100: Successively winning over female disciples

As the figure of Xu Mengli disappeared behind the stone door, silence returned to the stone chamber, with only the faint red glow emanating from the embers of the Pill Furnace.

The gentle smile on Lu Yang's face vanished in an instant, and a hint of imperceptible playfulness flashed through his deep eyes, before returning to normal.

He did not delay or show any emotional fluctuation due to Xu Mengli's rejection, as if it were merely an insignificant interlude in his plan.

Lu Yang raised his hand to cast a spell, and the stone door slid open silently. His voice was steady and calm: "Next."

Ning Hong, who was waiting outside, moved at the sound, quickly pushing open the stone door to lead in a female cultivator with neat cloud-like hair, warm apricot eyes, and a quiet temperament.

Lu Yang did not say much, immediately raising his hand to cast a spell to ignite the furnace fire. He threw in the spirit plants with fluid motions, precisely controlling the heat.

Whether it was a second-rank Medicinal Pill or a third-rank elixir, when the furnace was opened, the surface of the pills would shimmer with a stable halo, their quality consistently at High Grade, with occasional flawless ones appearing.

The female cultivators present witnessed this scene and let out low gasps of amazement, their eyes revealing clear surprise and admiration.

When Lu Yang handed the prepared Jade Bottle to the female cultivator with cloud-like hair and apricot eyes, he spoke in a calm but weighty tone: "I observe that Junior Sister has a solid Foundation, and this pill should assist your Cultivation. However, the path of cultivation is long, and obtaining sufficient resources has never been easy."

Lu Yang paused, his gaze falling on her face: "If you find this pill effective, you may come here to seek me for the Medicinal Pills you need for future Cultivation. I have accumulated some experience in the Dao of Alchemy and should be able to provide support for your Cultivation."

The female cultivator took the Jade Bottle, her fingertips touching the warm and smooth surface, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks.

She lowered her head slightly to think for a moment, then looked up at Lu Yang, responding in a soft but clear voice: "Thank you, Senior Brother. I... am willing to follow Senior Brother in Cultivation."

Immediately after, Ning Hong led in the second female cultivator—a lively young girl with short red hair dotted with a few playful freckles.

She took the Medicinal Pill refined by Lu Yang with both hands, feeling the pure medicinal energy fluctuation inside the bottle. Her eyes lit up instantly, and her face showed undisguised excitement: "Chief Alchemist, are you serious? Rest assured, Chief Alchemist, from now on, I will follow you!"

The third person to enter was a woman who was clearly half a head taller than the others, with slightly furrowed brows and a distant expression.

Unlike the previous two, she did not show her emotions openly; instead, she carefully inspected the quality and aura of the Medicinal Pill, even using her fingertips to lightly touch and perceive it.

After confirming there were no issues, she raised her eyelids and gave a small but clear nod to Lu Yang: "It is this Disciple's good fortune to be able to follow the Chief Alchemist."

The last one was a female cultivator with fingers carefully painted with bright nail polish, a graceful posture, and amorous eyes.

When she took the Medicinal Pill, her slender fingers brushed against the bottle intentionally or unintentionally. Her gaze swept over Lu Yang's face before she broke into a bright smile, her voice soft and delicate: "With Senior Brother being so generous, I will naturally comply."

For every female cultivator, at the critical moment of handing over the Medicinal Pill, Lu Yang would repeat a similar core message: "Junior Sister has a stable cultivation base, and taking this pill should help you Breakthrough. However, the path of cultivation is long, resources are consumed heavily, and they are not easy to obtain."

"If the Medicinal Pill is suitable, you can come to find me anytime in the future if you have needs. I have studied the Dao of Alchemy for many years and accumulated quite a bit of experience, so I have some methods to assist with Cultivation."

His words conveyed the possibility of providing long-term support with Medicinal Pills. His gaze remained calm, yet it made people feel a kind of invisible attention.

These female cultivators had witnessed Lu Yang's ability to consistently refine high-quality Medicinal Pills, and they also understood deeply that in an environment like the Hehuan Sect, relying on a powerful backer with the ability to supply resources was an important way to survive and develop.

As a young Chief Alchemist, Lu Yang had a noble status, and at this moment, his attitude appeared quite amiable.

Driven by the joy of actually obtaining precious Medicinal Pills and the future benefits implied by Lu Yang's words, they barely weighed the pros and cons and quickly made the decision to follow him.

Each person expressed their willingness to agree in their own way.

The entire process proceeded rapidly. After Xu Mengli left, the next four female cultivators who entered the pill chamber did not refuse Lu Yang's proposal, and all agreed to become his followers.

When the last female cultivator left the stone chamber with a satisfied smile and a new "agreement," a clear prompt sounded in Lu Yang's Sea of Consciousness: 【proficiency points + 5】

At the same time, Lu Yang took stock of today's gains. More than a dozen third-rank spirit plants of good quality and vibrant Spiritual Qi were already lying quietly in his Storage Pouch. The harvest was quite fruitful.

Lu Yang satisfiedly waved his sleeves to put away the Pill Furnace, and the furnace fire extinguished instantly. He turned and walked towards the door, instructing Ning Hong, who had been standing respectfully outside as if she were an invisible person: "Alchemy is finished for today. Reject all those who come later. Just say that I need to go into seclusion to contemplate the Dao of Alchemy and will not be seeing guests for the time being."

"Yes, Chief Alchemist." Ning Hong lowered her head to accept the order, her posture respectful.

Lu Yang did not say anything more. With a flicker of his figure, he turned into a faint green shadow and darted quickly towards his Immortal Cave located deep within Bibo Peak.

In front of the stone chamber, only Ning Hong remained, along with the faint residual fragrance of various Spirit Medicines that had not yet dissipated in the air.

...

Leaving Bibo Peak, Lu Yang returned straight to the Immortal Cave he had opened within the Five Spirits Cave Heaven.

Just as he stepped into the Immortal Cave, Mu Wanqing, who had been waiting there for a long time, came up to meet him. Her face carried clear anticipation, but in her eyes, it was hard to hide the desolation and loneliness of waiting for a long time.

"Senior Brother, you are finally back." Mu Wanqing's voice carried a hint of imperceptible resentment, "I... I have been Cultivating alone for a long time, but recently I always feel my Spiritual Qi is stagnant, making it difficult to progress, and I feel quite empty in my heart..."

Lu Yang looked at Mu Wanqing's expression and understood in his heart.

He had spent a lot of energy refining Alchemy and collecting spirit plants outside today, and he was indeed feeling a bit tired at the moment, originally wanting to go into meditation immediately. However, as his concubine, he could not ignore Mu Wanqing's cultivation status and emotions.

Lu Yang sighed inwardly and revealed a slightly helpless smile on his face. He knew that what Mu Wanqing needed most right now was not verbal comfort, but practical help with her Cultivation.

"I've kept you waiting for a long time." Lu Yang said gently, taking the initiative to reach out and hold Mu Wanqing's wrist, "Spiritual Qi is stagnant? Come, sit down, and I will guide you through it."

Lu Yang led Mu Wanqing to sit on the jade cushion inside the Immortal Cave, while he sat cross-legged behind her.

Lu Yang collected his thoughts, temporarily suppressing his own fatigue, and gently pressed his palm against Mu Wanqing's back.

A pure and gentle wood-attributed Spiritual Qi slowly passed from Lu Yang's palm into Mu Wanqing's body. It was not simply transferring Spiritual Qi, but using his deep cultivation and understanding of Cultivation Techniques to carefully investigate the state of Spiritual Qi circulation in Mu Wanqing's Meridians.

Sure enough, he found that there were several meridian nodes where Spiritual Qi was congested and not flowing smoothly, which was the root cause of her feeling stagnant and restless.

Lu Yang controlled his own Spiritual Qi like the most skillful craftsman, patiently and bit by bit dredging those congested areas. He carefully guided Mu Wanqing's own Spiritual Qi to flow along a smoother path, while simultaneously injecting a little vibrant wood-attributed Qi to nourish her slightly tired Meridians.

This process required concentration and precise control; for Lu Yang at this moment, although it was not difficult, it was an extra consumption.

Time passed quietly in the Immortal Cave. Mu Wanqing's originally slightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, a faint blush appeared on her face due to the smooth circulation of Spiritual Qi, and the loneliness that lingered in her heart seemed to dissipate with the dredging of the congestion.

She could clearly feel the stable and reassuring power coming from behind her.

About half an hour later, Lu Yang slowly withdrew his palm, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible fatigue: "Alright, the Meridians have been cleared. You can circulate your own energy for a few more cycles to consolidate."

Mu Wanqing turned around, her eyes full of gratitude and attachment, the previous desolation swept away: "Thank you, Senior Brother! I feel much better."

Lu Yang nodded, watching Mu Wanqing return to a focused state of Cultivation, and only then did he truly relax. He stood up, stretched his slightly stiff body, walked to the Quiet Chamber on the other side of the Immortal Cave, and was finally able to rest for a while.