Reborn as Xu Xuan, Plundering Perks & Flooding the Mountain Ling

Chapter 18: Yawning Nonstop! Don’t Worry, This One’s in the Bag

“Senior Brother, don’t leave! One century-old Scarlet Spirit Fruit, do you dare bet?”

Seeing that Master Xuan Mu was about to walk away, Elder Xuan Ying completely panicked. Master Xuan Mu paused, hesitating for a moment before saying, “Fine, but the match must be tomorrow. My disciple has been in the sect for too short a time—he doesn’t know any other pill formulas. I’ll take him back tonight and give him some guidance…”

Elder Xuan Ying frowned deeply. An entire night? He didn’t think Xu Xuan could learn anything substantial within that time. But still, a long night meant many possibilities. What if something unexpected happened? Yet, if he didn’t agree, this bet might fall apart immediately!

“Bah! Even if they stay up all night, how much could he possibly learn? How about just one hour? A match in one hour? Senior Brother, you are a master of alchemy, and Nephew Xu is a rare prodigy—an hour should be plenty!”

“No, it has to be tomorrow…”

Elder Xuan Ying argued relentlessly with Master Xuan Mu. In the end, they compromised. The match would take place after the evening lecture. As the disciples dispersed, Master Xuan Mu tugged Xu Xuan aside.

“Do you have a plan for this match?”

At first, Master Xuan Mu hadn’t intended to take this seriously. He just wanted to teach Elder Xuan Ying a lesson about gambling. But then Elder Xuan Ying accused them of setting up a scam. Ironically, gave him an idea.

So you love gambling, Elder Xuan Ying? Fine. I’ll show you what happens to gamblers!

Xu Xuan already understood his master’s intentions. He glanced at his trait panel where [Grandmaster of Alchemy] gleamed bright red.

“Master, don’t worry. This one’s a piece of cake!”

Master Xuan Mu nodded with satisfaction.

“Good. Have you chosen what pill to refine?”

Xu Xuan hesitated for a moment, then leaned in and whispered three words. Master Xuan Mu was stunned at first. Then, his eyes lit up, shining like gold.

“Excellent! That’s my disciple! Tomorrow, we’ll teach them a real lesson! It’s a shame we can’t squeeze more out of Xuan Ying…”

Time flew by and the evening of the match approached. After dinner and the evening lecture, the Alchemy Sect disciples gathered early in the grand hall. Though most had already expected the outcome, it didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for spectating the drama. This time, however, no one discussed victory or defeat. Everyone believed there was no way Jing Xin could lose. After all, Jing Xin was a core disciple, came from a prestigious family and had Elder Xuan Ying rigging the match in his favour. How can he lose in such circumstances? Then, the crowd started to speculate before the duel.

“What do you think Senior Brother Jing Xin will refine?”

“My guess? His family’s signature pill, theTranquil Mind Pill! It calms the heart and prevents inner demons from arising. When he took the entrance exam, he refined that very pill. That’s why he was given the Taoist name Jing Xin!”

“Hard to say! Senior Brother Jing Xin knows way too many pill formulas. Even outside the Dragon-Tiger Alchemy Manual, he must know at least twenty or thirty different pills. But honestly, I’m more curious about what Xu Xuan will choose!”

“He’s only had an hour and a half—what could he possibly learn?”

“But just earlier, he learned Cold-Heat Pills on the spot!”

“That’s completely different! Cold-Heat Pills are part of our sect’s teachings. Even if he hadn’t learned them, their core techniques were still familiar to him. But this time, he has to refine something completely outside the manual! That’s like starting from zero—he has to relearn everything!”

“As long as he manages to produce a pill, I’ll consider it a success.”

Under the watchful eyes of the disciples, the furnaces roared to life. Jing Xin, a true core disciple, was leagues beyond the inner disciples.  From kindling the flame to preparing the ingredients, every motion was precise, efficient, and perfectly executed. His movements were swift and agile, like water flowing in a river. The formation of his pill was as inevitable as a river reaching the sea.

But when the spectators turned to observe Xu Xuan, they were stunned. This time, Xu Xuan’s performance was different.  Unlike before, he showed no hesitation. He wasn’t frantically flipping through books looking for a formula.

“Wait… something’s off! Does anyone else notice that Senior Brother Xu seems… weirdly calm? His movements are just as smooth—no stiffness, no hesitation. And look at his expression—not a trace of nervousness!”

“He looks even calmer than Jing Xin! This… this level of confidence—I’ve only ever seen it in Master Xuan Mu himself!”

“That’s all surface-level. What really matters is the final result!”

“Wait—look at Jing Xin’s furnace! The air above it… a pillar of blue energy! That’s—Qi Condensing Pills?! A single pill boosts three years of cultivation!”

With a closer look, Xu Xuan observed Jing Xin’s technique. He didn’t know exactly what formula his opponent was using, but as a Grandmaster of Alchemy, he could analyze the process and infer the details.

This furnace of pills… looks extraordinary. The pill energy is radiant—its aura soars skyward, filled with life force and spirit energy. This must be a vitality-boosting pill.

After a month of Master Xuan Mu’s guidance, Xu Xuan was no longer an amateur. In the Daoist world, and all of heaven and earth, anything that could enhance cultivation—whether natural treasures, alchemical pills, formations, or artefacts—was prized above all else.

Man… this would be nice to have! If I had a stockpile of these pills and combined them with my system traits, my cultivation would skyrocket!

Xu Xuan briefly envied his opponent, then shifted his focus back to his own furnace. With a muffled boom, Jing Xin opened his furnace. Six glistening, translucent pills emerged with an intoxicating fragrance wafting throughout.

“Top-grade Qi Condensing Pills?!”

“Their color is almost flawless—nearly supreme-grade!”

“This pill ranks among the top ten cultivation pills!”

“Potent effects, low toxicity, and relatively low material cost!”

“Most cultivation pills rely heavily on rare ingredients, but Qi Condensing Pills test the alchemist’s raw skill! In terms of difficulty, this ranks in the top five!”

Elder Xuan Ying beamed with joy.

“Excellent, excellent! Jing Xin, you’ve improved again! It’s all thanks to your great teaching, Master! I wouldn’t have been able to pull this off without your Scarlet Spirit Fruits!”

The Master and disciple praised each other, grinning ear to ear. Elder Xuan Ying was especially thrilled. Soon, his lost treasures would return to him! Jing Xin, on the other hand, was excited for another reason. Elder Xuan Ying had promised him that if he won, he could keep half the pills. Three Qi Condensing Pills, worth nearly ten years of cultivation were just for himself!

Meanwhile, as everyone celebrated, no one noticed the wisps of pale greyish-white smoke rising silently from Xu Xuan’s furnace, vanishing into the air without a trace.

“Haah—”

A long yawn echoed through the hall.

“Ugh… why am I suddenly… so sleepy…?”