The path to immortality through martial arts begins with being forced into marriage!

Northern City.

The place was still bustling with people, carrying the ruggedness unique to the North.

The air was filled with the biting cold of the far north. Unlike when Cui Yi passed through in a hurry half a month ago, there were now many more cultivators in the city wearing various robes.

Many of them had an air of arrogance about them, and you could tell at a glance that they weren't locals.

The Tower of Dan is located in the very center of the Northern City. From a distance, it appears as a magnificent tower, covering a vast area, with a plaza for pedestrian traffic and some auxiliary buildings on its perimeter.

Because the alchemy competition was about to begin, the area around the Pill Tower was bustling with people and extremely lively.

Many cultivators even took the opportunity to set up stalls and sell all kinds of alchemy materials.

Su Wan was quite familiar with the place, and with her leading the way, Cui Yi easily made his way through the crowd and arrived at a relatively quiet side hall on the side of the Dan Tower.

A long queue had already formed, mostly young cultivators at the front, with a few middle-aged or elderly people with a composed aura occasionally appearing, all talking in hushed tones or waiting silently.

The two stood at the end of the line, silently waiting for the line to move forward.

By the time it was Cui Yi and Su Wan's turn, it was already evening.

"Name, cultivation level, highest rank of pills that can be refined, then summon pill fire."

"Cui Yi, late Foundation Establishment stage, second-grade alchemist."

Cui Yi announced his name, and the condensed flame rose again from his fingertips.

This time, he deliberately concealed most of his aura, only displaying a pill fire several times purer than that of an ordinary first-grade alchemist.

The Dan Tower steward glanced at the steadily burning Dan fire, nodded slightly, and took out a jade slip to record it.

With a slight flash of the storage ring on Cui Yi's finger, one hundred low-grade spirit stones fell onto a specially made giant jade plate on the table.

There are a total of one hundred grooves on this jade plate, each corresponding to one hundred low-grade spirit stones.

Once all the grooves are filled, the registration fee is considered paid, saving the trouble of counting each one individually.

After paying one hundred low-grade spirit stones, the steward handed Cui Yi a cyan jade token.

"You are number 273. Remember this number."

"At 7:00 AM tomorrow, bring this token to the plaza in front of the main hall of the Dan Tower to participate in the preliminary selection. Latecomers will not be accepted."

After saying that, he looked at Su Wan again.

Before the steward could even speak, Su Wan had already rushed forward to register.

"Senior, I am a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator and a second-grade alchemist!"

Su Wan took a deep breath, and a cluster of pale blue flames rose from her fingertips.

However, both the degree of refinement and stability of the alchemical fire were significantly weaker than what Cui Yi had just demonstrated, barely reaching the standard of a second-grade alchemist.

The steward nodded slightly in agreement and took out a jade slip to record the information.

"You've reached the standard for a second-grade alchemist. Registration fee: one hundred low-grade spirit stones."

A look of relief flashed across Su Wan's face, and she quickly bent down to untie the old storage bag at her waist.

She carefully tilted the bag over the jade plate on the table and poured it out.

"Splash..."

One by one, low-grade spirit stones rolled out, colliding on the jade plate with a crisp sound.

Su Wan stared intently, silently counting in her mind.

When the last spirit stone fell, the pile of spirit stones on the jade plate was noticeably shorter by one corner.

Ninety-nine.

Su Wan's face turned pale with fright.

How could this happen?

Even though she was slow to realize what was happening, she still didn't give up. She turned the storage bag upside down and shook it vigorously, and even reached inside to feel around.

The storage bag is not very big to begin with, and it is more than half the size of the storage ring.

After this search, apart from a few bottles of pills and some processed medicinal herbs, there were only a few changes of clothes left, and nothing else.

No.

We were really one short!

The deacon frowned slightly. Although he didn't urge her, the invisible pressure made Su Wan even more flustered.

The other cultivators waiting in line around them also glanced at them with impatience.

"Hey, you didn't even bring enough spirit stones, what kind of alchemy competition are you participating in?"

"If you're not going to register, then hurry up and get out of here. The registration deadline is fast approaching. It's all because of people like you dawdling that we've had to wait so long."

"I...I remember bringing enough!"

Being criticized by so many people, Su Wan's voice became dry, and her cheeks flushed.

One hundred low-grade spirit stones was no small sum for her. In order to raise the registration fee and the travel expenses to find medicinal herbs, she almost exhausted all her savings.

She has worked so hard for so long, even at the cost of

A hand with distinct knuckles reached out from the side.

despair.

A lustrous, low-grade spirit stone was gently placed on the empty corner of the jade plate, making it a round number.

Su Wan suddenly looked up and met Cui Yi's calm eyes.

He didn't say anything, he just withdrew his hand.

"Thank you... thank you, senior!"

Su Wan felt a surge of warmth in her heart, so grateful that she didn't know what to say. She quickly bowed deeply to Cui Yi, then turned to the steward and said, "Steward, the spirit stones are all ready."

The steward glanced at Cui Yi, said nothing, and simply handed the jade token to Su Wan.

As Su Wan walked out of the side hall, she held the warm jade pendant in her hand, her heart pounding with excitement. She looked at it again and again.

Then, as if remembering something, Su Wan tossed the jade token into her storage bag and, looking at the calm Cui Yi beside her, couldn't help but ask, "Senior, why did you only report the rank of a second-grade alchemist?"

"The Pill Tower highly values ​​talent; the difference in value between a second-grade alchemist and a third-grade alchemist is enormous!"

She always felt that the alchemical fire Cui Yi showed her in the wasteland was not something a second-grade alchemist could possess; it was more than enough to qualify her as a third-grade alchemist!

With his back to Su Wan, Cui Yi said softly, "That's enough."

Three words, spoken lightly, left Su Wan speechless, unable to answer any of her subsequent questions.

As expected of a senior!

His actions are indeed unfathomable!

But on the side that Su Wan didn't see, Cui Yi's face was full of bitterness.

He wanted to apply for more, but his abilities didn't allow it!

His spiritual strength is sufficient, but he lacks experience in alchemy, so he might not even be able to refine a second-grade pill right now.

This time, they only requested a second-grade pill, which is already beyond the scope of the requirements!

......

......

at the same time.

The Great Yan Imperial Palace.

Qionghua Palace.

Xiao Yuli lay on the bed, her face pale, her gaze fixed on her still flat stomach, her expression extremely complicated.

Despite being only a month pregnant, the baby was causing her so much distress that she couldn't eat or sleep.

"Your Highness! Yunyi is back."

"Oh? Let him in."

As soon as he finished speaking, a tall, slender figure in cyan robes slipped silently into the room, like a shadow blending into the light, and then reappeared the moment the door closed.

The person who came was none other than Yun Yi, who had met Cui Yi that day.

"Greetings, Your Highness! May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings and peace!"

"I was ordered to contact Cui Yi, a disciple of the Blood-Clad Sect, and I have received a result."

"This person... refused the subordinate's offer to recruit him."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuli did not show much disappointment, but instead seemed thoughtful.

The refusal was expected.

If Cui Yi were truly someone who could be easily swayed, he probably wouldn't have been able to pull off such an astonishing act as storming the execution ground.

"but......"

Yun Yi changed the subject, "Although this person didn't agree, he didn't completely rule it out either!"

"During the conversation, I also discovered something that might be useful, and what deal they want to make with us!"