“Ling Xiao doesn’t know the first thing about pharmacology. I think he should start with the very basics. If there’s anything he doesn’t understand, he can come ask me.”
Lan Yu’er didn’t refuse Master Yang’s request and even offered some suggestions.
This was partly because Master Yang had been kind to her, and partly because she needed a male disciple to handle some physical tasks.
More importantly, Lan Yu’er had developed a slight curiosity about Ling Xiao. She genuinely wanted to see what was so special about this “genius” Master Yang praised so highly.
“Alright, Ling Xiao, for now, you’ll study under Lan girl. Once you’ve got the basics down, I’ll teach you more advanced alchemy and herbology,” Master Yang said.
With that, he turned and left, clearly placing full trust in Lan Yu’er.
“Great, Ling Xiao, we can train together again!” Dai Yuling said cheerfully, carefree as ever.
“What’s there to be happy about? Have you fully grasped what I’ve taught you?” Lan Yu’er glanced at Dai Yuling.
Dai Yuling stuck out her tongue and quickly turned to get busy.
“Come with me,” Lan Yu’er said to Ling Xiao.
She led him to the Medicine Hall’s library, which held no martial arts manuals but an extensive collection of books on alchemy and herbology.
Good grief, along the way, Lan Yu’er drew every eye like a magnet!
Men and women alike turned to look as she passed—some with admiration, most with outright infatuation.
But when they saw Ling Xiao, their gazes sharpened, as if he’d personally offended them.
“Who’s that guy with Senior Sister Lan Yu’er?”
“Never seen him. Probably a new outer disciple.”
“So Senior Sister Lan likes fresh meat, huh? Are we too old for her?”
“Another fine cabbage stolen by a pig!”
Hearing these remarks, Ling Xiao could only sigh. Talk about an unprovoked disaster.
You guys really have a thing for this ice queen?
At the Medicine Hall library, Lan Yu’er picked out a few books from the shelves. In addition to the ones she’d mentioned, she included *Pharmacological Foundations* and *Beast Materia Medica*.
“Don’t underestimate these two books, *Pharmacological Foundations* and *Beast Materia Medica*. They’re the bedrock of alchemy and herbology. *Pharmacological Foundations* details the properties, growth habits, and identification of all known spiritual herbs. *Beast Materia Medica* covers the specifics of spiritual beasts that can be used in medicine, including usable parts and their properties,” Lan Yu’er explained as she handed the books to Ling Xiao.
“Got it,” Ling Xiao nodded.
“It’s not just about knowing. You need to memorise as much of these two books as possible!” Lan Yu’er stressed.
Nearby, other disciples—mostly inner sect members—selecting books overheard and gave wry smiles.
“See that? Junior Sister Lan’s at it again, messing with someone.”
“Yeah, even just one of those books would take a decade or more to memorise, and that’s with a great memory. Both? Forget it.”
“I heard Junior Sister Lan herself only memorised about seventy percent of them, and the rest she’s just familiar with.”
“Poor kid, what did he do to piss off Junior Sister Lan?”
“Talk about bad luck!”
Ling Xiao caught these comments but said nothing, only chuckling inwardly.
Lan Yu’er was probably trying to scare him off, with a bit of testing thrown in.
Don’t worry, Senior Sister Lan, your junior brother’s got a surprise for you.
He smiled, didn’t leave, and instead found a seat, quickly flipping through the books Lan Yu’er had given him—*Pharmacological Foundations*, *Beast Materia Medica*, *Basic Alchemy Techniques*, and *Fire Control Methods*.
In moments, he’d copied their contents into his Mountain River Martial Soul.
Copying was just the start.
Books stored in his Mountain River Martial Soul merged their knowledge into his soul, more reliable than mere memorisation.
Except for *Fire Control Methods*, the other three books were easy to grasp. In his soul-bound state, he mastered them in less than fifteen minutes.
*Fire Control Methods* was a bit trickier, detailing techniques for controlling heat in alchemy and herbology.
The content was complex, requiring precise control of flame type and intensity for each ingredient.
To master it fully, he’d need to memorise *Pharmacological Foundations* and *Beast Materia Medica* completely to adjust flames based on ingredient properties.
Otherwise, mistakes were likely.
These two books weren’t normally accessible to outer disciples, but since Ling Xiao was with Master Yang and brought by Lan Yu’er, the library’s overseer didn’t dare object.
Both books were packed with images and intricate text, even involving complex calculations.
Honestly, opening them, Ling Xiao saw why the inner disciples’ comments rang true.
These seemingly slim books used special sealing techniques. If treated like ordinary books, their contents would fill a hundred-square-metre room.
Seeing Ling Xiao’s stunned expression, a smug smile flickered across Lan Yu’er’s lips.
But the next moment, she was dumbfounded.
So were the inner disciples mentally preparing Ling Xiao’s funeral.
Ling Xiao wasn’t reading—he was skimming like a tourist! After a quick flip, he stopped.
“Junior Brother Ling, it’s fine if you can’t memorise them. I didn’t expect you to do it now. If you can memorise them within ten years, that’s good enough,” Lan Yu’er said coldly.
Ling Xiao smiled, closed the books, and handed them all back.
“That kid’s smart, knowing when to quit. Otherwise, the real suffering’s yet to come.”
“That’s self-awareness.”
“No need to compare with a genius like Junior Sister Lan, or you’d just die of frustration.”
Seeing Ling Xiao return the books, the inner disciples nodded approvingly, thinking he’d made a wise choice.
But Ling Xiao wasn’t listening to their praise. His mind was replaying the contents of *Pharmacological Foundations* and *Beast Materia Medica*.
Incredible.
No wonder outer disciples weren’t allowed to see these books. Compiling them must’ve taken immense effort from many people.
Many of the herbs and beasts listed were common, but to the untrained eye, they’d seem like trash.
With this knowledge, what others discarded as garbage, you’d recognise as treasure. It was like having a powerful cheat code, always one step ahead.
