Crystal Elixir

After the alarm went off, Ye Chuan got up and began his morning routine.

There was no denying it—cultivation could be quite addictive once you got into it.

Seeing Ye Chuan wake up, Luo Xi also rose from bed, though she still felt a bit sleep-deprived. Skipping work wasn’t an option, though.

"A little too full… feels bloated," Luo Xi muttered, rubbing her stomach. She had definitely overeaten.

"Want me to take a look?" Ye Chuan immediately turned around.

Let me see what’s wrong!

"Eek, no thanks!" Sensing his mischievous intent, Luo Xi hopped away like a startled rabbit and quickly left the room—otherwise, she’d be late.

Watching the girl flee, Ye Chuan shook his head, finished washing up, and followed her out.

As soon as he stepped into the living room, he spotted Lan Xiaoke acting suspiciously, peeking around while pretending to wipe the table—except she was just swiping at thin air, completely lost in thought.

Dressed in her maid outfit, her unconscious movements made the "slimes" on her chest jiggle slightly.

"Oi, what’s up?" Ye Chuan called out.

"Ah… nothing!" Lan Xiaoke snapped back to reality, scratching her head with a flushed face before giggling foolishly. "Ehehe~"

Ye Chuan could already guess what was on her mind—given how close her room was, it’d be weird if she hadn’t noticed anything.

"Focus on your work, don’t let your imagination run wild." Seeing her dazed expression, he flicked her forehead before heading to the kitchen.

"Okaaay~" Lan Xiaoke stuck out her tongue.

Truthfully, she wouldn’t mind experiencing it herself. After all, despite being a ghost for so many years, she was still a youthful maiden at heart.

In the kitchen, Luo Xi was in high spirits as she prepared a simple breakfast. She then asked Ye Chuan if they should call Bai Qianshuang to join them.

"Miss Bai? Is she awake yet?" Luo Xi smiled, holding a gleaming kitchen knife that looked slightly intimidating.

"Probably? She usually likes sleeping in." Ye Chuan wasn’t sure what Bai Qianshuang was doing in her room. Just as he pulled out his phone to check, the distant sound of a door opening caught his attention—Bai Qianshuang stepped out.

Dressed in a black dress with a single stubborn cowlick sticking up, Bai Qianshuang’s gaze was calm as ever. But when she noticed Ye Chuan and Luo Xi, a faint ripple of emotion stirred in her well-like eyes.

"Good morning, Miss Bai! Come have breakfast with us?" Luo Xi greeted warmly.

"Morning…" Bai Qianshuang seemed to hesitate, holding back whatever she wanted to say before quietly thanking them and taking a seat at the corner of the table.

"Chuan, has Miss Bai always been like this?" Luo Xi asked curiously, observing Bai Qianshuang’s indifferent demeanor.

"Like what?"

"Just… not showing much expression." Luo Xi rarely saw any shifts in Bai Qianshuang’s demeanor.

Cool and elegant, like an untouchable fairy.

"Really?" Ye Chuan was used to it.

Though Bai Qianshuang rarely displayed emotions, he could somehow discern her mood from subtle cues.

Honestly, she wasn’t hard to read.

Rather than aloof, "adorably clueless" fit her better.

For instance, right now, her cowlick perked up at the sight of Luo Xi’s delicious breakfast—a clear sign she was in a good mood.

As they ate, Luo Xi suddenly remembered something she’d left at home and jumped up. "Chuan, I need to run back home real quick! Wait for me downstairs later!"

"What about breakfast?"

"Taking it!" Grabbing a steamed bun, she dashed off in a hurry.

But just as she stepped out, she let out a soft whimper.

"Ugh, so much came out… gotta change."

Ye Chuan: "?"

Not understanding Luo Xi’s urgency, Ye Chuan turned his attention back to Bai Qianshuang and Lan Xiaoke, the only ones left in the room.

"Qianshuang, got a question for you."

Bai Qianshuang was nibbling delicately on the bun when Ye Chuan spoke. She slowly raised her head. "What is it?"

"To reach the Crystalization Realm, do you need some kind of Crystalization Pill?"

Bai Qianshuang paused, her focus sharpening on Ye Chuan—then the bun slipped from her fingers and dropped onto the table.

Because she had just realized… Ye Chuan was already at the peak of Foundation Establishment!

In just a week?!

"You… How did you manage this, Ye Chuan?" She picked up the fallen bun and took another bite, utterly baffled by his rapid progression.

Even the most prodigious geniuses in the Heavenly Profound Continent couldn’t advance this fast.

Bai Qianshuang considered herself blessed by the heavens, yet Ye Chuan’s unreasonable growth made her question everything.

At this rate, wouldn’t he surpass her soon?

"Ordinary cultivators take three to five years just to break through a minor realm in Qi Refinement, yet you…" She trailed off, at a loss. "Not even demonic arts could accelerate cultivation this drastically."

Moreover, Bai Qianshuang could sense that Ye Chuan’s foundation was rock-solid—not the unstable kind gained through shortcuts.

How was this possible?

Then, a thought struck her.

Luo Xi.

Could she possess a special constitution? One that allowed Ye Chuan to leap through realms?

Something like the legendary Profound Yin Body?

While Bai Qianshuang zoned out, Ye Chuan waved a hand in front of her face. "You okay?"

"…" Returning to the present, Bai Qianshuang answered his original question.

"To enter the Crystalization Realm, a cultivator must compress their spiritual energy into a crystalline form. This refines the energy, making it purer and more potent."

"Typically, there are two methods."

"First, relying solely on one’s own power to condense the energy—but this is slow and offers no additional benefits."

"Second, using a Crystalization Pill to enhance the compression efficiency."

She continued, "Crystalization Pills vary in quality. The higher the grade, the purer the crystal formed, resulting in stronger energy control and a more formidable Golden Core in the future."

When Bai Qianshuang reached the Crystalization Realm, her master had secured a batch of second-grade Crystalization Pills for her. Combined with her innate physique, her Golden Core ended up far surpassing ordinary cultivators.

"I see." Ye Chuan now understood the pill’s purpose.

But the problem was…

Where could he get one now?

"Without even a recipe, throwing money at it won’t help," he murmured.