and Little Azure Cloud Peak follow suit?
I must firmly reject them all, leaving no room for hope. Only then can I avoid future troubles.
Having made up his mind, Han Yi didn't immediately resume Pill Refinement. Instead, he went to the backyard to practice the Sword Control Technique.
[Sword Control Technique (Initial Glimpse of the Dao 34/100)]
He had acquired this technique from the Lei Family Market in Mengshan City, spending several dozen Spirit Stones to purchase it. Though it was an incomplete version, its advancement from "Beginner's Practice" to "Initial Glimpse of the Dao" had inexplicably granted Han Yi countless insights.
To be precise, the Sword Control Technique Han Yi now possessed, while derived from its original form, was entirely new.
This led Han Yi to another secret about Proficiency after synthesizing his experiences with the Spirit Void Finger and the Sword Control Technique: he could complete a flawed spell by relentlessly grinding its progress bar.
Simply put, having obtained a fragmented version of the Sword Control Technique, Han Yi used the Proficiency interface to endlessly grind its progress, piecing together the complete spell.
Since returning from Mengshan City, he had meticulously planned his schedule, finally reaching a point where he could freely choose between cultivating spells and refining pills.
Han Yi's first choice was to continue practicing the Sword Control Technique. During his time in Mengshan City, he had only made initial progress, advancing its Proficiency to 34/100 in the "Initial Glimpse of the Dao" stage.
His next plan was to alternate between cultivating the Sword Control Technique, refining pills, selling them at the market, and using Spirit Stones for cultivation. Once both the Sword Control Technique and Alchemy Technique reached the "Masterful" stage, he would then focus on advancing all three skills simultaneously toward the next Cultivation Realm.
Time flowed slowly as Han Yi immersed himself in cultivation.
Life settled into a peaceful rhythm for him.
As he had predicted, both Little Azure Cloud Peak and Little Raging Fire Peak sent invitations for him to reside there, but he flatly refused them all.
The Peak Lord of Little Spirit Void Peak, having somehow learned of Han Yi's talents, bestowed upon him the Light Body Technique in an effort to retain him. She even offered him a better courtyard, but Han Yi declined that as well.
Furthermore, now that he possessed Spirit Stones, Han Yi abandoned his initial plan to treat Zheng Hai to a celebration at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Instead, he maintained a low profile.
He had grown wary. Merely displaying a fraction of his Pill Refinement skill had already drawn the attention of multiple Outer Peaks. If he were to flaunt his wealth, he would undoubtedly attract even more scheming eyes.
While the cultivation environments on the Outer Peaks were generally secure, they weren't entirely immune to trouble.
Incidents of malicious behavior occasionally occurred.
Given the opportunity, some high-ranking disciples wouldn't hesitate to temporarily assume the role of Robber Cultivators. After all, as long as they weren't caught, who could prove their misdeeds?
After all, "Murder and arson pave the way to riches."
Three months later.
Little Sea-Viewing Peak.
Han Yi entered a room where over a dozen female cultivators stood waiting.
"Junior Brother Han has arrived. We've been waiting for you," Chu Jinmo said, rising to greet him. Though still clad in the gray robes of an Outer Sect disciple, her hair was now styled into an elegant bun, revealing an even more radiant face.
"Greetings, Senior Sister Chu, fellow Senior Sisters," Han Yi said, bowing respectfully with clasped hands.
The female cultivators before him were all at least at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, with most at the Fifth Layer. Chu Jinmo, at the Sixth Layer, was also present.
"Enough pleasantries. We've already explained why we invited you here. Let's get started," Yan Ru said, her expression as impassive as ever.
As soon as she spoke, the eyes of the Senior Sisters in the room lit up with anticipation, all focused on Han Yi.
Truthfully, Han Yi felt a flicker of nervousness under their collective scrutiny. He steadied himself before speaking slowly.
"This is our first transaction. I've brought a portion of the Medicinal Pills I've saved over the past year. They include Evil-Repelling Pills and Qi Nourishing Pills."
"Though the variety is limited, rest assured that these Evil-Repelling Pills and Qi Nourishing Pills are of exceptional quality for their grade. They will significantly aid cultivation for practitioners at the Qi Refining Fifth and Sixth Layers."
"You can inspect them right here."
Han Yi walked to a table and retrieved ten bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills and five bottles of Evil-Repelling Pills from his Storage Pouch, all carefully refined and prepared during his recent alchemy sessions.
Today marked his private sale of Medicinal Pills on Little Sea-Viewing Peak, at Chu Jinmo's invitation.
Over two months prior, after Han Yi had flatly refused Chu Jinmo's offer to relocate to Little Sea-Viewing Peak, she hadn't given up easily. She continued to visit him repeatedly over the following days.
Finally, understanding Chu Jinmo's needs, Han Yi had a sudden inspiration.
He had surplus Medicinal Pills that he intended to sell through the market. Coincidentally, the disciples of Little Sea-Viewing Peak needed to purchase such pills and preferred private channels over official routes to save money.
After all, official channels and markets acted as middlemen, adding markups to the cost. Private transactions eliminated these fees, effectively lowering prices.
Today was the day he and Chu Jinmo had agreed upon for their private exchange.
The transaction was with female cultivators at the mid-stage of Qi Refining from Little Sea-Viewing Peak.
After Han Yi arranged the Medicinal Pills on the table, the female cultivators eagerly stepped forward. They poured the pills from their Jade Bottles, sniffing, smelling, pinching, and scrutinizing them.
The more they examined the pills, the brighter their eyes shone.
"Excellent quality!" one exclaimed.
"These are even better than what I buy at the market," another added.
"No wonder Martial Uncle Qi praised your Pill Refinement skills so highly," a third remarked.
"Junior Brother Han, do you already have a Dao Companion?" a fourth asked.
Surrounded by the women, Han Yi remained calm and composed, his heart unfazed. He calmly ignored the question about a Dao Companion.
He recognized Martial Uncle Qi as the plump woman in her forties who had overseen the Sect Return Assessment.
Once everyone had finished inspecting the pills, Han Yi spoke calmly.
"The market price for a Qi Nourishing Pill is around one and a half Spirit Stones. For this private transaction, I can offer a discount: ten pills for twelve Spirit Stones—a three-stone reduction, equivalent to a 20% discount. I believe that's a sincere offer."
"Moreover, as you can all see, the quality of my Qi Nourishing Pills far surpasses those available on the market."
"As for the Evil-Repelling Pills, their market price is five Spirit Stones each. I'll also offer a 20% discount, selling them for four."
"One more thing: no haggling. If you want to trade, fine. If not, I'll be on my way."
Moments later, Han Yi emerged from the room, a satisfied expression on his face, with Chu Jinmo at his side.
"Senior Sister Chu, farewell for now. I'll stockpile more medicinal pills and let you know when I'm ready to trade again."
Han Yi clasped his hands in a farewell gesture and turned to leave. Inside, his words had barely faded when the pills were snatched up within ten seconds—a testament to how eagerly his prices were received.
"Very well, I'll pass on the thanks of all my junior sisters, Junior Brother Han," Chu Jinmo said with a graceful smile. She didn't stop there, though, continuing, "By the way, Junior Brother Han, have you set your sights on any of these junior sisters?"
"If any of them catch your eye, just tell me, and I'll play matchmaker for you."
Han Yi gave a wry smile. "Senior Sister Chu, my cultivation realm is still too low. I wouldn't dare aspire to such heights."
Chu Jinmo tilted her head thoughtfully. "While you're only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, your Alchemy Technique is exceptional. With such a skill, you shouldn't lack cultivation resources. Reaching the Qi Refining Fifth or Sixth Layer should only be a matter of time."
"Moreover, once you reach the Sixth Layer, if I haven't broken through to the Seventh by then, I might even consider becoming your Dao Companion."
Chu Jinmo's expression remained perfectly serious as Han Yi fled in disarray, her melodious laughter trailing after him.
To be honest, Chu Jinmo was undeniably attractive, and Han Yi, with his fondness for pleasing voices, found hers utterly captivating.
However, Han Yi harbored too many secrets, making him unsuitable for a Dao Companion.
Reluctantly, he abandoned the idea.
Returning to his courtyard, Han Yi laid out the Spirit Stones he had acquired from the trade, amassing nearly two hundred more.
Moreover, he still had half of his Medicinal Pills remaining.
Having learned his lesson, he had been cautious, not offering everything at once, and had explained that the pills were merely a portion of his stockpile accumulated over more than a year.
He resumed his cultivation.
Life grew increasingly peaceful and grounded.
Han Yi divided his Medicinal Pills into three portions: one to exchange for Sect Points for Pill Refinement materials, another to supply the female cultivators of Little Sea-Viewing Peak, and the last to sell in the market.
This approach minimized risk and aroused little suspicion.
Before he knew it, three years had passed.