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Two weeks later.
The 50 orc recruits for the Dan Sect’s Orc Alchemist Program had finally all left the top floor.
Among them, Gu Qing, who had the highest aptitude, successfully passed the Junior Alchemist exam, becoming the second orc to achieve this title after Xia Ye.
The news of Gu Qing’s success in becoming a Junior Alchemist caused yet another stir.
Seizing the opportunity, the Dan Sect launched the second phase of the Orc Alchemist Program.
The recruitment criteria remained the same as last time, but the registration fee had increased from 2 billion to 3 billion.
Additionally, the Dan Sect also separately recruited orcs with dual S-rank mental potential and those whose current mental strength was above A-rank, waiving the registration fee for them. This special recruitment was called the “Elite Orc Alchemist Program.”
Besides these two programs, the Dan Sect also announced a recruitment drive for Junior and Intermediate Alchemists, seeking to attract external talents.
For this particular recruitment, the only additional requirement was that the alchemists could not be bound by a lifelong contract.
During this time, Xia Ye had been selling Spirit Nourishment Pills within the Dan Sect—not only to the orc disciples but also to other alchemists.
However, the prices varied:
For instance, those who had only signed an alchemy contract had to pay as much as 1.5 million per pill, with a limit of one pill every three months.
Meanwhile, alchemists bound by lifelong contracts could purchase a pill for just 500,000 star coins and were allowed to buy one per month.
The same applied to Jade Dew Pills, where the pricing also varied based on the alchemist’s status.
Since Jade Dew Pills were considered consumables, they were not restricted in quantity but had to be taken immediately upon purchase.
Due to these two pills alone, many alchemists had already renegotiated their contracts with the Dan Sect to sign lifelong agreements.
Next, Xia Ye planned to continue using this method to attract more talent to the Dan Sect.
At this moment, in the imperial palace.
Bai Rui, the last orc to leave the top floor, had finally regained his freedom. After completing the herb-processing tasks assigned by his mentor, he returned to the palace.
The moment Xia Yan heard of Bai Rui’s return, she rushed to the Empress’s quarters to see him.
“You’ve had a tough time this past month. If Ye’er and Gu Qing hadn’t reassured me that you were fine, I would have gone to the Dan Sect myself to bring you back,” Xia Yan said, realizing for the first time just how deep her feelings for the Empress ran.
Ever since their marriage, she had never been apart from Bai Rui for so long. It turned out that the saying “one day apart feels like three autumns” was true.
“It was all part of Cui Ning and Ye’er’s plan—what could possibly happen to me?”
“My trip to the Dan Sect was very rewarding. Listen, let me tell you—”
As Bai Rui spoke, he began sharing everything he had experienced at the Dan Sect.
Although Xia Yan had already heard most of it from Gu Qing, she still listened attentively.
Hearing it from her beloved made it sound even sweeter.
“I’m really getting old,” Bai Rui said with a faint sigh. “Compared to those young ones, I was the last to succeed in Qi Refining.”
“But I heard Gu Qing has already passed the Junior Alchemist exam. I think I’ll be fine in the future, too.”
“Oh, but—” Bai Rui added, his expression turning playful.
His beautiful peach blossom eyes shimmered as he gazed at Xia Yan, causing her to momentarily lose focus.
“What is it?” Xia Yan asked indulgently.
“That Spirit Nourishment Pill is so expensive—1 million star coins per pill. And for the best results, I need to take it consistently. So, Your Majesty, do you think you could…”
If he wanted to raise his mental strength to the peak of C-rank, he would eventually need to spend money to purchase contribution points in exchange for a beginner-level cultivation technique.
There was no need to guess—he already knew that would cost a fortune.
Before, he had considered himself quite wealthy. When he got married, his family had provided him with a generous dowry.
Even after entering the palace, he had entrusted professionals to manage his businesses, and over the years, his ventures and investments had yielded good returns.
He had always believed that among the Emperor’s consorts, he was the wealthiest. He might even be the richest in the entire imperial harem.
But compared to the Dan Sect’s spending habits, even the wealthiest nobles would struggle to keep up.
Compared to ordinary rich families, he was indeed well-off. But among the great aristocratic families, his wealth was nothing.
Right now, he could only hope that the Emperor would help cover some of his expenses.
Xia Yan chuckled.
Without a second thought, she retrieved three bottles of pills from her spatial ring.
“Don’t worry about the Spirit Nourishment Pills. Our son and his wife are very filial—they promised to provide three bottles of Spirit Nourishment Pills for each of us every month. And as for the beginner-level cultivation technique, you won’t need to save up contribution points. Our son has already arranged for you to receive it directly from the Dan Sect.”
“These three bottles are yours. When you finish them, there will be more.”
Two weeks ago, after Gu Qing completed his training, he had come to the palace to report on the Dan Sect’s affairs.
When Xia Yan learned about the Spirit Nourishment Pills, she immediately summoned her outwardly strong but inwardly soft-hearted son.
However, that little rascal firmly insisted that the Dan Sect would never apply for a patent on the pills, nor would they make them available for public sale.
But at least he had some conscience—he agreed to supply his parents with three bottles each per month and to provide his father with a free beginner-level cultivation technique in the future.
Each pill was worth a million star coins. Six bottles per month meant 60 million star coins in value, plus the cost of the cultivation technique—his filial piety was indeed substantial.
What could she do?
Since her son and daughter-in-law had already done so much, she couldn’t continue pressuring the Dan Sect to patent and license the pills.
Bai Rui’s eyes sparkled with delight.
“I knew it—our Ye’er is such a filial child!” His face was filled with pride and satisfaction.
Xia Yan’s expression grew complicated.
She decided against telling her Empress the truth—
Their son wasn’t being particularly filial; he was just giving them benefits so they wouldn’t make trouble for the Dan Sect.
“So, just focus on your cultivation from now on,” she said. “Pass the Junior Alchemist exam first, then work toward the Intermediate exam. If you can become a Senior Alchemist one day, you’ll be the first Senior Alchemist Empress in the history of the Federation.”
Bai Rui’s eyes flickered with excitement.
He would work hard for it!
Meanwhile, at the Marshal’s residence.
Chu Ning had received her admission notice.
Orchid Academy was finally about to start classes. The school had sent a message announcing that classes would begin in three days, and students needed to pay their tuition fees promptly.
The tuition, which amounted to hundreds of thousands of star coins, had once worried her when she first left the Chu family.
But now, looking at those numbers, Chu Ning felt completely at ease.
She clicked the payment link, entered her details, and paid the tuition without hesitation.
She would still attend Orchid Academy.
However, she likely wouldn’t stay there for long.
After all, in two months, the Imperial Star Military University would begin its entrance exams.
As the Federation’s top-tier institution, that was where she could truly deepen her understanding of both mental strength and alchemy.
By combining different teachings, refining her strengths, and discarding the unnecessary, she would advance even faster.
@ apricity[Translator]
Immerse yourself in a captivating tale brought to life through my natural and fluid translation—where every emotion, twist, and character shines as vividly as in the original work! ^_^