Chapter 437: Chapter 432: The Saintess Falls for Me, Kindness Gone Bad
’My progress in the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera is much faster than before. Unfortunately, this pure strand of Nine Nether Qi is slowly diminishing. I doubt it’ll last until I reach the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm. It probably won’t even get me much further in the Inner Refining Five Viscera Realm!’
As Yang Chan continued his cultivation, he found his body absorbing the Nine Nether Qi at an ever-increasing rate, but the boost to his cultivation was no longer as significant as it had been at the start.
It was as if his body had grown accustomed to this aura. Moreover, the later stages of tempering required a greater expenditure, meaning the consumption was high, but the results hadn’t improved by much.
This situation felt like a shame to Yang Chan. The Nine Nether Qi in his body couldn’t be replenished—not unless he found the Taiyin Saintess and gave her a sound thrashing again. That was the only way.
’At the thought, Yang Chan found himself missing the taste of that Witch, but he quickly dispelled the notion.’
The Taiyin Saintess was the source of all trouble.
’Given how the Taiyin Saintess looked back then—like she wanted to eat me alive—it’s best not to cross paths with her. Otherwise, I’ll be swallowed whole, skin and bones.’
As for any fantasies about "the Saintess has her eye on me," "the Saintess likes me," or "the Saintess has fallen in love with me," he didn’t buy it for a second. Only blatant self-interest could drive the Taiyin Saintess to make such an expression.
’Therefore, it’s best we don’t cross paths. If I’m really craving it, I’d be better off trying a taste of the Princess. At least that’s far safer.’
’At this rate, I can finish tempering one of the Five Viscera in about a month and a half. That’s more than ten days faster than before. Aside from the Nine Nether Qi, this is thanks to the effects of my added Potential Points.’
’Comparing the two, the Potential Points are far more reliable. There are no diminishing returns; their effect has been incredibly stable!’
Yang Chan could clearly feel the stable boost provided by his Potential Points. It had been consistent for a long time now, which was far better than the Nine Nether Qi.
These past few days, Yang Chan had settled into a steady routine. He would alternate between cultivation and reading, spending the time in between refining elixirs. Occasionally, he would visit the Medicine Hall’s Medicine Preparation Institute to prepare herbs. He was largely free to manage his own schedule.
Any issues at the Medicine Hall rarely troubled him; Gu An’s side handled most of them. Since he had little desire for power, he was quite fond of this arrangement.
He held the title of Chief Pharmacist and enjoyed its benefits, but with few of the hassles. Naturally, he was extremely satisfied.
Gu An was even more satisfied with this arrangement. After all, he received a steady supply of elixirs. While they weren’t all Five Revolutions Nourishing Organ Pills, a portion of the other elixirs still made their way to him, becoming his personal Cultivation Resources.
He was beginning to understand how the Former Sect Leader, Liu Xuan, had managed to advance his Martial Arts Cultivation so quickly. With so many Cultivation Resources at one’s disposal, of course it would be.
Back then, the majority of the elixirs refined by the two Advanced Pharmacists, Elder Yan and Elder Hua, fell into Liu Xuan’s hands for distribution. Even after distributing a good portion, he still kept a considerable amount for himself. With proper planning, he could take these elixirs daily to boost his cultivation. With that, how could his Martial Arts Cultivation not improve rapidly?
Now that it was his turn, he was naturally delighted. He almost never assigned any tasks to Yang Chan, letting the man work at his own rhythm.
He would only remind Yang Chan when it was time to provide the Spirit Medicine needed for refining the Five Revolutions Nourishing Organ Pill. He never rushed Yang Chan on when to actually refine them. He knew that the more Yang Chan studied the notes and insights left by their predecessors, the more his skills would improve—and the more elixirs would end up in Gu An’s hands.
Thus, he was fully supportive.
Under these circumstances, Yang Chan’s freedom naturally increased, and he, in turn, became even more satisfied.
’I’ll break through the second of the Five Viscera soon, and my strength will get another boost. Under normal circumstances, there’s no chance I’ll reach the Cleansing Marrow Grandmaster Realm this year. I’ll have to wait for next year.’
The new year was just over ten days away. No matter how fast he was, he had no chance of reaching the Cleansing Marrow Grandmaster Realm in time. Plus, after the new year, he would be another year older.
To stave off his anxiety about aging, Yang Chan decided to spend more time on his Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill. He’d also dedicate more time to his other Health Cultivation Techniques, like the Purple Qi Body Cultivation Skill.
Only by continuously extending his lifespan could he ease his anxiety about aging. It would be best if for every year that passed, his lifespan increased by a century. That way, he could, in the truest sense, grow younger as he lived.
After all, he would soon be in his twenties.
Actually, his current progress in Martial Arts had already surpassed his expectations. He had originally estimated that he would complete the Six Viscera Tempering by the end of the year, and he would have been satisfied with that. However, his aptitude proved to be even greater than he’d anticipated. He not only finished ahead of schedule but had already stepped into the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera and was now working on tempering the second organ, with no lack of speed.
By his estimates, he should be able to break through to the Cleansing Marrow Grandmaster Realm sometime next year. He was also inwardly hoping that Liu Xuan and the others in the Merak Sacred Land would send back the complete Peng Demon Bone Marrow Cleansing Scripture. That way, he could begin cultivating the technique before he even entered the Holy Land.
Now that he knew the Merak Sacred Land possessed cultivation techniques that led all the way to the Martial Saint Realm, Yang Chan naturally favored the techniques from there. Their potential was simply higher.
As for the Emperor’s Shocking Book in Princess Lan Yue’s possession, he could still use it for reference. It wouldn’t be a waste.
"Another new year is almost here!"
"I will grow stronger and stronger, and I will continue to live well!"
Yang Chan’s expression grew complicated at the thought, but he quickly snapped out of it. He spoke to the dazzling sun, but he was also speaking to himself.
Feelings of melancholy never lingered on him for long. If he ever felt down, there was always someone to comfort him. A certain weighty feeling could dispel all his worries. The ’pomelos’ he enjoyed each night weren’t just for eating; they were for playing with, too.
Yang Chan had not been resting for long before his Health Cultivation Technique restored him to peak condition. He didn’t waste a moment.
He had just been thinking about practicing his Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill, so he immediately put it on his schedule. This would ensure a qualitative leap in the technique next year, which would, in turn, benefit him greatly.
...
「Jin Meng Empire.」
「Tai An City.」
"To think you were also one of the Taiyin Saint Son’s people!"
"I was wondering how those incompetents could have caused me to suffer such a major setback. First, you used my personal Maid as a scapegoat. A fine trick, indeed!"
"Too bad for you! I no longer trust any of you!"
"You hid it well, but you still took the bait! And even if you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have lived long anyway!"
The Taiyin Saintess looked down at the Direct Disciple kneeling before her. This was a man she had personally raised through the ranks, someone she had naturally placed more trust in.
It wasn’t as though she’d bared her soul to him, but she certainly valued him more than others. It seemed, however, that her kindness had been met with ingratitude—even if that ’kindness’ was rotten from the start.
He was her designated Primordial Supreme Yang Body in training. She was preparing him for the day he would fully achieve that constitution, at which point he would assist her in Absorption. In the end, his entire cultivation would be hers alone.
It was such a convenient plan, a kindness on her part. To think he would be so ungrateful. He truly deserved to die!
"Yi Shuiyue, did you ever trust me?"
"If you trusted me, you wouldn’t have made me cultivate the Primordial Supreme Yang Scripture to become a Primordial Supreme Yang Body."
"I know you’ve already achieved the Nine Nether Ancient Primordial Body! You want me to become a Primordial Supreme Yang Body just so you can use Absorption on me until I’m dead!"
"You want me dead, yet you still expect me to serve you. You must be dreaming."
"You may have helped me once, but my life is worth far more than that favor! Besides, everything I’ve done for you over the years is more than enough to repay that debt!"
The Direct Disciple lifted his head. His gaze toward the Taiyin Saintess was filled with killing intent, but it was overshadowed by fear. He had, after all, witnessed her many cruel and vicious methods.
His only leverage now was his status as a developing Primordial Supreme Yang Body.
As long as the Taiyin Saintess still wanted to use him for Absorption, she wouldn’t kill him. This was his only trump card.
The Taiyin Saint Son surely had other ways to deal with the Taiyin Saintess. If he could just hold out until then, he might have a chance to survive.
Therefore, he didn’t beg for mercy. He knew the Taiyin Saintess’s personality all too well—the more you pleaded, the more intrigued she became, right before making you die a dog’s death.
That personal Maid of hers from before... after she begged for mercy, the Saintess had her sent to the Taihe Camp. She died horribly in the barracks. In the end, her corpse wasn’t even intact; what was left was fed to the dogs. A true dog’s death, with absolutely nothing remaining.
The Maid’s fate was a warning, which was why he was acting this way now.
"If I hadn’t helped you back then, you’d still be a nobody in the Outer Sect! Your bones might have been buried in some nameless ditch by now!"
"And now you say you’ve repaid my kindness? How laughable!"
"While traveling through the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, I learned a term the common folk use for lending: ’nine out, thirteen back’!"
"I saved your life back then. So now, I’m just taking it back!"
"But now that I think about it, I’m still getting the short end of the stick!"
"I hear the Hybrid Ape Beast Group has been especially violent lately. People say they’re in heat."
"An ordinary person’s body would break in an instant, but yours has completed the Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens. You should be able to last for a while. Just long enough to help the Hybrid Ape Beasts calm down for a few days!"
"If you can last five days, perhaps I’ll even spare your life~"
The Taiyin Saintess walked over to the Direct Disciple who had betrayed her. She lifted his chin, gazing at his handsome face. She had handpicked him herself; he was exceptional in every way. A pity his heart had gone rotten.
A rotten heart was of no use to her now.
"Yi Shuiyue, you can’t scare me! You’ve achieved the Nine Nether Ancient Primordial Body, but you still need me! You need me to cultivate the Primordial Supreme Yang Scripture, to become a Primordial Supreme Yang Body for you to use Absorption on! All so you can forge an unparalleled foundation and have a shot at breaking through to the Martial Saint Realm."
"Are you really willing to let me die just like that?"
The Direct Disciple said, forcing himself to remain calm. He knew full well what a horrific fate awaited anyone sent to the Hybrid Ape Beast Group—it would be even worse than what happened to the Maid.
Especially when they were in heat like this. You wouldn’t even look human by the end. You’d be torn apart while still alive.
He couldn’t show any fear now. He had to play the only card he had left. It was the only way he could survive.
He did not want to die, and he certainly didn’t want to die so miserably. So he laid his trump card on the table, showing it to the Taiyin Saintess to make her hesitate.
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