Chapter 156: March 12th

Ruan Xing felt a bit disappointed at once.

To her, a storage ring was currently a luxury item; it hadn't reached the point of being absolutely necessary.

"There's no rush for this; if we are fated to meet again next time, we shall discuss it then," Ruan Xing said.

At this moment, the stage had already reached the final auction item.

"The cultivation technique 'Heartless Art' from the Heavenly Sword Sect, a cultivation technique spanning from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Nascent Soul stage. The starting bid is ten thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones."

For a moment, there was silence, followed slowly by whispers. As the first Cultivator began to bid, the hall became lively once again.

Ruan Xing could not help but feel secretly startled. When she had first stepped into the world of Cultivation, she had also thought about not joining any Sect and purchasing a technique to study.

But at that time, she didn't have many Spirit Stones, and Wanbao Tower and the Cultivator markets had almost never sold suitable techniques.

Now that she already had the Tongxuan Scripture up to the Nascent Soul stage, there was no need to bid for this technique.

However, this technique was truly expensive!

Ruan Xing couldn't help but sigh; in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the price had already reached fifty thousand! Hearing Ruan Xing's exclamation, the man beside her was indifferent, "Although it lacks the subsequent techniques for the Nascent Soul stage, this first part alone is attractive enough. If one were to obtain it, one could completely establish a Sect in the other four provinces. Most small Sects have leaders who are only at the Golden Core stage."

Indeed, some small Sects in Nanzhou that Ruan Xing knew of had the Golden Core stage as their primary combat strength. If some Cultivation families with the intention of establishing their own Sect missed this opportunity, they wouldn't know how long they would have to wait to encounter a publicly sold technique again.

"However, which small Sect is this Heavenly Sword Sect? It has so little prestige that it can even have its own techniques auctioned off," Ruan Xing shook her head and said.

"Oh?" The man was surprised, "The Heavenly Sword Sect was destroyed by the Xuanbing Sect over forty years ago for harboring a Demon Cultivator. Does the Fairy not know?"

Ruan Xing was stunned for a moment. She had only felt the name Heavenly Sword Sect sounded familiar and assumed it was an existing Sect; she hadn't expected it to have been destroyed over forty years ago. She smiled awkwardly, "I have not heard of it."

The man expressed understanding, "Observing that the Fairy is still young, perhaps the Fairy had not yet been born when that event occurred."

The "Heartless Art" was eventually won by a guest in a private box for eighty thousand Spirit Stones.

The auction ended, and numerous attendants stepped forward to lead the various Cultivators away from the top floor of Wanbao Tower through different passages.

Ruan Xing said her goodbyes and left with an attendant, while the man sat upright in his original seat, nodding slightly to signal.

After the people in the venue had mostly left, the man exited through one of the passages and arrived at a room on another floor.

An attendant stepped forward, "Third Floor Master, what do you think?"

"Barely qualified," the man sighed and rubbed his brow, "The most important thing is that she had no reaction when hearing about the Heavenly Sword Sect, and hadn't even heard of its destruction. She shouldn't be from any noble family."

"That certainly meets the requirements of the Second Floor Master," the attendant smiled.

"It's just that I don't think she will necessarily be willing," the man shook his head.

"Why? If she is just a Loose Cultivator or an ordinary disciple of some Sect, being able to enter Wanbao Tower to be sponsored and cultivated is a good thing that other Cultivators would beg for!" the attendant exclaimed.

Since the other party was not a disciple of a noble family, he could not think of a reason why she would refuse.

The man remained silent and did not answer.

Originally, he had only seen that the other party could produce a Third-Tier Pill and talismans, and wanted to see if she was truly an alchemist or if she was falsely using someone else's pills to pose as one.

Such a young Third-Tier Alchemist had limitless talent in the Dao of Alchemy. If she could be cultivated by Wanbao Tower, she would be another trump card in the building within a hundred years.

But the other party actually wanted a Fifth-Tier Pill formula... He couldn't quite figure out whether the female Cultivator needed it herself, or if there was an expert elder behind her who needed it.

If she needed it herself, such a young Fifth-Tier Alchemist would be too heaven-defying; he had never heard of such a thing since ancient times.

If an elder behind her needed it, then she was already being cultivated by a master and would be even less likely to choose to cooperate with Wanbao Tower.

"Forget it, let's see if she comes when the time comes. If she truly has a master, she will know that the exchange meeting is used by Wanbao Tower to recruit talent, and she won't come then," the man leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Looking at the box presented by the attendant, Ruan Xing was confused.

Seeing that she did not take it, the attendant smiled: "This is a gift from Wanbao Tower for you, as well as an invitation to the exchange meeting. Every alchemist who has cooperated with Wanbao Tower has one; you can rest assured and accept it."

"What is the exchange meeting for?" Ruan Xing took the box and opened it directly; inside was an exquisite wooden tablet and a white five-petaled flower.

She sniffed it lightly; the petals had a faint trace of Spirit Qi and a fresh fragrance, so she understood that this was an ingredient for the Clear Heart Pill.

Its value was not high, but wearing it had the effect of refreshing the mind and ears, so those who did not practice alchemy could also wear it as a sachet.

"It is an alchemist exchange meeting hosted by Wanbao Tower. As you know, there are many alchemists who have had cooperative relationships with Wanbao Tower every year, so Wanbao Tower holds exchange meetings to let everyone share experiences and progress together. There will also be a competition at that time, with live alchemy. Wanbao Tower will buy all the pills refined at market price, and the materials will be provided by Wanbao Tower. Those who rank in the top three in the scoring can also receive additional rewards prepared by Wanbao Tower," the attendant smiled and introduced.

Wanbao Tower provides materials for people to refine pills, and buys them back at market price after they are finished? Not to mention the rewards, this alone was quite tempting. If she refined a batch of higher-value pills, such as the Breaking Boundary Pill, and got five or six pills per batch, wouldn't she earn five or six thousand Spirit Stones for nothing? This was a good opportunity to earn extra money! Ruan Xing looked at the information on the wooden tablet, which stated that the exchange meeting would be held in the spring of next year, March 12th.

It would be more than half a year before it started.

If she had time then, she would not miss out on this extra income of several thousand Spirit Stones.

Having received such good news, Ruan Xing walked out of Wanbao Tower in a good mood.

There was nothing left to do in Central Province, and she was not in a hurry. She checked out of the quiet room, left the city gate, summoned the Shuttle Spirit Boat, and flew all the way toward Xizhou.

Without using the Teleportation Array, she flew for three or four days without sleep or rest to cover the distance of five or six thousand kilometers.

Although she saved two thousand Spirit Stones, she also consumed Spiritual Power and exercised her body; it was not a loss.

Not long after arriving in Xizhou, she sent a message to Qintai He, asking him to come out to meet her.

Removing the Illusion Technique she had cast on herself, Ruan Xing paused for a moment at the entrance of the Teleportation Array station, and then waited for Qintai He.

After not seeing him for a few months, his mental state was fine; it seemed he had not suffered any suppression or grievances in the Qintai Family. Seeing Ruan Xing, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, but then he unconsciously pursed them downward, as if suppressing his joyful mood.

However, there seemed to be another aura beside him.

"How long has it been, and you've returned so quickly? Do you feel that it's hard to get by outside? It's best to stay in Xizhou and cultivate with me," Qintai He said.

"Yes, I couldn't make it out there, so I came back to rely on you," Ruan Xing smiled, "Is Cang Lin following you?" Qintai He's eyes revealed a trace of surprise, "You can sense it? It seems your cultivation has improved again."

He probed with his Divine Sense to feel the Spiritual Power on Ruan Xing, and discovered that she was already at the Golden Core Mid-stage, feeling a bit envious at once.

When he met Ruan Xing half a year ago, he was at the Golden Core early stage and Ruan Xing was at Foundation Establishment Perfection. Now he was still at the Golden Core early stage, but Ruan Xing was already at the Golden Core Mid-stage.

Qintai He couldn't help but sigh: "Truly a monster!"

When Ruan Xing left Xizhou, she was also at the Golden Core Mid-stage, but at that time she had just undergone the tribulation, so she hid her cultivation and didn't let Qintai He see it.

At that time, she couldn't feel whether Cang Lin was by her side or not.

But this time she felt it; on Qintai He's body, there seemed to be a faint line connected to Cang Lin, who was in the dark.

This change should also be related to the last upgrade of the Simulator.

"That's because my luck is like a rainbow, and I have had fortuitous encounters," Ruan Xing joked with a hint of pride.

Qintai He brought her back into the clan, to the same set of interconnected courtyards as last time, but there were already many changes within them.

"After Grandmother passed away, I sealed off the area around the rear rooms. I don't like noise, nor do I want too many mortals here, so I had them all leave. Now, only two cooks with cultivation and a Maid who maintains the garden and house arrays remain," Qintai He explained.

All mortals had been dismissed, and the remaining few with low cultivation would not appear before him.

The places where those second grandmothers and Qintai Mo originally lived had also been altered by him, leaving only a flower hall for dining.

"Why are you still so unsociable after coming home? Haven't you gotten to know any of the cousins around your age?" Ruan Xing asked.

Qintai He paused, "I'm used to it."

Other people in the clan grew up together and were familiar with each other; he was never good at interacting with people, and he wanted even less to force himself into others' circles.

Ruan Xing then changed the subject, "However, I have good news to tell you."

"Great, I'll welcome you back first and have the kitchen prepare a table of dishes," Qintai He said happily.

"You've certainly adapted to local customs in this regard; you've grown fond of eating."

Qintai He said embarrassedly, "I didn't want to eat before either... It was Cang Lin who kept urging me. Here in Xizhou, the clan eats Spirit Food every day. Although the Spirit Qi obtained from food is little, it accumulates over time and is much more beneficial than other cultivators. I broke through to the Golden Core stage three or four years ago, and recently I've had a premonition that I should be able to break through to the Golden Core Mid-stage before the end of the year."

"Then I wish you success in advance," Ruan Xing smiled, "By the way, there is one thing I have always been quite puzzled about."

She lowered her voice and asked, "Most of the Clan Leader and Elders in the clan are also at the Spirit Severing and Nascent Soul stages. Why is it that although Cang Lin is at the Nascent Soul stage, he still has no status in the Qintai Family?"

"This..." Qintai He was somewhat troubled.

Seeing this, Ruan Xing quickly said, "If it is a secret of the Qintai Family, I won't ask."

"There is nothing that cannot be said. Most other families are like this, it's just that the Young Master considers my face," Cang Lin suddenly appeared, standing at Qintai He's side, and explained for Qintai He: "The family's cultivation technique inheritance is based on bloodline, but I am not a descendant of the Qintai Family. If I want to practice the technique, I can only sign a Contract and borrow the master's bloodline to practice. The protectors of the various young masters and misses in the clan, as well as the servants with cultivation in the manor, are all like this."

"When I became a protector, I used the Old Master's blood, so I can only be inherited by the descendants of the Old Master's lineage. If this lineage dies out, the cultivation within me will also dissipate rapidly. I cannot even switch to another cultivation technique because, strictly speaking, the Spiritual Power of the technique I practice is not mine, but borrowed," Cang Lin said very calmly.

Therefore, when he chose to stand on Qintai He's side at that time, he was also taking a huge risk. If Qintai He did not accept him, he would not be able to leave the Qintai Family and could only be assigned elsewhere. Without the master's trust, he would die along with the end of Qintai He's lineage.

Presumably, the shackles of the Contract upon him were also very numerous; once violated, the consequences would be severe. Even though he had reached the Nascent Soul stage, in Qintai Mo's heart, he was still a servant who could be insulted at will.

"So that's how it is," Ruan Xing sighed.

Becoming a cultivator yet having no freedom is truly hard to accept.

"I was also surprised when I first found out. Although the Contract cannot be lifted, here with me, I will not treat Cang Lin as a servant," Qintai He said.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this. You should listen to the good news," Ruan Xing shook her head and continued, "This time in the Central Province, I didn't hear any news about us two being traitors to the Xuanbing Sect. The Peak Master has already found a way to resolve the mission regarding the space-time rift and has preserved our status as disciples."

"Really?" Qintai He was somewhat pleasantly surprised, but then he lowered his head in dejection, "Master... I owe Master too much."

The style and thoughts of Qinghong Zhenjun were something Ruan Xing could not fathom at all; she was a person who was just too complicated.

But at least this time, without Qinghong Zhenjun's help, she might have wasted a lot of time and points in the Simulation finding the right route, instead of succeeding in obtaining the key after one Real-scene Simulation.

Given that Qinghong Zhenjun helped her this time, she would not hold a grudge for the times she killed her in the Simulation before.

Right, the key.

Ruan Xing rummaged through her Storage Bag and took out an ice-blue key and a Jade Slip.

"Returning the key to you, and this, it is the Nascent Soul stage cultivation technique of the Tongxuan Scripture. You haven't switched to another technique yet, right?" Ruan Xing said.

Qintai He shook his head, "No, I really didn't want to practice the Qintai Family's technique, so I kept hesitating. Now it's fine. I didn't expect you to really be able to get the technique. It must have been very difficult, right?"

Qintai He was happy at first, but as he spoke, he suddenly realized how difficult it was to obtain the Nascent Soul stage technique of the Xuanbing Sect, and his expression became worried.

"Hmm..." Ruan Xing looked up at the sky and rubbed her chin, "Just consider it something I obtained from that fortuitous encounter."

Qintai He said seriously, "If Master has preserved our status for us, then we can return to the sect when we are about to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. It is best not to practice the technique privately, otherwise, it will bring you great trouble."

But the Junior Sister was still a young girl; she might not have thought that much, only that after going through all kinds of hardships to get the technique, she realized Master had not abandoned them at all... Qintai He's gaze softened a little, "The three of us must keep this matter a secret. Master's kindness can be repaid in other ways in the future, but if Junior Sister really gets the charge of a traitor because of the technique, that would be my sin."

Originally, as long as Junior Sister practiced step by step, with her aptitude and ability, she would definitely be able to receive the sect's cultivation; the Nascent Soul stage technique would not be a difficulty at all. Now, because she got involved in his affairs... Qintai He thought about it and felt even more guilty.

Ruan Xing was somewhat dazed, "Eh..."

She couldn't keep up with Qintai He's train of thought. Since Qintai He didn't want her to practice the Nascent Soul stage technique, she would just hide it from him. Anyway, she had the Mask Artifact and could conceal her cultivation.

So after a moment of silence, she looked up, "Brother... give me some money."

Qintai He:... He had almost forgotten that he had acknowledged Ruan Xing as his younger sister.

Thanks to Xiao Miao'er for the monthly ticket~ (End of this chapter)