Cultivation: Starting with a Dual Cultivation Technique at the Immortal Rank

11: Chapter 11 Debts of Favor and the Purple-Clad Fairy’s ChoiceQin Baobao’s grand ”preaching” mission, as expected, ended in failure.

Han Yueling was extremely wary, convinced that Li Yifei was using some sophisticated evil art of Gathering and Supplementing. For the next few days, she closely monitored Qin Baobao, fearing she would be ”deceived” again.

Meanwhile, Luo Yunxi was full of smiles, saying she would consider it, but she never revealed even a hint of her true thoughts, remaining completely inscrutable.

Li Yifei was not surprised by this at all.

Trying to convince two young girls whose minds were far more mature than Qin Baobao’s all at once was simply a fantasy. Especially for a True Spirit Root Genius like Han Yueling, who was proud and suspicious; forcing the issue would only be counterproductive.

”Senior Brother, am I very useless...” Inside the Immortal Cave, Qin Baobao clung to Li Yifei again, her small face full of dejection.

”Silly girl, how can this be your fault?” Li Yifei flicked her small, delicate nose and comforted her, ”This matter cannot be rushed. The weight of words is far less powerful than facts. From today on, we don’t need to do anything; we just need to Cultivate well.”

A wise light flickered in his eyes: ”When your cultivation level breaks through to the fourth and fifth levels of Qi Refining in a short period, while they are still struggling in place, guess... what will they think? At that time, without us saying a word, they will come to our door themselves.”

This move was called drawing the firewood from under the cauldron, attacking the heart as the primary strategy.

Qin Baobao nodded as if she half-understood, but as long as she could be with her Senior Brother, she felt incredibly at ease.

In the following days, Li Yifei became completely quiet.

He publicly announced he was going into seclusion for Alchemy, spending most of his time in the Immortal Cave for Dual Cultivation with Qin Baobao, enjoying the joy of steadily increasing his cultivation.

Although Qin Baobao’s Aptitude was only a Pseudo Spirit Root, with the support of the Grand Ultimate Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Secret Canon and Li Yifei’s supply of Medicinal Pills, her cultivation progressed rapidly.

As for Li Yifei himself, he was still at the fifth level of Qi Refining on the surface, but his actual magic power cultivation was quietly approaching the Peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining under the nourishment of Dual Cultivation.

His Body Refining Realm progressed even more rapidly. By consuming those violent demonic cores, his third-level Body Refining Foundation was tempered to be incredibly solid.

Meanwhile, his reputation as a ”generous Alchemy Genius” was quietly fermenting.

He occasionally would take out several batches of High Grade qi gathering pills and distribute them to some familiar Outer Sect Disciples through Qin Baobao, just to build some good karma.

The perfect quality of the Medicinal Pills caused the reputation of ”Senior Brother Li’s products must be top-tier” to gradually spread.

One day, Li Yifei was in the Immortal Cave instructing Qin Baobao on the newly acquired first-tier top-grade sword technique, the ”Taiyi Light-Splitting Sword Manual,” when the Restriction outside the Immortal Cave suddenly felt a slight touch.

It wasn’t Qin Baobao’s two best friends.

Li Yifei raised an eyebrow and waved his hand to open the Restriction.

A pretty female cultivator dressed in Outer Sect Disciple robes stood gracefully outside the door, her expression carrying a hint of appropriate respect and urgency.

”Excuse me, are you Senior Brother Li Yifei?”

”I am,” Li Yifei said calmly.

The female cultivator’s eyes lit up, and she hurriedly bowed, saying, ”Greetings, Senior Brother Li. This humble one has been sent by Senior Sister Su Yanran to request an audience with Senior Brother. I wish to ask Senior Brother to refine a batch of Medicinal Pills!”

Su Yanran? That high-risk, high-reward number one beauty of the Outer Sect?

A stunning figure instantly appeared in Li Yifei’s mind.

One of the most famous geniuses among the Outer Sect Disciples, with True Spirit Root Aptitude, exquisite beauty, and a cultivation level at the Peak of the seventh level of Qi Refining, known as the ”Purple Robe Fairy.”

This woman had extremely high standards and was dedicated to the Dao, having rejected countless pursuits from inner Sect Senior Brothers.

He hadn’t expected that she would actually take the initiative to come to him.

”Senior Sister Su is too polite,” Li Yifei said calmly. ”I wonder what kind of Medicinal Pill she wishes to refine?”

The female cultivator looked joyful and said hurriedly, ”Senior Sister Su is at a critical juncture of breaking through to the eighth level of Qi Refining and urgently needs a batch of ’first-tier High Grade perfect quality purple qi pills’! Several Great Masters from the Sect’s Alchemy Hall have tried, but none could guarantee a perfect quality. Having heard that Senior Brother Li’s Alchemy skills are supernatural, she ventured to come and ask for help!”

A first-tier High Grade perfect purple qi pill?

Li Yifei understood. This Medicinal Pill was indeed a good medicine for breaking through the Late Stage Bottleneck of Qi Refining, but it required extremely high fire control and Divine Sense from the Alchemist.

The opportunity had come. For a favored daughter of heaven like Su Yanran, trying to win her over with Spirit Stones would only make her look down on him.

Only by showing value that even she could not reach could he make her set aside her pride.

”A perfect-grade purple qi pill indeed takes quite a bit of mental effort.” Li Yifei pretended to ponder, then changed the subject.

”The main ingredient needed to refine this pill, the ’purple monkey flower,’ is extremely rare. I wonder if Senior Sister Su has prepared it?”

The female cultivator froze upon hearing this, her face showing difficulty: ”This... Senior Sister Su has searched the entire Sect market but could not find it. She is currently worried about this matter.”

”I see...” Li Yifei showed an ”as expected” expression.

Seeing his expression, the female cultivator’s heart tightened, and she hurriedly said, ”Senior Brother Li, as long as you can help, Senior Sister Su is willing to pay any reward!”

Hearing this, Li Yifei gently shook his head and smiled calmly, ”Reward? I am not lacking in Spirit Stones.”

Looking at the female cultivator’s anxious eyes, he unhurriedly laid out his conditions: ”I happen to have a purple monkey flower here, which I originally kept for my own Breakthrough. I can also refine the Medicinal Pill and guarantee it will be of perfect quality.”

The female cultivator’s eyes instantly lit up, but she knew the important part was yet to come.

Sure enough, Li Yifei continued, ”However, I have one condition. For the value of this purple monkey flower plus the favor of me refining a perfect pill, Senior Sister Su does not need to repay it with Spirit Stones.”

He paused, his gaze becoming deep and sharp: ”I want a promise from her. One day in the future, I will need her to do one thing for me. This matter will not violate Sect regulations and will not involve any danger to her life, but at that time, she must agree unconditionally. Go back and tell her that if she agrees, she should prepare the other supplementary herbs and come to my Immortal Cave in person. If she does not agree, then we shall act as if this never happened.”

These words carried no hint of flattery or charity; they were a blatant equal exchange with the future as the wager.

The female cultivator was completely stunned.

She hadn’t expected Li Yifei to propose such a condition. He didn’t want the abundant Spirit Stones within reach but instead wanted a seemingly ethereal future promise. The confidence and far-sightedness revealed behind this made her feel somewhat alarmed for a moment.

She knew very well that with Senior Sister Su Yanran’s pride, she would never want to owe such a major debt of gratitude. But... a first-tier perfect purple qi pill was related to whether she could successfully break through and lead her peers. This temptation was equally enormous.

”...I understand.” The female cultivator took a deep breath and bowed solemnly to Li Yifei. ”I will go back now and relay Senior Brother’s words to Senior Sister Su exactly as they were said.”

After saying that, she turned into a streak of light and hurriedly left.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Qin Baobao hugged Li Yifei’s arm and asked somewhat puzzledly, ”Senior Brother, is a promise more precious than many, many Spirit Stones?”

Li Yifei smiled and pulled her into his arms, gently pinching her cheek.

”Silly Baobao, Spirit Stones are easy to repay, but a debt of gratitude is hard to escape.”

He looked in the direction of Su Yanran’s Immortal Cave, his lips curling into a calculating arc.

”A Genius’s promise is worth much more than a mere few hundred Spirit Stones.”

An olive branch with shackles had already been thrown out; now, he just had to wait for that proud Purple Robe Fairy to make this choice.

He believed that for the sake of the Great Dao, she had no choice.