Han Yue

The next morning.

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

Frowning slightly, Xiao Ling groggily woke from his dreams.

He stretched, let out a huge yawn, and could not help muttering to himself, 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.

"Ring, ring. Ring, ring."

Xiao Ling was reading Secrets Alchemists Must Tell at his desk when he heard the bell in his room begin to ring. The bells came in a pair and could sense each other's condition; one was in Xiao Ling's room, while the other hung at the entrance to the courtyard. He could not help feeling puzzled. Who's looking for me so early? Could Xun Er have found out that I'm back?

Putting the book back onto the shelf, Xiao Ling walked outside.

When he opened the courtyard gate and looked beyond it, he saw a young woman dressed in a purple gown. She was tall and slender. Although her cheeks were somewhat thin, she possessed a rare beauty. Her skin was as fair as snow, and her features were picturesque. Most astonishingly, her waist-length hair was an uncommon silver. The silver hair paired with her purple dress gave her an aloof aura that kept others at a distance, making her seem fit to be admired from afar but not profaned. Especially her arms and beautiful legs wrapped in black stockings—even Xiao Ling, who had been exposed to countless edited beauties in his previous life, could not help taking a few extra looks.

Before Xiao Ling could come back to his senses, a gentle, melodious voice reached his ears. "Good morning, Junior Xiao Ling. I heard that you usually cultivate instead of sleeping, so I came to see you this early today. I didn't disturb you, did I?"

Hearing this, Xiao Ling immediately snapped back to attention. Looking at Han Yue, who stood half a head taller than him, he promptly replied, "You didn't disturb me. It's also been a week since I last saw you, Senior Han Yue. We can have a proper chat today." With that, he pointed toward the pavilion in the courtyard and headed over first.

Seeing this, Han Yue said nothing more. Swaying her alluring figure, she followed behind Xiao Ling toward the pavilion.

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 clothes, Xiao Ling could not help muttering inwardly, Xu Gao was right. Purple really does have a certain charm.

After taking a sip of hot tea, Xiao Ling spoke first. "Senior Han Yue, did you come to me because you need some help? If it's something I can do, I'll certainly do my best."

Han Yue, seated across from him, did not hesitate for long before answering, "I came to ask you to help me refine two Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills, and to discuss our cultivation insights while we're at it. Although you haven't cultivated as long as I have, your talent is extremely high, and you often have unique understandings of cultivation. They may be beneficial to my own cultivation. I'll also share my cultivation insights from these past years with you, so we can both improve together."

Rubbing his chin, Xiao Ling pondered, Han Yue is from the Central Plains, after all. I can ask her about the Central Plains and gain a better understanding of it. I can't remain completely ignorant of everything except the factions described in the original work.

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. "Then I'll have to trouble you to refine the pills first, Junior. I've prepared six sets of ingredients. As for the payment for your alchemy, tell me what you need, and I'll see whether I have it on me."

Xiao Ling shook his head. "As payment, after I finish refining the pills, Senior Han Yue can tell me about the Central Plains. I'll definitely travel there someday."

Han Yue nodded. "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 a hand and said casually, "Knowing some common knowledge will be enough. In the end, I'll still have to experience it myself. First, watch me refine your pills."

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

Finding an open patch of grass, Xiao Ling took out a four-mouthed medicinal cauldron from Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night, poured Beast Flame 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.

Upon the lush lawn, blue-pink flames flickered amid the greenery, turning the originally cool forest into an unbearably hot place.

Xiao Ling calmly watched the Beast Flame rapidly rising within the medicinal cauldron. With a wave of his hand, one herb after another on the ground slowly floated into the air before flying straight into the cauldron.

The instant those herbs entered the cauldron, the flames completely engulfed them. In moments, they rapidly withered.

As they gradually shriveled, countless tiny droplets seeped from their surfaces, then slid down and hovered above the flames, constantly tumbling and rolling.

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

Using Soul Power, Xiao Ling tossed the withered herbs out of the medicinal cauldron. They landed on the grass beside him and instantly turned into piles of gray ash, scattering in the wind.

Han Yue watched Xiao Ling from the pavilion. He handled each herb with practiced ease. His clear blue-gold eyes seemed transparent to the bottom, while his blue-silver hair fell over his shoulders without seeming out of place. His somewhat youthful face remained as still as an ancient well, radiating the confidence of someone who had everything under control.

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

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