Chapter 133: From a Commanding Height

Chapter 133: Chapter 133: From a Commanding Height

Chen Yue did not answer immediately.

He lowered his gaze, carefully reviewing everything his master had just explained from beginning to end in his mind.

The Soaring Void Nine Transitions was indeed far more profound than the Vertical Cloud Thousand Layer Step. The methods of circulating Qi Force, the rhythm of transitioning between steps—many aspects required repeated contemplation.

Chen Yue mentally counted three or four points of difficulty that he couldn’t fully grasp just yet.

But he wasn’t in a hurry to ask questions. Some problems couldn’t be solved just by having someone explain them.

The understanding of the remaining subtleties would come gradually through repeated practice, allowing him to find the right feeling in the actual movement of his body and breath.

Thinking of this, Chen Yue looked up. "There are many parts I need to go back and mull over carefully. For now, I don’t have any questions."

Meng Yu Jin studied Chen Yue’s expression and nodded slightly.

She had met countless people and could naturally tell that Chen Yue wasn’t just being perfunctory.

There was something precious in this disciple’s eyes. Not the frivolous arrogance that often came with genius, but a steady confidence. He knew what he was capable of and was honest about what he could not yet do.

Meng Yu Jin flipped her right hand over, and a thin Secret Manual materialized in her palm.

She offered the Secret Manual to Chen Yue, her tone earnest.

"Even I must take out this technique from time to time to study it. The more one practices Body Techniques, the more bottomless they seem. Every time you reread it, you will gain new insights. If there’s anything you don’t understand, don’t be hasty. You can come find me anytime."

Chen Yue stepped forward and respectfully accepted the Secret Manual with both hands. "Thank you, Master!"

A moment later, Chen Yue rose to take his leave.

He still had to go to Dan Peak for Alchemy today. It was his unshakable daily routine for accumulating Contribution Points.

Chen Yue walked briskly away along the small bluestone path outside the courtyard. His figure gradually vanished into the pine forest on the mountain, leaving only the fading sound of his footsteps on the stone slabs.

Meng Yu Jin stood under the eaves until the corner of his bluish-gray robe disappeared completely around the bend in the mountain path. She didn’t speak, merely standing there quietly as the mountain wind caused her own robes to billow and snap.

Liu Wenying also stood by her side, likewise gazing in the direction Chen Yue had disappeared.

She was silent for a long while before suddenly speaking. "Master, I finally understand how you felt a couple of days ago when you had me investigate our junior brother’s background."

Meng Yu Jin tilted her head slightly and glanced at her.

Liu Wenying didn’t look at her master, her gaze still fixed on the empty mountain path. "This kind of talent... It’s both exciting and worrying."

Meng Yu Jin, who had been silent, was taken aback by Liu Wenying’s words. An expression of exasperated amusement then appeared on her face.

"So now you’re considering my feelings?"

Her tone was a mix of resignation and amusement. "What about your own cultivation? Seeing Chen Yue’s rate of progress, shouldn’t you be all the more motivated to catch up?"

Liu Wenying instinctively lifted her chin, but the posture lasted for less than a breath before the image of Chen Yue executing the Body Technique surfaced in her mind.

Her chin dropped, and her shoulders slumped.

"Master,"

Liu Wenying said with a pained expression, her voice filled with genuine helplessness, "It’s not that I don’t want to chase him, but..."

She paused, racking her brain for the right words, before finally throwing up her hands. "A genius like that is just infuriating! He doesn’t give an ordinary person like me any chance to catch up at all!"

Looking at Liu Wenying’s dejected state, Meng Yu Jin shook her head gently and patted her on the shoulder. "Go practice."

...

Chen Yue hurried down the mountain path, then climbed another set of stairs up to the Hundred Herbs Pavilion on Dan Peak.

In just over an hour, Chen Yue had refined three consecutive batches.

By the third batch, his condition was clearly much better. The moment he opened the Pill Furnace, Chen Yue’s eyes lit up.

This batch yielded two pills, both of good quality; one was so particularly round and full it could almost be considered Upper Grade.

From his total yield of four Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills, Chen Yue kept one for himself and had Dan Peak reclaim the other three.

After deducting the nine Contribution Points needed for the medicinal ingredients and spending another six on two Bone Marrow Cleansing and Body Refining Pills, he had netted three Contribution Points for the day.

Refining three batches of Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills daily, after subtracting the cost of ingredients and the pills he kept for himself, only yielded a handful of Contribution Points.

At this rate of accumulation, it would take ages to save up enough to exchange for a higher-level Cultivation Technique, Elixir, or Spirit Soldier.

But Chen Yue wasn’t anxious. He knew that Alchemy was a process where accumulation sped up significantly over time.

The more he personally refined the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill, the more his proficiency with this Pill Formula grew, the improvement plain to see.

At his current rate of improvement, it would probably only take another ten days or so for his mastery of the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill to approach the stage of Great Success.

By then, consistently producing two pills per batch would no longer be a dream; he might even occasionally get a lucky yield of three.

At that point, his daily earnings in Contribution Points would double.

And once they doubled, he would have more leeway to do other things, like exchanging for more advanced Pill Formulas or purchasing better cultivation resources.

Chen Yue left the Hundred Herbs Pavilion and paused for a moment on the stone steps of Dan Peak.

The mountain breeze carried the clean, bitter scent of elixirs. He got his bearings, and instead of heading back to his courtyard the way he came, he turned onto a different path.

At the end of that path stood a grayish-white stone building. A massive plaque hung above the entrance, on which were inscribed three large words, carved with powerful, deep strokes: Hidden Skills Pavilion.

Chen Yue was going to exchange for a Pill Formula: the Nourishing Spirit Pill.

The Contribution Points gained from each Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill were already quite high, but it was still less than what a Nourishing Spirit Pill was worth.

A single Nourishing Spirit Pill could be reclaimed by Dan Peak for a full fifteen Contribution Points. Of course, the ingredients weren’t cheap either, costing eight points per set.

If he could refine the Nourishing Spirit Pill and produce two or more pills per batch, his efficiency at earning Contribution Points would increase dramatically.

Chen Yue climbed the stone steps before the Hidden Skills Pavilion and stepped inside.

The main hall on the first floor of the Hidden Skills Pavilion was extremely spacious, large enough to accommodate several hundred people at once.

A high dome arched overhead, painted with an ancient star chart. Though faded and mottled with age, the fine detail of the original work was still discernible.

Dozens of tall wooden shelves stood in the hall. Disciples stood before each row, browsing. The hall was bustling with people but not noisy, filled only with the rustle of turning pages and occasional whispers.

The disciples coming and going were mostly at the Marrow Refining Realm. Occasionally, one could spot more powerful figures—Inner Sect Disciples at the Refining Organ Realm.

They tended to come and go alone, their steps unhurried. Even in a crowd, they were instantly recognizable.

The gap between the Refining Organ Realm and the Marrow Refining Realm was like the difference between a hill and a great mountain. Though both were mountains, the weight and pressure they exuded were on completely different levels.

Chen Yue retracted his gaze, passed between several rows of shelves, and walked toward the back of the hall.

He was familiar with the layout of the Hidden Skills Pavilion, having been here once before. He knew the On-Duty Disciples’ counter was at the very back.

The counter was a long, wide desk made of pearwood. Three On-Duty Disciples sat behind it, handling matters such as Cultivation Technique exchanges.

Chen Yue walked up to the On-Duty Disciple on the far left, stopped, and took out his Waist Token, offering it with both hands.

"Senior Brother,"

Chen Yue’s voice wasn’t loud. "I’d like to exchange for the Pill Formula for the Nourishing Spirit Pill."

The On-Duty Disciple was a handsome young man in his early twenties, dressed in the distinctive blue Changshan of the Hidden Skills Pavilion.

He took the Waist Token from Chen Yue and glanced down at it casually. He was about to ask the standard questions when his gaze suddenly froze.

His eyes darted between the Waist Token and Chen Yue’s face twice. The corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously into a slight arc, forming an expression that said, ’So it’s you.’

He recognized Chen Yue.

Lately, that name had been popping up far too frequently throughout the entire Panshi Sect.

"So it’s Junior Brother Chen,"

The On-Duty Disciple’s tone became a little more polite. He placed the Waist Token on the desk and opened a thick register. "The Pill Formula for the Nourishing Spirit Pill costs ten Contribution Points to exchange."

This matched the information he had previously gathered, so Chen Yue nodded. "Alright."

Seeing that Chen Yue had no objections, the On-Duty Disciple quickly wrote a few lines in the register, then picked up Chen Yue’s Waist Token and pressed it gently against a grayish-blue Jade Plate.

A string of numbers appeared on the Jade Plate and then changed rapidly. Ten Contribution Points were deducted, and the remaining number flickered a few times before settling.

"One moment."

The On-Duty Disciple set the Waist Token on the edge of the counter, rose from his seat, and walked toward a row of locked wooden cabinets behind him.

He took a string of keys from his waist, found the right one, and opened a cabinet. After rummaging inside for a moment, he pulled out a paper scroll tied with a thin hemp rope.

Chen Yue stood quietly at the counter, his gaze casually sweeping across the hall.

"You’re Chen Yue?"

Just then, a voice rang out from his side, laced with condescending arrogance.

Chen Yue’s brow twitched slightly. He turned his head and saw a person standing three steps away, arms crossed, staring at him with a scrutinizing gaze.

The man wore a fine black martial arts uniform. His waist was cinched with a belt woven from silver thread, from which hung a Jade Pendant of excellent quality.

But his face was cold and severe, giving off a sinister feeling.

But what truly made Chen Yue’s heart skip a beat was the aura this person emitted.

Refining Organ Realm!

Yet Chen Yue’s expression remained unchanged. He met the man’s gaze calmly and gave a slight nod. "And how should I address this Senior Brother?"

The man’s lips curled slightly into a meaningful smile.

His gaze roamed over Chen Yue for a moment before he spoke slowly, his voice tinged with a casual arrogance.

"My name is Lin Junshi," he paused, the curve of his lips widening. "From the Mutual Aid Association."

The name was spoken casually, but the weight of the three words "Mutual Aid Association" was self-evident in the current context.

Lin Junshi was clearly aware of this, which was why he stared intently at Chen Yue’s face as he spoke, trying to catch even the slightest change in his expression.