Deep in the Hundred Refinement Mountains, there was a steep mountain valley.
This was the territory of a peak Golden Core beast.
Raging flames surged through the area.
A colossal body crashed down, crushing several trees and kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
On the chest of the Splitting Mountain Bear was a sword mark that had nearly pierced through it.
The area around the wound was charred black, still emitting wisps of white smoke.
On the ground nearby, the orange-red Sun Fire had not yet fully extinguished.
Scorched marks left behind by a raging sword-qi tornado remained on the earth, and the surrounding air was so hot it was suffocating.
Yan Luo held a Rank 6 spiritual sword, its tip pointing diagonally toward the ground.
Her lips were slightly parted as she panted softly.
Her dress was currently covered in dust, looking quite messy, and a trace of blood stained the corner of her mouth.
She had just finished an intense battle.
Even though she had reached the peak Golden Core stage, held a Rank 6 spiritual tool, practiced the Rank 7 Sky-High Sword Art, and fought using the overbearing Sun Fire fueled by her Pure Yang Extreme Physique, she still found it difficult to face a Splitting Mountain Bear of the same realm.
Yan Luo stood in place, taking deep breaths, struggling to calm her surging blood and qi while regulating the spiritual energy that had been heavily consumed during the fight.
Clear sweat slid down her weary cheeks, soaking her hair and causing strands to stick to her ears.
However, even though she had emerged victorious, Yan Luo was not happy at all.
Instead, her mind involuntarily began to recall that day and that specific scene.
Chen Yuyang had stood in the air, facing the siege of dozens of Golden Core beasts alone, yet his expression remained indifferent.
With every gesture, he had completely annihilated those fierce monsters!
He was younger than her, held a spiritual sword that was only around Rank 3, and his cultivation was an entire major realm lower than hers…
To this day, Yan Luo could not figure out how he had done it.
And the sight of his back as he resolutely walked away to accept the Demon King’s challenge for her sake was etched into her mind like a brand, impossible to forget.
Although she hadn’t had much contact with him and they hadn’t even had a proper conversation more than a few times… every time she thought of that scene, her heart would still flutter.
“Chen Yuyang…”
The girl softly whispered the name, her voice so low that only she could hear it.
She slowly raised her head, her gaze drifting toward the sky with a hint of confusion.
Clouds and mist swirled, obscuring the mountains.
What the girl was thinking at this moment was perhaps known only to her.
Estimating the time, she realized the Pill Convention should be nearing its end.
Yan Luo took a deep breath, suppressing the messy thoughts in her heart.
Once she finished regulating the spiritual energy in her body, she straightened her clothes and identified the direction of the Pill Sect.
She took to the air, turning into a streak of light as she sped away.
At this moment, the third round of the Pill Convention was also reaching its conclusion.
Yan Luo quietly landed on a hilltop.
From here, she could vaguely see the competition square and the dense crowd of cultivators standing in the air to watch.
The girl did not plan to get closer, choosing instead to watch from a distance.
‘Whatever. No matter what the final result is, what does it have to have with me?’
‘He participated in the Pill Convention, too, but given his age and such an ordinary background… he was probably eliminated in the first round.’
After all, in the path of alchemy, no matter how good one’s talent was, resources and a background were still necessary.
Thinking of this, Yan Luo felt a bit dejected.
She silently turned around, turning her back on the lively scene, and returned to the courtyard where she was staying.
She sat down on a stone bench in the yard and fell into a daze.
“Luo-bo, you’re back.”
It wasn’t until a familiar voice came from the courtyard entrance that Yan Luo snapped out of it.
Turning her head, she saw Yan Dangmo standing there with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face.
“Perfect. There is something Grandfather wants to talk to you about.”
Yan Luo continued to rest her chin in her hand, her face devoid of expression and her voice silent, but the way she tilted her head indicated she was listening.
During her time deep in the Hundred Refinement Mountains, she had thought a lot while alone.
Or rather, she had made a choice.
A choice to accept.
Perhaps she shouldn’t resist her grandfather’s arrangements so fiercely.
After all, he was her only relative in this world, and in the end, he was just worried about her future.
Moreover, her grandfather was very experienced; the person he chose for her likely wouldn’t be too bad…
If they really didn’t get along or she truly didn’t like him, she could figure something out then.
Therefore, Yan Luo was no longer as emotional as before.
She just listened quietly, a hint of numbness in her eyes.
“Rest easy, Luo-bo. I’ve actually thought it over. Let’s put your marriage matters aside for now.”
Seeing his granddaughter’s state, Yan Dangmo’s tone softened slightly.
“There’s no rush for such things. Your grandfather still has a few years left in him to wait.”
He knew Yan Luo had reacted strongly before, so he decided to take a indirect approach.
In short, he would first create an opportunity for Yan Luo and that kid to get to know each other normally.
If they could develop feelings for each other naturally, that would be for the best.
Even if that failed, Yan Dangmo hadn’t lived all these years for nothing.
Did he not know how to create a bit of romantic tension between them?
“Really?”
Hearing her grandfather suddenly change his mind and stop mentioning the marriage alliance, Yan Luo snapped her head up, her eyes filled with surprise.
“Yes, I have fully considered it.”
Yan Dangmo nodded, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
“After all, this concerns the rest of your life. If you are unwilling, you would regret it for a lifetime.”
“That’s wonderful, Grandfather!”
Yan Luo felt as if a giant boulder had fallen from her heart.
A long-lost smile bloomed on her pretty face as she stepped forward and hugged Yan Dangmo’s arm affectionately.
“I knew you were the best!”
Yan Dangmo laughed and reached out to pat his granddaughter’s head, though his tone turned a bit mysterious as he continued, “However, Luo-bo, I met a young talent at this Pill Convention. You would never guess it—that kid actually has the one-in-a-billion Solar Yang Physique!”
Hearing her grandfather change the subject to some young talent, Yan Luo’s newly relaxed nerves tightened again, and her brows furrowed involuntarily.
“That Solar Yang Fire of his, tsk tsk.”
Yan Dangmo spoke with great excitement.
“His control is truly like an extension of his own limbs, reaching a level of absolute mastery!”
Yan Luo’s face fell again, her mouth pouting slightly.
“So, I was thinking…” Yan Dangmo’s tone became earnest.
“Since he has such talent and skill, if he could give you a few pointers, you would definitely be able to master the Sun Fire and even take it to the next level!”
“I put in a lot of effort and spent a lot of breath to get his approval. He agreed that after the Pill Convention ends, he’ll follow us back to the Yan family for a while specifically to teach you the methods of fire control.”
Yan Dangmo acted as if he were being painstakingly thoughtful as he continued, “During this time, let him teach you well, and you must study hard. Do you understand?”
Yan Luo rolled her eyes inwardly.
‘Grandfather is really something. He talks so big about “pointers” and “learning fire control,” but isn’t this just another way of finding me a partner?’
‘He just changed the wording.’
However, it didn’t sound as forced now, and it seemed… slightly more acceptable.
Besides, being able to learn the methods of controlling the Sun Fire from the other party… Yan Luo placed great importance on anything related to her cultivation.
Her current control of the Sun Fire was indeed unstable.
If she could truly make progress, it would be a gain.
‘Fine, for the sake of increasing my strength, I’ll accept for now.’
Thinking this, Yan Luo didn’t show much of a positive expression.
She gave a very light “mm” in response, which counted as an agreement.
Seeing that although Yan Luo was reluctant, she wasn’t fiercely opposing him, Yan Dangmo’s heart finally settled.
‘Excellent. The first step of the plan is a success.’
Once the Pill Convention was completely over, he would find an opportunity to officially introduce that kid to Yan Luo.
Speaking of which, hadn’t the girl mentioned before that the Acacia Sect had saved her life?
With that connection, she might be even more accepting of the boy once they met.
The more Yan Dangmo thought about it, the more he felt the plan was solid.
That boy was exceptionally handsome, had impressive cultivation, and possessed extraordinary talent in alchemy.
Most importantly, his personality was good—calm, not arrogant, and he possessed a maturity and steadiness that didn’t belong to someone his age.
His granddaughter Yan Luo had a flighty personality and was impulsive and easily angered.
If she could be paired with that boy, he could help her settle her temperament.
They were simply a match made in heaven, absolutely perfect.
Imagining the potential scene in the future, a trace of a smile couldn’t help but appear on Yan Dangmo’s usually stern face.
The corners of his mouth curled up, and he began to hum a little tune.
Meanwhile, on the square where the final round of the Pill Convention was taking place, a thick medicinal fragrance permeated the air.
After ten days of continuous refining, many alchemists were showing signs of exhaustion.
Over these days, several furnaces had exploded due to mistakes and other reasons.
At this moment, one alchemist after another completed their final refining process and removed their pills.
Chen Yuyang’s gaze was fixed on the furnace in front of him.
He could feel the medicinal fluctuations within the pill becoming increasingly solid.
He was also about to complete his pill.
However, he was in no hurry to push through the final step, intentionally slowing down his refining speed.
He wanted to see the level of the others first and then make minor adjustments to his pill at the last moment to lower his ranking to a middle-of-the-pack level.
He would feel truly embarrassed if he took the top spots again.
Just then, not far away, a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy erupted along with the opening of a furnace lid.
The cauldron trembled, and a flash of rosy light took shape from within.
This sudden anomaly instantly attracted the attention of everyone present.
Chen Yuyang was also quite surprised.
He looked with surprise at the person who had caused this phenomenon.
Yun Lian.