Li Yan bowed with smooth courtesy. "Elder Cao. Senior Bai. My apologies—I seem to have come at a bad time. I can return later."
Cao Lian shook her head gently. "You're too polite, Li Yan. It wasn't a confidential matter. Please, come in."
Bai Ru added with a quiet nod, "Yes, you're not interrupting anything important."
Li Yan stepped inside, his movements measured and respectful. "Then I'll accept your kindness. It's good to see you again, Elder Cao."
A faint, knowing smile curved her lips. "Likewise. And I've been hearing interesting things about you. Dominating the White Rank Leaderboard so quickly… that's no small feat."
Li Yan's response came calmly and controlled. "I simply followed the task assigned by Senior Yao Fuhuo. The rankings were never my goal."
There was truth in it—though they all knew results spoke louder than intent.
Cao Lian chuckled softly. "If that's what you can do without trying… I wonder what the sect will see when you do try."
Li Yan's lips tilted into the faint, sharp smirk that was uniquely his—neither arrogance nor humility, something deliberate and cutting in the middle. "You may not have to wonder for long, Elder Cao."
Her brows lifted, amused and intrigued. "Oh? Then I'll look forward to it."
Li Yan turned toward Bai Ru. "How have you been, Senior Bai?"
"I'm well." Her tone softened. "You're here for more pills?"
He nodded. "Yes. Two Tier-3 Healing Pills. Five Tier-3 Qi Replenishment Pills."
Bai Ru turned to the shelves, retrieving small jade bottles whose symbols glowed faintly with preserved Qi essence.
As she worked, Cao Lian's gaze returned to Li Yan. "You're quite the prepared one. Most disciples—even Azure Rank—hesitate to spend Shadow Points so freely on pills."
Li Yan answered without change in expression, though his eyes carried a thoughtful edge. "Most chase offense. Weapons. Techniques. Flashy strength."
He paused, letting his words settle. "But it doesn't matter how sharp your blade is if you bleed out with no way to recover."
His voice dipped lower, controlled and pragmatic. "Staying alive is the first requirement for everything else."
Cao Lian held his gaze, admiration slipping subtly into her smile. "Remarkably clear-headed for someone so young. Even many brown-rank disciples lack this clarity."
Li Yan's expression remained calm, but that same subtle smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Clarity comes from necessity."
Meanwhile, Bai Ru moved with the practiced grace of someone who had spent years in the rhythm of the Alchemy Hall. Her fingers brushed lightly over rows of jade bottles, selecting each item with quiet precision.
Glass clinked softly—two Tier-3 Healing Pills, then five Qi Replenishment Pills—each sealed to preserve potency. When she finished, she looked up. "Here are the pills you requested. The total comes to 1,500 Shadow Points."
Li Yan offered a polite nod—then added, "Senior Bai, I'd also like to purchase the next herbalism book."
Bai Ru paused, a faint lift of her brow. "The Intermediate Level volume?"
He answered with a simple nod.
Before Bai Ru could speak, a flicker of surprise crossed Cao Lian's features. "Li Yan," she said, her tone carrying subtle weight, "are you interested in alchemy?"
It wasn't a reprimand—more a quiet probe, a test of intentions he hadn't voiced.
Li Yan met her gaze evenly. "I'm not sure yet, Elder Cao. But if I ever get the chance, I'd like to try my luck—see if I have the talent."
A warm smile curved her lips. "A wise mindset. Most disciples either chase alchemy blindly or wait for someone else to deem them worthy. You're somewhere in between—cautious but curious. With your focus, I wouldn't be surprised if you became a fine alchemist."
Li Yan remained silent, though inwardly he recalled devouring the Beginner manual in minutes—dissecting every concept with unhurried clarity. That, however, was not something he intended to reveal.
Cao Lian folded her arms, her expression turning contemplative. "Alchemy isn't only about refining pills. It shapes your future."
"If you walk that path, you won't simply support your cultivation—you'll carve a name that reaches far beyond the sect. The outside world values alchemists more than you might realize."
Li Yan's brows shifted slightly. The statement carried far more than casual encouragement.
Bai Ru returned with a thick jade-bound manual, placing it on the counter with careful hands. Though silent, her eyes betrayed subtle curiosity.
Li Yan tilted his head, his voice low. "Beyond the sect? Elder Cao… I'm not sure I understand."
A brief silence stretched.
Then Cao Lian leaned in slightly, her tone softening yet sharpening all at once. "Tell me, Li Yan—what's the highest tier of pill you've ever heard of outside?"
He sifted through Yan Tian's memories and answered, "Tier-5, Elder Cao. As far as I know, that's the limit."
Cao Lian nodded slowly, her smile deepening into something unreadable. "Correct, Tier-5 Mid-Level, to be exact. Now… do you know why no higher-tier pills ever appear? Why are they never sold, traded, or even spoken of?"
Li Yan considered. "Because refining higher-tier pills is difficult? Not enough high-tier alchemists?"
A soft chuckle escaped her. "Logical. But wrong."
She tapped a finger against the wooden counter. "The truth is simpler: there are no higher-tier pill recipes available on this planet."
Silence settled.
It was an answer that was obvious once spoken—yet profoundly unsettling. The supposed geniuses of this world weren't limited by talent, but by a ceiling of knowledge they didn't even realize existed.
"So," Li Yan said slowly, "you're telling me that no one on this planet possesses pill recipes above Tier-5 Mid-Level?"
Cao Lian's voice dropped, steady and edged with something deeply personal. "No one," she said.
"Except us."
The atmosphere shifted. The warm air of the Alchemy Hall cooled, as though a hidden door had opened to reveal a far broader horizon than he had imagined.
Li Yan's expression remained calm, but his thoughts sharpened like drawn steel. "Elder Cao…" he said quietly. "What do you mean by 'Except us'?"
Cao Lian's warm composure cooled into something far more solemn. "Our sect, Li Yan—hidden and modest though it appears—possesses treasures and knowledge far beyond what the outside world imagines. The reason for that… lies in our past."
She straightened. Her voice carried a quiet, unshakable pride.
"Our sect has existed for centuries. During that time, a few of our members—our ancestors who reached the Nirvana Attainment Realm (Qi Saint)—gained the ability to break free from the gravitational restraint of this planet and travel to other worlds."
She paused, letting the enormity of that sentence settle before continuing.
"Some of them returned. And when they did, they brought back what this world lacked. Techniques. Artifact schematics. High-tier array formations. Rare treasures. And yes… pill recipes that do not exist anywhere else on this planet."
Li Yan's mind reeled. A storm of calculations stirred beneath his calm exterior.
"Nirvana Attainment Realm… interplanetary travel?" he murmured.
The implications unfolded rapidly—resources, knowledge, hidden potential. A world limited not by talent, but by the boundaries of its own sky.
"If our sect has such a legacy," he said slowly, "why remain hidden? Why allow the world to treat darkness element holders as cursed outcasts?"
His voice was steady, but the question cut through the air sharply.
Bai Ru's gaze flicked toward Cao Lian—quiet, uncertain. Even she seemed unfamiliar with parts of this revelation.
Cao Lian exhaled, her shoulders softening with a weight that did not belong to the present moment.
"I've asked myself that many times," she said softly. "But the truth is… complicated. More than most can grasp."
"The world isn't ready. And we… are not yet in the position to change it without facing consequences."
Li Yan's voice dropped. "Consequences?"
She nodded. Slowly. Gravely.
"You'll understand someday—when your strength grows, when your perception sharpens, when you can see further than you can now. Also, when the time comes for our sect to reveal itself… it will not be through fear or violence."
A faint, almost wistful smile touched her lips. "And when that day comes, I believe you'll play a role in it. I hope you remember this conversation."
Li Yan fell silent, thoughtful. His gaze drifted to the herbalism manual… then back to Cao Lian. Something in his eyes sharpened—resolve layered with curiosity, calculation, and intent.
"Understood, Elder Cao."
Cao Lian's expression softened, though her eyes gleamed with quiet anticipation.
"In my opinion, Li Yan, with your talent and background… the path of alchemy may suit you exceptionally well."
She paused, letting her words settle with deliberate weight. "Of course, becoming a true alchemist is no easy task. Even with rare talent, it could take forty years or more to reach Tier 6. But if you succeed… the rewards will echo far beyond this sect."
"You could become the cultivator who introduces higher-tier pills to the world—your name carved into history as the one who ushered in a new era of alchemy."
Her tone dipped, as though releasing a truth held tightly for too long. "I know what you're thinking—why doesn't the sect reveal those recipes ourselves?"
She met his gaze directly, for once allowing true openness to surface. "There are rules, Li Yan. Rules written by our ancestors. We are forbidden from exposing certain knowledge to the world."
Her next words lowered into something almost reverent. "But your situation is different. With the goddess's protection upon you… even if the ancestors descended from the heavens themselves, none would dare question your actions."
Li Yan's expression deepened as he considered Elder Cao's words—the weight of responsibility. After a brief silence, he inclined his head.
"Elder Cao, I appreciate your trust. But for now, I'll focus on the tasks Senior Yao Fuhuo assigned. When the time is right… I'll begin exploring alchemy."
Cao Lian nodded in approval. "A wise choice. Your current training comes first. When you can walk both paths without losing yourself, only then should you begin."
Li Yan straightened slightly, calm yet resolute. "I understand. Thank you for your guidance."
Her stern composure softened into a warm smile. "Think nothing of it. And should you ever choose that path, don't hesitate to seek me out. I can't bend the sect's rules… but I can help you navigate them."
Li Yan returned a faint smile. "Elder Cao, if I may ask—what tier of alchemy have you reached?"
"Tier-7, Low-Level," she replied. "Thanks to the knowledge and recipes our sect has."
His eyes widened. "Truly? Then I'm honored, Elder Cao."
She chuckled. "You flatter me."
With a smile, Li Yan turned toward the counter where Bai Ru had been quietly observing. "Senior Bai, what's the total?"
A subtle warmth flickered in her gaze. "2,500 Shadow Points."
Li Yan summoned his disciple badge without hesitation. He had grown familiar with parting with Shadow Points like water—for him, resources were meant to be used, not hoarded.
Cao Lian let out a light laugh. "You're not even going to ask for a discount?"
He glanced over, smiling faintly. "If other disciples don't receive special treatment, then I shouldn't either. Fairness should be practiced, not merely preached."
"Very well," she replied with a soft chuckle. "I won't insist."
Bai Ru pressed her golden badge against his. A gentle pulse of light marked the transaction.
"Deduction complete," she said quietly.
Li Yan stored the pills, the herbalism book, and his badge into his ring in a single smooth motion. "Thank you both for your time and kindness. I'll take my leave."
"Take care, Li Yan," Cao Lian said. "And remember—my doors remain open."
He bowed and stepped out. The hall doors closed behind him with a soft echo, leaving a lingering silence.
Bai Ru hesitated before speaking. "Mother… do you truly believe it's wise to let Li Yan bring higher-tier pills into the world?"
Cao Lian's gaze lingered on the doorway. "Ru'er, you don't understand the need outside these walls. People are suffering—dying, stagnating—because they lack access to such medicine. As alchemists, we were meant to heal… yet we're shackled by centuries-old rules."
"But what if the other branches oppose it?" Bai Ru asked. "They rejected the idea before—violently."
Cao Lian's tone sharpened with quiet conviction. "Let them. With the goddess's protection resting on Li Yan, none of them will dare act against him."
"Besides…" she glanced at her daughter-in-law, "Li Yan isn't someone who shows all his cards. Even if he starts learning, he'll keep his progress hidden."
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "If he returns for alchemical materials—don't try to probe further. Keep it secret. Tell no one, not even the elders. Let him grow in silence. The strongest medicines take time to brew."
Clarity settled in Bai Ru's eyes. "Understood, Mother. I'll keep his purchases private."
Cao Lian nodded, pride flickering in her gaze. "Good. Let him rise on his own. When the time comes… the world will witness the rebirth of high-tier alchemy through his hands."
Meanwhile, Li Yan returned to his room and finally allowed himself to sleep—his first true rest in days.