Atop Small Southern Mountain, Luo Chen sat in Mohe Garden, engrossed in his book.
Across from him, Shi Lan rested her chin on her hand, her eyes full of curiosity. At last, she could no longer hold back. “Senior Brother Luo, I never expected your alchemy techniques to be that amazing. How exactly did you get so good at it?”
Luo Chen smiled but said nothing.
As if the floodgates had opened, Shi Lan chattered on, “You don’t even know! During the second round of competition, the True Inheritors from Ailao Mountain and Hundred Flowers Palace completely looked down on you at first. But once all three rounds ended, every one of them was dumbfounded. Some even placed private bets with spirit stones, all wagering on Dan Yangzi. In the end, he only took fourth place in the second round, and they lost everything.”
Luo Chen lifted his head and asked casually, "What about you? Did you win or lose?"
“I won! I earned over twenty thousand spirit stones!” Shi Lan lifted her chin proudly. For a newly advanced Foundation Establishment junior like her, that was quite a fortune.
Luo Chen blinked, caught off guard. Warmth stirred in his chest. “You were... rooting for me?”
“Uh...”Shi Lan fidgeted, visibly awkward.
Suddenly, something clicked in Luo Chen’s mind. "You didn’t bet on me?"
"Nope."
"Then how did you win that many spirit stones?"
“I ran the betting table!” she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “They all placed their bets and lost, so of course I made a killing!”
Luo Chen’s expression stiffened, a vein twitching at his temple as he stared at her in exasperation. “I should really talk to your master to cut your monthly supply of Jade Dew pills.”
Shi Lan froze. “How do you know I’ve been using Jade Dew pills since Foundation Establishment?” Her eyes widened in sudden realization. “Wait... don’t tell me our Ruthless Lineage’s pills were refined by you too?”
Luo Chen gave the girl a helpless look.
Of course I know! he thought.
She hadn’t even finished refining the medicinal energy of her last dose. With the medicinal energy she was radiating, she might as well have been a massive lit-up billboard ad for Jade Dew pills.
In all fairness, most wouldn’t go so far as to practice Cleanse until such an advanced level as Luo Chen had. Naturally, they couldn’t completely mask their medicinal energy.
When he didn’t deny it, Shi Lan’s eyes lit up and she practically jumped to her feet. “So the Jade Dew pills really were made by you, Senior Brother Luo? My granny wouldn’t tell me anything! She said it was a secret!”
Her voice quickly turned wheedling. “Senior Brother, could you maybe give me a few extra bottles? My master only gives me a little every month... it’s totally not enough!”
She chattered away, quick-tongued and lively. This girl truly had a nose for profit; she had talked her way through cave residences and spirit land sales like a seasoned vendor. Thinking of how she had once arranged a premium cave residence for him, Luo Chen figured he might need her help again someday.
Luo Chen smiled and handed her a bottle of Jade Dew pills. "I don’t have much to spare, but here, take this bottle of mid-grade pills as a Foundation Establishment gift from me."
Mid-grade?! Shi Lan’s eyes sparkled as she quickly accepted it. "Thank you, Senior Brother! You're the best!"
“Alright, alright,” Luo Chen waved her off. “I’m not from the Ice Fortress. You don’t have to keep calling me Senior Brother every other sentence.”
“But didn’t everyone say you are part of our Ruthless Lineage now?” Shi Lan asked with her head tilted. “Besides, skill comes first. You deserve the title!”
Luo Chen paused. It’s already spreading? Fairy Ruthless really moved fast. She’s already started declaring me as one of her own.
The thought had barely crossed his mind when her presence arrived.
From the entrance of Mohe Garden, four figures stepped into view. Leading them were Fairy Ruthless and Adept Baisu, with a pale Tao Wan and Tao Yisheng following close behind.
Luo Chen’s spirit consciousness had already sensed them, but Shi Lan remained unaware. She continued to flatter him cheerfully. “Senior Brother, can I use spirit stones to buy Jade Dew pills from you privately in the future? This pill is really great. The others always make me cough!”
“That’s a bit dramatic... Ahem!”
"Eh? Senior Brother, why are you coughing?" Shi Lan blinked in confusion—then froze.
She turned and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Master. Greetings, Daoist Uncle Baisu!"
After her salute, she obediently scampered off to chat with Tao Yisheng.
Fairy Ruthless shot her a glance, then looked at Luo Chen. "Now that matters are settled, I’ll be leaving Green Pill Valley for Tianlan Immortal City shortly. Will you be coming with us?"
Luo Chen put away the book in his hand. "Thank you for your kind offer, but I plan to stay until Tao Wan’s Dao Scion Ceremony."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Tao Wan, who stood behind Adept Baisu. She met his eyes with a warm smile.
Fairy Ruthless nodded. "Alright. When you return, come find me at Cave Residence Jia One."
Why would she summon him? Naturally, for benefits! She had already claimed him publicly as one of her own, forcing him to reject enticing offers from other sects. If she failed to reward him handsomely, wouldn’t she risk being ridiculed as a stingy old woman?
Luo Chen suppressed his excitement and bowed respectfully.
Fairy Ruthless didn’t linger and walked straight out of the garden, with Shi Lan following close behind. Adept Baisu cast Luo Chen a look filled with interest, then stepped outside as well.
Only Tao Wan and Luo Chen remained in the garden. Even Tao Yisheng had tactfully excused himself.
"I haven’t had the chance to congratulate you yet. From now on, I suppose I’ll have to address you as Dao Scion Tao.”
In response to Luo Chen’s teasing remark, Tao Wan shook her head and said, "Fellow Daoist, please don’t tease me. I only won that title because of your help.”
Luo Chen smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, you’re underestimating yourself. With the techniques you displayed in that final match, even if your initial ranking was lower, you would have still fought your way to the finals. My help was merely something auxiliary."
Tao Wan let out a long sigh. "Even with so many restrictions on Senior Brother Dan Yangzi, I still had to exhaust all my means and even rely on the Cold Marrow Ice Essence I borrowed from Uncle Ruthless just to scrape together a narrow win. If I had faced him after climbing from a lower rank while he waited fully rested, I would have stood no chance. Your contributions were decisive in this battle!”
Luo Chen smiled and didn’t deny it any further. Dan Yangzi had indeed revealed much during the final duel. Sword-fusion, spellcasting through enchanted artifacts, and his trump card, Violet Skyfire—any one of these alone would have secured him a place among the strongest of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Yet he had mastered all three! Without Tao Wan’s advantageous ranking, even though he’d been worn down in earlier rounds, her victory might never have been possible.
To say Luo Chen was solely responsible was too much. Yet the advantage gained from his three consecutive first-place victories was undeniable, and the results had far surpassed Tao Wan’s initial expectations.
When she first hired Huang Hezi, her goal had merely been to secure a top-five finish in the second round to maintain her ranking. Meanwhile, not only had Luo Chen delivered results beyond expectations, but he had also showcased alchemical prowess that could tempt even Golden Core Adepts. With achievements like that, the gifts she had offered earlier now seemed inadequate if she truly intended to bind Luo Chen to the Tao family.
"In the coming days, I’ll need time to rest and prepare for the Dao Scion Ceremony. I’m afraid I won’t have time to keep you company," Tao Wan said gently.
Luo Chen frowned slightly. It wasn’t about companionship. Right now, he was feeling an urgent desire to return. The cultivation conditions on Small Southern Mountain simply couldn’t compare to the premium cave residence atop Tianlan Peak!