Fate Trading System – Chapter 261

Plan A

Furnace 12

Plant

[Refresher: Qi Refining stage → Foundation Establishment stage → Golden Core stage → Nascent Soul stage → Divine Transformation stage → Void Refining stage → Body Integration stage → Great Accomplishment stage]

Su Xin and Jing Yueru came out together, hand in hand. Zhuo Nan was waiting there, a smile on his face.

“Are you two leaving right now?”

“Mm-hmm, are you participating in the secret realm trip in a month?”

It was Su Xin who answered. Jing Yueru wasn’t familiar with Zhuo Nan and didn’t like to talk much in front of outsiders.

“Of course, I’m going. You two should be going too, right? See you then.”

“Mm.”

This time, the secret realm was only open to those at the eighth level of Qi Refining up to Foundation Establishment cultivation and above. They could only operate in the outer areas; the deeper regions were not something they could venture into.

“Oh right, let me ask, will Xiu Yan be going?”

Zhuo Nan was already eager to watch a good show.

“He probably will. After all, this is a good opportunity, and he definitely won’t miss it. Why do you ask about him?”

Su Xin nodded, confirming this answer.

“I was just asking casually, it’s nothing. Well then, you guys can go. We’ll see each other then.”

Zhuo Nan’s smile was as pleasant as a spring breeze, his attitude completely different from before. Su Xin felt his change was a bit too quick; when interacting with her, he clearly seemed to have moved on.

Could it be that he thought the original owner had rejected his confession because she liked girls?

But no matter the reason, it was for the best that he could let it go.

Jing Yueru was about to take Su Xin to eat, but Su Xin stopped her.

“Do you have any money on you?”

“I brought a lot of spirit stones, and spirit pearls¹ too.”

“But this is the mortal realm. The currency used in the mortal realm is copper coins; they don’t accept spirit stones at all.”

“Oh, right.”

“Do you have food here?”

Su Xin directly asked the shopkeeper standing there. The shopkeeper had been extremely respectful, even a bit fearful and deferential.

“Yes, yes, we do.”

“Just bring a couple of light dishes.”

Su Xin was worried her stomach, having not eaten for a long time, wouldn’t be able to handle it, so she planned to just order two light dishes.

“Wei Shuangling, why are you eating mortal food? Didn’t you bring any Bigu pills?”

Zhuo Nan asked with a strange expression.

“It’s my first time in the mortal realm. Can’t I try the food here?”

“Fine, suit yourself. It’s just that we’ve been practicing Bigu for a long time. Eating this kind of food might make you feel unwell.”

“Mm, I’ll be careful.”

Two dishes and a soup arrived, indeed very light fare.

Crucian carp and tofu soup, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, stir-fried shredded pork, and a bowl of rice.

“It actually looks pretty good.”

Zhuo Nan looked and said so. Unfortunately, no matter how delicious it was, it had nothing to do with him.

After finishing their meal, the two planned to leave the mortal realm.

Jing Yueru didn’t ostentatiously fly off on her sword directly. She first took Su Xin to a hidden high point, then rode her sword to Huanling Mountain.

“By the way, he only gave you six months, and two months have already passed.”

Jing Yueru suddenly thought of this problem. When it came to alchemy, there was no way someone at the Qi Refining stage could refine that pill, right?

“Right. If I want to refine that medicinal pill, the required cultivation level is Foundation Establishment or above.”

“Reach Foundation Establishment in three months? Is he crazy?”

Even a genius like Jing Yueru had progressed step by step.

Jing Yueru reached Foundation Establishment at 23. This was a relatively common phenomenon in the cultivation world, considered fairly early, but far from astonishing.

However, Jing Yueru knew she was capable of much more; it was because of the restriction in her body that her cultivation speed was so slow.

Otherwise, why would she have needed to wait until 23 to reach Foundation Establishment? 15 would have been enough.

Jing Yueru’s memory hadn’t fully recovered yet. She didn’t even know her current age, but it definitely couldn’t be 23.

“Heaven never seals off all exits²; we’ll figure something out.”

Su Xin was also worried about this. Reaching Foundation Establishment in three months? She’d have to ascend to the heavens for that.

Host, it’s possible.

Fourteen suddenly spoke in Su Xin’s mind at this moment.

How so?

As soon as Su Xin heard Fourteen say this, she immediately felt relieved.

But it’s not a good method.

I know. Tell me about it.

There are no shortcuts in this world. Any method to achieve success quickly must be an unorthodox way³, not the righteous path, not solid and steady.

There should be another cultivation manual in there, one for dual cultivation.

Wow, that exciting?

But dual cultivation should be mutually beneficial, not really an unorthodox way. However, this kind of thing couldn’t possibly allow one’s cultivation to advance a thousand li in a day⁴.

It’s quite special. Host, you’ll know when you find it and see it.

Is it asking me to become a demonic cultivator?

The cultivation speed of demonic cultivators is much faster than that of righteous cultivators, but behind this speed lie very deep hidden dangers. They are very prone to failure when undergoing their lightning tribulation⁵.

Although it’s not a good method, it’s not an especially bad one either. Anyway, Host, you’ll know when you find it.

Okay then.

Su Xin always felt this world was full of pitfalls. It seemed like ever since she arrived in this instance on the very first day, nothing had gone smoothly; it was simply toxic.

Fortunately, there were still many good people around her, and this society wasn’t that sinister.

“Mm.”

Jing Yueru nodded worriedly because she really had no way to help someone quickly reach Foundation Establishment within three months. Even if she had such a method, she wouldn’t use it on Su Xin, as it would definitely be very detrimental.

“In a month, how will you get in with me?”

They reached their destination, and Su Xin once again saw the familiar bamboo house.

Secret realms have guardians. Every time a secret realm opens, several Nascent Soul stage or Golden Core stage cultivators watch over it to prevent any accidents.

How would Su Xin manage to evade these people and get inside then? A veil would definitely be unrealistic, and artifacts that hide one’s cultivation level would be useless against Nascent Soul stage experts.

“I need to get a type of medicinal herb.”

As mentioned before, Su Xin would read many books when she had free time. Especially during that month in the small village, she read all the books about spirit plants and came across a particular plant in them.

It was a spirit plant that sounded quite magical but seemed to have no damn use. It could make people grow bigger, smaller, or turn into ordinary animals. In the eyes of cultivators, it was like something useless and usually overlooked.

It was only because the information Fourteen had given her was quite comprehensive that she hadn’t overlooked this.

This plant was exactly what Su Xin needed right now. If she could turn into an animal after eating it, and then Jing Yueru brought her in, wouldn’t that be perfect?

Su Xin described the plant’s appearance and effects to Jing Yueru.

“That’s a really good idea! I can put you in a beast-taming bag⁶ and bring you in. Even if an expert detects something inside, I can explain it’s my spirit beast.”

“Do you know where to find this thing? I’ll go help you pick it.”

Su Xin told her the location, and Jing Yueru nodded.

“I won’t go with you this time. I don’t have much strength right now and can’t help at all. If something happens, you’d have to look after me, so I’ll just wait here for you to come back.”

Su Xin had always been very clear about her current abilities. She wouldn’t do things beyond her capabilities and wouldn’t try to be a hero.

Su Xin was a gambler; she would take a chance, but she wouldn’t overreach.

“Okay. This time, you shouldn’t be taken away by anyone again, right?”

“That person won’t be able to take me away again.”

“Good.”

“Right, what about the thing I gave you?”

“That black egg?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Jing Yueru took out a black egg from her palm and placed it in Su Xin’s hand.

For the past two months, Jing Yueru hadn’t paid much attention to this egg. She had just kept it in her storage ring and focused on other matters.

Jing Yueru sent a voice transmission to her master, explaining her situation, and then rode her sword to her destination.

Before Jing Yueru left, she gave Su Xin a Bigu pill to eat, so she wouldn’t have to worry about being hungry for the next month.

Su Xin returned to the bamboo house and sat on the familiar bed.

She first went to the prepared bath pool to wash herself clean, put on Jing Yueru’s clothes, and played with the egg.

She kept feeling that there was some subtle change in the egg, but it was hard to distinguish with the naked eye.

She looked at it carefully and finally asked Fourteen in her mind.

Lord Fourteen, do you think this egg’s color has turned a bit red?

Visually, it still looked black, but if you looked closely, you’d feel that parts of it were dark red, a red so deep it verged on purple, and a purple so dark it verged on black.

Indeed.

Su Xin poked it, then snuggled under the covers, holding it to continue incubating it.

Although it looked a bit ugly and unremarkable—if you just left it there, others might mistake it for a very large black stone—Su Xin knew there was something good inside. She didn’t know what good thing it was, but it probably wasn’t bad, because she didn’t sense any particularly uncomfortable aura from it.

If it were a bad thing inside, Fourteen probably wouldn’t have let her buy it.

Su Xin waited for a few days, and Jing Yueru rushed back.

“Is this the thing?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Are there any side effects, and how do you reverse it?”

“No side effects. It will automatically wear off after three days.”

“That’s good.”

Jing Yueru put the item away first, planning to give it to Su Xin the day before the appointed time.

After Jing Yueru also tidied herself up, she stood in front of Su Xin, somewhat hesitantly.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s almost the beginning of the month.”

“I know.”

There were four pills left, enough to suppress it four more times.

“This time, are you planning to do it yourself, or… should I?”

Jing Yueru asked with some hesitation. If Su Xin could manage on her own, she wondered if she would still need her.

Jing Yueru was actually a little conflicted internally. She really wanted to do it herself, but she also wanted to see Su Xin doing it herself in front of her; it would surely be very beautiful.

Jing Yueru looked innocent and pure, but these were her inner thoughts.

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