Maybe because of his mental breakthrough or Xiao Ning overcame his heart's knot, he finally accepted Xi Yian. Now she held the same status as Ya Fei in his heart. 

In response to her reply, Xiao Ning hugged her even tighter. He stopped in front of her room, yet both stayed in the same posture. 

It seemed as if the time itself stopped, and they only had each other in their eyes. Even the scorching rays of the sun felt cool at this moment. 

Even the animals and trees seemed to have gained intelligence; the entire valley became quiet. Xiao Ning and Xiao Xi Yian's breathing became synchronized, and they could hear each other's hearts beat together. 

From afar, the entire scene looked like an immortal painting. Suddenly a cool breeze appeared as if the valley itself congratulated the pair. 

After a few moments, both of them woke up from the trance and reacted. Xiao Xi Yian's face became tomato red; she swiftly escaped from Xiao Ning's arms and entered her room. 

Even Xiao Ning's thick face also showed a rare sight of shame and awkwardly shrugged his shoulders. 

How thick was his face? Xiao Ning recovered quickly and started collecting vegetables and meat for the meal. 

For Xiao Ning, cooking was a method of relaxing his spirit and reminding his roots to himself. 

Soon, an enticing fragrance wafted from Xiao Ning's cauldron. 

Yes, Xiao Ning prepared a separate cauldron for preparing food. If the alchemists were to look at this, even the Heaven wouldn't be able to prevent them from hacking Xiao Ning with a knife. He used a two outlet cauldron for preparing the food. 

After looking at the broth with satisfaction, Xiao Ning knocked on Xi Yian's door and called her, "Yian'er." 

The next moment, the door opened, and a shy Xi Yian stepped out of the room. The blush on her face had not faded completely, making her more alluring. 

She quietly sat nearby and curiously glanced at the cauldron and intentionally ignored Xiao Ning. 

After seeing this, Xiao Ning smiled wryly and shook his head. He meticulously filled two bowls and handed one to Xi Yian. 

Xi Yian took the bowl and slowly took a bite. A trace of surprise replaced the shyness; she never thought that Xiao Ning could cook such a delicious meal. 

Xiao Ning's eyes showed rare tenderness, and he smiled after seeing her reaction. 

As they continued to eat in silence, Xi Yian's tense body relaxed, and she forgot about her earlier shyness. 

Suddenly Xiao Xi Yian thought of something; she hesitated for a moment before she gathered the courage and said, "Xiao Ning, can you teach me about medicinal herbs?" Xi Yian's face showed embarrassment. 

She bit her lips and looked at Xiao Ning, waiting for his response. Xi Yian knew that her request was excessive, yet there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. 

Xiao Ning looked at Xi Yian with interest after hearing her request. 

Honestly, her request was a piece of cake for Xiao Ning. 

The next moment, he recalled her dream and reacted, 'Xiao Xi Yian always wanted to become an alchemist; moreover, due to her constitution, learning this would help her,' Xiao Ning thought to himself. 

He smiled and agreed, "Okay." 

Xiao Xi Yian, who did not hold much hope in her heart, was stunned after seeing him agreeing to her request. 

She was no longer a naive girl and understood the law of the world. No one would freely impart knowledge to others. 

It is even more severe among the alchemists. Who in their right mind would share a life worth of information that they gained arduously. 

Yet, Xiao Ning agreed without any hesitation. 

Xiao Xi Yian looked at the young man sitting near him and opened her mouth to speak, but words did not come out. 

Xiao Ning seemed to read her mind. 

'Snap!' He flicked her forehead and said, "Silly girl, don't overthink." 

After satisfying their stomachs, both of them resumed their dull routine. 

Xiao Xi Yian looked for a quiet corner, sat, and continued comprehending the poison book. 

On the other hand, Xiao Ning trained his Dou Techniques to adapt to his sudden increase in strength. 

From time to time, Xiao Ning would take a break. He would sit with Xi Yian and pass on the knowledge he has on herbs. 

Moreover, he would also train with Xi Yian to increase her combat experience. While he wasn't sure whether his Qi Method would nullify Xi Yian's poison, Xiao Ning did not dare to try. 

In this manner, a few days passed by, and they continued with their dull routine. 

......

Today, Xi Yian motionlessly sat on a rock and carefully watched the young man refining pills in front of her. Her eyes shone, and there was a pleasant smile on her face. 

Only in front of Xiao Ning did she show her lively nature. 

Yet, Xiao Ning seemed unaware of this; his undivided attention was placed on the black cauldron in front of him. 

His eyes showed fatigue, yet the flames of determination in them did not waiver. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, Xiao Ning's mental strength covered the cauldron and precisely manipulated the 'Golden Budha Flame' within. 

The refinement process continued; all the medicinal herbs were purified and formed a thick black-red paste. 

At this moment, there was no joy in achieving this stage; instead, Xiao Ning's face became solemn. 

His mental strength surged, and the 'Golden Budha Flame' rose in the cauldron. The fire roasted the black-red paste, purifying it once more. 

Soon, the black-red colored paste's color changed to bright red. Xiao Ning's eyes sharpened, and he roared in his heart. 

As a result, the Golden Budha Flame's temperature soared, and it tempered the bright red paste. The moisture and impurities burned away, leaving behind crystal-red paste. 

Finally, the paste began to compress and take the form of a solid medicinal pill. At the same time, Xiao Ning was at his limit; his eyes became bloodshot. 

"Success!" Xiao Ning muttered after feeling the change inside the cauldron. A satisfied look appeared on his face, and he collected his flame. 

Before Xiao Ning could reach out to take the pill out of the cauldron, his consciousness became blurry, and he fainted. 

Xiao Xi Yian jumped off the stone, appeared in front of Xiao Ning, and supported him. She did not even take a look at the pill inside the cauldron; her eyes stayed on Xiao Ning's tired face.