Chapter 303: Chapter 303: The Surprise from the Longevity Elixir, If the Water Is Too Clear, There Will Be No Fish

In the early hours of the morning, Yang Chan looked at the changes on his panel, a little surprised.

’I originally thought my Potential Points would likely return to a daily gain of 4.7. At best, the Longevity Two Body Pill might add 0.2 to 0.3, just enough to break the 5-point threshold.’ Previous healing elixirs had never provided any Potential Points, so he never expected the Longevity Two Body Pill to bring him such a pleasant surprise.

His daily gain of Potential Points had reached 5.7. Aside from the new Longevity Two Body Pill, his routine hadn’t changed at all.

Therefore, the only variable was the Longevity Two Body Pill. He had felt a change in his physical body when he took it, but he hadn’t expected the effect to be this good—it provided over a full point on its own. ’This is the first time I’ve ever seen a single elixir provide more than 1 Potential Point.’

The Guiyuan Pills, Qi Replenishing Pills, and Cyan Spirit Pills he took were considered precious even to Inner Masters, yet they only provided 0.5 Potential Points each. In contrast, the ingredients for the Longevity Two Body Pill—apart from the Instant Flower—weren’t even as valuable as those for a First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill, let alone something like a Cyan Spirit Pill.

What he found regrettable was that the Instant Flower was difficult to find, requiring a bit of luck. It was also hard to transport and had to be used at the precise moment it bloomed. The list of conditions was long. ’If not for all that, refining it would be quite simple.’

’I should try refining other Longevity Elixirs in the future when I get the chance. I need to see if they have a similar effect.’

More than the Medicinal Power of an elixir, Yang Chan naturally preferred the Potential Points.

The boost they provided was fast and significant.

Now that his daily gain of Potential Points had broken past five, Yang Chan didn’t hoard them. He immediately allocated them to his Flood Dragon Demon Breath Method, Sword Master profession, and Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill as usual.

His Cultivation, of course, was the priority and received the most points—three in total. His Sword Master profession and Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill each received one.

Once he finished allocating the points, Yang Chan didn’t stay up any later. He blew out the candle and fell into a peaceful sleep.

He was able to sleep soundly not just because he was on Cyan Yuan Sect territory, but also because of the traps he had set. He’d rigged every possible point of entry—from the front door to the windows, walls, and even the door beams.

With all these precautions in place, Yang Chan could rest easy and finally get a proper night’s sleep. After all, sleeping well on the road had been difficult.

’It would be even nicer if I had someone to warm the bed,’ he mused. ’It would be much cozier.’

...

Cloud Stone Mountain was one of Yun City’s more famous mountain ranges. Its iron ore deposits had earned Yun City a small measure of renown, but among the many cities of Qing State, it was still utterly unremarkable.

If not for the Ghost Spirit Grass and Fragrant Celestial Flower, Yang Chan himself would have never bothered coming to a city like this.

There weren’t many experts in Yun City—just a few Grandmasters at the Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens level. They were all quite old and posed no threat to him.

Of course, that didn’t account for powerful experts merely passing through. Someone like Jin Feihua of the Six Gates, an expert at the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera level, was just such an anomaly—the kind of person Yang Chan desperately wanted to avoid.

He had been extremely cautious the last time he’d encountered Jin Feihua, and he had no desire to go through that kind of unexpected stress again.

Before heading up the mountain, Yang Chan checked in with Steward Li. He planned to just follow the standard procedure; as long as things weren’t a complete mess, he wouldn’t cause any trouble.

He was well aware of the saying, "Water that is too clear has no fish," and understood its implications. His purpose here was to complete his mission, not to clean up local problems.

Meddling in what was essentially the Law Enforcement Hall’s business would just be a case of a dog trying to catch mice—pointless overstepping.

Cloud Stone Mountain was covered in Cloud Stones. These stones had a pleasant appearance, with some being so translucent they looked like crystal. They were quite striking. In Yun City, locals even used them to make stone tables and chairs, which looked rather nice.

Some people did transport Cloud Stones to other cities, but it was a rare occurrence.

While Cloud Stones were beautiful, they weren’t very hard, which limited their overall appeal.

As Yang Chan walked on Cloud Stone Mountain, he could see the stones everywhere. They had a unique look, especially the larger boulders.

Whether they were marbled black-and-white or pure white, all the Cloud Stones seemed to glow with a translucent light under the sun, making them very beautiful.

A steward from the mine walked beside Yang Chan, having come to escort him up the mountain. This was, in a sense, an official inspection tour.

On the way up, the steward chattered on about the mine’s situation, painting everything in a positive light. He also threw in a few compliments for Yang Chan and subtly tried to feel out what he liked, hinting that he was prepared to offer some gifts.

In response, Yang Chan casually mentioned a few medicinal herbs native to Yun City. He had no intention of making himself an exception. He would act just like his predecessors, blending in to avoid any trouble.

He maintained this attitude even though neither this steward nor anyone else on Cloud Stone Mountain posed any real threat to him.

’Never trust what you see on the surface,’ he reminded himself. ’Danger is often hidden just out of sight.’

If there were problems here on Cloud Stone Mountain, there was undoubtedly a web of connections behind them. Stirring things up would only uncover a nest of trouble.

Yang Chan understood this clearly. That was why he mentioned the herbs—to put the steward at ease and proactively eliminate a potential source of trouble.

Just as he expected, the steward became even more enthusiastic after Yang Chan’s request. He claimed the herbs were just local specialties that grew on the mountain and insisted that Yang Chan could take some back with him.

There was nothing improper about his words.

As they talked, they arrived at the Cloud Stone Mountain mine, located halfway up the mountainside. Led by the steward, Yang Chan began his inspection of the excavated ore.

Yang Chan didn’t know much about iron ore, having only done some basic research when he accepted the mission. He could tell that the quality of the ore was average at best and that the yield of refined iron would be low.

This was true for several veins he saw. Only one had ore of a darker color, one that even emitted a faint, deep glow. It looked promising. In the steward’s words, this was a "one-in-a-hundred" find.

"We can only excavate a small amount of this each month," the steward explained. "This is the material used for refining Thousand Refinement Level weapons. It takes many blocks of this ore to forge a single Thousand Refinements Long Sword. As for ore suitable for the Sharp Weapon Level, that’s even rarer."

Yang Chan followed the steward on a full tour, taking notes the entire time. His report would be sent back along with the mine’s own ledgers. The ledgers were kept by the staff on Cloud Stone Mountain, whereas Yang Chan was recording his firsthand observations. Both would be submitted to the Cyan Yuan Sect.

Others would handle the final assessment; Yang Chan didn’t need to concern himself with it. This, of course, was why the steward had been so obsequious. What Yang Chan recorded could affect the man’s entire career, even his life. If there were major discrepancies, the Cyan Yuan Sect would hold him accountable, and he would face severe consequences.