Battle Through the Heavens: Beauties Abound Starting with Yunlan and Her Disciples

342: Section 342That chasm lay between them and her, so wide it was despairing, so deep its bottom could not be seen. Even straining her vision to the limit, she could not glimpse the scenery on the other shore.

408 Instructor Finds You a Nice Junior

Ruo Lin’s body leaned softly against Yun Xiancheng’s chest, her fingertip unconsciously tracing circles on his lapel. Her warm breath carried a sigh tinged with contentment. ’These past two years, I’ve actually reached the Five-Star Dou Wang Realm. In the past, such a Realm was something I wouldn’t even dare to dream of.’

She pressed her cheek closer, feeling that familiar, steady heartbeat, and her thoughts drifted back five years. Their first meeting in Wutan City... she was merely a Great Dou Master then, and he was still a youth whose frame hadn’t fully grown.

When he entered the Outer Academy, she was only a low-level Dou Ling, having tasted all the hardships of cultivation. Yet now, in just over two years, she had surpassed decades of bitter cultivation by others.

This kind of rebirth-like leap... deep down, she understood clearly. The source of it all was this man before her.

That soul bond of the Pact of One Heart gathered the strength and talent of all the sisters, transforming it into an inexhaustible spring that watered each other’s cultivation paths.

And as this harem garden grew increasingly lush, the speed of the feedback also rose correspondingly, progressing a thousand li in a single day.

’Cheng, you finally decided to come back.’ Ruo Lin tilted her face up, her slender fingers threading through the hair at his temples. The look in her eyes was an inseparable blend of longing and coquettishness. ’Without a word, for two whole years.’

Yun Xiancheng lowered his head, capturing her mischievous, delicate hand and enveloping it in his palm. The corner of his mouth held a trace of a helpless smile.

’Master’s words are unfair. My thoughts never ceased sending greetings for a single day.’ That sense of peace and safety originating from the soul link was his daily report.

Ruo Lin’s eyes curved into crescents. The faint trace of resentment in her heart instantly vanished, leaving only overflowing sweetness. ’Mhm. Just knowing my Chenger is safe and sound is enough.’

She changed the subject, a hint of mischief flashing in her eyes:

’After I advanced to Dou Wang, I often moved about the Inner Academy. I actually discovered an interesting seedling. A young girl named Ye Xinlan, your proper junior. When she first entered the Inner Academy, she was asking everyone for news about you. I happened to run into her when I went to the Liu Gang on business. The look of disappointment on that little face when she learned you were trapped beneath the tower... tsk tsk, truly enough to make one’s heart ache.’

’Ye Xinlan?’

Yun Xiancheng silently repeated this name in his heart, and memories from his previous life surfaced.

The Ye Family from the original work’s Central Plains was once one of the five great families of the Pill Tower, a prestigious Alchemist clan. But now, it had long declined, likely facing the threat of being stripped of its status.

’Oh?’ Yun Xiancheng looked up, a flicker of interest rising in his clear eyes. ’Since it’s someone Master values, introducing her and accepting her as a sister would be a fine thing indeed.’

’Then we mustn’t delay.’ Ruo Lin immediately perked up. ’That child has a cool, aloof temperament, always keeps to herself. She looks quite lonely. She precisely needs...’

...a deity like you to properly enlighten her.’

With that, she decisively rose from his embrace, took his wrist, and half-dragged, half-led him out. Yun Xiancheng hadn’t even had time to savor another sip of tea before his eager Master pulled him from his seat.

In the courtyard, the Young ladies who had also just emerged from seclusion merely cast a lazy glance at the commotion before finding their own comfortable corners again, some closing their eyes to regulate their breathing, others chatting in low voices.

Two years of shared bathing in the Yao Pond, the fusion of spirit and flesh, had already granted them ultimate satisfaction and sublimation. Now, their hearts and minds were content, naturally not in a hurry for fleeting intimacy.

Returning to her own dwelling, the room was quiet and cold. Ye Xinlan sat silently on the edge of the bed, her gaze unfocused, fixed on a point in the empty air. That shocking scene from the plaza still replayed in her mind.

That figure in white, and the radiant women clustered around him, together formed a painting she could never hope to reach.

That distance transformed into a heavy, sinking realization in her heart at this moment. It was time to stop.

This hopeless pursuit, this battlefield of chaos fought alone, would ultimately only burn her.

Ye Xinlan slowly drew in a breath, then slowly, completely, exhaled, as if trying to expel the longing and palpitations that had settled in her chest for two years...

...emptying it all out. So be it. Spend the remaining time in the Inner Academy peacefully, then graduate, and go home.

Just as this thought settled like dust, a light, unhurried yet distinct knocking sounded at the door: *tap, tap, tap*. It struck directly upon the strings of her heart, which had just fallen silent.

’Xinlan? Are you in?’ Outside the door was Instructor Ruo Lin’s gentle inquiry. Ye Xinlan’s spirits lifted, the earlier gloom dispersing somewhat.

In this Inner Academy where she was alone, Instructor Ruo Lin was one of her few sources of warm comfort.

Back when she heard that news, it was this gentle teacher who accompanied her through those darkest, most bewildering days.

’Elder Ruo Lin, I’m here!’ She raised her voice, quickly walked to the door, and pulled it open with genuine delight. The next instant, the scene outside the door froze all her expressions, all her movements, and all her thoughts completely.

That figure she had just resolved to uproot from her heart, that legend shrouded in boundless light, unreachable... was now standing quietly outside her door, beside Instructor Ruo Lin.

Her mind went blank. Not a sound could escape her throat. Even her breathing halted in that moment.

’Hmm? What’s wrong, Xinlan?’ Seeing her frozen posture, the amusement in Ruo Lin’s eyes deepened. ’Aren’t you going to invite us in to sit?’ These words struck like thunder, calling Ye Xinlan’s soul back to its shell.

She snapped back to reality, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson. She didn’t know where to put her hands and feet, only stammering as she moved aside, repeating, ’P-please, come in. Please, come in.’

She practically ushered the two in with clumsy, stiff movements, the blood roaring in her ears.

Only after flusteredly inviting the two to sit at the table and seating herself opposite did she realize her fingertips were ice-cold, yet her heart felt scalding hot.

She struggled to steady her trembling hands and poured tea for them. Some tea splashed onto the rim of the cup due to her nervousness.

Yun Xiancheng didn’t mind. Instead, he reached out, took a clean handkerchief, and meticulously wiped away the droplets. Then he lifted his gaze to meet hers, his clear, gentle words reaching her ears:

’Xinlan, you are an Alchemist as well?’

This simple action miraculously relaxed Ye Xinlan’s taut nerves for a moment. Subconsciously straightening her back, she nodded vigorously, responding eagerly:

’Y-yes! I am an Alchemist. I’ve heard of Senior Xiao Yan’s deeds. I’ve always... always regarded her as a role model.’

’I’m already a fifth-grade Alchemist now. My... my cultivation Realm isn’t high, I can only shine in pill refining.’ As she spoke, she lowered her head, seeming somewhat embarrassed.

409 Fiancée Ye Xinlan

Thinking this would be a meeting filled with awkwardness and reverence, Ye Xinlan never expected the conversation to veer completely off its presumed track because of pill refining.

Every profound question about medicinal principles she raised, the other could answer with incisive clarity from an even more elevated perspective. From identifying substitutes for a rare medicinal plant, to the fine adjustment of flame control at the critical moment of pill condensation for a key elixir, to how two seemingly conflicting medicinal properties...

...could achieve perfect balance through a special technique.

Every comment from Yun Xiancheng precisely pinpointed the unresolved issues that had plagued her during past pill refinings.

The halo of unreachable distance surrounding him quietly faded amidst the collision of exquisite pill refining theories. The person sitting opposite her now was no longer a legend, but a knowledgeable, deeply admirable fellow practitioner.

In her excitement, she even took out her treasured pill refining notes, spread them before him, pointed to a problem that had long troubled her, and eagerly sought guidance.

Ruo Lin rested her chin on one hand, quietly admiring the scene before her.

The light in the young girl’s eyes had already transformed from the initial awe and nervousness into pure admiration and trust.

And her Chenger’s expression held a rare focus and gentleness. Her heart understood completely; this matter no longer needed any further pushing. Unnoticed, the light outside the window had shifted from bright brilliance to a soft orange-yellow, casting a layer of warmth over the simple, elegant room.

Yun Xiancheng paused his words for a moment. His gaze swept around the room before finally settling on Ye Xinlan’s slightly flushed cheeks, excited from the discussion. His words were mellow: ’How about a short break? Wait here. I’ll prepare some food for you.’

Ye Xinlan’s thoughts were pulled back from complex pill formulas, leaving her momentarily dazed.

When she grasped the meaning of his words, a wave of heat shot up from her neck to the roots of her ears. Flustered, she nodded repeatedly, replying in a thread-like voice, ’Mhm, mhm. Okay, good. Classmate Cheng.’

Watching that snow-robed figure step into the simple kitchen area separated only by a screen, Ye Xinlan could no longer restrain herself. She cupped her burning cheeks with both hands. The corners of her mouth lifted uncontrollably, and a few suppressed, satisfied light laughs escaped her throat, carrying a sweetness she herself hadn’t even noticed.

A crisp, dry cough sounded in the quiet room. Ruo Lin’s smiling eyes were watching her with keen interest. This reminder yanked Ye Xinlan back to reality from her floating cloud of euphoria.

’Well? Xinlan,’ Ruo Lin’s voice was tinged with teasing, ’does he differ from the Yun Xiancheng you pictured in your heart?’

Hearing this, Ye Xinlan immediately reined in her girlish demeanor. She straightened her spine, thought seriously for a moment, then answered in a tone approaching solemnity:

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

”The him in my imagination was a celestial being hanging high above the clouds, cold and aloof, untainted by the mortal world. But the him before my eyes... is warm, considerate of others, and real enough to touch.”

Instructor Ruo Lin tapped her fingertips lightly on the tabletop, the curve of her lips deepening: ”Are you disappointed? To realize he isn’t as unworldly as you thought?”

Ye Xinlan glanced at her curiously: ”Why would I be disappointed? What I admire is his demeanor and talent, not some fabricated, perfect god. Furthermore, if he were truly cold and heartless, how could Instructor Ruo Lin and the other senior sisters be so devoted to him?”

The approval in Ruo Lin’s eyes grew stronger: ”You child, your mind is truly crystal clear.”

Upon receiving the praise, Ye Xinlan subconsciously straightened her slender back, carrying a hint of a young girl’s pride: ”That is only natural. When I was at home, the elders of my clan often said...”

As the word ”Family” left her lips, the light in her eyes suddenly dimmed, and the previous excitement was replaced by a shadow of gloom.

Her words came to an abrupt halt. She remained silent for a moment before continuing stiffly: ”...I mean, I never expected that Classmate Cheng’s attainments in the path of alchemy would be so profound. Especially since his Dou Qi attribute is not suited for alchemy.”

Ruo Lin did not press her further, simply following her topic to chat about some interesting anecdotes from the academy. A moment later, a light, appetizing, fresh aroma wafted over.

Yun Xiancheng walked out carrying three bowls of clear noodle soup. The broth was clear, dotted with a few flecks of vibrant green. He set the bowls down and said gently: ”The ingredients were limited. This is just to fill our stomachs; please don’t mind.”

Ruo Lin took the warm porcelain bowl. The fragrance made her appetite stir, but she did not pick up her chopsticks immediately.

Yun Xiancheng nodded, reaching out to hold Ruo Lin’s delicate hand resting on the table, the warmth of his fingertips transferring over: ”Master, do you wish to stay at the academy, or... come home with me?”

The word ”Home” was like a warm feather, lightly brushing against her heart.

A faint blush colored Ruo Lin’s cheeks. She gripped his hand back and shot him a reproachful glance: ”You ask when you already know the answer. Do you intend to leave me here all alone?”

She steadied herself and continued: ”I have corresponded with Yun Yun and learned about you founding Yunlan Academy in Jia Ma.”

Yun Xiancheng was about to introduce it, but Ruo Lin understood and cut him off: ”You don’t need to say anything; I have already spoken with that child, Linger, through the ’Pact’. She is an excellent girl, quiet and gentle.”

”It’s just that it’s too hard for her to support such a large academy alone. If I go to help out, it might make things easier for her.”

Yun Xiancheng tightened his knuckles slightly, squeezing their clasped hands, his eyes filled with gentle warmth: ”I trouble you, Master.”

”Between us, why the need for thanks?” Ruo Lin’s fingertips traced lightly across his palm, carrying a faint, lingering caress.

”I only hope that in the future, when your harem is full of flowers, you still remember who your mentor was.”

This conversation, while ostensibly about the relationship between Master and disciple, was filled with the deep affection and tacit understanding of lovers.

Ye Xinlan listened silently, her bamboo chopsticks unconsciously stirring the noodles in her bowl. Her thoughts were turbulent, and she found it hard to calm down. Instructor Ruo Lin’s words were clearly an olive branch extended to her as well.

To go to his kingdom, to the home he built with his own hands... This invitation was so beautiful that she almost wanted to nod immediately. But the dark clouds of the Pill Tower and the heavy burden of her family pressed down on her shoulders, preventing her from taking that step.

Yun Xiancheng took in her struggle, his clear, gentle voice breaking her silence: ”Xinlan, there seems to be sorrow etched between your brows. If you have any difficulties, feel free to speak. With one more person, there is always one more bit of help.”

His words possessed a peaceful power that cleansed the heart.

Ye Xinlan’s chaotic heartbeat gradually settled. She raised her head, meeting those clear eyes, and poured out the heavy secret.

”My family is the Ye Family, one of the five great families of the Pill Tower in the Central Plains, holding a seat on the Council of Elders. However, in the last few decades, the younger generation has withered, and our talent for alchemy has suffered a disconnect. We have failed twice consecutively in the Pill Tower assessments and are now on the verge of being expelled. Our family’s foundation is in imminent danger.”

Her hands resting on her knees tightened involuntarily, her voice trembling with irrepressible bitterness: ”And I... am currently only at the Fifth-Grade Realm. There is still a chasm between me and the threshold of the Sixth-Grade.”

After hearing this, Yun Xiancheng’s expression did not change; he only tapped his fingertips on the table twice: ”This matter is not without a solution. I only wonder, does the Pill Tower assessment allow for outside help?”

Ye Xinlan pondered for a moment, a blush rising to her cheeks again, her voice lowering: ”According to the rules, it is naturally not allowed. But... but if it were in the name of marriage, it would be an exception. If... Classmate Cheng were willing to be my fiancé, and with Senior Sister Xiao Yan acting as my sister, this rule could be circumvented.”

Upon hearing this, a faint smile escaped Yun Xiancheng’s lips, his eyes reflecting her nervous yet expectant expression: ”That is not impossible. What does Xinlan think? Once this marriage is settled, there is no going back.”

This casual agreement was like the sound of heaven. A ”buzz” went off in Ye Xinlan’s mind, and all the dark clouds of worry were instantly swept away.

She almost sprang up, rushed to his side, wrapped her arms tightly around his arm, and shouted with all her might: ”I am naturally willing!”

At this moment, Ruo Lin happily tasted Yun Xiancheng’s noodles. It was a common flavor, not necessarily stunning, but it gave one the taste of home.

”410 Xinlan, since you have become Lord Guan’s fiancée, you should enter the family soon.”

”Lord Guan is quite relaxed. He’s only been out of seclusion for a short while, and he’s already found us a new little sister.” A lazy, teasing voice drifted out from the inner chamber.

Xiao Yan was sitting cross-legged on the bed, her eyes slightly closed, carefully sensing the surging, immense power within her body that had just entered the Dou Huang expert Realm.

Five and a half years ago, Yun Yun personally came to Wutan City for Yun Xiancheng’s safety.

That was the first time in her life she had seen a Dou Huang expert with her own eyes. The majestic aura that could stir the power of heaven and earth with a mere gesture was, in her then-immature mind, almost equivalent to the pinnacle of this world.

At that time, the young girl’s most fervent dream was that one day she, too, could reach this Realm, like Yun Yun, and with her own strength, lead the entire Xiao Family into Gama Emperor City, achieving the glory of a Dou Huang family.

However, as the world turned, ever since she entrusted her life to Yun Xiancheng.

That ambition regarding family glory had, in the day-to-day companionship, quietly transformed into a longing and protectiveness for this warm little home. Her thoughts and spirit were entirely tied to the small confines of the Yun residence.

Looking back, these short six years had condensed a grandeur that others might not experience in a lifetime.

She accompanied him, this man who held the multiple roles of senior brother and husband, walking through the sword light and sword shadows of the Jia Ma Empire, and breaking through the blood and wind of the Black-Corner Region.

During this time, she was blessed with opportunities, refining two types of Heavenly Flames, breaking through the shackles in one fell swoop, and achieving the Dou Huang cultivation she had only dared to look up to back then.

Looking around, every sister by her side was advancing together, maintained by that mysterious ”Pact of One Heart.” Their cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds, and no one was left far behind on this road to the pinnacle.

Yun Xiancheng held Ye Xinlan’s hand and walked slowly into the room. His words were gentle as he briefly explained the plight of the Ye Family and the ins and outs of the ”fiancé” agreement.

Xiao Yan listened quietly. After hearing the whole story, her originally sharp phoenix eyes showed not a ripple of emotion; instead, they landed on Ye Xinlan’s pretty, nervous, pale face.

Xiao Yan nodded slightly, her words crisp and decisive, possessing a convincing power: ”I have noted the matter of alchemy. When the time comes to go to the Central Plains, we sisters will certainly help. Little Sister Xinlan, you can rest your heart at ease.”

As her voice fell, she shifted her gaze to Ye Xinlan, the corners of her lips lifting in a frank and amiable arc: ”Now that you are already the nominal fiancée of my husband, and I am a few years older than you and entered the family years earlier, it wouldn’t be presumptuous for you to call me sister, would it?”

These words were like a spring breeze, instantly dispersing the heavy clouds of worry gathered in Ye Xinlan’s heart.

She had originally rehearsed countless possibilities in her heart—cold receptions, interrogations, or even subtle hostility. Any of those would have been more ”reasonable” than the scene before her.

Yet, in the other party’s words and actions, there was not a trace of jealousy or envy, only open acceptance and the broad-mindedness of a matriarch. The huge contrast made Ye Xinlan’s throat tighten. She subconsciously squeezed Yun Xiancheng’s hand, finally squeezing a few weak syllables from her lips: ”Sister Xiao Yan...”

”That’s right.” Xiao Yan responded with satisfaction, then changed the subject, throwing out a suggestion that caused the air to instantly heat up: ”Xinlan, since you have joined the family, you should perform the rites of the Duke of Zhou with your husband sooner rather than later. You are currently only a Great Dou Master; this Realm is truly too low.”

”U-union?” Ye Xinlan’s brain went ”buzz,” and a scorching steam shot straight out from the top of her head, steaming her entire face crimson. The leap in the topic was so great that she was completely unable to keep up.