Qing Yun smiled brightly as he looked over the pile of pill recipes in his hand.
The complete system had not yet been organized by Man Sen. When he eventually sorted it out, he would "pluck" it and hand it over to his well-behaved disciple.
For now, Qing Yun copied the recipes and sent a set to Yun Jin.
Then, he carefully studied them himself.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
He had to admit, Man Sen truly was a genius. From these recipes alone, one could faintly discern the outlines of an entire system.
For instance, this Triple Spirit Pill—if consumed alone, it would cause a sudden surge of mental power, so violent that the cultivator would likely die instantly from the overload.
But.
If combined with the Sea of Consciousness Expansion Pill, the two taken together would allow the cultivator to withstand it.
Another example: the Speed Burst Pill must be taken alongside the Physical Constitution Enhancement Pill. Otherwise, it too would cause severe side effects.
By combining the recipes properly, the risks could be minimized while strength could be explosively boosted in a short time.
Of course.
The path of a combat alchemist had a fatal weakness.
That was…
It consumed far too many spirit stones!
Unless one was a top-tier rich cultivator, it really was not recommended.
Even then, only alchemists themselves could "barely afford to play," since they could refine their own pills.
In this light—
The combat alchemist system truly was tailor-made for alchemists themselves.
-
Wushuang Sect.
Yun Jin also received Qing Yun's message.
She was a little surprised.
So Man Sen had returned?
Back then, she had helped Man Sen, partly to leave him with a good impression, thinking it might be useful for cooperation in the future.
She had indeed been interested in the combat alchemist system. But what she had envisioned was an exchange, offering resources in trade for pill recipes. And the most crucial parts of such a system—no matter what she offered, she doubted anyone would part with them.
Yet now, these recipes given by her master Qing Yun were already touching upon the very heart of the combat alchemist's secrets.
Cautiously, Yun Jin asked, "Master, you didn't… kill him and snatch these away, did you? No, that can't be. Surely not."
Qing Yun replied calmly, "Be at ease. These are your martial uncle's meeting gift for you."
"Wow! Martial uncle!"
Yun Jin's eyes lit up. "Then isn't this too impolite of me?"
Qing Yun asked leisurely, "If you really feel that bad, want to give them back?"
"Please thank Martial Uncle for me!" Yun Jin said without hesitation. "Once I study these, I'll send him a few upgraded versions in return."
Qing Yun chuckled. "No need to rush. When you finish your improvements, let me hold them for a while first. If you give them straight to Man Sen, I fear his pride won't be able to take it."
"Understood," Yun Jin said quickly. "Then I'll trouble Master with it when the time comes."
"No trouble, no trouble. This is what a master should do."
Thus the master and disciple finished their shameless exchange.
Yun Jin handed the recipes over to her system for improvement. Then, she headed directly to the Celestial Divine Palace.
Zhu Zhu was absorbed in her game research, eyes shining with obsession.
Yun Jin didn't disturb her and instead went straight to Yuan Yuan.
"Yuan Yuan, I remember you have a surveillance crystal placed in Qingxiao Pavilion, right? Show me what's happening there now," Yun Jin requested.
Yuan Yuan nodded, turning on the television-like device as he explained, "Yes, there is one camera in Qingxiao Pavilion. But its range only covers the Martial Arena. Other areas are shielded by barriers and can't be viewed for now. Forcing it would risk exposure."
"Open it first," Yun Jin ordered.
After a moment of adjustment, the screen showed an empty Martial Arena.
Once lively with sparring disciples, it was now silent.
"This camera has been here for a long time. It must have captured plenty of footage. Let me see the earlier recordings," Yun Jin said.
Yuan Yuan rewound the images.
Soon—
Half an hour earlier.
At that time, disciples of Qingxiao Pavilion had still been sparring in the Martial Arena.
Then suddenly—
A great bell tolled.
"What's going on?"
"Did something major happen in the sect?"
"Don't worry about that, just go! Whenever the bell tolls, everyone must gather at the Central Grand Hall immediately. If you're late, watch out for your skin!"
Quickly, all the figures vanished from the arena.
Yuan Yuan glanced at Yun Jin. "Master, shall I move the camera toward the Central Grand Hall? It means breaking through the barrier, and the device might self-destruct."
Yun Jin narrowed her eyes. "Retrieve all footage from the past three years first. I'll look through it carefully."
Yuan Yuan complied, pulling up all three years of recordings.
Yun Jin took the remote and began rewinding rapidly.
Three years of footage accumulated into a massive archive, so fast the images blurred into a dizzying flicker.
Yet Yun Jin's eyes never left the screen.
Once the three years had been viewed, she said, "Ten years, Yuan Yuan. Pull ten years."
"Understood."
"Now a hundred."
"…A thousand."
Through it all, Yun Jin's expression remained steady.
Only when she had watched all the way back through a millennium of footage did she finally pause.
She tapped the remote, and the screen split into a nine-grid view.
Each square showed the same figure.
Xuan Kong.
Xuan Kong—Lin Xiao's junior brother, and once Hong Ye's lover.
When Yun Jin discovered Lin Xiao's Primordial Soul had long since split apart, her very first suspicion had been Xuan Kong.
Across a thousand years, Xuan Kong had only appeared in this area nine times.
The first time, it was shortly after parting from Hong Ye, when he was forced back to the sect. The other times, he simply hurried through without lingering. Only once did he stop to watch two disciples practicing. He seemed genuinely interested, watching with great focus.
But soon—
Lin Xiao arrived on the scene.
He seized Xuan Kong and scolded him harshly, accusing him of being distracted, indulging in frivolities, and ruining his future on the Immortal Path. He ordered him back to train properly instead of wasting time.
From their words, one detail slipped out.
The cultivation method practiced by Lin Xiao was the very same one practiced by Xuan Kong. And their master had cultivated the same as well.
Xuan Kong clearly feared Lin Xiao. After the scolding, he left quickly and did not appear again for centuries.
Yun Jin finished reviewing all the images of Xuan Kong.
She pondered deeply.
The two brothers were rather intriguing.
Lin Xiao valued Xuan Kong's cultivation more than his own.
Xuan Kong was often seen popping spirit pills while walking, showing how generous Lin Xiao was toward him.
To improve one's cultivation was something every cultivator dreamed of. Yet on the footage, whenever Xuan Kong faced Lin Xiao, he showed no gratitude at all—only boundless fear.
There was definitely something wrong between these two brothers.
Lin Xiao was of the outer-realm demon race, yet his body was clearly human.
Obviously.
He had possessed this vessel long ago, and hid it so well that none could see through it.
If he could possess once, why not a second time? A third?
To retain control, Lin Xiao would have to cling to the Sect Master's seat at all costs.
Now that Lin Xiao was officially "dead," Qingxiao Pavilion would certainly select a new Sect Master.
And if that Sect Master turned out to be Xuan Kong…
Then the vessel for Lin Xiao's remnant soul would be plain to see.
This thought flashed coldly through Yun Jin's mind.
After a long moment, she opened her eyes.
"Yuan Yuan! At present, everyone in Qingxiao Pavilion should be gathered at the Central Grand Hall. Move the camera to Xuan Kong's residence!"