The Rich Cultivator

Chapter 768: 768. Shyla’s Skill

After gathering everyone together, Tyler officially submitted the registration for his first Formation Hall project.

The name was simple.

The White Aspirants.

Vance accepted the registration form and slowly read through the list of members. The more he read, the stranger his expression became.

"One early-stage Qi Refining cultivator... another early-stage Qi Refining cultivator... one mortal who hasn’t even entered the Qi Refining Realm yet... one late-stage Qi Refining pill refiner..." His gaze finally landed on Tyler before he looked up. "And you’re the project leader?"

Tyler nodded.

Vance didn’t say much. He simply picked up his seal and stamped the document.

"Very well. Every new project receives an initial allocation. I’ll approve two thousand contribution points for now. If your project produces results, submit another proposal and the Formation Hall will consider additional funding."

He handed the token back without another glance.

To him, this project was already finished before it had even begun. There wasn’t a single proper formation master among the members. They hadn’t recruited any experienced disciples either. A few enthusiastic youngsters gathering together to "invent" something... that alone sounded unrealistic.

Still, rules were rules.

As long as the project met the requirements, it deserved an opportunity. Also he was the one who pushed the project to them.

"Work hard," Vance said with a smile. "If you encounter difficulties in formation studies, don’t hesitate to ask the elders or senior brothers."

Tyler smiled and cupped his fists before leaving.

Only after the door closed did Vance shake his head with a sigh.

"This kid is gonna regret soon."

...

Tyler wasn’t disappointed by the budget.

Two thousand contribution points might not sound like much for a Formation Hall project, but it was more than enough for what he wanted to build. The truly expensive things weren’t the materials. They were the ideas.

After leaving the Formation Hall, he went straight to the Exchange Hall.

Formation ink. Refining metals. Engraving knives. Formation paper. Different metals. Different grades of beast blood.

Anything remotely useful found its way into Tyler’s hand. Although most of the materials were crude by his standards, they would do for now. He could always improve them later.

His next stop was Manager Shangguan’s residence.

"I’d like to rent a courtyard."

Manager Shangguan nearly dropped the teacup in his hand.

"...A courtyard?"

Outer disciples usually squeezed into caves for years before thinking about moving elsewhere. Courtyards weren’t cheap. Most disciples would rather spend contribution points on cultivation resources than a place to live.

"You’re sure?"

"I am."

Manager Shangguan looked at Tyler for a long moment before smiling helplessly.

"I can’t believe you even got a new project as soon as you joined the sect, are you some sort of Elder’s son."

Tyler simply smiled.

Soon afterward, Manager Shangguan personally selected a quiet courtyard near the edge of the Dark Swamp. Artificial hills surrounded the residence while dense Yin spiritual energy naturally gathered there throughout the year. Ordinary disciples disliked the gloomy atmosphere, but Yin cultivators treated places like this as treasures.

"It should suit you well."

"It does."

Tyler thanked him before immediately moving in.

The courtyard wasn’t luxurious, but compared to his old cave it felt spacious. There was enough room for several people to work at once, a separate refining room, storage rooms, a cultivation chamber, and even a small backyard.

Lee and Louch helped carry everything over.

The item that attracted the most attention was naturally the crystal coffin with the beautiful corpse inside..

The two carefully carried it into Tyler’s room before quietly placing it beside the wall.

After settling in, Tyler immediately began assigning work.

He hired an elderly blacksmith from the weapon hall and handed him several strange drawings.

"I need these."

The old blacksmith frowned.

"...Pens?"

"They’re not ordinary pens."

Tyler pointed at each sketch.

"Different sizes. Different tips. Different materials. Every one must be made exactly according to these measurements."

The blacksmith studied the blueprints for a long time.

He had forged swords.

He had forged spears.

He had even forged coffin nails.

But this was the first time someone had asked him to forge over thirty strange-looking metal pens.

"What are these used for?"

"You’ll know once they’re finished."

The old man didn’t ask further.

As long as the payment was generous, customers could request whatever they pleased.

After sending the blacksmith away, Tyler finally turned toward Shyla.

She had already tidied her hair slightly, though the permanent dark circles beneath her eyes still remained. Her skeleton servant quietly carried the medicine furnace behind her.

Tyler dragged several sacks over and casually placed them on the table. "These are the ingredients. Use whatever you need."

Shyla didn’t think much of it at first. She untied one sack, intending to take a quick look, but the moment she saw what was inside, her movements froze. Spirit herbs were neatly stacked one after another, each preserved surprisingly well. She hurriedly opened a second sack, then a third. More herbs. Every single one could be used for refining Qi Refining pills. She slowly raised her head to look at Tyler before looking back at the herbs again as though she couldn’t believe they were real.

"Boss..." she muttered.

"Hm?"

"Even if I work for the Pill Hall for two more years." She picked up one stalk of spirit herb and held it like a precious treasure. "I won’t able to buy this many ingredients. Boss... are you still missing a maid? A servant? A side chick?."

Tyler nearly laughed. Looking at her properly, he realized Shyla wasn’t ugly at all. Under the messy hair, dark circles and permanently exhausted expression was actually a rather delicate face. It was just that she seemed to care more about pill refining than about herself.

"Refine the pills first," Tyler said, waving his hand.

"Hehe... Leave it to me."

Her joking expression disappeared almost instantly. She clapped once, and the skeleton following behind her immediately stepped forward, placing the medicine furnace firmly on the ground. The next moment, it opened its jaw and a stream of deep blue flames poured into the furnace.

Tyler’s eyebrows rose.

"A fire-attributed corpse?"

Shyla nodded proudly without taking her eyes off the furnace. "My spiritual roots aren’t compatible with fire techniques, so I refined one instead. It’s been helping me refine pills for years."

As she spoke, her hands never stopped moving. Spirit herbs entered the furnace one after another in a precise order. Sometimes she adjusted the flame with a single gesture, sometimes she waited silently before adding another herb. Her movements were smooth and practiced, without the slightest hesitation. It was obvious she had repeated these steps countless times.

Tyler stood quietly to one side and watched without interrupting. He wasn’t looking at the pills. He was watching Shyla herself.

How she controlled the flames. How she judged the timing. How she separated medicinal essences. Though she is not good as Mathilda. But she has resolve as Mathilda.

Time passed quietly. Before long, the fragrance of medicinal herbs gradually filled the room. The skeleton reduced the fire on its own, while Shyla lightly tapped the side of the furnace.

Several emerald-green pills shot out together and landed neatly inside a jade bottle.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled proudly as she handed it over.

"Boss, high-purity Dark Qi Pills."

Tyler uncorked the bottle, rolled one pill between his fingers and examined it for a while before nodding.

"The quality is very good."

Hearing those words, Shyla’s smile immediately became much brighter.

"Now," Tyler said as he placed the jade bottle back onto the table, "Do it again. Record everything you just did, step by step in the scroll."

Shyla blinked blankly.

"...Eh?"