Han Yue

Han Yue

The next morning.

A beam of sunlight streamed through the window into the room, falling across Xiao Ling's sleeping face.

Frowning slightly, Xiao Ling groggily woke from his dream.

He stretched and let out a huge yawn, unable to stop himself from muttering inwardly, It's been a long time since I slept this comfortably.

Glancing at the sunlight outside, Xiao Ling rolled out of bed and began washing up.

Xun'er should still be asleep at this hour. That girl never cultivates at night. I'll study alchemy for a while, then go find her.

"Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling."

As Xiao Ling sat by his desk reading The Secrets an Alchemist Must Know, he heard the bell in his room ring. The bells came as a pair and could sense each other's condition; one was in Xiao Ling's room, while the other was at the entrance to the courtyard. He could not help but feel puzzled. Who's coming to see me so early? Could Xun'er have learned that I'm back?

Putting the book back on the shelf, Xiao Ling headed outside.

Opening the courtyard gate and looking beyond it, he saw a young woman dressed in a purple gown. She was tall and slender. Though her cheeks were somewhat thin, she possessed a rare beauty, with skin as fair as snow and delicate, picturesque features. What was even more startling was her waist-length silver hair, a color rarely seen. Her silver hair, paired with her purple dress, gave her an aloof air that seemed to keep others at a distance, making her feel like someone to be admired from afar but never approached lightly. Especially her arms and long legs wrapped in black silk—despite having seen countless edited beauties in his previous life, Xiao Ling could not help taking a few extra glances.

Before Xiao Ling could recover, a gentle, melodious voice entered his ears. "Good morning, Junior Student Xiao Ling. I heard before that you cultivate every day instead of sleeping, so I came to see you this early. I didn't disturb you, did I?"

Hearing this, Xiao Ling immediately came to his senses. Looking at Han Yue, who was half a head taller than him, he promptly replied, "You didn't disturb me. It's also been a week since I last saw Senior Student Han Yue. We can chat for a while today." After speaking, he pointed toward the pavilion in the courtyard and walked over first.

Han Yue did not say anything further. Swaying her enchanting figure, she followed behind Xiao Ling toward the pavilion in the courtyard.

Once they were both seated, Xiao Ling took out two sets of tea utensils and poured each of them a cup of fragrant tea.

Looking at Han Yue in her purple attire, Xiao Ling could not help muttering inwardly, Xu Hao was right. Purple really does have a certain charm.

After taking a sip of hot tea, Xiao Ling spoke first. "Did Senior Student Han Yue come to see me because you need help with something? If it's within my abilities, I'll certainly do my best to accomplish it."

Han Yue, seated opposite him, did not hesitate for long before speaking. "I came today to ask you to help refine two Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills, and to discuss our cultivation insights along the way. Although you haven't been cultivating as long as I have, your talent is exceptional, and you often have different understandings of cultivation. They may be beneficial to my own practice. I'll also share the cultivation insights I've gained over the years with you, so we can both improve."

Rubbing his chin, Xiao Ling pondered for a moment. Han Yue did come from the Central Plains. I can ask her about the Central Plains and gain a better understanding of it. I can't remain completely ignorant of everything besides the factions described in the original novel.

Having made up his mind, Xiao Ling smiled gently and said to Han Yue, "I'm already a Fourth-grade Alchemist. Refining this kind of pill is effortless for me. Of course, exchanging cultivation insights is no problem. You've cultivated longer than I have, so it would be good for you to teach me some of your experience as well."

Upon hearing this, Han Yue revealed a faint smile and said to Xiao Ling, "Then I'll have to trouble you to refine the pills first, Junior Student. I've already prepared six sets of ingredients. As for your payment for the alchemy, tell me what you want, and I'll see whether I have it with me."

Xiao Ling shook his head. "For payment, once I've finished refining the pills, Senior Student Han Yue can tell me some things about the Central Plains. I'll definitely travel there someday."

Han Yue nodded and replied, "That won't be a problem. I'll tell you everything I know later. It's just that my family isn't considered a powerful force in the Central Plains, so I may not know very much."

As she spoke, she took several dozen jade boxes from her Storage Ring. They all contained ingredients for refining Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills, and she handed them to Xiao Ling.

Taking the ingredients, Xiao Ling waved his hand and said indifferently, "Knowing some common knowledge will be enough. In the end, I'll still have to see it for myself. First, watch me refine the pills for you."

"Then I'll be watching your performance, Junior Student," Han Yue replied.

Finding an open patch of grass, Xiao Ling took a four-legged medicinal cauldron from Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night, poured Beast Fire into it, sat cross-legged on the ground, emptied his mind, and began refining pills.

Han Yue sat in the pavilion nearby, watching Xiao Ling's movements with great interest.

Above the lush grass, blue-pink flames flickered indistinctly amid the greenery, turning the forest that had carried a trace of coolness into something unbearably hot.

Xiao Ling calmly watched the Beast Fire rapidly rise within the medicinal cauldron. With a wave of his hand, stalk after stalk of medicinal herbs on the ground slowly floated into the air before flying directly into the cauldron.

The instant those herbs entered the cauldron, the flames devoured them whole. In the blink of an eye, they rapidly withered.

As they gradually withered, countless tiny droplets seeped from their surfaces, sliding down before hovering above the flames and continuously rolling about.

Once the herbs had completely turned a withered gray, all of the pure medicinal power contained within them had been forced out by the flames. Their bodies had thus thoroughly become useless waste.

Using Soul Power, Xiao Ling threw the withered herbs out of the medicinal cauldron. They fell onto the grass nearby, and the instant they struck the ground, they turned into piles of gray ash that scattered on the wind.

From within the pavilion, Han Yue watched Xiao Ling. She saw him skillfully handling each herb, his clear blue-gold pupils transparent to the depths. His blue-silver hair fell over his shoulders, yet did not appear out of place in the slightest. His somewhat youthful face remained as calm as an ancient well, exuding a confidence that everything was under his control.

Recalling how Xiao Ling had secretly glanced at her earlier, Han Yue's pretty face flushed. For some inexplicable reason, she felt a flicker of delight. Shaking her head, she stopped herself from thinking further and continued watching Xiao Ling.

Yet even she did not notice that a faint tenderness had already appeared in her eyes.