27: Helpless Bai Lengchan

Bai Lengchan! She was still in that plain white palace dress, her sleeves fluttering without wind, her exquisite face appearing even more cold and elegant in the morning light,

as those eyes like ice crystals swept over the two people coming side by side,

pausing for a moment on Yao Delong, without joy or sorrow, as indifferent as ever.

"You've come quite early!" Her red lips parted slightly; it seemed she had been waiting here for a long time!

"Greetings, Martial Aunt Bai!" Lin Qingxue and Yao Delong stepped forward to pay their respects.

Yao Delong took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart,

stepping forward, his withered hand solemnly took a jade bottle from his sleeve.

The jade bottle was warm and smooth, faintly emitting a calming spiritual light.

He offered it with both hands, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible tension and anticipation:

"Peak Master Bai, fortunately, I did not fail my mission. This is the eight revolutions foundation establishment pill you requested.

Please inspect it, Peak Revered Master, and fulfill your promise by granting the heavenly vein ganoderma!"

He looked at Bai Lengchan with burning eyes, his heart rate involuntarily quickening by a few beats. Success or failure depended on this one move!

Bai Lengchan's gaze fell upon the jade bottle in Yao Delong's hand, a very subtle ripple flashing through her icy eyes.

She extended her slender jade fingers and made a grasping motion through the air, and the jade bottle fell into her flawless white palm.

Opening the stopper, a majestic and pure aura instantly filled the air! It wasn't the fragrance of a pill overflowing,

but a pure, strange energy that seemed to contain the Origin of the Great Dao!

A pill, entirely milky white like jade, with eight distinct pill pattern flowing slowly like golden dragons on its surface, was clearly visible!

The pill's Qi was misty, its radiance restrained; just a trace of the leaked aura,

seemed to make even the surrounding spirit plants look more spirited!

Eight revolutions! A genuine eight revolutions foundation establishment pill!

On Bai Lengchan's exquisite face, a clear fluctuation appeared for the first time!

Even with her Mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivation and experience, she couldn't help but have a flash of astonishment in her eyes at this moment!

Even though she had already received the news, seeing this legendary eight revolutions Divine Pill with her own eyes still shook her mind!

A foundation establishment pill of this grade was enough to make any Cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage go crazy!

Its value was completely immeasurable! The harsh condition she had set before was originally intended to make things difficult,

never expecting that this withered martial nephew would actually do it!

Feeling the warm touch from the jade bottle and that majestic, pure pill Qi, a strong desire instantly surged in Bai Lengchan's heart.

If her Personal Disciple used this pill for Foundation Establishment, achieving a High Grade dao foundation was almost a certainty!

This Medicinal Pill was of great significance to her!

However, this desire lasted only for a moment before being overridden by the order she had received early that morning.

She slowly raised her head, her gaze meeting Yao Delong's eyes filled with trepidation and anticipation,

deep within those eyes burned an extreme thirst for the heavenly vein ganoderma.

Bai Lengchan's red lips pursed almost imperceptibly,

a very complex emotion seemed to flash through those icy eyes—there was regret,

helplessness, and even... a hint of apology that she hadn't even noticed herself?

"Martial Nephew Yao..." Bai Lengchan's voice was still cold, but a bit deeper than usual,

"This pill... is indeed eight revolutions, without falsehood." She confirmed the quality of the pill.

Upon hearing this, a light of pleasant surprise exploded in Yao Delong's eyes,

his withered fingers trembled slightly with excitement, and he almost took a step forward.

But Bai Lengchan's next words were like a bucket of bone-chilling ice water, drenching him from head to toe, instantly freezing him!

"...Only, the heavenly vein ganoderma... this seat cannot give it to you."

Cannot give it to you!

Four words, each like a sharp thorn, stabbed fiercely into Yao Delong's chest!

"Wh... what?!" The joy on Yao Delong's face quickly solidified,

turning into unbelievable shock and massive disappointment, extremely complex.

He suddenly looked up, disregarding status, his voice becoming hoarse and sharp due to the emotional impact:

"Peak Revered Master! We agreed on this! The eight revolutions foundation establishment pill is here! Why go back on your word?!"

The huge drop caused his vision to go black in fits! The hope that was within reach had suddenly shattered just as it was within his grasp!

Bai Lengchan avoided Yao Delong's almost fire-spitting gaze, her icy eyes lowered,

looking at the jade bottle in her hand that was misty with radiance, she remained silent for a moment.

Her fingers holding the jade bottle tightened almost imperceptibly, her knuckles turning slightly white.

"It is not that this seat is going back on its word."

Bai Lengchan's voice carried an unquestionable decisiveness, yet it also revealed an unspeakable helplessness,

"This is the Peak Master's decree. The heavenly vein ganoderma must not be given to you."

Peak Master's decree!

Yao Delong was like he'd been struck by lightning! He never expected that what stood between him and the heavenly vein ganoderma,

would be that mysterious Spirit Plant Peak Revered Master who was seldom seen!

"Peak Revered Master? Why? I, Yao Delong, am but an old man whose Lifespan is nearly exhausted,

all I seek is a single spirit plant to extend my life! Why would the Peak Revered Master..."

Yao Delong's heart was filled with confusion, unwillingness, and a massive surge of grief and indignation!

"Senior Brother!"

Lin Qingxue hurriedly stepped forward, gently supporting Yao Delong whose aura was unstable from the heavy blow, and quickly explained in a low voice:

"Peak Revered Master Luo (Luo Baiya) has always acted mysteriously,

rarely appearing in the Sect, spending years in seclusion or cultivating spirit plants in the Sect's Forbidden Ground.

Even Revered Master rarely sees him. Since the Peak Revered Master has given the order... I'm afraid..."

Her cold brows were also full of solemnity and helplessness. The will of a Void Refining Great Expert was definitely not something they could speculate on or defy!

Could he only take the Nine Revolutions Foundation Establishment Pill now? Yao Delong thought to himself, but his Spiritual Power Affinity was extremely low,

if he took the nine revolutions heavenly soul foundation establishment pill, the bit of Lifespan added would likely not be enough to Cultivate to the Golden Core stage.

Right! I still have the Nine Revolutions Foundation Establishment Pill!

Yao Delong grit his teeth, a flash of madness in his eyes!

His withered hand reached into his sleeve again; this time, what he took out was the jade bottle sealed with nine-colored radiance!

The moment the bottle was slightly opened, a pill fragrance far purer, more profound,

and seemingly containing the primordial Qi of the beginning of heaven and earth instantly spread!

Even though it was just a trace of leakage, it caused the dense Spiritual Qi of Spirit Plant Peak to vibrate!

Nine purple-gold pill pattern were faintly visible on the pill inside the bottle!

"Peak Master Bai!" Yao Delong's voice was resolute, carrying a plea,

"Please look! This is the Nine Revolutions Foundation Establishment Pill! A true nine revolutions Divine Pill! Its value far exceeds the heavenly vein ganoderma!

This old man is willing to use this pill to exchange for the heavenly vein ganoderma! I only beg for the Peak Revered Master's mercy, to make an exception just this once!"

Nine revolutions!

Her icy eyes, usually as still as an ancient well, suddenly contracted, and a light of unprecedented shock exploded from the depths of her pupils!

This was the foundation establishment pill that all Foundation Establishment Cultivators dreamed of,

never expecting it would be brought out by this old and frail martial nephew!

This was no longer a matter of value! Great experts of the cultivation world would tear each other's faces off for their descendants over this one pill,

with this pill, even the most untalented Disciple could reach the Golden Core stage.

At this moment, she was also puzzled; with this Nine Revolutions Foundation Establishment Pill, Yao Delong's Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment should be a sure thing,

why would he still want to exchange it for the heavenly vein ganoderma!

She then thought that with his Spiritual Power Affinity of only 2, even if he luckily broke through to Foundation Establishment, there would be no hope for Golden Core.

"Martial Aunt, this Disciple originally wanted to use this Nine Revolutions Foundation Establishment Pill to Breakthrough,

but alas, this Disciple's Spiritual Power Affinity is only 2. Even a lucky Breakthrough would only add 220 years of Lifespan, with no chance for Golden Core!"

Yao Delong's voice carried deep bitterness and a resigned helplessness,

this wasn't entirely a pretense, but a despair he had once truly experienced.

He paused slightly, adjusted his rapid breathing, and continued to explain,

his tone carrying a thirst for a faint, ethereal hope:

"But from an ancient text, this Disciple learned of a Pill Formula that, through the heavenly vein ganoderma,

supplemented by some rare treasures, can refine a strange pill. It's said... it's said to increase Lifespan by over three hundred years!"

Yao Delong raised his head, his cloudy old eyes flickering with the most primal, almost humble desire for the Mortal World's life

and the continuation of life:

"This Disciple is naturally dull-witted and has no hope for the immortal path; I only yearn for the prosperity of the human world and cling to these years in the Mortal World.

Therefore... therefore I want to survive a bit longer in this world, to see the flowers bloom and fall; that would be enough."

These words were sincere and earnest, especially that obsession with "longevity,"

even if it was just the mundane sense of living a few hundred years longer,

and his frank admission of being "dull-witted" and having "no hope for the immortal path," instantly struck a corner of Bai Lengchan's heart.

She remembered the first time Yao Delong came to Spirit Plant Peak, with that same humble yet stubborn request.