39: Chapter 39 Stockings Again

As time passed, inside Qin Zhaoxue's ordinary bluestone Pill Furnace, three-colored radiance faintly emerged.

A scent of Medicinal Pill, far richer than that of the peiyuan pill and carrying the Dao rhyme of Foundation Establishment, quietly filled the air.

Abbess Yunqing's calm and ripple-free expression finally cracked, and shock flashed through her eyes!

She could sense that the trajectory of the medicinal power condensing inside the furnace was incredibly exquisite, far surpassing the "Medicinal Classic"!

This was definitely not ordinary Alchemy! The Moonshadow Sect... actually had such a Legacy?!

Abbess Yunqing probably couldn't imagine, even in death, that what Qin Zhaoxue was Cultivating was the Immortal-grade High Grade "Tai Chu Three Lights Cauldron Record"!

"Open!" Su Meier shouted coquettishly, and the lid of the red copper Pill Furnace flew off.

Three round, plump, and spiritually radiant peiyuan pills lay at the bottom of the furnace, with clear pill patterns and excellent quality!

A smug smile bloomed on her face, her chin held high, and just as she was about to seek praise from her Revered Master, her gaze subconsciously swept toward Qin Zhaoxue's Pill Furnace.

Qin Zhaoxue's face was pale, her forehead covered in fine sweat, clearly exhausted, but her eyes were firm as the hand seal she was holding changed.

"Condense!" The bluestone Pill Furnace vibrated slightly, the lid lifted, and two even more brilliant rays of spiritual light shot into the sky!

Two crystal-clear Medicinal Pills, wreathed in a faint Dao rhyme of Foundation Establishment, floated quietly inside. Second-grade foundation establishment pill, success!

The plaza fell into instant silence.

Ling Hao nodded slightly, "As expected of my second Disciple, managing to refine pills across realms with a first-grade Pill Furnace."

The smug smile on Su Meier's face froze completely, her proud expression solidifying, instantly turning into an extremely ugly, livid gray, her eyes filled with unbelievable shock and shame.

The peiyuan pill she was so proud of was like a firefly compared to the bright moon in front of the other's foundation establishment pill.

Abbess Yunqing's pupils contracted sharply, and the shock on her face could no longer be concealed.

She stared fixedly at the two foundation establishment pills, then suddenly looked at Qin Zhaoxue, who was weak in breath but bright in eyes, her heart churning like the sea.

At the seventh level of Qi Refining, she could actually succeed in refining pills.

This Moonshadow Sect's Alchemy Legacy... was definitely not simple!

Their reputation was completely lost on this trip!

"Good! Very good!" Abbess Yunqing's voice was dry, the words squeezed out from between her teeth.

She could no longer stay, grabbing the arm of Su Meier, who was still dispirited and pale-faced, "Meier, let's go!"

Before the words fell, two figures, one white and one red, had turned into streams of light, fleeing the gate of the Moonshadow Sect in humiliation.

Ling Hao watched their panicked retreat, a mocking curl at the corner of his mouth. "Overestimating themselves!"

Suddenly, Ling Hao whipped his head toward Qin Zhaoxue's direction.

In the center of the plaza, Qin Zhaoxue's tensed mind suddenly relaxed, and the immense exhaustion from driving the Pill Furnace backlashed like a tidal wave!

Her vision went black, her legs could no longer support her, and her body fell backward softly!

"Xiaoxue!" Ling Hao's expression changed slightly, his figure flickered, disappearing instantly from where he stood, and the next moment he appeared beside Qin Zhaoxue, extending a powerful arm in time to steadily catch her falling, delicate body.

It felt warm and soft to the touch, and the girl's weak, powerless body leaned almost entirely into his arms.

Just as Ling Hao was about to look down to check on her, his gaze inadvertently swept past his hand supporting her waist, toward the green skirt hem that had slightly lifted due to her falling posture.

A wisp of familiar, delicate, smooth, and slightly translucent black fabric was tightly wrapped around the girl's slender, fair calf, extending downward to her exquisite ankle!

"Stockings?!"

Ling Hao was struck as if by lightning, his entire body frozen in place!

He stared fixedly at that splash of black, then suddenly looked up at Qin Zhaoxue's pale, bewildered face.

"??? What the hell?!! The eldest Disciple has them... the second Disciple has them too?!!"

Ling Hao's mind was in chaos, like a pot of boiling water.

Who exactly is the transmigrator? Or is it that... this world... is not right?!

Inside the Snow Pavilion, warm fragrance drifted.

Ling Hao gently placed the weak and exhausted Qin Zhaoxue onto the soft bed.

Her green dress was somewhat disheveled, the hem lifted from the fall not yet fully smoothed out, and that delicate, slightly translucent black fabric was still faintly visible on her calf, outlining her exquisite lines.

Ling Hao's gaze swept over that spot as if unintentionally, forcing himself to remain calm as he shifted his eyes away, cleared his throat, and asked casually, "Zhaoxue, is this clothing of yours... woven from spirit silkworm silk?"

Feeling her Revered Master's gaze sweep over her exposed calf, Qin Zhaoxue's pale cheeks flushed slightly, and she subconsciously tucked her jade feet further into her skirt, her voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz, "Replying to Revered Master, y...yes."

Ling Hao nodded and commented with a straight face, "Mm, not bad. It not only balances defensive efficacy but is also... quite elegant in appearance."

"Does Revered Master... think it looks good?" Qin Zhaoxue lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes trembling, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible shy probing.

"It looks good." Ling Hao's answer was very firm, certain, and affirmative.

He paused, his gaze falling back onto her, "Is this clothing... sewn by your own hands?"

"Mm." Qin Zhaoxue responded softly, and remembering something, added, "Disciple previously, in order to thank Senior Sister for her welcoming gift... also, also gave a white pair to Senior Sister."

So that was it! The source of Chi Wanhe's white stockings was actually here!

Ling Hao's heart suddenly cleared, and the last trace of doubt vanished like smoke.

This gentle and quiet second Disciple of his, Qin Zhaoxue, was the "fellow countryman" who came from the same starry sky as him!

As for the standard System for a transmigrator? Looking at her tumultuous experiences, if she had a System's help, she certainly wouldn't have ended up like this.

Thinking of this, Ling Hao's gaze toward Qin Zhaoxue instantly became incredibly complex.

Shock, realization, curiosity... ultimately turning into an indescribable sense of intimacy.

In this strange Xianxia world, he had actually met a "kindred spirit"!

This sudden realization instantly closed the invisible distance between them.

Should he tell her? Should he pierce this layer of window paper?

Ling Hao's gaze involuntarily fell again on that slender calf wrapped in black stockings, his eyes deep as he fell into contemplation.

It seemed to hold some kind of mysterious gravitational pull, making Ling Hao forget to look away for a moment.

On the bed, Qin Zhaoxue's heart rate accelerated from his gaze, her cheeks turning even redder, her plain hands unconsciously covering her collar.

She moved her toes uneasily, not knowing whether she should retract them again, only feeling that the temperature inside the Snow Pavilion seemed to have risen significantly... amidst that elegant, scholarly air, there was now a touch of heart-fluttering shyness and bewilderment.

For a moment, inside the warm pavilion, the atmosphere was subtle and romantic.

Outside the mountain gate, Su Meier's pretty face was filled with malice, her eyes full of unwillingness.

"Revered Master! Are we just going to let it go like this?!"

Abbess Yunqing's face was as gloomy as water.

Fight? She couldn't win. Alchemy? She lost face even more thoroughly! What else could she do?

Just as she was feeling depressed and unable to calm down, the mountain wind brought sporadic discussions from distant Loose Cultivators.

"Tsk tsk, the Moonshadow Sect has really found a powerful backer this time; didn't you see the Elder of Liuyun Temple personally arrive?"

"No wonder they dare not put the Huoyan Sect in their eyes; it turns out they have the backing of Liuyun Temple!"

"Climbing onto a high branch is just different..."

These words were like sparks, instantly igniting the evil fire in Abbess Yunqing's heart!

A sharp glint flashed suddenly in her eyes!

That's right! I was truly muddled by anger, I actually forgot about this!

A cold, bone-chilling arc curled at the corner of her mouth, and she turned to whisper to Su Meier, "Meier, go quietly and do one thing..."

Su Meier's eyes lit up, and she leaned in to listen.

"Go, spread the news. Say that the Moonshadow Sect is arrogant and conceited, has refused to offer tribute to my Liuyun Temple, and that the two sides have no further relations!"

Cold light flickered in Abbess Yunqing's eyes: "Hmph! Without the 'tiger skin' of my Liuyun Temple, I want to see how this tiny Moonshadow Sect will handle the wrath of the Huoyan Sect and the two behemoths behind it!"

Su Meier's face immediately revealed a grin of vindictive satisfaction.

"Yes! Revered Master!"