Chapter 1330: True Feelings—Is This a Dream? No, It's Not
Chapter 1330: True Feelings—Is This a Dream? No, It's Not
Only the Violet Supreme Alchemy Sect could refine pills at the Immortal Domain level. As for Immortal King Realm pills, they were even rarer—so scarce that merely gathering the materials for a single batch was an immense challenge.
Even if Lin Qiuhan personally undertook the refinement, it would take her a long time, and she still couldn't guarantee that the furnace wouldn't explode.
Of course, the cost of requesting her services was exorbitant. Lin Qiuhan hadn't personally refined pills in many years, and she wouldn't have agreed this time if the compensation hadn't been exceptionally generous.
After the Immortal King left, satisfied with his pills, Lin Qiuhan waved her hand, dismissing the elders and disciples of the Violet Supreme Alchemy Sect who had gathered around her. Refining Immortal King Realm pills required absolute focus, free from any disturbances, so many elders had come to guard her during the process.
Deep within the Violet Supreme Alchemy Sect, atop a towering emerald peak shrouded in multicolored radiance, stood Lin Qiuhan's secluded courtyard.
The courtyard wasn't particularly large. Bamboo groves swayed gently, and a waterfall cascaded down the rocky cliffs behind the residence, splashing into a vast, misty pool that shimmered with rising steam.
Smooth bluestones were arranged around the area, forming a winding path.
Lin Qiuhan then transformed into a streak of divine light and returned here. The courtyard, long untouched, was now blanketed in fallen leaves.
The stone tables and stools were piled high with withered foliage, rustling and swirling in the breeze, adding a touch of desolate chill to the air.
Lin Qiuhan had no disciples or maidservants. She was accustomed to solitude and disliked being disturbed.
This time, refining Immortal King Realm pills had taken several decades.
With no one living in or maintaining the courtyard during that time, it now seemed somewhat desolate and lifeless—hardly befitting the residence of the Violet Supreme Alchemy Sect's current Supreme Elder.
Of course, this area was also considered a forbidden zone within the sect. Even if major events occurred in the Violet Supreme Alchemy Sect, the elders and ancestors who came to report wouldn't dare to step foot inside. They could only transmit their messages from outside, notifying Lin Qiuhan.
After all, beyond being the sect's Supreme Elder, Lin Qiuhan had another identity—she had been personally sent to the Violet Supreme Alchemy Sect by Gu Changge.
This was no secret within the Dao Chang True World.
It was precisely because of this that the Violet Supreme Alchemy Sect remained untouched by the covetous eyes of other ancient and powerful orthodoxies, securing its position as the foremost Guild of Alchemy in the Dao Chang True World.
After all, following the fusion of the Immortal Domain and the Upper Realm, which of the once-renowned alchemy sects from the Immortal Domain didn't possess a more astonishing background than the Violet Supreme Alchemy Sect?
Without the connection between Lin Qiuhan and Gu Changge, the leader of the Heavenslayers Alliance, how could the Violet Supreme Alchemy Sect have achieved its current status?
Upon returning to her courtyard, Lin Qiuhan didn't immediately set about cleaning. Instead, she stood lost in thought, her brows occasionally furrowing before relaxing again in a daze.
She was reviewing the alchemy process, summarizing her experiences and learning from the mistakes that had nearly led to failure.
Over the years, this method had honed her alchemy skills to ever-greater mastery.
"To think I'd one day be troubled by a bottleneck," Lin Qiuhan sighed softly, shaking her head slightly. She removed her veil and walked toward the clear pool beneath the waterfall.
As she did, she habitually flicked her fingers, releasing a hazy glow that spread like mist around her, instantly enveloping the entire mountain range.
Along the way, her robes and undergarments slipped away one by one, revealing a flawless, jade-white figure that was soon obscured by the thickening mist. Her silhouette, faintly visible through the haze, was ethereal and alluring.
The silver waterfall cascaded down the rocks with a thunderous roar, gradually submerging Lin Qiuhan as she stepped into the pool, immersing herself fully in the cool water in an effort to calm her thoughts.
"The Dao Chang True World has far too few records and legacies related to Alchemy. If there were ancient manuscripts or notes from predecessors, I wouldn't have to grope in the dark like this, forced to rely on my own trial and error."
Yet, whenever these thoughts arose, Lin Qiuhan found it impossible to remain composed. Frustration and irritation gnawed at her, but more than anything, she felt helpless.
The difficulties she had encountered during this refinement had made her acutely aware of her limitations in Alchemy.
The Dao Chang True World's alchemy heritage was limited, with many gaps spanning entire epochs, leaving much knowledge lost to time.
Even her efforts to purchase ancient pill formulas had been futile. She had even swallowed her pride and visited other major alchemy sects, spending exorbitant sums to peruse their ancient texts and records.
But it seemed that Immortal King Realm pills truly represented the limit of this world. She couldn't refine anything beyond that level.
This wasn't a matter of cultivation or technique—it was an insurmountable barrier, as if an invisible gate stood before her, sealing off the path ahead.
Or perhaps the Dao Chang True World itself simply didn't permit the creation of pills surpassing the Immortal King Realm.
Lin Qiuhan had long been aware of this bottleneck, but she had always believed that her efforts could break through it. Only now did she begin to understand—this wasn't something that could be overcome by human effort alone. What she lacked was the legacy of those who came before her and a clear path forward.
"If only Young Master were here... He would definitely find a way to help me uncover more ancient alchemy records..."
"But he's been gone for so many years. I might never see him again in this lifetime."
"I'm truly useless. Refining Immortal King Realm pills is already my limit, yet I still foolishly hoped that one day I could be of help to him. In the end, I still rely on him for everything."
"Perhaps Young Master has long forgotten about someone like me. Even though I was one of the first to follow him, I've always been insignificant—like a transparent person, utterly useless. All I can do is borrow his prestige to masquerade as some so-called Alchemy Grandmaster..."
"Years from now, if he returns to the Dao Chang True World and still remembers me, will he pause for a moment before my grave? Even the finest elixir of youth cannot halt the passage of time or preserve eternal beauty. But if my face remains unchanged by age, would it stir some memory of me in him? That once, there was a girl who stood dazed outside the Lin Family Ancestral Hall, flustered and heart racing at the faint smile that curved his lips..."
At the icy bottom of the pool, Lin Qiuhan lay with her beautiful eyes wide open, gazing silently at the rippling, frothy surface of the lake as she murmured these thoughts to herself.
She wasn't one to wallow in self-pity—on the contrary, she had always been diligent, resilient, and optimistic.
Her master, Zi Yan, had even called her a foolish girl who often found joy in hardship, as if she were carefree and thoughtless about everything except alchemy.
Lin Qiuhan loved this process and reveled in it, for she believed this was her worth—the reason Young Master Gu Changge had valued her. It was the meaning of her existence.
Her master Zi Yan had always called her foolish for this. Who in the world would anchor their entire purpose to another person?
What if one day she lost her value? What would she do then?
At the time, Lin Qiuhan had laughed and replied that she would simply strive to remain valuable forever.
Zi Yan had shaken her head helplessly and called her foolish once more.
But Lin Qiuhan wasn't foolish at all. She understood many things clearly and deeply.
But how could she help it? She admired that man wholeheartedly, willingly doing anything for him.
Once one had witnessed the brilliance of the blazing sun, even the brightest stars would pale in comparison.
It was the same with people. If one encountered the most dazzling person in the world in their youth, nothing else would ever compare.
Her master Zi Yan had never understood this.
Thousands of years ago, Zi Yan had failed in her breakthrough to become an Enlightened Being. Despite the aid of countless rare treasures and miraculous elixirs, she had only lasted a few more years before passing away in meditation.
It was then that Lin Qiuhan lost the person closest to her since arriving in the Upper Realm.
And from that time onward, she grew increasingly silent.
Her thoughts drifted, her memories blurring. Lin Qiuhan had no idea how long she had been submerged in the pool, only realizing how late it had grown when the light outside dimmed.
With a splash!
She rose from the clear waters, the moonlit surface rippling like scattered silver. Wisps of steam curled like mist in the silent night, serene yet desolate.
Lin Qiuhan dried her hair on the stone by the shore, waiting until her body was completely dry before casually draping her outer robe over herself and walking away.
Yet before she could return to her courtyard, she noticed a tall figure standing within.
Bathed in moonlight, the figure seemed hauntingly familiar—his back turned to her, his white robes pristine, as if blending seamlessly with the cold moonlight. He appeared both transcendent and illusory, like a fleeting dream.
This scene was one she had seen in dreams before, not just once.
Clutching her robes, Lin Qiuhan stood frozen, wondering if this was truly another dream.
Why would Young Master be here? How could she not recognize his figure?
Had she not woken yet?
But if this were a dream... perhaps it wasn't so bad. At least in dreams, she could see him again.
Hesitantly, she approached. Just as she drew near, the figure turned.
The face was the one she remembered—jade-like in refinement, noble and immortal, bearing the same gentle smile that always warmed her inexplicably.
"Young Master..."
Lin Qiuhan stared at Gu Changge, momentarily stunned before remembering this was a dream. She stepped forward and rested her head lightly against his chest.
What she would never dare in reality, she could boldly do in dreams.
"It's been a long time, Qiuhan," Gu Changge said, his gaze carrying a trace of complexity as he looked at her.
"Young Master, you've come back to see me... I thought I might never see you again before I died. Even if this is just a dream, I'm happy... I'm satisfied..."
Her voice was soft, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the dream and wake her.
"This isn't a dream."
Gu Changge rested a hand atop her head.
The warmth of his touch made her widen her eyes slightly in disbelief. "Not... a dream?"
Gu Changge chuckled. "I've been waiting for you all afternoon. I didn't expect you to bathe for so long."
"Eh...?"
Her eyes widened further, the scene before her suddenly too overwhelming to process.
This wasn't a dream?
The Young Master before her was real? He had truly returned to see her?
"It seems you didn't know I've already returned to the Dao Chang True World."
Gu Changge smiled, unsurprised by her reaction.
If there were one word to describe Lin Qiuhan at this moment, it would be "short-circuited." Her mind truly went blank with a buzzing numbness.
She had mistaken this for a dream... and had even done something she would never dare in reality?
It took a full quarter-hour before she could steady her wildly fluctuating emotions. Surprise, joy, excitement, elation—no words could capture the storm in her heart.
The once-desolate courtyard was swiftly tidied, and soon, steam curled from a teapot on the stone table. Gu Changge sat calmly as she flusteredly tried to explain her earlier actions.
She truly hadn't known of his return to the Dao Chang True World.
Having just finished refining a batch of pills, none of the Violet Supreme Alchemy Sect's elders or grandmasters had thought to inform her.
Naturally, Gu Changge wouldn't blame her for it.
He had intended to reveal himself when she returned to her courtyard after alchemy, but seeing her head for a bath, he chose not to disturb her and instead waited in the courtyard.
He simply hadn't expected her to spend the entire afternoon bathing, leaving him waiting until the moon had risen.