18: Chapter 18 Su Bingqing

Baili Yunche was silent for a moment and shook his head, "Qingyuan, thank you for your kind intention. But I am used to staying in the Waste Pill Room and do not want to go."

"What?!" Gu Qingyuan's eyes widened with utter disbelief, "Are you out of your mind? You don't even want an opportunity like this?!"

He sighed in frustration, "How foolish! What future can you possibly have in this Waste Pill Room? How can a Utility Disciple of the Waste Pill Room compare to an Alchemy Boy?"

"Every day you process these broken Medicinal Pills, the Spiritual Qi is thin, and it's hard to make progress in cultivation! But following Senior Sister Su will be different!"

"Being an Alchemy Boy, you will not only be able to contact all kinds of rare Spirit Medicines and learn Alchemy knowledge, but if you happen to have Alchemy talent and are favored by Senior Sister Su, you might even formally step into the Dao of Alchemy!"

"Even if you fail to learn Alchemy, working by Senior Sister Su's side will yield far more monthly Spirit Stones than here, and you can also make connections!"

Gu Qingyuan earnestly advised, "I recommended you over there because I genuinely want to help you find a way out."

"Although your cultivation talent is mediocre, Alchemy doesn't rely much on Spiritual Roots; it mainly depends on Comprehension Ability and fire control."

"If you can become an Alchemist, even just a first-grade Alchemist, your status in the Sect will be vastly different!"

Looking at Gu Qingyuan's anxious expression, Baili Yunche felt touched in his heart, yet he also smiled bitterly to himself.

If it were a month ago, he definitely would have agreed without hesitation.

But now...

Possessing the supreme treasure of the creation divine cauldron, the Waste Pill Room was no longer a cage for him, but an inexhaustible treasure trove.

However, Gu Qingyuan's words stirred his heart.

Alchemy... perhaps he could really learn it.

Not for anything else, but in the future when his cultivation advanced, he would need a reasonable explanation.

If he exposed the Pure Yang Holy Body or the creation divine cauldron, that would be courting death.

But if he claimed to possess extraordinary talent in the path of Alchemy, relying on Alchemy to earn resources and exchange for Medicinal Pills to assist his cultivation, that reason would be much more reasonable.

Moreover, mastering Alchemy would also benefit his future cultivation.

The creation divine cauldron could purify waste pills, but if he himself knew how to Alchemy, wouldn't that be like adding wings to a tiger?

Furthermore, the waste pills in the Waste Pill Room were almost all first-grade or second-grade Medicinal Pills, and waste pills of third-grade Medicinal Pills were pitifully few.

If he broke through to the Golden Core Stage in the future, the Medicinal Pills required would increase exponentially. If he learned Alchemy, he would never have to worry about Medicinal Pills again in the future!

Pondering for a moment, Baili Yunche decided to go and be an Alchemy Boy after all. He looked at Gu Qingyuan and asked, "Qingyuan, that Senior Sister Su... when will we meet?"

Hearing this, Gu Qingyuan was overjoyed, "In three days."

...

Outside the Waste Pill Room, the sky was clear and bright.

Baili Yunche had just finished his morning cultivation and was sitting cross-legged in the stone house to regulate his breath.

Under the concealment of the Turtle Breathing Qi Concealment Art, his Aura was steadily suppressed at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, and to anyone, he looked like nothing more than an ordinary Utility Disciple.

Suddenly, the space between his eyebrows twitched slightly, and his Divine Sense sensed a non-weak spiritual power fluctuation rapidly approaching.

"Foundation Establishment Spiritual Pressure... It should be Senior Sister Su Bingqing arriving."

He gathered his focus, stood up, and pushed the door open to step out.

Just as he walked to the open space in front of the Waste Pill Room, a crimson sword light came speeding from the horizon, cutting through the sky and steadily hovering at a height of about a zhang.

The sword light dissipated, revealing a woman with a slender and graceful figure.

She wore an orange-yellow dress, the hem of which fluttered lightly, revealing half of her fair and jade-like calves.

The dress was well-tailored, vividly outlining her exquisite curves. Her waist was slender like a willow, her chest was undulating with peaks, and her oval face was impeccably delicate.

Especially her eyes, clear yet carrying a hint of spirited vivacity; as she glanced around, it was as if starlight was flowing within them.

Even having seen peerless beauties like Xu Yuehuan and Liu Ruyan, Baili Yunche couldn't help but praise inwardly: What a pure and refined Fairy!

Her style was completely different from Xu Yuehuan and Liu Ruyan. Xu Yuehuan and Liu Ruyan were the kind of fairies untainted by worldly affairs.

Meanwhile, Su Bingqing was somewhat passionately uninhibited, lively and vibrant, making people feel she was very easy to get along with at first sight.

Su Bingqing lightly leaped down from her Flying Sword, and the Liuhuo Sword turned into a red light and sank into her waist.

Her gaze fell on Baili Yunche, looking him up and down. She parted her lips slightly, and her voice sounded like clear springs striking stones, pleasant and melodious:

"You are the Baili Yunche that Junior Brother Gu mentioned?"

Baili Yunche quickly bowed and saluted: "Greetings, Senior Sister Su. This Disciple is indeed Baili Yunche."

Su Bingqing gave a charming smile, which was like spring flowers blooming, making even the surrounding air a bit brighter.

She moved with lotus steps, walking a few steps closer. As she moved, her skirt swayed, her legs faintly visible, adding a bit more charm.

With sharp eyes, the moment Su Bingqing leaped down from the Flying Sword and her skirt fluttered up, Baili Yunche vaguely caught a glimpse of a hollowed-out black inner wear.

Evidently, this seemingly pure Senior Sister actually possessed quite a playful taste underneath.

His heart rippled slightly, and he couldn't help recalling that absurd night with Xu Yuehuan and Liu Ruyan.

But he quickly steadied his mind, keeping his expression calm and unruffled.

For some reason, it seemed to be because of the Pure Yang Holy Body, every time he saw a female Cultivator with a bit of looks, he would involuntarily think of Emperor Wen of Wei.

"Hmm, quite handsome in appearance." Su Bingqing nodded with satisfaction,

"Although your cultivation is a bit low, being an Alchemy Boy emphasizes carefulness and Comprehension Ability. Junior Brother Gu said you work seriously and have a foundation in identifying Spirit Medicines, so there should be no problem."

Her tone shifted: "Presumably Junior Brother Gu has explained everything clearly to you. Have you packed your things? If you are all packed, follow me to Shendan Peak right now."

Baili Yunche was already fully prepared.

He had long since stored some necessary items into his Storage Pouch, and purified a few bottles of commonly used Medicinal Pills with the creation divine cauldron for backup. Hearing this, he immediately replied:

"Reporting to Senior Sister, this Disciple is ready and can set off at any time."

"Good." Su Bingqing said no more. With a light wave of her fair hand, the Liuhuo Sword was summoned once more, hovering three feet off the ground.

She leaped lightly and landed steadily on the sword body.

The orange-yellow skirt fluttered in the wind, and her slender jade legs alongside that trace of black inner wear flashed by like a startled swan, making Baili Yunche's heart skip a beat.

"What are you standing there stunned for? Hurry up and get on!" Seeing Baili Yunche still standing in place, Su Bingqing urged him with a spoiled tone.

"Ah? Oh!" Recovering his wits, Baili Yunche hurriedly leaped onto the Flying Sword.

The Liuhuo Sword was only about three feet long to begin with, so standing side by side, the two of them instantly appeared crowded.

Baili Yunche could almost feel the warmth radiating from Su Bingqing's body, and a faint lingering fragrance drifted into the tip of his nose, seemingly a blend of some floral scent and a woman's natural body fragrance, elegant yet not cloying.

The Flying Sword slowly rose into the air. Baili Yunche's body swayed slightly, and he instinctively let out a low cry: "Senior Sister, I... I'm afraid of heights!"

This wasn't entirely a pretense.

Although he had already reached Foundation Establishment, he had experienced flying on a sword very few times. Standing on someone else's Flying Sword at this moment, he truly felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Su Bingqing looked back at him, and seeing his slightly pale face that didn't look fake, she said softly: "It's fine, just hold tightly onto my waist and stand firm."

"Okay!" Baili Yunche was waiting precisely for these words. Without hesitation, he reached out his hands and tightly wrapped them around Su Bingqing's slender waist.

The point of contact was warm, soft, and pliable; through the thin dress, he could clearly feel the warmth and curves of her skin.

Baili Yunche's heart rippled, and his breathing grew a bit hurried.

Su Bingqing's body stiffened slightly, clearly unaccustomed to being in such intimate contact with a man.

But thinking that Baili Yunche was just a minor Cultivator at the fourth layer of Qi Refining who had never experienced flying on a sword, and fear was only natural, she suppressed the odd feeling in her heart and said gently: "I am going to accelerate."

"Whoosh—!"

The Liuhuo Sword turned into a crimson rainbow, tearing through the sky and leaving!

A strong sense of backward thrust came, and Baili Yunche instinctively hugged her even tighter, pressing almost his entire body against Su Bingqing's back.

The soft and fragrant touch made his heart beat faster, and certain instinctive reactions were almost impossible to suppress.

Fortunately, his willpower was extraordinary. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the romantic thoughts in his heart, though his arms did not relax.

Su Bingqing felt the man's increasingly tight embrace behind her, as well as the scorching breath that was distinctly different from ordinary nervousness, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

But after all, she didn't say anything, and just silently increased her speed.

About half an hour later, the clouds and mist ahead dispersed, and a magnificent and majestic mountain peak came into view.

Shendan Peak!

As one of the nine main peaks of the Xuanyang Sect, Shendan Peak's status was extremely special.

The entire mountain peak was shrouded in dense Spiritual Qi. Looking from afar, spiritual mist could be seen like ribbons wrapping around the waist of the mountain.

Pavilions and towers were scattered orderly among the mountains, with patches of medicine fields and spiritual plants everywhere.

Furthermore, a faint fragrance of medicine drifted with the wind, refreshing the heart and lungs.

At the peak of the mountain stood a towering giant tower—the Pill Tower.

The tower was nine stories high, built entirely of spirit jade, shining with a warm luster under the sunlight.

It was said that a tier-four Spiritual Vein was suppressed beneath Shendan Peak, and the concentration of Spiritual Qi was immense.

Moreover, Nascent Soul Stage Alchemy Grandmasters sat in the Pill Tower year-round. They were not only the foundation of the Xuanyang Sect, but also renowned Alchemy giants throughout the entire Cangxuan Country.

Nearly ninety percent of the Xuanyang Sect's Medicinal Pill output originated from this peak. To say that this place was one of the "hearts" of the Sect was no exaggeration.

The Liuhuo Sword descended slowly, stopping on a wide plaza in front of the Pill Tower.

The plaza was paved with cyan-white jade stones, smooth as a mirror, with a giant three-legged pill cauldron pattern carved in the center.

At this moment, people were coming and going in the plaza, mostly wearing the dark red Taoist robes unique to the Pill Hall, with a pill cauldron pattern embroidered on their chests.

Some walked hurriedly, holding jade boxes in their hands.

Some were in groups of three or five, discussing Pill Formulas in low voices.

What's more, some even set up Pill Furnaces directly in a corner of the plaza to test and refine on the spot.

What a prosperous scene of an Alchemy Holy Land!