The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

"This object is quite peculiar. It’s impervious to blades and spears, and unharmed by water or fire. I once tried to probe it with my True Essence but found nothing. So, I placed it in the Talent Pavilion and paid it no mind. In the blink of an eye, fifteen years have passed."

"Of the brothers who joined me in suppressing the Great Snow Dragon Mountain traitors back then, only Feng Ling’s father, Feng Lang, remains," Muui Yunlie said nostalgically, gazing at the pale blue gem before him.

"What is it? Could it be that Teacher Qin knows the origin of this gem?"

Qin Ya nodded and did not hide the truth. "This jade is called Exquisite Jade. It’s specifically used to seal Marvels of Heaven and Earth. And if I’m not mistaken, there is one such Marvel sealed within this jade."

Marvels of Heaven and Earth were all priceless treasures. Qin Ya could have easily made up a lie and tricked him into handing over the jade, but he didn’t. Firstly, he respected Muui Yunlie’s character. Secondly, he had his own pride.

Muui Yunlie gave Qin Ya a deep look. ’To be able to maintain his pride in the face of such a precious Marvel... this young man is truly extraordinary.’

"A Marvel..." Muui Yunlie sighed. "My brothers and I obtained this item back then. Now, the scenery remains, but the people are gone. What use is there for me to keep this alone..."

"If Teacher Qin likes it, you are welcome to take it."

Qin Ya didn’t stand on ceremony. "Then I won’t be polite."

"This item is of great use to me. With this jade, I might be able to concoct a Seventh-Grade Elixir and cure your poison in less than half a year."

At these words, Muu Yao and the others were overjoyed.

"That’s wonderful," Muu Yao said. "Rest assured, Teacher Qin, we will gather the ingredients for the Seventh-Grade Pure Yang Pill as quickly as possible."

Qin Ya stayed at the Muu Mansion for a few hours until noon before leaving. Walking down the streets of the Imperial Capital, he was in a rather good mood.

The Marvel inside the Exquisite Jade had caused a stir in his Purple Lotus Celestial Flame, which clearly meant it had an extraordinary use for it. The Purple Lotus Celestial Flame was intimately linked to him; the stronger it became, the more he would benefit...

’After I get back, I’ll first see what the item is. But I can’t use it on the Purple Lotus Celestial Flame for now. I must wait until I’ve fused the Purple Lotus Celestial Flame into my True Essence before I can use it...’ Qin Ya thought to himself. He had not yet integrated the Purple Lotus Celestial Flame into his True Essence. If he made the flame even more powerful now, it would undoubtedly increase the difficulty of that fusion.

Suddenly, a little girl ran over, looked at Qin Ya, and took out a slip of paper from her clothes, handing it to him. She said in a crisp voice, "Big brother, someone asked me to give this to you."

"Oh?" Qin Ya took the slip of paper in confusion. Written on it was...

"East of the city... meet at the Chaotic Stone Forest. Li Peiyi!"

Qin Ya was even more surprised, murmuring, "Why would Peiyi ask me to go to the Chaotic Stone Forest? Could there be some urgent matter?"

No longer overthinking it, Qin Ya asked the little girl, "Little sister, who gave you this note? Where are they now?"

"It was a very pretty big sister."

The little girl said with a grin, her eyes curving into crescents. She looked very cute. Qin Ya grew even more suspicious. ’Could it really be Peiyi?’

’Then why the Chaotic Stone Forest? And not the Academy?’

"Interesting."

Qin Ya’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cryptic glint flickering within them. No matter how he looked at it, this whole affair reeked of a conspiracy. After casually buying some snacks for the little girl, Qin Ya decided to head to the Chaotic Stone Forest and see for himself...

「The eastern part of the Imperial Capital, the Chaotic Stone Forest!」 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Twenty years ago, the eastern part of the city had been a major construction site. A great deal of rubble had gathered here, and over time, it became this Chaotic Stone Forest.

Arriving in the sparsely populated Chaotic Stone Forest, a graceful figure suddenly entered his line of sight. A white dress, black hair, a longsword—it was none other than Li Peiyi.

However, Qin Ya just gave a detached smile, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Li Peiyi slowly walked up to Qin Ya. She lifted her eyes to meet his, a blush suddenly blooming on her cheeks as she said, "You’re here. I asked you to come because I have something to tell you."

"Oh? What is it? Go on."

That Li Peiyi took a deep breath, putting on a shy and bashful expression.

"I... I like you!"

"Huh...?" Qin Ya was stunned.

Just as Qin Ya was frozen in surprise, the Li Peiyi, who was less than two steps away, suddenly wore a cold expression. A frosty glint flashed in her eyes, and a flicker of cold light appeared as the tip of her sword shot straight for the vital point of Qin Ya’s heart...

The attack was so fast that even an Earth Element Realm Martial Artist would likely find it hard to dodge. But Qin Ya, who had appeared startled, had his expression return to normal in an instant. He immediately executed Chasing Wind and Shadow, his figure instantly moving over a hundred feet away.

"Sigh. Your acting is terrible!"

The fake Li Peiyi’s expression changed. She hadn’t expected her sure-kill strike to miss. She asked in a cold voice, "I was certain my Disguise Skill was flawless and my impersonation perfect. How did you know I was a fake Li Peiyi?"

"Like I said, your acting is terrible."

Qin Ya said indifferently. Li Peiyi was such a proud and competitive person; how could she possibly show such a shy and bashful side in front of him? No matter how he thought about it, it was impossible.

Besides, as a top-tier Alchemist, his senses were extremely sharp. A person’s appearance could be changed, but their scent was difficult to alter. Having known Li Peiyi for so long, he was already familiar with her scent. This impostor before him reeked of rouge; it would have been difficult *not* to expose her. However, Qin Ya had no intention of explaining all this.

"Speak. Who sent you?"

His indifferent tone concealed a deep chill. There were only a few people in the Imperial Capital with whom he had grievances, but as for who exactly wanted him dead, he would really have to think about it.

"Do you think I would tell you?"

The fake Li Peiyi gave a coquettish laugh, causing Qin Ya’s brows to furrow. He drew his Ghost Cloud Pan Dragon Spear, pointed it at her, and said coldly, "You could have impersonated anyone, yet you chose to impersonate someone close to me. You really have a death wish..."

"Oh? It seems this little chick is quite important to you."

The fake Li Peiyi suddenly stuck out her pink tongue and licked her slender fingers with a wanton look. Her bright red lips parted slightly. "Qin Ya, I really like you. Don’t you like me?"

This time, she directly enraged Qin Ya.

"Don’t you dare make such a disgusting expression with that face!" Qin Ya’s tone was like cold ice. His spear shot out like a dragon, thrusting toward his enemy.

The fake Li Peiyi chuckled. Her longsword unleashed a swath of Sword Light that resembled a canopy of heaven, enveloping Qin Ya.

With a narrowing of his brows, Qin Ya swept his long spear, shattering the canopy to pieces. A wild wind howled as he suddenly thrust with his Wind-Splitting Spear Technique.

"Hehe, Qin Ya, you’re so cruel."

The fake Li Peiyi’s figure shifted, like a phantom. At the same time, a veil of light gauze floated in the air, revealing the woman’s half-exposed, charming shoulders.

Qin Ya’s brows furrowed. He brandished his long spear, and countless spear shadows enveloped the surroundings, as piercing as a winter gale. But the impostor’s figure was like a reflection in the water or a flower in the mirror—it scattered upon contact, only to rematerialize immediately after.

"This Body Technique is quite profound."

Qin Ya said indifferently, his figure shifting to dodge the Sword Qi slashing at him from behind. Then, he did something unexpected.

He closed his eyes, fully extending his senses, no longer relying on sight.

"Hmph. Just putting on a show."