Three days of absolute seclusion passed in a heartbeat. Under the concentrated influence of the Tier 2 Great Restoration Pill, Hanyuan could practically feel the spiritual marrow in his bones vibrating as it knit back together. The deep gashes on his chest and shoulder, which would have kept a mortal bedridden for months, had closed into clean, faint scars that hummed with residual medicinal power.
Tier 2 medicine is truly on a different level, Hanyuan thought, flexing his right hand. The grip was steady once more. Had he relied on the common Tier 1 pills, he would still be struggling to lift a cup of tea, let alone a spear.
He stepped out of his stone hut, the morning air of the Cloud-Jade Isle tasting crisp and sweet. His first stop was the medical pavilion. The air there was heavy with the scent of boiling herbs and the muffled groans of the injured. He found Qin Yu in a quiet corner, his face pale and his breathing shallow. He was still unconscious.
Hanyuan stayed for only a moment efore turning and heading toward the Treasury of the Floating Peaks.
The Treasury was a squat, heavily fortified building made of iron grey stone. Inside, a fat middle-aged man with a thin, drooping mustache sat behind a reinforced counter. He was surrounded by ledger books and was currently meticulously counting a small mountain of translucent spirit stones with a practiced flick of his fingers.
"Excuse me, Elder," Hanyuan said, offering a respectful bow. "I am here for the tournament rewards."
"Hm?" The fat man didn't look up immediately, finish a row of ten stones before his small, sharp eyes finally drifted toward Hanyuan. He snatched Hanyuan's identity jade, swiped it across a sensing plate, and paused. "Rank 23... Bai Hanyuan. Ah, the spear brat. You've certainly got more lives than a cat, haven't you?"
He reached beneath the counter and produced a silk pouch that felt delightfully heavy. He tossed it to Hanyuan.
"Seventy spirit stones," the Treasurer grunted.
"Seventy?" Hanyuan's eyes widened. "I thought the reward was lower?"
The fat man let out a dry, rattling chuckle that made his mustache twitch. "Don't get too excited. Fifty is your one-time reward for the 23rd rank. The other twenty are your first month's allowance under your new status. Since you're in the Top 25, your monthly stipend has been increased from fifteen to twenty stones.
Hanyuan tucked the pouch into his robes, feeling the cool weight of the stones against his chest. Seventy low-grade spirit stones.
With his pockets full and his stomach empty, Hanyuan followed the smell of woodsmoke to the cafeteria. The hall was quieter today, the post competition tension having given way to a steady, industrious hum.
"One 'Cloud Mist' Egg Drop Soup," Hanyuan requested, placing a single stone on the wood.
The soup was served in a porcelain bowl that felt warm to the touch. The eggs had been whisked into gossamer thin threads that floated in a broth seasoned with mountain ginger and light medicinal herbs. To Hanyuan, it tasted like a summer rainstorm,clean, invigorating, and slightly sweet. He paired it with a tall glass of spirit fruit juice that made his tongue tingle with energy.
As the nutrients began to flow into his stomach, Hanyuan felt a sense of profound satisfaction.He returned to his stone hut, sat in the center of the floor, the shadows of the late afternoon stretching across the stone. "Lets train first" he thought, grabbing his spear.
The moment Hanyuan's fingers wrapped around the Frost Iron grip of the Cold Cloud Spear, a surge of pure joy resonated through his meridians. Five days was far too long for a man whose soul was tied to the spear. The weapon seemed to vibrate in recognition, its blue runes glowing faintly.
Thwack! Thwack!
He began with the foundation. The rhythmic sound of the spear cutting the air was a balm to his mind. For three hours, he did nothing but thrust, sweep, and parry. The simple movements, once performed to keep him from fainting under Elder Su's pressure, were now fluid and powerful, each strike carrying the weight of his Strength.
As the sun dipped behind the jagged peaks and the moon took its place, Hanyuan transitioned into the Silverfrost Spear Art.
"Silver Crescent Horizon!"
A sharp, translucent arc of ice-Qi carved through the night air, wider and more stable than ever before. He didn't stop, following it with the defensive Whirling Silver Veil. The cold aura gathered around him, crystalline and protective. Finally, he put the weapon away and sat cross legged on the meditation cushion, pulling the thick Qi into his body.
Five months to reach the 7th Layer, he calculated as the refined energy settled into his Dantian. He knew he could shorten that time with pills,he certainly had the spirit stones for it now,but the words of his father and Elder Qi rang true in his ears: "Pills build a house quickly, but natural cultivation settles the foundation into the rock. Do not become a hollow expert."
The night passed in silent cultivation. By the time the golden rays of the sun hit his face, Hanyuan felt revitalized. A cultivator at his level no longer needed the sleep of a mortal; the meditation refreshed his spirit better than any bed could.
He stepped out, his goal the Mission Hall to secure a good task, but he hadn't even reached the light bridge before a frantic figure blurred toward him.
"Junior Brother Hanyuan! By the heavens, I found you!"
It was the Deacon from the Mission Hall. His eyes were wide with panic, and his usually neat hair was disheveled.
"Deacon? What's wrong?" Hanyuan asked, startled.
"Help! I need your help!" the Deacon cried out, clutching Hanyuan's sleeve. "Elder Huo is on a rampage! A fool of a disciple tried to assist him yesterday, but the idiot lost focus and a cauldron exploded. Half the lab is charred, and Elder Huo is threatening to refine the next person he sees into a bone strengthening pill!"
The Deacon shuddered, thrusting a charred mission scroll into Hanyuan's hand. "He demanded the 'Brat with the Blue spear or nothing! Please, Junior Brother, go to him before he comes to the hall to burn the ledgers!"
Hanyuan looked at the scroll and then at the frantic man.
"I understand," Hanyuan sighed, tucking the spear securely onto his back. "I'll go."
The Deacon didn't even wait for a thank you; he vanished back toward the Hall as if he were being hunted by a Tier 3 beast.
Hanyuan made his way to the eastern corner of the island. As he approached the bronze cauldron shaped building, the heat was already significantly more intense than last time. Acrid black smoke billowed from the vents, and the smell of burnt spirit-herbs hung heavy in the air.
He stepped up to the massive doors and knocked.
"I told you to get lost unless you're,!" A roar started from inside, only to cut off as the doors creaked open.
Hanyuan stood in the doorway, the frost Qi of his spear automatically reacting to the heat, creating a thin mist around him.
"Senior Huo, it's Hanyuan. I heard you had some... technical difficulties."
The short, wild bearded Elder stood in the middle of a room filled with soot. One of the smaller side cauldrons was indeed split open like a cracked egg. Huo looked at Hanyuan, his iron gray eyes narrowing before a fierce grin broke through his soot stained face.
"The brat returns!" Huo roared, pointing a blackened finger at the central furnace. "Get to the North Vent, now! I'm refining a batch of Azure Essence Pills, and if the temperature fluctuates even a hair because of that explosion's aftermath, I'll use your spear to stir the dregs! Move!"
Hanyuan dropped into position. The heat was blistering, but this time, he was stronger than before. He slammed his palms against the cooling runes, and a surge frost-Qi flooded the bronze walls.
"Let's begin, Senior," Hanyuan said, his voice steady.