Dual Cultivation

Zhu Mengyi left her living quarters early in the morning with an eager expression on her face.

She then navigated her way through the Central Court, where all the core disciples lived and went straight to Su Yang's living quarter that was near the Central Court but still within the Inner Court.

"..."

At his living quarters, Su Yang looked at her and the sun that was barely peeking in the horizon. Just how much did this girl want to learn from him?

"Um — Hello! I am here!" Zhu Mengyi said when Su Yang did not speak even after many seconds.

"I can see that." Su Yang shook his head, and he continued, "Go to the Cauldron Room and clean up the mess you made yesterday; I will be there soon."

"Eh?" Zhu Mengyi did not know how to react to such words. This is her first time being told to clean up the Cauldron Room! Because she has her own servants to clean the Cauldron Room for her whenever she's done with it, she's never really cleaned anything besides her own body.

However, she was not in the position to decline, as she was the one who made the mess in the first place.

Once she entered the Cauldron Room, Zhu Mengyi used her Profound Qi to move the scattered pieces that were neatly shoved to the corner of the room into one of her storage rings. She didn't expect to use her precious storage ring for such a purpose, but alas, this would be the most convenient for her.

A few minutes later, after he washed his face, Su Yang entered the Cauldron Room, where Zhu Mengyi was already seated with the new cauldron before her.

"First thing's first, show me your Alchemy Flames."

Zhu Mengyi nodded and raised her palm, creating a ball of azure flame the size of a watermelon.

Su Yang approached her and stared intensely at the azure flame.

A few moments later, he said, "Your control over the Alchemy Flame is pretty good for someone at your level. However, despite that, you still managed to blow up the cauldron yesterday. Why do you think that happened?"

After thinking for a moment, she responded, "Because I did not understand the pill enough?" she spoke in a voice that lacked confidence.

"You are not wrong, but there's another reason as to why you have been unsuccessful with the Earth Advancement Pill for so long."

"I knew it… so you didn't pick the Earth Advancement Pill by chance… How can you tell that I have been struggling with this pill in particular?"

"Just a hunch," he said with a mysterious smile.

"Anyway, the real reason why you cannot concoct the Earth Advancement Pill despite countless efforts, it's simply because you cultivated the wrong technique—"

"Say what?!" Zhu Mengyi exclaimed with shock, her eyes filled with disbelief.

He's saying that she had studied the wrong technique? Impossible! Her mother, Matriarch Zhu, also cultivated the same technique as her, but she does not have her problem!

"Let me finish." Su Yang continued, "There's nothing wrong with the technique you cultivated, but it does not suit your unique Alchemy Flames. If anything, it's actually holding you back from your full potential."

"..."

Zhu Mengyi was completely speechless by now. If what he said was true, then she's actually being held back by one of the best Alchemy techniques available at the Four Seasons Academy?

"If what you say is true… then how am I supposed to find this technique? One that matches my Alchemy Flames, much less cultivate from the beginning? It will take years to return to the current state of my flame control!"

"Close your eyes and lean your head towards me," Su Yang suddenly said.

Taken aback by his sudden request, Zhu Mengyi blushed. "Eh? What are you going to do?" she asked.

"Do you want to learn or not?" Su Yang sighed.

"I'll do it!"

Zhu Mengyi no longer questioned him and closed her eyes, even slowly leaning her head towards him.

"Is this it? Is this how I will lose my status as a maiden?" she wondered inwardly.

A moment later, she could feel something warm press against her forehead, causing her to instinctively open her eyes.

When she saw Su Yang's face almost pressing against her own, her heart started beating many times faster than normal, and her face flushed red.

However, before she could even think any more of the situation, Su Yang started transferring information of a certain technique into her mind, taking her by surprise.

"T-This is…"

Zhu Mengyi no longer pondered about anything else besides the information that was being fed into her head and began absorbing everything.

A few minutes later, once he passed everything to her, Su Yang removed his forehead from her head and leaned back. He then sat there in silence, patiently waiting for her to finish taking in all the information.

Exactly two hours later, Zhu Mengyi opened her eyes that shone with profound light.

"Controlling Heaven and Earth…" she mumbled the name of the technique.

A few moments later, when she finally snaps out of her daze, she looked at Su Yang with a worried expression.

Seeing her expression, Su Yang smiled and said in a calm voice, "You don't have to worry, I do not intend on asking for any compensation for that technique. Since I have agreed to teach you, I might as well do it properly."

"R-R-Really? But this technique… I cannot accept something this precious for free! Anything you want, if I have the power, then I will help you!"

"If you really want to pay me back, then why don't you start by concocting an Earth Advancement Pill without blowing up the cauldron?"

"...Okay…"

Zhu Mengyi could tell that Su Yang really had no intention to ask for compensation for his technique, but she still couldn't accept it.

"There must be something I can do to pay him back…" she pondered.

Suddenly, she realized something.

"This is a bit awkward, but I don't think I have gotten your name yet…" she said with a weird smile on her face.

"Su Yang," he casually responded.

"Huh?" Zhu Mengyi's eyes widened exponentially upon hearing his name, large enough to fit an egg, and her mind nearly exploded from shock.

Seeing her baffled expression, Su Yang couldn't help but ask, "What? Is there something wrong with my name?"

After all, she's not the first one to have such an exaggerated reaction after hearing his name.