Chapter 57: The Flawless Ageless Pill

Watching the two sisters’ sword-riding figures gradually disappear into the distance, Li Meng smiled and stretched lazily.

“So tired!”

He turned and entered the house. He was utterly exhausted and desperately needed a long, restorative sleep. As he stepped inside, Li Meng casually waved a hand. With a soft click, the door closed on its own. He walked to his bedroom, pushed the door open, and entered. His gaze instinctively drifted toward the bed, and he froze.

“No way… Senior Qu? How is she here? Am I dreaming?”

A graceful figure clad in a violet feathered dress sat cross-legged on his bed. Her eyes were closed, her breathing long and steady. Her alluring form was a sight to behold from any angle. It was unmistakably Qu Rou.

Why was she here?

“Did I fail in my alchemy and pass out?” The thought startled him.

Just then, Qu Rou opened her eyes. “What are you muttering about?” Her cool voice reached his ears.

So it wasn’t a dream. Li Meng reached up and pinched his cheek hard. “Ow, ow…” He grimaced, sucking in a sharp breath. Not a dream. Definitely not a dream.

Seeing her junior in such a disheveled state, Qu Rou felt both annoyed and amused. Wasn’t he usually quite shrewd? How had he been reduced to this state by two young girls?

Li Meng chuckled and quickly walked over to the bed. He sat down beside Qu Rou, beaming at her captivating form. “Senior Qu, this junior can now refine third-grade pills, and of superior quality at that. However…” He took her slender, jade-like hand in his. “However, the Dustfall Pills for you, Senior, must be the absolute best. Give me a little more time, and I will definitely refine Flawless pills for you.”

Qu Rou looked at him with a complex expression. Perhaps their relationship had begun as a transaction of mutual benefit, yet his genuine sincerity touched something deep within her.

“Senior Qu, what brings you here? Is there something urgent?” Li Meng asked, his eyes half-lidded as they lingered appreciatively over her graceful figure.

“Don’t be so lecherous!” Qu Rou said with a cold face, though she lay down on the bed and opened her arms toward him. “Rest.”

Li Meng’s eyes lit up. A smile he couldn’t suppress touched the corners of his mouth. Her face was cold, but her words were as soft as water. It seemed there was no urgent matter after all. He removed his blue robe, climbed onto the bed, and nestled into Qu Rou’s warm, soft embrace.

“So warm!” His face felt enveloped by soft cotton. The faint scent unique to her relaxed his taut nerves completely. Qu Rou gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Utterly drained, Li Meng fell asleep almost instantly.

A flicker of confusion passed through Qu Rou’s eyes. What was happening to her?

Two days later. Joyous Union Sect, Outer Sect, Little Bamboo Peak.

With a creak, the door of the dilapidated courtyard opened. Li Meng stepped out, feeling refreshed and invigorated. Bathed in sunlight, he grinned broadly and gazed up at the clear blue sky.

“I almost slept myself into paralysis!” He twisted his waist, eliciting a series of satisfying pops from his joints.

He had slept for two whole days straight—something he had never anticipated. Qu Rou had stayed with him for the duration. As for when she had left… it must have been earlier that day. The lingering scent of her still clung to the bedsheets.

Li Meng settled into the reclining chair in his courtyard, basking in the sun’s warmth. He glanced at the sun as it sank in the west; another day was ending. He swept his gaze over his status.

[Name: Li Meng] [Age: 78] [Luck: 1500] [Cultivation: Qi Condensation – Ninth Layer] [Aptitude: Five Spirit Roots (Waste Physique)] [Alchemy: Second-Grade Alchemist] [Talisman Mastery: Second-Grade Talisman Master] [Artifact Refining: Second-Grade Artificer] [Formation Mastery: Second-Grade Formation Master] [Alchemy XP: 1950/5000]

Li Meng squinted thoughtfully as he stroked his beard. Why had his Luck skyrocketed? Was some great fortune approaching? He chuckled and headed back inside. Soon, waves of intense heat began radiating from the building, distorting the air at the peak’s summit.

Over the next several days, Li Meng traveled regularly between Little Bamboo Peak and Cloud Peak. He would head to Cloud Peak before nightfall to sleep in Qu Rou’s arms, return to Little Bamboo Peak in the morning, and spend his days refining pills and drawing talismans. Life was truly comfortable.

The day of the Market City’s auction fair drew closer.

One afternoon, in the alchemy room of the dilapidated courtyard:

“It’s done!”

With a wave of his hand, seven emerald-green pills flew from the furnace and landed neatly in a jade bottle. Li Meng inhaled the rich aroma, a look of pure satisfaction on his face. Even though the Jasper Fruit used was only seven hundred years old, he had managed to refine seven Flawless Ageless Pills.

“Incredible!” The system was absurdly powerful. Li Meng chuckled and stroked his beard. With these Ageless Pills, Qu Rou’s Affection would surely rise above 90.

He walked out of the room in high spirits. Li Meng’s aged figure ambled out into the courtyard and took flight on his sword, soaring toward the Inner Sect.

Inner Sect, Cloud Peak.

“Outer Disciple Li Meng pays his respects to Senior Qu!”

Li Meng had long since become a familiar visitor at Cloud Peak. Divine Senses swept over him from all directions as the mists stirred, parting to reveal the path to the summit.

“It really is Junior Sister Qu’s favorite junior!” “Why does he visit her every single evening?” “Judging by his aura, he’s close to breaking through to Peak Qi Condensation.” “Is he trying to use our Inner Sect’s spiritual land for his breakthrough?”

Qu Rou’s neighbors—fellow Seniors and Juniors—were all gossiping via Divine Sense. At the summit’s pavilion, Li Meng lifted the partition curtain and stepped inside with a smile.

“Senior Qu, your junior has arrived!”