Chapter 37

Taking into account Tantai Chan’s status as a second-rank mid-grade alchemist, and the information Su Qingshan had revealed during their previous conversation, everything seemed to point, perhaps inexplicably—to one suspicion: the pills.

Deacon Xu was also a second-rank mid-grade alchemist. If Su Qingshan were seeking a Foundation Establishment Pill, he would surely go to his old father-in-law first.

Moreover, he had only just broken through to late-stage Qi Refining. Wasn’t it a bit early to be preparing for Foundation Establishment?

There was another point.

A second-rank high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill could not be refined by a mid-grade alchemist unless Tantai Chan had recently made a breakthrough in alchemy.

Too many suspicious signs.

Still, Wang Yu leaned toward believing that Tantai Chan had indeed refined a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. Otherwise, there was no way such a small herb garden would be visited by so many first-generation Foundation Establishment cultivators—people were practically trampling over the threshold.

He was currently only at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, so he was in no rush to make plans.

Given his aptitude, relying solely on himself wouldn't be enough. Without using the Idle Slot to grind over time, even one high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill might not do the trick.

His Wasted Spiritual Roots were like a towering mountain pressing down on him.

Looking through past records, he had never heard of anyone with Wasted Spiritual Roots succeeding in establishing a foundation. Of course, it was also possible that Wang Yu’s knowledge was too limited.

That evening, after completing his field patrol task—

Wang Yu continued refining the high-grade Cold Blood Pill within his body. Though the pill's effects were powerful, refining it was extremely difficult. He was starting to consider switching to a supreme-grade Cold Blood Pill.

Although both required a full year to refine, the supreme-grade one could increase his spiritual energy by one hundred units—a benefit that far surpassed the high-grade version.

The price gap between supreme-grade and the high, mid, and low grades was massive, highlighting just how effective supreme-grade pills were. Otherwise, no one would pursue them so eagerly.

Using alchemy to refine cultivation pills for himself was worth the investment, it could save him a lot of time.

After thinking it through—

He looked repeatedly at the three Idle Slots, and Wang Yu ultimately placed the Cold Blood Pill into one. The refining progress was nearly complete anyway; it only needed about two more months.

The time lost was far outweighed by the potential boost from the supreme-grade pill.

It was worth it.

The difference in whether or not to use an Idle Slot lay in whether his alchemy skill was perfected—only then would he be confident in refining supreme-grade pills.

The next day.

A strange medicinal fragrance woke Wang Yu from his sleep. When he pushed open the door, he saw a little white-haired girl standing on a small stool in the path at the center of the medicine field.

In front of her was a large iron pot, which she was stirring continuously with a jade stick.

The fragrance was coming from the pot.

Wang Yu’s eyes widened in surprise. Not just anyone could enter this herb garden—he only had access thanks to the imprint on his task scroll.

This little girl must either possess some special ability, or she was a frequent guest of Tantai Chan’s garden.

Becoming slightly cautious, Wang Yu approached to ask.

He gently pointed to the iron pot, trying to keep his tone calm. “Little sister, what are you doing?”

“Yah—”

“You scared Tangtang.”

The girl, who looked no older than five or six, nearly jabbed him in the forehead with her jade stick. Seeing his flustered expression, she burst into laughter.

“You have white hair, just like Tangtang.”

“Yes...”

“Can you tell big brother what’s in this pot?”

“You mean this? Moonlight Fruits, of course.”

Wang Yu gasped and immediately ran to the back of the medicine field. Upon inspection, he found that only four fruits were left on the two second-rank Moonlight Trees. He couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.

Oh my heavens—

This was disastrous.

It was too late to recover them. The damage was done. Wang Yu turned and sprinted toward the gate.

At that moment, the girl spoke again.

“Why are you panicking? The Youth Retaining Pill is almost done. If you call Tangtang ‘Sister Tang,’ I’ll give you one.”

Wang Yu froze. Making pills in a pot? His anxiety suddenly faded. Staring at her cheerful smile, he realized something.

She’s not panicking, so why should I?

“Tangtang, what’s your relationship with Tantai Chan?”

“Chan’er? Chan’er is my spirit slave. Are you her spirit slave too?”

The child’s voice was innocent and pure, but what she said shattered Wang Yu’s entire worldview.

Wang Yu was stunned: ! (◎_◎;)

His mind was spinning in a brainstorm, already starting to feel dizzy.

“Then Tang… Sister Tang, you are—”

“The Blood Reversal Sect's sect-guarding fierce beast, the Blood-Eyed Demonic Flood Dragon—his daughter. The future Demonic Immortal, I am Yu Tangtang!”

The “daughter” part was deliberately drawn out with a rising and falling rhythm. The whole sentence was full of cadence and overwhelming presence. One foot stood on a bench, the other on a pot lid, pointing a jade staff toward the sky, radiating sheer dominance.

A second-generation elite.

Wang Yu quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He also realized why Tantai Chan had deliberately said those things to him before she left. With such backing, how could those first-generation cultivators possibly oppose her?

Just by revealing Yu Tangtang’s identity, those Foundation Establishment cultivators chasing her to Tianbao City would surely bleed heavily. She had used herself as bait to secure great benefits.

Yu Tangtang was Tantai Chan’s greatest backing and opportunity. Realizing this, Wang Yu’s smile became much more genuine.

“Sister Tang, how old are you this year? Do you need someone to take care of you?”

Yu Tangtang gave him a curious glance.

“This Demonic Immortal is five years old this year, late-stage Qi Refining. Do you want to be my wet nurse?”

Wet nurse...

Could that be Tantai Chan’s role? He didn’t recall those two soft mounds being that large. Was she bound to her already?

Just five years old, and already at late-stage Qi Refining. Wang Yu broke into a cold sweat. Demonic beasts cultivated in mostly the same way as the human race, and their lifespans were roughly the same.

But they were born with powerful physiques. Once they turned one and their meridians developed fully, they could begin cultivation. Humans, however, had to wait until they were sixteen to withstand the impact of spiritual energy.

In cases where the parents were powerful cultivators, they would often seek out all sorts of rare spiritual treasures to help their children reach the necessary threshold for cultivation around the age of eight. The most gifted could even begin by six.

Often, they would reach Foundation Establishment before the age of twenty, with a bright future ahead.

Much of the early years were spent learning basic cultivation knowledge: meridian diagrams, cultivation principles, reading and comprehension, etc. Three years of solid foundation-building meant that once they started cultivating, their speed would leave ordinary cultivators in the dust.

In his sixteen years, Wang Yu had studied not only a wide range of subjects, but mastered many of them. Known since childhood as a prodigy, he had immersed himself in astronomy and geography, Confucian classics, esoteric techniques, and all kinds of strange skills. After all, the effect of the Idle Slot was not to be underestimated—it was better to use it than let it sit idle.

But now, after encountering Yu Tangtang, he immediately felt the weight of wasted time. What mundane knowledge could compare to the allure of the path to immortality?

“A wet nurse isn’t necessary, but don’t you need a playmate?”

Yu Tangtang furrowed her delicate brows.

“You’re too weak. You’d die playing. Besides, you don’t even qualify to be a wet nurse.”

She raised her little hand and poked Wang Yu’s chest muscles, pouting.

That sentence made Wang Yu realize Yu Tangtang wasn’t someone he could easily handle. The malice of a child is pure; she didn’t even know it was malice. And her father was a demonic flood dragon.

In an instant, Wang Yu, whose head had been overheated, sobered up on the spot.

“Sister Tang, I’ll leave you to your business.

I’m just a farmer. Feel free to pick anything from here.”

“Wait——

Your Youth Retaining Pill.”

It was already refined?

Looking at the strange black pill tossed over to him, Wang Yu twitched at the corners of his mouth as he accepted it.

What a waste!