A moment later.
Bai Ji, Qi flaring dangerously, levitated Torvin several meters off the ground. His face was a mask of pure fury, eyes burning. The urge to hurl the boy into the nearest mountain peak was almost overwhelming. 'Decades of work, devoured! The disrespect! The sheer waste! Ancient Divine Script be damned!'
"Vent anger!" The thought screamed in his mind. "Must vent anger!"
Why did this even happen in the first place? Because Torvin went for a mile when he was only given an inch of resources from Peak Elder Bai; only moments after giving the smartphone for the Elder as a token of appreciation.
Naturally, Torvin felt the palpable killing intent radiating from Bai Ji. 'Situation critical. Appeasement required. Identify leverage.'
His mind raced. 'What did this old cultivator value? Herbs? Clearly a sore subject. Status? Perhaps. Knowledge? Possibly. Artifacts? Maybe... but what about a Dao Companion?'
"Elder Bai! Martial Uncle Bai! Calm yourself!" Torvin shouted through the canopy. "Consider the artifact! It truly is one of a kind, for this artifact is a rock that thinks! Perhaps studying its construction principles could offer insights into formations techniques?" He played on the cultivator's inherent curiosity regarding the unknown. He then added, desperately, "Also… consider… are you perhaps seeking… a Dao Companion?"
Pfft!
High on Embracing Moon Peak, Wu Qingcheng, observing through her scrying mirror, choked on her spirit tea, spraying a fine mist onto the polished table before her. A genuine, unrestrained giggle escaped her lips, momentarily shattering the icy composure she usually maintained. The frost seemed to melt from her features, and for an instant, the entire hall felt warmer, brighter. 'A Dao Companion for Elder Bai? Heh, this boy's audacity knows no bounds.'
Torvin's desperate, nonsensical offer seemed to momentarily short-circuit Bai Ji's rage. 'Dao Companion? Me?' The absurdity hit him. Everyone knew he was a solitary cultivator, devoted entirely to his herbs and the Dao! To be teased about that… by the very source of his current misery! The fury surged anew, mingled with utter exasperation.
"You dare mock me further, whelp?!" Bai Ji roared, Qi flaring even brighter.
"No, no!" Torvin backtracked hastily. "Merely suggesting… companionship alleviates stress! But! More importantly! The artifact! Think of its value! The materials alone are unlike anything in this realm! A gift! My humble offering from me to yours truly!" He emphasized the 'gift' angle.
The mention of the artifact, the reminder of its strangeness, of its potential value... finally penetrated Bai Ji's anger. The white light coalescing around his hands slowly dissipated. He eyed the sleek brick, then at Torvin. 'Is this really a rock that could think...? Could it be that the Ancient Divine Script… is potentially… on this artifact?' The earlier discovery resurfaced. His fury warred with his scholarly curiosity and innate greed.
With a visible effort, Bai Ji reigned in his anger, his expression shifting from murderous rage to a forced, calculating smile. "Hah… a misunderstanding, Young Friend Li. A mere… expression of surprise." He gently lowered Torvin back to the ground. "Tell me more about this... gift?"
Li Qiye quickly explained the lore of the creation of the smartphone – find a rock, chemically and physically extracting and purifying said rock, manufacturing these elements into hyper-specialized components in high-tech factories (like creating silicon wafers and etching billions of transistors onto them), assembling these thousands of components precisely, and finally, developing and loading sophisticated software.
Just like this, Elder Bai shot off across the peak, weaving between remaining herb patches with surprising agility, letting out whoops of exhilaration. In his excitement, he accidentally plowed through a patch of valuable Moonpetal seedlings. He didn't even notice. Material possessions are fleeting! Joy is eternal!
"Martial Uncle Bai!" Torvin called out as Bai Ji simply dashed forward. "Those remaining 'greens'… are they still required?"
"Take them! Take them all!" Bai Ji yelled back over with haste, waving dismissively before going back inside the hut.
Torvin didn't need telling twice. With Bai Ji thoroughly distracted by his new toy, Torvin swiftly gathered every remaining intact spirit herb from the ravaged patch – a considerable haul despite his earlier 'sampling'. He logged them mentally via the Bio-Interface, storing the physical herbs in his spatial ring. 'Resource acquisition successful. Leverage achieved.'
He needed to convert these before Bai Ji came to his senses or Wu Qingcheng intervened. He couldn't rely on walking back to Trading Peak, it was inefficient. He considered his options. 'Request transport from Bai Ji? Unlikely in his current state. Wait... Ferb, I think I know what we're gonna do today.' He decided on the direct approach. He focused his will, projecting his voice with as much carrying power as his baseline Viltrumite lungs could manage towards the main peak: "Palace Master Wu! Requesting audience regarding resources pertinent to Consort duties!"
Moments later, Torvin found himself standing not on Trading Peak, but deposited unceremoniously by an invisible force just outside the main entrance to Wu Qingcheng's Embracing Moon Hall. 'Direct summons. Efficient.'
"Enter." The cool, authoritative voice sounded from within.
Torvin smoothed his slightly dusty Outer Disciple robes, composed his features into a neutral expression, and pushed open the doors. Wu Qingcheng sat on her jade throne, observing him impassively.
"Palace Master," he began, opting for formality. "An unexpected development regarding resource acquisition requires discussion."
Wu Qingcheng raised an eyebrow slightly. "Proceed."
Before Torvin could elaborate, an invisible pressure descended upon him, heavy and absolute. It wasn't overtly hostile, more like an immense, suffocating weight pressing down from all directions. Unprepared, his knees buckled, forcing him into a half-kneeling posture in the center of the vast hall.
'Testing me? Assessing my limits again?' He gritted his teeth against the pressure, refusing to kneel fully, both human and Viltrumite pride warring with the physical strain as sweat beaded on his forehead.
"Your cultivation method," Wu Qingcheng's voice was calm, analytical. "what plans do you have, considering that orthodox techniques might not work on you?"
'She remembers that..?' Torvin strained to speak. "I plan on studying Qi... to what manner and to what degree am I affected by it..." Maintaining the lie was crucial as admitting the Overdrive Protocol's true nature was unwise; but there is no better lie than telling a portion of the truth.
A flicker of doubt crossed Wu Qingcheng's face. 'Studying Qi? How could you even study something you can't even observe... however, your resilience under pressure without Qi is of considerable merit, impressive even by those who have Qi.'
"This strength you displayed against the Grand Elder," she continued, the pressure remaining constant, "the sudden surge of power… it is not constantly available to you, correct? It has limitations? Costs?"
Torvin couldn't speak, focusing all his effort on resisting the pressure, on not collapsing completely. The ground beneath his straining hand was becoming damp with sweat.
Seeing his state, Wu Qingcheng withdrew the pressure as suddenly as she had applied it. Simultaneously, a gentle stream of cool, revitalizing green energy flowed from her fingertips, washing over him. It wasn't a healing technique in the conventional sense, but more like pure life force soothing his strained muscles and calming his taxed system.
[Bio-Interface: External Life Force Infusion Detected. Mitigating physiological strain. Temporary increase in regeneration efficiency noted.]
Torvin gasped, collapsing fully onto the floor, limbs trembling. The relief was immense. He lay there for a moment, catching his breath.
"Answer the question," Wu Qingcheng prompted, her tone patient but firm.
"Correct," Torvin admitted, pushing himself slowly back into a sitting position on the floor. "I can push my baseline capabilities above and beyond... but it is temporary and also of high cost."
"Interesting." Wu Qingcheng leaned forward slightly. "The wedding approaches. Dignitaries from across the Sifang Continent will attend. Your current state… is inadequate. Your fluctuating power, your lack of conventional cultivation… it will invite scrutiny, challenges, potentially undermining the stability this union is intended to project."
"Threats will be… neutralized," Torvin stated simply, looking up at the ornate ceiling.
"Perhaps," Wu Qingcheng conceded. "But prevention is preferable than any action. Therefore, during the remaining time, your training will be… accelerated. Under my direct supervision."
The thought felt strangely… compelling. Her curiosity about the source of his power, origins, anomalies, outweighed her usual detachment. Proximity offered the best opportunity for observation.
'Direct supervision by her?' Torvin processed. 'Potential benefits: Access to high-level knowledge, resources, possible insights into local cultivation. Potential risks: Constant scrutiny, manipulation attempts, loss of autonomy.' He considered the variables. 'Conclusion: Benefits currently outweigh risks, provided vigilance is maintained.'
He was about to respond when exhaustion, combined with the lingering effects of the pressure and the soothing life force infusion, finally overwhelmed him. His breathing evened out, his eyes closed.
"Hooo… Zzzzz…" Soft snores began to emanate from his position on the floor.
Wu Qingcheng stared at the sleeping form of her designated Consort, utterly nonplussed. She had been laying out the parameters for his intensive training, a significant commitment on her part, and he had simply… fallen asleep? The sheer, unmitigated audacity…
A vein throbbed faintly in her temple. With a flick of her wrist, a tiny needle formed from pure Qi materialized and jabbed sharply into Torvin's side.
"GAAAH! WHAT THE—?! Crazy woman! Can't you just leave me in peace!?" Torvin jolted awake, scrambling upright, glaring accusatorily.