Chapter 230 Meeting Yun Yun for the first time
Yun Yun gently brushed away a strand of black hair from her cheek and carefully tucked it behind her ear. She whispered to herself with a hint of hope: "I hope that Master Xiao Ling is really as gentle and amiable as the rumors say."
Just as Yun Yun was deeply immersed in her troubled thoughts, the door of the living room was slowly pushed open, breaking the tranquility in the room.
Yun Yun, who was originally thinking about how to start a conversation with Xiao Ling, came back to her senses from her thoughts and quickly turned her gaze towards the door.
The first thing that caught Yun Yun's eyes was a middle-aged man wearing the Xiao family's iconic attire. She vaguely remembered that this man was a guard she had met when she first arrived at the Xiao family today.
As the door opened, the middle-aged man gracefully made a gesture for invitation, and then silently stepped aside, like a shadow, silently blending into the background.
Then, a young man with blue hair slowly walked into Yun Yun's sight. He was handsome, walked calmly, and had an indescribable temperament, as if he was born with the charm to attract others' attention.
He was tall and straight, wearing a sky-blue robe with delicate golden threads on the hem, which shone with a luxurious and unobtrusive glow under the dim light. The robe fit his figure closely, revealing an elegant and calm temperament.
The hair that was scattered on his shoulders was as blue as the deep sea, with a faint luster, which matched his blue-gold eyes. Those eyes were deep and bright, as if they contained the secrets of the stars, and every twinkle exuded an irresistible charm.
He has a handsome face, delicate features that seem to have been carefully carved, and fair skin, revealing a kind of coldness that is not in touch with the world. There is a gentle smile on the corner of his mouth, which makes him look friendly and sharp.
When the young man came into view, Yun Yun recognized his identity at a glance. It was Xiao Ling, who was praised countless times in the outside world and was hailed as a peerless genius.
Even Yun Yun, the sect leader who had never shown any favor to any man in decades, couldn't help but admire in her heart: "This Xiao Ling is really as handsome as the outside world says, and he is truly a peerless talent."
Her eyes lingered on Xiao Ling. Her detached temperament, the calm smile, and the blue-gold eyes that seemed to be able to see into people's hearts all shocked her.
At this moment, Yun Yun's heart was quietly stirred. However, as the leader of the Yunlan Sect, she had been trained for many years, which made her calm and composed. She quickly calmed down and regained her usual calmness.
After Xiao Ling stepped into the spacious reception hall, Payne quietly left the hall and gently closed the carved wooden door, isolating the noise from the outside world and leaving only tranquility.
As soon as he stepped into the reception hall, Xiao Ling's eyes were quickly attracted by a graceful figure. His gaze involuntarily turned there, staring at the woman sitting upright.
A thin belt of the same color is tied around her waist. The silver metal buckle on the belt is shaped like a blooming flower, shining with luxurious luster. The hem of her skirt follows her slight movements. She is wearing an exquisite light blue long skirt. The fabric is soft and elegant, embroidered with delicate silver silk flower patterns, and the edges of the petals are glittering. The V-shaped neckline design elegantly reveals a small piece of smooth skin, while the loose sleeves are tightened at the cuffs and decorated with lace that echoes the skirt, adding a bit of agility. The movement gently brushes over the ankle, revealing the light blue gemstone decoration on the simple high heels, which complements the overall outfit.
Her waist-length hair fell smoothly and naturally on her shoulders like a deep black waterfall, with slightly curled ends. She wore a wreath woven from fresh green leaves and lavender flowers, which blended perfectly with her outfit and added a touch of natural beauty.
The eyes were as deep as the morning sky, clear and bright. The facial contours were clear, the chin line was soft, and the cheekbones were slightly raised, revealing a gentle and firm temperament. Under the long eyebrows, there was a pair of eyebrows that revealed intelligence, the nose bridge was straight, and the nose tip was slightly upturned, with a hint of imperceptible softness.
Her lips are painted with light pink lipstick, and her lips are plump and smooth. The most eye-catching thing is the green teardrop-shaped headdress on her forehead, which is made up of countless small and delicate green gems arranged in a streamlined design. The larger gem inlaid on the top undoubtedly increases its conspicuousness. The overall look gives people a noble and delicate feeling, perfectly setting off her elegant temperament.
His gaze stayed on Yun Yun for a moment, and Xiao Ling couldn't help but admire in his heart, this leader of the Yunlan Sect was indeed as gorgeous as the rumors said. It was no exaggeration to use beautiful adjectives such as "picturesque eyes and eyebrows" and "skin and bones like ice and jade" to describe the Yun Yun in front of him. Moreover, she had a graceful and elegant temperament, which added a bit of charm to her.
Soon Xiao Ling withdrew his gaze, his heart calm. After all, he had seen countless beauties and was no longer moved by appearance.
Before Xiao Ling opened his mouth, Yun Yun had already stood up, with a gentle and sincere smile on her face, and said softly: "Master Xiao Ling, after meeting you today, I found that you are as extraordinary as the rumors say. Yun Yun came here uninvited, but she had no choice. If it was abrupt, please forgive me. The situation is urgent, and I sincerely hope that you can understand."
Hearing Yun Yun so politely take the initiative to greet him, Xiao Ling did not put on airs, but responded with a faint and gentle smile, and said in a calm tone: "Haha, Sect Master Yun, your words are too harsh. Seeing you today, you are indeed a heroic woman. As for the matter we are discussing, why not put it aside for now, let's have some tea first and talk about it in detail later."
Seeing that Xiao Ling's attitude was quite kind and his face did not show any impatience, Yun Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief and thought, "Xiao Ling is indeed as the rumors say. He is not as self-righteous as ordinary geniuses. Maybe the next plan will not be as difficult as I expected before."
Then, Yun Yun opened her red lips and responded softly, "Since Master Xiao Ling has proposed this, then we will do as you say."
Afterwards, the two sat opposite each other in the reception room. Xiao Ling waved his hand gently, and the maid quietly came forward and poured fragrant tea for the two. The aroma of tea was lingering, and the atmosphere was peaceful and harmonious, creating a relaxed start for the following conversation.
Xiao Ling took a sip of the fragrant tea, then gently placed the cup on the table. His voice was full of unquestionable determination, and he said straight to the point: "Sect Master Yun Yun, you came to my humble abode today and came to see me. I believe you must have something to discuss. If you have anything to say, just say it directly. I will leave the Jiama Empire soon, and time is precious."
Yun Yun originally intended to have a casual conversation with Xiao Ling in the hope of narrowing the distance between them. However, Xiao Ling's direct question made her realize that the situation was urgent and there was no room for beating around the bush.
So, she smiled softly, with a hint of helplessness in her tone, but also appeared frank and sincere: "Since Master Xiao Ling is so straightforward, I will not beat around the bush. This time, the Yunlan Sect does have a request. We hope that Master Xiao Ling can help us refine two precious sixth-grade peak elixirs, one Imperial Pill and one Sect Breaking Pill."
As soon as Yun Yun finished speaking, she raised her slender hand, and as she moved, rows of neatly arranged rare medicinal herbs suddenly appeared on the table.
Once these herbs appeared, they released a rich aroma that instantly filled the entire room, as if the air inside was tinged with a faint medicinal fragrance, which invigorated people.
Xiao Ling's eyes swept across the medicinal herbs. His perception was as delicate and sharp as flowing water. Every detail of the medicinal herbs was clearly reflected in his mind.
The medicinal materials displayed by Yun Yun were obviously carefully prepared. They were divided into three parts of materials for refining the Pozong Pill and three parts of materials for refining the Huangji Pill.
Xiao Ling's eyes swept across the table again. In addition to the three medicinal materials for refining the Pozong Pill and the Huangji Pill, he also noticed a few other medicinal materials placed on the side. These were undoubtedly the rewards prepared by the Yunlan Sect for him. Among these precious medicinal materials, one particularly caught his attention. It was the Seven Illusions Green Spirit Saliva, a spiritual medicine that he was quite familiar with.
This unexpected discovery surprised Xiao Ling. He had never thought that he would encounter such rare Seven Illusions Green Spirit Saliva again in the Jia Ma Empire.
Xiao Ling once used the Seven Illusions Green Spirit Saliva as the main ingredient and successfully refined his first seventh-grade pill to date.
This achievement not only demonstrated his extraordinary medicine refining skills, but also made the Seven Illusions Green Spirit Saliva occupy a special place in his heart. Seeing this same species of medicinal vegetable again now, he couldn't help but recall the glorious moment of refining medicine, and a trace of emotion welled up in his heart.
Yun Yun noticed that Xiao Ling's eyes were fixed on the Seven Illusions Green Spirit Saliva, and the subtle expression on his face, and she couldn't help but smile. She thought to herself, "It seems that Yun Lan Sect's preparations have successfully aroused the interest of Master Xiao Ling. I'm sure the next negotiation will be much easier."
Then, Yun Yun stretched out her slender jade hand, and with a faint smile, introduced to Xiao Ling: "Master Xiao Ling, this Seven Illusions Green Spirit Saliva was found by our Yunlan Sect after going through hardships and spending a lot of money not long ago. I heard earlier that Master had exchanged a plant of this medicine for curing Marshal Lionheart. I think Master must have a special liking for this thing, so I brought this herb this time."
After listening to Yun Yun's explanation, Xiao Ling had a clear idea of the origin of this Seven Illusions Green Spirit Saliva. It seemed that Yunlan Sect had accidentally obtained this Seven Illusions Green Spirit Saliva during their vigorous search for the medicinal materials for the Breaking Sect Pill and the Imperial Pill.
As for the fact that he had used the Seven Illusions Green Spirit Saliva as a reward to treat Nalan Jie, Xiao Ling was not surprised that Yun Lan Sect knew about it. After all, Nalan Jie's granddaughter, Nalan Yanran, was Yun Yun's favorite student. It was natural for her to tell her master about this.
Xiao Ling knew that under normal circumstances, the rewards from the Yun Lan Sect would naturally be enough for him to refine the two pills. However, the current situation was special, and he wanted to test the Yun Lan Sect to see if they had any more rare treasures as bargaining chips.
After all, if he could gain more benefits just by talking, Xiao Ling would be quite happy.
Moreover, Xiao Ling knew what was going on. He was not worried that his demands were too high and would cause the Yunlan Sect to back down.
Yun Yun might hesitate and be unwilling to pay a huge price to seek his help, but if Yun Shan wants to prolong his life, breaking through to the Dou Zong realm is the only way.
If not, he would eventually return to dust and become the dust of history. And now if the aging Yunshan wants to break through, the Pozong Pill is the key. This is his only hope.
For the sake of the former leader of Yunlan Sect, Yunlan Sect would definitely spare no effort to ask Xiao Ling to refine the crucial sect-breaking pill. Xiao Ling knew that Yunlan Sect's decision would be based on its cherishment of Yunshan's life and its consideration of the sect's future.
So before Yun Yun could continue speaking, Xiao Ling took the lead, his voice calm and direct: "Master Yun Yun, the reward offered by the Yunlan Sect is indeed very generous. Under normal circumstances, if your sect needs my help to refine pills, I will naturally not refuse."
"But to be honest, the situation I'm facing is indeed urgent. You should have heard that today is the day I planned to leave the Jia Ma Empire. It takes time to refine a sixth-grade top-level elixir, not to mention two pills. This will undoubtedly take up a lot of my precious time."
"I must set off as soon as possible before noon today, otherwise I might miss those opportunities that can never be regained. As for the Seven Illusions Green Spirit Saliva, although it is extremely precious in the eyes of ordinary people, for me, its effect is no longer what it used to be. Please keep it in your hands and wait for the right time to use it yourself."
After Xiao Ling finished speaking, he calmly picked up the teacup beside him and sipped the tea leisurely. His posture seemed calm and unhurried, as if he had no choice and really could not help the Yunlan Sect.
Yun Yun had been the leader of the Yunlan Sect for many years, so she naturally understood people's hearts very well. She knew that Xiao Ling's words were full of hidden meaning, implying that the reward had not yet met his expectations, which made her feel a little helpless.
Xiao Ling's silence and tea sipping seemed to silently convey a message: If Yunlan Sect wanted to invite him, the master of alchemy, it might need more sincerity and more attractive bargaining chips.
She knew that the resources currently on the table were the most precious medicinal materials that Yunlan Sect could provide, and Yunlan Sect had already spent a lot of money to provide these. If it wasn't for the purpose of obtaining a Po Zong Dan to prolong her master's life, Yun Yun would really be reluctant to use these things as a reward for Xiao Ling's medicine refining.
As for the pills made by Gu He, she believed that with Xiao Ling's pill making skills that surpassed Gu He himself, he would definitely not take them seriously.
As for the fighting skills, Yunlan Sect did have many earth-level fighting skills and techniques in its heyday, which might interest Xiao Ling.
However, as time passed and the sect gradually declined, all that was left of the sect were some mysterious techniques and fighting skills. Yun Yun knew that these would not be of interest to a master of alchemy like Xiao Ling.
A thought flashed through her mind, and Yun Yun couldn't help but cast a glance, with a hint of imperceptible resentment quietly revealed in her eyes. She thought to herself: "I originally thought that although Xiao Ling has a prominent position and extraordinary strength, he is still young after all, and should not be too shrewd. Now it seems that he is also a difficult person to deal with. I was deceived by his warm appearance before, I really misjudged him."
However, this sense of contrast, for some reason, has an inexplicable unusual appeal.
Although Yun Yun's heart was slightly moved, her expression remained as calm and elegant as usual, not letting the subtle changes in her heart show outwardly.
With a sigh, Yun Yun raised a gentle smile again, although the smile was a bit forced. She said to Xiao Ling: "Master Xiao Ling, you are right. We, the Yunlan Sect, did come a little late and took up your precious time. All this is because we spent a lot of energy and time collecting these medicinal herbs. It is really helpless."
She paused and continued, "In order to express our sincere apologies, Yunlan Sect is willing to provide a more generous reward. I believe that you, Master Xiao Ling, will be satisfied with this extra sincerity. We sincerely hope that you can help us refine these two vital pills."
Yun Yun's voice fell, and she felt relieved. She was confident in her chips and believed that these would arouse Xiao Ling's interest. Her eyes revealed a hint of anticipation, as if she had foreseen Xiao Ling's unexpected reaction to the precious things that were about to be displayed.
Hearing Yun Yun's words, Xiao Ling's interest was indeed piqued. A hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes, and then he cast an inquiring look at Yun Yun, with a hint of amusement in his tone: "Since Sect Master Yun said so, then I will naturally listen attentively to see what kind of treasure it is that can catch my eye."
Yun Yun nodded gently, no longer pretending to be mysterious. She casually raised her hand and took out a scroll that exuded an ancient atmosphere from her ring. She gently placed the scroll on the table. The surface of the scroll seemed to contain subtle soul fluctuations, which were faint but clearly perceptible.
When Yun Yun took out the scroll, Xiao Ling's eyes were fixed on it. As an alchemist, Xiao Ling almost immediately recognized the origin of the scroll. It was an extremely precious treasure for alchemists, a prescription for elixirs.
Moreover, from the vicissitudes of life coming from this recipe, one can judge that this recipe is very old, and it may even be an ancient recipe that has been lost.
Seeing Xiao Ling's strong interest in the scroll, Yun Yun couldn't help but smile. She knew that for an alchemist like Xiao Ling, a precious pill recipe would undoubtedly have an irresistible appeal.
Then, Yun Yun explained to Xiao Ling in detail: "Master, you have a sharp eye. I believe you have seen that this is not just an ordinary recipe. Its origin is quite extraordinary. It is a treasure inherited from the ancestors of the Yunlan Sect that I accidentally obtained during my training in the secret realm of the Gate of Life and Death after I broke through the Dou Ling realm."
(End of this chapter)