No… among the younger generation of the Xiao family in Medicine King City, his talent was actually considered outstanding. Otherwise, his grandfather would never have accepted him as a personal disciple. None of the other uncles, aunts, or siblings had such qualifications, because they couldn’t even catch their master’s eye.
Xiao Jingwen felt as if the whole world had turned gray.
This duel wasn’t even over yet, but just from the fact that Nan Sinning had triggered pill advancement, she had already surpassed him by too much!
He remembered how arrogantly he had bragged earlier, saying Nan Sinning didn’t even know how to refine pills—how could she compare to him? And now reality had slapped him in the face so quickly. Too miserable!
No wonder even his senior brother sided with Nan Sinning. Even if their master were here, he too would treat a monster like her with kindness and extra care. Who wouldn’t like a heaven-blessed genius? Wuwuwu…
Hugging his own pill bottle, Xiao Jingwen felt small, pitiful, and helpless…
At that moment, the previously calm black mist began to surge violently.
Before long, Shen Tangyuan’s figure appeared. Before the Sword Peak disciples could ask questions, he quickly said, “Junior Sister Nan is still doing well. She will soon complete the step of comprehension and then regain consciousness.”
Everyone sighed in relief together and quickly thanked him.
Shen Tangyuan waved his hand lightly. The drifting black mist gradually returned into the array plate, though the ancient plate still glowed faintly, showing it was still active.
With the mist gone, Nan Sinning’s figure reappeared before everyone’s eyes.
But she looked pale, swaying slightly as if barely holding on.
Shen Tangyuan stopped those who wanted to rush forward. “This step must be completed by her alone. No one else can help.”
Her senior brothers and sisters from Sword Peak looked at her with worry and tenderness. Their little junior sister had suffered so much!
Shen Tangyuan kept his eyes on her, observing her condition.
At this point, the key steps were already finished. The remaining seals and hand gestures were just simple closing moves.
But Nan Sinning didn’t look well. Her hands trembled as she formed seals, almost refusing to obey her.
“This opportunity did indeed come too early. After swallowing the Blazing Heart Soul-Nourishing Fruit, she never rested properly to refine it. Even though her soul had been mended and her divine sense replenished, it’s still unstable. Now, with the huge consumption from pill advancement, both her soul and divine sense are overburdened.” Shen Tangyuan spoke with regret.
Hearing this, Qin Sangyue and the others looked guilty. “It’s our fault for being so useless, forcing our junior sister to run around.”
Even Xiao Jingwen, though struck hard by Nan Sinning’s talent, couldn’t bear to see her struggling. He asked Shen Tangyuan, “Senior Brother, what should we do?”
Soul and divine sense injuries were the most troublesome. Physical wounds were manageable, but mental ones were invisible, elusive, and hardest to heal.
For once, even Shen Tangyuan looked troubled. “She is only suffering because her divine sense and soul are exhausted. Only treasures that can nourish the soul can help her.”
Ordinary artifacts were easy to find, but soul-related treasures were rare. Even Shen Tangyuan, after searching his storage ring twice, found nothing suitable.
Suddenly, Xiao Jingwen pulled out a round pearl and handed it over. “Senior Brother, can this Soul-Nourishing Pearl help?”
Shen Tangyuan’s eyes widened. “A Soul-Nourishing Pearl? Where did you get this?”
Xiao Jingwen scratched his head awkwardly. “I don’t quite remember. Maybe it was a reward from Master, or I picked it up elsewhere.”
When he revealed it, Luo Qingyao’s attention was instantly caught. Xiao Jingwen actually had such a treasure?! And he had hidden it from her? He’d always sworn he would give her the most precious things in the world, but he’d lied!
She glared at him fiercely. Men really couldn’t be trusted!
Xiao Jingwen felt a chill on his back, as though murderous intent was aimed at him.
Shen Tangyuan let out a relieved breath. “The heavens never shut every door. This will indeed help Junior Sister Nan.”
With a flick of his finger, the clear glass-like pearl flew to hover above Nan Sinning’s head.
Soon, she seemed revitalized. Her hand seals became faster and smoother.
Before long, rich medicinal fragrance drifted from her furnace.
Shen Tangyuan deliberately opened a vent in the array so the scent could spread.
Everyone inhaled and immediately felt clear-headed and refreshed.
“This… this scent is amazing! So fragrant! I’ve only smelled it in pills refined by Senior Brother!”
“And by Master!”
“Heavens, what grade of pill is this? How can it have such a divine scent?”
“Smells like a Body-Cleansing Pill!”
“No, no, Body-Cleansing Pills don’t smell like this. This is deeper, with more layers!”
“Could it be an Enlightenment Pill? It does smell a bit like it…”
…
Listening to his juniors guessing wildly, none correct, Shen Tangyuan’s anger simmered. These lazy things! Once back in Medicine King City, he’d have to tighten their training and homework!
Soon after, Nan Sinning slowly opened her eyes. She still seemed dazed, like waking from a dream.
Her gaze fell on the furnace before her, gradually focusing, as though remembering what she had been doing.
She paused. Who would’ve thought refining a pill could give such a feeling of time flowing like the rise and fall of worlds? Truly mysterious!
Inside the furnace, light flickered faintly. She knew her pill was done.
She reached out to lift the lid, but the moment she touched it, the furnace gave a brittle crack and collapsed.
Startled, she looked on as a round pill, glowing faintly yellow, rose gently from the ruins like the rising sun.
Everyone’s eyes were drawn to that pill, entranced by its warm golden glow. It was beautiful beyond words.
Nan Sinning stared at it for a long time before extending her hand. The pill floated down into her palm, smooth and warm, like a freshly boiled, shelled egg.
Shen Tangyuan timely handed her a higher-grade jade bottle. She placed the pill inside.
When the pill disappeared, the crowd sighed together, as though they had just missed something precious.
Nan Sinning sealed the bottle and handed it to Shen Tangyuan. “Senior Brother Shen, this is the Breakthrough Pill I refined in the second round. Please judge it.”
He took it and, though he had smelled its fragrance and seen its light, still went through the proper steps—observing, smelling, examining, probing—before declaring: “This Breakthrough Pill was originally a third-grade pill. But after advancement, it has reached fourth-grade. Its fragrance is rich and pure, its color gentle, its form perfect, its potency vigorous—this is a transcendent Breakthrough Pill!”
His words rang clearly through the hall.
“Wah—!” The disciples erupted in loud uproar, shocked and thrilled.
“Successful pill advancement! I actually witnessed it!”
“We underestimated Junior Sister. She really pulled it off!”
“And it’s a Breakthrough Pill! One of the hardest third-grade pills! She made it transcendent!”
“Wuwuwu… why am I crying? I can’t even refine a second-grade pill!” one disciple sobbed.
Another patted her shoulder. “Normal. That’s what it feels like to witness a miracle.”
“Senior Brother, are you crying because you’re moved too?”
“No, it’s because I bet all my savings on Fifth Brother winning… wuwuwu…”
“Ah… hic?”
The hall buzzed with excitement.
But Luo Qingyao felt nothing but icy despair. Nan Sinning had really succeeded! That warm golden glow felt piercingly sharp to her, like it was stabbing her heart.
She stared blankly at the celebrating crowd. She could see their joy but couldn’t feel any of it, as though a veil separated her from the world. She felt out of place, her rage, grief, and resentment invisible to all.
Her gaze fell on Xiao Jingwen. He was smiling too, listening to his senior brother speak with Sword Peak’s people.
The man who had always orbited around her, devoting all his attention to her, had now thrown her aside to share joy with her most hated rival!
She wanted to scream out her fury, but forced it down.
Unseen, wisps of black qi seeped from her dantian, drifting as if searching for a host.
With heavy steps, Luo Qingyao tried to leave the noisy hall to find some quiet to calm down. But when she reached the doors, she found a barrier had been set—no one could leave.
Her heart sank. A bad premonition rose.
At the center of the hall, Shen Tangyuan confirmed Nan Sinning’s pill was a transcendent Breakthrough Pill.
Xiao Jingwen gave a sheepish smile. “The outcome is obvious now. There’s no need to check my pills, right?”
Shen Tangyuan didn’t bother with words. With a flick, the bottle of Clear Heart Pills flew from Xiao Jingwen’s chest into his hand.
Xiao Jingwen winced. He had forgotten to put them into his storage ring after taking out the Soul-Nourishing Pearl, leaving them in his robe. Now he had trapped himself.
Shen Tangyuan followed procedure, evaluating them. “Middle-grade, with some impurities, though still effective.”
Xiao Jingwen hung his head, wishing the humiliation would end quickly. So many juniors watching… ugh… maybe it was best to go into seclusion afterward!
All the confidence he’d had before the duel was now nothing but shame and regret.
Returning the pills, Shen Tangyuan didn’t scold him. He only said, “Go back and carefully study Junior Sister Nan’s Spirit-Restoring Pill. Write a detailed analysis for me.”
This time, Xiao Jingwen obeyed meekly. “Yes, Senior Brother.”
Seeing him subdued, Shen Tangyuan felt somewhat relieved. If this setback helped his junior brother settle down and focus, he might even prepare to qualify as a third-grade alchemist.
Looking around, he thought this experience would temper not only Xiao Jingwen but all the other disciples too.
Nan Sinning returned the Soul-Nourishing Pearl. “Thank you, Daoist Xiao. Without it, my Breakthrough Pill would not have been so perfect.”
Xiao Jingwen couldn’t meet her eyes, mumbling, “Junior Sister is too polite…”
Then Qin Sangyue asked, “Daoist Xiao, could we rent this pearl? Our junior sister’s soul is still unstable. This would be a great help. Name your price.”
Xiao Jingwen glanced at Shen Tangyuan. Seeing no objection, he said, “That’s fine. I don’t know what to ask for anyway.”
Shen Tangyuan said, “Let Junior Sister use it for now. When you think of something you want, speak up. Otherwise, it’s just gathering dust in your storage.”
Somehow Xiao Jingwen felt relieved and nodded. “Alright.”
Nan Sinning immediately put the pearl on.
Hua Shengqing cheered, “So the duel is settled. Our junior sister won, right?”
Now everyone finally smiled, their hearts at ease.
“Of course,” Shen Tangyuan confirmed. “All those prizes belong to Junior Sister now.”
Nan Sinning happily collected the three third-grade herbs, admired the Cloud-Sky Gold-Engraving Furnace before storing it away, and then reached for the jeweled hairpin.
Seeing no sign of Luo Qingyao, she guessed the girl had hidden away. A pity—she had wanted to show it off and irritate her.
Instead, she handed it to Hua Shengqing. “Senior Sister, this is for you!”
Hua Shengqing was busy stuffing spirit stones into her pouch. Shocked at the gift, she quickly refused. “I can’t accept this! You alchemists need such tools more than I do.”
Nan Sinning shoved it into her hand. “But you cause more trouble than me! When I meet hard cases, I know when to back off. You just charge head-on!”
Hua Shengqing blushed. She knew she was impulsive, but she loved sparring. For sword cultivators, wasn’t progress found through combat?
Holding the hairpin, her heart warmed. Their junior sister was so sweet—she had only gifted her!
Afterward, Nan Sinning turned, about to clean up the debris. She stopped the disciples of Medicine King City from sweeping away the broken furnace. “Wait! I still need that!”
“What? Junior Sister, it’s just shards and dust. What use could it have?”
Unashamed, Nan Sinning declared, “You don’t understand. This broken furnace is worth more than an intact one!” Then she launched into her spiel. “Think about it. Have you ever heard of a furnace breaking during pill advancement?”
The alchemists around her shook their heads. Advancement was rare, usually achieved only by fourth-grade masters or higher.
“Exactly! Just like sword cultivators leave traces of sword intent after battles, pill intent also lingers in a furnace after advancement. You just never encountered this before, so you didn’t know.”
More gathered, nodding as her words made sense.
From afar, Shen Tangyuan watched with amusement as she spun her tale. Liang Xiao, following his gaze, nearly choked. Was his little junior sister scamming people again?
“I’ll bring her back,” he muttered.
Shen Tangyuan stopped him. “No need. Junior Sister may be mischievous, but she means no harm.”
Liang Xiao: …
Alchemists and their spirit stones! They really weren’t afraid of being conned!
“So you’re keeping the shards to study?” one female cultivator asked.
Nan Sinning wagged a finger. “No, no. I already comprehended the pill intent. These shards are useless to me—but to you, they’re treasures! If you take them back and meditate, with your talent, you’ll gain something for sure.”
Their eyes lit up. Sword cultivators had sword scars, alchemists could have pill shards!
“You’re brilliant! Then I’ll take this piece!” A tall female cultivator snatched a large shard and shoved spirit stones into Nan Sinning’s hand before darting off.
“Wait! Sister, giving me spirit stones is too polite!”
“Don’t be silly. We can’t take such treasure for free!” she called back, vanishing.
Nan Sinning pocketed the stones, sighing. “Such generosity! With that magnanimity, she’s destined for greatness!”
Shen Tangyuan chuckled, lips curved. Liang Xiao’s face darkened. Had their junior sister’s restored mind made her too glib? He’d have to ask the master to check her carefully.
Soon, the shards were snatched up. Even the smallest bits vanished.
Those who missed out regretted it bitterly, certain they’d lost a great chance.
Nan Sinning, delighted with her haul, returned to her seniors. “Can we go now? I’m hungry. I want Third Brother’s cooking.”
Qin Sangyue was about to agree when Shen Tangyuan said, “One more matter, please wait.”
“What now?” Hua Shengqing asked, cheerful from her winnings.
“It concerns Junior Sister. During her refinement, someone tried to sabotage her with ice-based arts or tools.”
The Sword Peak disciples’ faces darkened. Rage bubbled at the thought of their junior sister nearly harmed. “Do you know who it was? Was your junior brother involved?”
Shen Tangyuan said, “I don’t yet know. We must investigate. If my fifth brother was involved, I’ll see justice done.”
They trusted him and agreed to let him handle it.
He addressed the hall, his voice carrying: “During the second duel, while essences were being refined, someone interfered with Junior Sister Nan’s furnace using ice arts. If you step forward now, admit your fault, and apologize, the matter will end here.”
The hall fell silent, then buzzed with whispers.
Xiao Jingwen tensed. If Nan Sinning had failed, he would have been the greatest beneficiary. Suspicion naturally pointed at him.
Glances darted toward him. He felt exposed and sick, but he truly hadn’t done it. Who would believe him?
The real culprit, Luo Qingyao, hid in the crowd, acting unconcerned. Apologize? Compensate? Impossible!
She concealed her trembling hands in her sleeves, face calm with a faint smile. To outsiders, she looked innocent.
At last she understood why the hall had been sealed. Shen Tangyuan had planned this from the start.
She cursed him inwardly for meddling.
Still, she chatted casually with those beside her, masking her fear. She gambled Shen Tangyuan had no proof, only bluffs.
His stern gaze swept across everyone. Disciples who knew his nature dared not meet his eyes.
Hua Shengqing asked Nan Sinning, “Junior Sister, do you know who it was?”
Nan Sinning glanced at her fourth brother, smiling meaningfully. “I can guess, but proof is needed.”
Hua pressed, but she wouldn’t say.
Zhou Lixing secretly exhaled in relief, glad she hadn’t questioned him. He had suspicions but dared not voice them.
Shen Tangyuan waited a full incense stick’s time, reminding once, but no one confessed.
His tone cooled. “Since this person dares act but not admit it, I’ll drag them out before everyone!”
He summoned a gray stone into his hand.
“Recording Stone!” the disciples whispered.
“Of course Senior Brother would use one during the duel to prevent disputes.”
“Now it’ll expose the culprit!”
Everyone grew excited to see justice done—except Luo Qingyao. She felt thunderstruck. For such a trivial duel, he’d used a Recording Stone?!
Her thoughts raced in panic as Shen Tangyuan infused it with power.
Nan Sinning watched with relish, regretting she hadn’t brought melon seeds to snack on.
The image replayed the duel. At first, nothing unusual. Luo Qingyao relaxed—she was hidden in the crowd, barely noticeable.
But then, it showed Nan Sinning requesting the wind-proof plate. Shen Tangyuan zoomed in on the frost on the ground—faintly glowing with cold poison.
Gasps filled the hall.
This was vicious. Frost disrupted fire control, lowered temperature, tainted medicine with poison. Alchemists shuddered.
Better to fail by your own hand than be sabotaged like this.
Hua Shengqing cursed. “When we find the wretch, I’ll cut them to pieces!”
Zhou Lixing agreed. “They must be punished!” He turned to Liang Xiao. “Right?”
Caught off guard, Liang Xiao nodded. “Anyone this cruel deserves it.”
Nan Sinning’s lips curved. Qin Sangyue thought her junior sister was hiding her hurt inside.
As the footage narrowed, only three figures were left in the frame: a man, a woman, and Luo Qingyao behind them.
The two disciples panicked when their faces filled the screen. “Not me!”
“Nor me!”
“Step forward,” Shen Tangyuan ordered.
Both complied, trembling but confident they’d be cleared.
Luo Qingyao had no choice but to follow. Her mind raced desperately for excuses.
Xiao Jingwen’s heart dropped when she was implicated. He wanted to defend her but was hushed by others. Logic told him she was the most likely suspect.
Liang Xiao frowned, whispering to Qin Sangyue, “This must be a misunderstanding?”
Both Hua Shengqing and Zhou Lixing rolled their eyes at him.
Qin answered calmly, “If it is, then Senior Brother Shen will clear her name. Be patient.”
Nan Sinning thought wryly, her fourth brother’s loyalty was exactly as written—blind.
Shen Tangyuan examined the other two’s items carefully, even inviting Qin Sangyue to verify. Both were proven innocent.
All eyes then turned to Luo Qingyao.
Her scalp tingled under their stares, but she forced a smile. “Senior Brother, will you check my ring as well? Honestly, since being robbed in the Luo River Secret Realm, I don’t have much left.”