Having received the items from Han Qianqiu yesterday, Bai Qiuyuan promptly tossed them all into his Modifier.
By utilizing the ‘View Details’ option within the Modifier, Bai Qiuyuan gained a crystal-clear understanding of each artifact’s function, purpose, crafting method, and other intricate details.
“So that’s it,” he mused, “no wonder Han Qianqiu looked so pained when she handed them over.”
A smile touched Bai Qiuyuan’s lips as he gazed at the dozens of windows displaying rare items now open before his eyes.
Just then, his peripheral vision snagged on a particular item, one that seemed utterly unremarkable amidst the array of magnificent treasures.
[Generally speaking, the most unassuming items often hold the greatest value!]
Bai Qiuyuan promptly sat upright, extending his hand into the shimmering window to retrieve the item that had caught his eye.
[{Key to the Secret Treasure}: Collect four of these, and a hidden immortal’s dwelling treasure will be yours to uncover. Should you fail to assemble the complete set, it will remain nothing more than an unyielding piece of scrap metal. Due to its prolonged storage, it has suffered some damage, which can be mended through the art of artifact refining with the correct materials.]
Having finished reading the item’s description, Bai Qiuyuan picked up the “key” and began to scrutinize it with keen interest.
More than a mere key, this artifact truly resembled a long sword.
Its blade, a deep violet hue, was intricately carved with peculiar, arcane patterns.
Yet, its very essence was forged from Thunder Sea Profound Iron, rendering it utterly indestructible.
Bai Qiuyuan gave the sword a swift swing, a sense of melancholy stirring within his thoughts.
[It’s not as smooth or responsive as the Duanmo Sword.]
[Thunder Sea Profound Iron? That would be quite compatible with a thunder spirit root.]
[I’ll just hand it over to Yang Xueqing later. I recall her mentioning she possesses a thunder spirit root.]
[With her immense luck, she should be able to help me locate the remaining keys and the entrance to the immortal’s dwelling.]
After imbuing the long sword with a Level 7 Positioning Array, Bai Qiuyuan proceeded to cast a Level 7 Concealment Array upon it, ensuring its hidden presence.
A knowing smile then spread across his thoughts.
[This way, once I hand the key to Yang Xueqing, I can use it to constantly track her movements.]
[I’ll rely on her to lead me to the immortal’s dwelling treasure.]
Bang!
Just as Bai Qiuyuan prepared to stow away the key, the door to his room burst open with a sudden crash.
A young girl stepped into Bai Qiuyuan’s room; it was Han Qianqiu.
It appeared Han Qianqiu, having confirmed the elixir was safe, had already consumed the Beauty Enhancing Pill.
This, coupled with Han Qianqiu’s unfathomable cultivation base, created an astonishing effect.
Her entire aura now radiated an even more distinct sense of fresh, ethereal grace!
Even Bai Qiuyuan, who had long since grown accustomed to seeing beauty, found himself momentarily stunned, gaping for several seconds.
Han Qianqiu, who had initially intended to continue pestering Bai Qiuyuan for the spatial ring, paused, surprised to find him staring.
A smug grin then spread across her face as she raised a hand, teasing him playfully.
“If you return the ring to me right now, I might just let you hold my hand~”
Bai Qiuyuan merely spread his hands, a light chuckle escaping his lips.
“You certainly dream big.”
“You!”
Just as a flash of anger crossed Han Qianqiu’s face, her gaze fell upon the tattered purple long sword in Bai Qiuyuan’s hand.
Her irritation instantly forgotten, she approached Bai Qiuyuan, her voice laced with curiosity.
“Are you studying this… contraption?”
Hearing her question, Bai Qiuyuan replied with a query of his own.
“Do you know what this is?”
“I don’t know, silly~ That’s precisely why I’m asking you, isn’t it?”
Han Qianqiu’s voice brimmed with curiosity.
Bai Qiuyuan offered a wicked grin.
“I know what this is.”
Han Qianqiu’s curiosity immediately surged, and she asked with eager anticipation.
“Tell me, tell me?!”
Bai Qiuyuan merely continued to smile, ignoring her impatience.
“I’m simply not going to tell you.”
Han Qianqiu: “!”
Han Qianqiu raised her hand, poised to deliver a slap, but before she could strike, Bai Qiuyuan’s voice rang out.
“Attempted murder of a spouse (TL Note: The character 亲 (qīn) can mean ‘dear one’ or ‘relative’, while 夫 (fū) means ‘husband’. Bai Qiuyuan is cheekily implying ‘murdering your own husband’.)!”
Before Bai Qiuyuan could even finish his sentence, Han Qianqiu, flustered, clapped a hand over his mouth.
Han Qianqiu, her face beet red, exclaimed.
“What are you shouting about?!”
“I haven’t even laid a hand on you!”
Bai Qiuyuan gently pushed Han Qianqiu’s hand away, a wry, helpless smile gracing his lips.
“By the time you actually struck,”
“wouldn’t I, a mere cultivator who hasn’t even reached Core Formation, have long since been reduced to ash?”
“And considering I am your fiancé, what else could this be but attempted murder of one’s own husband?”
Han Qianqiu fell silent, lost in thought.
[He’s right! He’s still just a cultivator who hasn’t even reached the Core Formation stage!]
[Damn it, he completely sidetracked me!]
[I unconsciously started treating him as an equal!]
[Wait, something isn’t right. He hasn’t even reached Core Formation… so where did he get all these spirit stones?]
Han Qianqiu, her brow furrowed in confusion, finally asked.
“Where did you get so many spirit stones?”
Bai Qiuyuan merely smiled.
“A secret.”
Han Qianqiu: “!”
“…”
After a brief silence, Han Qianqiu regained her composure and continued her line of questioning.
“Are you really only eight years old?”
Bai Qiuyuan smiled as he extended his hand.
“Genuine, no fakes involved. If you don’t believe me, feel free to check my bone age yourself.”
Han Qianqiu: “…”
“My ‘bargain’ husband (TL Note: 便宜相公 (piányi xiānggong) is a playful, teasing term, roughly meaning ‘cheap husband’ or ‘husband I got a good deal on’, implying he was easily acquired or perhaps not highly valued, but used here in an affectionate, mocking way), I sense that your secrets are piling up.”
Having put away the “key,” Bai Qiuyuan observed the crestfallen expression on Han Qianqiu’s face, a silent chuckle echoing in his mind.
[What a wealth of expressions.]
[Is this an effect of her body shrinking, or is this simply her true personality shining through?]
[That doll-like face almost makes one want to tease her.]
A brief silence settled over the room.
Han Qianqiu’s face flushed slightly, and she stammered out a question.
“Those words you spoke yesterday, when you presented the betrothal gifts… were they truly sincere?”
The mere recollection of Bai Qiuyuan’s words from the previous night sent a flush of heat creeping up Han Qianqiu’s cheeks, making her inexplicably reluctant to meet his gaze.
Bai Qiuyuan froze for a split second upon hearing her, then glanced at the visibly nervous Han Qianqiu and chuckled.
“Your little head is always dreaming up such pleasant fantasies every day!”
“The moment the twelve-year term is over, I’ll be gone.”
As he spoke, Bai Qiuyuan chuckled, raising a hand to playfully rub Han Qianqiu’s cheek.
Han Qianqiu: “!?”
…
…
****Sword Pavilion Hall****
Bai Qiuyuan sat in a chair, silently sipping the tea in his hand.
A distinct, crimson palm print marred his cheek.
Beside him, Han Qianqiu sat, her cheeks puffed out in a clear display of indignation.
Their relationship, at this moment, was difficult to discern as either good or bad.
Occasionally, passing elders would notice them.
However, none dared to approach and inquire about what had transpired; they would simply glance, freeze for a second, and then hurriedly depart.
In the elders’ minds, although these two appeared youthful, they were in fact old enough to be their ancestors!
Who would dare meddle in their affairs?
Bai Qiuyuan quietly drank his tea, a tinge of resentment in his thoughts.
[I was completely deceived by her adorable appearance.]
[For a moment, I actually forgot that her cultivation was several major realms higher than mine…]
[I nearly courted death, playing too far and getting slapped to oblivion.]
[Hiss… my face still stings so much.]
[Until my cultivation can rival hers, it would be wise not to tease her excessively in the future…]
[…Just in case, I should exchange for a few protective artifacts from the Modifier and wear them later…]
Bai Qiuyuan set down his teacup, still feeling a lingering apprehension, and gently touched his face.
He swiftly made up his mind.
[I must first find a place to break through to Core Formation.]
Beside him, Han Qianqiu’s face remained puffed up, a mixture of shame and anger clearly showing, evidently not having calmed down yet.
[He’s just a little brat, yet he dares to speak to me like that!]
[Does he really think this old woman is a pushover?!]
[Speaking of which, did I hit him too hard just now? He wouldn’t be angry, would he?]
At this thought, Han Qianqiu secretly peeked at Bai Qiuyuan.
A soft snort of laughter escaped her.
Upon turning her head and seeing the still-visible handprint on Bai Qiuyuan’s face, Han Qianqiu couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
Seeing this, Bai Qiuyuan retorted with disdain.
“If you’re so capable, seal your cultivation to Core Formation and then fight me.”
Han Qianqiu, suppressing her laughter, replied.
“Since I can crush you with my cultivation, why would I lower my cultivation to fight you?”
“Do I look foolish?”
Bai Qiuyuan: “…”
“So what if your cultivation is high?!”
Han Qianqiu, hearing this, smiled, crossed her arms over her chest, and stood on her chair, looking down at Bai Qiuyuan with an expression that was one part disdain, two parts mockery, and three parts triumph.
“Apologies, but having high cultivation truly *is* impressive!”
Han Qianqiu’s words left Bai Qiuyuan speechless, unable to conjure any counter-argument, and he fell into contemplation.
Finally, as if a sudden realization had struck him, Bai Qiuyuan quietly reached into his sleeve.
From his system inventory, he then produced a steamed bun.
Han Qianqiu: “?”
Bai Qiuyuan took a bite of the bun.
Swiftly, the red palm print on his face, which had stubbornly lingered, began to fade!
Han Qianqiu: “!”
“You actually stuffed a recovery pill into a bun?!”
Han Qianqiu instantly saw through the “bun’s” true nature.
Bai Qiuyuan explained.
“Consider this: in a life-or-death situation, if your enemy pulls out a pill to heal, what would you do?”
Han Qianqiu thought for a moment before replying.
“Destroy their medicine.”
“…???!!!”
No sooner had Han Qianqiu spoken than a look of profound shock spread across her face, as if a realization had just dawned on her.
Bai Qiuyuan chuckled.
“Exactly. In a life-or-death moment, if you pull out not a pill, but a steamed bun,”
“your enemy won’t try to interrupt you; in fact, they’ll be momentarily slow to react, bewildered by the sight of a bun!”
“At that moment, as long as your bun contains some miraculous healing elixir…”
Han Qianqiu: “!!!”
“Your method is too… underhanded!”
Having said that, Han Qianqiu, still standing on the chair, hooked an arm around Bai Qiuyuan’s shoulder, leaning against him as she asked.
“…Do you have any more of those buns?”
Bai Qiuyuan looked at Han Qianqiu, falling into thought.
Han Qianqiu immediately explained.
“We cultivators, how can we be constrained by such trivial matters?”
Bai Qiuyuan: “…”
“The buns are gone; that was the last one.”
“Food stored in a spatial ring gets cold after too long.”
“You can find someone to make some buns for you later.”
Han Qianqiu immediately looked at Bai Qiuyuan with wide, pleading eyes, her expression clearly asking, ‘Are you sure there aren’t any more?’
Bai Qiuyuan: “…”
After two seconds of silence, Bai Qiuyuan again reached into his sleeve, pulling out a fist-sized jade jar, and said.
“Here you go.”
Han Qianqiu released Bai Qiuyuan, taking the jar with both hands, opening it, and pulling out a pill.
She examined it, then asked, puzzled.
“Hmm? What is this?”
The pill was entirely black, with nine faint golden patterns visible.
“Could this be… the legendary Nine-Revolutions Golden Elixir, capable of curing the dying, regrowing flesh and bones,”
“and essentially granting an extra life?!”
“Wait?! This entire jar is full of them?!”
Suddenly, Han Qianqiu realized just how truly wealthy Bai Qiuyuan was!
To possess so many items that were otherwise priceless and impossible to acquire!
Han Qianqiu held the pills, lost in thought.
[He actually dares to give me something this valuable?]
Then, Han Qianqiu heard Bai Qiuyuan say.
“I’m giving you these pills so you can protect me better.”
Han Qianqiu: “…”
She then smiled and put away the pills.
Han Qianqiu asked.
“The second phase of the disciple recruitment ceremony is currently underway. Do you want to go watch?”
Bai Qiuyuan chuckled.
“There’s nothing to see. Right now, I want to cultivate first.”
“I need to break through to Core Formation.”
“Is there a suitable place for Core Formation cultivators to undergo their tribulation?”
[No need to even think about it, the protagonist will definitely take first place later.]
[What I need to do now is quickly advance to the Core Formation stage.]
Han Qianqiu thought for a moment before saying.
“I know a place where you won’t be disturbed during your tribulation.”
“I’ll take you there.”
Bai Qiuyuan nodded.
[Heavenly Tribulation, huh…]