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"Windwalking Pill?" Qin Shu was familiar with this second-tier pill. Though only a rank higher than the first-tier Energy Recovery Pill she had been making, its difficulty was exponentially greater.

Windwalking Pills temporarily enhanced speed—perfect for disciples on missions, whether for travel or a last-minute escape.

"Uncle Master, I understand your concern, but I've never refined this pill before. My cultivation is still low, and my success rate..." Qin Shu frowned, appearing troubled.

Master Ma, hands behind his back, chuckled. "No worries. Every great alchemist starts somewhere. Just give it a try. Elder Changqing has granted you the first ten furnaces as practice. After that, you only need to submit seventy percent of the pills you refine."

It was an incredibly generous deal, but Qin Shu hesitated.

"What if I only produce three pills per batch?"

Master Ma saw right through her calculations and laughed. "That's normal for beginners. You won't always have such low success rates. Don't worry, the sect can afford it."

Qin Shu thought about the massive amount of Energy Recovery Pills she had refined, with seventy percent turned in to the sect.

This was a win-win—she earned, the sect earned, and even her senior brother Wen Chi profited from renting out his alchemy furnace.

To refine two furnaces at once, she'd need to borrow Wen Chi's high-grade furnace again—regular ones couldn't handle her unique fire attribute.

"Since you say so, I'll give it a shot!"

Master Ma watched her determined expression and sighed.

The mortal-born disciples always carried such fiery ambition. He wondered how long she would hold onto this drive.

Qin Shu had a clear plan: test the Windwalking Pill's difficulty, practice until she was proficient, and then rent a furnace for mass production.

She spent the next three months locked in the alchemy chamber.

When she emerged, the sect was in chaos.

The once-pricey Windwalking Pills had dropped to just five contribution points per pill!

At two low-grade spirit stones per point, a single pill now cost only ten spirit stones!

"Shu Ying, get me two!"

"This is too cheap! I'll take ten—what if the price rises again?"

The realization spread like wildfire, and disciples rushed to stock up.

"Junior Sister Qin said she'd keep refining when free, so we won't lack pills anymore," Shu Ying explained.

Then, someone gasped.

"Superior-grade Windwalking Pills?!"

The previous pills had been low-grade, which everyone already found a great deal. But now, a superior-grade Windwalking Pill cost the same five points?

Impossible to resist!

Low-grade pills lasted fifteen minutes, but superior-grade lasted a full thirty, with an even greater speed boost.

Shouts erupted.

"Ten for me!"

"Eight!"

"Twenty!"

Qin Shu had unknowingly saved her fellow disciples a fortune.

After three months of relentless work, she had repaid Wen Chi's debt and her own, stepping out of the chamber feeling weightless.

Debt-free at last!

Meanwhile, Xie Shiyuan was bewildered.

He had merely asked her to sleep outside for a night. She had instead vanished for three months.

Each night, she only meditated in the courtyard, slipping away at dawn.

Three months without a single greeting.

Even worse, some man from the Heaven's Secret Pavilion had visited her twice.

Since when did this little girl have dealings with them?

At last, Qin Shu returned in daylight.

She marched straight to her temporary hut, ensuring her pet squirrel, Xiao Xiao, still had shelter.

But the moment she arrived, a familiar voice echoed in her mind.

"Do you not want the spiritual vein anymore?"

Qin Shu froze, then bolted toward the cave, shouting, "I do! Of course, I do!"

That was a **spiritual vein**! Who wouldn't want it?

The moment she burst through the stone doors, her jaw dropped.

The cave had completely transformed.

The black jade stone bed was now layered with luxurious pelts, gleaming with soft radiance.

A snake... was living better than her.

Standing within the cave, Xie Shiyuan towered over her, his tail propping up his upper body.

Qin Shu barely reached his waist.

He turned to her, deep in thought, studying her up and down.

"What should I do?" His brows furrowed in apparent distress.

Qin Shu blinked. "Do about what?"

Xie Shiyuan lazily poured himself a glass of celestial nectar and drawled, "This half of the spiritual vein was a gift for treating my injuries. But it seems... you no longer care about my condition."

Qin Shu's stomach dropped.

In all her rush to pay off her debts, she had completely **forgotten** about the injured demon lord.

Her hands fidgeted, fingers nervously twisting. She snuck a glance at his tail.

The moment she saw the wounds, all embarrassment vanished.

"You—you—you, get on the bed! **Now!**"

Xie Shiyuan had been ready to tease her further, but her urgent tone caught him off guard.

Qin Shu knelt before him, inspecting his injuries, muttering, "Your wounds are dragging on the ground! What if they get infected?! There's no antibiotics here—you can't just act recklessly!"