Dual Cultivation

"You're finally back, Su Yang?" Liu Lanzhi said to him after noticing his figure from her window at the Yin Yang Pavilion.

"Sorry it took longer than I'd anticipated," he said. "Did something happen during my absence?"

"Her Highness was looking for you, and a few disciples also wanted to Cultivate with you."

"I see." Su Yang nodded before turning around and heading to Xie Xingfang's living quarters, and he knocked on her door a few minutes later.

"Su Yang. You're back." She greeted him with a beautiful smile.

"Un. I had some business at the Burning Lotus Sect. Did you want to speak to me?"

"Please, come inside." She said.

Su Yang nodded, and the moment he entered the house, he could feel Xie Wang's spiritual sense watching him.

"Calm down, old man. It's not like I will eat her or anything." Su Yang chuckled.

"Grandfather, we are the guests here, not the other way around…" Xie Xingfang also voiced her displeasure.

"Che…"

A moment later, the spiritual sense following Su Yang disappeared.

"Let me pour you some tea."

Xie Xingfang quickly retrieved a teapot from her storage ring that was still hot and poured a cup for him.

"Thank you." Su Yang calmly sipped on the tea.

"You can drink the tea while I speak," Xie Xingfang said to him, and she continued, "So I wanted to speak to you regarding the pill that will allow people besides myself to enter the Abandoned Forest, and after using my family's resources, we were able to find the ingredients to concoct the pill."

"Oh? That's good to hear." Su Yang said.

"Yes… however, we have a slight problem. While we were able to secure the ingredients for the pill, due to the rarity for one of the ingredients, there are only enough ingredients to concoct one pill."

"I know this may sound incredibly selfish, but I would like to ask you to accompany me to the Abandon Forest…" she said to him in a bashful voice, as it was quite difficult and embarrassing for her to request his help after everything he's already done for her.

"Besides my father and my grandfather, I cannot imagine anyone else who could defeat the Purple Qilin, and I feel safer with you than with them."

Su Yang placed the tea down with a smile and said, "How can I refuse a request from a beauty like you, especially when you say something like that? It will be my pleasure to accompany you to the Abandoned Forest."

Seeing the handsome smile on Su Yang's face, Xie Xingfang blushed, and she nodded, "Thank you, Su Yang. One day… I will definitely repay you for everything that you've done for me and my family."

"When would you like to head to the Abandoned Forest?" He asked her.

"Although we have located the ingredients, we still need to have them delivered. We can head to the Abandoned Forest after my family opens up the Celestial Pond. There's also the dinner that my family owes you."

Su Yang nodded.

Sometime later, Su Yang returned to the Yin Yang Pavilion.

"Hmm?"

When he approached his room, he noticed a small and incredibly beautiful figure quietly standing in front of his door.

"Xiao Rong has been waiting for your return, Master," she said to him.

"Hmm?" Su Yang immediately noticed something different about her aura; it appeared more mature and elegant than before.

'I guess whatever Qin Liangyu has been teaching her is working…' he smiled inwardly.

"Do you need something from me, Xiao Rong?" he asked her.

She nodded and said, "That bad cat is approaching this place."

"Huh? Bad cat? What are you talking about?" Su Yang raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

"The one from the Holy Central Continent," she said.

However, Su Yang remained confused.

Seeing this, Xiao Rong explained to him about her encounter with Patriarch Gold, who had tried to assault her after seeing her.

"Oh… so that's why you destroyed their entire Sect. I understand the situation now." Su Yang nodded.

"So it turns out that the expert coming to hunt Xie Xingfang is the same person who tried to assault you, huh? Why am I not surprised?" Su Yang calmly shook his head.

"How long until they arrive?" he then asked.

"About one week," she responded.

"Then there is plenty of time to prepare — not that we need to, anyway."

"Should I just kill him?" Xiao Rong asked him.

"No, I will deal with him personally. Even though you have already punished him for trying to assault you, I have yet to do so. Furthermore, I have a duty to protect Xie Xingfang, who sought protection from me."

Xiao Rong nodded.

"Anyway, I am going to train a few disciples now."

Before leaving, he said to Xiao Rong, "By the way, you have matured slightly since the last time I saw you. If you continue to grow, I will allow you to taste as much Yang Qi as you want from me."

Xiao Rong's eyes widened with surprise after hearing his words, and she nodded with a delightful expression, "Yes, Master!"

"But don't cause too much trouble for Qin Liangyu."

"I won't, Master!" Xiao Rong said before disappearing from the place, presumably returning to Qin Liangyu's side for more practice.

"Patriarch Gold, huh? Looks like I will have to visit the Holy Central Continent sooner than I'd anticipated. I wonder how those two are fairing now?" Su Yang mumbled to himself before leaving the Yin Yang Pavilion to look for the disciples that wanted to cultivate with him.

After spending the next few days cultivating with all of the female disciples, Su Yang prepared to head to the Heavenly Swan Sect.

Meanwhile, during the last few days, what happened at the Assembly Hall has spread throughout the entire Continent like wildfire, and there's not a single person who hasn't heard of the Alchemy Master from the Holy Central Continent and his world-changing pills.