Chapter 19
The name Elder Zhou echoed in Ye Liyun's mind long after the Stygian contact finished speaking.
It was not fear that stirred his blood—but calculation.
Six months.
The mission deadline was absurdly long by Stygian standards, long enough that many operatives would grow careless, impatient, or greedy. Yet to Ye Liyun, it was not leniency.
It was a siege.
A deliberate test of patience, preparation, and endurance.
"The Ye Clan will not fall in a single night," Ye Liyun thought coldly as he accepted the jade mission slip. "And Elder Zhou will not expose himself without absolute certainty of safety."
The elderly Stygian contact studied him for a moment longer than usual. "You do not seem surprised by the six-month duration."
"I would be," Ye Liyun replied calmly, "if the target were weak."
A faint smile tugged at the old man's lips. "Good. You understand the nature of this assignment, then. Elder Zhou is cautious, politically entrenched, and protected by layers of clan authority. Rushing will only end in death."
Ye Liyun nodded. He already knew.
This was not an assassination.
It was erosion.
---
He returned to the Stygian Secret Realm with the mission sealed in his token. The moment the spatial distortion faded, he sat down cross-legged, his expression tightening.
Six months inside the real world meant very little time inside the Secret Realm.
Resources would decide everything.
"Liyun," the Emperor finally spoke, his tone grave, "this mission will drain you dry if you rely on purchased pills alone. Foundation Establishment cultivation is a bottomless pit."
"I know," Ye Liyun said. "Which is why I won't."
The Emperor paused.
Ye Liyun continued, his thoughts sharp and methodical. "During my time as a Supreme Cultivator, what was the greatest advantage alchemists held over warriors?"
The Emperor laughed softly. "They never feared long wars."
"Exactly."
Ye Liyun opened the Stygian shop interface, his eyes scanning rows of techniques, manuals, and equipment.
Alchemy was no longer optional.
It was infrastructure.
---
Before committing fully to the Ye Clan siege, Ye Liyun searched for efficiency.
"Are there additional missions within Azure Cloud City?" he asked through the Stygian interface.
The response was immediate.
Two auxiliary missions available.
Both short-term.
Both low-risk.
Both geographically aligned.
Ye Liyun read them once, then accepted without hesitation.
He would not waste momentum.
---
Back inside the Secret Realm, Ye Liyun finally reviewed his Merit Point balance.
50 Points.
It was not much—but it was enough to build a foundation.
"Alchemy," he muttered.
He spent decisively.
• 10 Merit Points — A foundational Alchemy Manual and herb identification compendium • 20 Merit Points — A portable low-grade Spiritual Tripod and beginner refining tools • 10 Merit Points — Stealth equipment: Sound-Dampening Boots, concealment talismans • 10 Merit Points — Emergency-grade Healing Elixirs
When the purchases were complete, Ye Liyun felt no regret.
This was not consumption.
It was investment.
---
The next two weeks passed in near isolation.
Ye Liyun divided his time with ruthless discipline.
Mornings were devoted to soul cultivation.
He sat motionless for hours, refining the Mental Thrust technique, expanding his Sea of Consciousness thread by thread. The pain was subtle but constant, like pressure behind the eyes, threatening madness if he overreached.
"You are progressing faster than expected," the Emperor admitted. "Your soul is stabilizing at a frightening rate."
"I can't afford instability," Ye Liyun replied. "Not when Foundation Establishment cultivators are everywhere."
Afternoons belonged to alchemy.
And alchemy did not care about talent.
It demanded failure.
Batch after batch of herbs turned to ash. Qi control faltered. Heat destabilized. Impurities ruined entire brews.
Ye Liyun's fingers blistered. His spiritual sense ached.
But he did not stop.
On the twelfth day, the cauldron hummed instead of rattled.
A faint medicinal fragrance filled the chamber.
Ye Liyun opened the lid.
A single, imperfect Qi Recovery Pill rested inside.
Low-grade.
Bitter.
Flawed.
Yet complete.
The Emperor exhaled slowly. "You have crossed the threshold."
Ye Liyun closed his eyes. "Good. Then I can sustain myself."
---
With his preparation complete, Ye Liyun moved swiftly.
The Northern Mountains mission was finished in a single night. Guided by memory and spiritual sense, he retrieved the Serpent's Fang herb without conflict.
The Hidden Ledger followed soon after. A corrupt official never sensed his presence before the document vanished from its vault.
Two missions.
Two successes.
No witnesses.
---
Ye Liyun returned to the Stygian contact one final time.
"Mission 003-B and 003-C are complete."
The old man examined the proof, then nodded. "Efficient. Your total is now 100 Merit Points."
He produced a sealed scroll, ancient and heavy with spiritual pressure.
"The Soul Cultivation Technique," the contact said. "You have earned it."
Ye Liyun accepted the scroll with steady hands.
This was not just a reward.
It was a key.
---
Back in the Secret Realm, Ye Liyun unrolled the scroll.
Runes ignited.
Knowledge flooded his Sea of Consciousness.
The true path of soul refinement unfolded before him.
He clenched his fist.
The Ye Clan still stood.
Elder Zhou still breathed.
But the siege had begun.
And this time—
Ye Liyun would not rush the kill.