Qi surged through Chen Yuexi's meridians once more, a torrent so powerful she couldn't even command her own hands. Only now, with her cultivation returned to the Nascent Divinity stage, did she realize the bowl of medicine before her contained a terrifyingly potent medicinal power. She had been oblivious before, her former cultivation simply too weak to detect it. Within the brown liquid, countless motes of light swirled like stars and moons. The brew was a miniature galaxy, so profound that the smallest drop seemed to contain an entire cosmos, impossible for her to fathom. She couldn't imagine what peerless refining techniques or precious herbs could create such a thing. "Well now, your complexion looks much better." Li Fan observed Chen Yuexi with a measure of satisfaction. For any physician, there was no greater sense of accomplishment than seeing a patient recover thanks to their medicine. But the girl was staring at the tonic he’d brought her with a blank expression, her body trembling with some unspoken, powerful emotion. Li Fan found it rather strange. My skills are quite good, he mused. The Myriad Treasures Tome itself calls them ‘superb,’ and the tonics I brew are always palatable and pleasing to the eye. So why is she looking at it as if she's seen a ghost? Chen Yuexi, however, didn't dare to look directly at Li Fan. The reason was simple: even the most proficient royal physician in the dynasty, while knowing a cure for the lingering Hex in her body, had deemed the cost impossibly high. It required longevity ironwood grown for over one hundred thousand years, combined with red gold grass condensed from the lava of the Jiyuan Abyss, a portion of ancient dragon tooth powder, and a great monk of at least the third Establishment of the Celestial Sovereign realm, proficient in medicine, to refine it for forty-nine days. Only then could a single drop of "Starlight Moon Dew" be produced to cure her stubborn affliction. But that was a fantasy. The oldest longevity ironwood the Chen family could procure was a mere fifty thousand years old. Few specimens older than that existed in the entire Celestial Domain. After exhausting their resources, the Chen family had only managed to learn that a one-hundred-and-twenty-thousand-year-old piece existed in the "Wentian Palace," an extraordinary holy land beyond the dynasty's borders. And that was considered an ultimate treasure. As for the Jiyuan Lava, only Grand Ascension cultivators could hope to enter, and even they risked death, let alone venturing deep enough to harvest herbs. Her father, the head of the Chen family, was only at the seventh Establishment of Tribulation Crossing. And ancient dragon tooth powder... the ancient dragon clan considered every part of their bodies sacred. Any outsider who dared touch even a dragon's corpse would be hunted to their death. From that moment, Chen Yuexi knew her fate was sealed. Forget the Chen family—not even the emperor of the Riyan Dynasty could gather such celestial treasures. And yet, this bowl of medicine before her... was it not the legendary "Star and Moon Divine Water"? Refined in a tiny clinic in a small town, by a mortal man, in the time it took to drink a cup of tea? Who was he? "Miss, are you alright?" Li Fan’s concerned voice pulled Chen Yuexi from her thoughts. She quickly schooled her features, feigning a calm she did not feel. "This... this young master... no, Senior," she stammered, "might I be so bold as to see the ingredients used in this medicine?" She couldn't bring herself to believe it. The man before her was no mortal; he was a mighty figure whose power was so terrifyingly profound that she couldn't perceive a single trace of it. Not only that, he was a medical saint of the highest caliber. Her request, she realized, was impolite. A single misstep could offend him. The moment the words left her mouth, Chen Yuexi was filled with regret. "Of course. There are only three ingredients, nothing complicated." Li Fan was still a bit puzzled as to why this pretty girl was calling him 'Senior.' Her request was simple enough. He figured she just wanted the recipe so she could make it herself in the future. He walked over to the medicine cabinet, grabbed a random handful of each herb, and placed them on the table. Chen Yuexi's throat tightened. She approached the table, and as her eyes fell upon the herbs, a tremor ran through her. The immortal ironwood practically glowed with a silver light, its quality indicating an age far exceeding one hundred thousand years. The red gold grass looked ordinary, but Chen Yuexi had seen it depicted in ancient texts. It was a herb that could not be touched casually—even a Grand Ascension expert would be incinerated by its heat. And the ancient dragon tooth powder… just a glance was enough for her to hear the faint, echoing whisper of a dragon's roar. My heavens, such priceless herbs, and he just took them out so casually? These were treasures that the most powerful factions could only dream of possessing. If word got out that this small clinic housed such things, it would surely spark a storm of bloodshed. Yet, this man could brew "Star and Moon Divine Water" and give it to a complete stranger to drink, all while running a clinic in this remote town… There was no doubt. He was a reclusive master, detached from the mortal world. "That's all of them. My humble clinic doesn't have much to boast about." In truth, Li Fan hadn't collected these herbs himself; they were from the Myriad Treasures Tome. The Myriad Treasures Tome had a "Treasure Pavilion" interface filled with all sorts of things: medicinal herbs, books on self-cultivation, a so-called "Book of Knowing Destiny" for fortune-telling, copies of paintings to practice from… a great variety, but nothing directly related to cultivation, so Li Fan just thought of it as a general store. Everything in the Treasure Pavilion was free, provided he had unlocked the permissions. Leveling up his skills granted corresponding points, and the more points he had, the more permissions he unlocked. As it was, Li Fan had plenty of points and all permissions were unlocked. He could take anything he wanted. These points seemed to have other uses, but he hadn't discovered them yet. But the medicinal materials in the Treasure Pavilion... to be honest, Li Fan found them rather lame. The "iron wood," "fire grass," and "beast tooth powder" before him all sounded like the most basic of ingredients. The idea that common wood and teeth could even be used as medicine still subverted his understanding. Still, he had brewed medicine for others many times, and the effects were always impressive. "These things are nothing special. I hope my simple soup was not to your disliking, miss." Li Fan picked up a piece of the longevity ironwood and gave it a light squeeze. With a sharp crack, the wood splintered in his hand. Chen Yuexi's eyelids twitched violently. Although longevity ironwood was a medicinal herb, it was terrifyingly durable. Even a thirty-thousand-year-old piece could only be broken by a cultivator who had reached the Tribulation Crossing period. The Riyan Dynasty possessed a seventy-thousand-year-old specimen, so unbreakable that even Grand Ascension cultivators used it to test the power of their techniques. Yet the man before her had crushed a piece that was likely hundreds of thousands of years old with a casual pinch. A cold sweat beaded on Chen Yuexi's brow. She was suddenly grateful she hadn't shown any dissatisfaction earlier. If this man wanted to kill her… it would be as easy as crushing an ant, wouldn't it? No, she thought, a tremor of fear running down her spine. It would be easier than that. She spread her palms, staring at them as if they belonged to a stranger. A strange joy filled her body and soul, and she trembled with excitement. The feeling of power returning… Not just strength, but also status, authority, and the freedom of her own life… It's back, she thought. It's all back. She was still in a daze. She had actually drunk a tonic brewed by such a peerless expert, and she had almost dismissed it as useless garbage. "Star and Moon Divine Water" could only be refined by a master of the Celestial Sovereign stage, and only then if they possessed supreme medical skills. There were only two or three renowned medical saints in the entire world. Any one of them commanded such a vast network of connections that a single word could annihilate a power far greater than the Riyan Dynasty in a single day. Compared to such a being, what was she, the so-called little genius of the Chen family? Chen Yuexi felt a belated fear at her own earlier arrogance. She had been at the end of her rope, all hope lost, only to be granted a new life—all thanks to the master before her. A glimmer appeared in Chen Yuexi's purple eyes. She slowly raised her head, her gaze filled with admiration and gratitude. "Thank you for the medicine, Senior. I have nothing with which to repay you. Please, accept my obeisance." She moved to kneel. Li Fan quickly reached out and stopped her. He smiled gently. "Meeting like this is a matter of fate. There's no need to speak of repayment for a chance encounter. Such things are meaningless." Chen Yuexi froze for a moment. He was right. To a master physician like him, the "Star and Moon Divine Water" was just a simple decoction, barely worth his notice. But to her, that same bowl of medicine—something she could never have obtained in her lifetime—had restored her cultivation. She was no longer a cripple; in fact, her cultivation had even improved slightly. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior. Yuexi understands." "Yuexi... It's a fine name. It suits a beauty such as yourself." Li Fan smiled faintly. Chen Yuexi's cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her eyes shyly. "Senior is too kind with your praise. This humble girl is unworthy." Girls these days were so modest. Li Fan quite enjoyed it. Outside, the rain gradually subsided. Chen Yuexi took a deep breath, then bowed deeply to Li Fan. "Senior, I have urgent matters to attend to and cannot stay, but I will surely return to repay your kindness. I hope you will not refuse me then." Chen Yuexi was going back to the Zhao family. She was going to sever that ridiculous marriage engagement with her own sword. Li Fan nodded. "Come if you wish." His clinic was usually empty anyway. A few more visits from a beautiful woman would be a welcome change. Chen Yuexi pursed her lips, a warmth spreading through her heart. She turned, and with a flash of true energy, she blurred into motion and disappeared. Li Fan stared, stunned. So, he thought, blinking in surprise. That girl was a monk all along.

Chapter 2: He Brewed A Galaxy