63 - Dungeon Growth Log

Xia Ge immediately grabbed the gourd, unscrewed the cap, and gulped down the water, forcing the piece of flatbread down her throat. Her haste almost caused her to choke, and for a fleeting moment, she felt as if she had danced with death, in extreme agony. The person who handed her the water tried to console her, "Drink slowly, drink slowly..." "Th-thank you," Xia Ge gasped after catching her breath and returned the gourd. The other person, taking it back, chuckled with a hint of smugness, "Little brother, were you scared by what I just said? See? Even the heavens couldn’t bear it anymore; now they’re getting their just deserts!" Xia 'Heavens' Ge responded guiltily, "Haha... Yeah, probably." She’d only kicked a few tiles yesterday, yet by today, the story had ballooned into the Hall of Affairs being dismantled by the heavens. Okay, maybe it wasn’t just a few tiles. When Chu Yao dragged her away, it did look quite barren from a distance. Chu Yao had let her off yesterday... Who knows how Sword Peak handled it on their end. As Xia Ge was lost in her thoughts, someone else nearby snorted, "Serves them right! Arrogant, bullying people everywhere; truly shameless!" The youth who handed her the gourd, wearing coarse clothing, sighed gloomily, "Sigh... If only Dan Peak could produce Earth-tier pills, we wouldn’t be trampled on like this..." Xia Ge made a curious sound, "Earth-tier pills?" The book 《Feng Yue Wubian》she’d read primarily followed the male lead’s perspective. Since the male lead went to Sword Peak, it mostly described things related to Sword Peak. Dan Peak, being the male lead’s stepping stone to Sword Peak due to his weak alchemy skills, was only briefly mentioned. Over the years, as an outer disciple indulging in frivolities, apart from being punished to copy empty texts in the Repentance Pavilion, she only knew a bit about avoiding Sword Peak disciples and that making a Fasting Pill would grant you entry to the inner sect—basic, common knowledge. She knew very little about Dan Peak’s intricate details, such as why its status had plummeted. "Yeah..." The youth sighed, seeming regretful. "My father told me Dan Peak used to be very powerful, with a plethora of Earth-tier alchemists. It was highly respected; only the nobility came here to learn alchemy. It was on par with Sword Peak back then. Now, it’s completely different..." Someone nearby nodded in agreement. "But then something happened..." The youth gripped the gourd, "Alchemy relies on spiritual veins, and a fire once destroyed all Earth-tier formulas and spiritual vein techniques in Dan Peak’s library. Those high-level manuscripts allowed only to top inner disciples burned to nothing. So, the fire..." Xia Ge silently finished his sentence— It severed Dan Peak’s future. He didn’t continue, but the regret was clear in his eyes. "Since then, Dan Peak has never produced another Earth-tier alchemist," someone added nearby. "Standards for inner disciple acceptance have continually dropped, leading to the current situation... Now, you only need to make a Fasting Pill to get in. If you can." "Now, yellow-tier pills are ubiquitous. Learning alchemy at Dan Peak just means hoping to make a living in the future." The tone carried a mix of regret for Dan Peak and relief for themselves. Someone else sighed, "No wonder people look down on us everywhere." "Haha, but even if yellow-tier pills are everywhere, you still can’t make one!" "Bah, you’re too talkative." Xia Ge didn’t comment further on the discussion. After finishing the last bite of her flatbread, she still felt thirsty. Being thick-skinned, she didn’t want to borrow water again, so she crumpled the greasy paper and, seeing the crowd, decided to head back for water and wait until there were fewer people. System: "Host, I’ve decided to share some good news." Xia Ge, pondering where the nearest water source was, made an acknowledging sound, "Hm?" System: "You previously unlocked the [Alchemist] profession, right?" The system, sounding as if it thought this news would greatly excite Xia Ge, seemed somewhat cryptic, "Hm." With too many things happening and her lack of interest in alchemy, Xia Ge hadn’t thoroughly examined the suddenly appeared Alchemist panel. "Therefore, you now have the system-default [Spiritual Vein]! Currently, your vein is [Yellow]-tier. By producing different [Yellow-tier Pills], you can increase proficiency and eventually upgrade your tier. This method totally bypasses the [Earth-tier] bottleneck!" Still thirsty, craving water. The system expected her to be excited, "Isn’t this thrilling? Aren’t you happy?" ...Well, even though she didn’t care much for alchemy, it might be worthwhile. Maybe it could be useful. Xia Ge silently opened the panel. “[Alchemist] Level (Spiritual Vein): Yellow Proficiency: 1/10 Known Formulas: {Fasting Pill} Formula Shop: [Not Unlocked] Alchemy Furnace: [None] Alchemy Technique: Spiritual Gathering Technique (Ancient·Simple).” Interested but puzzled by the formula section, Xia Ge mused, "Different types of pills... it’s easy enough to find Yellow-tier ones. Even upon entering the inner realm, Xuan-tier ones are attainable. But how does one make Earth-tier pills? Eventually, it’s still the same—no formula." As easy as eating, they say. Oh, right. Eating isn’t that easy for her now either. The system’s grand promises felt like a distant dream, mere lip service. System: "It’s simple! See that formula shop? Once you reach the Xuan tier, a formula branch shop will unlock. Completing its tasks will grant you high-tier formulas!" Xia Ge: "What does that mean?" System: "It means you might become the only Tian-tier Alchemist on Dan Peak!" ...Wow, impressive. Still thirsty. Seeing Xia Ge’s lack of enthusiasm, the system racked its brains and finally found something extremely motivational— "Once you become a Tian-tier Alchemist, you’ll be the richest person in the world!!!" "Everyone will seek your elixirs and bow to you, calling you their savior! Your pills will be priceless! Isn’t that exciting? Aren’t you thrilled?" Xia Ge: "..." Reminds her of those trashy online game ads promising fortunes in no time. But... if she reached Tian-tier, that’d be incredible, right? Actually, kind of exciting. "Hey—Xia Wuyin?" Just as Xia Ge turned her head, a clear, bright voice called out, "You came to see the results too?" The voice seemed exceptionally piercing. At her name, the crowd momentarily quieted. The person who lent her the gourd looked at her with disbelief, as though witnessing something extraordinary. Holding the oily paper, Xia Ge, who always believed in low-profile living and high-profile action, once again felt the weight of numerous gazes—akin to her dramatic appearance at the alchemy training ground. "Is that... Xia Wuyin?" "A genius, so young, with a Three-Life Golden Pill!" "..." "Xia Wuyin, look this way! I’m here!" Feeling dazed, Xia Ge barely caught sight of the girl among the sea of people. Mao Qing struggled out of the crowd, panting as she reached Xia Ge, "You came to see the results?" "Hmm... Yeah." Xia Ge silently pulled down her sleeves, hiding the crumpled paper, and nodded. "Don’t bother," Mao Qing said, wiping her forehead sweat, "I checked for you! Your name’s not up there." Xia Ge was stunned, "...What?" "I’m not kidding. It’s really not there," Mao Qing added. "I thought you’d be first... but nope, first place went to Huo Bai with his Scarlet Blood Fasting Pill." "But it’s strange," Mao Qing wrinkled her nose in confusion, "Even if you’re not first, your Three-Life Golden Pill should be top three. I went through the list but didn’t find your name..." Before Xia Ge could respond, a calm voice explained, "I checked the details. They might’ve missed out due to an explosion during the process." Xia Ge turned to see Huo Bai. Huo Bai wore a wide-sleeved white robe, trimmed with dark green. His tied-up hair matched the attire, with a white jade inscribed with runes hung from his waist. He looked much more serious and formal. "I see... But to be disqualified just because of that? It was a Three-Life Golden Pill." Mao Qing stared incredulously at Xia Ge, who scratched her head, unsure of her feelings. Disappointed? Frustrated? Not really. Then Xia Ge smiled, noting Huo Bai’s attire, and changed the topic, "Brother Huo, your outfit looks great." Mao Qing, easily distracted, quickly examined Huo Bai’s clothes, exclaiming, "Wow, nice outfit! Knew you’d be first, didn’t you?" Huo Bai's face darkened, clearly displeased. "I can wear whatever I want, you gossiping hen." "Who are you calling a gossiping hen?" Mao Qing had only been joking, but she flared up instantly, rolling up her sleeves to scold him. "I'd rather be a gossip than someone who sneaks sweets and denies it!" Huo Bai paled, seeming equally infuriated. Xia Ge saw the two about to break into a fight over a completely irrelevant topic—his clothes—and hurriedly grabbed both of their sleeves, playing the peacemaker. "Hey, hey, let's talk it out calmly. Arguing is pointless. Harmony brings wealth, right?" "Hmph," Mao Qing pouted, "So what if you're first? It's no big deal." Sarcastically, Huo Bai replied, "Indeed, being first is no big deal, but some fools struggle their whole lives and still can't achieve it." Mao Qing's eyes widened in anger. "Who are you calling a fool?!" This time, she genuinely looked ready to brawl. Xia Ge almost couldn't hold her back when a clear voice rang out from the northern stands— "Silence!" Author's Note: Transition chapter, transition chapter. Next chapter, the senior sister will appear~ Ah, I’ve been reading all day today. My head hurts so much. Wuuu. = = You Li Yuxian threw 1 landmine on 2018-06-26 23:40:59 Miao Miao Miao threw 1 landmine on 2018-06-27 15:00:10 Chen Su threw 1 landmine on 2018-06-27 17:42:52 A He threw 1 landmine on 2018-06-27 18:22:02 Thank you all for the landmines! Love you all! = = Reader "Dreaming of Her a Thousand Times", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +10 on 2018-06-27 22:53:21 Reader "Nan Nan Nan", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +10 on 2018-06-27 22:04:35 Reader "Bai Xiao Shou", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +10 on 2018-06-27 21:40:48 Reader "Feng L", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +2 on 2018-06-27 20:07:36 Reader "Bai Huan Mo", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +3 on 2018-06-27 19:23:49 Reader "Instant Rejection", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +29 on 2018-06-27 17:46:23 Reader "1", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +6 on 2018-06-27 16:06:53 Reader "1", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +6 on 2018-06-27 16:06:07 Reader "Ninth Noble Son jsgz", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +1 on 2018-06-27 11:33:57 Reader "", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +1 on 2018-06-27 10:41:15 Reader "Xue Er Lun", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +1 on 2018-06-27 00:15:02 Reader "Little Cutie", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +1 on 2018-06-27 00:07:33 Reader "The Multitude", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +10 on 2018-06-26 23:53:59 Reader "Nan Guan.", irrigated with Nutrient Solution +5 on 2018-06-26 23:45:33 Thank you all for the nutrient solutions! Love you all! =3=