Chapter 284: Chapter 150: Turmoil
Having made up his mind, Qin Fang let out a soft breath. He decided to completely set aside his thoughts about his master and senior sister for the time being.
’With a troubled heart, cultivation would only be half as effective for twice the effort.’
He knew this very well.
Constantly worrying about them wouldn’t help. In fact, it would only slow his progress and make things worse.
His mind became as clear as a mirror as he cut away the endless stream of thoughts and began to contemplate his future cultivation.
There was no longer any need to practice things like the Pile Method... for he had already reached the pinnacle of the Huajin stage.
The key now was Contemplation.
Only by cultivating the Profound Nether Realm-Breaking Awl to the third layer as quickly as possible, breaking through the Divine Gate, and stepping into the Divine Domain could he further increase his power.
...Since he had decided to contend for one of the twelve seats, Qin Fang naturally had to give it his all.
Qian Ruhai had made it very clear yesterday. Many people had deliberately stagnated their cultivation for years, all for a chance at one of those twelve seats. Qin Fang was confident that with the Mortal Martial Canon, he could handle any opponent at the Huajin stage.
Still, to be on the safe side, he felt it would be more prudent to advance another step.
Of course, even if he broke through the Divine Gate, his path forward was still a dead end.
After all, the Profound Nether True Water Scripture he had obtained from Chen Shanhe was only a fragment.
But regardless, he believed that breaking through the Divine Gate would bring a massive boost to his power.
"Three months..."
There were still three months until the Martial Arts Examination.
But mastering the Profound Nether Realm-Breaking Awl in just three months was clearly impossible.
...Right now, he could gain at most 10 to 12 proficiency points from a full day of cultivation.
And that was only at the entry-level; he hadn’t even reached Minor Achievement yet.
As time went on, his progress would likely slow even further.
Yet only after reaching Perfection of Contemplation would he be confident enough to push open the Divine Gate in a single attempt.
Otherwise, not only would he fail, but he could also suffer a backlash from the attempt at Breaking Realm, which would be disastrous.
"Standing Pile has the Qi Blood Pill... I wonder if Contemplation... has any exclusive elixirs that can increase proficiency?"
Qin Fang’s eyes glinted. ’It’s possible,’ he finally concluded.
With that thought, Qin Fang stood up and headed out the door.
’He had seen quite a few apothecaries in the city. Perhaps he could gather some information from one of them.’
He had just left his room and hadn’t yet reached the entrance of the Post House when an enthusiastic voice called out, "Brother Qin!"
A thought stirred in Qin Fang’s mind. He turned and, sure enough, saw Qian Ruhai.
Now, however, Qian Ruhai was not alone. Beside him stood a young man in his early twenties, dressed in a lake-blue brocade robe. He was tall and elegant, with handsome features. He was currently studying Qin Fang with a scrutinizing gaze.
Qin Fang recalled what Qian Ruhai had said yesterday and thought to himself, ’This must be the young master from the Lin Family that Qian Ruhai mentioned, Lin Chen...’
’...Though Qin Fang wasn’t entirely sure what a major clan like the Lin Family represented in Lanyang City.’
"Ah, Brother Qian." Qin Fang stopped and cupped his hands in greeting toward Qian Ruhai.
’This man he’d met just yesterday had certainly provided him with a lot of important information. Qin Fang was actually quite grateful to him.’
"Haha, what a coincidence! Are you heading out, Brother Qin?"
"Yes, just taking a look around," Qin Fang replied with a nod.
Qian Ruhai chuckled. "That’s good. The sights in Lanyang City are quite nice... Oh, right, allow me to introduce you. This is Young Master Lin Chen of the Lin Family. Brother Lin, this is Brother Qin... I believe you’ve already met?"
Lin Chen glanced at Qin Fang and then gave a slight nod, a gesture that served as a greeting.
Although Lin Chen’s attitude was lukewarm, Qin Fang wasn’t one to give a cold shoulder when greeted, so he returned the slight nod.
"Brother Lin and I are heading to Tingyu Pavilion for a while. Care to join us, Brother Qin?"
Qian Ruhai genuinely seemed to enjoy making friends, inviting Qin Fang with a smile.
A thought sparked in Qin Fang’s mind. ’Qian Ruhai is very familiar with Lanyang City and is well-informed. Talking with him more would definitely be beneficial.’
’...However, he’s with Lin Chen right now, so they obviously had prior arrangements. An impromptu invitation like this is probably just a courtesy.’
’If I were to actually accept, it would be rather tactless of me.’
’And I still plan on getting more information from Qian Ruhai, so maintaining a good relationship is always the right move.’
"I have some things to attend to today, so I’ll have to decline. Next time, I’ll be the host and treat you, Brother Qian," Qin Fang said, politely refusing.
Qian Ruhai’s smile didn’t waver. "Oh? Very well. I’ll be waiting for your invitation, Brother Qin... but we’re not drinking tea next time. I want wine."
Qian Ruhai’s social skills were truly exceptional; with just a simple sentence, he had closed the distance between himself and Qin Fang.
"I’m not much of a drinker, but if Brother Qian insists, then I’ll gladly keep you company."
Qin Fang said with a smile of his own.
The two of them exchanged a few more pleasantries and walked out of the Post House together. Seeing that they were heading toward Tingyu Pavilion, Qin Fang bid them farewell and went his own way.
Lin Chen watched Qin Fang walk away, his gaze flickering slightly. "Brother Qian, your social skills are truly enviable."
Hearing this, Qian Ruhai laughed heartily. "You flatter me. I simply enjoy making friends... Come on, let’s go. A fresh batch of early-spring tea just arrived today."
Lin Chen said no more and headed toward Tingyu Pavilion with Qian Ruhai.
Qin Fang continued on his way, scanning his surroundings for apothecaries.
Lanyang City was as bustling as advertised, with a dazzling array of shops that was almost overwhelming.
Finally, Qin Fang spotted a sign.
On that sign were two words that were very familiar to Qin Fang...
Huichun Hall!
Seeing those two familiar words, Qin Fang froze for a moment, his reaction subconscious.
After a moment’s thought, he stepped inside.
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