Chapter 11: We Are Broke

Lin Fan marveled at the sensation in his hands. The Earth Core Demon Fire twisted and curled around his fingers like a living entity, its heat pulsing in harmony with his breath. If he weren't a transmigrator, he might have just thought it was smooth—like an arm, even—but his modern sensibilities told him that 'silky smooth' was a far better description.

With slow, deliberate movements, he shifted his hands into different postures, controlling the demon fire with ease. It obeyed his command, responding fluidly as if dancing.

"Incredible."

His lips curled into a triumphant smile. "Just as I expected… When sharing the strength of a disciple with talent above A rank, it's not just their cultivation realm—it's their techniques, their combat experience, and even their auxiliary skills that can be transferred."

He clenched his fist, watching the flames flicker between his fingers. "If they can do it, so can I. And if they can't—I still can."

A rush of excitement surged through him. The Earth Core Demon Fire, once a unique and singular force, was now doubled. It burned in two places at once—Xiao Ling'er wielded it, and now, so did he. They could even use it simultaneously. This was more than just mimicry. It was true duplication.

His knowledge of alchemy had been extensive, yet incomplete. He had grasped nine-tenths of the art but had always fallen short of perfecting that final fraction. Now, however, new memories and experiences filled the gaps in his understanding as if they had always been there. If he so desired, he could refine pills at any moment—at a level equal to, if not exceeding, Xiao Ling'er's.

"Realm, combat skills, techniques, experience… Even auxiliary skills are included in the sharing." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "The only thing that can't be shared seems to be external objects—like equipment."

Lin Fan quickly ran through the implications in his mind before breaking into a confident laugh.

As he prepared to consume a Ning Yuan Pill, a voice rang out.

"Sect Master, I found—"

The Third Elder, Li Changshou, had appeared, but his words faltered the moment his eyes landed on the pill in Lin Fan's hand. His expression shifted to shock, his brows furrowing deeply.

"Seventh-grade Yuan Ning Pill?" He took an involuntary step forward, his voice rising. "Sect Master, is this yours?! Where did you get it?"

Lin Fan's smile didn't fade. "Xiao Ling'er made it."

Li Changshou's jaw slackened. "She… what?"

"She has an exceptional talent for alchemy," Lin Fan continued nonchalantly, as if this were a matter of little consequence.

"This… This is unbelievable!" Li Changshou's mind raced as he examined the pill. "She just broke into the Condensing Yuan Realm, and yet she can already refine seventh-grade elixirs? Even a fourth- or fifth-tier alchemist would struggle with that! The success rate for such high-quality pills is abysmally low!"

He tried to reason with himself. "Perhaps… she simply got lucky. A single furnace yielding such a pill wouldn't be impossible, albeit highly unlikely."

Lin Fan shook his head. "It wasn't luck."

"What?"

"When she handed me the pill, she was completely at ease. She even suggested that I share it with the others. It wasn't an accident." He held up a jade bottle and gave it a small shake. "And inside here… there are at least a hundred more."

Li Changshou froze. "A hundred…?"

He suddenly gasped, taking a sharp step back. "A hundred seventh-grade Yuan Ning Pills?! Even if she produced nine per furnace, that would still require—!" He trailed off, unable to finish his thought. His throat tightened, the weight of the revelation sinking in.

This was beyond talent. It was monstrous.

How had the Sect Master managed to select Xiao Ling'er from among ten thousand people? When she had first appeared, she had seemed utterly unremarkable. What exactly had Lin Fan seen in her? The sect's new selection rules had seemed random and unfounded, yet by following them, he had plucked an absolute prodigy from obscurity.

Could it be… that the selection criteria were not random at all?

A bead of sweat rolled down Li Changshou's temple as he considered the terrifying implications. If one disciple like Xiao Ling'er existed, then what if—what if there were others? The new selection process contained dozens of conditions. What if a disciple met more than one of them?

"…Wouldn't that mean an unparalleled genius could emerge—one who could dominate an entire era?"

His breathing grew uneven. Even if no single disciple could meet multiple conditions, what if they found more people like Xiao Ling'er? If they gathered enough prodigies, wouldn't the Lanyue Sect's revival become inevitable?

His eyes burned with excitement, but when he looked at Lin Fan, his emotions grew even more complicated.

"And Sect Master himself… What if his talents are equally beyond our comprehension?"

He swallowed hard. "The Moon Embracing Sect… It's truly saved."

Li Changshou's thoughts spiraled deeper, his muttering growing more incoherent, until Lin Fan finally cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Third Elder?"

Li Changshou blinked rapidly, snapping out of his daze. "Ah—ah! My apologies, Sect Master. I got carried away."

Lin Fan smiled knowingly. "What did you come here for?"

Li Changshou's face darkened slightly. "We have a problem. Our resources are running low."

Lin Fan's expression grew serious. "Explain."

"The bulk of our resources are being provided to Xiao Ling'er, but the other disciples still require supplies. We've been working hard to earn funds, but it's not enough." He sighed. "Elixirs and materials are being maintained for now, but our Spirit Stone reserves are dwindling. And without Spirit Stones, we can't sustain the sect's formations or provide for the other disciples."

Lin Fan frowned. "That is a problem."

While he hadn't paid much attention to the sect's finances before, he understood all too well the importance of resource management. After all, he had played far too many strategy games to overlook something this fundamental.

Explosive growth was necessary, but without a stable economy, collapse was inevitable. Even in a simple game of Red Alert, one needed to secure enough resources before expanding their forces.

The Moon Embracing Sect had neither a Spirit Stone mine nor the strength to seize one. And outright pillaging wasn't an option—drawing too much attention while still weak would only spell disaster.

Then, there was only one viable path forward.

Lin Fan's gaze shifted to the seventh-grade Yuan Ning Pill still in his palm. Slowly, a thoughtful smile spread across his lips.

If resources were the issue… why not turn their greatest asset into a solution?