Gu Jin walked deeper into the misty valley, her steps quiet but firm.
She already had five rare ingredients, but she needed at least three more to make the required pill.
Closing her eyes, she let her vines spread in all directions and collect the herbs.
Soon, she gathered all three herbs.
Sje smiled slightly, then packed her things and stood.
But before she could leave—
From behind a large stone, a tall figure walked out.
His face was pale. His clothes were dirty. His hands shook.
Gu Jin raised an eyebrow.
"What do you want?" she asked calmly.
Wei Lin opened his mouth but didn’t speak.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle.
Gu Jin’s eyes narrowed.
She knew that bottle.
Her body tensed, but she stayed still, waiting to see what he would do.
Wei Lin stepped forward. "Gu Jin... I just... I just want to talk..."
Gu Jin didn’t move. She watched every step, every breath.
"Talk?" she said slowly.
"Y-Yeah," he stuttered. "You’re... amazing. And I just thought..."
His fingers moved toward the bottle cap.
But before he could open it—
Gu Jin flicked her wrist.
A green vine shot out and grabbed his wrist.
Then she walked forward, calm and cold.
"Do you think I didn’t know?" she whispered.
Wei Lin froze. "W-What?!"
"I know everything," she said. "The drug. The plan. Your father."
Wei Lin fell to his knees. "I didn’t want to! I swear! He forced me! I’m sorry! Please!"
Gu Jin looked down at him, her eyes sharp.
"You’re lucky I didn’t kill you right here."
Wei Lin cried. "I’m sorry! Please don’t tell anyone! I don’t want to be kicked out!"
"Leave. Now. And never come near me again."
"I gave mercy once. There won’t be a second time."
She took a deep breath and opened her storage ring.
A golden cauldron appeared in front of her, shining brightly even in the fog. She placed it carefully on the ground.
Then, with a wave of her hand, her skeleton warrior appeared. Its skin was still greenish, its yellow eyes glowing.
It stood beside her, holding a long sword, guarding her like a silent shadow.
Gu Jin whispered, "Stay alert."
She then rubs her ring and says,
"Space, please set up a barrier around me. I don’t want to be disturbed."
"Yes, master." The space replied.
In the next second, a faint blue dome formed around her.
It covered the cauldron, Gu Jin, and her skeleton warrior.
She also took out some defensive equipment—light armor for her arms, a bracelet that could block one strong attack, and a ring that boosted her focus.
Now, everything was ready.
She placed the herbs inside the cauldron one by one.
Her hands moved carefully, her fire element burning steady below the pot.
Her plant energy wrapped around the herbs, helping them blend and mix. The smell of medicine rose into the air.
She closed her eyes and focused fully.
A beast burst out from the trees. It was a shadow wolf, with red eyes and sharp claws.
It crashed into the barrier, shaking it hard.
Gu Jin opened her eyes in surprise. Her fire flared too high for a second.
"Damn it!" she muttered.
The wolf tried again to break in, but the skeleton warrior jumped forward and fought it outside the barrier.
The two clashed with loud bangs and growls.
Gu Jin tried to stay calm and return to her work, but the earlier mistake was already done.
The pill formed with a dull glow, and when she checked it—
"Yellow Rank... advanced stage."
(Apprentice --> Yellow --> Earth --> Black)
(Subcategory: Intial --> Intermediate --> Advanced --> Peak)
It wasn’t good enough.
Gu Jin stood, took a breath, and started again.
This time, she worked faster but still carefully. She didn’t let the earlier fight distract her.
Her energy flowed smoothly, and the cauldron didn’t shake this time.
When the pill floated out, it glowed brighter than before.
"Earth Rank... initial stage," she said, sighing.
It was better, but still not enough.
She looked at the glowing pill in her hand. It was almost there, but something was missing.
She sat down again, eyes serious. "One more time."
This time, as she added the herbs and started the fire, her mind began to wander.
Why does it still have impurities? she thought. I followed the steps. The temperature, the timing, the energy...
She stirred the mixture inside the cauldron and watched the herbs melt together.
Maybe... the problem isn’t the process itself. Maybe it’s the impurities.
If I focus on clearing the bad parts, the rest will shine on its own.
So this time, as she refined the pill, she changed the way she used her energy.
She wrapped each ingredient with plant energy first to clean it fully.
Then, she added a thin layer of fire to burn away the smallest mistakes.
When the ingredients started to mix, she used her poison power gently—not to poison, but to find and remove the "toxins" in the pill-making.
It was like cleaning the dirt from a gem before shaping it.
The cauldron glowed softly. Even the skeleton warrior, still standing guard, paused to look.
Finally, the pill rose from the cauldron.
It was bright gold with a soft green pattern on it. It sparkled in the air.
Gu Jin caught it in her hand and stared.
"Earth Rank... advanced stage," she whispered.
She smiled, but not in pride. This time, her smile was thoughtful.
"Maybe... sometimes it’s more important to remove impurities than to blindly follow a perfect process."
She sat down, the pill in her hand, and slowly closed her eyes.
A light breeze moved through the valley, brushing against her skin.
In that moment, something clicked in her mind.
Pills aren’t made by force. They’re made by care. By knowing each part, each change, and not just the steps.
She immediately sat in the lotus position.
A soft glow surrounded her body as she started to meditate.
She didn’t notice how the plants near her began to grow faster or how the mist started to swirl gently.
Gu Jin was learning something new.
The audience gazed at the door anxiously.
"Why hasn’t anyone come out yet? It is already 6 hours!"
"Ah! I thought Gu Jin would come out in just 1 hour. From her past record, it was clear that she was intelligent, talented, and resourceful!"
Mrs. Gu stared at the gate anxiously and said,
"Has something happened to Gu Jin? Why isn’t she coming out?"
Gu Jihu patted her back and said gently,
"Don’t worry. She will be right; nothing will happen to her."
Gu Jichun nodded cheerfully.
Long Yifan, on the other hand, frowned. His left eye twitched.
The crowd grew louder and more restless.
"It’s been seven hours now!"
"Could she have failed?"
"No way! Gu Jin always passes. She must be doing something amazing!"
In the VIP area, Mrs. Gu wrung her hands, her face pale.
"I can’t take this anymore," she whispered.
Gu Jihu stayed calm, but he was clearly worried, too. "She’s strong. We must believe in her."
Gu Jichun nodded. "Sister is super cool! She’ll come out and surprise everyone!"
Just then, the gate was opened, and the audience immediately started to cheer,
"Gu Jin! Gu Jin! Gu Jin!"
However, the person who came out of the gate wasn’t Gu Jin but Shen Yue.
Shen Yue stepped out of the gate slowly, his face pale and sweaty.
He held a small box in her hands. His clothes were messy, and his steps were weak.
Someone whispered, "That’s... not Gu Jin."
"Wait... is that Shen Yue?"
"It is! He’s out first?"
The judges stood up with surprised looks on their faces.
Shen Yue walked over to the table and placed the box down. He opened it, revealing a glowing pill.
One judge picked it up and checked it carefully. "Yellow Rank. Intial stage."
The crowd clapped politely, but the energy wasn’t the same.
They were still waiting for someone else.
Still waiting for her.
Shen Yue looked around, then asked in a soft voice, "Has... Gu Jin not come out yet?"
The head judge shook his head. "Not yet."
Shen Yue’s eyes darkened for a second, but he quickly smiled. "She must be working on something amazing."
He walked to the resting area, his hands shaking slightly as he sat down. No one noticed how his lips tightened.
In the VIP area, Mrs. Gu’s face dropped.
"Still not Gu Jin..."
Gu Jihu patted her shoulder. "She will come. Just wait."
Even Gu Jichun looked nervous now. "I hope big sister is okay..."
Long Yifan didn’t say a word. His arms were crossed, and his eyes stared at the gate like a hawk.