For an entire day, Aunty Xiang was busy tending to the fire, from time to time tossing additional herbs into the bath. It wasn’t until evening, panting slightly, a fragrant sweat dripping down her neck, that she informed Yang Kai that the treatment had finished and he could come out, return to his room to rest.
Having soaked in the bath the whole night, Yang Kai could feel his entire body infused with the medicinal effects.
Arriving back at his room, he quickly closed his eyes and examined the changes in his physique.
His realm had advanced slightly and his True Qi had also become a bit purer; however, the most significant improvements were to his meridians and constitution.
Aunty Xiang had told him that the most important role of this medicinal bath was to improve a person’s foundations, especially their meridians, which would allow them to more easily cultivate and quench their Yuan Qi in the future, allowing it to become more vigorous and pure.
The benefit of this was not immediately apparent, but over the course of one’s life it would no doubt become significant.
Upon circulating his True Yang Secret Art, Yang Kai was surprised to find that it too could revolve faster than before. Not only that, the rate at which his body absorbed the surrounding World Energy was also a little bit quicker.
Such a change was very subtle, but like water trickling onto a stone, many grains of sand would eventually build a tower. Accumulated over many years of cultivation, the effect would be extraordinary.
That this medicinal bath and magical Secret Art, being able to do all this showed just how Heaven defying Xiao Fu Sheng’s methods were.
In terms of combat strength, in this world his name was likely not worth mentioning, but as one of the few Mysterious Grade Top Ranking Alchemists alive today, his technique and achievements in Alchemy had reached the very peak. His insights into Alchemy were so great that they could even be described as a work of god.
The next morning, Xiao Fu Sheng called Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan to his house.
Once more he did not pass them anything related to Alchemy, but instead a set of exercises designed to improve their Yuan Qi control.
Yuan Qi control was of paramount importance to Alchemy because when an Alchemist was refining a pill they would use their own Yuan Qi to control all the various aspects and processes. The slightest misstep would lead to a massive difference in results. If one wanted to refine a good pill, subtle Yuan Qi manipulation was essential.
Controlling one’s Yuan Qi was also strongly related to the cultivator’s battle prowess. In a fight, the strength of one’s martial skills depended greatly on one’s Yuan Qi control.
Anyone strong would know how to effectively utilize their own Yuan Qi to the point of mastery. Effective use of one’s Yuan Qi would allow a skilled cultivator to display the full might of their martial skills using only half the effort! Mastering this kind of control was extremely important. It allowed a cultivator to attack more explosively and sustain themselves longer in combat.
So whether it was Yang Kai or Dong Qing Yan, both of them studied these exercises seriously.
This set of techniques was something Xiao Fu Sheng had created over the course of his life while studying the Alchemic Path; it could be said to be one of his most valuable insights and now, without reservation, he had gifted it to them.
Teaching them for several days, interspersed with periods of time for self enlightenment, Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan gradually became familiar with these exercises; all that remained after that was for them to cultivate diligently.
At this time, Yang Kai suddenly remembered something Xiao Fu Sheng had once said.
“Who says an Alchemist cannot stand at the Martial Peak?”
When Old Xiao had said these words, his face had been filled with a deep self-confidence.
Through these methods of Yuan Qi manipulation, it was indeed possible to spy on the mysteries of the pinnacle of Martial Arts.
Yang Kai couldn’t help being in awe! Every word Old Xiao had said to them seemed to contain profound meaning and insights more valuable than any worldly treasure.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan’s ability to manipulate their Yuan Qi became increasingly sophisticated. Yang Kai also found that these exercises not only allowed him to better control his True Qi, they also subtly smelted it, leading to a very slight yet gradual increase in purity.
He now faintly felt that his True Element Second Stage cultivation had reached its peak and there was only a thin line to cross before reaching the Third Stage.
On this day, when Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan were outside their houses practicing their Yuan Qi control by executing their own martial skills, they surprisingly found that the various other peaks around them seemed to be bustling with activity as many disciples of Medicine King’s Valley as well as numerous outsiders were scurrying about.
“What’s happening?” Dong Qing Yan stopped and looked around curiously, “How come there are so many outsiders within the Medicine King’s Valley grounds?”
In response, Yang Kai could only shake his head, apparently also puzzled.
“The Alchemist Summit will start a few days from now.” Aunty Xiang and Aunty Lan strolled over and softly explained.
“Although Medicine King’s Valley usually doesn’t allow outsiders to enter its inner grounds, this place is, after all, inextricably linked with all of the world’s Great Forces, so every time such a summit is held, many cultivators will come to the various Peaks to visit with the Elders.”
Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan suddenly remembered, since they entered Hidden Cloud Peak till now, the two of them had spent their time in near isolation and hadn’t noticed that many days had quickly passed by. They were completely unaware until now that the Alchemist Summit was about to begin.
Aunty Xiang chuckled loudly, “All the various Peaks are quite lively around this time except for the forbidden Pill Saint’s Peak and our Hidden Cloud Peak!”
“En, this place always remains a bastion of calm!” Aunty Lan also smiled.
Dong Qing Yan couldn’t help giggling, “If Master was to open his doors to outsiders, I’m sure everyone would come rushing here! It wouldn’t be long before all the other peaks were empty.”
Aunty Xiang put on a scolding look and shot back, “Then I and your Aunty Lan would soon faint from exhaustion! With so many visitors, we’d soon be pouring water instead of tea, how could we let such a thing happen?”
Aunty Xiang and Aunty Lan were very fond of Dong Qing Yan, the two beautiful women were neither married nor had children, so they looked upon Dong Qing Yan as if she were their own daughter and took very good care of her.
The little girl was also very relaxed around them, never once looking down upon them because they were ordinary people or because of their status as maids, even behaving very politely to them.
As soon as Aunty Xiang had finished speaking, Xiao Fu Sheng’s door suddenly opened, accompanied by a burst of laughter, “It seems that my Hidden Cloud Peak is peaceful again today.”
“Master!”
“Old Xiao!”
Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan quickly cupped their fists as they saw Xiao Fu Sheng smile and emerge from his house, apparently in high spirits.
“Master, has something good happened?” Dong Qing Yan asked in a polite and flattering tone, causing Yang Kai to feel a slight prickle in his heart, this little cousin of his always acted so casually in front of him but in front of Xiao Fu Sheng, Aunty Xiang, and Aunty Lan she was quite well-behaved.
“A friend from far away is coming to visit, naturally I am happy.” Xiao Fu Sheng replied.
Dong Qing Yan’s eyes fluttered slightly at these words, “I thought master did not like it when outsiders visited but I suppose that is not so.”
Xiao Fu Sheng chuckled at his little disciple’s comment, “It all depends on who is visiting; those who come here simply to ask me to do things for them I naturally don’t welcome, but the guest who is coming soon is not the same.”
“Hahaha… Old Man Xiao, this time this old master has also come here to ask you to do something for him; you won’t chase me away now will you?” Accompanied by a burst of laughter, a silhouette quickly approached the summit from the mountain road.
Hearing this voice, Yang Kai’s face couldn’t help cramping up, his expression becoming strange.
[This voice… could it be… but how…]
Aunty Xiang and Aunty Lan frowned slightly in surprise as they heard someone call their master ‘Old Man Xiao’, what was also strange was that neither of them could identify who this strange visitor was.
In this world, even the patriarchs of the Eight Great Families would respectfully call him Grandmaster Xiao!
No one would dare be so brazen as to call him Old Man Xiao!
But not only was he no annoyed by this rude fellow, Old Xiao even quipped back in a joking tone, “How could this Old Xiao dare turn you away? This old master owes you his life.”
With just these few words, Aunty Xiang and Aunty Lan suddenly understood, this man turned out to be Old Xiao’s saviour, quickly fixing their pretty faces and preparing to respectfully greet him.
From below, the figure flickered slightly before instantly crossing the last few thousand meters between them, suddenly appearing in front of everyone.
However, it wasn’t just one person, there were two.
First was a white haired old man who appeared to be around the same age as Old Xiao, his smiling face showing a few wrinkles here and there, and following him was a pretty young woman. This woman had a pair of mesmerising eyes filled with pure innocence that seemed to shimmer like stars; donning a pale green dress, her jade like forehead was adorned with a sky blue gem while the rest of her face was concealed behind thin chiffon veil, obscuring her true countenance from those around her.
As the wind fluttered, causing her veil and dress to sway gently, making it seem like she was a floating immortal fairy, untouched by a single speck of dust.
Yang Kai was startled, his mouth showing a strange smile as his eyes instantly stared at this masked woman.
On the other side, the woman felt this pair of aggressive, unscrupulous eyes gazing at her, her eyebrows wrinkling slightly as she glanced towards Yang Kai.
But the instant she did, her star like eyes flashed with surprise, her delicate lashes rapidly fluttering as she couldn’t believe who she was seeing.
Four eyes suddenly met, Yang Kai warmly smiled while the woman’s eyes also became crescent-shaped.
This woman was none other than Xia Ning Chang, and the visiting old man turned out to be Meng Wu Ya.
“Brother Meng, it has been too long!” Stepping forward, Old Xiao respectfully cupped his fists.
Meng Wu Ya smiled back, also quickly cupping his fists, “Xiao… uh… ke, keke, kekeke…”
After only managing to speak a single word of greeting, it was like Meng Wu Ya suddenly got a bone stuck in his throat, coughing violently, feeling dizzy, like his consciousness was blurring.
“Master!” Xia Ning Chang was quite shocked, quickly patting Meng Wu Ya’s back.
“Brother Meng, have you been injured?” Xiao Fu Sheng looked dignified, coming forward and reading Meng Wu Ya’s pulse.
Meng Wu Ya quickly waved, continuing to cough for a while before finally composing himself, his expression like that of one whose father had just died, dumbfoundedly staring towards Yang Kai, “Smelly brat, what the hell are YOU doing here?”
[Fuck! This really was a case of enemies often meeting on narrow roads and evil spirits will continue to haunt one’s soul.]
More than a year ago, along with Ling Tai Xu, he had sent this little bastard out to Nether Mountain for life experience and had not seen him since. For this past year, although at the beginning his treasured apprentice was dispirited and sighing all day long, through his dedicated teaching, she had finally managed to bring herself out from the shadow of longing, and her cultivation had rapidly progressed.
(Silavin: how sweet.)
Originally, Meng Wu Ya had thought that his disciple had certainly forgotten about Yang Kai, but now they had met once again in this completely unexpected place.
Looking into the eyes of his treasured apprentice, how could Meng Wu Ya not realize that she had never forgotten about Yang Kai, but had instead just been suppressing her thoughts and feelings about him deep inside her heart?
Perhaps, all this time, when no one was around, she had silently been thinking about him, only deepening the longing she felt.
At this moment, Meng Wu Ya understood. Love was like wine, the more it aged, the richer it became!
At this moment, Meng Wu Ya wanted to turn around and leave, but obviously it was too late.
At this moment, Meng Wu Ya couldn’t wait to slap his face a dozen times!
Recently, he had seen that Xia Ning Chang was feeling somewhat sullen, so he had brought her to Medicine King’s Valley to attend its Alchemist Summit and sightsee, how could he have imagined that this little bastard would be here too?
[Fuck, why did you have to bring her here, why did you have to be so meddlesome!?] Meng Wu Ya silently cursed, feeling a little dead inside.