The next morning, just as Li Yun stepped out of his courtyard with the intention of heading to the Treasure Pavilion, a voice called out from behind.
"Young Master Yun!"
He turned around to see a familiar figure, it was a maid he recognized very well.
"Xiao Wu? What is it?" He asked.
Xiao Wu bowed respectfully before stepping forward and handing him a small pouch. "Miss Yao asked me to deliver this. It contains a thousand gold coins for Young Master Li Yun."
"Li Yao?" A soft smile formed on Li Yun's lips as a memory surfaced, of a little girl who used to follow him everywhere, like a shadow, like a younger sister clinging to his every step. They were inseparable as children.
But everything changed the moment it was discovered he couldn't cultivate. The clan elders had strictly forbidden her from seeing him again.
The old Li Yun had taken it hard. He sank into silence, hurt and helpless.
But Li Yao had been different.
Despite the pressure from the clan, she never truly cut ties. A genius in her own right, having already reached the late stage of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, she had found ways to help him in secret.
During his darkest days, when he struggled to refine even a basic Bone Refining Potion, she had quietly sent Xiao Wu to deliver him gold coins, never asking for thanks.
She was gentle and warm-hearted. But the cold, suffocating hierarchy of the clan had forced her to mask that kindness with distance.
"Give her my thanks," Li Yun said softly, accepting the pouch. He didn't refuse the money, he didn't want to hurt the girl who had once cling to the version of him that couldn't fight for himself.
"As you wish, Young Master Li Yun." Xiao Wu bowed again and quickly disappeared down the path.
Li Yun stood there for a moment, his smile lingering, before turning back toward the direction of the Treasure Pavilion.
——
Treasure Pavilion, Second Floor, Acquisition Counter
"I'm back again," Li Yun said with a friendly smile as he approached the counter.
The staff member behind the desk straightened slightly, his eyes flashing with recognition before greeting him respectfully.
"Young Master Li Yun!"
After all, just last time, Li Yun had sold seven bottles of excellent-grade bone refining potions. Regardless of how he acquired them, the fact that he could consistently bring such high-quality goods had already elevated his status in the eyes of the pavilion.
"I'm here to sell more potions," Li Yun said casually, waving his hand. He wasn't in the mood for small talk, he just wanted to sell quickly and stock up on materials.
"Do you have more excellent-grade potions today?" The staff asked carefully, his tone a mix of curiosity and anticipation.
Li Yun nodded. "I've got both excellent and ordinary quality this time."
The staff's eyes lit up.
He suddenly remembered Director Lan Yueli's instructions, if Li Yun ever came again with high-grade potions, she was to be notified immediately.
"Young Master Li, if you don't mind, our Director would like to meet with you. It may take just a bit of your time," he said politely, testing Li Yun's reaction.
"Oh?" Li Yun frowned slightly.
He hadn't planned on dealing with any higher-ups, but given the circumstances, he understood it might be unavoidable.
"Alright," he nodded after a moment's thought. It wasn't a bad idea to form a good relationship with the Pavilion's leadership, especially if he planned to sell perfect-grade marrow cleansing potions in the future. A regular staff member might not have the authority to handle such trades.
"Please, follow me. Director Lan is waiting on the third floor." The staff gave a respectful bow, gestured forward, and led the way upstairs.
Li Yun followed the staff into a quiet hall with only two doors. The staff led him to one and gently pushed it open.
A soft, pleasant fragrance wafted through the air.
Inside, a stunning woman sat behind a sleek, black desk. Her presence was poised and graceful, and her beauty could steal a breath.
"Director, Young Master Li Yun has arrived," the staff said respectfully, keeping his eyes down.
"Oh?" A gentle voice responded, and Lan Yueli's beautiful gaze immediately landed on Li Yun. She stood up with a faint smile.
"Young Master Li Yun, please, come in," she said, gesturing with a delicate hand as fair as jade.
Li Yun had heard of Lan Yueli before, the famous director of Treasure Pavilion. This was his first time seeing her in person.
Upon laying eyes on her, he had to admit, Lan Yueli was undoubtedly one of the most dazzling women in all of Azure Wind City. Li Yao from the Li family may rival her in looks, but she lacked Lan Yueli's maturity and charm. Compared to the elegant supervisor, Li Yao still seemed like a young girl.
"I heard that Young Master Li Yun previously sold a few excellent-grade Bone Refining Potions here. I wonder if you've brought more high-quality potions today?" Lan Yueli asked with a professional smile as she gestured for him to sit.
Though she had heard his name before, Lan Yueli had never paid much attention to Li Yun. Now that she saw him in person, she found him far more refined than the rumors suggested. With sharp eyes and elegant features, he left a good impression.
"I've brought a few more potions to sell," Li Yun replied calmly, taking his seat.
By now, the staff had quietly exited and closed the door behind them. No one in Azure Wind City considered Li Yun a threat, after all, he was known as someone who couldn't cultivate. And even if something went wrong, Lan Yueli herself was a powerful cultivator in the Xiantian Realm.
"If it's not too inconvenient, would Young Master Li mind telling me where the potions come from?" Lan Yueli asked, her tone still courteous.
She hadn't asked to see him merely because of a few high-quality potions. What she wanted to know was the source behind them.
If Li Yun had connections to a skilled alchemist, especially one outside the Li family, it could be a valuable opportunity for Treasure Pavilion to form a new alliance. And even though the Pavilion already worked with many senior pharmacists, the more, the better.
"I refined them myself," Li Yun said without hesitation.
"…What?" Lan Yueli blinked, briefly caught off guard.
She had expected resistance, or at least a vague excuse. What she didn't expect was such a direct answer.
A moment passed, and then she smiled politely, clearly not believing him. No one in Azure Wind City would believe such a thing.
Li Yun noticed her reaction but didn't mind. He was here to sell, not convince.
"Well, if Young Master Li Yun prefers to keep it confidential, I won't pry. May I see the potions now?" Though her expression remained pleasant, Li Yun could sense her tone had cooled slightly.
Without another word, he pulled out fifteen porcelain bottles and placed them on the table. He kept the rest four all to himself for now.
"All of these are perfect-grade Bone Refining Potions," he said flatly.
"…Perfect grade?" Lan Yueli's eyes widened in disbelief.
Perfect-grade potions were the stuff of legend in Azure Wind City, rarer than a Xiantian Realm expert. Even among sects in the entire Crimson Sun Empire, such potions were rarely refined.
"I'll verify them," she said, regaining her composure and examining a bottle.
A moment later, she looked up, stunned. "This… really is a perfect-grade Bone Refining Potion."
She had seen one before during her years at the Pavilion and knew the subtle differences. Still, she hadn't expected to lay eyes on one again.
Quietly, she inspected the rest. After carefully checking all fifteen bottles, she confirmed that all fifteen of them were indeed perfect-grade. Her hands trembled slightly as she looked back at Li Yun.
"Young Master Li Yun, if you could introduce the pharmacist who made these, Treasure Pavilion would be willing to offer a generous introduction fee," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
She could tell all fifteen potions were refined in close succession, by the same person. That level of consistency was beyond astonishing. Even the best pharmacist in Azure Wind City couldn't dream of such a result.
"As I said before," Li Yun replied, shrugging, "I'm the one who refined them."
"…Haha." Lan Yueli gave a soft laugh but didn't pursue the subject further.
"In that case, let's talk about the purchase price," she said, switching to business. "You bought excellent-grade potions for 130 gold coins each. For these, how about 300 per bottle? That would be 4,500 total. However, if you confirm the sale now, I can offer you 5,000 gold coins."
"I accept," Li Yun said calmly, though he was inwardly thrilled. Just like that, he'd made 5,000 gold coins.
Moments later, Lan Yueli handed him a beautifully packaged pouch containing the full amount.
"Thank you, Director Lan," Li Yun said, standing up.
"Young Master Li Yun, if you have more to sell in the future, please come directly to me." She took out a pristine white jade token and handed it to him. "This is a VIP token for Treasure Pavilion. With it, you can access the third floor freely."
Li Yun glanced at the token and accepted it without hesitation. "Much appreciated."
The third floor was restricted to regular visitors. With this token, he now had exclusive access, something only VIP clients and Pavilion partners could obtain.
Lan Yueli hadn't given it for Li Yun's sake, but for whoever she believed was behind him.
Leaving her office, Li Yun descended to the first floor, now carrying 5,000 gold coins. He didn't waste time, he immediately bought 300 sets of ingredients for refining Marrow Cleansing Potions.
And then, silently, he slipped out of Treasure Pavilion.
***
Back at the Li Family estate, Li Yun secluded himself within his courtyard once more. The coming-of-age ceremony was only a month away. While he didn't fear anyone his age, the gap in cultivation between him and the other young geniuses of the Li Family remained significant.
"I have two options," Li Yun murmured to himself. "Either I wait until I successfully refine a perfect-grade Marrow Cleansing Potion and use that to elevate my strength… or I take ordinary and intermediate-grade potions to push myself into the mid or even late stage of the Marrow Cleansing Realm."
He weighed the pros and cons carefully. Thanks to his Supreme Foundation, he didn't need to worry about damaging his base with lower-grade potions. But he believed that if he broke through using perfect-grade potions, his combat power would far surpass others at the same realm, even those at the peak.
After a moment of contemplation, Li Yun made his decision.
He would wait. He would refine perfect-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions in bulk, and only then would he use them to strengthen himself. Rushing now would only lead to mediocrity, and he had no intention of walking a mediocre path.
With that choice set in stone, Li Yun returned to his relentless training. Day after day, he honed his Crimson Sun Flame Sword Art and Boulder Crushing Fist, striving to reach the stage of True Meaning in both techniques. He pushed his body to the brink, collapsing from exhaustion more than once.
When the sun dipped past noon, he would transition into alchemy. Starting with ordinary-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions, he refined batch after batch, gradually sharpening his control and deepening his understanding of the craft.
Thus, the days flew by in a blur of training and potion refinement.
One month passed in the blink of an eye.
The day of the coming-of-age ceremony for the Li Family's young elites had finally arrived.