Chapter 122 | Herb Trail

Chapter 122: 122 | Herb Trail

As the third week drew to a close, the Cloud-Sea Pavilion remained quiet, but the Shadow Web continued to spread through the Crimson Nimbus Sect.

Inside the main hall, Lin Tian sat behind the polished spirit-wood desk, his true cultivation completely concealed by the Abyssal Shadow Veil. His golden Liquid Qi had grown denser during his recent seclusion, and his foundation was now much more stable than before.

The spirit-wood doors opened, and Madam Shen stepped inside.

She wore her usual dark-crimson robes, her jade hairpin keeping her dark hair neatly in place. To the rest of the sect, she was simply the strict Vice-Manager of the Inner Sect Resource Hall.

She approached the desk and placed a jade slip before Lin Tian.

"The records you asked me to watch have begun to show a clear change," Madam Shen said. "Over the past three weeks, Elder Liu’s requests for high-grade Yang-attribute herbs have increased sharply."

Lin Tian picked up the jade slip and sent a strand of Divine Sense into it. A simple projection of the Resource Hall’s records appeared above the desk.

"Crimson-Sun Roots, Dragon-Fire Lotuses, and Vermilion Flame Fruits," Madam Shen continued. "She has requested far more than usual, yet the amounts do not match her normal pill-refining schedule. Most of the materials are being sent directly toward her private chambers."

Lin Tian studied the records for several moments.

"She isn’t using that much for ordinary pill refinement," he said. "She is likely using the herbs to suppress her condition."

Madam Shen nodded. "That was my conclusion as well."

Lin Tian tapped the desk lightly as he considered the pattern. He did not know Elder Liu’s exact method of treatment, but the problem itself was clear enough.

"Those herbs contain strong Yang energy. They may suppress the symptoms for a time, but they cannot remove the Pill Toxicity."

He pointed toward the records.

"Years of taking high-grade pills left behind impurities that her body could no longer fully refine. As those impurities accumulated, they eventually became her Pill Toxicity. Now she is relying on stronger Yang-attribute herbs to keep the symptoms under control."

Madam Shen frowned slightly. "Then the more her condition worsens, the more herbs she needs."

"Exactly." Lin Tian nodded. "And that would explain why her requests have increased so sharply."

He returned the jade slip to the desk and looked over the records once more.

"Keep monitoring her requests," he said. "I want to know exactly how much she is taking and where those herbs are going."

Madam Shen’s expression changed as she understood the pattern. "Then her increasing herb consumption is also making her pill refinement less stable."

"Most likely," Lin Tian replied. "But we cannot simply cut off her supply. Elder Liu is a 4-Star Alchemist and a Core Formation cultivator. If her requests suddenly stop reaching her, someone will eventually ask why."

Madam Shen nodded. "Then what should I do?"

"Keep approving her requests," Lin Tian said. "The records must show that the Resource Hall is doing its job."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"But the deliveries don’t always need to arrive on time. A shipment can be delayed during a routine transfer, another can arrive incomplete, and an occasional batch can be below the usual quality. Keep the problems small and irregular."

Madam Shen considered the plan. "That way, nothing unusual will appear in the records, but her supply will still become unreliable."

"Exactly. Never create the same problem twice in a row. If everything looks ordinary, no one will have a reason to investigate."

Madam Shen gave a slight nod. "I understand. I’ll make sure the records remain clean while keeping her supply unpredictable."

Lin Tian leaned back in his chair.

"When the sect can no longer provide what she needs, she will have to look somewhere else. That’s when Lady Yun’s information will become useful."

***

After Madam Shen left to continue monitoring the Resource Hall records, Lin Tian made his way down to the subterranean forging chambers beneath the Cloud-Sea Pavilion.

The steady heat of the Earth-Fire furnace filled the chamber as Aunt Lin stood beside the profound-steel anvil, examining the formation marks of the Umbrella of Shifting Heavens. When she noticed Lin Tian, she set down her tools and turned toward him.

"The prototype is stable now," she said. "I’ve found a few ways to reduce the remaining strain."

Lin Tian examined the dark-silver umbrella and nodded. "Good. Refine it carefully. A stable artifact matters more than finishing it quickly."

Aunt Lin nodded.

Lin Tian’s expression became serious. "What about the hidden flaw you placed in Alchemy Peak’s outer Earth-Fire formation?"

"The spiritual flow remains normal under ordinary conditions," Aunt Lin replied. "But when Elder Liu draws a large amount of Earth-Fire toward her private chambers, the altered path should become unstable."

"Exactly. Leave it alone," Lin Tian said. "We don’t need to strengthen it."

Aunt Lin nodded slowly. "Too much interference could expose the change."

"Our goal is pressure, not destruction," Lin Tian replied. "As long as Elder Liu believes the instability comes from her own condition and heavy use of the Earth-Fire, the flaw will continue working."

"I’ll leave Alchemy Peak untouched and focus on the umbrella."

"Good. One hidden weakness is enough."

Lin Tian turned toward the exit, then glanced back at the unfinished artifact. "Keep its true formation design concealed. Once complete, it may have uses beyond the pavilion."

Aunt Lin nodded. "Understood."

Lin Tian left the forging chamber, leaving the hidden flaw undisturbed inside Alchemy Peak’s outer formation, waiting for the next time Elder Liu pushed the Earth-Fire beyond its normal limits.

***

Night descended upon the Crimson Nimbus Sect, cloaking the Cloud-Sea Pavilion in absolute silence.

The heavy spirit-wood doors of the inner bedchamber were sealed tight, protected by isolation arrays that blocked all outside sound.

The door opened softly, and Madam Shen stepped inside the private chamber.

She still wore her robes of the Resource Hall, her posture carrying the quiet dignity of Vice-Manager.

Within the dim, silver glow of the moon-pearls, Lin Tian sat on the edge of the profound-ice silk bed. He took off his dark outer robe, casting it aside to

fully expose his broad shoulders.

Madam Shen stopped before him for a moment, her breath catching slightly at the sight of him.

Slowly, she removed her outer robes, letting the heavy crimson fabric drop to the floor to reveal the soft, welcoming garments beneath.

She moved onto the bed and settled across his lap with a soft sigh of anticipation.

Her hands slid gently over his chest, feeling the hard warmth of his skin before Lin Tian’s hands moved downward.

He parted the remaining layers of her silk cloth, pushing the fabric aside to fully bare her hips and thighs to his touch.

His warm palms traced her bare skin, sending a delicious shiver through her body as he pulled her close for a deep, hungry kiss.

The tension of the past weeks melted away as she slipped her arms around his neck, her breathing turning ragged against his mouth.

Slowly, she lifted herself slightly, parting her legs before shifting her weight downward to take his burning length into her tight warmth.

"Ah..." A breathless, shuddering sigh escaped her lips, her eyes heavy with pleasure as her Foundation Establishment meridians welcomed his heavy heat.

Lin Tian moved with a steady, rhythmic pace, his hands gripping her hips to guide every deep, fulfilling thrust.

The intimate friction between them generated a soft, warm mist of silver and gold that drifted across the sheets.

Lin Tian increased his pace, the heavy rhythm driving her higher into a haze of pure sensation.

Her hips rose to meet every thrust, her legs locking around his waist as she sought to draw every ounce of his heat into her core.

Her skin glistened with a fine coat of sweat, and her full breasts heaved against his chest with every ragged gasp she took.

"Umm... Yes... right there," she breathed out, her voice breaking into a soft, helpless moan as his hands gripped her hips tighter.

"Ahhh...", her inner walls tightening around him in a powerful, trembling spasm as she reached her peak.

Lin Tian met her release with a deep, powerful drive, the sound of wet friction filling the quiet chamber.

He flooded her dantian with a heavy surge of his Primordial Yang, his muscles straining as he held her close.

The rich exchange of energy washed through them both, strength their bond and stabilizing her Foundation Establishment base.

Several hours passed in the silent, isolated room.

The initial storm of their dual cultivation gradually faded, leaving behind a deep, comfortable warmth that lingered beneath the covers.

Madam Shen rested quietly against his chest, her breathing slow and peaceful as she slept soundly through the middle of the night.

As dawn slowly approached and he held the madam shen in his arms, Lin Tian looked toward the distant peaks of the sect, knowing the Shadow Web was steadily advancing toward its inevitable victory.​