Madam, please ascend.

Chapter 392: The Birth of a Child and the Receive of Immortality

Lan Zhenxin was uncharacteristically devout, her usual allure and charm completely gone, as if she were truly lost in some kind of confusion.

Yun Yi didn't interrupt, as he didn't understand why Lan Zhenxin was behaving so strangely.

Given this Blue Sect Leader's style of doing things, even if he discovered the notes left by the ancestor, he would only care about the cultivation methods within them, and would never be so kind as to actually go and take a look at A Ning for Qing Wu.

But she still came, which added a touch of humanity to her.

Lan Zhenxin said dejectedly, "Ever since I entered the Longevity Realm and met Senior Xu, I have suddenly felt a little lost... I have cultivated for a hundred years and merged with the Dao, but what do I really want?"
"I do not seek immortality. I have been studying poison for many years, but I am alone. Sometimes I concoct new poisons but have no one to share my joy with."

"The Qingwu Ancestor must have had the same confusion, which is why he still cared about the girl A Ning until his death."

She suddenly asked Yun Yi, "In your eyes, what kind of woman am I?"

Yun Yi replied irrelevantly: "False feelings are hard to find in genuine sincerity."

"You think I'm hypocritical?"

"I don't mean to belittle you, because ever since we first met, it's been a relationship of mutual exploitation. To you, I'm just as hypocritical as you are."

“We are still quite different. My hypocrisy disgusts you. If it weren’t for our prior arrangement, you would have avoided me long ago. But I particularly admire your hypocrisy. I enjoy watching you being hypocritical and charming.”

Yun Yi: "Are you alright?"

Lan Zhenxin: "A person who has cultivated the path of poison for a hundred years has suddenly had his dream of immortality shattered and feels deeply lost. I just wanted to chat with you for a bit."

Yun Yi remained silent.

Lan Zhenxin: "Actually, you're wrong about something. We first met in the Ten Thousand Souls Cave, but unfortunately, you were so focused on Song Xinci that you couldn't see anyone else."

"Master Lan wouldn't be thinking of saying something like 'love at first sight,' would he?"

"No, I didn't have a deep impression of you at the time. I was just curious why a mere sword cultivator would have a wife at the Dao Integration Realm."

"Actually, you're not the only one with this question. Even now that I've reached the Dao Integration Realm, some people are still curious about why I have a wife who's at the Ascension Realm."

Lan Zhenxin: "I understand a little now. In the face of the purest feelings, there is no hierarchy or social status. You and Song Xinci are like that, and so are Qingwu and Aning."

She chuckled softly, her silver ornaments jingling: "Sometimes I really envy Song Xinci, I envy her extraordinary talent, that she could ascend to immortality at such a young age."

"She and Feng Mo have always been the target of jealousy."

"I'm even more jealous of her now, because I suddenly realized that the person she should be most jealous of is actually you."

She suddenly leaned closer to Yun Yi, her delicate fragrance enveloping the man before her, filled with tender affection.

Yun Yi subtly took half a step back, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Lan Zhenxin wasn't discouraged: "I swear I'll never scheme against you again. Will you call me Zhenxin?"

Yun Yi shrugged: "Then we'll see how you perform."

"You have so many female confidantes, what difference would one more of me make?"

"I admit I am amorous, but I am not indiscriminate in my affections."

"You don't like me? You think I'm too old?"

"Even now, I still don't know which of your words were sincere and which were insincere. What do you think?"

Lan Zhenxin put her hands behind her back, tiptoed, and leaned closer to Yun Yi, as if she wanted to see his face clearly.

……

Amidst the swaying shadows of the trees, Su Qing sat cross-legged atop the massive canopy of the giant tree forest, a bronze alchemy furnace suspended before him.

Xu Junfang used a branch as a pen to draw various mysterious incantations in the air, instructing her to remember them well.

The old man ascended to immortality through the path of longevity, but now he has divided the Great Dao into two parts: "medical principles" and "toxicological principles," which he has passed on to his two disciples respectively.

He refused Su Qing's request to help refine "Awakening Dragon Gallbladder," saying that as long as she followed him in cultivation, and with the assistance of her own Crescent Moon Furnace Body, achieving Dao in a short time was not a concern.

Moreover, "Awakening Dragon Gall" can be used as the pill for Su Qing to break through to the Dao Integration stage, helping her to make further progress in the Dao of Alchemy.

Although Su Qing was anxious, she knew that what her teacher said was for her own good.

She was genuinely grateful to this old man she had just met; what he did was truly "preaching," just as Pei Jianjia had fed Zhuque the "art of painting eyebrows" bit by bit.

They are all igniting themselves, transforming their own great path into nourishment for the younger generation.

Having no way to repay the kindness, Su Qing could only cultivate the principles of longevity medicine even more diligently, with an attitude even more upright than Lan Zhenxin's.

Needless to say, her cultivation and alchemy skills improved by leaps and bounds, and she made great strides forward with each practice session.

Xu Junfang reminded him, "Although the progress is fast, it is tantamount to pulling up seedlings to help them grow. You need to calm down and digest it properly to completely stabilize your cultivation."

As for Lan Zhenxin, she doesn't have these problems. She is already at the Dao Integration Realm, and she won't ascend to immortality just because she learned the Longevity Poison Principle.

After a long period of "day after day", it was clear that Su Qing's spiritual power and divine sense had reached their peak, and he had reached the "Dragon Gate" that countless people dreamed of.

Once you pass this hurdle, you will reach the Dao Integration Realm.

It sounds easy, but it's actually extremely dangerous, and you have to overcome your inner demons.

Yun Yi's inner demon is "himself from his past life." Both of them are concerned about Song Xinci and are willing to wield the Heaven-Opening Sword for her, so they do not turn against each other.

However, Song Xinci's path to Dao integration was extremely difficult. She locked away her cultivation and set up a mind-refining trap, and even encountered several ambushes in the nameless town. It would be lucky if she died on the spot with the slightest carelessness; the worst thing would be to suffer a qi deviation and become mentally confused from then on.

Therefore, the closer Su Qing got to the crucial moment of achieving Dao integration, the more cautious he became.

She was fully prepared, planning to first refine "Awakening Dragon Gall" to help herself break through to the Dao Integration stage, and then use the Great Dao to nourish the elixir when she succeeded in the Dao Integration stage.

"The way of medicine leads to longevity, and the fire of alchemy is the source of life." Xu Junfang's hoarse voice, like the rubbing of tree bark, slowly recounted his life's insights, each word a gem.

Su Qing felt something, lit a fire in the furnace, and placed the medicinal materials for refining Gentiana scabra into the bronze furnace in order.

The red-striped snake crawled out from the sleeve. These days it had been "eating and drinking to its heart's content" in the Longevity Realm and had gained a lot of benefits.

It proactively brought its heart's most sensitive spot close to its owner, indicating that she should take the heart's blood as agreed.

"It might hurt a little, just bear with it." Su Qing said gently, patting Chi Lian's head.

She initially adopted the red-striped snake to treat her illness, but after many years together, the two developed a close relationship and regarded each other as family.

The red snake puffed out its chest, its bright red tongue flicking out, as if to say, "Take it all; if one drop isn't enough, take a few more."

The blood from the heart can only be extracted by piercing the heart, a process that is extremely dangerous and will severely damage one's cultivation.

Su Qing was not greedy. She took the dagger in one hand, pried open the scales, and with a little force, pierced through the flesh and went deep into the internal organs.

With his other hand, he placed it under the snake's body to catch a drop of scarlet blood flowing out. The little red snake, which had been full of energy before, suddenly became listless. Fortunately, Su Qing was prepared and quickly put a pill into its mouth, which gradually restored its complexion.

The spirit beast was incredibly resilient; the wound beneath its scales healed in the blink of an eye. It returned to Su Qing, intending to see how she would refine pills with her own blood.

That drop of scarlet blood was the most crucial ingredient—Crimson Dragon Blood. Within it, the shadow of a dragon could be faintly seen swirling. As soon as it fell into the cauldron, it surged and boiled, emitting an extremely intense aura.

Su Qing drew several spiritual talismans in mid-air to suppress the restlessness of the alchemy furnace, while keeping a close eye on the changes inside.

The crimson dragon blood transformed into the shape of a small dragon in the furnace, which then swallowed the other precious medicinal herbs one by one. When it was satisfied, it even let out a dragon's roar.

Although Yun Yi couldn't see the close-up view, he was still surprised when he heard the dragon's roar.

"This batch of pills is indeed extraordinary."

Lan Zhenxin also said, "We're almost at a critical juncture."

The next moment, the red dragon became even more vibrant, seemingly poised to break free of its cage. It darted about wildly amidst the flames beneath the furnace, crashing against the bronze alchemy furnace with a series of loud bangs.

Su Qing's hair was slightly damp with sweat, and her pupils turned crimson without her realizing it. A bright red snake-like line appeared on her forehead.

She appeared both sacred and alluring.

She picked up a leaf containing the Fountain of Youth and poured it directly into the mouth of the Crimson Dragon as it opened its massive jaws, about to burst out of the alchemy furnace.

The originally extremely volatile medicinal power suddenly became docile. The Crimson Dragon Blood and the Fountain of Immortality merged into one, indistinguishable from each other, and fell back into the bottom of the alchemy furnace.

Su Qing promptly covered the stove and continuously drew talismans to reinforce the stove and increase the fire's intensity.

What followed was a long wait, during which Su Qing could not afford to be complacent in the slightest and needed to constantly monitor the situation in the alchemy furnace and adjust the fire accordingly.

Just watching from the sidelines is agonizing.

After an unknown amount of time, as if it were almost time for the seas to dry up and the rocks to crumble, Yun Yi suddenly frowned.

Because he saw a dark figure suddenly appear opposite Su Qing, sitting cross-legged, looking at the main body across the alchemy furnace.

"Inner demon."

The inner demon is immortal and indestructible, neither increasing nor decreasing. How to eliminate it is a problem that must be faced when advancing to the Dao Integration Realm.

If the main body fights against the inner demon, the chances of winning are really slim, and it usually ends with the main body being exhausted.

Therefore, a head-on confrontation is not a wise move.

Fortunately, Su Qing didn't seem to have any intention of making a move, and her inner demons remained completely calm.

As expected of the gentle and kind senior sister of Dan Pavilion, even her inner demons are gentler than others.

However, although the two did not actually fight, the danger involved was no less.

The inner demon had set its sights on the alchemy furnace, intending to destroy this furnace of "Awakening Dragon Gallbladder" and thus ruin Su Qing's path to immortality.

As the eldest princess of the Great Xia Dynasty, it has always been her long-cherished wish to awaken her father, the emperor.

Therefore, in the eyes of the inner demon, destroying the Awakening Dragon Gallbladder is to destroy Su Qing.

This is a battle that belongs to Su Qing alone. No one can lend a hand. She can only rely on her own strength to overcome the immortal inner demon.

Lan Zhenxin witnessed this scene and couldn't help but recall the moment when she achieved Dao, a memory that remains vivid to this day.

She said, "For those who practice spiritual cultivation, how to overcome themselves has always been a nearly unsolvable problem."

Yun Yi asked, "How did you overcome your inner demons when you achieved Dao?"

"My inner demon and I both wanted to poison each other. It poisoned me with forty-nine kinds of deadly poisons, which would kill me if I failed to achieve enlightenment. I was lucky enough to find a poison specifically for dealing with my inner demon, and then I easily poisoned it to death."

It sounds easy, but only the person involved truly knows the dangers involved.

Just like Su Qing at this moment, her inner demons kept causing trouble for the alchemy furnace. She had to deal with the inner demons and concentrate on refining the pills, and for a while she was in a very bad situation.

She had nearly exhausted her spiritual energy several times, but each time, a warm power would come from her abdomen at the critical moment, helping her to regain her strength.

Outside, a cauldron was refining the dragon gall, and inside her body, a cauldron was also being formed, nurturing the Mysterious Female Pill within her abdomen.

Xu Junfang said slowly, "With the heart of a healer, one can harness the power of longevity, and even herbs, trees, metals, and stones can bring people back to life. There is no disease that cannot be cured, and no lesion that cannot be removed. With a compassionate heart, one will always feel sorrow."

Although Su Qing's figure showed signs of exhaustion, the spiritual power she emitted became increasingly refined, becoming more and more pure through constant refinement in alchemy and the tempering of inner demons.

Finally, the inner demon suddenly drew many incantations to shroud the alchemy furnace, determined to destroy this batch of fine pills.

Su Qing countered with a swift and decisive move, drawing countless talismans to counter the attack. Just then, the bronze alchemy furnace in front of her and the crescent-shaped furnace inside her abdomen both trembled violently.

Golden light emanated from her abdomen, teeming with life, as if it possessed the miraculous power to revive the dead and bring the bones back to life.

Xu Junfang was greatly pleased: "With the Mysterious Female Pill in my belly, I will now reach the Dao Integration Realm!"

Su Qing's aura continued to rise, and a cyan flame leaped from her fingertips. She gently flicked a wisp of it towards the inner demon, and in an instant, the inner demon was burned away.

Then she opened the alchemy furnace and looked at the elixir that was already taking shape inside.

It's almost done, just a little bit more time is needed.

A sudden realization dawned on Su Qing, and at this moment, he finally understood the principles of longevity medicine.

She cut off a lock of her hair, coiled it into a knot, and added it to the stove.

In an instant, a beam of azure light burst forth from it, reaching straight to the sky!
Xu Junfang looked pleased, and at the same time, the branches of the giant tree beneath his feet drooped down, as if bowing in greeting.

Yun Yi and Lan Zhenxin were also extremely excited, watching the blue light until it dissipated.

Xu Junfang laughed and said, "Good disciple, if this is not my path to immortality, then what is it?"

Su Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it carried throughout the Longevity Realm: "This is the Path of Hair Ties, derived from the meaning of 'tying one's hair to receive longevity.'"

The dragon gall in the bronze furnace has already taken on a delicate nine-aperture form, with a small vermilion dragon hidden inside, lifelike and vivid.

At first glance, the pill seemed to have come to life.

Su Qing took out the jade box he had prepared beforehand, put the Awakening Dragon Gallbladder into it, and finally achieved the Great Perfection of Dao.

Xu Junfang reminded him, "Your Crescent Moon Furnace Body is a double-edged sword. Although it can accelerate your alchemy cultivation, once the Mysterious Female Pill is refined, it will have to be given to someone else. Just like a doctor who has studied diligently for many years, all his knowledge is for the purpose of healing the illnesses of others."

A blush rose to Su Qing's pretty face, and she bit her lip, unable to express her unspeakable suffering.

Xu Junfang: "Fortunately, your sweetheart is right here and can save you from this predicament. I think he is kind-hearted and a good match for you."

(End of this chapter)