These two sisters — one cold as frost, the other innocent and carefree — left Jiang Chen more than a little flustered. He steadied himself, shook his head with a bitter smile, and turned to head back to his seclusion chamber.
Just then, his ears twitched, and his gaze shot toward the dense forest. "Who's there?"
From the woods came a faint but unhurried sound of footsteps. A branch was gently pushed aside by a porcelain arm, and an elegant figure appeared from behind the foliage.
"Huan'er?"
She wore a light blue-green outfit, a bamboo-woven basket hanging from the crook of her arm, as though she had been gathering something among the trees.
At this moment, Huan'er wore a mask that concealed her features.
Her graceful figure was wreathed in a thin layer of forest mist, like a peony veiled in gauze, carrying an otherworldly air that seemed to transcend the mortal realm.
Jiang Chen found himself dazed for a moment.
In his previous life, he had traversed the myriad heavens and seen countless remarkable women. In this life, he had come to know many extraordinary ones as well — the alluring and generous Gouyu, the refined and noble Consort Dan, the gentle and shy Wen Ziqi, and even the frost-cold Ling Bi'er and the innocent Ling Hui'er he had encountered earlier.
Any one of these women was a peerless beauty, the kind rarely seen in the world.
And yet, right now, this girl Huan'er — plain of face, hidden behind a mask — had caused Jiang Chen to lose his composure ever so slightly.
In that instant, he felt a kind of trance.
People liked to compare women of extraordinary bearing to celestial maidens, but Jiang Chen had to admit that if one spoke of a true celestial bearing, Huan'er at this very moment was undoubtedly the most perfect embodiment.
If one set aside her face entirely, her youthful, transcendent presence was like a fairy who had stepped from a painting — delicate and elegant, graceful and poised, as though she were truly one of those beings from beyond the heavens.
A glimpse of her white, porcelain-like arm was visible, and her light, airy steps seemed to touch no mortal dust. Every aspect was picture-perfect, beyond description.
"Young Master Jiang, there are some herbs in this grove that Huan'er is quite fond of. I wanted to dig them up and transplant them. I didn't mean to disturb you."
Huan'er's voice was clear and refined, and every word carried a gentle consideration. Hearing her speak always brought a pleasant warmth to one's heart.
Jiang Chen felt a little awkward at the moment and let out a sheepish chuckle. "In that case, I won't keep you, Miss Huan'er."
With that, he waved and headed off toward his lodging.
Huan'er smiled softly, her bright eyes following Jiang Chen's slightly flustered retreat. A hint of warm amusement appeared in her gaze, as though she found this version of him all the more endearing.
"Young Master Jiang truly is an honest gentleman. Those Ling sisters each have their own charm — even I feel sympathy for them. That you treated them with such propriety is truly rare."
Ling Hui'er's little scene — Huan'er had watched most of it from afar. For some reason, in that moment, a faint ripple had stirred in her otherwise still and tranquil heart.
But when she saw Jiang Chen pull his hand away without taking advantage of the situation like some improper man might, a small measure of happiness had quietly swept through Huan'er's mind.
She didn't think of it as girlish fancy, but this side of Jiang Chen only made her admire him more.
Of course, all of this remained within her thoughts. With Huan'er's considerate and dignified bearing as a proper young lady, she would never tease Jiang Chen about it.
Had it been Consort Dan, she would have grown jealous and tossed out a few lightly barbed remarks.
Had it been Gouyu, even if she said nothing, she would inevitably have developed a prejudice against Ling Hui'er.
Only Huan'er gracefully changed the subject, saying she had been gathering Spiritual Medicine here — clearly out of concern that Jiang Chen might worry she had witnessed the whole thing and misunderstood, sparing him any embarrassment.
Her thoughtfulness, it had to be said, gave Jiang Chen a comfortable way out without losing face.
……
Back in his seclusion chamber, Jiang Chen sat cross-legged in meditation, spending some time clearing his mind of lingering distractions. Yet after those tangled emotions had been resolved, the image that lingered most deeply in his heart was not the alluring figure of Ling Hui'er, but rather Huan'er's elegant, peerless silhouette.
In that moment, Jiang Chen had truly felt his heart skip a beat.
It was as though this feeling had always been there — a destined flutter, arriving precisely when it was meant to, in that moment, under those circumstances.
But Jiang Chen was not the type to let his imagination run wild.
Having lived two lifetimes, he knew long ago how to control his emotions.
"The priority now is to break through to the fifth level of the Origin Realm. I can't afford any more distractions. The Huanbo Mountain alchemy competition will bring together the wind and clouds — countless experts and geniuses are bound to appear. Every bit of strength I gain is another bargaining chip."
With this thought, he took out some Origin Cultivation Pills along with Origin Spirit Stones and began cultivating.
Refining the crystal core of the Scarlet-Scaled Fire Lizard had left Jiang Chen's body brimming with spiritual energy. Combined with the Origin Cultivation Pills and Origin Spirit Stones, he had no need to resort to his Dragon Crystal.
Truth be told, when it came to pure Origin Spirit energy, the Dragon Crystal was by far the richest source, far surpassing the Origin Spirit Stones and Origin Cultivation Pills.
But Jiang Chen had no intention of using the Dragon Crystal just yet.
Breaking through to the fifth level of the Origin Realm — refining the Dragon Crystal for that would be overkill. There was no need for it now. When he reached the sixth level and attempted to charge into the Heavenly Origin Realm, that would be the time to use it.
For Jiang Chen, with this much accumulation behind him, breaking through to the fifth level of the Origin Realm was merely a matter of time.