Wisps of purple qi rose into the air at a laggard pace. Void Qi, as it was called, often took hours upon hours to merge with atmospheric spiritual Qi. It clung to the atmosphere and objects, slowly devouring whatever it found itself on.
The lingering qi drained the life force from the trees and plants in the area. Glowing blue leaves got scrunched up into ugly shades of brown. The dead plant scent overpowered the sweet scents of the spirit plants a few miles away.
The pair responsible for the destruction of nature stood a few meters apart, one sitting on a rock that formed during their brief confrontation. The lady stood straight, annoyance was visible on her face. She wasn't in the best of moods. A few of her concoctions failed spectacularly. Where did her talent for Alchemy go? She came down the mountain hoping to have peace of mind in her favourite part of the Alchemy Garden, the Crystal River. Another sat on the very spot she used to haze at the moon and watch the river water flow down the mountain.
Her emotions got the best of her. She attacked in frustration, thinking she'd knock out whoever trespassed with a single attack. It failed. Instead of giving her compensation for deigning to attack him after he stole her favourite spot. He spoke too much and shrugged off the offence as if it were nothing. She wanted nothing more than to show him who owned this place, but staring at those deep black eyes accompanied by a slick smile, she acquiesced.
"Lai Xiaolin. Alchemy's millennium genius, " she puffed her chest, expecting a bout of praise and worship.
On the Imperial Planet, there was not a single person who didn't know her name, whether it be a newborn baby that just started milking or the most hidden cultivation master. Her name thundered across the planet when she created an Immortal Grade Pill of the highest quality as a mortal recently, becoming the first to do that in the Imperial Expanse during this Chaos Cycle. The mere mention of her name caused countless people to bend over backwards just to meet her needs.
"A beautiful name, Xiao as in small and Lin as forest? " said Long Wei. "My name is Long Wei. "
It had been ages since Long Wei began practising the way he'd pronounce his name when he needed to. He wanted it to sound as majestic and as imposing as possible. Added to his reputation that spread across the Imperial Expanse, the mere mention of his name sent most people shivering with fright and fear. He found that prolonging his last name(Long) and shooting his first name (Wei) in a quick burst had the best effect.
" Yes and No, Xiao as in small and Lin as in Fine Jade," she corrected, "Your name is good too. Wei as in Greatness? "
"Yes. Spot on. "
Wait!
They both narrowed their eyes. Why didn't the other jump in fright at the mere mention of their names? Long Wei swore that Xiaolin was supposed to fawn over him the moment she heard his name, paired with his black robes with golden accents and various gold dragon-shaped ornaments threaded into them. It should have been obvious.
Lai Xiaolin panicked. There was someone who didn't know her name in this world? How was that possible? She was a once in a Chaos Cycle Genius. A talent in Alchemy that broke the conventions set up by the Heavenly Dao. Her name broke the Imperial Planet. Countless admirers sought validation from her. Who was this? This Long Wei that didn't even know her name?
"You don't... know me?"
They said in unison, confusion squeezing their faces into an ugly mess of scrunched-up flesh. With a trembling hand, Lai Xiaolin pointed at him, her lips quivering. Long Wei cranked his neck to the side, not bothering to waste time looking at her. He couldn't fathom how this lady didn't know his name. At all. He was the Crown Prince of the entire realm for the Emperor's sake. How could you live in a place and not know the people that ruled you? Was she brain-dead? What was more important?
"Have you been living under a rock? " said Lai Xiaolin, "doesn't 'Young Alchemy God' ring any bells? "
"No. "
"Floral Goddess? "
"No. "
"Saintess of the Alchemy Dao? "
"No!"
Lai Xiaolin dragged a palm over her face in defeat. The imbecile truly didn't know her. How that was possible? She didn't know. But he didn't. She stomped her foot in anger and planned on going back whence she came. Turning around, with a downcast expression, she took her first few steps.
"Wait," Long Wei said.
" Yes?"
"We may have started off the wrong foot. But I believe we can make amends, " said Long Wei.
"How?"
"Have a seat, " said Long Wei.
He clawed the ground next to him and pulled. A large chunk of rock rose from it, reaching the same height as the rock he sat on. Quickly, he dusted off some of the charred sand and patted it again for extra emphasis. Lai Xiaolin stopped. She crunched her brows in thought.
"Alright," she said.
She still wanted to vent her frustrations from her failed concoctions. Her master was too busy attending the Sect Entrance Exam. She'd rather not go there, else she'd be forced to sit with the rest of the crinkly old men. Her master was enough. And worst of all her ninth senior brother, Qian Jian was there. She wanted nothing to do with that drunk. Alchemy was a wonder of nature. Yet he somehow turned it vulgar, forcing her to concoct wines instead of pills and pellets. Her figure blurred through the night. Within less than a second, she sat on the rock.
"I must offer my apologies. For, " he paused, genuine apologies, he didn't do those, yet here he was, "Unknowingly taking your spot. I simply followed the stream."
Long Wei pointed at a silver stream that came from the south and joined the crystal clear river. He found it amazing that silver water changed to crystal clear the moment it touched the river. It was an observation he never came across in the vast Palace gardens. Not to say he spent much time in it. It was simply too vast. His cultivation level was insufficient to travel its entirety.
"Great. You know your place," Lai Xiaolin smiled, "I was beginning to think you were brain dead. "
"That is not how amends are made, " said Long Wei.
"Explain yourself," Lai Xiaolin ignored his statement and went straight for the throat.
"It's funny. I just needed some fresh air. The Entrance exams are pretty boring," he said.
Lai Xiaolin wondered what type of status Long Wei had to ignore the conventions that have been established for years upon years now. She hadn't heard of a participant leaving the trial grounds to venture off into other parts of the Sect Grounds, without an escort to add. What part of the exams was boring? An answer popped into her mind immediately. With the level of strength, he showed, he must be someone from the Transcendent Factions. She remembered how she was forced to go through the normal trial process simply because she couldn't vet her origins. The privilege they had was pretty silly, but such was life in the Imperial Expanse.
"Sure. I believe you, " said Lai Xiaolin, " The trials tend to be boring when you aren't participating."
"Yoy don't understand do you? My participation ha snothibg to do with it. Even if I did. It still would be that. Boring, " he said.
Long Wei reached behind him out of habit. Lai Xiaolin watched his odd action with interest. The next second. Her view of the world shattered. A cup of tea appeared just as Long Wei grabbed the air, filling his hand. Steam rose into the air, testifying its freshness. With practised ease and elegance, the cup of tea reached his lips, and he slurped it in delight.
Lai Xiaolin gawped. Flexing could be done this way too? She thought. She felt no surges in spirit qi nor did she see the blinding violet-purple light of a spatial ring. Yet a cup of steaming hot tea on a saucer appeared? Only someone in the God Realm or greater could pull something like that off. Her master clearly didn't love her as much whoever accompanied Long Wei.
"Do you want some? " asked Long Wei, sipping the tea, adding on a prolonged hiss to whet her appetite.
She nodded. Suddenly, she felt that the little bit of fame she garnered over the past year was nothing compared to the backing behind the kid. Very few people or factions could turn a God Realm expert into a tea dispenser, for a mortal at that.
Long Wei placed his teacup on his knee and grabbed it behind him. Another cup of tea fell into his grasp and he tossed it to her. Xiaolin caught it and simply stared at the cup.