Chapter 66: How a Grind King Is Forged

"What do you mean it's gone?!"

"I've been waiting half a month for this shipment of Jade Marrow Zhi! And now you're telling me it's gone?!"

An elderly Alchemist with salt-and-pepper hair was red in the face with fury, snarling at the shopkeeper behind the counter.

The shopkeeper wore a pained expression, bowing repeatedly. "Master Zhang, Master Zhang, please calm yourself! It's just that — it's just that something came up. That batch of Jade Marrow Zhi was... was purchased by someone."

"Purchased? By whom?!"

Master Zhang's chest heaved violently. Jade Marrow Zhi was the primary ingredient for the Nascent Condensing Pill. He had painstakingly gathered all the supplementary materials and was only waiting for this one main ingredient to begin refining — and now they were telling him it was gone?

"Outrageous!! Who?! Who dares snatch something from me, Zhang?!"

The shopkeeper glanced left and right, then leaned close to Master Zhang's ear and whispered two words in a hurry.

"Si—" The raging fire in Master Zhang's chest was doused as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. Every word of his furious retort died in his throat.

The third on the Qingxuan Rankings?

What would he want Jade Marrow Zhi for? Could it be... he was already preparing to condense his Nascent Soul?!

Seeing him calm down, the shopkeeper smiled ruefully and explained, "That one came to the shop in person, specifically requesting the full set of materials for the Nascent Condensing Pill. We... we simply didn't dare refuse."

Master Zhang fell silent.

Compete with Si Chen for something? He wasn't tired of living yet.

"Ahem... well, since it is Fellow Daoist Si who needs them, that's perfectly understandable..."

Master Zhang cleared his throat, adopting an expression of magnanimous understanding.

"...An Alchemist, after all, should always put helping others advance on the path first. This little wait of mine is nothing worth mentioning."

The shopkeeper stared at Master Zhang's display of "noble-minded virtue," feeling rather speechless inside. Just moments ago, he had nearly smashed the counter to pieces in his rage.

But the shopkeeper kept his smile plastered on. "Thank you so much for your understanding, Master Zhang! The moment the next batch of Jade Marrow Zhi arrives, I will personally have it delivered to your residence!"

Master Zhang waved his hand and departed the shop with an air of practiced magnanimity, his mind entirely occupied by the staggering news that "Si Chen is about to condense his Nascent Soul."

* * *

At the same time, inside Si Chen's small courtyard.

"Brother! Old Cat! Quick! Come try the treasure I just found!"

"There's a new shop that just opened around the corner on South Street — 'Tooth-Dropping Crispy Cakes'! I queued up forever to get these. Hoo, the smell — absolutely incredible!"

Heishan barged through the courtyard gate with his usual boisterous energy. The moment one foot crossed the threshold, he felt something soft yet firm beneath his sole, and a faint squish rang out.

It was the Jade Marrow Zhi that Si Chen had accidentally sent flying out of the wok.

"Hm?" He looked down to find a few dull-colored, dirt-smudged lumps — already crushed underfoot by his carelessness.

"What's this stuff?" Heishan muttered, not paying it any mind, and scraped his foot against the ground.

Then he spread his oil-paper parcel on the stone table like a man presenting treasure, revealing the golden, glistening crispy cakes inside, and waited with full confidence for the admiration he was certain would follow.

And yet...

The expected scene of everyone scrambling for a piece never materialized.

Chifeng merely lifted an eyelid — that was his greeting.

Red Bean tilted her little head, glanced at the crispy cakes, and let out a disinterested "chirp."

As for Si Chen — he was holding the jade vial he had just stored the pills in, wearing the satisfied expression of a man whose experiment had succeeded, not even glancing in Heishan's direction. He was clearly very pleased with his own handiwork.

"The method of cooking alchemy is truly wondrous."

He nodded, carefully removed the three pills, and placed them into a clean jade vial. He was already calculating in his mind: once Wang Yan successfully established his Foundation, he would give him one pill as a reference.

After all, this cooking alchemy method was his own creation — sharing one with its inspiration was only right.

Heishan stood there with a crispy cake raised in midair, frozen. He was such a big bear, and these cakes smelled so good — and yet he had been completely ignored?

He circled the stone table twice, and when still no one paid him any attention, he felt genuinely snubbed. "The world is going downhill, and bear hearts have grown cold! Back in the day on Wanji Mountain, one drop of honey and everyone would share a lick! Now there's good food and nobody even bats an eye! The warmth between us has faded! Faded, I tell you!"

Chifeng stared at Heishan with a blank, numb expression. In that moment, he felt a strange pang of envy for this big simpleton. Knowing less wasn't always a bad thing — sometimes it was its own kind of blessing.

* * *

"Si Chen is preparing to condense his Nascent Soul!"

The news spread as if it had grown wings, quickly circulating through the upper circles of Danding City.

The source, naturally, was the "noble-minded" Master Zhang himself.

Of course, what he told others was: "I happened to learn that Fellow Daoist Si was gathering spirit materials for the Nascent Condensing Pill, and I graciously yielded the urgently needed Jade Marrow Zhi to him."

The moment the news broke, all of Danding City was shaken.

The third-ranked genius on the Qingxuan Rankings, challenging the Nascent Soul Stage at such a young age? If he succeeded, what kind of heights would he reach? He might well shoot straight to the top of the Qingxuan Rankings!

For a time, the gazes of every major faction converged once again on the small courtyard where Si Chen resided.

Meanwhile, Wang Yan, who had just finished a day of cultivation, was trudging home in exhaustion when he overheard a few Cultivators talking by the roadside. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Have you heard? Si Chen has already started preparing to condense his Nascent Soul!"

"Good heavens... how long has it even been? Going from Late Foundation Establishment Stage to preparing for Nascent Soul condensation at this speed..."

"That's why he's ranked third on the Qingxuan Rankings!"

Wang Yan stood rooted to the spot, his heart in turmoil.

Young Master... he had already reached such a realm?

Such a cultivation level, at such a young age... he must be racing against time, training day and night without a moment's rest!

That focus, that diligence, that tireless pursuit of the Grand Dao...

At the thought of it, Wang Yan's eyes grew hot with tears.

Imagining the Young Master quietly pouring sweat in some unseen corner, while he himself had just entertained the lazy thought of "maybe I'll stop here for today" — he was instantly flooded with shame.

The Young Master was blessed with such extraordinary talent, and yet he remained this relentlessly diligent! What was he, Wang Yan, but a mere waiter — what right did he have to complain of being tired?!

Train! He had to train until he dropped! If he didn't push himself to the ground today, his name wasn't Wang Yan!

A vision rose in his mind: Si Chen beneath a solitary lamp deep in the night, brow furrowed, silently working through his Cultivation Technique; at the first light of dawn, standing against the wind, drawing in the first wisps of purple qi...

That towering, diligent figure — at the thought of it, Wang Yan's eyes burned, and he nearly shed tears on the spot. He felt as though his entire body had been refilled with strength!

A surge of hot blood rushed to his head. He spun on his heel, and the feet that had been heading toward home made a sharp detour. With a roaring "Waaah!" he sprinted off toward the secluded valley where he usually trained.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Si Chen whom Wang Yan imagined to be "racing against time, training day and night," was at this very moment lounging leisurely in a reclining chair in the courtyard.

Moonlight fell softly over him. He squinted contentedly, a small side table beside him piled with all manner of snacks that Heishan had bought.

Red Bean was curled up on his chest, rising and falling with his breathing, fast asleep.

Mm, the evening breeze tonight was particularly lively — perfect weather for enjoying the cool air.

Si Chen thought lazily: the whole Nascent Soul condensation thing... maybe he'd put it off for a while longer.