C13 The Rumors Came True

"I've got a secret to share. Lee Yifan and the alchemist Bai from White Cloud Ravine are involved. He managed to swindle a quasi-grade three pill from her."

"Really? Is that true?"

"Absolutely. I witnessed it myself."

"Yeah, I saw it too. This guy married into our Jiang family and was worried we'd look down on him, so he flaunted it."

Jiang Yishan and Jiang Kui began to spread rumors.

Initially, nobody believed them, but as they described the events in great detail, skepticism turned into suspicion. Could Lee Yifan have actually deceived Bai Ruoyun into giving him a quasi-grade three pill?

The rumor morphed as it spread, and the quasi-grade three pill was soon touted as a grade three pill.

Rumors even suggested that Bai Ruoyun had feelings for Lee Yifan.

After all, when Yifan arrived at White Cloud Ravine, Ruoyun had personally welcomed him, and they appeared quite intimate.

Suddenly, what started as baseless gossip seemed to solidify into undeniable truth.

The news sparked a wave of jealousy and envy.

Lee Yifan, once considered worthless, was now the most prominent young figure in Ilanahil, the man of Jiang Yurou.

And now, he was supposedly entangled with Ilanahil's top alchemist, Bai Ruoyun.

It seemed that Yifan had exclusive access to the two most desirable women in Ilanahil.

The men of Ilanahil were livid, wishing they could tear Yifan apart and take his place.

Aside from murderous intentions, everyone was convinced that Yifan possessed a grade three pill.

Desire flared in the hearts of many. Was Yifan, whom they deemed unworthy, entitled to such a pill?

That treasure, they believed, should be theirs!

At that moment, Lee Yifan became the target of many.

With their scheme in motion, Jiang Yishan and Jiang Kui exchanged a satisfied grin. "Lee Yifan, you may not die this time, but you're certainly going to suffer!"

...

White Cloud Ravine.

"Yifan, your dantian is shattered. I've specially crafted this elixir for you," Bai Ruoyun said as she offered a box containing the medicinal pill to Lee Yifan.

Lee Yifan and Bai Ruoyun shared a bond akin to siblings. To decline her kind gesture would surely upset her.

"Thank you," Lee Yifan said, accepting the box.

Upon opening it, he found a pill as clear as crystal and the size of a pigeon's egg resting inside. This was no ordinary pill. Its potent medicinal power was so strong that merely smelling it caused one's pores to dilate and brought a sense of complete ease to the body.

"Is this a third-grade pill?" Lee Yifan examined it closely, his eyes filled with surprise and a hint of astonishment. "Ruoyun, have you advanced to a third-grade alchemist?"

Alchemists were ranked across nine grades, with the first being the weakest and the ninth the strongest. Bai Ruoyun was Ilanahil's premier alchemist, yet she was only at the second grade.

Should she ascend to the third grade, her standing in Ilanahil would soar, commanding respect even from the City Lord, who would treat her with the utmost courtesy as an honored guest.

Bai Ruoyun shook her head, "This isn't a third-grade pill. It's more of a near third-grade. I might need a few more months to achieve the breakthrough to a third-grade alchemist."

"Impressive!" Lee Yifan exclaimed, giving her a thumbs up.

Who could have imagined that his simple act would nurture a prodigious alchemist?

Bai Ruoyun's cheeks flushed with a rosy hue at Lee Yifan's compliment, her joy surpassing that of reaching the third-grade alchemist milestone.

"Yifan, this Fortifying Pill will stabilize your dantian and mend your foundation. It's beneficial for your injuries, so please take it right away," Bai Ruoyun encouraged.

Her primary concern was Lee Yifan's well-being. Upon discovering the destruction of his dantian, she had dedicated herself to crafting the Fortifying Pill. Now that it was complete, she wasted no time in delivering it to him.

Little did Bai Ruoyun know, Lee Yifan no longer required a dantian.

The nuclear power plant within his dantian could supply him with limitless energy.

"I'll take it once I've adjusted my state," Lee Yifan said, opting not to consume the pill immediately. At the moment, the pill wasn't very beneficial to him, and it would be wasteful to consume it without need.

Yet, he couldn't voice this concern for fear of disappointing Bai Ruoyun.

Bai Ruoyun, seeing his response, harbored no suspicions.

Just then, Lee Yao and Lee You'er emerged from the room. Approaching Bai Ruoyun, Lee Yao expressed his gratitude, "Alchemist Bai, you've saved my sister's life. From this day forward, should you need anything, Lee Yao will brave any danger for you."

"Thank you, Alchemist Bai," Lee You'er quickly added her thanks as well.

"There's no need for thanks. You're all Yifan's friends, and I wouldn't just stand by idly. However, I've only managed to temporarily suppress the chill within you. If it isn't fully eradicated, it will intensify with each outbreak, and eventually..."

Bai Ruoyun left her sentence hanging, but the implication was clear to all.

The happiness on Lee Yao's face faded, replaced by a somber expression. "I will find a way to completely rid You'er of the cold air in her body."

"I'll help too," Lee Yifan chimed in. "With all of us working together, we're bound to find a solution."

His words noticeably lightened the previously tense mood.

"Brother, I want to visit the Lee family," Lee You'er suddenly said.

"Return to the Lee family?"

Lee Yao paused, then replied with an icy tone, "After they took you, I vowed to no longer consider myself part of the Lee family. We won't return to that heartless clan."

Lee You'er hesitated, prompting Lee Yifan to ask, "You'er, is there something important you left at the Lee family's home?"

She nodded, "I discovered a heavenly-tier body refining technique in an ancient tome. Now that Yifan's dantian is shattered, it's the perfect opportunity to start practicing this technique."

Heavenly Tier Cultivation Technique!

Lee Yao, Lee Yifan, and the rest gasped in astonishment.

The ranks of cultivation techniques were as follows: Mortal, Earthly, Heavenly, and Divine.

The Mortal level was the lowest, while the Divine level was the highest.

In Ilanahil, let alone the vast Tianwu Kingdom, Divine level techniques were exceedingly rare. The most powerful technique in Ilanahil was merely a low-grade Earthly level.

However, Lee You'er had just dropped a bombshell: she had found a Heavenly level cultivation technique.

It was like a bolt from the blue, leaving everyone stunned.

"You'er, are you certain it's a Heavenly level technique?" Lee Yao asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"I'm not entirely sure," Lee You'er replied meekly. Her frail health had prevented her from cultivating, and her knowledge of cultivation techniques was limited, so she hesitated to confirm.

Lee Yao turned to Lee Yifan and inquired, "Yifan, what's your take?"

"Real or not, we should retrieve it first," Lee Yifan declared, his eagerness palpable.

A Heavenly level technique was incredibly valuable, even just for physical conditioning.

Though it was more likely to be a fake, the potential payoff if it were genuine was enormous.

Even a one percent chance was worth pursuing.

"You'er, where did you put it? I'll help you retrieve it," Lee Yifan offered.

"It's under the bed where I sleep."

"Stay here and recover; I'll go fetch it right now."

"Yifan, I'll come with you," Lee Yao volunteered.

No sooner had they left White Cloud Ravine than they caught someone's attention.