This Woman Was Terrifying Indeed

"The Sect Master certainly has courage."

When Wu Xingyun conveyed Lin Fan's intentions to the four elders, they were all somewhat shocked.

First Elder said, "I have no objections to the other resources. With Ling'er's talent, she should indeed be cultivated with all our strength. But the Earth Core Demonic Fire..."

"The Sect Master trusts her too much."

Third Elder shook his head with a sigh. "Forget it. We ourselves lack the ability, and even the courage. We should not hold the Sect Master back."

"The Sect Master is no ordinary man. We have misjudged him in the past." Duan Qingyao said firmly, "The same goes for the new rules. We cannot understand them, yet the Sect Master used them to bring such a prodigy into the sect."

"In this regard, he surpasses us by far. We should not interfere in how he trains his disciples. We need only follow the Sect Master's arrangements."

"Perhaps..."

"This truly is Moon Embracing Sect's last chance. If we miss it, we will be doomed beyond redemption."

"Good!"

Shock.

Doubt.

Incomprehension.

Yet they would not question him, much less hold him back.

That was their decision for now.

"Power Sharing!"

With a thought,

Lin Fan immediately felt his strength rise.

However, he only slowly advanced from the Core Condensation Fourth Layer to the fifth layer before gradually stabilizing.

"A little strained."

After sensing it briefly, Lin Fan pondered. "After all, she only just broke through. A four-plus-one effect is already quite good. And this feeling..."

He gently raised a hand.

Boom!

A flickering flame ignited in his palm.

"Is this one of the additional abilities of the cultivation technique Xiao Ling'er practices?"

"Could she be cultivating the Burning Art too?"

After playing with it for a while, Lin Fan withdrew the Power Sharing and entered cultivation once more.

"Teacher, what should I do now?"

Xiao Ling'er held the token in her hands, her emotions still unable to calm.

"I will help you break the seal and absorb the Earth Core Demonic Fire!"

"Afterward, your alchemy will advance by leaps and bounds. Your true combat strength, and even your cultivation realm, will soar."

"But remember: do not casually reveal the Earth Core Demonic Fire before others."

The aged voice rang out in her mind. She nodded heavily, then began cultivating step by step according to her teacher's instructions...

Several days later, Xiao Ling'er began making trips to and from the Medicine Field, harvesting all manner of spirit herbs.

In just a few days, she had nearly stripped the spirit herbs bare.

She even asked the five elders to help her search for spirit herbs.

The five elders did not delay. They immediately went out to search.

If they could not find them, they bought them. If they could not afford them, they kept searching slowly...

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

During that month, the elders were busy every day, tirelessly gathering all sorts of resources and spirit herbs. Though exhausted, they smiled every day, especially whenever they saw Lin Fan and Xiao Ling'er break through every few days.

One day, they looked over and thought, Huh?! Sect Master, you broke through?

The next day, they looked again. Wow, Ling'er broke through too. Wonderful!

Two days later, What? Sect Master, you had another epiphany and broke through again?!

Over that month, the two of them broke through as easily as eating and drinking, as though they were playing house.

Lin Fan had already broken through to the Core Condensation Eighth Layer!

Xiao Ling'er's cultivation had also risen steadily, reaching the Core Condensation Fifth Layer!

Lin Fan had tested it. If he shared her strength, he could soar directly to the Core Condensation Peak, just half a step away from the Third Mysterious Origin Realm.

It was no longer a simple matter of adding eight and five.

The further one progressed in cultivation, the greater the gap between realms became.

That day,

Lin Fan was in the middle of breaking through when Xiao Ling'er knocked on his door.

"Master, Ling'er requests an audience."

Creak.

The door opened on its own without wind. "Come in."

Lin Fan rose to his feet and looked at Xiao Ling'er with particular satisfaction.

If not for sharing her talent, how could he have progressed so quickly?

He might not have reached the Core Condensation Eighth Layer even after twenty or thirty years of cultivation.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling'er revealed a sweet smile. "Greetings, Master."

Yet in her mind, her teacher's startled voice sounded. "Huh?!"

"Teacher?" Xiao Ling'er was puzzled.

"Your master..."

Her teacher exclaimed, "He broke through again! Core Condensation Eighth Layer!"

"He... how?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"He is advancing too quickly!"

"I have already reached the Core Condensation Fifth Layer. Isn't it only natural for Master to be at the Core Condensation Eighth Layer?"

Her teacher said, "..."

As nothing more than a remnant soul, she did not know what to say.

You were comparing yourself to him?

What kind of talent did you have, and what kind did he have?

You even had the Earth Core Demonic Fire assisting you. Did he have that?

Besides, cultivation was as difficult as ascending to heaven. The higher one went, the harder it became. Yet he had always maintained a gap of three minor realms above you, and you actually thought that was natural?!

I have seen much in my long life, yet I have never seen anything so bizarre.

His talent was clearly ordinary. Why could he gain enlightenment and break through so often?

Could it be...

An Innate Dao Soul?!

If that was truly the case, then as long as he and Ling'er did not die young, Moon Embracing Sect might truly recover its former glory and even go further!

Her own speculation frightened her badly.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ling'er had already begun speaking with Lin Fan.

After some casual conversation, Xiao Ling'er took out a jade bottle and respectfully offered it to Lin Fan. "Master, these are Core Condensation Pills that this disciple has been studying and refining lately. They should be of some help to Master and the senior brothers and sisters in their cultivation."

She succeeded already?!

Lin Fan's eyes lit up, but he did not take it immediately. "Did you keep what you need for yourself?"

Xiao Ling'er said shyly, "I already kept some."

"Good." Only then did Lin Fan accept it. "If you refine more pills in the future, remember to keep enough for yourself first. Only if there is any left over may you share it with the sect."

At those words, Xiao Ling'er was even more moved.

She nearly burst into tears.

What had I done to deserve this? First, I had Teacher to rely on, and now I have encountered a Master and a sect that treat me so well!

After Xiao Ling'er left, Lin Fan opened the jade bottle and poured out a Core Condensation Pill.

The next second, his gaze sharpened.

"Seventh Grade?!"

Seven rings of light encircled the pill, far too conspicuous to miss.

Pills were divided into nine tiers, and each type of pill was further divided into nine grades!

Even with the same pill formula, differing alchemist abilities, materials, and other factors could result in different qualities.

First Grade was the lowest, barely counting as a successfully refined pill.

Third Grade was already considered a qualified product.

Fifth Grade was quite rare!

For a Second Tier pill like the Core Condensation Pill, even Third Tier or Fourth Tier alchemists would not dare claim they could definitely refine a Fifth Grade pill, much less guarantee the success rate.

Seventh Grade... was already something one could only hope to encounter by chance!

Before Fifth Grade, each additional grade increased the medicinal effect by thirty percent.

After Fifth Grade, each additional grade doubled the medicinal effect! At the same time, drug resistance was greatly reduced.

Ninth Grade... increased the effect by another twofold over Eighth Grade, while drug resistance was zero! Compared to First Grade, the difference was like heaven and earth.

Therefore, Ninth Grade pills were also called Heavenly Pills, a rarity in the world.

"As expected of the Flame Emperor Template!"

Lin Fan marveled.

With an unlimited supply of Core Condensation Pills of this quality, not to mention a person—even a pig could be force-fed to the peak of the Core Condensation Realm!

But pills like these were valuable!

The price of a single one was equivalent to dozens, or even hundreds, of Third Grade Core Condensation Pills.

"Come to think of it, if I share her strength, I should be able to refine the pills she can refine too, right?"

Power Sharing!

In an instant, Lin Fan's strength rose, while a vast amount of alchemy knowledge surfaced in his mind.

Even more astonishingly...

He gently raised his index finger.

Sizzle.

A tiny flame appeared.

"Earth Core Demonic Fire?!"

"Has she already subdued it?"

Hiss!!!!

This woman was terrifying indeed!