Chapter 157 – Depleted

  Lin Yue stepped hesitantly into the courtyard, and her eyes darted between the glimmering pond and the flowering trees that surrounded Jun De’s residence. The air was thick with spiritual energy, so much so that it was almost tangible.

  For a moment, Lin Yue wavered at the entranceway, her balance faltering as the spiritual pressure inside Jun De’s courtyard and immortal cave was even stronger than outside.

  Jun De lifted his hand, and a faint glow of Qi flickered at his fingertips as he extended a thread of spiritual sense into the surrounding formations. The air shimmered softly as the unseen patterns of the residence’s array shifted under his command.

  A pulse of warmth spread outward, and just like that, the oppressive density of the Inner Sect’s Qi gentled to something closer to the calm, familiar flow of the Outer Sect.

  Lin Yue let out a long breath, and her shoulders dropped with visible relief.

  “Ah, that’s so much better!” She said with a laugh as she found she could move much more freely without the weight of spiritual energy pressing against her.

  “I thought I was going to suffocate!”

  Jun De smiled as he followed behind her. To him, it felt as though the spiritual energy was entirely absent now.

  “You’ll get used to it. The Inner Sect’s energy can be overwhelming at first, but it will temper your foundation once you adapt. Just wait until you climb the stairs.” Jun De warned, recalling the intense changes in spiritual energy with each step he had taken when he first arrived.

  Lin Yue walked further inside, taking in the tranquil scene that matched Jun De’s personality perfectly. The lazy koi fish that glided through the crystal-clear pond, the carefully tended trees and the herb garden, and the smell of flowers.

  “I can see why you prefer to stay here, Senior Brother Jun. A beautiful courtyard in the Inner Sect, it’s like something out of a painting! I will need to catch up quickly so that I can have a courtyard here as well.” Lin Yue said teasingly, turning around to smile at him.

  “I’m already nearing the 7th Level of Qi Condensation; I might become your neighbour soon.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she spoke.

  Jun De let out a soft chuckle, and the fatigue that still lingered in his expression eased significantly at her enthusiasm.

  “Is that so? Then I will have to keep an eye out for a good spot nearby. I think the Inner Sect would suit you.”

  Lin Yue’s smile widened, and she was clearly pleased with his response.

  “I’ll hold you to that, Senior Brother Jun.”

  Jun De walked closer, joining Lin Yue in admiring the pond and the peaceful surroundings that he enjoyed so much, before speaking again.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t receive your message talisman, and I appreciate that you worried enough about me to come here. What did you want to tell me?” Jun De asked.

  Lin Yue smiled and shook her head.

  “It was nothing important. I messaged you to ask if you were ready to go shopping in Tranquil City for a new Pill Furnace. I have finally recovered enough to visit the Alchemy Hall, so I will need mine back.”

  Lin Yue pouted slightly before continuing.

  “But you never answered me, so I thought you might be in trouble, or ignoring me.”

  Jun De chuckled and motioned toward the stone table beneath the shade of a tree, where his favourite chair was located.

  As Lin Yue settled gracefully at the table, Jun De flicked his hand, and a ripple of spiritual light emerged from his storage ring. A fine porcelain pot of tea and two delicate cups appeared on the tabletop.

  Jun De poured the hot liquid into her cup, and the fragrant aroma of fine tea quickly filled the air.

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  Placing the cup in front of her, he did the same from his own before retrieving the bronze pill furnace that he had borrowed from her and carefully setting it on the table next to her cup.

  “Thank you for letting me borrow this. It’s served me very well over the past few months. I can see why you love it so much.” Jun De commented. He picked up his cup and settled gratefully into his chair with a satisfied sigh.

  “It’s a very good Pill Furnace, but that’s not the only reason I love it so much.” Lin Yue replied as she ran her hand over it.

  Jun De knew that she treasured it as much as she did because he had given it to her.

  “I would still like to go to Tranquil City with you, but I won’t need a new pill furnace.” Jun De flicked his hand, and a new pill furnace materialized on the top of the table. It was darker and larger than the one she had lent to him, made with ores mined from the Ironvein Quarry Sect.

  “I refined a batch of pills from the Personal Disciple of the Ironvein Quarry Sect Master, and she insisted on repaying me with a pill furnace as a gift.” Jun De explained, and his tone carried a small hint of pride at his accomplishment.

  Lin Yue’s eyes widened, and her lips parted in astonishment.

  “This is a low-grade Foundation Establishment Spiritual Artifact!” Lin Yue paused, and her eyes narrowed at him.

  “This is an extravagant gift, even for a Sect Master’s personal Disciple.”

  Jun De glanced up from his teacup.

  “What exactly are you implying, Lin Yue?” Jun De asked with amusement.

  Lin Yue blinked, then gave a small shrug while refusing to meet his eyes.

  “Oh, nothing. I’m just curious if refining pills is all you did at the Ironvein Quarry Sect to deserve a gift like this.”

  Jun De laughed and shook his head.

  “Sister Han Lian was much more interested in Zhao Wuxian than she was in me. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

  “I wasn’t worried.” Lin Yue quickly lied, and Jun De hid his smile with his teacup.

  “When would you like to go to Tranquil City? I have no plans for the next few days.” Jun De asked in an attempt to change the subject.

  Lin Yue hesitated, and her eyes flicked up to meet his.

  “Tomorrow. I need to rest first before we go, the spiritual energy of the Inner sect is stronger than I expected.” Lin Yue replied softly.

  Jun De nodded.

  “Then I will bring you back to the Outer Sect for the night, and we can go to the city together tomorrow.”

  Lin Yue shook her head quickly in response to his suggestion.

  “There’s no need. I’m too tired to make the trip again.” Lin Yue replied.

  Jun De frowned slightly as he thought of the layout of his residence.

  “There are several spare rooms here that you can use to rest in. My residence is large enough for you to stay.”

  Before he could say more, Lin Yue moved from her chair and was in his lap in a moment. Her movement was so quick and decisive that Jun De was too stunned to respond before she was already settled against him.

  She looked at him shyly, and her voice was a whisper.

  “Then, I’ll stay here.”

  The next day, the sun was well up into the sky before it saw Jun De and Lin Yue walking down the path toward Tranquil City.

  Jun De looked even more tired than he had yesterday, with his skin pale and faint bags under his eyes. Even his aura was slightly unbalanced, as though his energy had been disrupted and hadn’t had time to settle.

  By contrast, Lin Yue walked beside him with an unmistakable spring in her step. Her complexion glowed, and her eyes were bright with contentment. She moved lightly, while almost humming under her breath.

  Unlike Jun De, her Qi was livelier and fuller than before, a clear sign that her cultivation had grown stronger. Where she had only been in the early stages of the 5th Level, she was now firmly in the middle.

  Jun De noticed, but he didn’t comment on the changes. Lin Yue caught him looking and gave him a bright smile.

  “You look unwell, Senior Brother. Didn’t you rest properly?” She asked him, her tone teasing.

  Jun De exhaled and shook his head.

  “It seems that I didn’t, and I have no idea why that would be.” Jun De replied simply. Lin Yue laughed softly as she grasped his arm tightly and leaned against him.

  “You should learn to pace yourself, Senior Brother. Even the strongest cultivators need rest.”

  “I’ll try to remember that.” Jun De replied dryly, resulting in another peal of laughter from Lin Yue.

  Tranquil City was alive with the familiar rhythm of life. There were merchants calling out to customers, vendors showing their wares and people going about their business.

  Jun De and Lin Yue moved together through the crowds, drawing attention wherever they went. A pair of Tranquil Mountain Sect Disciples, one in the Outer Sect and another in the Inner, caught people’s eyes.

  But it was their combined appearance that made people take notice. Jun De was compared to an immortal, and Lin Yue to a faerie.

  They spent the day wandering through shops and stalls, inspecting the fabric and style of clothing, or the interesting artifacts for sale by rogue cultivators that lined the streets with their small stalls that were often just a scrap of cloth placed on the ground.

  When the sun began to set, they ate at a restaurant that overlooked the lantern-lit streets below. Lin Yue chatted about her progress in cultivation, her excitement about returning to pill refining, and her enjoyment of her time in the Inner Sect with him, while Jun De ate as much food as he could in order to replenish his energy.

  When they finally rose to leave, Jun De glanced at the Tranquil Mountain in the distance before turning to Lin Yue.

  “It’s getting late. Would you like me to bring you back to the Outer Sect?” Jun De asked.

  “No, not yet.” Lin Yue replied, shaking her head. She paused her steps and turned to look at him.

  “I’d rather spend a little more time with you in the Inner Sect. It’s peaceful there, and I’m too tired to go back yet.”

  Jun De looked at her for a moment, then gave a small nod.

  “Very well.”

  When Jun De brought her back to the Outer Sect the next day, he was like a man who had been drained of every last drop of vitality.