Chapter 132

Xiao Minghuang reached out to take it and saw several ancient and mysterious characters engraved on the cover. Despite her knowledge, she couldn’t understand their meaning at all.

“What does this mean, Senior?”

The Medicine King’s expression turned extremely solemn as he spoke:

“Recently, I have observed that Princess’s partner, Ye Ruoshui, possesses an exceptionally high talent in the Dao of Alchemy. Her alchemy skills are such that even I cannot claim to completely surpass her.”

“Thus, I once entertained the thought of taking her as my disciple, but after careful consideration, I gave up on the idea.”

Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang’s heart stirred.

Why would he give up?

She was well aware that the Medicine King had once been a King of the Life and Death Realm. Although his current realm had fallen, having such a powerful figure as a master would undoubtedly help her avoid many detours on the path of cultivation.

Moreover, the Medicine King was a master of the Dao of Alchemy, perfectly suited to Ye Ruoshui’s alchemical talents, making him the ideal candidate to take her as a disciple.

“What do you mean by this, Senior?”

Xiao Minghuang didn’t believe that the Medicine King was merely praising Ye Ruoshui’s talents in front of her. There had to be more to it.

Sure enough.

“With Miss Ye’s talent, I might have been able to teach her a thing or two in my prime, but at my current level, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be up to the task. That’s why I abandoned the thought.”

At this point, the Medicine King sighed lightly.

“Therefore, I have brought out this alchemy tome that was passed down to me by my master’s master, intending to gift it to Miss Ye as a token of my admiration for her talent.”

Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang instinctively looked at the thick golden tome in her hands.

“This item was passed down by your master’s master?”

The Medicine King nodded:

“Indeed. Back when I participated in the Alchemy Pavilion’s grand competition, I was favored by a supreme expert within the pavilion and was accepted as a disciple under his lineage. I received a Heaven-grade alchemy furnace and this alchemy tome.”

“My talent is mediocre, and after studying the tome for hundreds of years, I have achieved little. Miss Ye’s talent far surpasses mine, and she is sure to achieve great things!”

Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang understood.

“I see what you mean, Senior. I will pass this tome on to Ruoshui and let her know that it was a gift from you.”

The Medicine King humbly replied:

“I dare not take credit. With Miss Ye’s talent, even without this tome, she would surely gain the favor of great figures when she enters the Holy Academy. I am merely giving her a little push.”

“You are too modest, Senior. By gifting her this tome, you have essentially bestowed upon her the grace of a master-disciple relationship. I will explain this to Ruoshui in detail and ensure she shows you the proper respect.”

With that, Xiao Minghuang, not allowing the Medicine King to refuse, served tea to signal the end of the meeting.

Seeing this, the Medicine King could only smile wryly and take his leave.

As he walked out of the Princess’s residence, a faint smile appeared on his face.

“Princess Xiao, though her talent is high, her cunning is still lacking…”

…

Inside the Princess’s residence, Xiao Minghuang took a light sip of tea and murmured to herself:

“This Medicine King, still trying to play tricks in front of me. Does he really think I’m a three-year-old child?”

Recently, Ye Ruoshui had often been refining pills in the Offering Hall, frequently meeting with the Medicine King and even exchanging alchemy techniques with him.

All of this, Xiao Minghuang had seen clearly.

If the Medicine King had the intention to take on a disciple, it wouldn’t be surprising at all.

It was also quite normal for the Medicine King to approach and express his desire to take Ye Ruoshui as his disciple.

However, offering his inheritance without agreeing to take her as a disciple clearly indicated ulterior motives.

From the moment the Medicine King said he was unworthy to be Ye Ruoshui’s master, Xiao Minghuang knew that this old man was playing tricks in front of her.

If he had directly expressed his desire to take Ye Ruoshui as his disciple, it would have meant he was begging to become her master.

Even if they became master and disciple, he would still be the one seeking favor.

But by offering his notes while explicitly stating he wouldn’t take her as a disciple, the Medicine King appeared noble, humble, and respectful.

This would naturally make them hold him in higher regard.

“This old man, trapped in the ring for so many years, still hasn’t worn out his cunning…”

Xiao Minghuang’s lips curled slightly, and a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes.

She didn’t mind his scheming.

After all, as a ruler, one must be tolerant…

…

After a while.

Ye Ruoshui and Lin Wanqiu returned to the lakeside pavilion.

Xiao Minghuang directly took out the notes and handed them to Ye Ruoshui.

“The Medicine King visited earlier and gave you this notebook. He said it contains the alchemy inheritance bestowed by a powerful figure from the Holy Court, which should be beneficial to you.”

Ye Ruoshui took the notebook, flipped through a few pages, and looked up in confusion, asking:

“This… I can’t understand it.”

Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly. She couldn’t understand the text on the golden pages either.

It was likely an ancient script or a language only comprehensible to those of profound cultivation, similar to Dao patterns.

“Hmm…”

Xiao Minghuang pondered for a moment.

At that moment.

A system notification sounded in her mind.

[Ding!]

[Host has successfully gifted an opportunity!]

[Congratulations, host, for triggering a hundredfold critical compensation! You have obtained a mark of insight into the alchemy inheritance of a supreme expert!]

As the system’s voice echoed, a glowing white mark appeared in Xiao Minghuang’s mind, exuding an ancient and profound aura. It was incredibly mysterious, as if it contained some fundamental truth of the universe, indescribable and elusive.

“A mark of insight into the alchemy of a supreme expert…”

Xiao Minghuang’s heart stirred. To be called a supreme expert, one must have transcended the realm of life and death, a being capable of suppressing the fortunes of sacred lands and great families, enduring endless ages without aging or dying, unimaginably powerful, almost like a transcendent being.

Xiao Minghuang took a deep breath, her thoughts slightly shifting.

Once one’s cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul realm or above, they can leave their own mark on certain materials, just like the Sword Dao Stone Tablet she had once absorbed. The mark before her now contained the alchemy insights of a supreme expert.

However.

She was unsure how to handle this mark.

If it contained cultivation insights, she would have absorbed it without hesitation.

But.

This was a mark of alchemy insight.

It was of little use to her own cultivation path.

Although having more skills isn’t a burden, she couldn’t split herself into two.

If she diverted her energy to alchemy, it would slow down her cultivation progress, ultimately being counterproductive.

Therefore, the best choice was naturally to give it to Ye Ruoshui.

Let Ye Ruoshui refine the pills, then give them to her, and she would return them to Ye Ruoshui.

After receiving the elixir returned by the system, Ye Ruoshui could enhance her cultivation through both alchemy and consuming the elixir.

After all, Ye Ruoshui had no interest in the martial arts of the Xuanmen sect, nor did she expect this little girl to help her in battle.

After some contemplation, Xiao Minghuang opened her eyes.

She looked at Ye Ruoshui and smiled:

“Ruoshui, come to Big Sister!”

Hearing this, Ye Ruoshui put down the golden book and ran over.

Xiao Minghuang casually pulled her into her arms, wrapping her hands around Ye Ruoshui’s waist, resting her chin on her shoulder, the two of them pressed tightly together.

Although they had been intimate countless times, and were familiar with each other’s bodies to the point of no further familiarity.

Yet, upon smelling this refreshing orchid fragrance, Ye Ruoshui’s heart still fluttered, her cheeks tinged with a faint cherry blush.

Xiao Minghuang leaned close to Ye Ruoshui’s ear and whispered:

“Big Sister has something good for you.”

Hearing this, Ye Ruoshui’s body softened even more, letting out a soft moan, her voice as low as it could be.

“Your Highness… Big Sister Lin is still here…”

Seeing the two so intimate, Lin Wanqiu’s already charming face turned even pinker, and she couldn’t bear to watch any longer, covering her face and running away.

Seeing this, Xiao Minghuang didn’t delay any longer, turning Ye Ruoshui’s body around so they were face to face.

Their eyes met.

Ye Ruoshui’s eyes were filled with deep shyness and anxiety.

Without further ado, Xiao Minghuang covered Ye Ruoshui’s lips with her own, a gentle and warm kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the water, landing on Ye Ruoshui’s lips.

Ye Ruoshui trembled all over, her hands tightly gripping Xiao Minghuang’s back, her heart beating so fast it felt like it would leap out of her chest.

But.

Xiao Minghuang didn’t proceed with any more intimate actions, just a simple kiss, their lips and teeth intertwined.

It was also around this time.

Ye Ruoshui suddenly felt a faint coolness coming from Xiao Minghuang’s mouth, not an actual liquid, but something profoundly mysterious, like a drop of water entering her body, making her feel comfortable all over, as if she had lightened considerably, her spirit becoming exceptionally joyful, like a traveler in the desert who had been thirsty for a long time suddenly encountering a sweet rain.

This feeling was truly wonderful.

The next moment.

Xiao Minghuang’s voice sounded in her mind.

“Ruoshui, next I will impart to you the alchemical insights of a supreme expert, you must understand them carefully and strive to comprehend them all!”

“Ah?!”

Almost instantly.

Ye Ruoshui broke free from the romantic atmosphere, her pupils filled with shock, instinctively wanting to tilt her head back.

But her head was tightly locked by Xiao Minghuang, their lips and teeth firmly pressed together, leaving no gap.

Xiao Minghuang’s voice sounded again.

“Ruoshui, don’t move, to ensure the inheritance is passed on to you as completely as possible, we need to keep our consciousness as close as possible, maintain this position until the imprint transfer is complete.”

Hearing this, Ye Ruoshui’s cheeks turned bright red, her heart pounding wildly.

“Mmm…”

Ye Ruoshui responded via telepathy, enduring her increasingly soft body, trying hard to receive the insights flowing like a stream from Xiao Minghuang’s mouth.

She felt a strange fluctuation in her consciousness, this fluctuation continuously surging, as if something was about to break free.

At the same time.

Unprecedented scenes, beyond even the realm of imagination, began to unfold in her mind. It seemed to be the peak of an unknown mountain, then the depths of the ocean, and then the molten lava of a volcano. These bizarre scenes alternated and repeated endlessly.

Yet, in all these visions, there was the trace of a figure cloaked in black.

That figure stood between heaven and earth, seemingly insignificant yet towering and majestic. Her slender frame appeared capable of holding up the vast sky, as if she were the pillar between heaven and earth.

Time and time again, Ye Ruoshui had witnessed that figure summon a small cauldron with a wave of her hand, and in the span of a breath, produce miraculous pills of unparalleled wonder.

Each of those pills was profoundly mysterious, exuding an intense aura of spiritual energy. Their radiant lights intertwined, and faintly, the sound of celestial music and the resonance of the Dao could be heard.

“Those are… Saint-level pills!”

Suddenly, this thought emerged in Ye Ruoshui’s mind.

At the same time.

A clear, ethereal voice seemed to echo in her mind, drifting in from an unknown source, as if it had come from beyond the heavens.

“Watch closely. I’ll only show you once.”

As the voice faded.

The figure in the black robe took a single step, traversing an immeasurable distance in an instant, arriving before Ye Ruoshui. She extended a hand as pure and translucent as jade, gently pressing a finger to Ye Ruoshui’s forehead.

In the next moment.

A vivid image appeared in Ye Ruoshui’s mind.

In a sky shrouded by mist and clouds, the black-robed figure stood atop the clouds. With a wave of her sleeve, a small cauldron flew out, instantly expanding to a colossal size, towering between heaven and earth, as if it filled the entire world.

Then, the black-robed figure formed hand seals with both hands, moving swiftly and leaving traces in the void. Each trace contained a vast and majestic aura of supreme sanctity, as if the ultimate truths of heaven and earth were being unveiled before her eyes.

When the figure completed the final stroke, she vanished into the void.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!!!

In Ye Ruoshui’s mind, the towering cauldron suddenly roared, its sound as thunderous as a clap of thunder.

Pills glowing with strange and wondrous lights flew out, swirling and dancing in the void, forming a dazzling pattern.

On each pill, countless intricate and profound patterns intertwined. If one were to count them carefully, they would find that the number of these patterns had reached the ultimate limit.

Eleven!

Witnessing this, Ye Ruoshui was utterly astounded.

“Eleven pill patterns!”

As an alchemist, she knew all too well.

When the quality of a pill reaches a high level, it may give birth to pill patterns.

With her talent, producing pills with patterns had already become relatively easy. In each batch of pills she refined, at least two or three would bear patterns.

However.

With her current skill, out of every hundred pills she refined, only one might possess two patterns!

Adding a single pattern to a pill was even more difficult than creating one from scratch!

The path of alchemy was different from other paths, such as swordsmanship or spellcraft.

If other martial arts were like walking a thorny path, where one’s blade grew sharper with experience, allowing them to cut through the thorns more swiftly.

Alchemy was different.

Every step forward in alchemy was like bridging a broken road, fraught with immense difficulty.

Achieving success in alchemy was even more challenging than becoming a martial arts grandmaster.

This was evident from the fact that the number of alchemists was far fewer than that of martial cultivators.

Thus, seeing the black-robed figure casually produce pills with eleven patterns, Ye Ruoshui’s shock was beyond words.

“Is this the legendary supreme master…”

Ye Ruoshui murmured in her heart, a strange impulse stirring within her.

She also wanted to refine such an ultimate elixir!

This thought grew wildly in her heart, uncontrollable like weeds.

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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