Volume 3, Chapter 445 – Pill Refining by Proxy?

Chi Xiyan recognized this Punishment Hall elder.

As the Chi family’s young lady, she knew nearly every elder and steward in the family, great or small.

Early Fifth Realm, but Fifth Realm all the same.

Under normal circumstances, a Fourth Realm cultivator stood almost no chance of defeating a Fifth Realm warrior.

But for Chi Xiyan as she was now, this wasn’t much of a problem.

She was a sword cultivator, and sword cultivators excelled at fighting above their rank.

At the same time, she was also an alchemist, and pills could provide a considerable boost to her combat strength.

What’s more, during her two years training in the demonic beast forest, she had already slain more than one Fifth Realm demonic beast.

A crisp crack sounded from Chi Xiyan’s mouth.

Refined medicinal power surged down her throat and spread through every limb.

As the power filled her entire body, Chi Xiyan raised her left hand, the small jade sword spinning smoothly in her palm.

The spiraling blade grazed effortlessly across the shadow whip the Punishment Hall elder had struck out with, shredding it to pieces as easily as an autumn wind scattering fallen leaves.

The Punishment Hall elder’s expression shifted slightly, clearly not expecting his attack to be dissolved so easily.

“You’ve advanced to the Fifth Realm?”

“No, this isn’t the Fifth Realm…this aura is only peak Fourth Realm. You used pills to reach Fifth Realm strength?!”

The Punishment Hall elder’s expression grew increasingly unsightly.

If this Chi Xiyan had been an ordinary cultivator, his early Fifth Realm cultivation would naturally have crushed her with ease.

But everyone knew that Chi Xiyan was a sword cultivator personally trained by the Chi family’s young lady.

The sword dao essentials she had inherited were undoubtedly among the very finest in the world.

An early Fifth Realm warrior wasn’t necessarily guaranteed to overpower a genius sword cultivator at peak Fourth Realm.

Chi Xiyan saw the elder’s hesitation.

“Did the Chi family send only you?”

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“Or is it that you wanted to claim all the credit for yourself, so you came alone?”

Hearing this, the Punishment Hall elder’s face stiffened. “Insolent child, don’t get carried away!”

“When I was already making my name across the martial world, you were still a baby suckling at the breast!”

With that, he no longer held back.

His Fifth Realm cultivation aura erupted instantly.

His long whip lashed out at Chi Xiyan, filling the sky with whip shadows.

A crackling boom of air being torn apart burst out instantly.

“Seems it’s the second option, then.” Chi Xiyan murmured.

She held the small jade sword horizontally before her, its glowing white sword qi coiling into a spiral that wrapped completely around her.

“Then let’s settle this quickly.”

As her words fell, the small sword in her hand slashed forward gently.

Like a light breeze brushing through willow branches, the gentle motion stirred no visible disturbance at all.

But in that very instant, the Punishment Hall elder’s face changed drastically.

“This is the young lady’s swordsmanship!!”

“The very technique the young lady used to slay a Fifth Realm warrior at the age of twelve!”

The moment he recognized the technique, he didn’t hesitate for even a second, turning to flee at once.

“Lingxiao Sword-Brushing Technique: Bifan Return.”

The gentle sword strike Chi Xiyan had unleashed suddenly folded back upon itself.

A crisp metallic clang rang out.

The weapon the Punishment Hall elder held before him snapped in two, and along with it, so did his neck.

Fissure after fissure spread downward along his neck, and within a single instant, they had spread across his entire body.

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His head spun halfway around on his neck, staring in disbelief at the small jade sword in Chi Xiyan’s hand.

“Why…would the young lady…leave her own sword…in your keeping…”

Chi Xiyan murmured softly, “Because she’s my Dao Companion.”

The Punishment Hall elder’s eyes went wide, unable to close them even in death.

Chi Xiyan gently brushed the blade.

As the small sword let out a cheerful ring, the elder’s corpse shattered into pieces.

A Fifth Realm warrior who had survived countless battles had, just like that, been killed in a single strike.

“Muxue could slay a Fifth Realm warrior with this technique at the age of twelve.”

“I really am far behind her.”

Chi Xiyan sighed helplessly.

She put away her sword.

That single simple strike had consumed nearly half of her spiritual energy in one go.

Sensing the spiritual energy remaining within her, Chi Xiyan raised her head and looked into the distance.

This Fifth Realm warrior had underestimated her far too much, otherwise he wouldn’t have fallen so quickly.

“The Chi family already knows my whereabouts. It won’t be long before they send more powerful cultivators.”

Chi Xiyan smiled bitterly. “I never should have saved that girl in the first place.”

Things had come to this; regret was useless now.

What she needed to think about was what to do next.

“The Chi family will surely focus their search on Heiyin City next…”

“But if I don’t go to Heiyin City, the next town with the facilities to refine pills would mean traveling to an entirely different commandery…”

That would waste a considerable amount of time.

With the three year deadline drawing near, Chi Xiyan no longer had that much time to spare.

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“To Heiyin City!”

“I have no other choice.”

Chi Xiyan’s gaze grew a shade more resolute.

***

About the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea later.

Several beams of escaping light streaked across the sky above the road.

“Elder Li’s aura vanished right up ahead. That traitor must be here somewhere.”

“Over there…there’s residual sword qi over there!”

“She fled toward the mountains.”

“After her, quickly!”

Those few overwhelming auras faded into the distance.

Chi Xiyan crawled out of a hollow in a tree. She gagged slightly, spitting out the Aura Concealing Pill she’d been holding in her mouth.

“Three Fifth Realm warriors…the Chi family really is sparing no effort to catch me.”

Chi Xiyan let out a self mocking snort.

“At my current cultivation, facing three Fifth Realm warriors head on would truly be troublesome.”

“Muxue’s swordsmanship, strong as it is, costs too much for me to sustain right now.”

“If I could advance to the Fifth Realm, these warriors would pose no threat to me at all.”

Chi Xiyan murmured to herself, clenching the storage ring in her hand tightly.

The opportunity to break through to the Fifth Realm lay right in her grasp.

***

Half an hour later, Chi Xiyan successfully entered Heiyin City.

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The moment she entered, she stopped a passerby and bought a map of Heiyin City with a low grade spirit stone.

“Just as I remembered.”

“The two largest pill halls in Heiyin City belong to the Lingbao Commerce Association and the Silver Bell Commerce Association.”

The Lingbao Commerce Association wasn’t an option Chi Xiyan considered.

She headed straight for the Silver Bell Commerce Association’s pill hall.

The Silver Bell Commerce Association’s pill hall was enormous, fully twice the size of the Lingbao Commerce Association’s.

The moment she stepped into the pill hall, Chi Xiyan was greeted by a rich medicinal fragrance.

Bathed in the fresh scent of herbs, Chi Xiyan’s tense nerves found a brief moment of relief.

For some reason, this soothing fragrance reminded her of Chi Muxue.

The alluring scent that clung to that girl’s body had a similar calming effect to the fragrance of this pill hall.

No…that wasn’t right.

That girl’s natural scent was several times stronger than the fragrance in this pill hall.

“Welcome to the Silver Bell Pill Hall, honored guest.”

A beautiful attendant came forward to greet her.

“May I ask what you need? Our pill hall offers sales and agency services for all kinds of pills.”

“If there’s a particular pill you require, our pill hall can also commission an alchemist to refine it for you.”

Chi Xiyan was taken aback. The Silver Bell Commerce Association offered this kind of service too.

Just then, a familiar voice sounded from nearby. “Pill refining by proxy? Can you refine sword sect pills as well?”

Chi Xiyan’s pupils contracted.

‘That voice, could it be?’

Song Shixuan!