"This is called an Amber Foundation Pill. It's a very powerful pill usually used by those at the True Profound Realm to breakthrough bottlenecks in their cultivation. In your case, if you eat it, your cultivation can rise by a single level instantly."
Huang Shi's eyes shone with greed as he immediately asked the system how much that pill would cost in points.
[Responding to host: The Amber Foundation Pill costs approximately 25,000 Scum Points each.]
Shit, that thing is definitely a precious treasure! 25,000 for a single pill? Even the pills I used to stabilize my second sun were only around 5,000 points each!
Bai Xinyue then raised her hand slightly as the pill instantly landed in his hands. He gripped it with tender care, as if it were some sort of priceless artifact.
Alright, if I was only around 50 percent confident in my chance of winning the competition before, now it's probably around 60 percent.
Huang Shi gave a happy smile as he instantly tucked the pill away inside of his spatial ring, before looking back at Bai Xinyue and bowing his head slightly, speaking with exaggerated formality.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your gift. This lowly servant thanks Her Highness for her grace."
Bai Xinyue's lips twitched. For the past few days, Huang Shi had opted to start calling her "Your Highness" for no apparent reason other than the fact that he felt she carried that kind of aura, especially when they first met.
Although she had tried to curb the behavior for his sake, she had also started to realize that Huang Shi using that nickname was more of a teasing insult rather than a respectful gesture; consequently, her face held a grimace as she raised her fist.
"Alright, if you keep saying that, I really will beat you up until you're half dead. Do you believe me?"
If it were before, Huang Shi would definitely be shaking in his boots, afraid to even look her in the eye. However, after the past few days, he had gradually gained a preliminary understanding of this woman.
First, Bai Xinyue was the type of woman who was naturally arrogant, and it was not because she was a bad person; it was because of how much work she put into her cultivation. Every minute of every waking hour, aside from the time she spent training with him, was used to improve her strength.
Whether she was practicing her sword arts or gathering spiritual energy, she did everything possible to be as efficient with her time as she could. This led to her naturally possessing an intimidating aura, as people felt subtly inferior to her simply because of her relentless work ethic.
Second, even though Bai Xinyue had hidden her appearance ever since she was a kid—meaning her true appearance as a fully-fledged woman was only known to her parents—she had not hidden her face as a child. Even back then, both kids and adults alike would subtly find ways to try and get close to her.
At first, she thought it was because they were interested in her personally, as they would ask about her interests or cultivation. But as she grew older, she noticed that this was not the case; the way they looked at her felt disgusting. This realization caused her to develop a sense of hatred towards men as a whole, thinking they were all the same, which further fueled her cold nature.
Lastly, there was Bai Xinyue's Heavenly Physique. As a person who held one of the most powerful Heavenly Physiques in existence, what kind of man was even worthy of her attention? What kind of man dared to say he was a suitable partner for her? All of these factors resulted in the regal and wildly arrogant demeanor she displayed the first time they met.
However, her true personality was anything but that. In fact, Huang Shi had learned that aside from cultivation, this woman was basically a blank canvas. She had no interests outside of cultivation; she had no experience with the opposite sex, nor did she have any experience interacting with people her own age. Most of her interactions were with people much older than herself—those of her father's generation who acted as guides on her cultivation journey.
If this were his past life, you could tell that this woman was basically a socially awkward wreck who got by only because of her talent and looks. If it weren't for those two things, he doubted she would talk to people at all. Her cold personality was merely a shield she used to prevent people from talking to her, ensuring they couldn't figure out that she was actually incredibly awkward deep inside.
With this in mind, Huang Shi stood back up from his bowing position and nodded his head with a cheeky smile.
"Sure, Your Highness. It's not like I'm not used to it already. Do your worst!"
Bai Xinyue's lips twitched as she clenched her fist, pointing a finger straight at him in a flustered manner.
"Y-you! Since when have you become so bold! If my father found out a man was talking to me like this, he would have your head!"
Huang Shi waved his hand in a nonchalant manner before walking back toward their cabin, speaking in a leisurely tone.
"Alright, alright, Your Highness. Why don't you come in so we can eat breakfast? I'll cook something up for us."
The moment Bai Xinyue heard those words, her eyes shone with anticipation. She instantly forgot all about her anger and quickly hurried up behind him, asking eagerly:
"What are you cooking today?"
"Mutton."
"What's that?"
"It's sheep... sort of, I guess. I found something similar to it in the forest. It's delicious."
"It's always delicious," she murmured, her cold exterior completely melting at the prospect of a good meal.
"I know," Huang Shi replied confidently.
They walked into the small log cabin, and Huang Shi went straight to the stone hearth he had built.
He pulled out several large cuts of fresh meat from his spatial ring and started to cook it over a fire created from his golden flames, which he had learned actually had the ability to make anything he made taste delicious, even with the simplest cooking techniques.