Chapter 21: The Late Bloomer

The “late bloomer” Yan Zhichuan barreled through the Eighteen Passes two hours later with sheer bullheaded stubbornness, leaving her fellow disciples far behind.

A red mark marred her forehead, and her arms had swollen stiffly from catching blades barehanded.

Wu Jiang hauled over the teary-eyed Yan Zhichuan and checked her over for a moment before exclaiming in surprise, “No internal injuries.”

Yan Zhichuan’s eyes were glazed over.

She’d lost the strength to speak, but in front of Wu Jiang and Zhan Yujie, she broke through to Foundation Establishment Third Layer.

Wu Jiang: “…”

Zhan Yujie gasped in astonishment. “It actually worked?”

Could it be not the Dragon Blood Pills’ merit, but her own power that got her through?

Yan Zhichuan opened her mouth.

The once fierce-looking Wu Jiang suddenly loomed tall in her mind, radiating a benevolent glow capable of saving all sentient beings. Like clutching a lifeline, Yan Zhichuan desperately signaled take me away with her eyes. She rasped, “It was from pill refining yesterday.”

Wu Jiang raised a brow and turned to Zhan Yujie. “Lend her to me?”

Seeing Zhan Yujie’s hesitant expression, she added, “I’ve got some personal matters to handle next, so I might miss the Three Ways River Sword Duel.” Junior Sister Yan’s a bit dim, but her pill quality is top-notch. If she tags along, it’s like Medicine Peak sending someone too.

Zhan Yujie pondered for a moment before saying, “Sure.”

In her view, Yan Zhichuan running between peaks wasn’t impossible.

But with her junior sister looking half-dead, maybe the intensity had been too much.

Yan Zhichuan followed her “savior” Wu Jiang without a backward glance.

“Senior Sister Wu, what do I need to do?” Yan Zhichuan asked curiously.

As Fang Zhiyi’s direct disciple and Medicine Peak’s peak master, Wu Jiang knew far more than most. She asked, “Junior Sister Yan, how many hundreds of pill formulas can you refine now? And how many yield Dao Pills?”

Yan Zhichuan paled in shock. Hundreds? I learn them on the fly when I have to refine them!

She counted on her fingers before mumbling, “Thirteen kinds.”

Wu Jiang’s face lit up with shock and delight. “Thirteen kinds of Dao Pills? Junior Sister Yan truly has exceptional talent—you’re destined for Medicine Peak!” How had she never noticed this junior sister had skills beyond just eating?

The sect leader and Fu Shis held her back!

Yan Zhichuan blinked.

Thirteen kinds of Dao Pills wasn’t wrong.

Wu Jiang continued, “Junior Sister, practice the rest of the formulas next. Aim to produce Dao Pills from every one.”

Yan Zhichuan’s hands clenched behind her back, fingers twisting together. She looked up innocently at the beaming Wu Jiang. “Senior Sister Wu, I only know thirteen kinds of pills.”

Wu Jiang halted mid-step.

“What did you say?”

The thrill of discovering a prodigy evaporated in an instant, her mind echoing with Yan Zhichuan’s words about only knowing a dozen or so. She couldn’t hold back: “I could refine hundreds of pills by your age!”

Yan Zhichuan tilted her head. “Does Senior Sister produce Dao Pills?”

Wu Jiang choked, nearly dying of frustration.

She took a deep breath to calm herself.

Thirteen kinds? No matter—100% Dao Pill success rate made Yan Zhichuan a genius still.

She must slack off reading novels instead of memorizing formulas and practicing.

Wu Jiang avoided Yan Zhichuan’s pure, innocent face and hurried her toward Medicine Peak.

She led Yan Zhichuan into her pill refining room, slapped down a thick stack of formulas, and declared, “Memorize!”

Yan Zhichuan gaped. “Th-this many?”

Wu Jiang said sternly, “The Three Ways River Sword Duel is incredibly dangerous. Fellow disciples’ lives depend on you. If you want to go, master them all.”

Yan Zhichuan shrank back, suddenly less keen on going.

But as the Child of Heavenly Dao, holing up in Nine Abyss Sect didn’t feel right.

She needed to roam the jianghu too.

Yan Zhichuan sighed. “I’ll memorize them.”

Once Wu Jiang left, Yan Zhichuan pulled out a novel from her Qiankun Pouch.

The Heavenly Dao System circled her. “You’re just stringing her along?”

If she nodded, it’d slap her—people couldn’t rot that much!

Yan Zhichuan side-eyed it. “Can you read? You read it to me.”

She needed an energy boost.

This wasn’t a simple stack of formulas—it included variant refining incantations and techniques in Dao Script.

Memorizing short-term was impossible; even recognizing all the Dao Script was a hurdle. Luckily, she could reflect everything into the Silent Land, gaining tenfold time to comprehend.

“Do I really have to earn it the hard way?” Yan Zhichuan wailed inwardly, head pounding as she crammed with hair tied to the beam and awl pricking her thigh, eyes full of despair.

“You haven’t already? Some refine the same formula ten thousand times with no progress, but every batch you make builds experience, turning quantity to quality for leaps in refinement.” The Heavenly Dao System read the novel until its throat was dry—thankfully, Yan Zhichuan had some conscience. For its “hard work,” she finally agreed to trade Dao Pills at Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

But its relief was short-lived.

“Don’t burn through all the energy—we still need to swipe Senior Sister’s sword arts later,” Yan Zhichuan reminded coldly.

Heavenly Dao System: “Chirp.”

Bird life hopeless. If it’d bound to Zhan Yujie initially, would it be reduced to a tool?

Time flew. A month later, Yan Zhichuan successfully formed her core.

The Heavenly Dao System marveled at her cultivation speed, scanning to find past heavenly materials and earthly treasures finally unleashed their stored power.

Her prior “cultivation” had been “swing sword a thousand times,” then read novels, nap, and dream prettily.

Mana barely used—progress would be a miracle.

“The books say diligence can’t make up for stupidity. Dao pursuit is all about that flash of insight, sudden comprehension. Once I get it, I pluck the Dao Fruit—Dan Sand, grand medicines are mere externalities,” Yan Zhichuan argued stubbornly.

Heavenly Dao System: “…” Burn the books! Suggest the Nine Abyss Sect leader torch Yan Zhichuan’s pile of trash.

But it suddenly thought of something and glared. “Wait—the novels I read you had ordinary boys becoming sword immortals through bitter cultivation too!”

“That’s others. I’m the Child of Heavenly Dao,” Yan Zhichuan declared righteously.

The Heavenly Dao System pecked her.

What Child of Heavenly Dao—Heavenly Dao just wanted to slap her.

“Senior Sister Yusha from Blade Peak is back,” Yan Zhichuan’s thoughts leaped, and she perked up excitedly. “She roams everywhere year-round—must have tons of stories.”

At Forbidden Law Peak.

Fuyu Sha heard about the Eighteen Passes, grabbed her saber, and blitzed through at top speed, matching Zhan Yujie’s record.

She adjusted her Golden Mask, leveled her Chilling Bone Blade, and laughed boisterously at Zhan Yujie. “Junior Sister Zhan, come on!”

A snow weasel perched on her shoulder, sensed the frosty aura, and nimbly leaped off, streaking like a snowball toward a Medicine Peak cultivator and snatching a spirit pill from their hand.

By the time Yan Zhichuan arrived, Fuyu Sha and Zhan Yujie had clashed to another peak.

She craned her neck to spectate when a snowball slammed into her face, followed by the Heavenly Dao System’s shriek.

“Sa-save me!”

Yan Zhichuan had some conscience and grabbed the bird-pouncing snow weasel.

The snow weasel scratched furiously at Yan Zhichuan, clinging to her arm and biting viciously—only to chip its teeth.

Little Fat Chirp seized the daze and kicked it twice.

Meanwhile, Fuyu Sha and Zhan Yujie fought fiercely. Hearing the snow weasel’s wail, Fuyu Sha sheathed her blade. “Fight’s paused.” She flashed back to Forbidden Law Peak and scooped up the wildly clawing snow weasel from Yan Zhichuan.

Eyes deep and profound gleamed behind the Golden Mask, chaotic frost dancing on the Chilling Bone Blade.

Like a horror story.

Yan Zhichuan wisely stepped back.

Fortunately, Fuyu Sha knew her Diao Diao’s bully ways and just eyed Yan Zhichuan curiously.

“You’re…?”

“She’s Yan Zhichuan, junior sister under the sect leader.” A sword light streaked; Zhan Yujie landed.

Fuyu Sha paled in shock. “When did the sect leader take a disciple?”

Yan Zhichuan: “…Eighteen years ago.”

Heavenly Dao System went silent.

It couldn’t resist jabbing, “How’d you stay unknown to all?”