Chương 28: The Small Hillside Market

To the trio standing opposite him, Reyn's words were nothing short of suicidal arrogance. In an instant, a frigid glint flickered within the eyes of Duan Zhonghua and Li Zidu, followed by a surge of thinly veiled killing intent that swirled in the depths of their pupils. Liu Yuyao, after a momentary daze, stared at Reyn with an expression of utter bewilderment. She had never imagined that this lowly disciple would dare to speak to Duan Zhonghua with such blatant defiance.

Within the younger generation of the Xuanxiao Sect, Duan Zhonghua was not only formidable in his cultivation but was also a Tier 2 Alchemist at the absolute peak of his craft, capable of refining Foundation Establishment Pills. In the entire sect, those who dared to address him with such insolence could be counted on one hand.

"Good! Very good!" Duan Zhonghua laughed, though it was a sound born of pure, jagged fury. His eyes flashed with a predatory light as a powerful wave of spiritual pressure erupted from his body, crashing toward Reyn like an invisible tide, seeking to force him to his knees. Reyn met the crushing weight with a face as impassive as stone. He cast a cool, detached glance at Duan Zhonghua and spoke in a voice devoid of emotion.

"Sect disciples slaughtering one another—regardless of the provocation—results in immediate expulsion and a permanent ban from the sect. These are the ancestral laws carved into our very foundation. Is Senior Brother Duan truly prepared to trample upon them?" Duan Zhonghua's momentum faltered. Though his complexion turned a sickly, dark shade of shadow, the surging spiritual pressure was slowly reined back into his body.

His gaze flickered to the periphery, noticing that his outburst had already drawn the curious and wary eyes of several nearby Xuanxiao disciples. His heart tightened. Setting aside the potential punishment from the sect elders, if word reached Ji Yueli, the refined image he had painstakingly cultivated would crumble into dust, and any chance he had with her would vanish forever.

"Hmph! Do not think for a moment that I lack the means to deal with you," Duan Zhonghua sneered, a murderous glint passing through his eyes.

"Reyn, your disrespect today will not be forgotten. On the day of the Sect Grand Tournament, I will ensure you pay a price you cannot afford." With a flick of his sleeve, he summoned his streak of light and vanished into the horizon.

"Ignorant fool," Li Zidu added, his voice dripping with the condescension of a deity looking down upon a mortal. He gave Reyn one last look of utter disdain before taking to the sky, disappearing shortly after. Liu Yuyao lingered for a second, her gaze lingering on Reyn with a strange, mocking curiosity. She chuckled softly.

"I'll admit, you have nerves of steel. But I should warn you—it won't be long before the entire Xuanxiao Sect knows of your 'bravery' against the Eldest Senior Brother. I truly hope that when the Sect Assessment arrives, your bones are as hard as your tongue." With a final, melodic laugh, she too departed.

"The Sect Assessment..." Reyn murmured, his brow furrowing slightly. To evaluate the progress of its disciples, the Xuanxiao Sect held a mandatory annual assessment. From the lowliest Outer Sect disciples to the prestigious True Inheritance Disciples, all were required to participate. Those who showed significant growth were showered with rewards, while those who stagnated faced harsh penalties.

Crucially, after the formal testing, the sect would erect the Dueling Platforms, allowing disciples to settle personal grievances under supervision. While the rules forbade crippling or killing, leaving an opponent bedridden for weeks or battered beyond recognition was perfectly acceptable. Clearly, Duan Zhonghua intended to use that stage to humiliate him before the entire sect.

"Hmph. Duan Zhonghua is narrow-minded and short-sighted, yet he dared to harbor killing intent toward me just now," Reyn thought, his eyes flashing with a cold, lethal sharpness.

"If you stay out of my way, all the better. But if you insist on seeking your own death, I will not hesitate to reveal my true strength and cut you down where you stand." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Turning away, he accelerated his flight toward the Medicinal Garden.

If Reyn could successfully reach Foundation Establishment, he wouldn't need to risk his life exploring the ancient cultivator's cave, especially with the heaven-defying Golden Seal in his possession. However, faced with the current impossibility of breaking through, that hidden grotto was his only hope. Ancient cultivators often possessed miraculous methods; perhaps he could find a way to bypass his bottleneck there.

With the rendezvous with Chu Dian fast approaching, it was impossible to make a breakthrough in cultivation in such a short window. Reyn decided on a secondary plan: mass-producing high-quality pills. In the world of cultivation, medicine was the ultimate insurance policy—a treasure that could save one's life at the most critical juncture. The low-level Spirit-Gathering and Spirit-Condensing Pills he used during his early Qi Condensation days were now useless to him.

While Foundation Establishment Pills could restore vast amounts of spiritual energy, their absorption was too slow and often caused one's internal energy to boil uncontrollably—hardly ideal for the heat of battle. After careful consideration, Reyn decided to refine Peiyuan Pills. Though typically used by Foundation Establishment cultivators to recover energy, they were perfect for his current needs. Furthermore, with his enhanced Divine Sense, refining pills of this caliber was now a trivial task.

He threw himself into the process, casting all distractions aside as the furnace roared to life. He began a frantic, methodical cycle of alchemy. Peiyuan Pills—he refined hundreds of them, ensuring he would never run dry in a prolonged fight. Spirit-Restoring Pills—crucial for the rapid recovery of Divine Sense. He produced dozens of these high-grade treasures. Nine-Turn Blood Jade Ointment—a specialized salve for physical trauma.

It was rumored that as long as a limb wasn't completely severed, this ointment could mend it perfectly. Before reaching the Golden Core Realm, a cultivator's physical body remained fragile and vulnerable to fatal wounds. This life-saving medicine was indispensable; he prepared eighteen bottles without hesitation.

Beyond these, he filled his storage bag with a variety of utility medicines: Detoxification Pills, Breath-Holding Pills, Inedia Pills, and even Transformation Pills, preparing for every conceivable scenario. During this period, Reyn ventured out of the valley once. As expected, the rumors of his "insolence" toward Duan Zhonghua had spread like wildfire. The story of the "aggrieved" Eldest Senior Brother planning to teach the upstart a lesson during the Sect Assessment was the talk of every corner.

Reyn merely offered a cold smile in response before returning to his work. If someone was truly tired of living, he didn't mind providing them a helping hand. It took nearly half a month of grueling labor to complete the entire stock. Had any other alchemist—even a Grandmaster—attempted such a feat, it would have taken a year or more of constant effort. After consuming a pill and meditating to restore his focus, Reyn opened his eyes. His spiritual energy and Divine Sense had returned to their absolute peak.

"The pills are ready. Now, it's time to acquire some external life-saving tools," Reyn mused. He stowed his supplies and, carefully avoiding the sect's patrol disciples, slipped away from the Xuanxiao Sect's territory. Cultivators required a vast array of unique materials to progress, and thus, markets for the exchange of goods—known as Spirit Markets—had emerged. Even the most rudimentary Spirit Markets were protected by illusion arrays to hide them from the eyes of mortals.

Only those with spiritual cultivation could enter. The Small Hillside Market was the closest such hub to the Xuanxiao Sect. It was a low-tier gathering place frequented by local cultivation clans and low-level sect disciples, mostly at the Qi Condensation stage. Occasionally, however, a stray Foundation Establishment expert might wander in, hoping to find a hidden treasure among the dross. On this day, a streak of light descended upon a barren, nondescript valley.

A young man with refined features stepped out from the glow.

"So, this is the Small Hillside Market?" It was Reyn. After a moment of hesitation, he suppressed his aura, masking his true power until he appeared to be a mere cultivator of the 7th level of Qi Condensation. With a flick of his fingers, he cast a specialized hand seal and stepped forward into the empty valley. As if walking through a vertical pool of water, the air rippled with translucent waves. In an instant, the silence of the valley was replaced by the sudden, deafening roar of a bustling marketplace.