Lin Ya watched as golden light once again flared above Yun Jin's cottage. Startled, he swiftly cast a concealment array, veiling the radiance.
As the glow faded into the formation, he rubbed his temples.
"Just what kind of monster have I taken as a disciple?!"
The thought kept him awake.
His gaze drifted to his wine gourd.
"Well, if I can't sleep… might as well drink through the night. This is all Yun Jin's fault anyway."
With that flawless logic, he uncorked the gourd with zero guilt.
Late night, Xuandan Gate Market, Alchemy Pavilion.
Ming Heng jolted awake from his bed, slapping himself on the face.
No way... Is that really how pill refinement works?
During the day, he'd barely managed to placate the junior alchemists with vague reassurances and forced confidence, but now, he couldn't suppress his curiosity any longer.
He had to try it himself!
At this hour, the others should all be asleep.
Sneaking around like a thief, Ming Heng slipped into the pill refining chamber.
To recreate the process perfectly, he even used the same first-grade pill furnace used for examinations.
The Biling Grass and Spirit-Cleansing Liquid were all set.
He recalled Yun Jin's method—picked the Biling Grass with matching spiritual signatures, tossed them into the furnace without any preprocessing, then poured in the Spirit-Cleansing Liquid with a flourish.
As for heat control?
None whatsoever.
If he waited for about half an hour, he too would have a bottle of perfect-grade Biling Pills!
That was what he thought.
Until—
His expression changed. Without hesitation, he slapped talismans onto the pill furnace and shrouded himself in spiritual energy.
A moment later—
Boom!
The furnace erupted with a dull explosion.
Though the preparations protected the equipment, Ming Heng's face darkened instantly.
What went wrong?
Why could that little girl succeed, while he failed so miserably?
He wracked his brain—then suddenly smacked his forehead.
Of course! He missed a crucial step!
Resetting everything, he started again.
This time, after adding the Biling Grass and Spirit-Cleansing Liquid, he sat to the side and quickly took out a pouch of sunflower seeds.
Yes.
That girl was munching seeds the whole time. Maybe that was the secret—if he wanted to replicate the method, he had to replicate everything.
Coincidence or not, the furnace didn't explode this time.
Ming Heng's eyes lit up. Could the sunflower seeds really be... miraculous?
He cracked the seeds with more vigor, chewing with gusto.
Suddenly—
The door to the pill chamber creaked open.
"Shh, be quiet. Master Ming said not to try this ourselves."
"If he catches us, we might get thrown out."
A few apprentice alchemists crept in, holding Biling Grass and Spirit-Cleansing Liquid.
Then they looked up...
And saw Master Ming sitting there, calmly munching seeds.
Their eyes locked in stunned silence.
Boom!
Another explosion from the furnace provided the perfect background score.
Ming Heng stood and said coolly, "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd casually refine a few pills."
The others eyed the Biling Grass near him and nodded vigorously.
Surely... he wasn't refining Biling Pills.
Ming Heng's face turned serious. "Enough gawking. Don't disturb me. Leave."
The apprentices quickly scurried away.
As soon as the door closed, Ming Heng locked it again, his mind spinning.
Another failure. But why?
"Could it be... my sunflower seed posture was wrong? Maybe I need to cross one leg over the other?"
Meanwhile, Tianjian Peak
While Ming Heng descended into madness, Yun Jin had already refined three batches of Biling Pills—thirty pills total—plus three Foundation Establishment Pills.
Tonight, she'd break through—or die trying.
The first Biling Pill dissolved into a torrent of spiritual energy. Yun Jin guided it through her meridians.
Though ten times denser than standard pills, first-rank energy alone couldn't bridge the gap to Foundation Establishment.
Five pills later, she hit Qi Refining Layer 10—the peak.
Six. Seven. Eight—
By the thirtieth, her spiritual sea brimmed at the absolute limit.
Time for the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Most disciples hoarded these like treasures. Chen Hao had scraped together just three after years of scheming.
But Yun Jin? She had the recipe. Once she secured the herbs, she could mass-produce them.
The first pill's energy detonated inside her.
Second-rank potency was no joke.
Her compressed spiritual power liquefied drop by agonizing drop—the hallmark of Foundation Establishment.
Impatient, she swallowed the second pill.
The transformation accelerated.
~
Back on Tianjian Peak. Yun Jin had been in seclusion for three days and nights.
If not for the constant fluctuations of spiritual energy coming from the cottage, Lin Ya might've already barged in.
"Master, what kind of cultivation is Little Junior Sister practicing?" Si Wanning asked anxiously.
Lin Ya opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated and shook his head.
"Master?" Yue Zhao also looked puzzled.
After a long pause, Lin Ya finally muttered, "Before entering seclusion, Xiao Jin's spiritual energy was nearly at the tenth layer. I think... she might be attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage."
Foundation Establishment?
Yue Zhao was dumbfounded.
She's only been in the sect for how long?
To break through to Foundation Establishment, one needed to reach the peak of Qi Refining, yes, but even more importantly, one's soul realm had to also rise accordingly.
Only the Four Great Holy Lands had soul-cultivation manuals. Disciples from sects like theirs could only temper themselves through experience, waiting for gradual progress.
Both spiritual and soul realms were essential.
Yue Zhao wasn't worried about the spiritual aspect—Yun Jin had astounding talent and was a skilled alchemist. With her resources, the breakthrough was likely.
But her soul realm too?
That was just... illogical.
"I don't think it's possible either," Lin Ya murmured, eyes dazed. "But I can't think of another explanation."
The signs were obvious—she was breaking through.
"Let's wait a little longer. She's been in seclusion for three days now. She should be emerging soon."
Just as Si Wanning said that—
The wild fluctuations of spiritual energy suddenly ceased.
As if someone had absorbed every last trace.
Lin Ya's pupils contracted sharply.
He immediately scanned the area, and his expression twisted into disbelief.
Foundation Establishment...
Yun Jin had actually...
She really broke through!