C7 His Face Turned into a Book.

After Zi Shan and Xiaohong departed, the middle-aged female knight's voice cut through the chill air, "Let's move on!"

Loong Jiaoyang walked unassisted, his leg aching with each step. Yet, this discomfort was trivial compared to the searing pain he had endured from his torn meridians.

The architecture of the Profound Girl Sect favored simplicity over extravagance. Nestled halfway up the mountain, the terrain precluded the construction of any grandiose temples.

About ten minutes into his walk, Loong Jiaoyang reached the living quarters of the Sect. The guest rooms were a stone's throw from the disciples' quarters, separated only by a token wall.

"Zhou Li, you stay and guard Loong Jiaoyang," commanded the female knight, paying no heed to Loong Jiaoyang's presence, before she strode away.

"I don't need protection..." Loong Jiaoyang began to protest, but was cut off as Zhou Li removed her helmet, her dark hair cascading down as her stern face came into view. "Silence. Stay put in the room, and don't you dare step foot outside."

"I am not a criminal!" Loong Jiaoyang protested.

"You're not a prisoner, true, but you're foolish enough to claim Saintess Zi Shan as your woman. Let me make this clear: step outside, and Holy Son Gao Bing's allies will spare no effort to end you. If you're seeking death, be my guest and leave. I won't stop you," Zhou Li retorted, her voice icy.

Loong Jiaoyang, taken aback, questioned, "I've arranged a duel with Gao Bing a month from now. Would he really send someone to harm me in the meantime?"

"Country hunter, you're utterly naive," Zhou Li said with a scornful glance, then turned on her heel and left.

In the time it takes an incense stick to burn, a physician arrived with a medicine chest to suture and dress the wounds on Loong Jiaoyang's arm and leg. Once the doctor had gone, someone else delivered a feast to Loong Jiaoyang, allowing him to dine heartily.

"Little Junior Sister Sunn Jing, was it truly your intention to set me up that day?" Loong Jiaoyang pondered in his room, replaying the moment he killed Li Mingchong. The more he dwelled on it, the more Pill Devil's reasoning resonated with him, leaving his mind awash with doubts.

"One day, I'll make my way back to the Righteous Qi Sect and get to the bottom of this," Loong Jiaoyang declared, eyeing the white gauze wrapped around his arm with determination. "Martial Uncle Qin Lan, once I'm back, I vow to avenge the sabotage of the Meridian Cracking Pill!"

In the dead of night, Loong Jiaoyang was deep in his practice of the Great Devil Heart Meridian, restoring the Spirit Power he had lost. Abruptly, the sound of approaching footsteps halted his meditation, and he tensed, on high alert.

The door creaked open, and Zi Shan entered, her face still flushed and eyes swollen from earlier emotions.

"Don't you dare follow me!" she snapped at Xiaohong, the maid who tried to come in after her, leaving her standing outside.

"What's the matter?" Loong Jiaoyang climbed out of bed, puzzled by Zi Shan's evident distress.

Zi Shan bit her tempting red lips and shook her head, remaining silent for what seemed an eternity. It left Loong Jiaoyang feeling awkward; he wasn't exactly skilled at cheering up a girl.

Eventually, the stormy look on Zi Shan's face cleared, and she offered a radiant smile. "Loong Jiaoyang, are you truly set on challenging Gao Bing?"

Loong Jiaoyang, catching the sudden smile on Zi Shan's face, realized just how enigmatic she could be.

"Earth to Loong Jiaoyang, I'm talking to you," Zi Shan said, her impatience clear.

"Rest assured, I'll definitely help you triumph over Gao Bing," Loong Jiaoyang assured her, snapping back to reality.

"You can't even beat me; how do you plan to defeat Gao Bing?" she teased. "My father has already given Gao Bing a Spirit Gathering Pill. He's on the verge of a breakthrough to the Great Completion stage of the Earth Stage. In a month's time, it's uncertain whether you'll even reach the Earth Stage."

The mention of the Spirit Gathering Pill triggered a cascade of thoughts in Loong Jiaoyang's mind about its medicinal effects, quality, and the art of its refinement.

A Spirit Gathering Pill, a second-tier medicinal concoction, requires nineteen different herbs and can just be crafted at the pinnacle of the Human Stage. Its hallmark is the ability to concentrate multiple times the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within the pill itself, enabling a cultivator to swiftly replenish their spirit power and achieve a breakthrough in one fell swoop.

"My dad's favoritism is getting out of hand. He gives Gao Bing anything he asks for, but when I request a Spirit Gathering Pill, he refuses. If he'd just give me one, you could potentially advance to the Earth Stage after taking it, and that might just save your life," Zi Shan said, her pretty face clouded with discontent.

"Is Gao Bing really going to go that far over a simple contest?" Loong Jiaoyang asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

"You can be so naive," Zi Shan chided. "If I'd known you were going to play the role of my man, I would've prepped you on what to say. But you've already shamed Gao Bing in front of the entire Profound Girl Sect. Do you think he'll just let that slide? He's vowed to claim your head in a month to cleanse his humiliation. I've told my father the truth, that there's nothing between us, but he's taken Gao Bing's side and blocked the exits from the Profound Girl Sect. He's insisting on a duel in front of all the disciples in a month."

With a look of deep concern, Zi Shan continued, "Loong Jiaoyang, I only meant to provoke Gao Bing. I never intended to drag you into this mess. I can't stand by – I'm going to ask my Second Martial Uncle. He's very fond of me; he'll surely give me a Spirit Gathering Pill for you."

"Zi Shan, there's no need to beg anyone. Just give me a Pill Refining Furnace, and I'll make the Spirit Gathering Pill myself," Loong Jiaoyang declared.

Zi Shan's eyes widened in surprise, and she leapt from the bed, rushing to Loong Jiaoyang's side with a burst of excitement. "You're going to refine a Spirit Gathering Pill yourself? Are you an alchemist?"

"Mm-hmm, I plan to make the pill on my own. But no, I'm not an alchemist. I understand the process but have never actually made a pill before," Loong Jiaoyang admitted.

"Loong Jiaoyang, from now on I might as well call you Fool Loong! I assumed you were capable of concocting Medicine Pills, but it turns out you only have the knowledge. I'm aware of the process too, yet I've never been successful. Pill refining isn't the same as practicing the Dao; it requires exceptional talent," Zi Shan said, her disappointment palpable.

Loong Jiaoyang had never actually refined a pill, but with the Pill Devil's memories of pill refining in his mind, he didn't find the task daunting. Zi Shan's dismayed expression caught him off guard. "Is pill refining really that difficult?"

"Absolutely. If it weren't, why would alchemists be so revered on the Nine Profound Continent?" Zi Shan affirmed with a nod.

Loong Jiaoyang was well aware of the prestige alchemists held. In the Righteous Qi Sect, Elder Lu Feng of the Dan Qing Hall wielded more influence than the Sect Master himself.

"Zi Shan, I'd like to attempt refining a Spirit Gathering Pill. Would you escort me to the pill refining chamber?" Loong Jiaoyang was determined not to give up. He also needed to concoct a Vein Pursuing Pill to heal the injuries to his Qi Sea and the eight extraordinary meridians.

Each time he made a breakthrough in his cultivation, Loong Jiaoyang suffered through the excruciating pain of his meridians and Qi Sea's Pubic Region tearing. Without prompt healing, he wouldn't dare to advance to the Earth Stage, which would mean certain defeat against Gao Bing before the battle even began.

"People who've never refined a pill always think they can succeed on their first try," Zi Shan said, shaking her head gently.

"I still want to try," Loong Jiaoyang persisted.

"Fine. You've been caught up in this mess because of me, so I'll grant you this wish. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to the Pill Fire District to test your aptitude for pill refining."

...

The following morning, Zi Shan rose early, donning a pale red gown. Accompanied by her maid, Xiaohong, she used a hairpin to gently prod the sleeping Loong Jiaoyang awake.

"Hmph, Loong Jiaoyang, you sure know how to enjoy a good meal and a deep sleep. Aren't you worried that Holy Son Gao Bing might slip into your room at night and finish you off?" Xiaohong teased with a snort.

Loong Jiaoyang offered an awkward laugh, feeling utterly drained. The tumultuous events of the past few days had left him completely spent.

Zi Shan twirled her long hair, styled into two thick braids, and asked with a mischievous grin, "Loong Jiaoyang, when I tickled your nose with my hair, who was this 'Junior Sister Sunn Jing' you mentioned?"

"Junior Sister Sunn Jing? I don't have a junior sister. You must have misheard, Zi Shan," Loong Jiaoyang replied, shaking his head in denial.

"Hmph, it seems you're not as straightforward as you claim. But I couldn't care less about your little secrets!" Zi Shan's demeanor shifted in an instant, her warm smile freezing over as she strode ahead of Loong Jiaoyang and Xiaohong.

Baffled, Loong Jiaoyang turned to Xiaohong and asked, "What's gotten into your mistress?"

"What's it to you?" Xiaohong retorted, clearly annoyed with Loong Jiaoyang. She straightened up and quickened her pace to catch up with Zi Shan, leaving Loong Jiaoyang trailing behind.

"Ah, the whims of Devil Dao women are truly baffling—turning on you as quickly as the pages of a book," Loong Jiaoyang mused, bewildered by the sudden change.