63 Breaking Through the Realm (Part 1)

◎“I want to ask you for something”◎

Yunya Academy has a day off every three weeks. On this day, disciples can do as they please, whether it is meditating, practicing swordsmanship, or indulging in drinking and pleasure, without being restricted by the academy.

The mornings without early classes were quite leisurely. Ran Qinghe leaned against the soft couch, flipping through the jade slip in front of her while making hand gestures and chanting incantations.

With a bang, the door was pushed open, and Shui Rong'er ran in with a happy expression. Seeing that Ran Qinghe was still focused on practicing magic, she was greatly disappointed.

She looked at him with a disappointed expression, "Today is a day off that only comes once every three weeks. How can you waste such a precious day on cultivation?"

Ran Qinghe didn't pay attention to her words, gave a faint "hmm", and continued to flip through the jade slips on the table.

Seeing this, Shui Rong'er crossed her arms and said with great dissatisfaction, "What's wrong with you all lately? You're all focused on cultivation. You're like this, and so is he..."

"he?"

Ran Qinghe finally raised her head and asked.

“Fu Ji,” Shui Rong’er replied matter-of-factly. “Who else did you think it was?”

"Oh, as for... Lou Tinglan, I don't know."

Ran Qinghe's eyes flickered slightly as she put down the jade slip: "...I didn't ask him."

As the two were talking, a disciple from the Discipline Hall knocked on the courtyard gate and waited politely at the entrance.

He continued in a steady voice, "Senior sisters, excuse me for disturbing you. The academy routinely distributes cultivation supplies and spirit stones for the month. Please go to the side hall of the Discipline Hall to collect them."

After he finished speaking, he bowed slightly, turned around and left without any hesitation.

Shui Rong'er's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Ran Qinghe's wrist: "Come on, come on! Let's go take a look. It's said that in addition to spirit stones, we can also freely use the treasures and magical artifacts of the Discipline Hall."

Ran Qinghe was pulled so hard that she stumbled and reluctantly closed the jade slip.

*

Side hall of the Discipline Hall.

As always, it was solemn. A few scattered figures were reflected on the gray stone pavement. The air was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood. It was so quiet that you could hear the rustling of each other's clothes.

Several disciples were queuing up in an orderly fashion. The disciples in charge at the front were verifying their identities and distributing spirit stones. The entire exchange was limited to a few words.

As soon as Shui Rong'er entered the hall, she was attracted by the various magical treasures and artifacts displayed around the hall. The guiding disciple patiently explained:

"The magical artifacts and spiritual treasures displayed in the hall can be freely taken after being registered."

Shui Rong'er grabbed Ran Qinghe's wrist. "Look, look! The Nine-Colored Glazed Lamp, the Yin-Yang Mirror, the Immortal-Binding Rope... all of them are rare Heaven-Rank magical artifacts in the realm. They can actually be taken by the academy's disciples. No wonder everyone is scrambling to get into this Cloud Cliff Academy."

Shui Rong'er clicked her tongue in admiration.

Ran Qinghe didn't reply. Her gaze swept across the front of the group. The person was dressed in black, with a tall and aloof back. Just by standing there, he seemed to blend into the desolation around him.

It is a taboo to support.

After receiving his share of a thousand high-grade spirit stones, he picked out three celestial-grade magic artifacts for his cultivation.

Shui Rong'er followed her gaze and saw it too. She nudged Ran Qinghe with her elbow and lowered her voice.

"Look, what did I tell you? He's been on some kind of madman lately, like a cultivation fanatic. He's probably here to collect the resources to go back and continue his cultivation."

Ran Qinghe withdrew her gaze and said calmly, "What's wrong with diligently cultivating?"

“Yes, yes, you’re all right.” Shui Rong’er pouted. “I’ll just be the lazy one.”

“Never mind, you wouldn’t understand,” Shui Rong’er said thoughtfully, stroking her chin. “You don’t know him. I feel like he’s been acting strange lately.”

Even when she gave him a kind look when she was happy, he remained indifferent. In short, it was really strange.

Just then, Fu Ji finished collecting the supplies and turned to walk out of the hall. His gaze inadvertently swept over the disciples queuing up, and his eyes met those of the two men for a fleeting moment.

He nodded slightly, then walked straight toward the two of them.

Fu Ji stopped in front of them, his dark clothes making his skin appear even paler, and an aura of unapproachability emanated from him. His gaze first swept over the chattering Shui Rong'er, and finally settled on Ran Qinghe.

“Fu Ji, you…” Shui Rong’er was about to complain about his recent strange behavior when he interrupted her.

"Ran Qinghe," his voice was calm and even, yet carried a hint of decisiveness, "would it be convenient for you to come out with me for a moment?"

Shui Rong'er's eyes widened instantly. She looked at Fu Ji and then at Ran Qinghe, her eyes filled with disbelief. Did the two of them have something they needed to hide from her?

Ran Qinghe was also taken aback, meeting his unfathomable eyes: "Is something the matter?"

"Something's up." Fu Ji said succinctly, then turned and walked out of the hall, seemingly certain that she would follow.

Ran Qinghe frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, but still followed Fu Ji's footsteps and arrived at a secluded corridor outside the palace.

Fu Ji stopped in his tracks, his voice slightly tense, "I'm sorry, I haven't seen you for a while, so I may have been a bit abrupt."

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the pillars, casting interplay of light and shadow on his face. He opened his hand, "This is for you," revealing in his palm a bag of high-grade spirit stones he had just received.

Ran Qinghe's pupils contracted slightly. She didn't take the spirit stone, but instead looked up and stared intently at him, her gaze probing. "Why are you giving me your share?"

Fu Ji lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze, and his eyes fell on the railing beside the corridor. "Spirit stones are of little use to me. If you need them, I can give you my monthly allowance of spirit stones."

"Or, if you need any special talismans, I can draw them for you."

Ran Qinghe was increasingly confused as she listened. She and Fu Ji were only fellow disciples, and they could only exchange a few words occasionally because of Shui Rong'er. Now, however, he was acting so friendly.

Ran Qinghe decisively refused, saying, "I don't need other people's spirit stones. As for drawing talismans, I can study it myself. So, you can speak your mind."

"Is it because of Shui Rong'er?" she asked, half guessing and half guessing.

Fu Ji put the spirit stone back in his hand, and a trace of barely perceptible irritation stirred in his usually calm eyes.

“I want to ask you for something,” he said, his voice lowering, even using the word “ask.”

The doubt in Ran Qinghe's eyes did not dissipate; instead, a hint of astonishment appeared. She stood silently, waiting for him to continue.

"Breakthrough Pill".

"Impossible." Ran Qinghe refused without even thinking. After a moment, she softened her tone and said, "I entered Yunya Academy for that Breakthrough Pill. Elder Lou Guan promised me that if I could hold on until the academy's grand exam a year later, she would give me the Breakthrough Pill. I can't just give it away."

Ran Qinghe asked in confusion, "What do you need the Breakthrough Pill for? As far as I know, you have been in the Nascent Soul stage for several years now, and your realm is stable. You are far from needing to break through the bottleneck."

Fu Ji added, "You can name your price. Spirit stones, magic weapons, cultivation techniques... I can offer them all with both hands."

"Heh." Ran Qinghe's suspicions deepened. "Fu Ji, you first gave me spirit stones for no reason, and then kept adding more and more. Your behavior is so abnormal..."

She took a step closer. "What trouble have you encountered that even the academy and your family can't solve, and you urgently need to improve your strength?"

Ran Qinghe's voice took on a sharp tone. She and Fu Ji were not close, but they were still fellow disciples. Moreover, the matter was suspicious, so she couldn't help but care.

"...No trouble."

After a long while, Fu Ji finally managed to squeeze out a few words from between his teeth. He looked up, his eyes swirling with an undercurrent that Ran Qinghe couldn't understand—anxiety, repression, and even a hint of desperate urgency.

“I just need it.”

"What do you need it for?" Ran Qinghe persisted.

"A breakthrough." His answer was still concise, but utterly unconvincing.

The two faced off, the air seemingly frozen, one determined to get to the bottom of it, the other refusing to divulge anything even at the cost of his life.

A slightly disgruntled and doubtful voice broke the undercurrent between the two.

"What are you all talking about hiding here? And why are you doing this behind my back?" Shui Rong'er peeked out from behind the pillar, her pretty face full of confusion and the grievance of being excluded.

"Fu Ji, what exactly do you want?"

The moment Fu Ji saw Shui Rong'er, almost instinctively, he put his hand holding the spirit stone bag behind his back to conceal it.

Ran Qinghe took in his subtle movements. A vague thought flashed through her mind: Fu Ji was so eager to use the Breakthrough Pill, could it be... really related to Shui Rong'er?

"It's nothing." Fu Ji spoke before Ran Qinghe, his voice no longer carrying its usual indifference, though beneath that indifference lay a tense tension he was trying to conceal. "It's just... I have some questions about cultivation."

Shui Rong'er blinked suspiciously: "Why do you have to sneak around and avoid people when asking for help with a difficult problem?"

“I’ve finished asking all my questions,” Fu Ji replied, walking straight past Shui Rong’er. He walked very quickly, as if afraid that if he slowed down even a step, Shui Rong’er would continue to press him with questions.

Shui Rong'er watched his retreating figure, which was practically fleeing in panic, and muttered, "What's going on? This is so weird."

She then grabbed Ran Qinghe's sleeve. "What did he say to you? Is it related to me? I feel like he's been acting really strange lately."

Ran Qinghe stared in the direction where Fu Ji had disappeared. After hesitating several times, she still did not tell him that he had asked her for the Breakthrough Pill.

She turned her gaze back and stared intently at Shui Rong'er. "What is your current cultivation level?"

Shui Rong'er was momentarily stunned, but seeing Ran Qinghe's darkening expression, she obediently replied, "Late Foundation Establishment stage..."

Ran Qinghe pressed on, "When will you be able to break through?"

Shui Rong'er said, "This... I don't know either. That's how we medical cultivators are. We don't really care about cultivation level, we only care about the level of medical skills."

She was quite satisfied with her level of achievement.

Ran Qinghe then asked, "How old are you?"

Shui Rong'er sensed something was amiss as she listened, her eyes darting away as she avoided answering, "Did Fu Ji really only want to ask you about cultivation?"

Otherwise, why would all of Ran Qinghe's questions revolve around her after Fu Ji left?

Ran Qinghe did not answer, but continued to look at her, waiting for her reply.

Shui Rong'er answered honestly, "About two hundred and three..."

Ran Qinghe's eyes narrowed sharply. If she hadn't miscalculated, a Golden Core cultivator's lifespan could reach eight hundred years, and even a late Foundation Establishment cultivator's lifespan should be around six hundred years.

If that's the case, why does Fu Ji need this Breakthrough Pill? Even in the worst-case scenario, if Shui Rong'er is unable to break through, they should have enough time to find or refine the pill. Why are they so eager to ask her for it?