C5 Su Yan!

Lin Xi casually pulled a book from the shelf and discovered it was the one he was looking for. It contained illustrations and detailed descriptions, exactly the material he wanted to delve into.

With the Academy Examination looming, enhancing his Clear Qi Cultivation Level was Lin Xi's urgent task. Yet, from what he remembered, the only items that could swiftly boost one's power were ancient herbal medicines, like millennium-old Lingzhi mushrooms or eight-hundred-year-old ginseng. Lin Xi was curious to find out if this realm harbored any such treasures.

Such herbs were the crème de la crème of medicinal plants, and finding them was a formidable challenge. Lin Xi didn't hold out much hope, but he was determined to search for anything remotely similar.

Lin Xi's recollections, along with the mythical tales he'd read back on Earth, suggested that the quickest way to advance one's cultivation was through these exceptional herbs.

Using these herbs to craft pills could yield even more potent effects. A single Spirit Pill might not only enhance Clear Qi but could potentially elevate one's state by one or two realms.

Could it be true? Did such a thing exist?

With a mindset of giving it a shot, Lin Xi set out in search, and to his surprise, he stumbled upon a similar medicinal herb.

The Ancient Book provided detailed accounts of the Purple Flame Sand Fruit, the Geocentric Green Lotus, and the Pure Fragrance Flower, all bearing resemblance to the legendary herbs in Lin Xi's memory.

The Pure Fragrance Flower, in particular, grew in extraordinary conditions—thriving in the frigid, high-altitude snow-capped mountains. The colder the environment, the higher the quality of the bloom, with its fire attribute leaning towards coldness. Conversely, in hotter climates, the quality improved, and the flower's attribute tended towards heat. The Pure Fragrance Flower bloomed once every century, and curiously, after flowering, it bore no fruit, continuing to bloom until it detached from the stem and vanished.

Finding such a Pure Fragrance Flower was no easy feat, and harvesting one was even more challenging. Yet, it was a unique and incredibly potent spiritual herb on the Clear Profound Continent. Legend had it that a century-old Pure Fragrance Flower could propel a Jade Purity expert straight into the Spirit Purity Realm without any adverse effects, paving the way for a smooth and less perilous cultivation journey. The significance of reaching the Spirit Purity Realm was immense—just consider General Lin Sen's status, and you'd understand its worth.

According to ancient texts, the Pure Fragrance Flower thrives in extraordinary locales, such as the Stone Gold Forest on the Clear Profound Continent, a land notorious for its peril and enchantment. The climate there is neither extremely cold nor hot, but rather characterized by intense lightning, making it a nexus for thunderstorms. Moreover, the Stone Gold Forest is a haven for Profound Beasts.

This may well explain the Pure Fragrance Flower's unique properties. Typically, where these flowers bloom, one can expect the presence of unusual Profound Beasts, as the flowers serve as an excellent advancement ingredient for them. The Pure Fragrance Flower is akin to the millennia-old ginseng Lin Xi had learned about on Earth.

After poring over the books for hours, Lin Xi discovered an introduction to the Pure Fragrance Flower but failed to pinpoint its exact location. Venturing into the Stone Gold Forest was out of the question for him at the moment; even the first and second-tier Profound Beasts there could easily reduce Lin Xi to shreds.

Yet, Lin Xi remained calm. If it were too easy to find another growth site for the flower, it would hardly be considered a rare medicinal herb.

Meanwhile, in the Tripitaka Sutra Pavilion, a female student was in pursuit of a small pink butterfly. To the unobservant eye, it might appear to be a common butterfly, but in reality, it was a Profound Beast.

"Be good, Little Red, don't wander off. This is the Tripitaka Sutra Pavilion. If the administrator catches you, there will be consequences. Wait, and I'll feed you something delicious," Su Yan mused, puzzled by the butterfly's unusual vivacity when it was typically so serene.

Soon after, the little pink butterfly alighted near a bookshelf in the Tripitaka Sutra Pavilion.

"Little Red, are you leading me to some herbs? I've found herbs before, though they haven't been particularly effective, only suitable for healing wounds," Su Yan recalled, thinking back to when she had scoured the pavilion's herbal texts to find a remedy for her injured grandmother.

The butterfly settled on a section of the bookshelf that was no random spot—it was precisely where Lin Xi was, surrounded by an extensive collection of herbal literature.

The little pink butterfly, quite unexpectedly, alighted on Lin Xi's shoulder. As it settled, it stretched its beautiful pink wings contentedly, much like someone stretching after a long rest, and took several deep breaths of Lin Xi's scent. Its wings fluttered as if it were dancing, and it looked as though it was about to drift off to sleep right there. The butterfly seemed to have decided it was the perfect spot for a long, peaceful stay.

"Really, Xiao Hong? You were supposed to lead me to a book, not to a stranger," Su Yan said, a touch of irritation in her voice as she reached out to catch the little butterfly.

Suddenly, she felt that this "stranger" seemed familiar.

"Lin Xi?" Su Yan recognized him. She was the daughter of Su Jia, the Minister of Revenue of the Celestial Enlightment Empire. Occasionally, she accompanied her father in the capital and had met a few people, including the son of Great General Lin Sen.

"He... molested Princess Jinger? He doesn't seem the type."

Su Yan was puzzled. She had been there for a while and had already spoken out loud, yet this "Playboy Third Young Master" seemed oblivious, as if he hadn't heard a thing, completely engrossed in the book he was holding.

"He's reading the same book I am?!" Su Yan exclaimed in her mind.

"Excuse me... Is anyone here?" Su Yan called out, her surprise piquing her curiosity.

Lin Xi was engrossed in a book, examining each illustration page by page. At first, he didn't realize the gentle female voice was addressing him, given his current notoriety.

"Excuse me, is anyone here?"

Hearing the question repeated, Lin Xi looked up, bewildered, to see a strikingly beautiful girl with a puzzled expression eagerly awaiting his attention, gesturing to the space next to him.

In the library, where numerous rare books were housed, there was a strict rule: no valuable book could leave the premises. They were to be read only within the confines of the library, and it was required that any book removed from the shelves be returned to its original place. Consequently, most patrons preferred to pull books from the shelves and read them seated on the wooden stools provided below.

"No," Lin Xi said nonchalantly, then turned his attention back to the books, flipping through the pages rapidly, like a mischievous child who had just discovered picture books. It seemed to onlookers that he wasn't truly reading, but rather looking at the illustrations.

Indeed, Lin Xi was perusing the images. The books were categorized, but with thousands of types within each category, it would take days to go through them all.

"How can he just ignore me? Can anyone really read like that? It's not like him at all!" Su Yan grew even more puzzled, yet she remained standing there, her curiosity piqued. She had a hunch that the incident involving Lin Xi and Princess Jinger wasn't as straightforward as it appeared.

After flipping through a few more pages, Lin Xi noticed the girl was still there, motionless. He looked up, puzzled, and asked, "What are you staring at?"

"Ah... I wasn't looking at anything," Su Yan stammered, snapped out of her reverie by his question. She was suddenly flustered, wondering why she felt so unsettled.

Lin Xi couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you scared of me?"

"Scared of you? What is there to be scared of, Lin Xi?" Su Yan retorted, her voice rising as if her fighting spirit had been ignited.

"The book I want to read is in your hands. That one you're holding—I haven't finished it yet. My bookmark is still inside," Su Yan explained.

Lin Xi picked up the book and with a light touch, the pages began to fly by until he found a pink bookmark adorned with a charming little pink butterfly. Considering he had read enough, he handed the book to the girl, saying, "Here, this one's for you."

He then reached for another book on the shelf.

"Pink?! Where did that pink come from?" Lin Xi suddenly sensed a pink blur in his peripheral vision.

Turning his head, he spotted a small pink butterfly.

"A Royal Treasure Butterfly?!" Lin Xi marveled inwardly. He hadn't expected the young woman before him to possess such an extraordinary Profound Beast.

The Royal Treasure Butterfly, a high-level Rank Six Profound Beast, could change colors upon reaching maturity. With a flutter of its wings, it could create mesmerizing patterns, and even trap space around it. A single flap could strike down enemies from afar. Known for its agility, speed, and intelligence, a mature Royal Treasure Butterfly could easily match a novice Spirit Purity expert.

The Royal Treasure Butterfly, at the pinnacle of its power, could easily match a typical Rank Seven Profound Beast. Finding a cub of such a high-ranking Profound Beast was an exceptionally rare feat. It was astonishing to see that the girl before him had one in her possession.

Yet, observing the tiny, miniature form, it was clear that this was a newborn Royal Treasure Butterfly cub!

Indeed, the Chaos Tower that Young Master Lin carried was imbued with the purest Heaven Earth Spiritual Energy, which had already transformed his body into something quite extraordinary. Coupled with the wondrous effects of the Chaos Scripture, Lin Xi's body was a veritable treasure trove of energy, even more coveted than the legendary flesh of a monk, brimming with the most refined Spiritual Energy between heaven and earth.

This supremely pure Heaven Earth Spiritual Energy was imperceptible to ordinary people and common Profound Beasts, but for High Rank Profound Beasts, it was the most essential sustenance for their growth! For the young among these High Rank Profound Beasts, it was an irresistible, fatal attraction.

"Do you fancy my Little Pink Butterfly?" Su Yan mused to herself, determined to keep her precious butterfly safe from others.

To Su Yan's surprise, Lin Xi merely gave it a cursory glance and nonchalantly went back to his reading.

As Lin Xi bowed his head to read, Su Yan realized she hadn't yet expressed her gratitude.

"Thank you!"

"Mhm," Lin Xi replied quietly, then returned his full attention to the book in his hands.

"Could this be some trick?" Su Yan was taken aback. She hadn't expected Lin Xi to have moments of earnestness. The Lin Xi she knew was always the image of a wastrel, never this engrossed in reading.

"Has Lin Xi changed?" Su Yan quelled the rising curiosity within her. She wondered whether this was a genuine transformation or just a fleeting whim.

She found a small stool, took a seat next to Lin Xi, and began to read her own book.

The scent of purity wafted into Lin Xi's nose, causing him, even in his search for medicinal herbs, to purse his lips appreciatively. It was quite a pleasant aroma.

Su Yan continued to read the unfinished sections of her book, stealing glances at Lin Xi from the corner of her eye.

"He doesn't seem like someone who would harass Princess Jinger." The scandalous rumors had been spreading like wildfire, but he just didn't fit the profile of such a person. Princess Jinger? Su Yan scoffed inwardly. She wasn't well-acquainted with the scheming girl and felt that she was quite different, a bit too self-absorbed. All in all, Su Yan had little to do with Princess Jinger.

"Can I ask you a question?" Lin Xi finally felt a bit weary from his search. Since this girl seemed to share his interest in the continent's plants, he thought he might as well ask if she was familiar with one in particular.

"Hmm? What's the question? Go ahead," Su Yan replied, her thoughts interrupted by Lin Xi's sudden inquiry. A blush tinged her cheeks, enhancing her already lovely appearance.

"The Pure Fragrance Flower! It thrives in lands of extreme attributes..."

Lin Xi hadn't even finished his sentence when Su Yan's eyes widened in astonishment. Her expression was one of sheer amazement as she gasped, "The Pure Fragrance Flower! Oh my goodness! You actually know about the Pure Fragrance Flower? Where did you find out about it?"