After returning to her quarters, Su Yutong immediately shut herself in for closed-door cultivation.
Twenty days later, the ten ordinary Yunxia Pills were gone, all of them refined into her body.
Opening her eyes, she frowned. Though her cultivation had progressed, she was still far from breaking through to the ninth level of Qi Refining.
The outer-sect grand competition was only six months away.
If she couldn't reach the ninth level by then, she would have to enter the contest at the eighth. With that kind of cultivation, even with her formidable combat strength, she could hardly hope for a good ranking.
Before joining the Hehuan Sect, Su Yutong had been the cherished daughter of a cultivation clan, showered with attention and resources. Entering the sect, her beauty and prodigious talent had set her above nearly all her peers.
From the moment she learned of the grand competition, she had sworn to stun everyone in one stroke—and she had set herself the goal of reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining before it began.
But now, that dream seemed out of reach.
Her heart was filled with unwillingness, yet she could do nothing.
"All I can do is take one step at a time," she murmured, and pulled out her last pill—a single Yunxia Pill.
It was the one Elder Dong had recommended at an outrageous price.
Su Yutong had no training in alchemy. She could only vaguely sense that its energy was purer than the ordinary ones. But still—it was only a Yunxia Pill, wasn't it? Could it really be so different?
Five thousand spirit stones—for one pill! Ten times the normal price. Clearly, Elder Dong had seen her as a gullible mark.
With a trace of dissatisfaction, she tossed the pill into her mouth.
The next moment, a tide of pure, majestic energy surged through her meridians.
Not only was the power immense, it was gentle and easy to refine—far easier than ordinary pills. No discomfort at all, only warmth and comfort filling her body.
Even more astonishing, there was no trace of pill toxin within it. Which meant… if she had enough of these, she could use them freely, without fear.
An hour later, Su Yutong trembled as her aura exploded outward.
She had broken through to the ninth level of Qi Refining!
"One pill… just one, and I've advanced a whole level. If I had more of these…"
Her heart surged with excitement. Without hesitation, she bathed quickly and then raced to the Waifang Hall.
In the hall, Dong Yue sat behind the counter, lost in thought, the image of a frail elder flickering in her mind.
Suddenly, footsteps rushed in.
"Elder Dong! Give me three more Perfect Yunxia Pills!"
The urgent voice belonged to none other than Su Yutong.
Dong Yue merely shook her head. "There are no more."
"What? How could there be none? Doesn't the sect's alchemy division supply you continuously?"
"That batch wasn't refined by the sect's alchemists," Dong Yue replied coolly. "They were acquired from elsewhere. There were only five in total."
Su Yutong bit her lip, unwilling. If she had enough of them, she was confident she could reach the tenth level—perhaps even perfection—before the competition. She could seize a top-ten spot, maybe even catch the eye of an inner-sect elder.
This could have been her chance to soar.
"Elder Dong… could you at least tell me who sold those pills?"
Dong Yue regarded her in silence, then said, "Even if I don't tell you, you'll investigate on your own, won't you?"
Su Yutong remained silent, which was answer enough.
"Very well," Dong Yue said at last. "The one who sold them is named Wang Jianqiang."
The name struck Su Yutong like lightning.
Wang Jianqiang? That useless man known throughout the outer sect as trash?
She asked again to confirm, but there was no mistake. The miraculous pills had indeed come from that very "waste."
Unaware of these events, Wang Jianqiang had not stepped outside since paying off his debts.
For twenty-five straight days, apart from his occasional "deep exchanges" with Chen Jiaojiao, all his time was spent in alchemy.
Now, with his ingredients consumed, he had over a hundred Perfect Longyang Pills, more than two hundred Perfect Yunxia Pills, and over three hundred Perfect Qingling Pills piled before him—treasures worth more than a million spirit stones.
At last, he felt the flush of wealth.
"Time to raise my cultivation," he murmured, when suddenly—knock, knock.
He froze. Who would come knocking?
His reputation as a worthless failure was well known; most outer disciples avoided him as though he carried a plague. The only one who ever visited was Chen Jiaojiao—and she had just left that morning.
Puzzled, he opened the door.
A beautiful face greeted him.
His mind instantly filled with information:
Name: Su YutongGender: FemaleCultivation: Ninth level of Qi RefiningAge: 21Constitution: Dual Metal-Water Spirit RootsKarma Value: –48
Su Yutong? What was she doing here?
For years, her name had been like thunder in his ears—prodigy, outer-sect beauty. He had glimpsed her from afar, but they had never once spoken. They were people from two different worlds.
And yet now, she was standing at his doorstep.
While Wang Jianqiang stared in surprise, Su Yutong's brows furrowed. This old, ugly man's eyes lingered on her in a way that made her stomach twist with disgust. A flicker of revulsion passed through her gaze.
But she smoothed it over, summoning a graceful smile.
"Senior Brother Wang," she said softly, "won't you invite me in?"