Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

"No problem."

As they spoke, they walked back to the main hall, where a maidservant approached them.

"Master Xie, your medicine has finished brewing."

Xie Yuan’s eyes lit up. He would be staying for the rest of the day anyway, so he could take the medicine and cultivate his skills right away to test its effects. Plus, the person who prescribed it, Situ Qin, was right here to answer any questions.

As luck would have it, just as they were having a servant bring the medicine, the butler came to report again.

"Miss, the craftsman has opened the box."

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin were both intrigued. What could possibly be inside the box that Peng Yue had treasured so dearly?

The box was brought over. Situ Qin dismissed the servants, then huddled together with Xie Yuan to slowly open it.

A faint glow emanated from within.

A small, golden flower came into view. The box was like a flowerpot, filled with soil from which the flower grew.

The flower was golden from stem to petal. It had nine petals, each emitting a soft golden light. Together, they shone quite brightly, making the sunlit room seem even more luminous.

"A Nine Yang Flower!"

Situ Qin let out a soft cry, seeming utterly astonished.

Xie Yuan could tell this thing was a treasure, but he had never heard the name before. He had no choice but to ask humbly,

"Miss Qin, what is a Nine Yang Flower?"

Situ Qin blinked her eyes.

"The Nine Yang Flower is an Earthly Treasure. It can help one nourish their vital essence and blood, generate Inner Qi, and provide both internal and external nourishment. It’s quite precious."

"I can’t believe Peng Yue had a treasure like this hidden away. I wonder if he was planning to give it as a gift or use it himself. Heh, he’s going to be sore about this loss for a long time."

Hearing this, Xie Yuan was slightly shocked.

’An Earthly Treasure!’

Spiritual Medicines were often spoken of as "heavenly materials and earthly treasures." They were all naturally occurring Spiritual Objects with extraordinary effects. Martial Artists divided them into two types based on their efficacy and rarity.

Heavenly Materials were exceedingly rare Spiritual Objects, the stuff of legends. They could supposedly bring the dead back to life, flesh out bare bones, and turn the rotten into the miraculous. They were incredibly hard to come by in the entire martial world. Should one appear, even a Grandmaster wouldn’t hesitate to risk their life to obtain it.

Earthly Treasures were a tier below. They were precious and rare, not commonly seen, and could be of great benefit to a person. They were also fervently sought after by Martial Artists, often unobtainable for any price.

Xie Yuan looked at the flower radiating a brilliant light and asked curiously,

"Is this flower extremely rare?"

"I wouldn’t say *extremely*. I have one in my own storehouse."

Situ Qin casually flexed her wealth.

"However, this flower is an object of ultimate Yang energy. Its effects on generating blood and bolstering qi are quite pronounced. It’s very useful for anyone below the Grandmaster realm and always has a price but no market."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yuan couldn’t help but show a look of longing. However, since they had obtained it together, he felt it wouldn’t be right to take it for himself.

Just as he was about to ask if they could split it in half, Situ Qin plucked the Nine Yang Flower and presented it to him.

"Master Xie, a little flower for you."

Xie Yuan froze and looked up.

The young woman held the small flower, her smiling face radiant in its golden glow.

"Miss Qin, I can’t..."

"Alright, enough nonsense."

Situ Qin thrust the flower directly into his hand.

She could tell from Xie Yuan’s expression that he wanted it. And since it was genuinely suitable for him, she was happy to do him the favor.

"Besides, women can’t use this flower, or I wouldn’t have kept mine in storage. Don’t I still have another one?"

"Okay, okay, I know what you’re going to say. Next time we go exploring somewhere, you can just let me have whatever I want. I’ll let you have this one first. It’s fair and square, perfectly reasonable."

Xie Yuan stared at the Nine Yang Flower in his hand, momentarily at a loss for words. He could only nod with a sigh.

"Miss Qin, thank you."

"No need to be so polite. We’ve agreed: you owe me for one future expedition and its spoils."

Situ Qin winked.

"Using this flower is simple. You can just have the pharmacy add it to your medicinal soup and brew it for another six hours. I can see that the Inner Power you cultivate is of a balanced and moderate nature, and my prescription is the same. Adding this Yang-attribute Earthly Treasure directly won’t cause any problems."

Xie Yuan did as she said, eagerly waiting for the next six hours to pass.

Seeing him pacing like an ant on a hot pan, Situ Qin couldn’t help but smile. She pulled him to the waterside pavilion to listen to her practice the Guqin, hoping to calm his mind and temper his spirit.

A melodious sound drifted across the lake and through the pavilion. Listening to the notes of Situ Qin’s Guqin, Xie Yuan gradually calmed down.

During a pause between two pieces, he asked curiously,

"Miss Qin, I never see you cultivate, yet your cultivation level is quite high. How is that?"

"Who says I don’t cultivate? Aren’t you watching me right now?"

Situ Qin said with a grin.

Xie Yuan was taken aback.

"You mean..."

"Watch closely."

Situ Qin placed her hand on the Guqin’s strings and gently swept it across them.

TWANG! The Guqin rang out with a murderous note. Xie Yuan faintly sensed an invisible wave of energy coming toward him, and the hair on his arms stood on end.

Before he could react, the melon in front of him was split in two. The cut was perfectly smooth, as if sliced by a knife.

Xie Yuan was stunned.

’What in the world? The Six Meridian Divine Sword?’

It was formless and intangible. If he hadn’t been told to watch, he would have been completely caught by surprise.

What was even more incredible was that when the wave of energy shot out, only the melon was sliced. The fruit platter, the small table, and Xie Yuan himself were completely unaffected. Her control was simply astonishing!

Xie Yuan praised her from the bottom of his heart.

"Divine Skill... Miss Qin, your strength is terrifying! Are you really only at the Fourth Training?"

"What a strange thing to say."

Situ Qin said, amused.

"My technique focuses on the internal. My Blood Qi is only at the Fourth Training. As for my inner breath... well, that’s a little bit stronger."

She said this with great modesty.

Xie Yuan picked up the melon, took a bite, and cupped his hands in respect.

"As expected of a slice made by a Divine Skill, it’s even more fragrant than one cut by an ordinary knife. Thank you for the fruit, Miss Qin!"

Situ Qin giggled and rolled her eyes at him.

"You wish! Now you know that I’m very diligent in my practice, right?"

Xie Yuan nodded with a sigh of admiration.

"You practice the Guqin every day, and I accompany you every day. I thought we were just indulging in trivial pursuits—but it turns out you were secretly grinding this whole time."