"Ji Lingxuan? What a beautiful name," Shen Haoran said admiringly.

"What? Her surname is Ji!" Hearing this, Elder Yan exclaimed in Shen Haoran’s mind. He then said with extreme gravity, "Shen the kid, I advise you to keep your distance from her. The farther, the better!"

"Huh? Why?" Shen Haoran asked, confused. ’The girl in front of me is perfectly fine, aside from being a little cold,’ he thought. ’Why do I have to keep my distance?’

"Sigh, it’s complicated. You just need to listen to me. I’m only doing this for your own good," Elder Yan said earnestly.

Shen Haoran, however, was noncommittal. ’I don’t think Ji Lingxuan would hurt me!’ He then turned to Ji Lingxuan, who was staring at the ground lost in thought, and continued his questions. "It’s so dangerous deep within the Profound Spirit Mountain Range. Why are you here?"

Ji Lingxuan gave Shen Haoran a cool glance, her expression seeming to say, ’If a mere Tier Three Spirit User like you can be here, why can’t a Spirit General like me?’

Seeming to understand her expression, Shen Haoran scratched his head and said sheepishly, "Er... I was being hunted and had no choice but to flee in here. Don’t tell me you’re being hunted, too?"

At his words, Ji Lingxuan turned her head away. By nature, she was cold, aloof, and a woman of few words, and she found Shen Haoran’s questions rather annoying. Nevertheless, she ultimately explained her purpose for being there. "I read in my family’s ancient texts that the Soul Infant Fruit can absorb the Nine Nether Qi in my body, so I snuck away to find it. After much difficulty, I finally located it here in the Profound Spirit Mountain Range, but I was injured by the shockwave from a battle between two Hell Demon Bears. The Nine Nether Qi I had been suppressing erupted, and then I lost consciousness."

After hearing Ji Lingxuan’s story, Shen Haoran understood why she had been near the Hell Demon Bears’ battle. However, he also latched onto her mention of the Soul Infant Fruit and immediately asked Elder Yan in his mind, "Elder Yan, have you ever heard of the Soul Infant Fruit?"

"The Soul Infant Fruit? Of course I’ve heard of it. That’s a Top Grade Spiritual Medicine. But while the Soul Infant Fruit is indeed a Supreme Yin Object, I’ve never heard of it having the ability to absorb Nine Nether Qi," Elder Yan replied.

’Is that so?’ Hearing Elder Yan’s words, Shen Haoran searched for information about the Soul Infant Fruit within his Alchemy Inheritance. Sure enough, just as Elder Yan had said, the Soul Infant Fruit was a Supreme Yin Object. Not only could it not absorb Nine Nether Qi, it would actually accelerate its eruption!

Realizing this, Shen Haoran took a deep breath. ’If Ji Lingxuan consumes the Soul Infant Fruit, the consequences will be unimaginable!’

"Miss Ji, if I were to tell you that the Soul Infant Fruit can’t absorb the Nine Nether Qi in your body—that it could even trigger an eruption—would you believe me?"

"How would you know that?" Ji Lingxuan asked.

"I’m an Alchemist—or to be more precise, a Quasi-Pill Master," Shen Haoran said.

"An Alchemist!" Ji Lingxuan was astonished. ’I can’t believe Shen Haoran is an Alchemist. But he’s only a Tier Three Spirit User. His alchemy skill can’t be higher than First Grade, he might even be a complete novice. How could he possibly know about the Soul Infant Fruit?’

Shen Haoran, oblivious to her thoughts, looked at her seriously and said, "If you trust me, Miss Ji, I can help you resolve the issue with the Nine Nether Qi in your body. I can help you condense the Nine Netherworld Pill and achieve the Nine Nether Body!"

"And how would you help me? With that fabricated Five Elements and Four Symbols Skill you mentioned?" Ji Lingxuan said, somewhat irritated.

"It’s not fabricated! Please, trust me. I will definitely help you," Shen Haoran said, looking into her eyes with utmost sincerity.

Meeting Shen Haoran’s firm yet gentle gaze, Ji Lingxuan quickly averted her eyes. She let out a cold snort and fell silent.

Seeing her soften, Shen Haoran smiled knowingly. "The Seal in your body can only hold for another six months. We must reach Celestial Martial City and obtain a Fire Element Primordial Spirit within that time. Before that, however, I have a problem of my own to deal with. So, I’ll have to ask you to bear with me and stay here for a little while. I’ll resolve it as quickly as I can."

"Whatever," Ji Lingxuan said indifferently. She then closed her eyes to meditate and began restoring her Spiritual Power.

Shen Haoran could only shrug helplessly at her attitude. ’After all, I’m asking a powerful Spirit General to accompany a mere Tier Three Spirit User and listen to my arrangements. Why would I expect her to be pleasant about it?’

But Shen Haoran didn’t mind. Time was of the essence. Elder Yan estimated it would take two months to get to Celestial Martial City, which meant he had to resolve his conflict with Xue Qinghe within three months. To deal with Xue Qinghe, Shen Haoran needed to be at least a Tier Eight Spirit User. ’Breaking through five Tiers in just three months... that’s certainly not going to be easy!’

"Sigh. It can’t be helped. I’ll just have to take it one step at a time," Shen Haoran lamented. He tossed the Spirit Devouring Pill in his hand into his mouth. He had no time to rest; his only option was to cultivate with all his might.

After consuming the Spirit Devouring Pill, Shen Haoran quickly entered a deep state of Cultivation, blocking out all perception of the outside world. The cave grew silent, filled only with the sound of their soft breathing.

After some time, Ji Lingxuan opened her eyes, her recovery complete. She had restored her strength to its Peak state. Glancing at Shen Haoran, who was still deep in meditation with his eyes shut tight, she turned and left the cave.

However, a moment later, she returned. After another glance at Shen Haoran, a dagger appeared in her hand. She carved a line of text into the stone wall, set down a Scroll, and after one final look at Shen Haoran, she left the cave for good.

...

「Two days later.」

Shen Haoran finally awoke from his state of Cultivation. He felt a distinct increase in his strength and nodded in satisfaction. But when he looked around, he found he was the only one left in the cave.

"Huh? Where’s Ji Lingxuan?" Shen Haoran asked aloud.

"That young lady left. She left something for you, though. See, over there," Elder Yan said, floating out into the open.

Shen Haoran walked over to where Elder Yan was pointing and saw a line of elegant script carved into the stone wall: "Thank you for saving my life, but some things I must try for myself. It isn’t that I don’t trust you, but the method you spoke of is simply too difficult to achieve. If I succeed, I will return to find you. If I fail, then that is my fate. Dying deep within the Profound Spirit Mountain Range would at least be a fitting final resting place.

"Also, I didn’t bring anything of value with me. All I have is this Profound Tier Middle Level Martial Skill. Please take it as thanks for saving my life. If fate allows, we will meet again."

Reading Ji Lingxuan’s message, Shen Haoran instantly knew where she had gone. He cursed "fool" under his breath and turned to Elder Yan. "Elder Yan, how can I find her?"

"Shen the kid, it looks like she went to find the Soul Infant Fruit. A Spirit Beast guarding a Top Grade Spiritual Medicine like that would be at least Tier Seven, maybe even Tier Eight! That’s equivalent to a human at the Spirit Emperor Level! If you go after her, you’ll be committing suicide!"

"Then isn’t Ji Lingxuan in grave danger?" Shen Haoran frowned.

"That young lady comes from no ordinary background; she might not be in any real danger. Besides, I still advise you to keep your distance from her," Elder Yan said.

Hearing this, Shen Haoran gave a faint smile. "Elder Yan, do you believe in love at first sight? Or in a love fated from a past life?"

"Why are you asking?" Elder Yan was perplexed. ’Why are we suddenly on this topic?’

"From the moment I saw her by the stream, I knew she was the one I was meant to protect for the rest of my life," Shen Haoran said with deep emotion. "If I don’t go after her today, I’ll regret it for a lifetime."

"You..." Elder Yan looked at Shen Haoran, completely exasperated. He heaved a long sigh. "Sigh. I knew I wouldn’t be able to talk you out of it. Don’t worry. I left a Spiritual Thought Mark on that young lady. I should be able to locate her with it."

"Really?" Shen Haoran exclaimed, overjoyed.

"Let’s go. When have I ever lied to you?" Elder Yan said before floating out of the cave. Elated, Shen Haoran followed, cautiously making his way into the forest....