CHAPTER 1074: 1074 RESTLESS JIN ZHIMO! (SECOND UPDATE)

After Ye Qiu and Jin Shanshun left, Jin Wanshan sat alone in the study, lost in thought for a long time.

He looked at the tens of thousands of top-grade crystal stones in front of him, unable to comprehend where Ye Qiu obtained them. He hadn’t believed Ye Qiu’s words before.

To raise the overall prowess of Jin Yu to the level of the superior ancient clans seemed like a joke to Jin Wanshan. He was well aware of the standing of the Jin clan.

However, after Ye Qiu presented such a vast number of top-grade crystal stones, Jin Wanshan was truly stunned. With these crystal stones, couldn’t the Jin clan rise up?

Surely even Jin Wanshan himself wouldn’t accept it.

"I must be crazy, going mad with this young man, believing in the descendant of the Du Gu clan," Jin Wanshan murmured to himself.

"But my Jin clan has been at the bottom of the ancient clans for years, heavily oppressed. As Shanshun said, if our Jin clan were strong enough, why would the Bu clan break their promise and marry Bu Ling to the Ji clan?"

"Shanshun, did you resolutely leave the Jin clan to follow Ye Qiu, because of this very reason? Unwilling to be mediocre, wanting to prove yourself, to show Bu Ling how wrong her choice was!"

Jin Wanshan never understood why Jin Shanshun was so determined to follow Ye Qiu, but the recent conversation made him suddenly realize.

He always thought he understood his son well, but in fact, he didn’t understand him at all.

"You prefer to gamble on an impossible dream of reaching the pinnacle of the ancient lands. As your father, today I will also gamble with you, staking the future of our Jin clan."

...

Ye Qiu and Jin Shanshun didn’t enter the Barbaric Wilderness Forest immediately but went to the back mountain to prepare to refine some pills.

Passing through a cave and descending underground, they quickly felt the scorching breath of earth fire.

Huh?

Ye Qiu noticed another figure there.

"Zhimo!"

"Brother!"

It turned out to be Jin Zhimo.

"Zhimo, why are you here?" Jin Shanshun looked at his sister, who rarely came to this place.

Jin Zhimo smiled, "Waiting for you. I knew you would definitely return, especially here, so I’ve been training here the whole time."

Jin Zhimo stayed there almost every day, her skin reddened by the hot earth fire.

"Why are you waiting for me?"

"Brother, I want to be like you, standing against the three great ancient clans." Jin Zhimo replied.

"Don’t talk nonsense." Jin Shanshun scolded, "Father only has us two children. I’ve already left the ancient clan, making Father heartbroken. You still want to follow me—what do you want to do, leave Father lonely in his old age?"

"It’s not that... Brother, I just can’t stand the three great ancient clans, and my current strength isn’t weak. I’ll soon break through to the late legendary realm, really." Jin Zhimo blinked her eyes.

"No." Jin Shanshun still refused.

Jin Zhimo saw Jin Shanshun’s firm stance not to let her follow and immediately turned her eyes to Ye Qiu, "Ye Qiu, I want to follow you, how about it?"

"I can cook and clean, tidy up rooms; I can do anything. Let me follow you too." Jin Zhimo suddenly said.

"Young Master..." Jin Shanshun spoke, hoping Ye Qiu wouldn’t agree.

Ye Qiu laughed, "Can you really do all that?"

Jin Zhimo, thinking she had a chance, nodded her head vigorously.

"Indeed a good follower." Jin Zhimo heard the first part and her heart leapt with joy, but Ye Qiu’s next sentence made her delight freeze.

"It’s good, but unfortunately, I don’t need you since I already have five followers like you." Ye Qiu said with a smile.

Jin Zhimo was so angry that she gritted her silver teeth tightly. She, Jin Zhimo, wasn’t ugly; she was willing to do menial tasks, yet wasn’t wanted?

"Alright, Zhimo, don’t disturb the Young Master. We are here to refine pills."

"Fine, I will just watch here and not talk." Jin Zhimo could only give up, her spirit slightly wilted.

Ye Qiu moved closer to the location of the earth fire, patted his waist, and a cauldron flew out, suspended above the earth fire, then started refining pills.

During these days in the Barbaric Wilderness Forest, Ye Qiu collected some medicinal herbs, enough to refine some pills to aid cultivation.

Jin Zhimo stood with Jin Shanshun at a distance, quietly watching Ye Qiu refining pills.

It was the first time for Jin Zhimo to see someone refining pills. She immediately transformed her dejection at not being able to stand against the three great ancient clans with her brother into keen interest, discovering the intriguing art of alchemy.

The pill techniques Ye Qiu used captivated Jin Zhimo, making her exclaim, "So this is an Alchemist. You can’t find a single one in the whole ancient land, and yet he knows alchemy..."

As pill after pill opened, the surrounding air filled with their fragrant aroma, refreshing and exhilarating to breathe, making one feel exceptionally comfortable in their internal organs.

Ye Qiu refined dozens of furnaces in succession, using up all the herbs he had before he completely stopped.

Collecting the pill furnace, Ye Qiu meditated for a moment before slowly rising.

"Let’s go." Ye Qiu said.

Jin Shanshun nodded and told Jin Zhimo, "Don’t fool around, stay by Father’s side and take care of him. I’ve already been unfilial, you shouldn’t follow my example."

Jin Zhimo, as if she didn’t hear him, ran in front of Ye Qiu and said, "I want to become your apprentice, I want to learn alchemy from you. Please take me as your disciple."

"Zhimo, stop fooling around. The Young Master’s alchemy won’t be easily passed on." Jin Shanshun scolded.

Ye Qiu signaled to Jin Shanshun not to be so harsh, smiled, and asked, "You want to learn alchemy?"

Jin Zhimo nodded energetically.

"Alright, if you can reach the peak of the mystical realm as a Martial Artist within a year, I’ll teach you alchemy." Ye Qiu laughed.

This...

One year from the mid-legendary realm to achieve the late mythical realm?

Who can achieve such cultivation speed!

Jin Zhimo knew Ye Qiu was setting a difficult challenge for her, but she didn’t argue; instead, she was filled with fighting spirit and said, "Alright, it’s a deal. If I can become a peak mystical Martial Artist within a year, you must take me as your disciple and teach me alchemy."

"Haha, of course. A gentleman’s word is his bond."

"A promise is a promise!"

Ye Qiu and Jin Shanshun left, and Jin Zhimo didn’t cling to them but stood on the peak of the back mountain, watching them disappear.

At that moment, a hint of defiance welled up in Jin Zhimo’s heart. She was determined to meet Ye Qiu’s requirements.

"Hmph, just wait and see. I, Jin Zhimo, will surprise you greatly." Jin Zhimo declared determinedly.

However, though the desire was strong, reality was quite harsh. Currently, she was only at the mid-legendary realm, with quite a distance to the latter stage and unsure when she could break through.

To meet Ye Qiu’s terms, Jin Zhimo’s cultivation speed had to at least match that of exceptional talents like Ji Lingchen and Mu Tianxing.

Otherwise, achieving such a level in a year was impossible.

Jin Zhimo returned to the clan feeling overwhelmed. But after being called to the study by her father, when she left the study again, Jin Zhimo was full of fighting spirit.

At that moment, she had gained some confidence.

"Ye Qiu, just watch. Within the year, I will become a peak mystical realm Martial Artist." Jin Zhimo touched the top-grade crystal stones in her pocket, brimming with confidence.

She thought it was fate helping her.

Unbeknownst to her, all the top-grade crystal stones her father Jin Wanshan gave her came from Ye Qiu.