Shen Yuan gave up denying it and nodded his head, “Yes, I have been so busy with my cultivation that I hadn’t been able to learn alchemy.”
“Then why the sudden interest in blacksmithing?” she curiously asked while playing with her hair.
Shen Yuan looked at her enchanting hair for a second before answering, “Because I wanted to see how good I am in blacksmithing, and from the looks of it, I’m far superior in blacksmithing than alchemy.”
“Mm-hmm, I see, I see. So what plans do you have? Want the sect to support you in your alchemy and blacksmith pursuits?” Mei Hua stepped down from her seat and came in front of Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan looked at her curiously, ‘Wonder what happened to her, so playful this time.’
“Sure, why not? Since I will be helping the sect later anyway, might as well take the help of the sect now,” he shrugged and replied.
Mei Hua clapped her hands, “Great, here you can have this.” She threw a medallion at him, engraved with her name on it.
“You can go to the Inner Sect’s treasury and take whatever herbs or ores you would like. You have unrestricted access to it.”
Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, “Hoh? And what would I need to do in return for this stuff?”
“Oh, nothing for now. We will ask you to make a few weapons when you reach a high enough level.” Mei Hua waved her hands and dismissed as if this was not a huge thing.
“Hmm… Well, I will take up your offer for now. Is there anything else you would like to discuss?” Shen Yuan put the medallion in his storage ring and asked.
“No, nothing more for now. Just be prepared for the tournament which is about to come,” she said lightly before turning around to head back to her seat, her pink hair gently slipping to her back as it released an enchanting fragrance.
Shen Yuan took a deep breath before bowing lightly and taking his leave.
…
He left the Sect Leader’s hall, pondering over the unexpected generosity of Sect Leader Mei Hua.
The medallion she had given him granted unrestricted access to the herbs and ores of the Inner Sect’s treasury—a valuable resource for his professions if not his main cultivation.
“Well, that went better than expected,” he mused aloud. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
[Indeed,] Yue Lan chimed in. [With access to rare herbs and ores, you can accelerate your progress in both alchemy and blacksmithing.]
“Exactly. I should make a list of what I need.”
As he made his way back to his mansion, the serene beauty of the Radiant Lotus Sect’s surroundings calmed his mind.
The scent of lotus blossoms filled the air, and the gentle rustling of leaves accompanied his footsteps.
Upon arriving at his residence, he noticed a subtle shift in the atmosphere. A familiar aura was emanating from within.
“She’s back,” he whispered, a hint of anticipation in his voice.
He hurriedly entered his mansion and reached the main hall, and soon Shen Yuxin came out of his Cultivation Chambers.
Her appearance had changed subtly, her aura was more dignified, and her eyes held a deeper clarity.
“Mother,” Shen Yuan hurriedly walked forward and gave her a deep hug. “Welcome back.”
Shen Yuxin smiled warmly and patted his back. “My dear son, it’s good to see you back again.”
He continued hugging her without saying another word; they spent some time together like that until Shen Yuan eventually let her go.
“It’s really been too long,” he said with a gentle tone.
“Looks like you went through a lot,” Shen Yuxin gently said.
“Leave that for later, tell me how your seclusion went?” Shen Yuan asked as he brought her to the sitting room and they both sat down.
She looked at him with affectionate eyes and answered, “The pill you provided was extraordinary. It not only purified my meridians but also enhanced my spiritual perception. Changing to the cultivation manual you gave me was a little problematic but I succeeded. Your Primordial Yang helped a lot in it as well hehe.”
He nodded with a happy smile. “I’m glad it was effective. You seem much more powerful now; I can’t even sense how strong you are compared to me.”
“Anyways, leave that for later, tell me more about what happened while I was in seclusion? The last thing I remembered was when you left the mansion and went on to the sect on your own,” she curiously asked while glancing around.
“You realize it yet?” he teasingly asked, “Yes, this is the Inner Sect of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect; I’ve already become an Inner Sect disciple here.”
“Whoa, how long has passed since I entered seclusion? I feel like it’s been decades or even centuries,” Shen Yuxin asked in surprise.
“Haha, it’s not been long, probably around three months,” Shen Yuan laughed and replied.
Shen Yuxin looked at him in surprise, “You really accomplished a lot in this time. Not only did you advance to become an Inner Sect disciple, you also reached the peak of Inner Sea Realm, only a step away from breaking through to the Origin Core Creation Realm.”
“Indeed, I was about to break through to the next realm, but the Sect Leader called in for me,” Shen Yuan slowly explained.
She rubbed her chin softly while thinking, “Hmm, I should meet up with old acquaintances soon as well since I’m back at the sect. Let’s see who dares to disturb you after that.”
Shen Yuan’s lips twitched as he grabbed her hand and gently said, “It’s not that the Sect Leader is disturbing me but more so she wanted to ask something from me, and I also got unrestricted access to the Inner Sect Treasury for ores and herbs due to her.”
She paused and looked at him, hearing his explanation, “I see, so that’s what happened. That’s good to hear. But why do you need ores or herbs?”
“Haaa…” Shen Yuan exhaled a long sigh as he gently tugged her hand and pulled her in for a hug.
“Let me tell you what happened after you went into seclusion from the start.”
…
“I see, so many things happened in such a little time,” Shen Yuxin muttered to herself as she finished listening to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuxin looked at Shen Yuan with a mix of adoration and curiosity, her soft gaze lingering on his face as she processed everything he had shared.
“You’ve grown so much in such a short time, Yuan’er. It’s almost overwhelming. I knew you were talented, but seeing you accomplish all this is truly remarkable.”
Shen Yuan chuckled lightly, his fingers brushing against hers as he held her hand. “This is just the start; there is so much we need to accomplish together. And first on the list is to win the competition that is about to be held in some time.”
“Do you want me to destroy that Iron whatever clan, Yuan’er?” She raised her head from his embrace and asked with a sharp gaze.
Shen Yuan sweated a little for the fate of the Ironwood Mountain clan as he gently shook his head, “There is no need for you to take action, Mom. I already have plans to use them to boost my reputation further.”
He smirked as he thought about his plans for them.