Just like yesterday, Yan Zhen enthusiastically saw them off to school, even spouting lines like “Study hard and improve every day.” This made the three women so mad their teeth itched. They immediately suggested that Mentor Yu Xuan revoke his vacation.
Mentor Yu Xuan could only give Yan Zhen an exasperated eye roll. She soothed the girls’ tempers and headed off to school with them.
After watching them disappear into the distance, Yan Zhen closed the front gate and returned to his room. He activated the Star Shifting Fire Seal.
Another day of practice began with him full of energy and ended with him utterly exhausted.
The Beautiful Master occasionally offered guidance or even taught him hands-on, which kept him from skipping ahead. It made the sessions feel incredibly fulfilling.
In the days that followed, Yan Zhen stuck to this routine. In the mornings, he underwent Mentor Yu Xuan’s inspections over breakfast. Afterward, he headed to the Crystal Stone Space to practice pill refining until he collapsed into the Beautiful Master’s arms from exhaustion.
The basic medicinal ingredients dwindled visibly, while Yan Zhen’s pill refining technique grew ever more proficient. His storage ring piled up with vials full of Healing Pills.
He had started with low-grade quality but now consistently produced medium-grade ones, with the occasional high-grade success.
Besides Healing Pills, he also tried his hand at other medicines: Pain Relief Pills, Blood Replenishing Pills, Detoxification Pills, and so on. All were common first-order pills, though the Detoxification Pill proved more complex and took considerable effort to master.
Time passed, and seven days went by.
According to the script, Yan Zhen was due to head out today to sell these pills and recoup his costs.
His pill furnace, formulas, and ingredients had all been essentially freeloaded, so this “recouping” was a bit tongue-in-cheek. Still, he had to make the trip.
This was a crucial plot point.
Recently, gang fights had broken out in several towns near Silver Moon City, leaving the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce short on Healing Pills. Yan Zhen’s timely delivery of a large batch would solve their urgent shortage.
In the script, this opportunity allowed him to connect with Fatty Nian Lun. Recognizing the potential in this promising young Pill Refiner, Nian Lun decided to build a good relationship. Their partnership gradually deepened from there.
It was through Nian Lun’s introduction that Yan Zhen would later meet that Fair Rich Beauty Big Sister.
Having already mooched so much from the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce, Yan Zhen planned to exchange all his Healing Pills for first- and second-order ingredients. He had no intention of taking further advantage.
Nian Lun nearly dropped the Healing Pills in fright and quickly replied, “One thing at a time, Young Master Yan Zhen. As a Supreme VIP of the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce, take whatever ingredients you want. I’ll buy these Healing Pills at market price. We’re short on them right now, so bringing these over is a huge help.”
Yan Zhen couldn’t bear to haggle with such a humble Nian Lun. He decided to go along with it.
But Nian Lun didn’t see himself as humble at all. His orders were to treat this young man like the male master of the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce.
Whatever he wanted, give it to him—even the signature treasures from every branch store, for free, without taking a single coin.
Those were the Chief Manager’s direct instructions!
Thinking of that alluring yet ruthlessly capable beauty who was the Chief Manager, Nian Lun shivered. He didn’t dare slack off in the slightest. He handled everything swiftly and even personally escorted Yan Zhen out.
With this key plot point complete, he obtained the “Special Trump Card: Money Power.” It sacrificed his wealth to boost his strength temporarily—the more money offered, the greater the boost, starting from a minimum of ten thousand and up to a hundred million.
“Can’t afford to use it!”
Yan Zhen glanced at it and stowed it away.
Back at the house, he immediately entered the Crystal Stone Space. The Beautiful Master wanted to teach him a cultivation-specific pill.
The Minor Yuan Pill.
This pill was highly effective only for Mystic Masters and below. It was popular at the Holy Land Academy, specially used to nurture young experts.
Refining one took just half an hour, but for a Mystic Practitioner, it equaled about ten days of hard cultivation—easily putting one ahead of the pack.
Clearly, the Beautiful Master meant for him to balance cultivation and technique refining, using pill refining to fuel his progress in mystic arts.
In simple terms: pop pills to level up.
Pills couldn’t be overused in the short term, but the downtime allowed him to study other things, like Mystic Techniques or technique refining.
The Minor Yuan Pill worked by locking heavenly mystic qi with medicinal power during the fusion process, purifying the impure qi for easier absorption and refinement.
After a few failures, Yan Zhen quickly grasped the refining trick and produced five Minor Yuan Pills.
The first batch was only low-grade, but thanks to the exceptionally pure mystic qi in the Fire Refining Starry Sky, they upgraded to medium-grade quality.
He bottled each of the five Minor Yuan Pills separately, a knowing smile spreading across his face.
Chen Xi’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She had a faint inkling of his intentions but didn’t pry.
The next day, Yan Zhen yawned as he dragged himself out of bed. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he entered the dining hall.
All four women were there. Yan Zhen took his seat, his gaze sweeping over them one by one. Then he chuckled slyly.
His odd look made the four women shrink back their shoulders and clutch their ample bosoms, shooting him shy glares.
“Cousin, what are you staring at? It’s creepy.”
“Pervert…”
“Young Brother Yan Zhen, no naughty thoughts!”
Mentor Yu Xuan wondered to herself: Has this kid been holding back too long? She had promised more rewards only if he took first in the Monthly Assessment, but that was too far off. It was understandable if he couldn’t wait; she hadn’t thought it through.
Yan Zhen was left with black lines on his forehead from their remarks.
“Am I that kind of guy?”
“Of course not, Cousin. But you’re a hot-blooded young man full of vigor, so Meng’er gets it.”
“I don’t need that kind of understanding from you!”
“Your inner beast is roaring to life.”
“I haven’t! If it did, you’d be first on my list with that big butt of yours!”
“Don’t get mad, Young Brother Yan Zhen. What are you trying to say?”
“Ahem. I see your auras are all robust, but you’re just one step shy of a breakthrough.”
Yan Zhen drawled slowly. Then he took out four small vials from his storage ring and placed them on the table.
“Here, these are for you. Mentor gets one too.”
“What’s this?”
Yan Meng’er, sitting beside him, casually picked up a vial, uncorked it, and inhaled the familiar medicinal scent. She blurted out, “Minor Yuan Pills?”
Mi Xue’er hurriedly grabbed another vial at her words. She poured out the contents into her palm and was equally surprised. “They really are Minor Yuan Pills. How do you have something this good, Young Brother Yan Zhen?”
Only Yan Ruyu looked puzzled. “What’s a Minor Yuan Pill?”
Her words made Yan Meng’er and Mi Xue’er freeze. They inwardly cursed their slip-up.
Minor Yuan Pills were a Holy Land Academy specialty. Normally, they wouldn’t know about them. Only Mentor Yu Xuan, who came from there, should recognize them.
The two glanced at Mentor Yu Xuan. Sure enough, she was looking at them in confusion, her eyes saying, “How do these two girls know?”
“Minor Yuan Pills boost cultivation. One pill equals ten days of hard work for a Mystic Practitioner. They’re treasures used by the Holy Land Academy and major powers to train young talents. The refining process is finicky; few Pill Refiners can make them… Yan Zhen, where did you get these? They look medium-grade, as good as the ones from the Academy.”
All four women’s beautiful eyes fixed intently on Yan Zhen, brimming with curiosity.
