Chapter 10: Days with Zi Yan
half a month later.

On the mountain where Lin Yuan was refining medicine, blue and white figures crossed each other. The calm Lin Yuan tapped the panting Zi Yan's forehead and chuckled, "Zi Yan, this is the seventh time!"

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan lay down on the lawn and rested for a while. She felt a little disappointed and looked at Lin Yuan and muttered, "How come you are so powerful? And you are getting more and more powerful. Obviously, I should be stronger in terms of cultivation."

"Cultivation is not the only factor that determines the outcome of a battle. Environment and tactics are also important factors. Your way of fighting is too direct. You just rely on your cultivation and physical body to rush forward. It's okay when facing someone with a lower cultivation than you, but it's very dangerous when facing someone with a higher cultivation than you or someone who is not much different from you but is very good at fighting." Lin Yuan commented.

During the past half month, Lin Yuan spent his time refining medicine, helping Zi Yan make pills and snacks, and practicing with Zi Yan.

Zi Yan was a little unconvinced about losing to Lin Yuan in their first fight. She felt that Lin Yuan's cultivation was not as high as hers, and thought that she lost because she was careless. She wanted to win back, so she kept challenging Lin Yuan. The two had fought several times in the past half month, and each time Zi Yan was easily defeated by Lin Yuan. This was the seventh time.

"Then what should I do?" Zi Yan was a little confused.

"There are two methods. The first is to improve your realm and suppress others with absolute strength. If the difference in strength is large, you don't need to worry about these things. The second is to learn a few fighting skills that suit you and perfect your fighting style first. For you, you should focus on improving your realm for now!"

"In short, it means to eat more pills and advance quickly. I understand! Brother Lin Yuan, I have finished the pills. Please help me refine some more. I want to eat more and advance quickly." Upon hearing this, Zi Yan stood up and said to Lin Yuan as if she had suddenly realized something, with a sly smile on her face.

"Usually it's just Lin Yuan, you guy, you just need to eat Brother Lin, Brother Lin Yuan, you little girl! I can't do anything about you." Lin Yuan stroked his forehead helplessly, and then rubbed Zi Yan's little head hard with his hands. Although he complained, his body was honest and walked towards the medicine cauldron, preparing to make pills for Zi Yan.

Zi Yan looked at Lin Yuan's back as he was refining the elixir, her eyes slightly narrowed, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but draw a beautiful curve.

Ten days later.

"It's done." As the last batch of pills came out of the furnace, Lin Yuan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief under the starlight. The alchemy task entrusted by Elder Huo to make pills of grade four and below had all been completed. The pills to be handed in to the academy had all been completed, and the amount was even more than what was required to be handed in in the task. At the same time, because Lin Yuan's success rate in refining pills was too high, there were still a lot of medicinal materials left, and these medicinal materials naturally belonged to Lin Yuan.

Originally, Lin Yuan decided to complete this alchemy task in 2-3 months. After all, the amount to be refined was indeed not small. However, thanks to Lin Yuan's optimization of techniques and improvement of experience (Lin Yuan could later use the Qingling Flame to directly refine dozens of medicinal materials at the same time, and make multiple pills in one furnace), the efficiency of alchemy increased rapidly, allowing Lin Yuan to complete this alchemy goal ahead of schedule.

After putting away the pills, Lin Yuan thought: "After handing over this batch of pills, it will be enough to convince the higher-ups of my ability to refine pills. After all, the success rate is so high and the quality is also very good. It will be natural for me to take the medicinal materials for the fifth-grade pills next."

Suddenly, Lin Yuan's expression moved, and he felt the bottleneck in his body loosen. He immediately sat cross-legged and used his skills to attack the bottleneck.

The next day, just as the sun rose, a powerful fighting spirit burst out from Lin Yuan's body. Lin Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes, and a hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

"Three Star Fighting King, it's done."

Zi Yan, who was awakened by Lin Yuan's breakthrough, yawned and looked at Lin Yuan with sleepy eyes, "What are you doing so early in the morning?"

"Get ready, Zi Yan, we're going back to the yard!" Lin Yuan turned his head and looked at Zi Yan and said.

Zi Yan sobered up after hearing this and asked hurriedly, "Why do we have to go back? Isn't it nice here?"

She has been living a very comfortable life recently. Lin Yuan makes delicious pills of various flavors for her. After eating, she just needs to lie down and digest them. She doesn't have to look for medicinal herbs secretly. After eating, she just needs to act coquettishly to Lin Yuan. When she is bored, she can also ask Lin Yuan to discuss things with her. Lin Yuan dotes on her very much.

"It's not that this place is good, but your life of eating and sleeping every day is good, right? If you continue like this, I will become a pauper and won't be able to support you." Lin Yuan pinched Zi Yan's little face and said unhappily. A small half of the surplus from helping the academy to refine medicine became Zi Yan's snacks.

Hearing this, Zi Yan touched the back of her head and smiled shamelessly.

Over the past few days, their relationship has improved greatly, and they are getting along more and more like a close brother and sister.

"Let's go!" Lin Yuan said, spreading his green flaming wings, soaring into the sky, and flew towards the inner courtyard. Zi Yan also spread her purple wings and followed.

After returning to the inner courtyard, Lin Yuan went straight to the office of the great elder. As soon as he got outside the building, Zi Yan, who had been following Lin Yuan closely, reacted. Her face changed and she turned around to run.

The space twisted, and a figure strangely appeared in front of Zi Yan, blocking her way, and said angrily: "You girl, you have been out for so long, and you want to run away as soon as you come back? Do you want to piss me off to death?" The person who came was Su Qian, the great elder of the inner courtyard.

Seeing that she was blocked by the Great Elder, Zi Yan jumped and hid behind Lin Yuan, then stuck out her tongue at Su Qian and said, "I'm running away just because I know you'll be mean to me when you see me! Humph." The Great Elder seemed to be choked by Zi Yan's words, his face began to turn red, and then he took a few deep breaths to calm down.

Lin Yuan watched with interest from the side and found the exchange between the two quite interesting. They were just like a naughty granddaughter and a preachy grandfather. Although there was some anger in their exchange, the intimacy deep in their words was real. Perhaps only Zi Yan could make the usually steady Great Elder show such an expression!
Su Qian calmed down and looked at Lin Yuan, and asked, "Lin Yuan, what brings you here? Also, how did you two get involved?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan responded, "I came here this time because among the pills that Elder Huo assigned to his students to refine, all the pills below the fifth grade have been refined and are ready to be handed over to the Great Elder. The pills are in this storage ring." After saying that, he handed a storage ring to Su Qian.

Su Qian took the ring and checked it. He found that there were a large number of third and fourth grade elixirs in the ring. Even though he was not an alchemist, he could tell at a glance that the quality of these elixirs was excellent. He was somewhat amazed: "Although I have heard about your talent in alchemy from Elder Huo, I didn't expect you to refine so many high-quality elixirs in just two months. It seems that fifth-grade elixirs are not a problem for you now. The young are really formidable!"

"Thank you for the compliment, Great Elder. It's all thanks to the academy's training!" Lin Yuan nodded modestly, and then continued: "As for Zi Yan and I, the details are as follows"

Afterwards, Lin Yuan told Su Qian about what had happened between him and Zi Yan in the past few days, mainly expressing one point, that is, he liked this little girl Zi Yan very much and had always wanted to have a sister like her.

Su Qian didn't doubt it after hearing this. After all, Lin Yuan, who had just arrived in the inner courtyard, had no possibility or motive to plot against Zi Yan. Moreover, the fact that he liked Zi Yan touched his heart. After all, although he liked to say a few words about Zi Yan, he actually loved this quirky little girl very much in his heart.

Looking at Zi Yan who was kicking the ground with a bored look on her face, Su Qian couldn't help but frown and teach her a lesson: "You are such a troublesome girl, I have taught you not to take other people's things casually. Fortunately it was Lin Yuan this time, what if someone else with a bad temper and stronger than you hit you hard?"

As he spoke, he could not help but worry. He knew the little girl's ability to cause trouble. It was okay in the inner courtyard, he could generally handle it, but what about outside? After thinking for a moment, looking at Lin Yuan in front of him, thinking of Zi Yan's obsession with the pills made by Lin Yuan, his eyes suddenly lit up, he made up his mind, took out a scroll from the ring he carried with him and handed it to Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan took the scroll and looked at Su Qian in confusion. Su Qian coughed twice and explained, "I have something I want to ask you for help. I heard that you are very good at studying fighting skills, and this is a volume of fighting skills in my collection. I hope you can help teach Zi Yan this volume of fighting skills. Doesn't this girl like to eat the pills you make? If she doesn't practice seriously, you shouldn't help her make pills. See if she will study seriously."

"Old man, stop meddling in other people's business. I don't want to learn any fighting skills. It will cause so much trouble. Lin Yuan, don't listen to him." Zi Yan became anxious when she heard that. Her beautiful big eyes stared at Su Qian, the old man who wanted to take away her delicious food.

"You are such a troublemaker. If you don't learn fighting skills, you won't be able to run away when you get into trouble in the future! You get impatient when I ask you to practice fighting skills. Let's see what you will do this time." Su Qianhui glared at Zi Yan. Then he looked at Lin Yuan and said earnestly: "Lin Yuan, you are very sensible and understand Zi Yan very well. You should know what to do to be good for Zi Yan!"

"Don't worry, Great Elder. I will take this matter." Lin Yuan nodded and agreed to the Great Elder's commission. When Zi Yan heard that Lin Yuan agreed to Su Qian, she immediately showed an expression of despair.

"Very good, thank you very much. Is there anything I can help you with?" Seeing the little girl's wilted expression, Su Qian knew that he had Zi Yan in his hands this time. He was in a good mood and asked Lin Yuan.

After hearing this, Lin Yuan thought for a moment, then bowed to Su Qian and asked, "Great Elder, can you help me keep an eye out for secret methods and high-level body-building fighting skills that can temporarily improve my strength?"

"Oh? I'll help keep an eye out for the secret method to temporarily improve your strength and the earth-level body-building fighting skills." Su Qian stroked his beard, thought about it, agreed to Lin Yuan, and then looked at Zi Yan: "Zi Yan, study hard, and you will understand in the future that this is all for your own good! I'll be busy now." After that, without waiting for Zi Yan to react, his figure disappeared strangely.

"Douluo?" Lin Yuan thought to himself as he watched the figure disappear before him. He looked at the scroll in his hand and used his soul perception to check it out. "A high-level Xuan-level fighting skill, Cloud Dragon Dance."

Looking at Zi Yan who looked depressed, Lin Yuan patted her head and said, "Let's go, Zi Yan."

"I don't want to go anywhere!" Zi Yan lowered her head and kicked the ground, replying sullenly.

Looking at Zi Yan who seemed to be in a bad mood, Lin Yuan laughed out loud and thought, "She is really a child." Then he said playfully, "Don't you want to eat something more delicious, with more energy and more flavor? Then I'll leave first."

"I want to eat!" Zi Yan answered in a second, and her expression changed in the blink of an eye, becoming full of anticipation. Looking at Zi Yan's expression changing like turning a page, Lin Yuan couldn't help but realize that he had been tricked by this little brat.

"Let's go! Let's go to the monster habitat in the back mountain." Lin Yuan said to Zi Yan and spread his flaming wings.

"What are you going there for? Didn't you say you would cook for me?" Zi Yan spread her fighting wings with some doubt.

"Of course I'm going to 'borrow' some things from the monsters in the back mountain. After all, I need some high-quality ingredients to make something delicious for you." Lin Yuan chuckled, and with a flap of his flaming wings, he shot out. Zi Yan also flapped her wings to follow.

Two streams of light, one blue and one purple, cut through the sky and flew towards the monster area in the back mountain of the inner courtyard.

　Please collect, recommend, and read. If you have any ideas, please go to the book review area to communicate. I need your help. Sometimes bystanders know
　　

(End of this chapter)