Perhaps it was because she had proven useful to the Azure Water Flood Dragon that she felt it wouldn't kill her. Bai Sinan’s courage grew. Ignoring the creature, she picked up the medicinal herbs and walked straight to the pill cauldron.
Bai Sinan’s alchemy method was... rather slapdash. She tossed the herbs into the cauldron in one go, infused her spiritual power to melt them, and formed the pills. The entire process took less than a stick of incense. The Azure Water Flood Dragon watched, stunned. Had it been asleep for too long? Since when was human alchemy this easy? She didn't even use a flame!
Bai Sinan took the twelve Energy Recovery Pills out of the cauldron and handed them to the Azure Water Flood Dragon. The creature’s serpent eyes widened. "Twelve Energy Recovery Pills in a single batch? How on earth did you refine them?"
Bai Sinan answered truthfully, "It’s just like stir-frying. Throw them in, stir them with spiritual power, and plate them once they’re cooked."
"?"
Stir-frying?
The Azure Water Flood Dragon pondered for a second, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Fine, you little brat, you’ve got some skills."
"You haven't even eaten them yet," Bai Sinan replied indifferently. "How do you know I have skills?"
"..." *So, you’re saying you’re a handful even when I’m complimenting you?*
The Azure Water Flood Dragon swallowed an Energy Recovery Pill. The pure power of the medicine spread throughout its body, and it could feel its dantian and meridians being nourished. It was extremely satisfied. This pure energy was truly free of pill toxins—it was the first time it had ever consumed a pill without any impurities.
"Little brat," the Azure Water Flood Dragon said haughtily, "I declare that you are now my personal Alchemist. The moment you cure me is the moment I will set you free."
"Curing you requires a Five-Star High-Grade Energy Recovery Pill. I can guarantee I’ll have you cured before I leave this mountain, but I need the freedom to move about the grounds."
The Azure Water Flood Dragon raised an eyebrow and cast a mark directly onto Bai Sinan. "With this mark, if you ever step beyond the boundaries of this mountain, you will surely die."
Bai Sinan shrugged indifferently. As long as she could roam the Back Mountain freely, it was fine; she was here for training, after all.
"I’m going to sleep," the Azure Water Flood Dragon said. "You can rest around the lake, but don't disturb my slumber." With that, it dived back into the water without waiting for a reply.
***
Bai Sinan resumed her grueling training, but at least she now had a safe place to rest. Her actual combat ability was still very weak; sometimes, when the Azure Water Flood Dragon surfaced to keep watch, it would see her returning covered in blood. A few times, her aura was even fading.
"Why do you push yourself so hard?" the Azure Water Flood Dragon asked curiously.
"So as not to let myself down," Bai Sinan said firmly.
In the 21st century, she had been a slacker, interested in nothing, which resulted in her never achieving anything. She spent her days at home reading novels, imagining herself as the heroine of a powerful female lead story. She thought that cultivation must be fun.
Now, heaven had given her this chance to fulfill her past life's wishes. She did not regret it, and she could not afford to. She fought so desperately to become strong not just to survive in this cruel world, but to honor the twenty-year-old dream of her past life. Since she was here, she would become the strongest! With belief, she pushed herself even harder.
Two years passed.
She had beaten every spirit beast in the middle region of the Back Mountain. From her early days of fleeing in shambles, she had turned the tables—now, the beasts would howl the moment they saw her. Bai Sinan’s spiritual power had reached the level of a Rank 4 Grand Spirit Master, and her alchemy had hit the Four-Star Mid-Grade level.
During this time, she and Aojiao—that was the name of the Azure Water Flood Dragon—had become good friends. Aojiao lived up to its name, acting aloof. At first, the sight of Bai Sinan roasting meat made it drool, but it refused to eat, claiming that a majestic dragon like itself could never touch human food. Bai Sinan ignored it—eat or don't eat, it was all the same to her. Eventually, after she stopped asking, Aojiao grew so hungry and embarrassed that it threw its pride away, sneaking over to scavenge her meals, claiming with a straight face, "Me eating your food is your honor."
*Yes, yes, of course, you're always right.*
Bai Sinan’s strength had skyrocketed; she could even fight above her rank. The beasts of the middle region no longer posed a threat, so she decided to head to the inner region.
Before she left, Aojiao said haughtily, "Be careful in the inner region. Don't go dying in there; I still need your pills!"
"I know," Bai Sinan replied. "If you’re worried about me, just say so. No need to beat around the bush."
"Hmph, you little girl! When have I ever cared about you? I care about the pills! The pills!" Exposed, Aojiao fumed and puffed, refusing to admit it.
"Sure, sure, you're always right. I'm off." Bai Sinan waved her hand, left the lake, and headed toward the inner region of the Back Mountain.
Aojiao watched her until she was completely out of sight before diving back into the water, muttering, "Who cares about her?"
Bai Sinan, already far away, didn't see this. Had she, she surely would have said, "What a tsundere!"
The moment she stepped into the inner region, Bai Sinan felt danger; a chill crawled up from the soles of her feet. Her strength had grown so much that she hadn't felt this sense of crisis in a long time. She felt inexplicably excited. *Am I a masochist? Why am I so happy about being hunted?*
The beasts of the inner region hadn't smelled a human in a long time, and they were even more excited than she was. Less than a cup of tea’s time into her journey, she was surrounded.
Three Rank 3 spirit beasts!
Bai Sinan licked the corner of her mouth, spiritual power surging around her. With her power, the leaves on the trees transformed into sharp blades, flying toward the three beasts. This was a new technique she had researched so she wouldn't have to keep plucking leaves by hand.
As the shower of leaves flew, Bai Sinan moved too. She lunged onto one beast and landed a heavy punch right on its head. One punch was enough to daze it, leaving it unable to even dodge the flying leaves. It was slashed and bloodied by the foliage, and the other two beasts fared no better, sustaining numerous wounds.
"Roar!" The three beasts charged at her in a rage, waves of powerful spiritual energy radiating from them.
Bai Sinan’s interest was piqued. "That’s more like it."
She dodged their attacks. Her spiritual energy turned into blades that she launched as she drew her dagger and lunged once more. One strike—it landed on a beast's body. Two strikes—she missed and was sent flying. Three strikes—she landed a hit but couldn't dodge the next beast's retaliation. Four strikes—miss. Five strikes...
With every exchange, both Bai Sinan and the three beasts were soaked in blood, covered in wounds. But her accuracy kept improving, and the beasts' attacks slowly failed to reach her. Finally, under her relentless, death-defying assault, the three beasts collapsed.
Bai Sinan calmly dug out the beast cores and cut the meat. Though her arms were too tired to lift, she knew she couldn't stay in this spot for long.