Xue Ruyu’s cheeks were flushed a rosy pink.

She exhaled a long, shaky breath.

Reaching up, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her beautiful eyes turned to gaze at Senior Brother Li.

A flicker of shyness, almost imperceptible, passed through her gaze.

“Alright, I’m not nervous anymore!”

Li Meng set down his teacup. His eyes swept over Junior Sister Xue, assessing her from head to toe.

The potential of a Heavenly Spirit Root was truly terrifying.

In just two short years, she had solidified her foundation completely. She was ready for her Foundation Establishment breakthrough at any moment.

For a genius like her, failure was simply not a possibility.

“Junior Sister, to which layer have you cultivated the ‘Spirit Refining Art’?” Li Meng asked gently.

Xue Ruyu picked up her teacup, her expression conflicted. She still hadn’t thanked Senior Brother Li properly. When would be the right time to say it?

“The second layer!”

A trace of surprise flashed in Li Meng’s eyes.

The ‘Spirit Refining Art’ was notoriously difficult to master. For this girl to have reached the second layer so quickly spoke volumes about her exceptional talent.

“Cultivate to the third layer before attempting Foundation Establishment,” Li Meng advised.

Xue Ruyu took a small sip of the fragrant tea. She stole a glance at the white-haired, youthful sage sitting across from her.

Setting her cup down, her right hand unconsciously began to fiddle with the rim.

“Senior Brother, the third layer is too difficult. It will take at least five more years to break through to it!”

Her Master had told her the same thing. The cultivation speed of the ‘Spirit Refining Art’ was painfully slow.

Furthermore, her Master had refused to give her any third-grade Soul Nourishing Pills, claiming she couldn’t withstand the Pill Poison inherent in such high-grade medicine.

She had begged her Master for a long time. Only then did he finally agree to let her attempt Foundation Establishment early.

Although it had come at a small price, Xue Ruyu felt that price was worth it. She never expected Senior Brother Li would give the same advice as her Master.

With a flick of his sleeve, Li Meng activated the Sword Nurturing Gourd at his waist.

Two jade vials flew out, landing gently on the tea table between them.

“When you have cultivated the ‘Spirit Refining Art’ to the third layer, then attempt Foundation Establishment,” Li Meng said, his voice carrying the weight of certainty. “Listen to your Senior Brother. You won’t regret it.”

Xue Ruyu extended her Divine Sense into one of the vials.

“This… this is…”

Her expression shifted violently.

She looked up, staring blankly at Senior Brother Li, her eyes filled with shock and confusion.

Senior Brother Li had produced top-grade pills just like that?

Were top-grade pills so easy to refine? Could Senior Brother Li be a hidden prodigy in the Dao of Alchemy?

Xue Ruyu shook her head frantically.

“Senior Brother, these are too valuable. I… I can’t accept them.”

Li Meng looked at his Junior Sister with a kindly expression. His smooth, ruddy face and silver hair gave him the air of a benevolent immortal.

“Your Senior Brother was good friends with your Great-Grandfather. His descendants are my descendants as well. Junior Sister, one should not refuse a gift from an elder.”

“But… but…”

Xue Ruyu stared at the vials on the table, utterly conflicted.

She wanted them desperately. Soul Nourishing Pills were far too important for her future.

With her Heavenly Spirit Root, possessing a soul strength far surpassing cultivators of her level would bring unimaginable benefits. There would be no bottlenecks for her before forming her Nascent Soul.

Yet, she felt too embarrassed to just take them.

Xue Ruyu looked up at Li Meng again, biting her lip.

“Senior Brother Li… should I call you Great-Grandfather instead?”

The teacup in Li Meng’s hand trembled, nearly slipping from his grasp.

He gave an awkward chuckle, taking a quick sip of tea to cover his momentary lapse. He shot a somewhat speechless glance at the girl across from him.

This little imp really couldn’t be underestimated. Give her an inch, and she’d take a mile.

Setting his cup down, Li Meng stroked his white beard and smiled.

“That won’t be necessary. ‘Senior Brother’ is just fine.”

How had the seniority gotten so messed up? He couldn’t let it become any more disordered.

“Senior Brother, then… then I’ll accept them?”

Xue Ruyu’s gaze was fixed intently on the vials. Her expression—torn between desire for the pills and wrestling with guilt—was indescribably adorable.

Li Meng nodded with a smile. “Junior Sister need not stand on ceremony with me.”

A faint blush returned to Xue Ruyu’s cheeks. She gave Senior Brother Li a sweet, beaming smile.

Since Senior Brother insisted… she would accept them.

With a graceful wave of her sleeve, she swept both vials into her storage pouch.

[System Message: Favorability +50] [System Message: Sub-profession Experience +250]

In the time that followed, the two—one seemingly an eternal youth with ancient eyes, the other a blossoming young woman—drank tea and discussed the Dao.

Their conversation revolved mainly around the intricacies of cultivation. It wasn’t until two hours later that Junior Sister Xue finally took her leave.

“Senior Brother… I’ll be going now?”

With a flushed face, Xue Ruyu turned to look at Li Meng one last time.

Li Meng chuckled and nodded. “Go on. Come find your Senior Brother for more discussions if you have time.”

Xue Ruyu’s eyes curved into crescents like cheerful moons. Her graceful figure soared into the air as she mounted her flying sword, speeding away into the distance.

Li Meng squinted against the sun, watching the figure on the sword grow smaller until it vanished into the clouds.

“How did she turn into such a shy girl?”

A flicker of confusion passed through Li Meng’s eyes.

The impression Junior Sister Xue gave him two years ago was nothing like this. Was this what people meant by ‘a girl changes eighteen times before adulthood’?

Shaking his head, Li Meng turned and walked toward his reclining chair. He settled into it with a sigh, pondering the question deeply.

It made no sense.

Meanwhile, outside the boundaries of Moon Gaze Peak.

Xue Ruyu flew out of the mist on her sword. She glanced back over her shoulder as the peak receded into the distance.

In an instant, the blush on her cheeks vanished completely.

Her gaze turned cool, clear, and calculating. Her expression settled into one of deep thought.

After a long moment, a faint, enigmatic smile touched the corner of Xue Ruyu’s lips.

Contentedly, she turned forward and flew off into the distance.

Junior Sister Xue’s visit was merely a small interlude.

In the following days, Li Meng did nothing but cultivate. His business remained as slow as ever.

As the days passed one after another, the date of his appointment with Junior Brother Chen finally arrived.

At dawn, as the world awoke with vitality, a streak of sword light pierced through the sky. It came to a hovering stop just outside the protective arrays of Moon Gaze Peak.

“Inner Disciple Chen Feng pays his respects to Moon Gaze Peak!”

Standing on his flying sword, Chen Feng looked eagerly at the mist-shrouded mountain.

He had waited for this day for what felt like an eternity. The appointed time with the Master Artificer had finally arrived, which was why he had rushed over at the first light of day.

Just then, the mists surrounding Moon Gaze Peak stirred and parted, opening a clear passage leading straight to the summit.

Chen Feng’s eyes lit up. He immediately guided his sword into the passageway.

In the courtyard outside the peak-top pavilion, Chen Feng descended and landed steadily on the solid ground.

The courtyard was initially empty. No one sat by the tea table; no one lounged in the reclining chair.

Chen Feng’s gaze swept around before finally settling on the pavilion itself.

Just as he was about to approach the main doors, he heard a soft click.

The pavilion door opened from within. Li Meng stepped out, dressed in his flowing yellow robes, his white hair cascading over his broad shoulders.

“Junior Brother Li! How fares my custom-made artifact?” Chen Feng strode forward eagerly.

Faced with Senior Brother Chen’s expectant look, Li Meng chuckled and stroked his beard.

“Master Iron Ox has forged an artifact for you. See for yourself.”

With a flick of his sleeve, Li Meng sent a stream of mana into his Sword Nurturing Gourd.

A Yellow Luo Umbrella flew out, hovering in mid-air between them.

“This… this is a Zenith Artifact?”

Sensing the profound Dao rhythms emanating from its formless aura—the Xuan Hao—Chen Feng’s face registered pure shock. He let out an involuntary exclamation of disbelief.

Could the materials he provided really have been used to forge a Zenith Artifact?

This was an utterly unexpected windfall!

“M-many thanks to Master Iron Ox!”

Chen Feng waved his sleeve hurriedly, storing away the Zenith Artifact “Yellow Luo Umbrella.” His gaze shifted back toward the pavilion as he bowed respectfully once more.

Iron Ox? What an odd name for such a master.

Li Meng chuckled again as he walked toward his reclining chair. “I imagine Senior Brother is eager to test his new artifact’s capabilities. This Junior Brother won’t keep you any longer.”

Li Meng’s words struck exactly what Chen Feng was thinking.

He hastily cupped his hands toward Li Meng in salute and bowed once more toward the pavilion, before turning and hurrying out of the courtyard.

Summoning the wind beneath him, he mounted his sword and sped off into the distance, desperate to test his new treasure.