Ruan Se took out four palm-sized array flags from her sleeve and quickly moved around the courtyard, inserting the flags into the four corners. After inserting the last flag, she pressed her right hand against the bluestone ground, and her spiritual power surged along the stone crevices toward the flags.
Silently, a faint blue light screen rose from the flags, closing together above the courtyard to form a translucent dome.
As soon as the light screen took shape, it locked all the supernatural phenomena emanating from the alchemy room within. The few wisps of dark clouds that had just begun to gather in the sky lost their target, rolled about aimlessly for a few moments, then slowly dissipated.
Ruan Se straightened up, a fine layer of sweat beading on her forehead. She turned and quickly returned to the alchemy room, and then saw a sight she would never forget.
The lid of the elixir furnace was slowly pushed open by an invisible force, and the light spilling from the furnace mouth changed from gold to a kind of blue-white. The fragrance of the Changchun Life-Prolonging Pill was no longer suppressed, surging out and filling the room with aroma. A Sixth-Rank pill… just like that, it was successfully refined?
From throwing all the medicinal ingredients into the furnace to the finished pill coming out, it took less than two hours. Ruan Se stood frozen in place, her whole body stiff, her eyes filled with extreme shock. What she had seen today was enough to overturn her lifelong understanding of the Alchemy Path. To witness such Alchemy Arts, she could die without regrets.
The moment the pill was taken out of the furnace, Ruan Se couldn’t help but hold her breath. That Changchun Life-Prolonging Pill lay quietly in Lai Li’an’s palm, entirely emerald green, the pill patterns clear and distinct, with six lines slowly rotating.
The pill’s fragrance wasn’t as strong and pungent as ordinary pills; rather, it was like the fresh air brought up by the first sprouts of grass breaking through the soil after the spring snow melts. Smelling it made one’s heart meridian feel a bit more comfortable.
But now was not the time to appreciate it. The two quickly walked through the corridor and returned to Su Wan’er’s bedside. Ruan Se lifted Su Wan’er’s chin with one hand and placed the pill into her mouth. The pill dissolved upon entering the mouth, and a stream of emerald-green medicinal power slid down her throat into her abdomen.
Then Ruan Se guided it with her spiritual power, slowly penetrating along the heart meridian toward the limbs and bones. The broken meridians, enveloped by the medicinal power, stopped their trend of further collapse. The shattered Dao Foundation was temporarily sealed by a layer of flexible blue light membrane, preventing further deterioration.
The whole process lasted about the time of a stick of incense. When the medicinal power had fully integrated into the meridians, Ruan Se placed her fingers back on Su Wan’er’s wrist, closed her eyes to examine for a moment, then slowly opened them.
“Senior, rest assured. The medicinal power of the Changchun Life-Prolonging Pill has already protected Fellow Daoist Su’s heart meridian and dantian. In her current state, she should be able to hold on for over a month. As long as we obtain the Qingxuan Root within a month and successfully refine the pill, I believe Fellow Daoist Su will surely be safe and well.”
“Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Ruan.”
He turned and solemnly cupped his hands toward Ruan Se.
“If not for your help this time, my disciple would probably have…”
“Senior, you flatter me. I didn’t act entirely for your sake either.”
Lai Li’an was slightly startled, looking at her.
“But Venerable Self has been curious about one thing. How did Fellow Daoist Ruan know my disciple’s name? Could it be that you have some designs on my disciple?”
Ruan Se’s face veil moved slightly. She was not frightened, and met Lai Li’an’s gaze directly, her amber-colored eyes showing no fear.
“Senior, do you not trust me? Never mind, I never planned to hide it. I heard it from her own mouth in the shop. When Fellow Daoist Su was buying things, she encountered a dishonest merchant. I stepped in to help, and so we exchanged names.”
Lai Li’an said nothing, just looked at her.
Ruan Se did not explain further and said indifferently,
“As for why I helped her, it’s probably because I saw someone being ripped off by a black-hearted shop for five thousand spirit stones, and I felt indignant, so I casually lent a hand. Later, I sensed that she has a Heavenly Grade Water Spiritual Root, and indeed I developed a desire to cherish her talent.”
“I have cultivated the Alchemy Path for many years, and I know well that such a spiritual root is naturally a good seedling for alchemy. I wanted to recruit her into my sect. If Senior therefore thinks I have ulterior motives, that is also the truth. I admit it.”
She paused, looked into Lai Li’an’s eyes, and said seriously,
“But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”
Lai Li’an looked at her frank eyes and suddenly found it interesting. He glanced at the Fantasy Value on the System Panel for Ruan Se, which had steadily stopped at 100. But no reward popped up, and his cultivation didn’t change.
He thought for a moment and understood: Ruan Se was only at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage. Although her alchemy skill was good, her combat power was not strong, and she had no clear understanding of the power at higher realms.
‘No matter how powerful she imagines me to be, it’s limited by her own horizon. She can’t provide me with a Golden Core level boost. In short, she is not a qualified experience packet.’
Lai Li’an silently sighed in his heart, somewhat disappointed. Ruan Se keenly caught that very faint sigh. Her brows moved slightly, but she was not nervous, and simply shifted her gaze away.
‘I thought that my little “cherishing talent” intention would displease Senior, but not only was it not pursued, I actually received an opportunity I never dared to hope for.’
Lai Li’an waved his hand, not dwelling on the issue, but asked a question that surprised Ruan Se:
“Earlier you said you could get into the top three at the Alchemy Grand Assembly. How confident are you?”
Ruan Se was stunned for a moment, then resumed her cool expression. She thought seriously and gave a cautious answer:
“This Alchemy Grand Assembly gathers the alchemy geniuses from the various major sects of the Cangwu Realm, but I believe I have few rivals among my peers. If there are no accidents, the top three should be within reach.”
“I don’t want ‘should be,'”
he raised his hand to interrupt her, his gaze fixed on her face.
“I want certain victory.”
Ruan Se’s expression froze slightly.
‘Certain victory? The Alchemy Grand Assembly brings together the most outstanding young alchemists from the entire Cangwu Realm, including many monstrous talents. I dare to say I can steadily enter the top three based on full confidence in my own strength, but to say certain victory, I really don’t have a hundred percent assurance.’
She was about to open her mouth to admit this, but Lai Li’an spoke first.
“What if Venerable Self teaches you some methods of refining pills? Would you have the confidence?”
Ruan Se’s pupils dilated slightly for a moment. She had just stood in the corner and observed for a little over two hours, and already she had comprehended many things she had never dared to imagine before.
“If Senior is willing to guide me…”
She took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart.
“In the final round of free refining, the position of champion is something I, Ruan Se, am determined to win.”
Ruan Se lowered her eyelashes, suppressing the emotions that surged up in that moment. When she looked up again, her gaze had returned to its usual coolness.
“Senior,”
she said,
“between you and me, is this a transaction?”
Lai Li’an glanced at her, a curve forming at the corner of his mouth:
“What do you think?”
The two smiled at each other, everything unspoken. No need to say more, mutual understanding in their hearts. Ruan Se turned and walked out, pausing at the door:
“By the way, Senior, I will check on your disciple’s injuries every day. This is within my duties, no need to thank me.”
After saying that, she lifted the door curtain, and her cool figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor.