Chapter 337

"If you hadn't reached Foundation Establishment, it would've been hard to visit Master Meng, but now that you're also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, spending a few more days with him won't matter." Gu Lian spoke casually, not overly concerned.

"Good. After I pay a visit to one more person, I'll prepare a substantial gift and go see Master Meng." Wang Yu nodded.

Master Meng was clearly the best person to guide one in second-rank alchemy; he certainly couldn't be neglected.

"Oh? Do you have other acquaintances in the Sunset Sect?" Gu Lian looked slightly surprised.

"I don't, but my Tianchan Master does. He instructed me that if I encounter any trouble in the Sunset Sect, I should seek out Senior Brother Lieguang—I naturally must pay my respects first." Wang Yu replied without hesitation.

"You've become a disciple of Elder Tianchan! Congratulations, younger brother."

"Elder Tianchan is immensely powerful—he's unquestionably among the strongest Golden Core elders in the Four Sects." Gu Lian froze in surprise, then beamed with delight as he offered his congratulations.

"Brother Gu, given your talent and cultivation, didn't you become a disciple of any of your sect's Elder Ancestors?" Wang Yu asked in return.

"Younger brother, you don't understand—my situation is unusual. It's not that I didn't want to join a Golden Core Elder's lineage; I simply had another opportunity, and now I can no longer take a master from our own sect." Gu Lian hesitated, then answered vaguely.

Wang Yu heard this and felt a flicker of doubt, but didn't press further.

After chatting a while longer, Gu Lian took his leave.

The next morning.

Wang Yu specially prepared a gift of spirit tea harvested by the Yin family and headed straight for the uppermost levels of the Sunset Tower.

When he stood before a grand crimson gate and tossed a transmission talisman inside, he waited quietly outside the door.

After half a cup of tea, a faint voice emerged from the cavern:

"Since you're a disciple of Old Tianchan, come in."

No sooner had the words spoken than the crimson gate slowly opened from within, and a beautiful woman, slender-waisted as a willow, stepped out.

"You must be Young Master Wang. The Elder has ordered me to guide you into the compound." Her eyes were like water, her lips smiling, yet her aura was even slightly stronger than Wang Yu's—she, too, was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Thank you, Daoist friend."

Wang Yu bowed respectfully, speaking with utmost courtesy, though internally he speculated about her identity.

Was she Lieguang's concubine—or disciple?

She didn't seem like a formal Daoist partner.

As Wang Yu followed the woman through the gate, his heart tightened.

Everywhere he looked, crimson light auroras filled the space.

"Young Master Wang, follow closely—the Elder's cavern is sealed with powerful restrictions. Only by staying right behind me will you remain safe." The beautiful woman flipped her hand, and a pale yellow palace lantern appeared in her grasp; with a graceful sway of her waist, she stepped into the crimson auroras.

The lantern emitted a soft golden glow, and wherever it shone, the crimson auroras immediately retreated.

Wang Yu hurriedly followed behind her.

One ahead, one behind, they walked deep into the crimson auroras, and the cavern gate slowly closed once more.

Soon, Wang Yu found himself inside a vast hall whose floor and walls were inlaid with countless crimson crystals.

Pure fire spiritual energy drifted everywhere in the air; besides stone tables and chairs, there was nothing else.

A burly man in purple-red robes sat upon a chair draped with unknown beast hide, studying Wang Yu with clear interest.

"I remember you."

"Back then in the Jialan Secret Realm, if that brat Gu Lian hadn't gotten lucky and claimed the final key, you'd have been the top performer of that trial." Lieguang spoke, his voice thunderous, making Wang Yu's ears ring.

"Indeed, this humble disciple. But luck is part of strength too—why else would the key have flown to Brother Gu and not to anyone else?" Wang Yu replied respectfully.

"Heh, that's not wrong. Sometimes, great fortune matters even more than strength."

"Still, your fortune isn't bad either—you actually saw the fourth-rank artifact and spirit of Jialan the Elder. That's likely why Old Tianchan took you as a disciple." Lieguang chuckled.

"Elder Ancestor, this disciple is of average talent and doesn't know why my Master truly accepted me." Wang Yu could only reply cautiously.

"I don't care why Old Tianchan took you. But I'm very interested in the matter of the Lunar Mirror. You were there—tell me again, in detail. If I'm satisfied, any trouble you face in the Sunset Sect, come straight to me." Lieguang waved dismissively.

Wang Yu naturally agreed. After saying yes, he recounted the events of the Jialan Secret Realm in full detail, answering numerous specific questions from Lieguang.

Finally, under Lieguang's satisfied gaze, he presented the first-rank tea leaves he'd brought from the Yin family, then politely took his leave.

Afternoon.

In a certain alchemy chamber not far from the Sunset Tower, in Tianyang City.

Beside a floating iron sword.

Wang Yu held a long inscription needle and, in one breath, carved several intricate runes upon it, personally demonstrating his inscription talent to the red-robed elder beside him.

This red-robed elder was one of the Sunset Sect's three second-rank alchemists: Master Meng.

After Wang Yu's visit, the old man openly admitted he had once guided Master Sun in alchemy—and it was from Master Sun that he learned of Wang Yu's exceptional alchemical talent, which was why he had proactively arranged their meeting.

Now, having witnessed Wang Yu's fluid, seamless rune-carving, he was thoroughly pleased and immediately agreed to guide him in second-rank alchemy techniques.

He brushed off Wang Yu's late visit as if it meant nothing at all.

Wang Yu, overjoyed, left behind a gift of spirit tea, arranged a time for his next visit, and then politely took his leave.

Before returning to his cavern, he made a special trip to the Outer District's External Affairs Hall and purchased a large supply of the Sunset Sect's unique "Fire-Attribute Medicinal Meat" and "Fire Dragon Rice."

This fire-attribute medicinal meat, it was said, was made entirely from the meat of late first-rank fire-elemental beasts, refined with over a dozen fire-elemental spirit herbs.

Fire Dragon Rice was a unique first-rank spirit grain of the Sunset Sect, also imbued with pure fire spiritual energy.

Consuming these two foods long-term not only improved the body and strengthened blood and qi, but also enhanced the meridians' adaptability to fire spiritual energy, greatly benefiting the cultivation of fire-elemental techniques.

The only drawback was their high cost—far beyond what ordinary disciples could afford in bulk.

Fortunately, they were abundantly supplied within the Sunset Sect and could be purchased without merit points.

He therefore bought over a thousand spirit stones' worth of medicinal meat and spirit rice—enough to last months.

Now, Wang Yu sat cross-legged on a mat in his cavern's inner chamber.

"Taiyuan, log in."

Wang Yu took a deep breath and silently murmured.

The next instant, a swirl of white light enveloped him, and he appeared in the silver hall.

"Puff."

His spiritual sense trembled, and involuntarily, he spat out a silver talisman.

The talisman spun once in the air before dissolving into the faint silver silhouette of a small bottle.