Chapter 21: Hey! I Do Have a Small Request

Lin Xiao studied the beautiful woman before him with a puzzled gaze.

Her blue dress swayed gently as she moved with light, graceful steps.

A pair of exquisite, bright eyes and two rows of pearly white teeth gleamed brilliantly on her face.

Her entire bearing was elegant and refined, her features strikingly beautiful — she appeared to be around twenty years old.

Did he know someone like this?

"You — who are you?!" Lin Xiao asked, puzzled.

The peak-guarding disciple nearby caught sight of the woman and immediately bowed with great respect. "Greetings, Senior Sister Lu."

"That's enough — you may go. This person is a friend of mine. From now on, you are not to be disrespectful to him," the woman said coolly to the peak-guarding disciple.

"Yes, Senior Sister Lu." The peak-guarding disciple acknowledged her and quickly withdrew.

He was inwardly astonished.

He never would have expected Senior Sister Lu to know a Servant Disciple — and their relationship seemed anything but ordinary.

Once only the two of them remained.

The cool, aloof demeanor the woman had just displayed vanished entirely.

She fixed Lin Xiao with an eager, burning gaze and said with a hint of displeasure, "Junior Brother, you saved me last time and then left without a word. I haven't even had the chance to properly thank you!"

Hearing this, Lin Xiao finally remembered who the woman in front of him was.

"Oh, oh — it's you! Lu Wenyuan's sister, right?" Lin Xiao said, the realization dawning on him.

Last time, this woman had been hunted down in the Demonic Beast Forest, and he had rescued her.

At the time, her hair had been disheveled and her appearance haggard.

He hadn't expected that cleaned up, she'd look quite attractive.

"My name is Lu Mingyue. May I ask Junior Brother's name?" Lu Mingyue, seeing that he had finally remembered her, helplessly introduced herself again and asked for his name.

She had been asking around the Inner Sect for days trying to find out about him, yet had come up empty-handed.

Someone so powerful — how could no one know who he was?

She absolutely had to get his name today.

"I'm Lin Xiao. Senior Sister Lu, are you from Azure Brush Peak?" Lin Xiao recalled the business he had to attend to — having an acquaintance to show him the way was perfect.

"Yes. If Junior Brother is looking for someone at Azure Brush Peak, just tell me directly. So Junior Brother's name is Lin Xiao — I finally know your name... Lin Xiao... wait... hm? Lin Xiao?! Junior Brother, could you possibly be that arrogant, overbearing Sword Cultivator genius named Lin Xiao who stood out in this Outer Sect Trial?!"

Lu Mingyue suddenly seemed to recall something and stared at him wide-eyed.

"That person you're describing — that would be me," Lin Xiao said with a shrug.

"Really?! Junior Brother Lin Xiao, you're incredible! If it's really you, I'm sure none of the people on the Inner Sect's elite rankings would be a match for you." Lu Mingyue said with a smile.

She had seen it with her own eyes — he had slain a Wheel Sea Realm powerhouse with a single sword strike.

With that level of strength, even among the elite rankings, only the top few could possibly achieve such a feat.

Lin Xiao rolled his eyes at his Senior Sister's flattery.

He changed the subject. "Senior Sister Lu, do you know Elder Qiao of Azure Brush Peak? I have some business with him."

"Hm?! That's my master — you have business with my master???" Lu Mingyue grew even more curious about Lin Xiao.

Generally speaking, Outer Sect Disciples and ordinary Inner Sect Disciples had no way of meeting her master.

"I do have some business. I'd appreciate it if Senior Sister Lu could show me the way," Lin Xiao said.

"Alright, follow me then." Lu Mingyue didn't hesitate and agreed immediately.

The two set off one after the other, making their way swiftly toward the peak summit.

Along the way, everyone who caught sight of Lu Mingyue — regardless of their cultivation level — greeted her politely.

At the same time, they cast curious glances at Lin Xiao, unable to figure out who he was.

This was the first time any of them had seen the cool and aloof Senior Sister / Junior Sister Lu walking so closely alongside a male peer of similar age.

The two chatted casually as they walked, exchanging a few words here and there.

Lin Xiao also learned more about this Senior Sister Lu's background.

It turned out she was the Core Disciple of Elder Qiao, the peak master of Azure Brush Peak.

Her cultivation wasn't the highest, but her talent in Alchemy was exceptional.

She even ranked 96th on the Inner Sect's elite rankings.

Upon learning this, Lin Xiao's expression turned a little strange.

That level of strength was enough to place 96th on the elite rankings?

The elite rankings didn't seem all that impressive then.

Lu Mingyue seemed to sense what Lin Xiao was thinking and began to explain.

"Junior Brother Lin Xiao, the Inner Sect's elite rankings are full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers — the vast majority are Wheel Sea Realm powerhouses."

"There are very few like me who have reached the Perfected Spirit Gathering Realm."

"But with Junior Brother Lin Xiao's strength, you'd certainly be able to claim a spot near the top."

Lu Mingyue also mentioned a few examples of powerful individuals to illustrate her point.

"Senior Sister, how does one get onto the Inner Sect's elite rankings?" Lin Xiao asked.

"You simply challenge someone directly — but you can only challenge those ranked within twenty places above you."

"In other words, if Junior Brother Lin Xiao wants to enter the elite rankings, you could challenge anyone ranked between 80th and 100th. Win the challenge, and you're on the list."

Lu Mingyue explained the Inner Sect's ranking rules.

Lin Xiao, however, looked distinctly uninterested.

"Junior Brother Lin Xiao, being on the elite rankings doesn't just mean more monthly resources than ordinary disciples. Sometimes, certain special sect activities are only open to the top-ranked members."

"I've heard that next month, the Limitless Ancient Ruins are set to open."

"When that happens, not only will our sect participate — other sects from across the Great Wei Dynasty will be heading there as well."

Lu Mingyue shared this piece of news.

"The Limitless Ancient Ruins? What kind of place is that?" Lin Xiao had no recollection of it in the memories he had absorbed.

"It's a place brimming with Fortuitous Encounters. And because of certain Dao Laws of heaven and earth, only those below the Revolving Pill Realm who carry a specific Token can enter."

"Oh, right! The sword-testing stone used in the Outer Sect Trial — the Sect Master retrieved it from that very ruin a long, long time ago."

Lu Mingyue shared everything she knew.

Lin Xiao paused slightly upon hearing this.

A glimmer of light flickered in his eyes.

"You just need to rank near the top, right?!" Lin Xiao said, his voice carrying a trace of excitement.

"Uh — yes, that's right!" Lu Mingyue gave Lin Xiao a puzzled look.

What was going on?

He had looked completely disinterested just a moment ago.

Why had he suddenly perked up?

How strange.

* * *

About ten minutes later.

The two arrived at a grand pavilion at the peak summit.

"Master, this is the person who saved me last time." Lu Mingyue addressed an elderly man with gray hair who sat beside an alchemy furnace.

"This disciple, Lin Xiao, greets Elder Qiao." Lin Xiao offered a polite greeting.

Elder Qiao turned to look at Lin Xiao, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.

To slay a Wheel Sea Realm powerhouse with a single sword strike while at only the fourth stage of the Spirit Gathering Realm — this was undeniably the mark of a genius.

A young man like this would surely shine brilliantly before long.

He gave a nod and said, "You're a young man of good character. For saving my disciple, you are an honored guest of Azure Brush Peak. From now on, if you ever have any Alchemy needs, come to me directly. As long as you bring the materials, I will personally refine the Pill for you."

Lu Mingyue was inwardly stunned to hear her master say this.

The weight of that promise was enormous.

One had to understand — setting aside members of Sword Demon Sect, there were countless powerhouses within a thousand-mile radius who sought her master's Alchemy services.

Quite a few of them were even Revolving Pill Realm cultivators.

Yet no matter how high a price they offered, whether her master agreed to help depended entirely on his mood.

Lin Xiao naturally understood that this promise was genuinely remarkable.

He thought of the promissory note in his possession.

He spoke up. "Elder Qiao, this junior does indeed have an Alchemy request."