"You are truly diligent, Fellow Daoist."

A crisp voice drifted on the damp morning wind, slipping into Luo Chen’s ears like a splash of icy water. From the swirling clouds above, Tantai Jin descended, her gaze steady and piercing as it locked onto him.

"Up so early, and already buried in a book?"

Luo Chen, sitting calmly beneath the canopy of green, gave the alchemy tome in his hand a slight shake, as though she had just caught him in a detached, scholarly mood.

"The art of alchemy is deep and boundless," he said lightly. "Life is limited, yet the pursuit of knowledge knows no end. How could I afford not to put in the effort?"

Tantai Jin’s eyes shimmered faintly. "We cultivators pursue the Great Dao of Immortality. With eternity ahead, how can one speak of a limited lifespan?"

Luo Chen let out a hearty laugh. "May it be as you say, Fellow Daoist Tantai."

He gestured politely toward a chair. "Please, have a seat."

Without false modesty, Tantai Jin settled into the vine chair opposite him, her movements composed and elegant. Luo Chen set the book aside and personally poured her a cup of steaming tea. A subtle fragrance rose in soft wisps between them.

Tantai Jin’s gaze fell upon the Shang Hu Alchemy Insights. A flicker of emotion crossed her features, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

She sipped the tea Luo Chen had poured but...