CHAPTER 62: MYSTERIOUS... POWERFUL... POLITE...

Vol guided John deeper into the chamber.

The room was luxuriously furnished with elegant wooden shelves, fragrant herbs in decorative jars, and a wide, soft silken sofa laid with spirit beast hide cushions.

A low tea table rested in front of it, already set with cups of clear jade.

"Have a seat," she said with a pleasant smile, gesturing toward the couch as she walked toward a side cabinet.

Her hips swayed gently with every step, and her voice held that same teasing, confident rhythm.

John sat down cautiously, placing his hands on his knees as he kept his gaze level.

He wasn’t sure if she was always like this or if she was deliberately trying to test him.

Either way, it was working.

Vol busied herself with a small, jade-crystal kettle, filled it with glowing blue spirit water, and gently heated it with a snap of her fingers.

A soft flame flickered into existence at her fingertips, her control elegant and practiced.

As the water simmered, she pulled out a small pouch and poured in a few translucent flower petals.

A sweet, floral fragrance filled the air immediately, making John’s senses tingle. Spirit Calm Tea, if he wasn’t mistaken, good for soothing nerves and opening the mind for better focus.

"So," Vol said, her voice soft and casual, "you’re the boy that’s got Elder Tenfires all excited like a teenager again." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Tell me, do you really have a four-ringed Blood Rush Pill?"

John offered a faint, polite smile. "Apologies, Senior Vol, but that’s something I will only show to Elder Tenfires."

Vol paused, then let out a soft chuckle. "My, aren’t you a disciplined one?" She poured the steeped tea into two jade cups and walked over, setting one in front of him before settling on the couch beside him, far closer than necessary.

Her robe shifted with the movement, revealing more of her smooth legs and a delicate anklet that shimmered against her skin.

She leaned in slightly, her body angled toward him, her lips curving into a slow, amused smirk.

"I’ve met dozens of outer sect disciples like you. Usually so desperate to prove themselves... or too easy to impress."

John sipped the tea with a calm nod. "Then I’m honored to be different."

"Oh, you are," she murmured, eyes narrowing in curiosity. "Your spiritual signature... Your presence... it’s restrained, refined. You’re not just some clueless alchemist."

John said nothing, his eyes focused on the swirling tea in his cup.

Vol tilted her head, letting her silky hair fall over one shoulder. "What if I said I could help you? Elder Tenfires may be powerful, but his mood is volatile. What if he refuses to recognize your talent?"

"I’ll take that risk," John answered calmly.

Silence hung between them for a moment.

Then, without warning, Vol leaned in and kissed his cheek.

John’s eyes widened, his hand froze mid-lift, and he nearly dropped the teacup.

Vol giggled softly as she leaned back, crossing her legs in a deliberately fluid motion. "You’re blushing," she teased. "So you’re not made of stone after all."

John cleared his throat, shifting slightly to the side to give them a bit more distance. "You’re quite... direct, Senior."

"I just like seeing how young talents react under pressure," she said with a wink. "And you did well... better than most."

After that, she stood up and walked toward the inner hall.

"I’ll let you stew for a while," she said over her shoulder. "Elder Tenfires will be here soon. Don’t run away."

Then she vanished into the hallway, leaving John alone in the silent chamber, his cheek still warm from the sudden kiss.

He took a deep breath, stared into his tea cup, and muttered to himself, "This sect... is more dangerous than I thought."

A few hours later, the chamber doors opened once more.

Vol walked in first, her smile more subdued this time, followed closely by Elder Tenfires, his beard slightly frayed, robes dusty, and his eyes sharp as blades.

"So," the elder growled, "where’s this so-called miracle pill you claimed, boy?"

Vol gave John a playful glance before settling beside a cabinet, arms crossed under her chest.

John stood up, composed, and pulled out the four-ringed Blood Rush Pill from his spatial bag.

As John reached into his spatial bag and pulled out the glass bottle, Vol’s teasing smile faltered ever so slightly.

Her sharp eyes locked onto the bottle in his hand, and for just a brief moment, her heart skipped a beat.

She had seen many pills in her lifetime, worked beside powerful alchemists, and evaluated hundreds of disciples’ concoctions, but something about the glow emanating from that bottle... something was different.

Still, she was no amateur. Her face remained composed, her arms crossed casually, but her posture straightened ever so slightly.

Her eyes stayed focused, not blinking once as John unscrewed the bottle cap and gently slid the pill into his palm.

And there it was.

A perfectly rounded, crimson red Blood Rush Pill, glowing faintly with four distinct golden rings swirling around its surface.

Vol inhaled subtly.

’He actually did it... A four-ringed Blood Rush Pill...’

Her initial impression of John, as just another overeager outer sect disciple looking to make a name for himself, shattered like glass under a hammer.

She had teased him to test his temperament, thinking he might break or blush or beg for favor.

But now?

Now she saw someone dangerous. Someone capable.

Her gaze remained steady, but her mind raced. ’What kind of method did he use to stabilize this pill? No fluctuations... the essence is perfectly locked in.’

Elder Tenfires stepped forward, his footsteps unusually light for someone of his age and bulk. As he looked down at the glowing pill in John’s hand, he froze.

His mouth slowly opened, wide enough to show his yellowed molars. For a moment, he said nothing. The silence stretched.

Even Vol could hear the loud thump of the elder’s heartbeat as he leaned closer, like a child seeing treasure for the first time.

"Is that...?" he finally managed to whisper.

John wordlessly handed the pill to him.

Tenfires received it as if it were some sacred relic, his gnarled fingers trembling slightly as he held it under the light, examining the symmetrical rings, the flawless density, the absence of instability in the energy pattern.

"A four-ringed Blood Rush Pill..." he murmured aloud, more to himself than anyone else. "You... you actually brought me one..."

His head turned toward John, eyes sharp now, filled with sudden intensity. "Where did you get this? Who created it?" His voice was calm, but there was an edge behind it, a desire, no, a hunger.

John shook his head calmly. "I’m sorry, Elder Tenfires. I promised I wouldn’t reveal the source. I’m only here to sell it."

The elder narrowed his eyes, clearly not pleased, but also not willing to damage the deal. "Then what do you want for it?" he asked gruffly, but still gently holding the pill like it might vanish.

John took a deep breath.

"A hundred middle-grade spirit stones."

The air in the room went still.

Even Vol looked at him in surprise, her eyes flickering in his direction. A hundred?!

That was five hundred times the price Tenfires had offered him earlier for the one-ringed version.

Not to mention that a hundred middle-grade stones was enough to buy a high-quality foundation pill or even a mid-grade spirit artifact.

Tenfires didn’t answer.

He simply turned, walked to the side, placed the pill gently on a floating jade plate, and sat down on a cushion, deep in thought.

One minute passed.

Then two.

Then three...

John stood silently, his hands behind his back, not pushing.

Vol remained near the cabinet, eyes focused on both of them.

At minute five, Tenfires finally spoke. "Fine," he said, voice low, almost growling. "You’ll get your hundred middle-grade spirit stones."

He looked up at John. "But if you get your hands on another pill like this, you come to me first. No one else."

John simply nodded.

Vol finally let out a long breath, her voice light as she added with a wry smile, "Well, Elder, seems you were right to wait for him after all."

Elder Tenfires held the four-ringed Blood Rush Pill for another long moment before nodding to himself and standing up abruptly.

The gleam in his aged eyes was unmistakable, a rare mixture of excitement and greed.

"Vol, give him the stones," he said, not looking back as he tucked the pill into his inner robe with the reverence of a sacred artifact. "I need to run a few tests."

And with that, the old man hurried out of the room, a spring in his step that made his robes flutter behind him.

The moment the heavy doors closed, silence settled for a heartbeat, before the sound of soft, slow steps echoed off the chamber walls.

John turned, and Vol was already walking toward him, her hips swaying ever so slightly, her expression unreadable, except for the glint in her eyes.

"You really are something, John." she said, voice low and smoky as she closed the distance.

She stood just a breath away, her chest brushing lightly against his arm as she leaned in, slipping a small velvet pouch into his hand. "Your reward," she said, lips curling upward. "Exactly one hundred middle-grade spirit stones. Count them if you’d like."

John didn’t move, keeping his posture straight and his gaze respectfully level, though he couldn’t help the faint warmth rising to his ears as her perfume danced around him.

Vol’s hand lingered on his a bit longer than necessary.

"That pill..." she said softly, almost like a purr. "I’ve seen plenty of alchemists talk big, but very few back it up like you just did."

Her lips curved into a smirk. "You’re full of secrets, aren’t you, John? Tell me... where did a little outer sect disciple like you find that?"

John simply smiled, stepped back, and bowed politely. "Forgive me, Miss Vol, but I’m afraid that’s one secret I’ll have to keep to myself."

Vol’s eyes sparkled, and for a second she looked genuinely amused. "Playing hard to get, hmm? I don’t mind," she whispered, watching him as he turned toward the door. "I like puzzles. Especially the dangerous ones."

John didn’t answer, he only offered her a light smile before stepping out of the chamber.

The door shut behind him with a soft click, and Vol was left alone.

She walked back to her seat, picked up the teacup John had barely touched, and brought it to her lips.

Her gaze lingered on the door.

A quiet laugh escaped her throat. "Mysterious... powerful... polite..." she murmured.

She swirled the tea gently. "And so damn hard to crack."

Setting the cup down, she leaned back against the plush chair, her expression faintly flushed.

"I swear, if I don’t unravel him... I might lose sleep."

Her voice dropped to a whisper, breath warm against her lips.

"And I do love a mystery that makes my heart race."