Chapter Seventy: Level Up Without Delay

Early the next morning, Li Sibai bid farewell to Uncle Cai Da, clutching the “precious” bottle in his arms. Inside were just over thirty Xuantian Jade-Clear Pills. With these pills, he planned to return to the inner sect and absorb them as quickly as possible; afterward, he would see how much further he still had to go.

By Li Sibai’s estimation, these thirty-some Xuantian Jade-Clear Pills would not be enough. If he could obtain the five hundred pills promised as a reward for the Ice Spirit Grass mission, he might receive one hundred for himself, which would be about right. But now, with only these thirty-some pills, they would have to suffice for now.

At that moment, a cool sensation surged within him—his battle qi was growing lively again. Previously, his battle qi had become quite active in the primeval forest of Jade Pearl Peak. He had thought at the time that it was just the environment, and that things would return to normal upon his return. Yet, even after leaving that great forest two days ago, the chill within him had not settled but remained vibrant. Perplexed, Li Sibai resolved to seek out Cai Yao and the Old Tree Spirit in the Dark Forest after absorbing the thirty-odd Xuantian Jade-Clear Pills.

Thirty-some Jade-Clear Pills was neither many nor few; to absorb them completely and slowly, given his current strength, would require a full day. If he rushed, he would likely waste some of the pills’ essence, and the absorption would be less effective.

By midday, Li Sibai reached the mountain summit and the inner gate of the Xuantian Sword Sect, heading straight for his quarters. Yet, just as he approached his door, someone called out behind him:

“Xiao Bai! Xiao Bai!”

Startled, Li Sibai turned to see a tall and handsome young man waiting for him. Clearly, he had been lying in wait. This was none other than Qin Feng, who had entered the inner sect alongside Li Sibai earlier that year.

Qin Feng’s room was next to Li Sibai’s in the inner sect, making him something of a neighbor. But during Li Sibai’s time away, the two had not met for some time. Today, Qin Feng hailed him the moment he returned, and Li Sibai could not guess what the matter was.

“Xiao Feng, it’s been a while,” Li Sibai greeted him with a cheerful smile.

Qin Feng’s face darkened for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. “Yes, Xiao Bai, it’s been some time. I heard you just came back from Jade Pearl Peak? How did it go?”

Hearing him mention Jade Pearl Peak, Li Sibai’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected even Qin Feng to know of his trip there. He shook his head with a wry smile, looking dejected.

“Don’t mention it. I returned empty-handed.”

Li Sibai wasn’t deliberately trying to deceive Qin Feng—he truly didn’t know whether Guo Jian would keep his promise and share the rewards. Although He Tianshu had two hundred pills from Guo Jian as an advance, Li Sibai didn’t know how many he himself would receive. Since he couldn’t discern Qin Feng’s intentions, he saw no reason to be any more forthcoming.

Qin Feng noticed Li Sibai’s evasiveness but didn’t mind. He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Xiao Bai, I heard you had another run-in with Senior Brother Guo Jian during this trip. I’m a bit older than you, so let me give you some advice: don’t be reckless. Sometimes, you just have to endure.”

Li Sibai nodded, thinking to himself that Qin Feng was surprisingly well-informed; clearly, someone had deliberately spread rumors, though he could not yet fathom their purpose.

“I understand, thank you for your advice, Senior Brother Qin. I’m already grateful just to have returned alive this time, and I dare not hope for anything more.”

“I feel better hearing you say that. I was really afraid you’d act impulsively…” Qin Feng began, then swallowed the rest of his words.

“Oh, right—Senior Sister Yao Xueqin came by this morning. She asked me to tell you not to leave in a hurry when you got back, but to go see her first.”

“Oh?” Li Sibai was curious as to why Yao Xueqin had sent Qin Feng to deliver the message. Perhaps something urgent had come up that required him to see her immediately. He nodded his thanks, left his belongings in his room, and headed toward Yao Xueqin’s residence.

Soon, Li Sibai found Yao Xueqin. She seemed somewhat weary, her spirits low. When she saw him, she took a white pill bottle from her pack and handed it to him.

“Xiao Bai, this is your reward for the mission. Take it.”

He Tianshu accepted the bottle, opened it, and was greeted by a fragrant scent. Inside were dozens of Xuantian Jade-Clear Pills—at a glance, about a hundred.

“This…?”

“These were distributed by Senior Brother He. The situation has become complicated,” Yao Xueqin explained with a sigh, and briefly recounted recent events.

It turned out that Guo Jian had completed the mission and received five hundred Xuantian Jade-Clear Pills as payment, but he did not intend to share the reward with He Tianshu’s group as had been decided. What’s more, Sun Bing and Yan Jie’s injuries were worse than expected, and even five hundred pills might not suffice for their treatment. Guo Jian was furious and blamed He Tianshu’s group, threatening to make them suffer for it.

“Then where did these Xuantian Jade-Clear Pills come from?” Li Sibai was perplexed.

“These are the two hundred pills Guo Jian had given us in advance. Senior Brother Li refused his share, so the four of us split them evenly—fifty each. I have no use for my share, so I’m giving you these one hundred pills,” Yao Xueqin explained.

She had originally hoped to help Li Sibai earn more Jade-Clear Pills, but although the mission had succeeded, they had not received the reward they deserved. So she decided to give her own share of fifty pills to Li Sibai, reasoning that while she didn’t need them, they were of great use to him now.

“Senior Sister, this isn’t right!” Li Sibai protested, unwilling to take advantage of others. He had only joined the mission thanks to Yao Xueqin, and now she was giving him her entire share, leaving herself with nothing. He felt quite uneasy.

“Xiao Bai, listen to me. The situation is special. Guo Jian has threatened to make us suffer. Last night, Senior Brother He and I discussed it—we all have masters, so Guo Jian won’t dare go too far with us. But you haven’t yet apprenticed yourself to anyone; we’re worried he’ll vent his anger on you, find an excuse to expel you, or block your advancement. That would send you back to the outer sect. So you must absorb these Xuantian Jade-Clear Pills as quickly as possible and strive to advance and find a master. That’s also Senior Brother He’s advice. Don’t hesitate!”

Li Sibai nodded. If things were as Yao Xueqin described, she was right—he needed to advance quickly, lest someone scheme against him. He didn’t wish to stir up trouble, but that didn’t mean others would leave him be. He couldn’t just be a pushover, waiting to be bullied.

That was Li Sibai’s character.

No more hesitation—he would focus on strengthening himself first.