Chapter 23: The Gate of Supreme Freedom
. Time flew by, and it was already noon.
Xiao Ling had already refined one Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill and was working on the next. Standing
before the medicine cauldron in the center of the meadow, Xiao Ling shifted his hand seals, whispering, "Condensate!"
The medicinal liquid within the cauldron began to fuse, slowly transforming into the uneven shape of a pill.
Over time, the irregular pale white pill gradually became rounder, radiating a brilliant light, resembling a white gem.
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At the moment the pill erupted in brilliant light, ripples of energy, seemingly tangible, emanated from the cauldron, continuously spreading out in all directions. The surrounding grass bent at the slightest touch, and Xiao Ling's long, flowing blue-silver hair fluttered in the wind.
Xiao Ling completed his hand seals, quenching the beast fire within the cauldron. He then produced a jade bottle and, with a gentle suction motion, the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill fell into it.
After refining the elixir, Xiao Ling felt exhausted, his fighting spirit completely depleted. Without giving it any more thought, he simply lay back on the soft grass.
Seeing this, Han Yue, standing by, panicked. She quickly ran over, squatted in front of Xiao Ling, and asked with some concern, "Xiao Ling, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?"
Seeing this, Xiao Ling's heart warmed. He shook his head and said, "It's just that I used too much fighting spirit. I'll be fine after a while."
Alas, although his soul power was sufficient to refine the elixir, his fighting spirit cultivation was still too low, and his Burning Technique level was not high either. He still had to go out and find some strange fire to absorb.
Seeing Han Yue's worried expression, Xiao Ling's eyes shifted, and he suddenly spoke, "Senior Han Yue, could you wipe the sweat off my face? I'm so tired, it's not convenient."
Hearing this, Han Yue hesitated, but then she looked at Xiao Ling's frail appearance and the sweat on his forehead, and muttered to herself, "Xiao Ling, you're so weak because of me refining the elixir. It's only right that you wipe the sweat off Xiao Ling's face."
She then pulled out her usual handkerchief from her storage ring, bent down, and wiped the sweat off Xiao Ling's face.
Looking at Han Yue's beautiful face, feeling the gentle touch on her forehead, Xiao Ling suddenly felt his heart pounding.
"Damn it, my heart is in turmoil again."
Sensing Xiao Ling's burning gaze, Han Yue paused and met Xiao Ling's gaze. For
a moment, an ambiguous atmosphere permeated the two of them, the air thick with the scent of hormones.
Looking at Han Yue's slightly flushed face, Xiao Ling swallowed and couldn't help but say, "Senior Han Yue, you're so beautiful."
At these words, Han Yue's face grew even hotter, her head felt a little dizzy, and her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, as if it were about to burst out of her chest.
Seeing such an alluring sight, Xiao Ling wanted to bite her cheek, but he restrained himself.
"The time isn't right yet. I can't act now. I need to nurture it for a while before I can reap the fruits."
With a thought, a jade box appeared in his hand. With a flip of his hand, he opened the box, revealing a milky white pill inside. Xiao Ling said to Han Yue, "Senior Han Yue, this is my gift for you. It contains a pill called the Dingyan Pill. It freezes a person's appearance at the age of the person who takes it, and it never changes. I hope you can maintain this beauty forever."
Hearing these words, Han Yue was shocked. In all her years, she had never heard of such a magical pill. She was a little embarrassed to accept the pill, but the allure of eternal youth still drew her in.
Seeing Han Yue's hesitation, Xiao Ling immediately guessed her thoughts. He grasped Han Yue's right hand, thrusting the jade box into her hand, and said earnestly, "Senior Han Yue, you don't want to wait a hundred years to become an old woman, do you?"
Hearing Xiao Ling's words, Han Yue, thinking of her future age, tightened her grip on the jade box and replied, "Thank you, Junior Brother Xiao Ling."
Seeing her accept the gift, Xiao Ling withdrew his hand from Han Yue's and handed her the jade bottle containing two Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills. He smiled and said, "Senior Han Yue, don't forget to take your pills."
Han Yue took the porcelain bottle and gave Xiao Ling a sly look. Recalling the events of the past, she realized she had been tricked by Xiao Ling. Her pretty face flushed, the warmth still lingering from her hand.
Feeling Xiao Ling's gaze fixed on her, Han Yue didn't dare to stay any longer, and left a sentence: "I'll refine the elixir first, and come to my yard tomorrow at noon for the Zhongzhou affairs." Then he ran out of the yard.
Xiao Ling watched Han Yue's graceful figure leave the yard, and smiled helplessly. He took out the elixir to restore his fighting spirit from his belt, and after swallowing it, he sat cross-legged to restore his fighting spirit.
Han Yue returned to her room, breathing heavily, and the blush on her face had not completely dissipated.
Looking at the elixir that Xiao Ling stuffed into her hand, recalling that fiery gaze, she couldn't help but mutter in her heart: "Xiao Ling really likes me. Not only did he let me ride his Split Sky Seat before, but he also gave me such a precious Dingyan Pill. He must like me, otherwise he wouldn't be so special to me."
This thought quickly flashed through Han Yue's mind, and the blush on her face deepened. She immediately buried her head in the quilt.
"Actually, if it's Xiao Ling, it's not impossible."
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
Xiao Ling's cultivation had reached the level of a three-star Grand Master, and he was only one step away from a four-star Grand Master.
Canaan Academy's annual inner courtyard selection competition was about to begin today.
At this time, in Xiao Ling's courtyard, six young men and women gathered:
Xiao Ling, Xiao Xun'er, Han Yue, Lin Xiuya, Lin Yan, and Liu Qing.
Xiao Ling said to the crowd, "Everyone, work hard together. We have no problem taking the top five spots. Xun'er, just perform normally. With your five-star Grand Master cultivation, you'll easily enter the inner courtyard." As for why Xiao Xun'er was only a five-star Grand Master, it was probably because the eldest daughter of the ancient clan disdained the opportunity to enter the library to select treasures and didn't want to expose her strength.
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded, their eyes shining with confidence.
Lin Yan on the side could not suppress his fighting spirit and said passionately: "I am really looking forward to the battle coming soon. My Lihuo Axe has been thirsty for a long time."
Lin Xiuya said on the side: "Don't be careless. Although our strength is basically ahead of other students, there is still Han Xian, whose cultivation is not much different from ours."
Hearing this, the tough-minded Liu Qing said disdainfully: "He is just a guy who can only make medicine. Not all alchemists are as powerful as Xiao Ling. I can knock that kind of stuff down with one shot."
Lin Yan also echoed: "A mere gravel is not as good as me. He usually looks He was so arrogant, but now he behaves himself a little bit when he sees us." Then he turned to Xiao Ling and said, "When you first came to the outer courtyard a year ago, didn't he mock you because the academy's Fire Elder took a liking to you? Why didn't you teach him a lesson?"
Xiao Ling touched his chin when he heard this and said, "He lost to me in the alchemy competition at that time. Besides, what adult would get angry with a child?"
Han Yue on the side interrupted at the right time and said, "Let's talk about the arrangements for going to the inner courtyard. There are many students in the inner courtyard who are better than us. It's better to make arrangements in advance than to enter the inner courtyard without preparation."
Lin Xiuya heard this and said, "Xiao Ling and I have discussed this before. We can form a faction. This will make it easier for us to obtain cultivation resources."
Xiao Ling also said, "As long as you are willing, let's form a faction together. With the talents of several of us, we will soon become the strongest faction in the inner courtyard. And I will bring the Sky Splitter with me. Now it is already a fourth-level magical beast. No one in the inner courtyard can beat it."
Everyone thought for a while, and Han Yue was the first to speak: "I will join this faction. My combat power is not very strong, so you have to take care of me."
Xiao Ling nodded and replied: "Don't worry, as long as you are in the same faction with me, I will be with you for no reason. If someone bullies me, I will definitely teach them a lesson."
Liu Qing continued, "I am also willing to participate in the formation of a power, but after my sister enters the inner courtyard, she will have to join this power as well."
Lin Xiuya also said, "Don't worry, Xiao Ling and I have already considered the issue of your sister. When she arrives in the inner courtyard, she can join us directly. But don't spoil your sister too much by then, and don't let her develop a spoiled and arrogant personality. That's not good."
Seeing that everyone agreed, Lin Yan also said, "Then I will also participate in the formation of a power, but how should the positions be allocated?"
Everyone nodded and turned their eyes to Xiao Ling and Lin Xiuya.
Xiao Ling spoke slowly, "I have no experience managing a faction. I will serve as the Alchemy Elder. Lin Xiuya will be the Sect Leader, and Han Yue will help manage the faction. Lin Yan and Liu Qing, you two will serve as thugs, and Xun'er will be just a sect member."
Everyone agreed with this. Lin Xiuya and Han Yue were undoubtedly more capable of managing things. Xiao Ling was the only alchemist among the group, and his rank was quite high, meaning he had considerable room for improvement. Lin Yan and Liu Qing were both belligerent and more suited to combat. As for Xiao Xun'er, aside from Xiao Ling, everyone assumed she was merely a combat master, and Xiao Ling had no intention of wasting her time elsewhere; focusing on cultivation was paramount.
In fact, there was a more important reason why Xiao Ling wouldn't become Sect Leader: he would definitely be away from the academy for a while, and to avoid any potential trouble, he might as well step down.
With Xiao Ling's help, the group's strength was only stronger than their counterparts in the original novel. For elixirs like the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill, Xiao Ling would help refine them as a practice session, as long as the ingredients were prepared. Even the Three-Striped Green Spirit Pill that Xiao Xun'er could use had been refined by Xiao Ling long ago.
Xiao Xun'er listened for a long time and suddenly said, "Brother Xiao Ling, let's give our faction a name."
Hearing this, Xiao Ling touched his chin, thought for a moment, and then said, "Let's call it the 'Supreme Freedom Sect.'"
After saying this, he stood up and walked out of the courtyard first. Everyone followed him, heading towards the competition stage for the inner courtyard selection.
(End of this chapter)