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Qing Xuanling looked into her storage ring with satisfaction. Inside were over a hundred pill bottles, each containing ten pills.
There were all kinds of pills—from supportive ones to those that temporarily boosted strength. Though there were only mid-grade and several low-grade pills; if she'd tried making high-grade ones, she wouldn't have had time to produce so many.
Xuan Dan, dark circles under her eyes, looked at Qing Xuanling with frustration. "Look at you—so happy and satisfied, as if you never exploited me for labor all last week…"
That past week had, without a doubt, been the worst Xuan Dan had ever experienced. She'd worked so much she didn't even know how she was still standing.
"Don't complain. I worked plenty too—maybe even more than you." Qing Xuanling smiled as she pulled out several thousand low-grade spirit stones. "Keep these in case you need them during this time."
Xuan Dan looked at the spirit stones already packed neatly in a storage pouch, conflicted. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? Wars are usually quite dangerous. Having me around could pull you out of a crisis."
Qing Xuanling shook her head. She'd thought long and hard about this when she first told Xuan Dan. Her strength wasn't what it had been months ago when she'd created Xuan Dan. More importantly, Xuan Dan's combat power had become far too low since she'd focused solely on alchemy.
She wouldn't be much help to Qing Xuanling even if she wanted to. Not to mention that, for now, only Foundation Establishment cultivators posed a mortal threat to Qing Xuanling—and against everyone else, she could simply flee.
So Xuan Dan truly had no way to assist in such situations except by acting as bait or distraction. But Qing Xuanling would never do that. She didn't know if she could create another incarnation if she lost Xuan Dan—and even if she could, she didn't know if the new one would possess the same divine talent.
Losing a future Alchemy Saint would be a catastrophic loss—for both her and the clan.
"Fine, as you wish. Just take care of yourself. I don't want to suddenly vanish from this world," Xuan Dan shrugged and bid her farewell. "I'll make sure to learn a lot—even some combat techniques—so I can give you a massive headache when we meet again~"
Qing Xuanling's smile tightened. That was actually quite possible now that she thought about it. She couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine at the thought of that pain.
"You… go ahead. Give me the biggest headache you can," Qing Xuanling gritted her teeth resignedly. "Take care. I'll try to return to the city to see you if I get the chance."
They exchanged no further words and parted ways. Qing Xuanling left the room and headed toward a secret location where her platoon was stationed. Their departure was covert—they wouldn't be leaving with the clan's main army of five thousand.
Instead, they'd disguise themselves and slip out of the city as ordinary pedestrians.
Qing Wentian had told her all this—he'd already met the platoon and even formed several friendships with them.
Qing Xuanling walked along deserted paths for nearly an hour until she reached a small building in one of the clan's residential zones. The structure was tiny and dilapidated, as if a mere breeze could knock it over.
She stood stunned for a moment by its appearance, then quickly recovered and entered without knocking. As she passed through the moldy, near-collapsing door, she stomped the floor twice, tapped the wall five times, and whistled a specific rhythm.
The interior of the house—which held only a few dusty pieces of furniture—began dissolving before her eyes, transforming into an empty room containing only a staircase leading downward.
She was quite surprised. She hadn't sensed any trace of the illusionary formation until it activated. She descended the stairs, which went down only a few dozen meters to a basement illuminated by luminous crystals.
Over fifty people were inside, each doing their own thing—but they all turned to look at her the moment she arrived. Their gazes were intense.
Qing Xuanling felt slightly uncomfortable—not because of the intensity, but simply because she disliked being the center of attention. During the tournament, she hadn't minded much since she'd been focused on battle, but now, doing nothing, the scrutiny made her uneasy.
Qing Tanwei, seated in a corner with the rest of their team, immediately came to her rescue. "Little nine, over here! You almost arrived late—luckily, you're not later than the commander."
Qing Xuanling let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't entirely oblivious. She knew that not greeting her platoon mates all last week had been quite rude and arrogant. If she'd arrived after the commander too, she couldn't imagine how others would view her.
Though honestly, she was already receiving plenty of intense stares right now.
Qing Muyu shook his head as she joined them. "Seriously, did you not have even a moment to come? Most soldiers in this platoon are clan experts with decades of experience. It's natural they'd expect youngsters like us to seek them out and show respect—but you, little demon, didn't even show up!"
"Because of that, our little group of youths has been getting icy glares constantly!"
Qing Xuanling's lip twitched as she saw Qing Muyu's teary-eyed expression. He was clearly exaggerating—but she knew his words held truth. Though none of her teammates cared about such matters, they'd undoubtedly drawn cold stares.
But she simply shook her head. "Trust me—they'll be grateful once they learn why I couldn't come all this time." Qing Xuanling smiled, patting her storage pouch. "I had a rather fruitful harvest."
The others' eyes lit up. Though not widely known, rumors of Qing Xuanling's supreme talent within the family had spread through a small circle—one they belonged to.
So if Qing Xuanling claimed a good harvest, it meant at least several dozen pills!
Such quantities—during a time of clan scarcity—were like lifelines!
Qing Muyu slung an arm around Qing Xuanling's shoulders. "Haha! Why didn't you say so earlier?! I, your good Third Brother, will fight anyone who dares complain about you! Of course, I wouldn't mind receiving a few pills for my trouble…"
Qing Xuanling gritted her teeth, ready to smack him for his shamelessness—but three figures descended into the basement before she could.
Everyone immediately turned toward them—especially the one in the middle—and shouted, "Greetings, commander!"
Qing Xuanling hastily mimicked them but was greatly surprised by the newcomers. The person on the left was Qing Linxi; the one on the right was Qing Ziyi, the talisman master she'd met months ago; and in the center stood Instructor Huan!
Instructor Huan scanned the room, nodding upon confirming everyone had arrived. His voice was dignified and solemn. "I'm glad you're all present. Some may have missed last week's group training, but I hope no one here makes things difficult for the rest. The coming war may last over a year—so learn to appreciate your comrades' faces while you still can."
Qing Xuanling felt Instructor Huan's and several others' gazes land on her, making her shrink slightly.
Instructor Huan glanced at her briefly before continuing. "Until now, I haven't revealed our platoon's first mission—it was confidential. But from today, we will move as one body, so secrecy is no longer necessary."
"Our first mission is to seize one of the Ink Sword Sect's spiritual mines." Instructor Huan raised a hand before commotion could erupt. "Yes, I know it's confusing that the clan would stir the pot with the Ink Sword Sect while already dealing with the Gu and Mo clans—but there's reason behind it."
"We strongly suspect the Ink Sword Sect will strike the moment we engage the Gu and Mo clans over the spiritual mine they owe us, hoping to exploit the chaos. So instead of letting them bite us—we'll be the ones to bite first."
The platoon's fifty-plus soldiers buzzed with surprise at the clan's audacity. Qing Xuanling's eyes shone, marveling at the strategy.
Though not a masterful trap, it was a simple move exploiting the demonic cultivators' arrogance and the Gu Clan's reluctance to involve the Ink Sword Sect in the conflict.
Qing Xuanling even considered framing the Gu Clan for the mine attack!
She herself had nearly fallen victim to a similar scheme—so pulling this off would be deeply satisfying!
Instructor Huan nodded, pleased by their excitement. The most terrifying thing in war wasn't a formidable enemy, but dispirited soldiers. Fortunately, most Qing clan members harbored deep hatred for the Mo clan and Ink Sword Sect since Qing Meipon's death.
"Everyone, put on the human-skin masks distributed by the clan. Though single-use, they'll suffice for us to leave the city." Instructor Huan took the lead, entering a corridor in the basement's back wall. "This secret passage has multiple exits hidden in various shops throughout the commercial district. We'll split into groups to avoid attention."
Qing Xuanling followed Instructor Huan's meticulous orders, placing a thin mask on her face. To her surprise, it was quite simple. When finished, her features had transformed into an unremarkable face that would blend into any crowd.
She took a deep breath and followed Instructor Huan alongside her teammates. Her heart pounded fiercely. She knew that from today onward, her daily life would be vastly different than before.