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Qing Xuanling opened her eyes, an incredible sense of comfort washing over her entire body. She felt dazed for a moment—then jolted upright in alarm.
"The assassins!"
But the attack or pain she expected never came. Instead, only a gentle breeze brushed her skin, sending a slight chill through her. She looked down. She was naked, standing in a bathtub filled with a reddish liquid.
She frowned and scanned her surroundings. This wasn't her room—it was a cave illuminated by a utility artifact. The cave wasn't empty; shelves lined the walls, and small herb gardens bloomed in corners.
Qing Xuanling tilted her head, confused. Her memories remained hazy. The last thing she recalled was…
"Ah—right. I did make it back to the clan…"
Relief washed over her. She sank back into the tub. For some reason, the liquid felt deeply comfortable. She observed the cave with curiosity. Clearly, this was an immortal cave—a space naturally connected to the clan's spiritual vein.
Very few existed within the clan, and they were immensely valuable, reserved solely for elders. The density and quantity of spiritual energy here were worlds apart from the artificially connected dormitories.
Which meant she was currently in the residence of an elder or someone of high standing.
A flicker of nervousness stirred—but she could do nothing about it now. So she simply remained in the tub.
Besides… she had no clothes. She had no intention of stepping out and being seen…
'Still… this feels incredibly comfortable. I was quite injured after facing those assassins, yet I feel no lingering effects—in fact, I feel better than before… All thanks to this reddish liquid!'
Qing Xuanling smiled happily and continued cultivating for a few more hours. Unbeknownst to her, she lost herself completely in cultivation, unaware of the passage of time.
When she opened her eyes again, several hours had passed. The liquid in the tub had diluted significantly, now a faint pink hue.
And there was now another presence in the immortal cave.
"Hehe—you truly are greedy." A woman only a few years older than Qing Xuanling smiled faintly. "This Titan's Blood is a supreme-grade alchemical product within the first level. Hundreds of spirit herbs were sacrificed in its creation—and you consumed it all in such a short time…"
Qing Xuanling's face tightened. Supreme-grade first-level product?! That grade stood above high-grade products—the difference between them was like heaven and earth!
In truth, "supreme-grade" wasn't a formal tier—it is a title given to things that surpass the normal effects of something of their own grade, such as cultivators who surpass levels.
Such items could fetch prices of tens of thousands of spirit stones!
The woman chuckled softly at Qing Xuanling's expression. "Don't worry—it's something I made in my spare time. Though costly, consider it compensation the clan is giving you for what you endured recently."
Qing Xuanling sighed in relief and quickly rose, bowing deeply. "Thank you, senior. I truly appreciate what you've done for me… but who are you…?"
The woman laughed louder and retrieved some garments from her spatial ring. "Brat—before thanking someone, perhaps find a way to dress yourself. This old woman isn't fond of gazing upon young maidens' bodies."
"…Huh?"
Qing Xuanling's expression went blank for a second—then realization dawned. She immediately submerged herself back into the tub!
"Ah—thank you, senior! But… could you grant me some… privacy?" Qing Xuanling peeked her head above the water, voice timid.
"Is it necessary? I've already seen everything there is to see~" The woman giggled.
"Senior!"
The woman burst into laughter, left the clothes, and vanished in a blink. Qing Xuanling warily scanned the area for several seconds before finally climbing out and dressing. The set of robes the woman provided fit her perfectly.
She sighed in relief and called out. "Senior—I'm dressed now. You may enter!"
The woman reappeared instantly. This time, Qing Xuanling took a proper look at her.
The woman was strikingly beautiful—perhaps not quite at madam Yechan's level in Qing Xuanling's eyes, but he was getting pretty close. She had a sharp face, jewel-like golden eyes, and light red—nearly pink—hair cascading down her back like a waterfall.
Her figure was also impressive, though mostly concealed beneath flowing green robes that revealed nothing excessive.
Qing Xuanling's curiosity about this woman surged. She didn't seem like a clan elder.
"Senior… how should I address you…?" she asked hesitantly.
The woman smiled. "Call me Sister Wangu. I've been tending to you these past few days. No need to thank me."
Qing Xuanling blinked. Qing Wangu… She didn't recall ever hearing that name.
'She doesn't seem like an elder… Though reaching Foundation Establishment allows slight rejuvenation, her eyes hold too much youthful vitality. She must be someone important from the clan's family branches.'
After a moment's consideration, Qing Xuanling nodded and asked, "Thank you for your care, Sister Wangu. You mentioned you tended to me for days… exactly how long was I unconscious?"
Qing Wangu smiled faintly with satisfaction. "You've been unconscious for five days. During this time, I oversaw your recovery. Though it was astonishing you survived those five assassins, the aftermath was equally shocking. Your body was in terrible condition. It was fortunate you were sent to me."
Qing Xuanling's eyes lit with understanding. Indeed—her body had been pushed far beyond its limits multiple times. She'd expected needing at least a month of rest to fully recover.
But apparently, Qing Wangu had reduced that time to merely five days!
She regarded Qing Wangu with admiration. "Sister Wangu—you said you made the liquid I woke up in… are you an alchemist?!"
A small smile graced Qing Wangu's lips. "Yes—I am a second-level grandmaster alchemist. You seem interested… perhaps you're an alchemist too?"
"Yes—I obtained my alchemist title just a week ago," Qing Xuanling nodded excitedly. This was the first time she'd met such a skilled alchemist! "But I'm not very good. I don't even have a master to teach me…"
Qing Wangu blinked in surprise. "No master? Didn't the Alchemy Hall assign you one when you passed?"
Qing Xuanling tilted her head. "Assign me a master? No—they only told me to come in the next few days for some matters they needed to inform me of. But I've been so busy I haven't had time to go…"
Qing Wangu's expression darkened. She silently vowed to give a beating to whoever played mysterious with the girl. Because of them, she'd nearly lost her debate with Qing Zizhai!
But she quickly recovered her composure. "Oh well—I suppose there was a misunderstanding. Regardless, you needn't worry about it now. The clan is implementing a new idea from Yenglan: clan members with exceptional skills will conduct intensive classes for several youths. I'll be teaching alchemy there. You've been selected to participate—so I'll be your teacher too!"
Qing Xuanling's eyes sparkled. To receive instruction from a second-level grandmaster alchemist! It was nearly a gift from heaven! Xuan Dan would surely weep with joy!
Qing Wangu watched Qing Xuanling's excitement with satisfaction. "Hehe—I like you. Since you're an alchemist too… I know!" She retrieved a book from her storage ring. "This is a fire-control technique. It should be far better than what you're using now! Consider it a welcome gift for joining my class!"
Qing Xuanling accepted the book in a daze. She'd done nothing—and suddenly received a fire-control technique! Such techniques were far more expensive than ordinary cultivation arts!
She read the technique's name:
'Celestial Flower's Pink Fire'
"What an impressive name! Thank you, Sister Wangu!" Qing Xuanling beamed, storing the technique in her storage pouch.
Qing Wangu nodded—then finally asked the necessary questions. "Now that we're somewhat acquainted, little Xuan… tell me—what happened that night? Do you know who attacked you?"
Qing Xuanling's expression darkened. She immediately recounted the events: visiting a friend, being ambushed on the return journey, barely surviving the fight, uncovering the enemy's identity and schemes, and her return to the clan.
"…I wanted to report this as soon as I returned—but I never expected to collapse the moment I arrived. In that sense… I failed the clan." Qing Xuanling sighed in frustration. She'd believed herself stronger.
But Qing Wangu only regarded her with a bitter smile. 'Foolish girl—The fact that you survived is already a great surprise. The story is far more shocking than I imagined… and the Ink Sword Sect and Mo Clan's schemes are far more sinister than we anticipated! The Qing Clan truly fell behind in this grand game of scheming!'
A wave of melancholy washed over Qing Wangu. It seemed the peace the Qing Clan had gained after that battle twenty years ago was fading. And things wouldn't be as simple as they were back then.
'I must return and report this to the others.'
The melancholy vanished from her face. She smiled sweetly at Qing Xuanling and dismissed her. "You may go now, little Xuan. You're in the family branches' zone—it might be a bit tricky to return, but you shouldn't get lost."
Qing Wangu led her to the immortal cave's exit, not forgetting to add one last remark:
"Someone will come to fetch you for the classes I mentioned! Don't forget to attend! Oh—and practice the fire-control technique I gave you. I'll be watching your progress!"
Qing Xuanling gazed at the closed entrance of the immortal cave before her, heart swelling with emotion. She felt certain Qing Wangu's identity was far from ordinary.
'The clan has always had deep roots—one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators secret wouldn't be surprising. But for someone so young to be a second-level grandmaster alchemist… that's a tremendous surprise…'
There's always someone better than you. Qing Xuanling felt the weight of that saying more profoundly than ever. Qing Wangu didn't seem much older than her—yet possessed vastly greater strength and knowledge. She couldn't afford arrogance!
She clenched her fists and hurried back toward her room. Xuan Dan had been waiting far too long—surely worried. Though they were one being, their connection wasn't deep enough to sense each other's state.
So she hastened—only to encounter a wholly unexpected obstacle.
"Senior Sister Xuanling—is it true you fought a demonic cultivator alongside Elder Brother Huan?! How was it?! Weren't you terrified?!"
"Junior Sister—I heard you're quite talented in alchemy! Could you possibly make me some pills someday…?"
"Senior Sister Xuanling—please give me your autograph!"
A crowd blocked Qing Xuanling's path. Not a crowd of mocking, disdainful gazes—but one filled with admiration. Qing Xuanling didn't understand the situation for a moment.
She looked around, searching for a familiar face to explain things. Then she realized—she had no acquaintances…
Qing Xuanling had never regretted being antisocial in the past more.
Fortunately, her savior arrived swiftly.
"Hey—you all, step aside! Can't you see she's just recovered?! She probably has no idea what's happening!" Qing Wentian emerged from the crowd. His tall, well-toned figure easily carved a path through the throng.
He sighed exasperatedly and gave Qing Xuanling a wry smile. "See? This is the consequence of fame. I told you I was sincere when I said I envied how unnoticed you used to be~"
Qing Xuanling returned his smile. "I see why you said that now… Though I don't know why I'm suddenly so famous—it sucks."
She bumped fists with him before fighting their way through the crowd back to their rooms. When they arrived, both were sweating and exhausted.
"Hah… I think I've lost the desire to leave my room for the next five years." Qing Xuanling's expression was grim. She'd never liked being surrounded by people—it brought back bad memories.
Qing Wentian smirked. "This will be your daily bread from now on—get used to it. Though…"
He straightened up, looked at Qing Xuanling—and pulled her into a deep embrace.
"Idiot… do you have any idea how worried I was when I heard assassins ambushed you…?!"
Qing Xuanling's eyes widened slightly at the embrace—but she smiled softly at his words. She patted his back gently.
"Don't worry… weeds never die…"
"Oh? Does that mean we'll have a long life?"
"…Actually, I think you might outlive me!"
Both burst into laughter.