No Matter How Great the Talent, It Will Probably Fade into Mediocrity

Inside the Legacy of Subtle Wonders, ancient texts and jade slips lay spread out before Shi Yu. Immersed in them, every gentle movement of her fingertips brought forth the accumulated wisdom of her predecessors.

Alchemy spells and formulas that others found obscure and hard to comprehend were easy for her due to her deep foundation; a brief turn of the phrases in her mind allowed her to grasp eighty to ninety percent of their essence.

Even with those that were excessively cryptic, a bit of quiet contemplation always yielded some harvest.

Consequently, to an outsider, Shi Yu was reading at a blinding pace.

Wen Wen came by daily to deliver three meals. The two deacons would open the stone door to hand the food to Shi Yu. Each time, they couldn't help but observe her through the gap of the opening door.

They noticed that every time the door opened, Shi Yu's position had changed.

She was moving step by step from the outer cabinets crafted from Yaoguang Stones toward the inner ones.

The two deacons exchanged a glance.

Before the stone door closed again, Shi Yu put down a volume, stepped further inside, and picked up the next.

Seeing this, both shook their heads with knitted brows.

“Has she... finished reading all the ones in front?” Disbelief laced his voice.

The stone door swung shut, blocking their view.

“She's merely skimming without digesting,” the other deacon said with disappointment. “We often hear the president and elders praising her, but looking at her now, she may have a bit of talent, but she's far too impetuous. If she continues like this, no matter how great her talent is, it will probably fade into mediocrity.”

“Indeed. Every single volume of alchemy texts in the Legacy of Subtle Wonders is worth studying deeply. In the past, whenever others entered, they had to thoroughly master one text before moving to the next, lest they end up comprehending nothing... Who reads like her, flipping through volume after volume as if reading storybooks?”

The two took her speed for a superficial browsing, utterly disbelieving that she had truly grasped the essence within.

Immersed in the wisdom of ancient sages, Shi Yu naturally remained unaware of the deacons' dissatisfaction outside.

She put down another ancient text, stretched her stiff body, walked to the doorway, sat down, and quickly finished the food that had been brought in.

Suddenly, a spark of intuition struck her. Setting down her chopsticks, she sank her awareness into her Purple Mansion.

Around the Yin-Yang Fate-Tapping Bell, a few new, minuscule specks of light had emerged, showing a trend of merging with one another. She hadn't learned any new techniques, so the origin of these specks likely had to do with the numerous texts inside the Legacy of Subtle Wonders.

Previously, she had read several alchemy texts provided by President Song, yet no specks of light had formed then. Perhaps those were mostly things she had already mastered, yielding little new insight, thus falling short of the threshold required for the Fate-Tapping Bell to process them.

Now, after reading so much, only a few faint specks of light had appeared. This indicated that most of the content was indeed stuff Shi Yu had long since mastered.

“Still, any gain is a good harvest.”

After all, her alchemy skills had already reached a near-ceiling level where further progress was difficult; being able to gain anything at all was already a pleasant surprise. Moreover, she had read less than a tenth of the texts and jade slips in the Legacy of Subtle Wonders.

“Once I finish reading them all, the rewards will surely be substantial.”

Having finished her meal, she wasted no time. After meditating briefly to restore her energy, she immediately resumed reading.

When this scene fell into the eyes of the two deacons, it elicited another round of head-shaking, sighs, and growing disapproval.

...

Understanding the wisdom and deep meaning left behind by those before her, contemplating the intricacies, and drawing inspiration from them, Shi Yu roamed endlessly through the texts, refining their essence and fusing it into her own alchemy system.

Inside the Fate-Tapping Bell, the faint specks of light gradually increased and merged, turning into a larger, brighter point of light. Throughout this process, Shi Yu felt as if she were blending the finest elements of two worlds, her perspective broadening immensely.

Over twenty days flew by in a flash. When she finally understood and put down the last jade slip, Shi Yu closed her eyes gently.

Her mind was packed with a vast wealth of knowledge—alchemy techniques, pill formulas, fire-controlling spells, and other alchemy-related matters flashed through her mind like flowing water.

From such relentless day-and-night exertion, her temples throbbed with an unbearable ache, and her body was weary to the bone. Yet her eyes were exceptionally bright, shining with contentment.

Inside her Purple Mansion, a brilliant speck of light hovered near the Fate-Tapping Bell. That speck now represented her complete alchemy system.

The Fate-Tapping Bell possessed the ability to refine and evolve techniques. Right now, this alchemy system, formed by absorbing the essence of the Legacy of Subtle Wonders, was constantly being perfected and evolved by the Fate-Tapping Bell.

Deeply satisfied and utterly exhausted, Shi Yu leaned against the wall and fell into a deep sleep.

She slept until the afternoon of the following day. In between, Wen Wen came to deliver food twice, but seeing her asleep, she refrained from making a sound. Only on the third visit, seeing Shi Yu still asleep, did she become somewhat concerned. With the two deacons' consent, she went inside and gently nudged her awake.

“Little Yu, Little Yu.”

Shi Yu opened her eyes drowsily. Catching a blurry glimpse of Wen Wen's worried face, she rubbed her eyes and asked, “Sister Wen, is it time to set off for the Alchemy Exchange Conference?”

Wen Wen affectionately smoothed her disheveled hair and said softly, “There are still two or three days left. Were you exhausted? Seeing you sleep for an entire day, I couldn’t help waking you up.”

As her mind gradually cleared, Shi Yu felt fully rested, her spirits restored. She smiled and said, “I'm not tired, Sister Wen. I’ve slept well.”

“Then eat something first.” Wen Wen pushed the food container toward her. “Eat up before reading more. There are still two or three days before we set off, so there's no rush.”

Unexpectedly, Shi Yu shook her head. “Let’s go outside and eat together.”

Wen Wen reminded her, “Once you step outside, you won't be able to come back in.”

“It doesn't matter,” Shi Yu offered a light smile. “I’ve already finished reading everything.”

“Finished?!” Surprised, Wen Wen’s voice raised significantly.

Realizing her lapse in decorum immediately after, Wen Wen quickly closed her mouth and shot an apologetic smile at the two deacons outside who were glaring over.

The Legacy of Subtle Wonders was not a place for idle chatter, as it broke the rules. Hesitating for a moment, Wen Wen whispered, “Then... let’s head out.”

Shi Yu nodded. As she stepped out of the stone room, the protective arrays reactivated, cutting off access to the ancient cabinets once more.

The stone door closed slowly before her eyes, letting out a heavy thud.

Shi Yu averted her gaze and bowed to the two deacons at the entrance. “Thank you for your trouble these past days, Seniors.”

The two gave a cold, indifferent grunted “Mm.”

Shi Yu sensed that their attitude toward her had shifted. Though they had been distant at first, there had been a trace of attentiveness. Now, their coldness was laced with a hint of displeasure.

Reflecting on herself, she thought, I handled all those ancient texts and jade slips with great care without damaging or disrespecting them in the slightest, so it shouldn't be because of that. Hmm... Could it be that staying inside too long annoyed the two seniors?

Finding no answer to her reflections, she shook her head and simply stopped thinking about it.