Chapter 85: Management Elder

He arrived at Dan Cloud Peak.

Fang Yun first headed to the Dan Cloud Pavilion.

If he wanted to find an Elder, he could ask for directions at the Dan Cloud Pavilion. He could ask either a Steward or Senior Sister Wang Yourong.

As for Fang Yun, he was hoping to see Senior Sister Wang.

On the way to the Dan Cloud Pavilion.

As Fang Yun hurried along, he saw Song Qiaoqiao also heading toward the Dan Cloud Pavilion.

"Senior Sister Song."

Fang Yun called out.

Hearing the familiar voice, Song Qiaoqiao immediately stopped in her tracks.

When she turned, she saw Fang Yun standing before her.

Song Qiaoqiao noticed that the Spiritual Power fluctuations coming from Fang Yun were no longer that of the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, but the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

"Congratulations on breaking through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, Junior Brother Fang!" Song Qiaoqiao immediately congratulated him with a smile.

Fang Yun, now stopped in front of Song Qiaoqiao, glanced at her impressive chest before discreetly looking away.

"Now, I’m an Inner Sect Disciple, just like you, Senior Sister."

"You probably haven’t been to the Celestial Cloud Pavilion yet, have you, Junior Brother?" Song Qiaoqiao noticed that Fang Yun was still wearing the robes of an Outer Sect disciple.

"I’ve already been, I just haven’t changed my clothes yet."

"Oh, I see." Song Qiaoqiao nodded, then shared an update of her own. "Since you’ve already reached the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, Junior Brother, I’ll have to hurry up and break through to the Qi Refining Tenth Layer."

Hearing this, Fang Yun noticed that Song Qiaoqiao was not far from the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. Her next step would be the Qi Refining Tenth Layer.

The Qi Refining Tenth Layer was also known as the Peak of Qi Refining, representing the end of the Qi Refining Stage.

It was only natural that Song Qiaoqiao’s Realm breakthroughs were fast.

"I used to think you’d become a Sect Elder around age twenty-five, Senior Sister. It seems I underestimated you."

In two or three years, Song Qiaoqiao would likely break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage and become a Sect Elder.

"Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage isn’t that easy. Even after cultivating to the peak of the Qi Refining Tenth Layer, it’s best to let your foundation settle before attempting the breakthrough."

"But that settling period won’t take long for you, Senior Sister, will it?" Fang Yun chuckled.

As the two continued to chat, Fang Yun brought up what he really wanted to know.

Since he had run into Song Qiaoqiao on the way, there was no longer a need to go to the Dan Cloud Pavilion.

"Senior Sister, I’m looking for the Management Elder of Dan Cloud Peak. Where should I go?" Fang Yun asked directly.

Among the five great peaks of the Celestial Cloud Sect, aside from the Main Peak, Cloud Summit, the other four peaks each had a designated Management Elder.

The Management Elder of Dan Cloud Peak, for instance, was certain to be an Alchemy Master.

A Management Elder held significantly more authority than an ordinary Elder.

"I’ll take you there, Junior Brother," Song Qiaoqiao said after a moment of thought.

"Don’t you have other things to do?"

"Accepting my mission a little later won’t be a problem."

"That’s great!" Fang Yun looked very pleased. "Let’s walk and talk, Senior Sister."

"Alright."

In his subsequent conversation with Song Qiaoqiao, Fang Yun learned that the Management Elder of Dan Cloud Peak was named Bai Heyan.

As soon as he heard the surname Bai, his first thought was whether this Elder was related to Senior Sister Bai Qinying.

He received an affirmative answer from Song Qiaoqiao.

Bai Heyan was Bai Qinying’s great-uncle.

This connection made Fang Yun recall the so-called agreement he had with Senior Sister Bai, an agreement that also involved Song Qiaoqiao.

"We’re almost there, Junior Brother. It’s just ahead."

Under Song Qiaoqiao’s guidance, the two arrived at the upper part of Dan Cloud Peak’s mountainside.

A cave abode here was the residence of Elder Bai Heyan, the Management Elder of Dan Cloud Peak.

"This is where Elder Bai lives," Song Qiaoqiao said, pointing to the cave abode. "Elder Bai should be inside right now."

"If no one’s here, you can come back in a few days to check again, Junior Brother," Song Qiaoqiao added after some thought.

Fang Yun nodded, walked forward a few steps, and knocked on the stone door of Elder Bai Heyan’s cave abode.

In less than half a breath, the stone door of the cave abode opened.

"I’ll be going now, Junior Brother." If Elder Bai Heyan hadn’t been in the cave abode, she could have left together with Fang Yun.

"Thank you for showing me the way, Senior Sister!" Fang Yun said, turning his head to thank her.

As Song Qiaoqiao turned to leave, Fang Yun stepped into the Elder’s cave abode.

The moment the stone door opened, Fang Yun was hit by a wave of medicinal fragrance.

Once inside, the medicinal fragrance was even richer.

Elder Bai Heyan’s cave abode was vast, much larger than his own house, and this was just the outermost hall.

"Fang Yun, you’re here. Come, sit over here."

Bai Heyan appeared to be in his early fifties. He was tall, and the look in his eyes was somewhat similar to Bai Qinying’s.

When Fang Yun entered, Bai Heyan smiled and beckoned him over.

He seemed completely unsurprised to see Fang Yun here.

At any rate, Fang Yun couldn’t detect any hint of surprise on Elder Bai Heyan’s face. He didn’t dwell on it. ’Perhaps he is surprised, but it doesn’t show at all.’

’To become the Management Elder of Dan Cloud Peak, one needs not only the requisite alchemy skills but also sufficient seniority as an Elder. An Elder like him is most likely over a hundred years old; it wouldn’t be impossible for him to be over one hundred and fifty.’

"Greetings, Elder."

Fang Yun stepped forward and bowed, only sitting down in the indicated seat after a nod from Bai Heyan.

The seat he took was lower, forcing him to look up at Bai Heyan.

"You entered the sect at the third layer of Qi Refining, and in less than two years, you’ve reached the seventh layer. You must have consumed a fair number of Top-grade Qi Nourishing Pills and Top-grade Cyan Jade Pills, haven’t you, Fang Yun?" Bai Heyan began.

"Yes, Elder. I’ve used several hundred of each," Fang Yun nodded, then lamented, "The normal cultivation speed for someone with Five Spirit Roots is just too slow."

’As the Management Elder of Dan Cloud Peak, it’s incredibly easy for him to look up my information.’

’The rental times for the Alchemy Room, the sales of Lower and Middle Grade Qi Nourishing Pills and Cyan Jade Pills, and my purchases of Spirit Medicine in the Disciple Marketplace.’

’If he wanted to investigate, he could find out everything about me.’

’But I’m not afraid of being investigated. The talent I’ve displayed is genuine, and my background is clean—my parents were both disciples of the Celestial Cloud Sect.’

’And my personal goal is to one day take the position of Sect Leader of the Celestial Cloud Sect.’

’Right now, the sect’s upper echelons can investigate me thoroughly. In the future, when I become part of the upper echelons, I’ll be the one investigating others.’

’And after taking the Sect Leader’s seat, I have an even more long-term goal deep in my heart—a goal I can’t achieve alone.’

"Do you even practice normal cultivation anymore?" Bai Heyan asked with a smile.

Fang Yun shook his head. "No, I don’t have the time."

"For someone with Five Spirit Roots to achieve a stable Foundation Establishment, they need the aid of a Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. The sect has no more Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills at the moment." Bai Heyan’s smile faded as he slowly brought up the matter of Foundation Establishment.

If someone with Fang Yun’s Alchemy Talent were to fail at Foundation Establishment, it would undoubtedly be a great loss for the sect.

"If there are no Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, then once we have the Spirit Medicine, leave the refining to me." As he said this, Fang Yun was inwardly considering his five-star Alchemy Talent.

"What bold words! But I like it."

Bai Heyan laughed heartily, the look in his eyes now even more like Bai Qinying’s.

"Now then, let’s talk about your alchemy assignments."