Chapter 150: Sudden Solitude (Part One)

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Within the Living Soil’s realm, one day was equivalent to a month outside. Yan Shu had spent six years activating all sixteen plots of land within it—equivalent to one or two hundred years in the Living Soil’s own flow of time.

The more ordinary spirit plants and medicinal herbs, having been activated earlier, were already abundant. The rarer varieties, however, many of which took a thousand years to mature, were still no more than tiny seedlings.

Yan Shu went into the Living Soil’s realm, sorted through the spirit plants she had and those that would probably soon be ready for harvest, then informed Xiao Jihan of the results.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Jihan said, “Since the Medicine King ascended, there hasn’t been a single eighth-grade pill. If we want to sell these pills at a high price, we can’t put the rarest ones on the market right from the start. We need to proceed gradually. Besides, we don’t have any of those rare spirit plants at present.”

Yan Shu nodded. The reasoning was easy enough to understand.

It was much like the video games of her previous life. They always began with an initial version, then continued to upgrade and release new versions with richer gameplay, giving players a sense of freshness and anticipation.

Buyers were the same.

If they put the best products on the market at the beginning, the ordinary ones would never fetch a good price.

Yan Shu nodded. “All right, then. Think about which pills you want to refine, and make me a list of the materials you need. I’ll go prepare them.”

Xiao Jihan acknowledged her. “All right.”

While Xiao Jihan busied himself deciding which pills to refine and writing out the list, Yan Shu sat nearby and used her spiritual power to feed the Living Soil, Golden Fur, and the little phoenixes.

The two little phoenixes were still only eggs. They slept all day long and never seemed to wake, even when Yan Shu fed them spiritual power.

She had once asked the Medicine King about it, and he had said it was perfectly normal. They would awaken only when they sensed something.

There was another matter, too: they were phoenixes.

The Medicine King had solemnly told her that no matter what form a phoenix took, it was still a divine beast! Even in the Upper Realm, phoenixes stood alongside the Heavenly Emperor’s clan and the dragons as supreme existences. Therefore, she could not treat the two little ones as spirit pets. She had to regard them as true people.

The Medicine King had also told her, “Don’t assume that cultivators like us are the most exalted beings in the Lower Realm. Once we reach the Upper Realm, we’ll be as ordinary as mortals are down here. Dragons, phoenixes, nine-tailed foxes, qilins, and the like are all far nobler than human cultivators.”

“So while you’re in the Lower Realm, be sure never to offend a Demon King. You have no idea whether they might have powerful backing after ascending to the Upper Realm!”

Yan Shu nodded repeatedly. “Don’t worry, Master. If I see a Demon King, I’ll worship him like an ancestor!”

The Medicine King: “…”

That was hardly necessary!

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The Medicine King explained, “After all, dragons, phoenixes, qilins, nine-tailed foxes, and the like exist only in the Upper Realm, and their bloodlines are noble. After a Demon King ascends, it merely means that, because of his bloodline, he has a distant connection to them and receives a little special care.”

Yan Shu indicated that she understood. From then on, she treated the two little ones with even greater caution.

After feeding the two little phoenixes, she fed the Living Soil and Golden Fur as well. With three such enormous consumers of spiritual energy, Yan Shu felt that her cultivation was progressing noticeably more slowly.

Still, it did not matter. She had never demanded much of herself in cultivation. Her goal had always been to work hard to raise the male lead’s affection for her, send the powerful male lead happily ascending, and then become a carefree slacker, enjoying her peaceful little life.

Her affection score had already passed the halfway mark, and the male lead treated her exceptionally well. Yan Shu was extremely satisfied with the current situation. If she had not needed to support those three spiritual-energy gluttons, she might even have lain down and done nothing at all.

By the time she had finished feeding the three gluttons, Xiao Jihan had completed his list as well.

Yan Shu took the list into the Living Soil’s realm and began gathering the materials.

She did not know how they would deal with the few eighth-grade pills in her senior brother’s possession, but the pills Xiao Jihan was about to refine could not be handled carelessly.

The Demon King was also an important figure in the plot, and could be considered an aid to the male lead.

She had altered the story and preserved both herself and the Profound Heaven Sect. Moreover, her Third Senior Brother had received Xiao Jihan’s guidance and would surely achieve something in alchemy in the future.

She had already taken so much advantage of Xiao Jihan. She absolutely could not allow him to lose what should rightfully have belonged to him.

Thus, Yan Shu prepared everything on the list with exceptional care. She selected not only the spirit plants with the longest ages and most abundant spiritual power, but also those in the finest condition.

Once the spirit plants and medicinal materials were ready, Xiao Jihan went into the neighboring room, set up a barrier, and began refining pills with complete concentration.

The two of them had grown accustomed to being inseparable. Suddenly finding herself alone, with no one to speak to or accompany her, Yan Shu was overwhelmed by loneliness.

She went out to stroll through the streets, but whenever she saw something novel, there was no one with whom she could share it.

Even when she went out to eat something delicious, her appetite noticeably diminished because she was alone.

Cultivators did not need to eat mortal food in the first place. She only went out to sample things for the novelty of it. Yet although the novelty remained, the pleasure was reduced by more than half without anyone beside her to share it with.

Yan Shu was somewhat surprised that she could actually feel lonely. After thinking it over, she decided it must be because this world had neither the internet nor mobile phones.

After wandering aimlessly outside for half a day, she returned to the inn, soaked in a bath, and began cultivating.

Once she entered meditation, the days passed extraordinarily quickly. In the blink of an eye, six days had gone by. Tonight was the night the black market and the Myriad Treasures Pavilion would open.

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As though he had calculated the timing precisely, Xiao Jihan opened the pill furnace and collected the pills early that morning.

Sensing the disturbance, Yan Shu hurried over and asked expectantly, “How did it go? Did you succeed?”

At her words, the corners of Xiao Jihan’s lips lifted. He placed the pills into a bottle, then came to her side. Lowering his head slightly, he looked down at her and handed over the pills he had refined.

“They’re finished. Six eighth-grade Foundation-Building Pills.”

Yan Shu took the porcelain bottle and looked inside. Several pitch-black pills, shimmering with flowing light, lay quietly within.

She handed the bottle back, her eyes shining as she looked at him. “You’re getting better and better! You can refine six eighth-grade pills in a single batch now, and it takes less and less time!”

At Medicine King Valley, Xiao Jihan had spent more than ten days refining his first eighth-grade pill, and had produced only one. Now he had refined six eighth-grade pills in six days. It was truly a remarkable improvement.

Her eyes were filled with delight and admiration. Xiao Jihan curled his lips, pretending to be indifferent. “They’re only simple Foundation-Building Pills. Naturally, they’re much easier to refine.”

“That’s still amazing!” Yan Shu gave him a thumbs-up and praised him with complete sincerity. “You’re awesome!”

Had someone else received such an expression and tone, as though they were being praised like a child, they would probably have felt helpless. Xiao Jihan, however, did not. He merely found the woman before him playful and adorable, and felt a warm glow spread through his heart.

His smile became more pronounced as he looked at her and asked gently, “What have you been doing these past few days?”

“What else could I do?”

Yan Shu sighed and pouted. “You weren’t here, and I was so bored all by myself. No one accompanied me shopping, and no one accompanied me when I ate. Lonely, helpless, and pitiful—that’s me in a nutshell.”

At her words, Xiao Jihan’s phoenix eyes immediately filled with tender warmth. He reached out and stroked the crown of her head, saying softly, “Come on. Let’s go eat.”

Affection: 63 (Fondness)

Affection: 64 (Fondness)

Yan Shu smiled until her eyes curved into crescents. “Let’s go!”

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