A Stroll Through Tianquan City
“Senior, have you been to Tianquan City before?”
“Senior, this is so interesting. My parents bought this for me when I was a child…”
“Senior, is there anything you like to eat? Oh, but Qingran forgot—you’ve been fasting.”
“Senior, this road leads to Feilong Pass. My parents always said that those who leave from here… never return.”
Li Qingran’s voice softened as she lowered her gaze, clutching the hem of her clothes.
The wind tousled the loose strands of her hair, casting delicate shadows under her eyelashes.
Tianquan City.
The place she once called home.
Now, the dynasty had changed hands twice, and even the city lord was different.
Standing before the towering city gates, listening to the hustle and bustle of the marketplace—
Her voice became heavy with emotion.
“Senior, you…”
She didn’t dare lift her head.
She was afraid he would see her red-rimmed eyes.
A Difficult Goodbye
Chen Huaian sighed.
He felt like a parent dropping off their child at daycare, only concerned about their own freedom.
In reality—
This “daycare center” was a cultivation sect.
Li Qingran needed protection.
For someone with a Taiyin Body, a top-grade Dantian, and a single water spiritual root, she was practically a walking treasure trove.
If the wrong people discovered her, it would be over.
She was simply too weak.
A cultivator with rare talents but no strength is just prey.
And he couldn’t watch over her 24/7.
His Spiritual Transformation Experience Card was running out.
He had to find her a safe place before he vanished.
“I am just leaving temporarily.”
In reality—
He wasn’t leaving at all.
Just running out of time.
Li Qingran’s Hidden Pain
Li Qingran looked at Chen Huaian quietly.
Her fingers, which had been tightly gripping the fabric of her robe, slowly relaxed.
“What’s wrong with me?”
“I shouldn’t be acting like this.”
Senior had his own responsibilities.
He had countless disciples—
He had grand ambitions—
He had a hundred female apprentices crying for attention—
What right did she have to be selfish?
She forced a smile.
“Junior understands. Junior will obediently find a place to stay.”
Chen Huaian was caught off guard.
Huh?
He thought she understood his reasoning.
But—
Her lowered eyes were red, like a kitten being abandoned in the rain.
The same girl who had bravely fought Lu Changtian now looked so… small.
“Forget it. I’ll explain it properly!”
An Honest Talk
Chen Huaian dragged Li Qingran into a restaurant.
The waiter, trembling with fear, quickly brought out dishes.
Seated across from her, he got serious.
“Listen, I… ahem… I’m very busy.”
“I have things to do. I don’t have time to take care of you.”
Li Qingran’s lips immediately trembled.
Seeing her expression crumble, he panicked and quickly switched his approach.
“Look, I can’t even touch you, right?”
He reached out his hand.
It passed straight through her head.
Li Qingran blinked, her dazed eyes filling with confusion.
“That’s because this isn’t my real body.”
“I’m just an incarnation. My real body is currently fighting a super-powerful monster!”
A Huge Misunderstanding
Li Qingran’s expression changed.
She immediately straightened up.
“Senior is fighting a monster?”
“Is it dangerous?!”
Her voice was urgent, and her fists clenched tightly.
Chen Huaian nodded solemnly.
“Very dangerous. I was poisoned by it. The poison is almost incurable.”
That much was true.
Cancer was incurable, after all.
But before he could clarify further—
Li Qingran’s face turned pale.
Her vision blurred, and her heartbeat pounded violently.
“Senior… poisoned… can’t be cured…?”
Her fingers dug into the fabric of her robe, turning knuckles white.
Her mind raced.
“Even with Senior’s cultivation, he can’t detoxify it?”
“Then how terrifying must this monster be?!”
“If Senior dies…”
A sharp, aching pain pierced her chest—
Like a burning hole in her heart.
“Senior, I know my mistake.”
Li Qingran stepped forward, tears welling in her eyes.
Then, with a sudden plop, she knelt before Chen Huaian.
“What are you doing?!”
Chen Huaian flinched, his hands awkwardly hovering in the air.
This girl…
Even as he used his spiritual energy to lift her up, she stubbornly remained kneeling in midair.
The two locked eyes, an inexplicable silence stretching between them.
“Senior, I have a single water spirit root, which is perfect for alchemy. No matter how rare the cure is, I swear I will refine an elixir to detoxify you!”
Her voice was firm.
Her resolve unshakable.
It was… naïve.
Even laughable.
Yet she still held onto hope.
She believed that while the senior searched for great solutions, she would dedicate herself to finding the small ones.
If both paths covered each other, they could ensure that no possibility was missed.
A Moment of Warmth
Chen Huaian fell silent.
For a moment, he forgot this was a game.
Could a simple AI character feel so real?
Was Li Qingran really just a collection of pre-programmed responses?
Or was she… something more?
Her eyes trembled with sadness.
With reluctance.
With fear.
She was genuinely afraid that he would leave.
That he would die.
Eyes don’t lie.
The depth of emotion in her gaze…
Even if someone were voice-acting her role, how could they mimic that so perfectly?
300,000 yuan.
It was worth every penny.
For the first time in a long time, something in his heart felt warm.
He smiled.
And then, with a gentler tone, he reassured her:
“Don’t worry. I am a great cultivator in the Fusion Realm. Do you think a mere monster could poison me so easily?”
“The greatest comfort you could give me is to become the strongest cultivator in the Cangyun Realm.”
Li Qingran froze.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He didn’t refer to himself as ‘this deity’ anymore.
His words… felt more personal.
The aloof, untouchable senior suddenly seemed within reach.
Even if… she couldn’t touch him.
The Decision
“Senior, I want to be an alchemist.”
“I must become one.”
“Lingxi Valley will accept me.”
Lingxi Valley—the renowned Holy Medical Sect of the Cangyun Realm.
A sanctuary for alchemy and healing.
At this very moment, a major selection conference was taking place in Tianquan City.
A chance for those with spiritual roots to be chosen.
Among the sects present was Lingxi Valley.
Chen Huaian had initially ruled them out for Li Qingran, since her current cultivation method—the Chiyun Jue—was fire-based and opposed to alchemy.
“Qingran, I understand your intent, but you’ve already practiced the Chiyun Jue…”
He hesitated.
Then, he saw her eyes.
Determined. Unwavering.
A fire that could not be extinguished.
“You…”
Li Qingran met his gaze directly.
“Senior, I know that the Chiyun Jue is a fire-type technique that thrives on destruction.
“It is incompatible with alchemy.”
“But my water spirit root was never compatible with it anyway.”
Then, she smiled.
Like sunlight breaking through winter’s chill.
As if she were the one offering him comfort.
“In that case…”
She took a deep breath.
Then, she said the words that would change her path forever.
“Junior will disperse her cultivation.”
