Tian Feirong had just reached the fifth level of Qi Refining. Coming out of seclusion, he felt that the outside world was so beautiful. He never knew he could progress in cultivation so quickly, and looking forward, Foundation Establishment was not an unreasonable expectation.
The medicinal residues in his body had long been cleared. Thinking about the source of these medicines, a trace of bitterness flickered in Tian Feirong's eyes, but he quickly cast it aside. Someday, he would figure everything out. He wouldn't shirk responsibilities that belonged to him, but he wouldn't willingly bear burdens that weren't his. Leaving Yang Town with his big brother back then now seemed like the most correct decision. Otherwise, he would have spent his whole life aimlessly in Yang Town.
Thinking about his big brother, he wondered about his current situation at Tianhai Sect. His cultivation should have improved. His big brother cared for him without any impurities, and he hoped his big brother's cultivation path was smooth.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Tian, on another advancement in cultivation." When Tian Feirong approached, Cao Kuan and Feng Zhi no longer doubted their eyes. He had indeed reached the fifth level of Qi Refining.
Tian Feirong humbly responded, but there was a high-spirited curve at the corner of his mouth. "It's just a stroke of luck. Thanks to the guidance of Senior Gu Yao and Senior Chi."
This attitude wasn't displeasing. Who wouldn't be happy about an increase in cultivation? Moreover, compared to Chubby, Tian Feirong was better at interacting with people. Perhaps it was a natural ability. Chubby, on the other hand, excelled at differentiating and selecting useful information from crowds. He was more familiar with the various covert methods, making them the perfect duo.
"Junior Brother Tian, take a look at the spiritual rice we harvested this time. It's all here," Cao Kuan invited Tian Feirong to inspect.
After looking at it, Tian Feirong was genuinely pleased. Just the aroma indicated its refreshing fragrance. "Let's cook with the new spiritual rice today. You guys should stay for dinner. We'll continue working on the land. In this aspect, you're more professional than me."
"Sure, thanks, Junior Brother Tian."
Tian Feirong neatly stored all the spiritual rice into his storage bag, intending to offer a portion to Cao Kuan and Feng Zhi after making a proper count. After all, compared to other residents in Area A, Gu Yao and Chi Changye didn't need these ten acres of spiritual farmland as their source of income.
Although Tianfu Academy wasn't completely isolated from the outside world, and even though they might not have known initially, later, with the opening of the sales channels for a series of cosmetic pills by the Star and Moon Trading Company, everyone knew that the pill formulas came from Gu Yao. Observing Gu Yao's close relationship with the Star and Moon Trading Company, it was clear there was no coercion involved. Therefore, Gu Yao must be benefiting significantly. Coupled with other sources of income, how many people in the academy could surpass Gu Yao's current wealth?
The alchemists of Danfeng Peak may openly look down on Gu Yao, yet privately, they were still trying various methods to analyze the pill formula. However, until now, there hadn't been much progress. In contrast, Gu Yao, building on the foundation of the original pills, made improvements and introduced several new pills, which were quite popular among the beauty-conscious cultivators.
"Is Senior Alchemist Gu still in seclusion? Senior Alchemist Gu is indeed diligent," Feng Zhi inquired with curiosity, not having seen Gu Yao and Chi Changye come out these past few days.
Tian Feirong's eyes flickered, saying, "Yes, you guys might not know Gu Yao well. His greatest hobbies are alchemy and cultivation. I won't keep you any longer; you all are busy. I have some matters to attend to as well."
"Junior Brother Tian, take care."
After returning, Tian Feirong arranged the spiritual rice and glanced in the direction of the inner courtyard. In fact, Gu Yao and Chi Changye hadn't been inside these past two days. Gu Yao felt that his cultivation had reached a bottleneck, so he decided to try a different cultivation method. They went out for training, and, of course, Chi Changye followed to protect him.
However, not many people knew about Gu Yao's actions because many envied him. Tian Feirong thought that after consolidating his cultivation, he could also go out for practice.
Gu Yao and Chi Changye concealed their appearances, walking on the outskirts of the Curved Mound Mountain. The method to conceal their appearances came from Chubby. It allowed them to pass through the eyes of the alchemists at the Cuiyan Valley without being noticed. After all, Chubby, even after being identified by Gu Yao and Chi Changye, studied the mask out of curiosity. Even Chi Changye, who couldn't see through it, found this mask not simple.
Gu Yao didn't figure it out, but Chi Changye discovered that the mask incorporated a peculiar rune. After studying it thoroughly, he replicated two masks. Although they weren't as perfect as Chubby's, Chi Changye was confident that even a general Foundation Establishment cultivator would find it hard to detect.
They had been on the outskirts of the mountain range for more than a day. Chi Changye let Gu Yao fight on his own to practice. From initially being somewhat chaotic to now being much calmer, Gu Yao's use of various spells became more proficient. He also felt that his control over spiritual power had improved.
As the day darkened, the two found a clear area to rest. They had left behind provisions while hunting demonic beasts during the day, so they started a fire to roast meat.
Chi Changye handled the roasting, and Gu Yao took out other food from his storage bag, such as spirit fruits, spirit rice balls bought from the cafeteria, and flower cakes made by Bai Shimei. Brewing a pot of spirit tea, he believed other cultivators coming out for trials wouldn't have such a delightful experience.
After preparing everything, Gu Yao sat next to Chi Changye, watching him roast meat. Chi Changye's culinary skills had greatly improved compared to the past. Brushing on a layer of spirit honey and roasting it over the fire produced a sizzling sound. The aroma quickly filled the air, tempting Gu Yao, who couldn't help but swallow: "Big Brother Night, isn't it ready yet? My stomach is growling just from the smell."
Turning to see Gu Yao eagerly looking at the roasted meat and drooling, Chi Changye revealed an indulgent smile. Using his fingers, he touched Gu Yao's face and said, "Eat a piece of pastry first. After brushing on another layer of seasoning, it should be ready to eat."
"Alright, good things are worth waiting for." Gu Yao picked up a piece of flower cake from a nearby plate, first brought it to Chi Changye's mouth, and when Chi Changye looked at his white fingers with a smile, he opened his mouth and bit the flower cake. Gu Yao withdrew his hand and picked up another piece to put in his own mouth.
"Bring a plate over."
Gu Yao cheered and handed over a clean plate. Chi Changye now had a sharp little knife in his hand. With a few strokes, thin slices of meat appeared on the plate, as thin as cicada wings. Gu Yao couldn't wait and directly picked up a piece without being burned. It was delicious, incredibly delicious!
Chi Changye continued roasting, and Gu Yao sat beside him, eating and occasionally feeding Chi Changye. They chatted about their experiences during the day, and Chi Changye took the opportunity to point out Gu Yao's areas of improvement and where he needed to make progress. When they were halfway through the roasted meat, a sound came from the woods, gradually getting closer. It seemed like another group of cultivators coming out for trials, most likely from Tianfu Academy, as they hadn't reached the trial boundaries of Qianxue Sect yet. Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that there might be other rogue cultivators.
The group of cultivators had already emerged from the dense forest and entered Gu Yao and Chi Changye's field of vision. A female cultivator in the middle of the group sniffled, saying, "It smells so good. The person's skills are truly remarkable, and the meat is so fragrant. It must be delicious."
"Let's go over and take a look. We can either ask them to sell us a portion or roast another portion for us. We'll pay them in spirit stones." Another person suggested.
Gu Yao had eaten his fill and was sipping spirit tea to aid digestion. He looked up and saw the approaching group. A surprised expression appeared on his face: "There's someone inside who looks familiar. They should be from the academy."
Chi Changye also looked up for a moment, but he didn't recognize anyone. He lowered his head again to continue cleaning up the mess. The remaining roasted meat could be turned into jerky, serving as a snack when they had nothing to do during the day.
The two continued working and quietly conversing. They kept at it until the approaching group stopped not far from them. A male student stepped forward and said, "Are you also students from the academy? We'll take the remaining roasted meat from you."
"No, that won't do. It's not right to eat what others have left. How about we pay more spirit stones and ask them to roast a few more for us? What do you think, Junior Sister Shi?" Another male student interjected.
The proud female cultivator in the middle arrogantly nodded, "That's right. Give them more spirit stones, and immediately roast some for this young lady."
"Hey, did you hear that? This is Shi Yanyan, Junior Sister Shi. Move faster; she's starving." The male student who spoke initially tried to compensate for his earlier mistake.
Gu Yao found it amusing to listen to and couldn't help but laugh. Hearing their names, it triggered his memory. Weren't these the people who rushed to him half a year ago, wanting to smash spirit stones to buy Chi Changye as a follower? Unexpectedly, they bumped into each other again after six months – what a twist of fate.
Gu Yao sat cross-legged on the ground, showing no signs of getting up or taking action. He supported his chin with his hand and looked up from below, "Sorry, we don't lack spirit stones. Find someone who needs spirit stones to help you."
The incident of Shi Yanyan trying to buy a follower on the road became a source of amusement among the people around them for quite some time. Therefore, even if Gu Yao didn't know back then, he now understood Shi Yanyan's background. He heard that she was the highly favored daughter of the head of the Stone City Merchants Association. When they were in Ten-Fold City, they had seen the shops of the Stone City Merchants Association – a considerable scale. The force that could settle there couldn't be weak. Moreover, the Stone City Merchants Association had branches in multiple locations, making its business widespread across the Tianlin Continent. So, the daughter favored by the head, behaving this way, was not surprising at all.
However, others might curry favor with her for the influence and status of the Stone City Merchants Association. Still, that didn't include Gu Yao and Chi Changye.
"How dare you talk to Senior Sister Shi like that? What are your names? Identify yourselves!"
"Offending Senior Sister Shi, let's see how you'll survive in the academy in the future!"
"Are you dissatisfied with the amount of spirit stones given? Let me tell you, Senior Sister Shi won't lack anything, especially not spirit stones. Those who know the current situation should hurry up and roast the meat!"