Chapter 1691
Chapter 1691. Is this true intention a dream? No, this is not a dream
Only the Zi Ji Dan Sect can refine elixirs at the Immortal Dao level. Elixirs of the Immortal King level are even rarer and can only be found by chance. The materials required are extremely rare and difficult to gather for a single batch.
If Lin Qiuhan were to personally refine it, it would take a long period of time, and there is no guarantee that the furnace would not explode. Of course, the price for asking her to do it is also very high. Lin Qiuhan has not personally opened the furnace in many years, and if it weren’t for the incredibly generous compensation this time, she wouldn’t have wanted to take action.
Later, after the Immortal King left contentedly with the elixir, Lin Qiuhan waved her hand, signaling the surrounding elders and disciples of Zi Ji Dan Sect to leave. She could not afford to be distracted while refining an Immortal King level elixir and couldn’t be disturbed, so many elders came to protect her.
Deep in the Zi Ji Dan Sect, on a tall and majestic mountain covered in various colored rays of light, sits Lin Qiuhan’s quiet courtyard.
The courtyard is not large, with a secluded bamboo forest. A waterfall cascades from the mountain stones, splashing into a white misty pool at the back of the courtyard. The mist rises gently, creating an ethereal atmosphere.
Stone slabs are laid around, forming a small path.
Lin Qiuhan then transformed into a streak of divine light and returned here. The courtyard, which had not been cleaned for a long time, was covered with fallen leaves. The stone tables and benches were also piled high with yellowed leaves. A light breeze blew through, swirling them around, adding a touch of chilly desolation.
Lin Qiuhan didn’t take disciples nor had any servants. She was accustomed to peace and quiet and did not like being disturbed.
This time, refining the Immortal King level elixir took several decades.
The courtyard had not been inhabited or cleaned, so it now looked desolate, devoid of any life, which didn’t resemble the dwelling place of the current Supreme Elder of Zi Ji Dan Sect.
Of course, this area was also considered a forbidden ground of Zi Ji Dan Sect. Even if something major happened within Zi Ji Dan Sect, the elders or ancestors who came to report would not dare to enter easily. They would only dare to transmit their messages from outside and report to Lin Qiuhan.
After all, apart from being the Supreme Elder of Zi Ji Dan Sect, Lin Qiuhan also held another identity. She had been personally brought to the Zi Ji Dan Sect by Gu Changge.
This was no secret in the entire Daochang True Realm.
Zi Ji Dan Sect had only been able to maintain its position as the top Alchemy Sect in Daochang True Realm because of this connection.
After all, when the Immortal Domain and the Upper Realm merged, the once-famous Alchemy Sects in the Immortal Domain all had deep roots and backgrounds that far surpassed those of Zi Ji Dan Sect.
If not for Lin Qiuhan and the relationship between Gu Changge, the leader of the Fatian Alliance, why would Zi Ji Dan Sect be able to occupy its current position?
Returning to the courtyard, Lin Qiuhan did not immediately clean it but instead stood thoughtfully, occasionally furrowing her brow and then drifting into a daze.
She was reflecting on and summarizing the process of refining the elixir, reviewing the experiences and lessons learned from the few close failures.
Over the years, with this method, her alchemy skills had become increasingly proficient.
“I didn’t expect that one day, I would be troubled by a bottleneck.”
A light sigh escaped Lin Qiuhan’s lips. She gently shook her head, took off her veil, and walked towards the clear pool under the waterfall.
At the same time, as a habit, she flicked her hand, and a hazy glow, like mist, spread from her body, quickly enveloping the entire mountain range.
On her way to the clear pool, Lin Qiuhan’s clothes, including her dress and undergarments, naturally slid off one by one. Her flawless, snow-white body, like jade, was gradually covered by the rising thick white mist. Her ethereal and graceful figure appeared, sometimes visible and sometimes hidden.
The silver waterfall cascaded between the mountain stones, accompanied by a sound as if it were falling from the nine heavens, gradually submerging Lin Qiuhan.
She immersed herself completely in the clear pool, trying to calm her thoughts.
“In the Daochang True Realm today, there are very few records of alchemy related to the Dao. If there were records from the ancients, I wouldn’t have to cross the river by feeling the stones, relying on my own exploration.”
However, whenever Lin Qiuhan thought about this, her heart was still restless, filled with frustration and annoyance, with more helplessness than anything else.
Especially the troubles she encountered while refining the elixirs this time made her realize her helplessness in the art of alchemy.
Because of the limited alchemy inheritance in Daochang True Realm, and the interruption of many epochs, the knowledge had not been passed down in time.
Even though she had been trying to purchase ancient alchemical formulas, it was of no use. She even shamelessly went to other great alchemy sects, spending a large sum to read their ancient alchemy books and records.
But it seemed that the Immortal King-level elixir had already reached the limit of what this world could achieve. She could not refine anything beyond the Immortal King level.
It had nothing to do with cultivation or skill; it was an unreachable level. It felt like there was an invisible door ahead, completely blocking the path forward.
Or perhaps the Daochang True Realm no longer allowed the creation of elixirs beyond the Immortal King level.
Lin Qiuhan had long realized this bottleneck. She had always thought that with her effort, she could break through it, but only now did she begin to understand that it was beyond the reach of the current people, and what she lacked was the inheritance of the ancients and the path ahead.
“If only he were here, he would definitely find a way to help me find more records and ancient books related to alchemy…”
“However, he has been gone for so many years. Perhaps I will never see him again in this lifetime.”
“I am really useless. Refining an Immortal King-level elixir is already my limit, yet I foolishly thought I could help him in the future. I clearly rely on him for everything.”
“Perhaps he has long forgotten about me. I was the one who followed him from the beginning, but I’ve always been inconspicuous, like a transparent person, without any use. I could only rely on his fame to become this so-called alchemy master…”
“Years later, when he returns to Daochang True Realm, if he remembers me, will he stop by my grave? No matter how good a longevity elixir is, it cannot keep time still or preserve youth. But if I remain youthful, would it make him recall some of his memories of me? There was once a young girl, standing outside the Lin family temple, staring at him, feeling flustered and heart racing because of the smile on his lips…”
Lin Qiuhan, at the cold bottom of the pool, opened her beautiful eyes and quietly stared at the ripples and water splashes on the surface, murmuring to herself.
She was not a person who wallowed in self-pity. On the contrary, she had always been hardworking, strong, and optimistic. Her master, Zi Yan, even said she was a silly girl who often found joy in hardships, and other than alchemy, it seemed like she was heartless and carefree.
Lin Qiuhan enjoyed the process and was happy in it because she believed that this was her value, this was the reason why she was valued by Young Master Gu Changge, and the reason for her existence.
Her master, Zi Yan, had always called her foolish. Who would place the meaning of their existence on someone else?
What if one day, she lost her value? What would she do then?
At the time, Lin Qiuhan had smiled and answered, saying she would strive to always be of value.
Zi Yan shook her head helplessly and simply called her foolish. But Lin Qiuhan was not foolish at all. She understood many things clearly and was very aware of them. After all, she had admired such a person without regret and was willing to do everything for him.
After seeing the brilliance and splendor of the bright sun, even the brightest stars would pale in comparison in its presence.
The same went for people. Once you’ve seen the most stunning person in the world when you’re young, you won’t be able to tolerate anyone or anything else in your eyes.
Her master, Zi Yan, didn’t understand this.
For thousands of years, Zi Yan, her master, had failed to break through and become a Daoist. Despite various heavenly treasures, earth materials, and miraculous elixirs used to treat her, she could not hold on for more than a few years before passing away.
It was from that time that Lin Qiuhan lost the closest person by her side after coming to the Upper Realm.
Since then, she began to speak less and less. Her thoughts gradually wandered, and her memories became somewhat blurry. Lin Qiuhan had no idea how long she had been soaking in the pool. It wasn’t until the sky outside had gradually darkened that she slowly came to her senses.
Splash!
She rose from the clear pool, and the water’s surface rippled under the moonlight, resembling shards of silver. The rising white mist curled like smoke, and the silent night was both peaceful and somewhat lonely.
Lin Qiuhan wiped her dark hair on the blue stone by the shore. After waiting for her body to dry, she casually draped her outer robe over herself and walked away slowly.
However, before she could return to her courtyard, she noticed a tall figure standing in the middle of the yard.
Under the moonlight, the figure seemed strangely familiar. Facing away from her, the person wore spotless white robes, blending with the cold moonlight, looking both ethereal and unreal, like a dream.
This scene felt as though she had seen it in a dream before, not just once.
Lin Qiuhan stood frozen in place, holding her dress. The scene in front of her truly felt like a dream.
How could he appear here? How could she not recognize his figure?
Has she not woken up yet?
But if this were a dream, it didn’t seem too bad; at least in this dream, she had seen him again.
Lin Qiuhan tried to walk closer, and when she was nearly there, she saw the figure turn towards her.
It was still the face she was familiar with: refined and jade-like, with a graceful and celestial appearance, a familiar, warm smile that brought an inexplicable sense of warmth.
“Young Master…”
Lin Qiuhan stared at Gu Changge, dazed for a moment, and then realized this was a dream. She walked over and gently rested her head on his chest.
Things she dared not do in reality, she could boldly do in this dream.
“It’s been a long time, Qiuhan,” Gu Changge said, his gaze carrying a touch of complexity.
“Young Master, you’ve come back to see me… I thought I would never see you again in my life. Although this is a dream, I’m still happy to have had this moment…”
Lin Qiuhan spoke softly, as if afraid that speaking too loudly would wake her from this dream.
“This is not a dream.”
Gu Changge placed his hand on her head.
Lin Qiuhan felt a warmth, and her slightly closed beautiful eyes opened wider, as if in a daze. “This is not a dream?”
Gu Changge suddenly smiled. “I’ve been waiting here for you all afternoon. I didn’t expect you would take so long to bathe.”
“Eh…”
Lin Qiuhan’s eyes widened even further, feeling as though the scene before her was suddenly too much to process.
This wasn’t a dream?
The Young Master in front of her was real. He really came back to see her?
“It seems you don’t know that I’ve returned to Daochang True Realm.”
Gu Changge smiled, clearly not surprised by Lin Qiuhan’s reaction.
At that moment, if one were to describe Lin Qiuhan with a word, it would be “crashed.” Her head went blank with a loud buzzing sound.
She actually thought all of this was a dream and then made bold moves that she would never dare to do before?
It took Lin Qiuhan a full quarter of an hour to calm her turbulent emotions. Surprise, joy, excitement, exhilaration, and happiness—countless emotions flooded her heart, making it difficult to describe how she felt at that moment.
The courtyard, which had appeared desolate and cold, was soon cleaned up by her in the shortest time possible. The smoke from the tea rose gently from the stone table. Gu Changge sat calmly beside her, listening as she explained her earlier actions in a somewhat flustered manner.
She truly hadn’t known that Gu Changge had returned to Daochang True Realm.
She had just finished refining a batch of pills, and the elders and ancestors of Zi Ji Dan Sect hadn’t specifically informed her of this matter.
Of course, Gu Changge wouldn’t make things difficult or blame her.
After Lin Qiuhan finished refining the pills and returned to the courtyard, he had planned to show himself. However, seeing that Lin Qiuhan was about to take a bath, he decided not to disturb her and instead waited in the courtyard.
But he didn’t expect Lin Qiuhan to take the whole afternoon to bathe, and he ended up waiting until the sky darkened and the moon rose.