Volume One, Chapter Four: Is This the Imperial-Grade Crystallized Pill?!

Driven by curiosity, Lin Hongye entered the kitchen and found Lin Yang holding a spatula, stir-frying something.

Watching the scene, she felt a sense of bewilderment. She stepped forward and asked, "Hey, what are you stir-frying?"

Lin Yang glanced at her, gave a couple of coughs, and stated with an air of self-importance, "First of all, you must call me Master. Secondly, I am stir-frying wild herbs. Eating more wild herbs is good for the body."

Lin Hongye ignored him, staring at the crimson celestial herb in the pot. The more she looked at it, the more familiar it seemed.

"This is... this is the Phoenix Celestial Herb!? You are using the Phoenix Celestial Herb as a stir-fried vegetable?!"

Lin Hongye felt her worldview crumbling. The Phoenix Celestial Herb was an incredibly precious spiritual plant; even in her past life at the Jade Pool Holy Land, such things were rarely seen. Yet, Lin Yang was tossing it around in a pan as if it were nothing!

"Yes, it’s quite fragrant, isn’t it? You should have a few bites later, my disciple."

"What a waste... what an absolute waste!"

Lin Hongye shoved Lin Yang aside, took the spatula, and began stir-frying it herself, occasionally adding other medicinal herbs to the mix.

Seeing her earnest demeanor, Lin Yang smiled and asked, "I couldn't tell, disciple, but you actually know how to cook."

Lin Hongye shook her head helplessly. "I don't, but at least I know better than to squander celestial treasures the way you do."

While she wasn't a cook, she knew how to preserve the medicinal potency. If stir-fried the way Lin Yang had been doing, nine-tenths of its efficacy would have been lost.

...

Before long, seeing that it was ready, she asked Lin Yang without taking her eyes off the pan, "It's done. Where is the plate?"

"No plates, just wooden bowls. There's one right beside you."

Lin Hongye looked at the spatula beside her and couldn't help but twitch her lip, but with no other choice, she picked up the wooden bowl and plated the Phoenix Celestial Herb.

Lin Yang took a careful sniff and discovered that just by smelling it, his own Dao of Celestial Fire had made a slight advancement.

Lin Hongye experienced the same. Looking at the Red Sun Celestial Herb in the bowl, she curiously asked, "Where did you get this Red Sun Celestial Herb?"

Lin Yang shrugged indifferently. "My master left me quite a lot of resources before he passed away. I like to stir-fry these spiritual herbs for fun when I have nothing else to do."

Lin Hongye gasped. According to him, how many resources had he wasted over these years?!

"You... you are simply throwing away heavenly treasures!"

Lin Hongye felt incredibly incensed. These spiritual herbs could incite bloody conflicts in the outside world, yet here, Lin Yang treated them like common weeds! Still, since these were resources left by his master, she didn't want to say too much. After handing the wooden bowl to Lin Yang, she turned to leave.

"You keep it and eat it," Lin Yang said, not taking the bowl, and walked out of the kitchen.

"You—why aren't you eating it after cooking it?" Lin Hongye asked, stunned.

She heard Lin Yang reply without looking back, "I told you, I was just stir-frying for fun. If you have an appetite, just eat it for me."

Lin Hongye stared blankly at the slightly charred Red Sun Celestial Herb in the bowl, then let out a cold snort.

"I, the dignified Master of the Jade Pool, would choose to eat a bowl of burnt food?!"

After Lin Yang went out for a stroll and returned to the kitchen, he found the wooden bowl had been washed clean, and the Red Sun Celestial Herb had vanished.

"The body is an honest little girl after all," he said with a chuckle.

...

A day later, as Lin Yang lay in the courtyard enjoying the sun, the system suddenly pinged.

[Ding! Triggering Task One: Within three days, raise Lin Hongye's cultivation to the Golden Core stage!]

[Task Two: Within three days, elevate Lin Hongye's comprehension of the Dao of Celestial Fire to the Great Perfection realm!]

Looking at these tasks, Lin Yang hissed, contemplating the feasibility.

Getting Lin Hongye to the Golden Core stage in three days would have been impossible before, but now that he possessed an Imperial-grade Crystallization Pill, it was certainly doable. As for reaching the Great Perfection of the Dao of Celestial Fire, that was even simpler; his own comprehension of the Dao was already at the Perfection level. With Lin Hongye's aptitude, a few pointers from him should be more than enough for her to break through.

...

Meanwhile, inside a cave dwelling on Red Sun Peak, Lin Hongye was sitting cross-legged in meditation.

"In the sect tournament a month from now, I will be facing geniuses at the Golden Core or even Nascent Soul stages."

"I have only just reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. Even if I could reach the Golden Core stage in a month, I lack the proper materials for the breakthrough."

Lin Hongye sighed. No matter what, she could not possibly claim the top spot in the sect tournament. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of resentment toward Lin Yang; if not for his bold claims, she wouldn't be worrying about this now.

Just then, a voice called out from outside her cave:

"Disciple, are you awake? The sun is already high up."

Hearing the shout, Lin Hongye reluctantly ended her meditation and opened the entrance.

"What is it?"

"Since you are on the verge of a breakthrough, take this pill."

Lin Yang placed the pill into her palm. She looked down and saw, to her shock, an Imperial-grade Crystallization Pill!

"This, this, this... this is an Imperial-grade Crystallization Pill?"

Lin Hongye was, after all, the former Master of the Jade Pool; she still possessed that much discernment. Even in her past life, she had only used a Saint-grade pill for her breakthrough to the Golden Core stage. Yet, Lin Yang had just casually pulled out an Imperial-grade one. How could she not be shocked?

"Where did you get this pill?!"

Seeing her astonishment, Lin Yang brushed it off with a laugh.

"I found it among the resources my master left behind. Seeing that you are at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, this should be useful to you."

Lin Hongye still couldn't believe it. She had inquired about Lin Yang's master before; he had only been a practitioner at the Enlightenment stage during his lifetime. How could an Enlightenment-stage practitioner possibly possess an Imperial-grade pill?

"Are... are you truly giving this to me? This is an Imperial-grade pill. In an auction house, this would be a priceless treasure."

Fearing Lin Yang didn't realize the value of the pill, she couldn't help but remind him.

"What are you talking about?" Lin Yang tutted. "You are my disciple. If I don't give the good things to you, who would I give them to?"

With that, Lin Yang pressed the pill into her hand, regardless of whether she agreed.

Lin Hongye stood frozen. In the ten thousand years she had been the Master of the Jade Pool, Lin Yang was the only one who dared to be so "overbearing" toward her.

Recovering her senses, she lowered her head, blushing, and whispered, "Thank... thank you, Master."

Her foundations were damaged and her soul was incomplete; even if she managed to break through to the Golden Core stage, her strength would surely lag behind. But now, with this Imperial-grade Crystallization Pill, she could finally mend those flaws.