Yuan had returned to his room—or rather, Wu Qiong's room—after escorting Huo Yan to a guest chamber.
'The auction for the Amber Lotus Petals should still be ongoing.'
Special items like the Amber Lotus Petals were typically saved for the climax of high-tier auctions. Considering how long those final rounds dragged on, it was still plausible that the bidding hadn't ended yet.
'I wonder who bought it?'
His mind lingered for a moment before dismissing the thought. Whoever won the bid was irrelevant, as long as it wasn't someone troublesome.
Still, if he had to guess...
'Probably the Lan Family. Since Lan Yue having the Pill Refining Physique is almost a given.'
Thinking about pills in this world felt...strange.
In a cultivation world, pills is a fundamental requirement for cultivators, and should be within the pockets of every cultivator, no matter the quality.
But not here.
'The Day of Rest really reshaped everything. Huh.'
Ever since that event, the Heavenly Dao had imposed a universal ban on alchemists, inscribers, and artisans. As a consequence, refining of pill, inscribing of formation, and forging of artifacts had all become taboo.
With a sigh, Yuan realized that the clichéd pill-refining contest trope might never make an appearance in his life.
He chuckled at the absurdity.
At least he had his panel to confirm that he lacked these outlawed physiques, like, Pill Refining Physique, Formation Inscribing Physique, and Artifact Forging Physique.
Having one of them meant only Day of Awareness but never a Day of Choosing — a sort of existential death sentence for cultivators.
Especially for people like Lan Yue, with potential recognized but forever restricted.
Yuan, thankfully, had avoided that fate.
So far, he has remained enthusiastic about cultivation related matters, and would like to be able to walk further at this path rather than remaining stagnant near the beginning.
Yuan remained in deep thought, fidgeting with his thoughts and the ones triggered from Wu Qiong's memories until the thought of his physiques fell upon him.
Two terms surfaced in his mind, [Sacred Crucible Physique] and [Heavenly Calamity Body].
They sounded awe-inspiring.
But what did they do?
After a brief hesitation, he gave in to his curiosity.
"Sister Hei, do you know about my physiques?"
Though Yuan asked whether she even knew about his physiques, he felt that Hei Yin should know, as physique and bloodline both show signs of existing before their owner's even became cultivator.
And in some cases, like Huo Yan's, bloodline could even be awakened before becoming a Cultivator, which almost guarantees the chances of that person becoming a cultivator.
Though it could be said this pre awakening comes with a price.
With his gaze on his shadow that clung to him despite the complete absence of light in the room, he half-expected silence.
Then, his shadow slithered away, rising and twisting toward the chair near his bedside.
There Hei Yin materialized, draped in a full-length black gown that shimmered like satin in moonlight. The bodice hugged her form with semi-transparent sleeves adorned with intricate embroidery. A veil seamlessly framed her sharp yet delicate features, her messy black hair tinged with bluish hues cascading over pale shoulders. Her heels clicked faintly beneath the hem as she shifted.
Elegant. Gothic. Refined.
But when she looked at him, it was with a teasing smile, and her sweet voice filled the room.
"You mean your [Sacred Crucible Physique] and [Heavenly Calamity Body]?"
Yuan blinked. "You know exactly what I have?"
"Of course," she said, as if it were obvious.
He narrowed his eyes.
Now that the tension had ebbed, he found himself noticing her beauty more than before. And her unpredictability.
She looked like an assassin but acted like a mischievous fairy.
He gathered his thoughts. "So... do you know what these physiques do?"
She tilted her head. "Hmm~ I won't tell you~"
Yuan's face twitched.
He exhaled slowly. No use getting angry. Not with her.
So he switched topics. Hesitantly, but firmly.
He asked Hei Yin if she could keep both him and Huo Yan safe from the Wu Family and from the mysterious man in the shadows.
To his relief, she nodded. "Just stay inside this residence. No one will touch you."
That boosted his confidence, so he made two more requests: first, to gather information on Chen Mo—his history, family background, and motivations. Second, to subtly spread rumors about Yuan and Huo Yan being in a relationship, to help solidify the idea that Wu Qiong had changed.
Hei Yin's response was flat.
"No."
Yuan deflated like a punctured gourd.
He flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Hei Yin stood silently beside him, her eyes watching him with unreadable curiosity.
Then she spoke, her voice quieter.
"There is one thing you can do for me."
Yuan sat up instantly. "What is it?"
Without answering, Hei Yin produced a delicate jade pendant and tossed it toward him.
Yuan caught it instinctively. The pendant was exquisite—a crescent moon shape connected by a thin arc of jade, from which a smooth bail joined the chain, also made of translucent jade.
Before he could ask, Hei Yin leaned in and placed it around his neck.
"Always wear it~" she whispered.
Then she patted his cheek. "Good boy."
Yuan lips twitched, as he felt kind of humiliated, so clenching his fists, he asked, "So you'll help now?"
She smiled and gestured for him to continue.
Resigned, he asked again, "What are the [Sacred Crucible Physique] and the [Heavenly Calamity Body]? What do they do?"
Hei Yin grinned, her eyes gleaming. "I still won't tell~"
Yuan looked ready to combust.
'Deep breaths. Deep breaths.'
She finally relented a little.
"I will tell you a thing about the [Heavenly Calamity Body]."
He leaned forward.
Hei Yin smirked.
"If I were to put it simply... you have horrible luck~"
Then, she disappeared.