Chapter 15

"Master, where are you?"

A voice filled with anxiety woke Jiang Yi from his cultivation. He looked around and found that it was pitch black; it was already completely dark. He slapped his head, silently blaming himself for being so engrossed in cultivation that he had forgotten the time. He quickly closed the door of the alchemy room and hurried toward the source of the voice.

"Xiao Nu, I'm here!"

In the dim night, Jiang Yi saw a frail figure wandering and calling out, feeling guilty and heartbroken. He channeled his yuan energy and ran toward Jiang Xiao Nu.

Jiang Xiao Nu, dressed in a loose, light beige maid's robe, looked even more frail. Hearing Jiang Yi's voice and seeing a figure rushing toward her, she exclaimed with joy, "Master, I finally found you! I was so worried."

"What are you worried about? Silly girl, Master was just so engrossed in cultivation that I lost track of time!"

Jiang Yi flew over, took Jiang Xiao Nu's hand, and his face was full of guilt. Then he remembered something and grinned, "Xiao Nu, let's go home. I have something good to show you, and I have some great news to tell you."

"Okay!" Xiao Nu never doubted Jiang Yi's words and laughed happily, following him back to their small courtyard.

...

"Master, is this really purple gold? Am I dreaming? And... can Master really break the seal?"

In a dilapidated small courtyard in the west, Jiang Yi was eating his meal quickly, while Jiang Xiao Nu squatted beside him, holding a shiny purple gold leaf, feeling everything was so unreal.

Jiang Yi finished his last bite, burped contentedly, and pinched Jiang Xiao Nu's nose, smiling, "Silly girl, we will have more purple gold in the future. Once Master becomes stronger, no one will dare to bully us anymore."

"Right, Master is the best. Master, keep it up!"

Jiang Xiao Nu smiled sweetly, her eyes full of admiration. She paused and returned the purple gold to Jiang Yi, "Master, you keep the purple gold. I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep if I hold it. By the way, how did Master break the seal?"

"Never mind about that. Don't tell anyone about these things. Just wait for a better life."

Jiang Yi put away the purple gold without further explanation. Jiang Xiao Nu didn't understand cultivation, so explaining it to her would be pointless. He patted her head and walked into the room, sitting down to meditate.

He couldn't wait to cultivate every moment, hoping to break the seal within a day. He wondered if his cultivation speed would be as fast as the Great Elder estimated, even faster than the eldest son, Jiang Henshui. Even if it was a bit slower, Jiang Yi was confident that with the black yuan energy, his strength would increase rapidly.

"Hmph! Give me three months, and I will make the entire Jiang family look at me differently! Unfortunately... Grandpa can't see it!"

Jiang Yi sighed deeply, then focused on running the nameless technique to refine the black yuan energy. By midnight, after refining ten strands of black yuan energy, he easily dissolved the red runes on ten dragon-shaped seals. To his surprise, as the runes disappeared, his cultivation speed of the Jiang Water Technique increased to three times its original speed.

He didn't sleep all night. As soon as it was light, he hurriedly ate two steamed buns and ran to the alchemy room. He had forgotten to read the "Herbal Simplified Record" the previous day. If Elder Liu needed other herbs today, and he was still as slow in fetching them, he would definitely be scolded.

Despite not sleeping all night, Jiang Yi was still energetic. He spent half a day memorizing the entire "Herbal Simplified Record" and identifying the herbs in the medicine room by their pictures.

By midday, Elder Liu still hadn't appeared. Jiang Yi didn't care and excitedly continued refining the black yuan energy to dissolve the runes on the seal.

The next day, Elder Liu still didn't show up. Jiang Yi had a faint sense of foreboding but didn't dare to go to Elder Liu's courtyard alone. He returned home gloomily.

Without Elder Liu, he had no failed pills to sell, and he couldn't afford to buy the herbs himself to make pills. It was impossible for him to do so.

On the third day, Elder Liu still didn't appear, but two special guests arrived at the alchemy room.

Dressed in pure white, with a face as sharp as a knife and a back as straight as a sword, he smiled faintly, exuding a charming demeanor. He was a handsome young man who could make all the fangirls scream!

"Jiang Henshui!"

Jiang Yi immediately recognized the young man in fine clothes at the front, his eyes showing a hint of melancholy. This person, like him, was once a favored child of heaven, a standout among the young generation of the Jiang family. Ten years had passed, and this person was still a standout, becoming a renowned genius in Tianyu City, while he had been reduced to doing odd jobs in the alchemy room...

The young and handsome man felt Jiang Yi's complex gaze and scanned his face twice, hesitantly asking, "You are... Jiang Yi?"

Jiang Yi smiled bitterly, remembering the days when they learned martial arts together. Back then, Jiang Henshui was always competitive with him, and they often sparred, maintaining a decent relationship. However, after Jiang Yi was found to have a sealed dantian and the Great Elder disappeared, they grew more distant. It had been two or three years since they last met, so it was normal for Jiang Henshui not to recognize him immediately.

In the past, he would always avoid Jiang Henshui to avoid awkwardness. Now that they had met, he could only force a smile, "Henshui, it's been a long time."

"Hmph!"

A cold snort broke the atmosphere, followed by a voice that annoyed Jiang Yi, "Jiang Yi, who do you think you are? You have no right to call the eldest son by his name. You didn't even bow when you saw him. Do you have the qualifications? Trash!"

Jiang Yi's attention had been drawn to Jiang Henshui, so he hadn't noticed the person behind him. But hearing the voice, he knew exactly who it was.

Jiang Ruhu!

His mind raced, and he guessed that since he hadn't left the Jiang family compound for a few days, Jiang Ruhu couldn't intercept him, so he had incited Jiang Henshui to come to the alchemy room. With Jiang Henshui present, even if he acted, the Punishment Hall would give Jiang Henshui face and pretend not to know...

Since he had figured out Jiang Ruhu's plan, Jiang Yi couldn't let him succeed. Although he had been cultivating these days, most of his time was spent refining the black yuan energy to dissolve the runes on the seal. He hadn't focused much on the Jiang Water Technique, so his strength was still at the first level of the Cauldron Casting Realm. If he faced Jiang Ruhu now, he would only get beaten up.

"Ah..."

Seeing that Jiang Henshui's expression changed slightly but didn't say anything to stop or scold, Jiang Yi felt even more disheartened. The faint bond of friendship from their childhood days was now gone. He smiled bitterly and bowed, "Jiang Yi greets the eldest son."

"Hmm."

Jiang Henshui was surprised by Jiang Yi's quick change in attitude and felt a bit uncomfortable. But after a glance at Jiang Ruhu behind him, he said nothing, waving his hand, "Jiang Yi, are you working in the alchemy room now? Bring me a hundred Spirit God Pills. I'm going to the Martial Hall to close myself off and try to reach the ninth level of the Cauldron Casting Realm."

"Martial Hall? Ninth level of the Cauldron Casting Realm?"

Jiang Yi smiled bitterly again. Jiang Henshui was indeed a favored child of heaven, going to the Martial Hall just to close himself off. He was only three months older but was about to reach the ninth level of the Cauldron Casting Realm. At his age, there were probably no more than five geniuses in Tianyu City who had reached the eighth level of the Cauldron Casting Realm.

The Martial Hall wasn't the Jiang family's martial hall; it was a very mysterious place in Tianyu City. It was said that cultivation speed could double there, and it had gravity rooms, training rooms, and professional sparring partners, making it a paradise for cultivators. Jiang Yi had heard of the Martial Hall long ago but could only look from afar, as the entry fee required one or two pieces of purple gold...

"What are you waiting for? If you delay the eldest son's cultivation in the Martial Hall, can you afford the consequences?"

Jiang Yi was stunned for a moment, but Jiang Ruhu behind him started shouting again. He had come with Jiang Henshui today to find an opportunity to teach Jiang Yi a lesson. When Jiang Yi backed down earlier, he couldn't vent his anger, so now he wanted to provoke Jiang Yi again.

Jiang Yi smiled faintly, glanced at Jiang Ruhu, and felt a wave of disgust at his chubby, fat face. He smiled calmly, "Elder Liu instructed me two days ago not to give any pills to anyone. If you want the pills, Jiang Ruhu, you can take them yourself. I dare not help you."

Jiang Ruhu, who was about the same age as Jiang Yi but much fatter, was taken aback and looked embarrassed. He knew Elder Liu's temper well. If he dared to take the pills without permission, Elder Liu would be furious, and even his father couldn't protect him...

Jiang Henshui glanced at Jiang Ruhu and said calmly, "I'll get them. Jiang Yi, apologize to Elder Liu later. I'm in a hurry to go to the Martial Hall!"

With that, Jiang Henshui walked into the alchemy room, took several bottles of pills, and left without looking back or saying goodbye, as if they were strangers.

Jiang Ruhu's face, full of wrinkles, came closer, and he whispered coldly, "Hmph, Jiang Yi! You can hide in this alchemy room forever. If you dare to leave the Jiang family compound, I'll make sure you crawl back."

Jiang Yi smiled faintly, replied casually, "Ten days from now, at noon, I'll leave the west gate of the Jiang family. There's a small alley nearby. I'll be waiting for you there. I hope you don't come late."

"Uh..."

Looking at Jiang Yi's calm and composed face as he turned and walked back into the alchemy room, Jiang Ruhu was puzzled. Was this the same waste of a person who used to be beaten like a dog by them? How did he suddenly give off an aura that even surpassed Jiang Henshui?

"Delusion, it must be a delusion. This waste is just putting on an act."

Jiang Ruhu quickly sneered and shouted into the alchemy room, "Fine, it's a deal. Ten days from now, whoever doesn't show up is a coward." Then he hurriedly ran after Jiang Henshui, who had already gone far.

"Ten days!"

After Jiang Ruhu left, Jiang Yi walked out of the alchemy room, his face calm and confident. In ten days, he could easily reach the second level of the Cauldron Casting Realm. If Jiang Ruhu dared to come, who would crawl back to the Jiang family compound was uncertain...

After checking the pills in the alchemy room and confirming that Jiang Henshui had only taken a hundred Spirit God Pills, Jiang Yi continued his cultivation.

However!

Just half an hour later, his cultivation was interrupted again. A heavy bell rang throughout the Jiang family compound, the kind that only sounded when a major figure in the family passed away.

Soon, news spread throughout the Jiang family compound: one of the ten elders, the only alchemist in the Jiang family, Elder Liu, had suddenly died in his courtyard for unknown reasons.

"Boom!"

Hearing this news, Jiang Yi was stunned, his face filled with guilt and panic.

Only he knew why Elder Liu had died. Elder Liu was a typical obsessive alchemist. He must have been researching the mysterious additional component in the Earth Rank pill day and night, leading to his death from overexertion...

"Oh no..."

Jiang Yi soon remembered something else, feeling even more anxious. With Elder Liu dead, there would be no more failed pills. What would he use to make pills? How would he earn money to pay off his debts?

---

After Jiang Ruhu left, Jiang Yi walked out of the alchemy room, his face calm, his eyes full of confidence. In ten days, he could easily reach the second level of the Cauldron Casting Realm. If Jiang Ruhu dared to come, who would crawl back to the Jiang family compound was uncertain...

After checking the pills in the alchemy room and confirming that Jiang Henshui had only taken a hundred Spirit God Pills, Jiang Yi continued his cultivation.

However!

Just half an hour later, his cultivation was interrupted again. A heavy bell rang throughout the Jiang family compound, the kind that only sounded when a major figure in the family passed away.

Soon, news spread throughout the Jiang family compound: one of the ten elders, the only alchemist in the Jiang family, Elder Liu, had suddenly died in his courtyard for unknown reasons.

"Boom!"

Hearing this news, Jiang Yi was stunned, his face filled with guilt and panic.

Only he knew why Elder Liu had died. Elder Liu was a typical obsessive alchemist. He must have been researching the mysterious additional component in the Earth Rank pill day and night, leading to his death from overexertion...

"Oh no..."

Jiang Yi soon remembered something else, feeling even more anxious. With Elder Liu dead, there would be no more failed pills. What would he use to make pills? How would he earn money to pay off his debts?