Chapter 73: The Elder of Yin and Yang

"Young Master Su, you’re finally back."

At that moment, Hong Jinlong and the other two approached Su Yifan.

"Are you all right?" Su Yifan nodded and asked.

Hong Jinlong shook his head. "The two of us are fine. It’s just Captain Xie who’s suffered some internal injuries." Though he himself had sustained some wounds, he dared not take the credit.

Hearing this, Su Yifan looked at Xie Wei. "Thank you for your hard work."

She was taken aback by his words. There were so many things she wanted to say, and yet, for some reason, she couldn’t get a single word out.

Seeing her silence, Su Yifan spoke no further. Instead, he took out a small jade bottle and handed it to her. "Here, this is your reward."

The moment the bottle appeared, Hong Jinlong and Zheng Yuan’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Xie Wei, however, looked puzzled and asked, "What is this? What do you mean? After all I’ve been through, nearly losing my life, this is all you’re giving me?"

When Xie Wei still didn’t reach for the jade bottle, Hong Jinlong and Zheng Yuan grew as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

Take it, hurry up and take it. Captain Xie, just take it already! You’re killing us with suspense.

Su Yifan then explained, "Didn’t I promise before to help you get into Dragon Scale?"

"What are you suggesting?"

Su Yifan nodded.

Unable to hold back any longer, Hong Jinlong urged, "Captain Xie, just take it. This is something truly good."

"Yes, yes, it’s a great thing!" Zheng Yuan chimed in. "Captain Xie, haven’t you noticed how much stronger we’ve become?"

It was only then that Xie Wei scrutinized the two men—and immediately sensed their martial aura had grown significantly.

"You both broke through?"

Hong Jinlong and Zheng Yuan only smiled, saying nothing.

Seeing this, Xie Wei stopped hesitating and reached out to accept the small jade bottle from Su Yifan’s hand. As soon as she opened it, a refreshing, fragrant scent wafted out. "It smells wonderful. What is this?"

She peered inside and saw three black pills, each the size of a fingernail.

"What kind of pill is this?" Xie Wei looked at Su Yifan and asked.

"It’s better not to ask. With your martial talent, you should have no trouble advancing by one or two minor realms within a month," Su Yifan replied.

This pill would benefit any martial artist, no matter their level—enhancing both cultivation and physical strength. The stronger one’s foundation, the less pronounced the effect, but much depended on talent. For someone like Xie Wei, who had reached the peak of Master level at her age, her potential was far from ordinary.

With the aid of such a pill, a rapid breakthrough was within reach.

"This pill is really that powerful?" Xie Wei asked in disbelief. It sounded too fantastical; she’d never heard of any pill able to grant such swift progress in cultivation. Could the three of them be conspiring to trick her?

Su Yifan said nothing further, turning to walk back toward the Su residence.

"Hey, you’re just leaving like that?" Xie Wei called after him.

"What else would I do?"

"I got hurt because of you. Can’t you at least—"

"No."

Su Yifan couldn’t be bothered to argue and simply walked away. If she hadn’t been injured, he wouldn’t have given her even one pill, let alone three.

Seeing his attitude, Xie Wei stomped her foot in frustration. "Ugh! He’s infuriating!"

Hong Jinlong tried to console her. "Captain Xie, you should be grateful."

"Grateful?" Xie Wei frowned. "I ended up like this because of him, and he just fobs me off with three lousy pills."

Not realizing the pill’s value, she shook her head. But Hong Jinlong pressed on, "Captain Xie, do you know what these pills are worth?"

"What could these stupid pills be worth?" she replied, suspicious of their constant support for Su Yifan. Had they been brainwashed?

Hong Jinlong decided to be frank. "Young Master Su sold us these pills at a hundred spirit stones each. Now do you understand what I meant earlier?"

Xie Wei was struck dumb.

After a long moment, she finally managed to stammer, "You mean each pill is worth a hundred spirit stones?"

"That’s right," Hong Jinlong said, and he and Zheng Yuan walked away.

Xie Wei stood rooted to the spot for a long while, glancing at the jade bottle in her hand, then at the direction Su Yifan had gone. Had she really misjudged him?

...

Evening fell.

After dinner, Su Yifan returned to his room, preparing to refine the more than nine thousand spirit stones he’d acquired.

But at that moment, he remembered the sheepskin scroll. He took it out and examined it once again with great care.

Still, he could discern nothing special about it.

"Am I not opening it the right way?"

With that thought, he tried injecting a wisp of spiritual energy into the scroll.

And then—

A dazzling white light flashed from the patterns on the sheepskin. In the blink of an eye, a beam of white light shot out, plunging straight into Su Yifan’s forehead.

At that same instant, inside Su Yifan’s sea of consciousness—

"Hahahaha..."

A hoarse, ancient laughter suddenly rang out.

In the next moment, a shadowy, black figure materialized before Su Yifan’s inner vision—a wizened old man with white hair and a hooked nose, sharp eyes gleaming with an ageless intensity.

"How many years has it been? At last, this day has come! The heavens have not abandoned me, the Elder of Yin and Yang!"

The white-haired elder threw back his head and roared, venting emotions that had been suppressed for centuries.

Just then—

"Old man, what are you so happy about?" Su Yifan’s voice echoed through the space, and in the next instant, he appeared before the elder.

"You… who are you?" The Elder of Yin and Yang was startled by Su Yifan’s sudden appearance.

"You’re asking who I am, when you’re inside my sea of consciousness?" Su Yifan said with a smile.

"Your sea of consciousness?" The old man’s smile returned as he grasped the situation. "So it was you who released me. Very well. After today, this place will belong to me. Blame your own bad luck for crossing my path!"

With that, he stretched out a hand, reaching straight for Su Yifan.

"In my own world, you think you can seize me? Where do you get such confidence?" Su Yifan replied coldly.

Forming a hand seal, he began to chant a strange incantation.

The next second—

"Spirit-Binding Chains—go!"

With a resounding shout and a gesture, several black chains appeared in the sea of consciousness, instantly binding the Elder of Yin and Yang’s soul in place.

"What?!"

Suddenly immobilized, the old man’s expression changed, surprised at the turn of events. But he quickly regained his composure, his gaze chilling, "Not bad, boy. But do you really think these pitiful chains can hold me?"

"Break!"

He strained with all his might—

Yet the expected shattering of the chains never happened.

"What? How is this possible?" The old man realized something was terribly wrong and stared hard at Su Yifan. "Is this your doing?"

Arms folded, Su Yifan sneered. "If you’re so useless, don’t prance around and shout. Anyone listening might actually think you’re some kind of big shot."