Grandpa, times have changed.

But soon, Su Jian's expression returned to normal.

"Sister."

Because he had many secrets, he rarely interacted with others throughout the year, making him an inconspicuous figure among the many Qi Refining disciples of the Xuyan Sect.

It's fair to say that almost no one pays any attention to him.

But Qin Yue in front of us is an exception.

After all, this person was, in a way, his protector.

Upon hearing Su Jian's voice, Qin Yue paused, then turned around with a smile on her face.

"Junior brother is truly getting more and more amazing."

People were right behind her, but she didn't notice them at all.

Looking at the lustrous and translucent jade ruler in Su Jian's hand, a hint of envy flashed in her eyes.

"Senior sister, you flatter me." Su Jian walked over and sat down opposite her.

The Xuyan Sect is rife with factions.

In order to cultivate in peace, he joined one of the sects.

Qin Yue was a member of her faction.

Unlike him, who possessed an independent magical weapon, Qin Yue did not have a magical weapon of her own. She only borrowed a talisman from the Derivation of Magic Pivot to absorb spiritual energy and enter the Dao.

He is now at the sixth level of Qi Refining, but he is not as valued as he is now.

After all, a cultivator like her, who borrows weapons and spirits to enter the Dao, doesn't even have her own magical weapons. The ninth level of Qi Refining is her limit.

"Elder Zeng knew that Junior Brother was about to reach the fourth level of Qi Refining, so he asked me to pick a portion of Spirit Nourishing Fruit and send it over to him."

Then Qin Yue took out a jade box, carefully placed it on the table, and opened it.

A fruit, about the size of a baby's fist, is placed quietly inside, its entire body a vibrant green, resembling jade, with pale gold patterns inside.

Looking at the spiritual fruit in the box, Su Jian's heart stirred.

"Elder Zeng's kindness is truly beyond my ability to accept." With a soft sigh, he closed the jade box. "Thank you for troubling Senior Sister with this trip."

The Spirit-Nourishing Fruit is the last missing ingredient in refining the Qi-Condensing Pill.

Of course he wouldn't refuse!
"It's my duty, junior brother, you're too kind."

Watching Su Jian put away the Spirit-Nourishing Fruit, Qin Yue felt increasingly envious.

Having cultivated her spiritual path for so many years, she had never consumed a spiritual fruit of this caliber.

Or rather, she never ingested any spiritual substances.

Of the vast Xuyan Sect and its tens of thousands of disciples, how many have actually consumed spiritual substances?
no way.

While there is no shortage of mortal objects offered by the Great Ruins Dynasty, spiritual objects are extremely rare.

It's impossible to give it to people like them who have no future.

Thinking about it, I felt increasingly gloomy, but I still forced a smile and opened the food box.

“I heard that you are from the Chengwang Mansion of the Great Ruins Dynasty. You have been cultivating in the Ruins Sect for a year now. You must miss the taste of your hometown.”

She took out the dishes from the food box one by one and arranged them on the table, while removing the spiritual energy barrier on top to keep them warm.

"These are some of Songyuelou's signature dishes, give them a try."

As she spoke, she handed him the chopsticks, her eyes full of anticipation.

"..."

Although he knew Qin Yue was trying to please him, Su Jian was still somewhat touched.

He reached out and took the chopsticks.

"Thank you, senior sister."

Ultimately, he was just a kind-hearted young man who cared about Xu Xing standing alone in the snow, especially since he had grown up in the cold and indifferent world.

It would be abnormal not to be moved if someone of the opposite sex, who is so attractive, showed you such care at this moment.

"I'm glad you like it, junior brother."

……

……

Time flies.

More than three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Su Jian finally gathered the last ingredient for the Qi Condensation Pill, accepted a mission, left the sect, and secretly refined a batch of pills.

The result...

It turned out that he was indeed not cut out for alchemy.

Xu Xing had simplified the formula many times, making it extremely easy to follow. He managed to refine only seven pills out of the materials that could yield thirty. Moreover, of those seven, only two were fully effective, while the remaining five were incomplete pills with diminished medicinal power.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was a truly appalling sight.

However, Su Jian himself was quite happy. After using some [Life Essence Liquid] to optimize it, the medicinal power of the other four remaining pills was finally replenished.

Upon returning to his sect, he lied, claiming that he had accidentally stumbled into the cave of a cultivator who had passed away and obtained five pills that could aid in his cultivation.

He then offered two of the Qi Condensation Pills to his patron, Elder Zeng, who was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.

As for the unoptimized fragment, it was given to Qin Yue.

Although it was only a pill with incomplete medicinal power, Qin Yue was still moved to tears.

She had never even consumed any spiritual objects, let alone elixirs that only existed in legends.

And so, on that very night, Su Jian grew.

Shortly afterward, Qin Yue and Su Jian both went into seclusion, striving to reach the seventh and fourth levels of Qi Refining, respectively.

Finally, on a moonlit night with few stars in sight.

Rumble~
The heavy stone door slowly opened.

Holding the jade ruler, Su Jian stepped out of the secluded cultivation room of the Xuyan Sect and saw the spiritual energy drifting in the void spontaneously approaching him.

A powerful aura unique to the fourth level of Qi Refining...

Well, it can hardly be called power or prestige.

The disciples on duty, who were watching over him, realized that he had succeeded in his seclusion after seeing his performance.

They immediately came to greet them.

"Congratulations, senior brother."

Although he was much older than Su Jian, he was a cultivator, and those who knew, knew.

Perhaps because he was concerned about Qin Yue's condition, he didn't stand on ceremony and simply nodded slightly in response.

He then hurriedly left and went directly to Qin Yue's secluded stone chamber.

Just as he arrived at the stone chamber where Qin Yue was in seclusion, he found that the door to the chamber was open.

Under the moonlight, a surge of spiritual power far exceeding that of the sixth level of Qi Refining poured out, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to surge.

"Junior brother, please come in and talk."

A cold, weak female voice rang in my ears.

Ok? !

He walked in without making a sound.

Watching the stone gate in his throat gradually descend, the disciple on duty couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

Although cultivators who borrow troops to enter the Dao have no future and are not valued, it is different when they reach the seventh level of Qi Refining.

This is the late stage of Qi Refining.

For cultivators who borrow troops to enter the Dao, each level requires risking their lives, and reaching the seventh level of Qi Refining requires immense perseverance and great fortune.

Looking across the entire sect, they are extremely rare.

……

……

The dimly lit stone chamber.

But Qin Yue was sitting upright in the center of the stone chamber, swaying precariously, her face pale and her breath barely perceptible.

He was barely hanging on by a thread.

Su Jian was startled and quickly stepped forward to support her, sending a wisp of spiritual energy into her body.

However, they discovered that the spiritual energy within his body was leaking out uncontrollably.

However, the breakthrough failed, resulting in damage to the spiritual sea.

"Senior sister, what's wrong with you..." Her expression revealed undisguised anxiety.

how come.

Before his senior sister went into seclusion, he took back the incomplete pill and gave her two new, intact pills.

how so……

"I'm sorry, junior brother." Qin Yue smiled gently and reached out to stroke his face. "I wasted two of your pills."

Su Jian's entire hand was trembling.

On another level that he could not observe, in a world completely identical to the realm of magic weapons.

Xu Xing turned around and looked back, seemingly awaiting his choice. (End of Chapter)