Chapter 40: True Talent

"By the way, Junior Brother Fang, I heard you’ve started Artifact Refining."

The smile faded from Wang Yourong’s face as she asked the question.

"Yes." Fang Yun nodded.

"Then what about your Alchemy?"

Wang Yourong hadn’t just heard that Fang Yun had started Artifact Refining. The rumor was that his talent for it was even greater than his talent for Alchemy.

She knew of Fang Yun’s Alchemy Talent.

’To have heard such a rumor... it must mean his Artifact Refining talent is something else!’

"Alchemy is my main focus, Artifact Refining is secondary," Fang Yun replied succinctly.

"Oh, I see. That’s a relief. Even if your Artifact Refining talent is better, you should still focus on Alchemy." Realizing her statement had a potential flaw, Wang Yourong quickly added, "Assuming your Alchemy Talent is decent, of course."

’If his Alchemy Talent was poor, then focusing on Artifact Refining would obviously be the better choice.’

’He could use the Spirit Stones earned from Artifact Refining to buy pills.’

"Senior Sister Wang, I want to sell these twenty-two Upper-Grade Qi Nourishing Pills." As he spoke, Fang Yun set out five small porcelain vials, one of which contained two pills.

"Upper-Grade Qi Nourishing Pills..."

Wang Yourong hesitated for a moment.

She recalled that Fang Yun hadn’t sold any Qi Nourishing Pills in the last two months, only Cyan Jade Pills.

And these weren’t Lower-Grade or Middle-Grade Qi Nourishing Pills—they were all Upper-Grade.

"Is there a problem?" Fang Yun asked, seeing Wang Yourong’s hesitation.

Instead of voicing her doubts, Wang Yourong simply looked at Fang Yun and probed his aura.

When a Cultivator wasn’t actively using their Spiritual Power, one had to probe their aura to determine their cultivation level. If they were using Spiritual Power, a quick sense was all it took.

"Peak of the Qi Refining Fourth Layer!" Wang Yourong exclaimed in shock.

She never would have imagined that Fang Yun had already reached the peak of the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.

One more step and he’d be at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

’When did Fang Yun even break through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer?’

’If I remember correctly, didn’t he only break through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer six months ago?’

For someone with Five Spirit Roots to have this kind of cultivation speed, Wang Yourong could only think of one possibility.

"Junior Brother Fang, are these the Upper-Grade Qi Nourishing Pills you had leftover from your own use?" Wang Yourong asked, seeking to confirm her theory.

"Yes, Senior Sister Wang. Is there a problem?" Fang Yun repeated himself.

"Who on earth started the rumor that your Artifact Refining talent is better than your Alchemy Talent? It’s obvious your Alchemy Talent is far stronger!"

Wang Yourong didn’t know the specifics of Fang Yun’s Artifact Refining talent, but she *did* know his Alchemy Talent.

She had thought she had a good grasp of Fang Yun’s Alchemy Talent, but it seemed she hadn’t known the half of it.

Fang Yun must have accumulated a large number of Upper-Grade Qi Nourishing Pills beforehand. During the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, he must have used them almost exclusively to support his cultivation. Otherwise, with his Five Spirit Roots, it would have been impossible for him to reach the peak of the Qi Refining Fourth Layer so quickly.

"Junior Brother Fang, with Alchemy Talent like this, I believe it won’t be difficult for you to become an Inner Sect Disciple. In the future, you might even have a chance at Foundation Establishment."

For disciples with truly outstanding talent in a specific area, becoming an Inner Sect Disciple wasn’t difficult, even without a background. And once they became Inner Sect Disciples, the sect’s methods for nurturing them would change completely.

Wang Yourong hadn’t known when Fang Yun reached the Qi Refining Third Layer. If she had, she could have gauged his Alchemy Talent much more accurately.

"You’re too kind, Senior Sister Wang. For now, I’m just focused on breaking through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer."

"I’m just telling the truth. It’s not flattery at all." Wang Yourong insisted, not thinking she was exaggerating. "Junior Brother Fang, with Alchemy Talent like this, you should have told me sooner! You had me completely mistaken."

’Thinking back to how shocked she’d looked just now, Wang Yourong felt she hadn’t acted like a Senior Sister at all.’

’If she had known about his Alchemy Talent from the start, she wouldn’t have been surprised at all. Instead, she would have nonchalantly collected the vials of Upper-Grade Qi Nourishing Pills and handed over the corresponding Spirit Stones.’

"If you had asked, Senior Sister Wang, I would have told you," Fang Yun said with a smile.

’The main reason was that Wang Yourong had never asked him about it directly, relying instead on her own assumptions.’

’Under normal circumstances, one could indeed get a rough idea of his Alchemy Talent based on the pills he sold.’

’But his talent was special. Right now, it was a three-star Alchemy Talent, but who knew how many stars it would be in the future.’

’It was better to let others discover his talent inadvertently than to go around boasting about how great it was.’

’That would just put people off. ’Did I even ask about your talent?’ they’d think.’

’The Celestial Cloud Sect was a quintessential Orthodox Sect. To increase your influence here, you needed a positive reputation. In a Demon Sect, on the other hand, a reputation that inspired fear was what built influence.’

"Oh, forget it. I’m magnanimous enough not to hold it against you, Junior Brother Fang. Besides, I know now anyway."

With that said, Wang Yourong began inspecting the pills in the small porcelain vials.

Even though she trusted Fang Yun, her position required her to perform her duties.

The proper procedures had to be followed.

"Twenty-two Upper-Grade Qi Nourishing Pills comes to seventy-nine Lower-Grade Spirit Stones, plus two pounds of Clear Water Rice."

At that moment, Fang Yun placed the eight pounds of Clear Water Rice he had prepared on the counter.

"That makes it an even eighty Lower-Grade Spirit Stones."

"Senior Sister Wang, I’d like one Lower-Grade Qi Condensing Pill," Fang Yun said.

’Normally, two Middle-Grade Qi Radiance Pills would be enough for him to attempt a breakthrough to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. The extra Lower-Grade Qi Condensing Pill was just for insurance.’

"Alright."

After counting the Upper-Grade Qi Nourishing Pills, Wang Yourong quickly retrieved a Lower-Grade Qi Condensing Pill for Fang Yun.

"One Lower-Grade Qi Condensing Pill costs thirty Lower-Grade Spirit Stones. Junior Brother Fang, here are the remaining fifty Lower-Grade Spirit Stones."

After Fang Yun collected the Spirit Stones and the Lower-Grade Qi Condensing Pill, he chatted briefly with Wang Yourong, then bid her farewell and left the Dan Cloud Pavilion.

He was now heading back to attempt his breakthrough to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

Not long after Fang Yun left, Song Qiaoqiao arrived at the Dan Cloud Pavilion.

She had come to the Dan Cloud Pavilion to accept a mission. Even as the great-granddaughter of a Supreme Elder, she still had to abide by the sect’s rules. She couldn’t just go the whole year without accepting or completing any missions.

Besides, the missions from the Dan Cloud Pavilion were all beneficial for improving her alchemy skills.

"Oh, if it isn’t Senior Sister Song." Wang Yourong spotted Song Qiaoqiao and immediately shook her head. "What a pity, what a pity. You’re too late, Senior Sister Song."

"Junior Sister Wang, what’s with you today?"

Song Qiaoqiao didn’t quite understand Wang Yourong’s behavior.

’She had just come to accept a mission from the Dan Cloud Pavilion. What was there to feel pity about?’

An ordinary disciple might have immediately wondered if the alchemy mission they wanted had been taken by someone else.

But since that had never been an issue for Song Qiaoqiao, the thought didn’t immediately cross her mind.