Chapter 17: Black-Hearted Little Cotton-Padded Jacket Yan Ruyan

"Twenty-some Spirit Stones, just for this tiny wisp of true Qi, I don't even know if it's worth it."

After a long while, Yan Taibai let out a soft sigh, then took out all the remaining Intermediate Metal-Attribute Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and placed them between his legs.

He then closed his eyes and formed a seal, refining them all in one go; it took only seven or eight breaths of time for the White Emperor Golden Emperor Slash that Yan Taibai was cultivating to absorb every bit of the Intermediate Grade Spirit Stones—which would have been enough to sustain a Foundation Establishment cultivator for a year or half a year—leaving behind only dust and dregs.

Not a single trace of spiritual energy remained within them.

Following this, Yan Taibai used his divine sense to look inside his dantian, discovering that hovering above the True Essence Magic Power amidst the misty vapor were four or five imperceptible, incongruous "golden specks." This was the result of one hundred Intermediate Metal-Attribute Spirit Stones.

Although they were just a few imperceptible "golden specks," if one looked closely, one would find them as striking as "stars" in the night sky or a blazing sun in the high heavens, only they were too small to be obvious.

Yet this was already the limit of the Intermediate Metal-Attribute Spirit Stones Yan Taibai could obtain.

To ask for more would be excessive; even Mr. Xuan Ye would not be able to speak for him anymore.

"I can only think of another way."

Yan Taibai withdrew his divine sense from his dantian, opened his eyes, and whispered to himself.

However, he could not even leave the Yan Family Fortress right now, and the only person he could trust was his aunt Yan Yun; he did not trust anyone else at all.

And his aunt Yan Yun's cultivation realm and status within the Yan Family Fortress were far inferior to his; it was equally impossible for her to get hold of Intermediate Metal-Attribute Spirit Stones.

As for doing business, that wouldn't work; it would be too flashy.

So he could only cultivate slowly for the time being, and there was no need to stay in this Library Pavilion anymore.

After all, the simulated cultivation task of 【Reading Ten Thousand Volumes】 had already been completed, and he had already finished reading the books, Jade Slips, and notes on the first three floors.

Regarding the current world of cultivation, he had already gained a general understanding of all sorts of matters, both large and small, and the various paths of cultivation.

However, the most important thing right now was to get his hands on Intermediate Metal-Attribute Spirit Stones or other metal-attribute materials.

"Brother Taibai!"

Just as Yan Taibai stood up to retrieve the Intermediate Talisman he had set up, left the Library Pavilion, and headed toward his residence to cultivate as usual, a crisp, melodious voice tinged with a hint of tenderness rang out.

In the entire Yan Family Fortress, the only person who called Yan Taibai "Brother Taibai" was Yan Ruyan, this little fiancée of his.

Hearing the voice, a hint of a smile appeared on Yan Taibai's face; he then left the room and immediately saw Yan Ruyan, who had grown into a lovely, beautiful young girl.

Yan Ruyan was already at the seventh level of Qi Refining; although her cultivation speed was not as fast as Yan Taibai's, it could still be called fast.

"Yan'er, how do you have time to come here? Shouldn't you be cultivating properly?"

Although he said this, Yan Taibai still stepped forward and, as usual, pulled the blushing Yan Ruyan into his arms and walked downstairs.

"Is Brother Taibai not reading anymore?"

Yan Ruyan, who was already used to this, only had a flushed face and did not show much of a young girl's shyness; she was just curious why Yan Taibai had left the Library Pavilion so early.

"No more reading, I've already finished them all. To go any higher, I'll need to wait until after Foundation Establishment. There's no rush now; cultivation is the most important thing."

With the beauty in his arms—though she was a bit small—her softness, warmth, and fragrance still put Yan Taibai in a great mood, and he explained patiently.

"Oh! I heard Sister Yan Yun say that Elder Xuan Ye gave Brother one hundred Intermediate Metal-Attribute Spirit Stones? Does Brother need Spirit Stones to cultivate very much?"

Yan Ruyan asked eagerly, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

Yan Ruyan called Yan Yun "Sister," and Yan Taibai could do nothing about this matter; after all, Yan Yun was not much older than the two of them.

Calling her "Sister" was nothing, really.

"I'm not exactly lacking them, you don't need to worry about it. Just cultivate in the family; if there's anything, I will have Mr. Xuan Ye help."

Yan Taibai explained gently.

Rarely, Yan Ruyan told a lie.

"But I already asked Mother for ten more Intermediate Metal-Attribute Spirit Stones? Does Brother need them?"

After hearing Yan Taibai's words, Yan Ruyan tilted her little head and said in a low voice.

Her tone carried a hint of wanting to be praised for her contribution.

After speaking, she took a "pouch" from her bosom and stuffed it into Yan Taibai's arms, her little face revealing an expectant expression, as if saying, "Praise me quickly."

"Ten Intermediate Metal-Attribute Spirit Stones, you really dared to ask. Did Xueyi not say anything?"

"Xueyi" was Yan Ruyan's mother, a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator of the Yan Family Fortress, possessing an Ice Attribute Heterogeneous Spirit Root, and also the cultivator in the Yan Family Fortress most likely to reach the Golden Core stage; her status was extraordinary.

Yan Ruyan's father also had excellent aptitude, possessing a Dual Attribute Spirit Root and a special constitution; he was also a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator and the one most likely to reach the Golden Core stage.

If not for two cultivators with such excellent aptitude, how could they have given birth to a daughter like Yan Ruyan with a Heavenly Spirit Root?

In the cultivation world, the better the aptitude of the cultivation partners, the better the aptitude of the children they produce will be, and it might even be better—for example, Yan Ruyan, who was born with a Heavenly Spirit Root.

As for someone like Yan Taibai, that belonged to the probability of "winning the lottery."

Of course, he had indeed "won the lottery."

"Mother didn't say anything, she just told me to give the Spirit Stones to you for cultivation. After all, aren't you going to the Yanyue Sect to cultivate soon?"

The smile on Yan Ruyan's little face faded quite a bit, and she lowered her head and said softly.

She could not tell Yan Taibai that she had secretly taken these from her mother's Storage Bag.

"Don't worry, Ruyan, Brother will not be going to the Yanyue Sect to cultivate for the time being."

Before resolving the matter of the "assassination," Yan Taibai did not intend to enter the Yanyue Sect to cultivate, otherwise, he would not be able to calm his mind at all.

Otherwise, he would not have cultivated the White Emperor Golden Emperor Slash so early; he did it to have one more "trump card" that others did not know about.

Although he had succeeded now, he still had to resolve the "assassination" matter early.

If there were no accidents, the other party should be able to sneak into the Yan Family Fortress.

Although the Yan Family Fortress had been strictly guarded over the years because of the relationship between Yan Ruyan and Yan Taibai, it was not completely isolated from the world.

For example, Spirit Stones, materials, various cultivation resources, and daily necessities all needed to be purchased from the outside.

So as long as one was determined and put in the effort, sneaking into the Yan Family Fortress was not a difficult task.

Although this kind of "assassination" would certainly not happen just once, he also needed to teach the other party a lesson; sitting and waiting for death was not his style of doing things.

"Yay!"

Hearing that Yan Taibai was not leaving, Yan Ruyan almost jumped up; she was incredibly happy.

However, the little girl immediately changed her train of thought and spoke again.

"In that case, wouldn't Master still come looking for Brother?"

"We'll see! At worst, I'll just stall for more time. I'll spend more time with my Yan'er."

Yan Taibai teased.

"Mm-mm-mm!"

Hearing this, Yan Ruyan immediately beamed like a flower, her little head nodding repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice.

……

"Is there still no way to sneak into the Library Pavilion?"

In a house in a remote corner of the Yan Family Fortress, an impatient voice rang out.

(End of this chapter)