Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A few crystalline droplets fell from the branches, still carrying the chill of the night.

Lu Yuanyin's heart pounded wildly, her breath dry and parched. The sensations from before had been far too real; she could almost still feel the scorching fingertips touching her body, searing her until she trembled slightly. That lingering, peculiar sensation pushed her to the brink of collapse.

Lu Yuanyin stood up slightly, only to find her legs inexplicably achy weak and limp. She leaned against the giant tree, wiped her brow wearily, feeling mentally drained, and couldn't help shivering. Thinking back on the events of the past two nights, her expression darkened.

She still had no idea what Huo Wuyan truly wanted.

But she knew that if he kept this up every day, even if she wasn't scared to death, she would eventually succumb to death from inexplicable overindulgence and exhaustion...

Lu Yuanyin tugged irritably at her fallen strands of hair, like a trapped beast pacing in circles, frantic yet utterly helpless.

In that brief half-month of their acquaintance, she had already discerned Huo Wuyan's arrogant and aloof nature, looking down on everyone. Now, to be imprisoned and repeatedly verbally abused and violated him through essence draining by a woman of far inferior cultivation—this, for him, was nothing short of a monumental disgrace.

Lu Yuanyin knocked her head against the tree in frustration, almost on the verge of tears...

Meanwhile, a few faint bird calls came from afar. The first light of dawn broke through, a pale dawn spreading in the east.

Lu Yuanyin realized it was now the hour of the Rabbit (5-7 AM).

She curled her lip in disdain, forcing herself to stop thinking about Huo Wuyan and all those messy troubles. Picking up her small trowel, she ventured back into the forest to continue digging for herbs.

For an alchemist, nothing mattered more than gathering herbs!

Lu Yuanyin made her way toward the place where the Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum grew, digging as she went. The cliffside remained quiet; the three cultivators had not yet arrived. The surrounding Spirit Beasts seemed to sense something, unconsciously gathering in this grove, twitching their noses and sniffing around.

She crouched in the tree for a moment, and soon saw those figures silently approaching their previous spot. They cast a wary glance around, then sliced open their palms, letting hot blood spill. Forming hand seals, they caused ripples like flowing water to spread through the void. The scene before them shifted abruptly as a surge of dense spiritual energy gushed forth.

Lu Yuanyin's eyes lit up. She stared hungrily at the Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum on the cliff. The tightly closed buds had quietly bloomed, delicate petals spreading softly like wisps of mist, dreamlike and enchanting.

Based on her extensive experience tending spiritual herbs, the epiphyllum would fully mature in an hour.

Lu Yuanyin sensed the subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy around her and grew increasingly conflicted. This Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum could heal hidden injuries...

She lowered her eyelashes slightly. As far as she knew, Granny was not originally a disciple of the Hehuan Sect. Years ago, she was gravely injured and picked up by the Sect Leader, who went to great lengths to save her life. But after waking, she had lost all memory of the past and was left with a hidden injury.

Every year during the hottest days, Granny would feel as though countless flames were burning her, her meridians nearly bursting, agonizingly painful.

The effects of the Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum seemed to perfectly match all of Granny’s symptoms. She couldn't bear to give up this plant. Picking at her fingernails, she quietly opened her storage pouch, revealing hundreds of neatly arranged bottles of spiritual pills.

She clutched the pouch nervously. Trying to snatch the Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum from these people single-handedly would be nearly impossible.

But such an opportunity with the epiphyllum was rare...

Lu Yuanyin hesitated for a moment. Seeing that the group was about to leave, she acted without overthinking. She rose abruptly, leaped lightly from the giant tree, and blocked their path.

The group was startled. They instantly surged their spiritual energy, glaring at Lu Yuanyin with hostility and a trace of murderous intent. But once they saw her face, they paused, a flash of admiration in their eyes.

Seeing their wary expressions, Lu Yuanyin quickly said, "I mean no harm."

She tried to appear trustworthy. "I am an alchemist. I can help refine the Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum for free. In the future, if you need any pills, you can come to me."

The leading Scarface sneered. He stared at Lu Yuanyin darkly, tightening his grip on his long blade, his eyes scanning the surrounding forest warily. "What do you want? Why should we trust you?"

"You can find me anytime after leaving the secret realm. I am from the Chongyao Sect, and my name is Lu Yuanyin." She took out her jade token and presented it to them.

Hearing her name, they raised their eyebrows in surprise. The leading Scarface blurted out, "You're that trashy good-for-nothing under Immortal Lord Changye?!"

Lu Yuanyin, "...???"

Was she really that famous?

After saying that, the Scarface seemed to realize he had been a bit rude. He scratched his head awkwardly. "That's not what I meant!"

The Chongyao Sect was renowned even across the entire cultivation world. In recent years, it had produced several outstanding figures. Back then, Immortal Lord Changye alone with his sword had vanquished hundreds of demonic cultivators, earning fame across the realm. On top of that, he was exceptionally handsome, causing countless female cultivators to dream of becoming his disciple.

Yet, over all these years, he had only accepted two disciples.

The eldest disciple, Lu Sisi, was naturally magnanimous and kind, with extraordinary talent, and had even contracted a ferocious flood dragon, holding boundless promise.

The youngest disciple, Lu Yuanyin, was the complete opposite. She had once been a disciple of the Hehuan Sect, with mediocre talent and a notorious reputation—selfish, greedy, and sycophantic.

However, her fame was no less than Immortal Lord Changye’s. Her beauty was so striking that when she first appeared at the Chongyao Sect, the entire sect was shaken. Countless Male Cultivators had secretly gone to catch a glimpse of her.

The Scarface and his companions were from a small sect neighboring the Chongyao Sect. They had also heard of Lu Yuanyin's reputation and knew she truly could refine pills.

Faced with Lu Yuanyin's face, the Scarface couldn't bring himself to say anything too harsh. They exchanged glances and asked in a low voice, "Then what do you want?"

Lu Yuanyin nervously clutched her storage pouch, but her expression remained calm. She said composedly, "After refining the pill, I'll keep one, along with the root of the Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum."

"You wouldn't be able to keep this plant alive. In my hands, it might have a chance to survive. If it does, I can give each of you another pill in the future."

Their eyes lit up at her words.

Lu Yuanyin wasn't overestimating herself. She might be weak in other areas, but when it came to tending spiritual herbs, even experienced alchemists might not measure up. Those delicate, nearly withered plants would at least most of them would survive under her care.

The group thought for a moment. Seeing the hesitation in each other's eyes, they all sensed a tempting opportunity. Lu Yuanyin's offer was genuinely attractive. Although her reputation was poor, her skill in alchemy was indeed considerable. Forming a good relationship with an alchemist was a risk-free, guaranteed profit for them.

The weight of an alchemist was worth the risk.

Besides, she was a disciple of Immortal Lord Changye.

Seeing they hadn't refused outright, Lu Yuanyin's eyes brightened. There was a chance!

She cleared her throat and said seriously, "When the Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum blooms, it will attract many cultivators and Spirit Beasts. I can help you."

The Scarface didn't take her words seriously. The alchemists they had seen were all physically weak and practically useless; as long as they didn't hold them back, that was enough. He thought Lu Yuanyin was just saying empty words. He said gruffly, "We agree."

Then, staring straight at her, he added jokingly, "But if you dare trick us, we'll haunt you even as ghosts!"

Lu Yuanyin pretended not to hear his last remark. She looked toward the Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum, barely containing her excitement.

Seeing that the epiphyllum wouldn't fully mature for a while, the Scarface and his companions continued drawing runes around the area. Lu Yuanyin, unable to stay still, pulled out her Compendium of Herbs again and forced herself to calm down.

She glanced at her jade token, noticing that the top ten in points were scrambling fiercely for the spots. She occasionally saw groups of disciples fighting over a token.

Her gaze paused somewhere, seeing Lu Sisi's name appearing right beside Gu Lingqiu.

A flicker crossed her eyes, and she nonchalantly put away the token. As she stood up, a surge of pure spiritual energy spread wildly and overwhelmingly down the mountain stream, accompanied by a rich floral fragrance. Lu Yuanyin’s heart jolted. She lifted her head abruptly.

The Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum was about to bloom!

Author's note:

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