The Herb Repository was one of the most heavily guarded areas in the Inner Academy. As a vault for rare and precious herbs, it was under constant surveillance. A high-ranking master—at the level of a Dou King—was stationed there at all times, supported by a rotating team of instructors patrolling the area 24/7.
For most students, this place was strictly off-limits. Fortunately, while Xiao Yun had entered the Inner Academy through a competitive selection trial, his official designation was still that of an alchemy student. That status gave him the necessary credentials to enter and exchange for herbs needed in his refining practices.
Wearing his alchemist robes—elegantly embroidered with intricate designs—Xiao Yun's chest proudly displayed three gleaming silver ripples, the mark of a Grade-3 Alchemist. When he was stopped by a patrolling instructor, the man didn't shoo him away. Instead, after verifying his identity, he respectfully brought him before the Dou King elder who oversaw the repository.
"Well, well… You must be Old Huo's apprentice, Xiao Yun, am I right?"
An old man lounged in a reclining chair, flipping through a timeworn book. Upon hearing there was an alchemist looking to withdraw ingredients, he had the instructor bring him in. One glance at Xiao Yun—clearly still a kid, yet already sporting Grade-3 alchemist robes—was enough to confirm his guess.
There were many alchemists in the Inner Academy. And sure, a few of them were young… but one that young? There was only one possibility.
Waving off the instructor, the elder smiled and said, "Name's Elder Hao. You can call me that. So, Xiao Yun, what are you looking for? Since you're old Huo's student, I'll give you a ten percent discount—on the house."
"Thank you, Elder Hao." Xiao Yun bowed respectfully and chuckled. "I came to gather herbs to make a few pills to accelerate my cultivation. Something like the Violet Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill. Problem is, I'm fresh out of ingredients, so I came to see if I could get lucky here."
Elder Hao's brows shot up in surprise. "The Violet Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill? That's a top-tier Grade-4 elixir. You're gunning for that with just a Grade-3 badge?"
"I know it's a bit of a stretch," Xiao Yun admitted. "I've only got about a thirty percent chance of success. But I just broke through to Nine-Star Grandmaster, and if I don't use this opportunity, I might not get another. Even if I fail, I'll at least gain some experience."
"…You've got guts, I'll give you that," Hao muttered with a laugh. "But then again, considering how much you've made off those fire-poison-cleansing pills you've been selling lately, you can afford to fail once or twice, can't you?"
He suddenly paused, squinting in thought. "Wait a second. Isn't old Huo a peak Grade-5 Alchemist? He didn't prep one of those pills for you?"
"Uh… well, maybe he didn't expect me to advance so quickly?" Xiao Yun gave an awkward smile.
In truth, Elder Huo had intended to make him a few, but Xiao Yun had already picked up several Violet Heart Pills during a stint with the enforcement team. Once old Huo found out, he figured there was no need to waste effort making more.
"Hmm… I suppose that makes sense," Elder Hao said, stroking his white beard thoughtfully. "You have been progressing at a ridiculous pace." He casually tossed Xiao Yun something white and shiny. "Here. Token for access to the rare herb vault. Just find what you need and report it on the way out."
Xiao Yun reached out and caught it—a palm-sized token carved from pure white jade. Delicate images of medicinal plants were etched into its surface, and if he sniffed closely, he could detect a faint herbal fragrance wafting from within.
"Even this token's made from premium stuff. Whatever jade they used must be perfect for preserving medicinal freshness… shame I can't smuggle it out," he thought wistfully.
Without wasting any more time, Xiao Yun headed into the herb storage vault.
Pushing open the door, he found himself in a pitch-black corridor, lit only by a faint glow at the far end. He advanced steadily, soon coming upon a faint energy barrier shimmering ahead. Spotting a recessed slot in the wall—perfectly shaped for the token—he inserted the jade piece.
The moment the token touched the slot, the energy barrier began to dissipate, its glow fading until the entire corridor was plunged into darkness.
"Phew."
A small flame danced to life atop Xiao Yun's fingertip. Using its light, he retrieved the token and pushed open the door behind the barrier, stepping into the heart of the herb vault.
Inside was a spacious chamber bathed in soft, glowing light. Snuffing out the flame, he walked forward slowly, eyes widening with each step.
The walls were entirely lined with smooth, white jade—floor to ceiling. Even the floor beneath his feet shimmered with the same pristine stone. Earlier, he had been musing how great it would be to make jade boxes for herb preservation. Now he was standing inside one giant box made from the stuff.
The layout reminded him of a modern convenience store—complete with neat aisles and labeled shelves. Only instead of snacks and toiletries, each aisle brimmed with rows upon rows of precious herbs, all housed on white jade shelving.
"This place… is ridiculous. I've seriously underestimated the academy's wealth."
Xiao Yun gawked openly, looking like a country bumpkin wandering into a luxury mall for the first time.
"Dragon Beard Grass… Golden Thunderflower… Soulheart Herb… Greenwood Vine…"
Strolling down a random aisle, he scanned the names of the herbs, and his jaw kept dropping lower. The lowest-tier herbs he saw were Grade-5, and a few even reached Grade-7.
He gulped. "If I could loot this place clean… I'd be set for life."
"…Nah. I do like living."
Shaking off the greedy thoughts, he forced himself to focus. Time to find the ingredients he actually needed.
At the moment, he felt like a bank robber who'd broken into a vault… only to realize he was just there to borrow a few coins.
…
The herb vault was organized by quality tiers, with different areas storing herbs of various levels. The aisle Xiao Yun had been browsing earlier was part of the high-tier section. Now he veered into the more modest section, hoping to find what he actually needed.
"Come on, Violet Spirit Flower… Where are you hiding?"
After nearly ten minutes of rummaging, he'd gathered most of the ingredients he needed—except one. The Violet Spirit Flower was a mid-tier Grade-4 herb and a crucial component for refining the Violet Heart Pill. Without it, the entire recipe would fall apart.
He combed aisle after aisle in a systematic search pattern. But even after multiple sweeps, the flower was nowhere to be found.
"Huh? That's weird. It's not even a rare herb. The academy's vault should definitely have it…"
He frowned and considered his options. "Maybe it's stored somewhere else? No point wasting more time. I'll go ask Elder Hao."
There was always the option of putting up a bounty in the academy for someone to bring it in. Surely, someone in the academy had it.
But just as he turned to leave, a crisp and curious voice called out from behind him:
"Hey, kid! What're you doing in here? You here for herbs too?"
Xiao Yun froze.
…Wait, was there someone else in here this whole time?