C6 A Deal Was Made!

Lin Xi's heart swelled with joy, and a delighted smile spread across his face. It seemed there might be a real chance here. Before he could even finish, Su Yan had already confirmed her knowledge of the item in question.

"I read about it in a book," Lin Xi blurted out without hesitation.

"What you're referring to is an extremely precious medicinal herb," Su Yan said, her demeanor shifting dramatically as she spoke of the Pure Fragrance Flower. The previous warmth in her voice gave way to a serious and earnest tone. "The Pure Fragrance Flower is one of the Clear Profound Continent's ten most extraordinary flowers. Its medicinal properties are unique, and only the powerful can harvest it, and only they can consume it."

"I've read about it," Lin Xi replied quietly, though waves of excitement were crashing inside him. His quest for the Pure Fragrance Flower was driven by his ambition to become a formidable individual.

"That's wonderful. Do you know if there are any places besides the Stone Gold Forest where it can be found?" Lin Xi asked eagerly. He sensed that if he could secure the Pure Fragrance Flower and use it wisely, he would likely break through to become a Great Purity Cultivator. The National Academy Examination was looming, and while Lin Xi was most concerned about the Profound Examination, he felt assured about the Theory Examination.

Su Yan looked up at the young man, who was rumored to be quite unfortunate, and felt a surge of emotion. The Pure Fragrance Flower, a rare botanical treasure of the Clear Profound Continent, was also the object of her search, as she needed it to cure her grandmother's illness. The plant's full details were not documented in the botanical records. Naturally, certain Detached Families, particularly those involved with medicinal herbs, and even the royal family, were privy to this knowledge, but they kept it confidential.

Su Yan had learned about it from her father, who had acquired the information from a family specializing in medicinal herbs. Her father had paid a hefty sum and used his considerable resources to uncover more about the Pure Fragrance Flower. Su Yan was torn about whether to share what she knew with Lin Xi.

Her instincts suggested that she might do well to trust the man before her. There was an inexplicable sense of trust, similar to how she didn't believe the rumors of Lin Xi acting improperly towards Princess Jinger. She considered Lin Xi to be reliable. Anyone else might not have been able to address Lin Xi's inquiry, and some might even suspect him of ill intentions. Within the Celestial Enlightment Empire, the Su family held significant status and influence.

Su Yan was a rather unassuming young girl at the National Academy, known by few. After pondering for a moment, she looked up and said, "Actually, besides the Stone Gold Forest, there's another place where the Pure Fragrance Flower grows..."

"Another place?" Lin Xi inquired.

"Yes, another place!" Su Yan confirmed.

"Where is this place?" Lin Xi felt she was on the verge of discovering the answer.

"It's as distant as the horizon yet as close as before our eyes. The Pure Fragrance Flower is renowned as one of the world's wonders, and the Ancient Vast Mountain is also celebrated as a place of marvels. Rumor has it that the Pure Fragrance Flower also thrives there, nestled within the elusive void, but its exact location remains a mystery to all.

Ancient Vast Mountain is home to many formidable Profound Beasts, and it's said to even harbor a dragon—a Rank Nine Profound Beast capable of assuming human form.

The uncharted territories within Ancient Vast Mountain are perilously dangerous!" Su Yan elaborated with confidence, her voice melodious. She thought to herself that if she could just obtain the Pure Fragrance Flower, even a single petal, it might heal her grandmother's illness.

"Ancient Vast Mountain, of course! How did I not think of that?" But in the next instant, Lin Xi's enthusiasm deflated like a punctured balloon.

"It seems it will still be incredibly challenging to find."

"No, I must find it, no matter what!" A spark of determination lit up in Lin Xi's eyes. He was intent on not failing the Academy Examination. He had assured his old father that he would pass the Academy Examination through his own efforts, and he didn't want to let him down. Moreover, he was eager to demonstrate to his old father that he could achieve what he promised.

"Even if it's as intangible as the air, I'll find it. I've never encountered anything more elusive." Lin Xi suddenly remembered the Chaos Bead he had seen, the embodiment of true chaos and insubstantiality, almost entirely devoid of any discernible pattern—mysterious and profound to its core.

Su Yan was taken aback, witnessing the resolve in Lin Xi's eyes and sensing the aura about him, reminiscent of her own old father. She recalled how, despite numerous obstacles, her father's eyes always held that same steadfast determination when speaking of the Pure Fragrance Flower—a resolve so strong that his face bore the look of someone who wouldn't rest until the flower was found.

Lin Xi's reputation in Su Yan's heart underwent a significant transformation. She recognized that Lin Xi was not only ambitious but also proactive in seeking improvement.

Su Yan felt a budding admiration for Lin Xi.

"Maybe we really can find the Pure Fragrance Flower," Su Yan mused silently, observing Lin Xi's demeanor. She even found herself praying for it, as the flower held the potential to heal her beloved grandmother.

Lin Xi thought highly of Su Yan. This serene girl was quite remarkable, knowing about the Pure Fragrance Flower, one of the rarest flowers in existence. Lin Xi herself would have been unaware of it if not for her extensive reading on Earth, which had fortuitously included information about the flower.

Lin Xi had an epiphany that her earthly knowledge was incredibly useful in the Alien Realm. The books she had read back on Earth were proving their worth. Recalling the Compendium of Materia Medica she had once glanced through, she smiled and said, "Thank you! You've saved me quite a bit of time." After speaking, she returned the book to its place on the shelf and got ready to depart.

"Are you leaving?" Su Yan, encountering someone else in search of the Pure Fragrance Flower, felt a kinship with Lin Xi. She was eager for more interaction and even contemplated discussing strategies for obtaining the flower with Lin Xi.

Su Yan was indeed strikingly beautiful, recognized as such on the National Academy's list of beauties. Yet, she was unassuming and had few friends.

"Why stay if what we seek isn't here?" Lin Xi remarked calmly.

"Do you mean to search for the Pure Fragrance Flower?" Su Yan asked, her tone brisk. "Could I join you in your search? The flower is very important to me too," she added, hope shining in her eyes.

"Take you with me? I don't see the need. You mentioned that parts of Ancient Vast Mountain are quite perilous. You could face many dangers," Lin Xi expressed, voicing her concerns.

"I'm not afraid," Su Yan responded, her heart warming at the realization that Lin Xi was concerned for her safety.

"No need to worry. If the Pure Fragrance Flower is that important to you, I'll make sure to save some for you if I find it," Lin Xi assured her slowly. She may have spoken casually, but Lin Xi regarded it as a solemn promise. She didn't make commitments lightly, but once she did, she was determined to see them through.

"But..." Su Yan tried to continue, but Lin Xi had already moved quite a distance away.

"I'll keep my promise to you," Lin Xi called out as he flew off.

"It's a deal!" Lin Xi thought he heard a pleasant voice in the distance.

"It's a deal!" Lin Xi repeated firmly. Suddenly, he was enveloped by a sweet scent and felt a gentle breeze brush by.

Looking down, Lin Xi noticed the little pink butterfly perched on his shoulder.

"Xiao Hong, go back. You belong by Su Yan's side," Lin Xi spoke gently.

The little pink butterfly took off from Lin Xi's shoulder, giving him a human-like nod before fluttering towards Su Yan.

"Xiao Hong, you've returned."

The little pink butterfly approached Su Yan with a hint of reluctance, softly landing on her hair and settling there.

Watching Lin Xi walk away, Su Yan felt a lingering unrest in her heart.

After leaving the Tripitaka Sutra Pavilion, Lin Xi headed for the dormitory. Before he could reach it, he encountered a rotund figure at the entrance. The fat man's walk was so heavy it seemed to make the ground tremble, and the trees appeared to sway with each of his steps.

From a distance, the fat man rolled forward like a ball, shouting desperately, "Third Young Master, Brother Lin Xi, this is terrible, help me!"

Lin Xi's eyes widened in astonishment as he watched the approaching "ball," only realizing it was a person as it drew near.

"Young Master Lu?" Lin Xi dredged up his memories of the man.

The man before him, Young Master Lu, was Lu Hao, the sole grandson of Lu Hong, the Minister of Works of the Celestial Enlightment Empire. The Lu family was a prominent family within the empire, and Lu Hao was a notable young master in the capital city, almost as renowned as Lin Xi and one of his closest friends.

"Closest friends?" Lin Xi thought of another term, "buddy," realizing the depth of their connection. It was no wonder Lu Hao had sought him out.

"Young Master Lu, what's the matter? What's all this 'no, no, no' about, and why the cries for help? Who's the fool that's crossed you?" Lin Xi inquired, barely suppressing a chuckle as he addressed Young Master Lu.

"It's not about the other guys anymore; it's about me. I've really hit a streak of bad luck," Lu Hao exclaimed in frustration, his words flying everywhere, splattering Lin Xi's face with what felt like the slickest oil, almost as if it needed no frying or refining.

"These past few days, I lost the Purple Ripple Lion in the back mountain. Third Young Master, you have to help me. Otherwise, my grandfather will beat me to death when I return."

"You know, my grandfather somehow acquired the Purple Ripple Lion and cherishes it like a treasure. He adores it and even said it was meant to be my guardian Profound Beast. But that little cub is practically useless. I usually just feed it, and it follows me around. It never goes far and always comes back on its own since ordinary people can't provide the food it needs.

"But a few days after you had that incident with Princess Jinger, it mysteriously vanished. No matter how much I searched, I couldn't find it anywhere."

As Lu Hao spoke, his voice was tinged with a cry, his face a picture of utter despair, suggesting that without Lin Xi's aid, Minister of Works Lu Hong would indeed beat him to death.

"The Purple Ripple Lion is a high-ranking Rank Six Profound Beast, incredibly rare and powerful. Even as a cub, it has the potential to become an invincible being once it matures. And you've lost it? You're lucky if your old father doesn't beat you to death for that!"