—
Nodding her head, she thought for a bit about which story would be most fitting for the three of them if they wanted to adopt new identities. Finding one, Yelena then asked her master, "Master, how about the story goes like this: we are one big family that was destroyed because of the war. I will be the grandmother, my sister Yue will be the master's wife, and master will be my son in the story."
Delighted to see her suggesting he take a lower status in their made-up story, Tian Xing nodded in satisfaction, noticing Yelena's modern traits gradually resurfacing as she became more comfortable around him. Because of this, her Dao of Concealment could be learned more smoothly in the future, now that she could unleash her creativity without the constant fear that might dull her mind. Smiling at her progress, Tian Xing said, "Sure, master likes the idea. Now, how about our first destination? Where should we go?"
Pausing, Yelena answered, "How about the territory of the Saintess Elixir in Yunfeng Province, master?"
"Oh, who—"
Interrupted by Ying Yue unfastening his belt, Tian Xing sighed, walked over to one of the long benches, and sat down, allowing her to freely play with his banana. Shaking his head at Ying Yue's mouth, already bulging as she looked at him mischievously, he caressed her cheeks affectionately, letting her know he enjoyed these kinds of things to pass the time. Turning back to Yelena, he resumed the conversation, "May master know who she is? And why does my Yelena recommend her territory as our first destination?"
Noticing Ying Yue currently playing with the master's sword, Yelena sat beside him and snuggled into his embrace, knowing they had different ways of pleasing their master. After hearing his questions, Yelena answered, "She is one of the Hall Masters in the Alchemist Guild of Yunfeng Province, named Shui Qinglian. She rose to prominence due to her use of the Physics or Wuxing Dao taught by her servant."
Knowing that Wuxing is basically the Physics Dao, with the only difference being that Wuxing relies mostly on intuition to calculate formulas while Physics uses rigorous math, Tian Xing then recalled a scene of one of Ying Yue's discoveries about pill-making. Intrigued, Tian Xing noted that the laws of thermodynamics seemed to have spread quickly among these cultivators, likely due to their effectiveness in always achieving 100% success rates in pill-making. This had turned alchemy practitioners into true scientists rather than mere laborers. He then listened to the rest of Yelena's reasoning.
"As for why I recommend her territory, master, it's because to the south lies a connected continent where every Spiritual Vein of the earth dragon has already dried up, making it a place where only spirits, ghosts, and undead creatures can live. Although it was once habitable, according to Wang Family merchants who visit every ten thousand years, it has already become a desolate place, with the largest Qingyun Empire reduced to nothing more than an empty shell."
Listening to her proposed geographic location for their fabricated background origin later, Tian Xing wanted to continue but paused upon seeing Ying Yue deeply engaging with his banana. Her face turned blue from lack of breath, and Tian Xing frowned at her extreme dedication to pleasing him, as she seemed to want to see how long she could last before suffocating. He gently pushed Ying Yue's forehead to give her room to breathe, giving her a disapproving look.
Realizing she had taken things too far, Ying Yue seemed to recognize her mistake without needing a word. Nodding, Tian Xing acknowledged her awareness, caressed her bulging cheeks affectionately, and continued the conversation with Yelena. "So, my Yelena recommends we go there because it aligns with our story. Is master right about this?"
Nodding her head, Yelena replied, "Yes. It is a relatively safe place with no competition at all when it comes to becoming a loose alchemy practitioner. One reason is that there are many refugees from the Huang Xian Continent who were lucky to arrive here. Because, at the end of the day, the place is owned by the Alchemist Guild. Whether affiliated or not, any alchemist there can still be considered a part of their ranks."
Raising his eyebrows, sensing there was more to her motivation, Tian Xing asked, "Is there anything else Yelena wants to talk about?"
Recalling rumors about the Saintess Elixir, who rose to prominence about two centuries ago and is now compared to the Divine Raccoon Sage for her use of the Science Dao to enhance every aspect of cultivation, Yelena nodded. "Yes, master. Yelena recommends her not only because her territory suits our alibi, but also because she is currently the most talented person in the known world, according to the Mystic Knowledge Sect. Although this information is hidden, as a former core disciple who became an elder of the Soul Refining Sect, I still have access to it, despite it being closely guarded by the Alchemist Guild."
Raising an eyebrow, Tian Xing sensed Yelena was subtly recommending another potential concubine. Calculating fate and karma on his fingers, he saw that this Saintess Elixir would be similar to Ciri—someone who would take a very long time to accept becoming his property if he decided to pursue her. He shook his head, thinking it would be too troublesome to pursue someone who took pride in their purity.
Unlike Yelena or Ying Yue, whom he could easily add to his collection due to their backgrounds, this Saintess Elixir had no such history he could use as a point of leverage. The process would be tedious and lengthy, requiring many romantic encounters and separations before she would finally agree to become his concubine.
If he were without a wife, he might pursue a pure woman out of love, but Tian Xing didn't have the time or energy to do so. In the end, what he valued most in his collection was loyalty—someone who would nod to his every wish, serving as an auxiliary tool to advance his Tian Ming Dao.
Sighing to himself, Tian Xing replied to Yelena, "True, my Yelena, she is a good candidate to become the highest Dao Alchemy practitioner in all creation. But making Saintess Elixir one of the master's concubines would take a very, very long time—the time that master could use to find other candidates in many fields of Dao entirely. Although in terms of quality, this Saintess is good, master prefers to cast the net as wide as possible because there are just so many fields of expertise that it is not worth fixating on just one. So, I think master will pass on my Yelena's recommendation this time."
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