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Qin Shu wanted to say—back in the **21st century**, **summarizing and reviewing** was just an **ordinary skill every student had to master.**

She forced a laugh. **Good thing her classmates hadn't transmigrated here too—otherwise, the cultivators in this world would have been crushed under their relentless competition.**

*"Master, this is hardly a special skill."*

Master Lingxu took it as humility, and his impression of this little disciple grew even fonder.

Stroking his beard, he smiled kindly at Qin Shu.

*"Shu'er, what's your success rate for refining superior-grade Qi Replenishing Pills?"*

Qin Shu stood up straight and **cupped her fists respectfully.**

*"Master, for the past half a month, every furnace I've refined has produced ten superior-grade pills."*

Master Lingxu was secretly **stunned**, but his face soon lit up with satisfaction.

*"Very good, very good. Shu'er, you have already mastered the essence of Qi Replenishing Pills. I believe it's time for you to start learning other pill recipes."*

As soon as he said this, Qin Shu let out a **bitter laugh** and looked at him with an apologetic expression.

*"Master, I'd love to, but... I still have debts to repay."*

Master Lingxu's brows furrowed.

*"Debts? Even after half a month of refining superior-grade pills?"*

She had only been in the sect for a year—**how could she owe so much?!**

Qin Shu sighed and explained,

*"Second Senior Brother once gave me a flying artifact, so I agreed to help repay his sixty years of sect alchemy duties. Later, he also rented me his pill furnace, and I agreed to give him one pill per batch as rent."*

Master Lingxu: **"..."**

**This Wen Chi!** **The richer he gets, the stingier he becomes!**

*"I understand,"* he finally said. With a flick of his hand, a **pill furnace** appeared from his storage ring.

*"Return your senior brother's furnace. Use this one instead—our Alchemy Sect has no shortage of pill furnaces."*

Qin Shu looked down at the furnace in her arms.

It was **deep purple with golden engravings** of complex runes.

She blinked in surprise but quickly grew worried.

*"Master, my spiritual energy is... unique. Before using Second Senior Brother's furnace, I had already blown up five of them. If this one..."*

Before she could finish, Master Lingxu waved a hand dismissively.

*"No worries. This furnace is sturdy. You won't break it."*

Qin Shu's eyes **lit up.**

*"Thank you, Master!"*

She **immediately** stowed away Wen Chi's pill furnace and eagerly set up the new one, **ready to start refining.**

Master Lingxu assumed she was just testing the furnace, so he stood by to observe, intending to give her pointers.

But to his **shock**, Qin Shu finished refining one batch **and immediately started another**—as if she were in a **factory assembly line.**

He **watched in silence** as she refined five batches, exhausted her spiritual energy, **casually popped a Qi Replenishing Pill**, and **continued refining like nothing happened.**

Finally, he **couldn't stay silent anymore.**

*"Shu'er."*

Qin Shu looked up in **genuine surprise.**

*"Master?"*

...You're **still here?**

She didn't say the last part out loud, but **Master Lingxu saw it in her eyes.**

*"Have you always refined pills like this?"* he asked.

Qin Shu shook her head.

Master Lingxu **sighed in relief**—until she added,

*"Only during the day. At night, when there's moonlight, I still cultivate."*

Master Lingxu: **"..."**

**Heaven help him.**

If **all** the Alchemy Sect's disciples were **this diligent**, no one would be stuck repaying sixty years of debts—they would have **dominated the cultivation world by now.**

Master Lingxu was still **shocked**, but instead of stopping her, he **left her two extra bottles of Fasting Pills and departed.**

—

As soon as he left, **Qin Shu sent a message to Wen Chi.**

*"Second Senior Brother, I'm returning your pill furnace! I refuse to take this high-interest loan anymore!"*

Wen Chi replied instantly.

*"Oh? You finally paid off your debt?"*

*"Master gave me a new furnace! You, Wen the Scrooge, won't get to exploit me anymore!"*

Wen Chi chuckled.

*"We'll see."*

Qin Shu thought he was just **reluctant to admit defeat.**

But then, another message came through.

*"By the way, a certain **squirrel** just broke into my mountain peak and **wrecked one of my Golden Feather Orchids**."*

Qin Shu's expression **froze.**

Her mind raced.

Could she... **pretend she didn't know this squirrel?**

Before she could convince herself, Wen Chi crushed her hopes.

*"Strangely enough, this squirrel carries **your spiritual energy.** Care to explain?"*

Qin Shu: **"..."**

**No matter how hard she worked, she only seemed to get poorer.**

*"Just keep an eye on her. If she ruins anything else, I won't compensate you!"*

Her face was **expressionless**, but in her heart, **she was bleeding.**

With this **unexpected debt** weighing on her mind, Qin Shu **lost interest in refining pills.**

She had already repaid **eight and a half years** of Wen Chi's **sixty-year debt.**

She stowed away her furnace and **flew straight to Wen Chi's cave dwelling.**

—

This was **her first time visiting** his peak.

The layers of **protective wards** meant she could only send him a **message request** at the entrance.

The more she waited, the more curious she became.

With Wen Chi's **fortress-level security**, **how had Xiao Xiao even gotten in?**

Before she could figure it out, the **barriers suddenly lifted.**

A breathtaking scene **unfolded before her eyes.**

It was like **a veil had been removed**, revealing **a celestial paradise**—**pavilions, flowing streams, mist-covered courtyards, and white cranes soaring elegantly through the air.**

**So... this is the life of an immortal?**

Compared to **his peak**, her own residence felt like a **cave in the wilderness.**

She had never related more to **Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.**

Qin Shu had to **physically lift her jaw** from the ground before stepping into this immortal wonderland.

Crossing a **small bridge**, **vibrant koi fish** swam beside her, their **crimson scales glistening like sunset clouds.**

She **wished she had eight eyes** just to take it all in.

Finally, she reached **a grand palace** at the peak.

As she approached the steps, a **rainbow bridge of light** extended from the palace and **stopped at her feet.**

Qin Shu: **"..."**

...**Was this the cultivation world's version of an elevator?**

Cautiously, she stepped onto the light bridge—and to her amazement, **it carried her steadily upward.**

Just as she reached the entrance, a **melodramatic voice echoed from within.**

*"Junior Sister, I have waited so long for you..."*