"...?"
Lu Han's face showed disbelief.
Could such a peculiar cultivator really exist?
"Will this even work? No matter how I look at it, this story sounds like something a charlatan would tell to deceive children."
Lu Han voiced his opinion, drawing another faint smile from Su Qingyue.
"Yes... even among cultivators, there are some with questionable personalities."
That explanation only made Lu Han more skeptical.
Until now, he had imagined immortal cultivators as indifferent to everything, like the supervisor of the first test and Su Qingyue. But he was wrong. This old man seemed amusing, making him want to meet him.
"Very well. Is there anything else you require of me?"
Lu Han wanted to proceed to the third test. He had already wasted too much time talking to this fairy. Even though the matters discussed were important and related to his future path, he still found the conversation suffocating—and at the same time, frightening.
What if she asked about his secrets? He couldn't lie. And since he would never reveal the truth, he might die—at best. At worst, he could be tortured to force it out of him.
Lu Han did not fear death. But he didn't want to die. And even less did he want to suffer needlessly.
So at that moment, his eyes remained constantly alert, and his legs trembled instinctively.
"How troublesome... why don't you trust me?"
Su Qingyue sighed as she noticed Lu Han's unease.
She didn't want this kind of atmosphere, but she also did nothing to dispel it.
The more nervous Lu Han became, the greater the secret he seemed to be hiding.
Approaching him now would only make him think she was targeting that secret.
Which, to be fair, was partially true.
She was somewhat curious, but she had already examined him with her spiritual sense and found nothing unusual in his body.
The mirror outside hadn't detected anything either.
That meant this secret wasn't physical—and likely something only Lu Han could use.
Reaching that conclusion, she lost interest in investigating something she couldn't make use of.
Only one option remained: use Lu Han and make him trust her.
Something that would certainly be difficult and require patience.
For now, she would maintain only a relationship of mutual interest.
"I will give you the old man's token. Remember: his name is Ye Jianwang, the Eccentric Master of a Thousand Cuts. And also a Body Reconstruction Pill, to fix your irregular physique."
"The irregularity doesn't affect you much, but don't you find it strange to move with such unbalanced strength?"
"..."
Hearing this, Lu Han clenched his palm.
Crack!
A sharp sound echoed.
"I used more strength than I intended..."
Lu Han's expression turned grim.
It seemed his idea wasn't as perfect as he had thought.
Even if the human body could adapt to such unnatural evolution, brain control wouldn't develop at the same rate.
This meant that, whether he liked it or not, he would struggle to control his newfound strength.
"Thank you for the advice, Senior Su."
Even though he didn't trust her and was only following her guidance out of necessity, Lu Han had no choice but to concede.
This woman had just prevented him from walking down a path of insane refinement in the future.
"Why thank me? Isn't it a farmer's responsibility to take care of their crops?"
Su Qingyue shrugged.
"Senior is right."
Lu Han lowered his guard.
For now, Su Qingyue was merely manipulating him for some unknown reason and didn't seem interested in deeply probing his secrets.
To him, that was good news.
Personally, he couldn't do anything right now. But the moment he left this place, he would certainly observe all of this woman's plans.
"Enough talking. Take this token."
Su Qingyue retrieved a stone token from her storage ring, its surface covered in numerous cuts.
Extending her arm, she handed it to Lu Han. As he took it with his right hand and opened his mouth to speak, he was caught off guard.
Out of nowhere, Su Qingyue took out two pills—one white and one red—and tossed them into his mouth.
Before he could react, he already felt the two tablets on his tongue. They tasted like water, completely flavorless.
"What are these pills?"
Confused, Lu Han tried to spit them out, but it was too late.
The pills dissolved into liquid and were drawn down his throat, like a magnet pulling metal.
The one responsible was Su Qingyue, who, without asking for permission, grabbed his jaw and used her primordial spiritual power to force him to swallow.
"This isn't poison. It's the Body Reconstruction Pill and a Qi and Blood Replenishment Pill. One you already know the purpose of; the other will restore your blood during the physical reconstruction."
Hearing that, Lu Han was left speechless.
"Y-you..."
He wanted to ask why she did that. She could have simply handed him the pills—there was no need to force him to take them.
It was infuriating.
Especially since he had no way of knowing whether what she said was true.
At this moment, he was completely at her mercy, with no ability to refuse.
"Damn it! I'll definitely uncover some dirty secret of yours. Just wait!"
Lu Han made a silent vow and waited for what would come next.
To his surprise, he only felt a comforting sensation, like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold day, as the internal flaws in his body were repaired.
His unbalanced arms and legs didn't lose their muscle fibers—they remained the same. But now, the rest of his body caught up with that development.
In just minutes, he went from being frail and short to a young man of normal height for his age, with a well-defined physique.
But his skin was still pale.
No…
It was even paler than before, as if not a drop of blood remained in his body.
A torturous sensation arose, making his head spin.
Just before he could faint, he felt something surging within him, allowing him to maintain his balance.
Internally, the red liquid merged with his blood cells, producing, in a short time, a river of blood that replenished everything that had been lost.
"She was telling the truth..."
Lu Han let out a sigh of relief.
"Why did you do that? I could have taken the pills if you had just given them to me."
Even relieved, he protested.
"So what? I saved you. I'm giving you a path to control your fate. Even if I had given you poison, what could you have done? In this world, the weak are ants and the strong are revered. I cultivate my plant however I wish."
"You're right."
Lu Han didn't argue. He simply swallowed his pride and reinforced his resolve to become stronger.
"Go. Proceed to the third test and achieve a result that surpasses the talent of your spiritual roots."
"In our sect, talent is important. But capable individuals are even more so. Even someone with mortal talent, if they accomplish the impossible, will be rewarded for the miracles they create."
"Lu Han, your desire is to become strong, isn't it? The opportunity is right there. Will you seize it? You were about to start the third test on an empty stomach. Do you think you can do that with ten times the hunger?"
Su Qingyue asked.
She wasn't joking.
The reconstruction restored his physique.
The pill replenished his blood.
But what about nutrients?
She could have helped—but chose not to.
Before, she had considered it—but in exchange, she wouldn't have given him the Body Reconstruction Pill.
Now, after this brief conversation, she decided to see just how far Lu Han's willpower could go.
"A challenge?"
Lu Han rolled his eyes, but soon composed himself.
He hadn't survived alone from the age of ten to fifteen for nothing.
"I hope I gain something from this. Usually, when a plant grows well, the farmer takes care of it, right? So will you take care of me? Protect me? Feed me?"
"I don't know how far I can go. But I will definitely give everything I have. Not for you—but for myself!"
"I follow my own heart, not the will of others. Senior Su, I want to be strong. So please help me. In return, I will help you one day, if I have the ability to do so. If I die before that, it's because I was weak. A pathetic weakling has only one fate: death!"
As he said this, Lu Han was completely calm.
Since things had come to this point, all that remained was to prove to himself that he was worthy.
Turning forward, he didn't look back and finally crossed the gate.
Su Qingyue watched his back disappear and revealed a satisfied smile.
Lu Han's spirit had been ignited.
Before, he only wanted to become strong.
Now, he would begin to understand what truly makes someone strong.
Passing the third test and learning cultivation was only the beginning.
To become truly strong, one had to transcend the Nine Heavens.
Something no cultivator had achieved for millennia.
Su Qingyue had the ambition to reach that realm.
And for that, she would not hesitate to do anything.