236: Chapter 234 Library

After the trial ended, the bustle of Qingyao City receded like a tide.

The participating Alchemists left one after another, some returning with a full harvest, some empty-handed, and some leaving with a belly full of resentment. The high platform in the square hadn't been dismantled yet, but the surrounding seats were already empty. Outside the city, the tents were taken down one by one, with only a few still standing, belonging to a few Loose Cultivators who hadn't left yet. Most of the soldiers from the Patrol Camp had withdrawn, leaving only a few on duty. City Lord Feng Boyong also breathed a sigh of relief; he finally didn't have to stare at the square every day.

Yun Ming returned to his small courtyard, and his life resumed its previous rhythm.

Every morning, he would first check on the fox. The fox lay in a pile of Spirit Stones, squinting its eyes as it absorbed Spiritual Qi. Its fur was even brighter than before, and its nine tails were fluffy and soft, like nine white clouds. Yun Ming reached out to stroke its back; it let out a soft whine, rolled over, and exposed its belly. Yun Ming rubbed it a couple of times, and the fox kicked its legs in comfort, its tails swishing back and forth behind it.

Then he would go to Cultivate. The Dao Scripture circulated, and five Golden Cores slowly rotated in his Dantian. His Late Golden Core Stage Realm had completely stabilized, and though he was still a bit away from Perfection, he was in no hurry. After finishing his Cultivation, he went to perform Alchemy—Heavenly Dew Spirit Nourishing Pill, Xuan Ying Pill, zifu true essence pill—one furnace after another, with the pill success rate remaining stable at a high level. The rest of his time was spent tending to the fox: feeding, grooming, cleaning the nest, and playing. The fox was very clingy and followed him wherever he went. When he drank tea at the stone table, the fox would lie on his lap. When he Cultivated in the Quiet Room, the fox would curl up on the prayer mat at the door. When he went out to buy groceries, the fox would jump onto his shoulder and crouch there.

His days were as plain as plain water in a cup, but Yun Ming didn't find them boring.

Three days after the trial ended, the Fourth Elder came again.

This time he didn't bring Su Mubai and came alone. He stood at the courtyard gate and knocked. Three times, neither heavy nor light, neither hurried nor slow. Yun Ming opened the door and saw the Fourth Elder standing there, holding a Storage Pouch, smiling.

"Mr. Yun, I have come to fulfill my promise," the Fourth Elder said.

Yun Ming stepped aside to let him in. The Fourth Elder entered the courtyard and sat down at the stone table. Yun Ming poured him a cup of tea. The Fourth Elder picked it up, took a sip, and set it down. He didn't say it tasted bad, nor did he say it tasted good; he simply put the cup down, leaned back against the chair, and looked at Yun Ming.

"These are some of the book collections and insights from the Xuanhuang Pill Mansion," the Fourth Elder said, placing the Storage Pouch on the table. "I have selected some that are suitable for Mr. Yun's current stage. There are thirty-six Jade Slips in total, covering Pill Formulas, Pharmacology, Heat Control, and the use of Divine Sense. There are also some of my own Alchemy notes; they aren't systematic, but they should be useful to Mr. Yun."

Yun Ming picked up the Storage Pouch and scanned it with his Divine Sense. Inside, thirty-six Jade Slips were neatly arranged, each with a label and a name. Some were Pill Formulas, some were insights, and some were detailed explanations of medicinal ingredients. He randomly picked one, pressed it to his forehead, and probed it with his Divine Sense. The content inside was very detailed, from the processing of medicinal ingredients to the control of heat, and from the use of Pill Seals to the timing of opening the furnace, everything was written clearly. It was more than just a little bit better than the Pill Formula books he had seen before.

"Thank you." Yun Ming put the Storage Pouch into the map of mountains and rivers.

The Fourth Elder waved his hand. "No need for thanks. I am truly convinced by Mr. Yun's Alchemy skills. These collections have sat in the Xuanhuang Pill Mansion for hundreds of years, and few people have truly mastered them. Giving them to Mr. Yun is not a waste."

Yun Ming didn't speak, but picked up his teacup and took a sip.

The Fourth Elder looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and spoke. "Mr. Yun, I have a question, though I'm not sure if I should ask it."

"Ask."

"Why is Mr. Yun's pill success rate so high?" The Fourth Elder's tone was very serious. "With the same techniques, the same steps, and the same heat, I can at most produce a slightly above Medium Grade pill, yet Mr. Yun produces a High Grade one at will. I've thought about it for a long time and can't figure it out."

Yun Ming put down his teacup and leaned back against the chair. He looked at the Fourth Elder, then at the teacup on the table, and fell silent for a moment.

"I cannot answer your question," he said. "The techniques, steps, and heat—you've seen them all. What I can do, you can do as well. As for why the success rate is different, I can only say—perhaps it's talent."

The Fourth Elder was stunned for a moment, then laughed. There was no mockery or resentment in that smile, only a sense of relief.

"Talent." He shook his head. "I've lived for hundreds of years, and this is the first time someone has told me I lack talent." He drained the remaining tea in his cup in one gulp, set the cup down, and stood up. "Forget it, I won't ask you anymore. I'll go back and continue refining until I can no longer refine."

Yun Ming also stood up. "Safe travels."

The Fourth Elder walked to the courtyard gate, stopped, and looked back at Yun Ming. "Mr. Yun, until we meet again."

"Until we meet again."

The Fourth Elder left. An Escape Light rose and disappeared into the sky above Qingyao City. Yun Ming stood at the courtyard gate, watching the Escape Light as it drifted further away. He stood for a while before turning back into the courtyard. He sat at the stone table, took a Jade Slip from the Storage Pouch, pressed it to his forehead, and began to study.

The fox jumped onto his lap and lay down, its nine tails hanging down and swaying. Yun Ming reached out to stroke its back, his eyes never leaving the Jade Slip.

Over the next few days, Yun Ming read through the thirty-six Jade Slips from beginning to end. Some of the content he already knew, while some gave him sudden enlightenment. Especially the insights regarding the use of Divine Sense, which gave him great inspiration. His Divine Sense was already stronger than that of Cultivators of the same rank, but his methods of using it were too crude, wasting much of its potential. The Xuanhuang Pill Mansion's collection taught him many delicate techniques—how to use Divine Sense to perceive the distribution of medicinal properties within ingredients, how to use Divine Sense to regulate the temperature of the flames in every part of the Pill Furnace, how to use Divine Sense to predict the quality of the pill in advance, and how to use Divine Sense to stabilize the Fusion of the medicinal liquid during the Nourishing stage. These were techniques he had never even thought of before.

He carved all the content useful to him into a new Jade Slip and put it away. As for the rest, he didn't waste them either, storing them all in the map of mountains and rivers to study slowly in the future. After all, that was the accumulation of hundreds of years from the Xuanhuang Pill Mansion; it wasn't something that could be fully mastered in just a few days.

The days passed one by one. Every day, Yun Ming would Cultivate, perform Alchemy, study the book collection, and take care of the fox. He felt that his understanding of the Dao of Alchemy had deepened, and his control over heat and Divine Sense had become more refined. He even felt that if he were to refine the Heavenly Dew Spirit Nourishing Pill again, his success rate would be even higher. Before, he could succeed in nine out of ten furnaces; now, it might be ten out of ten. But he didn't try, because there was no need.

The fox had also changed significantly. Its fur became increasingly bright, turning from snow-white to a white with a silvery sheen that sparkled in the sunlight. Its nine tails grew fluffier, each one thicker than before, waving like nine white banners. Its speed of absorbing Spiritual Qi was also much faster than before, and the Spirit Stones in the pile were being consumed more and more rapidly. Yun Ming knew it was about to have a Breakthrough. The Golden Core Middle Stage should happen within the next few days.

He placed a few more Top-Grade Spirit Stones in its nest and took an enlightenment tea leaf, steeped it in water, and placed it beside the fox. The fox sniffed it, took a few sips, and lay back down to continue sleeping. Yun Ming looked at it, shook his head, and got up to go about his business.