Training

"Hmph, if I had Heavenly Flames too, how could a mere sixth-tier pill possibly cause a furnace explosion?"

Xuan Yi gave a spoiled huff, planted her hands on her hips, and righteously blamed it all on not having Heavenly Flames.

"Hehe, Sister Xuan Yi, aren't sixth-tier pills something anyone with hands can refine? Why would you need Heavenly Flames?" Lin Yu leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, smiling as he added fuel to the fire.

"You!" Xuan Yi stamped her feet in fury at his words, the veins on her forehead even throbbing.

This guy was clearly mocking her! She glared at Lin Yu indignantly. She had merely been distracted for a moment; it was not as though she truly could not refine them.

"I'm going to find Senior Sister. Do you want to come with me?" Seeing that he had pushed far enough, Lin Yu changed the subject and extended an invitation with a smile.

Xuan Yi's eyes darted about before she suddenly seemed to think of a brilliant idea. The anger on her face was instantly replaced by a crafty smile.

She hurried to Lin Yu's side in two quick strides, lifted her chin, and said smugly, "Of course I'm coming! I'll tell Shan Shan how you bullied me and have her teach you a lesson!"

Lin Yu merely shrugged indifferently and headed out the door, though a faint curve tugged at his lips.

Xuan Yi quickly followed, chattering all the way as she listed his "crimes."

When they found Han Shanshan, she was organizing medicinal ingredients in the pill chamber.

Following behind Lin Yu, Xuan Yi cleared her throat the moment she entered, her stomach full of grievances and ready to complain. She wanted Shan Shan to judge fairly—Lin Yu had mocked her furnace explosion first thing in the morning and even said sixth-tier pills were something anyone with hands could refine. It was simply outrageous!

She was determined to make Shan Shan vent her anger for her.

Yet before she could say a word, Lin Yu strode past her and walked straight up to Han Shanshan.

Under Xuan Yi's utterly stunned gaze, he stretched out his arm and naturally, expertly pulled Han Shanshan into his embrace.

In that instant, Xuan Yi's expression was nothing short of spectacular.

Her mouth fell into a perfect circle, her eyes widened like a pair of bronze bells, and every complaint she had prepared lodged in her throat, unable to rise or fall. She froze in place like a stone statue struck by a petrification spell.

What just happened?

Was this really the Han Shanshan she knew?

When did those two get together? Why had no one ever told her?

Xuan Yi's mind raced, yet she could not piece together the complete timeline of how these two had gone from senior sister and junior brother to lovers.

She had merely entered seclusion to refine pills for a few months. How had the world changed so completely by the time she emerged?

Han Shanshan was slightly stunned by Lin Yu's sudden intimate gesture in front of Xuan Yi. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, but she did not push him away.

She merely reached out and gently stroked Lin Yu's back, saying softly, "All right, Xuan Yi is still here."

Her voice was as gentle as melting spring snow, lacking even the slightest trace of the sharp, commanding demeanor she usually displayed in Pill Tower.

Xuan Yi finally came back to her senses at those words, but her jaw still would not close.

She suddenly felt rather superfluous standing there, like an ill-timed luminous pearl—neither bright nor dim.

Lin Yu, however, paid no attention to Xuan Yi's gaze.

He released the hand around Han Shanshan's waist but did not fully step away. Turning his head slightly, he said affectionately, "Senior Sister, I'm planning to go out and train for a while."

"I'll go with you." Han Shanshan blurted it out almost reflexively, without the slightest hesitation.

The corners of Lin Yu's lips rose slightly, a teasing glint flashing through his eyes. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Senior Sister, can't bear to part with me?"

Han Shanshan's pretty face instantly flushed crimson. She turned her gaze away, her lips moving slightly, yet she said nothing.

In the past, she would certainly have glared at him, flicked his forehead, and shot back with, "Don't flatter yourself."

But now, she found that she could not say a single word. Because she truly could not bear to part with him.

Seeing this rare shy side of her, warmth welled up in Lin Yu's heart. He did not tease her further and merely said with a soft laugh, "All right, then. You can come with me."

At his words, Han Shanshan's lips curved into a satisfied smile.

Clearly, Lin Yu's decision to bring her along for training put her in an excellent mood.

She quietly slipped her hand over, hooked her fingers with Lin Yu's, and interlaced their fingers.

"But Senior Sister, first help me refine some pills for the journey," Lin Yu abruptly changed the subject. His tone returned to its usual cheerful manner, but his eyes grew serious.

"And I'm already an Eight-Star Dou Emperor. Let's leave after I break through to the Dou Zong realm."

"Sure!" Han Shanshan readily agreed, taking Lin Yu by the hand and leading him toward her private alchemy chamber.

She pushed open the door and glanced back at Lin Yu, her eyes and brows brimming with joy.

Lin Yu and Han Shanshan then disappeared one after the other behind the pill chamber door. The heavy stone door slowly closed, shutting out everything beyond it.

Only Xuan Yi remained standing outside.

She stood there in a daze for quite some time. Lowering her head, she looked at the complaints she had prepared, then raised her eyes to the tightly shut stone door. At last, she realized that from beginning to end, no one had noticed she was still there.

She had come to lodge a complaint today! Yet from beginning to end, she had not even managed to say one complete sentence before being splendidly ignored as though she were air.

Xuan Yi stamped her foot angrily, shot another resentful glare at the tightly shut stone door, muttered something unwillingly, and finally turned to leave.

One month later.

Two figures walked side by side out of Sacred Pill City.

After a month of seclusion, Lin Yu successfully broke through to the Dou Zong realm and firmly stabilized his cultivation at the level of a one-star Dou Zong.

Lin Yu identified the direction, then flew toward the Northwestern Continent.

There were still eleven years before the Pill Convention began, so he had more than enough time and was in no rush to travel.

Taking things slowly along the way and gathering opportunities scattered throughout the land would be a fine thing as well.