23: Something's not right with this secret medicine, is it?

Just as Su Lin was pondering how to appease his two disciple, the atmosphere in the hall once again became tense.

The reason was simple: it was late, and time to rest.

"Fifth Senior Sister has traveled a long way and must be tired," Mu Qingxue spoke first, her tone cool.

"I have already had someone prepare a splendid guest room for you, in the warm pavilion on the east side of Qingxue Hall, ensuring no one will disturb you."

While these words sounded considerate on the surface, they were actually a polite dismissal—in my Qingxue Hall, you stay in the guest room; don't even think about staying in the main hall.

Luo Ximei immediately understood her little trick.

"Oh, Seventh Junior Sister, you're being too formal. We sisters haven't seen each other for a whole century. Tonight is perfect for us to sleep foot-to-foot, talk through the night, and properly reminisce. How can we sleep separately?"

As she spoke, her body leaned a bit closer to Su Lin, and she said in a soft, lingering voice, "Besides, Revered Master's Divine Soul is not yet stable. How can he be without someone to care for him?"

"If he needs anything during the night, we two sisters can look after him. Don't you agree, Revered Master?"

Mu Qingxue's face turned cold: "I alone am enough to care for Revered Master. Fifth Senior Sister needn't trouble herself!"

"Alone?" Luo Ximei raised an eyebrow exaggeratedly, "Just you? What if Revered Master gets cold? Let Senior Sister do it; my body is warm."

"You... you're shameless!" Mu Qingxue was both embarrassed and angry, her earlobes turning red.

"What is shame? Can it be eaten?" Luo Ximei chuckled, "As long as Revered Master is comfortable, even if I bear eternal infamy, what do I have to fear?"

"It's you, Seventh Junior Sister, who has the same thoughts as me, yet you maintain this aloof demeanor. Aren't you tired?"

She leaned into Mu Qingxue's ear, her breath like orchids, but her voice carried a devilish allure.

"Don't forget, I personally saw Revered Master being bound by your spiritual power.

You tell me, if I hadn't arrived just in time, were you planning to do something to Revered Master?"

Su Lin shook his head, preparing to say something, when the System's voice rang out again.

"Ding! Detecting strong emotional conflict between Disciple Mu Qingxue and Disciple Luo Ximei due to the host. The 'Love Rivalry' bond has been triggered!"

"Bond Resonance activated: host and Mu Qingxue Bond Value +10! host and Luo Ximei Bond Value +10!"

"Congratulations to the host for triggering a rare bond. System special reward is being issued..."

"Reward: Secret Potion – one bottle!"

Su Lin was stunned. Such a good thing? He could gain bond value this way?

And what was this Secret Potion about?

Is this Medicinal Pill from your System legitimate?

"Alright." Su Lin cleared his throat, interrupting their confrontation.

Under the two women's questioning gazes, he flipped his palm, and a small white jade bottle, pinkish and exuding a faint warmth, appeared in his palm.

"This is..."

Mu Qingxue and Luo Ximei's attention was immediately drawn to this never-before-seen jade bottle.

Luo Ximei, as a Demon Path Supreme Being, had seen countless rare treasures, yet she had never seen such a unique Medicinal Pill bottle. The bottle seemed to have hidden patterns of intertwined Dragon and Phoenix, and merely looking at it made one's heart sway.

"Revered Master, what is this?"

Luo Ximei curiously leaned closer, sniffing gently, but could not detect any medicinal scent.

Su Lin was also quite curious. He brought the jade bottle to his eyes to examine it, feeling only its warm, smooth touch, as if holding a piece of warm jade.

He shook it, but there seemed to be no sound of Medicinal Pills rattling inside.

"I don't know either; I just discovered this item in my Storage Pouch."

Saying this, under the curious and expectant gazes of the two women, Su Lin slowly pulled out the stopper.

There was no Medicinal Pill rolling out as imagined, nor was there any strong medicinal fragrance.

Only a faint, wispy wisp of light pink smoke slowly rose from the bottle's mouth, then instantly permeated the entire hall at an incredible speed.

An indescribably sweet aroma, utterly exquisite, filled the nostrils of the three.

Su Lin immediately reacted, "Quickly use spiritual power to resist! This is a Soul-Bewitching Incense!"

And the situation of his two female disciple beside him was even worse.

The clear,Glass-colored eyes of Mu Qingxue were now filled with a hazy mist.

Luo Ximei's delicate body softened even more, and she directly collapsed to the ground.

Qingxue Hall, under the night, transformed into a special kitchen.

Su Lin was the head chef, and how could he not be tempted by two top-tier ingredients?

The Ice Lotus, as cold as ten thousand years of profound ice.

And the fiery red Dragon Fruit, burning with intense heat.

The medicinal power was like a red-hot iron pot, and passion was the scalding hot oil.

Two completely different ingredients entered the pot at the same time, and a fusion and collision of ice and fire began.

Initially, the chef still wanted to control the heat, attempting to simmer it slowly over low heat, savoring the natural flavor of the ingredients.

But the ingredients themselves contained astonishing energy; they were not content to be passive, but instead actively entangled the spatula, attempting to turn the tables and make the chef their own meal.

Thus, a fierce culinary battle began.

Sometimes, it was a rapid stir-fry over high heat, the spatula flying, the petals of the Ice Lotus blushing in the fierce flames.

At other times, it turned to a low simmer to reduce the sauce, making the soup rich and delicious, its aroma wafting everywhere.

Facing these two incredibly powerful, top-tier ingredients, the chef felt no inadequacy whatsoever.

He used his Divine Soul as a spatula and spiritual power as the heat, transforming this potentially uncontrollable cooking into a symphony composed by him.

He precisely controlled the force of each stir-fry, the perfect timing for flipping, allowing the two distinct flavors of ice and fire to gradually meld.

Finally, this peerless delicacy, named [Ice and Fire Dragon Phoenix Auspiciousness], was cooked to completion.

The rich aroma of the dish almost solidified, and the juices of the ingredients were spilled everywhere.

When the first ray of dawn shone upon Su Lin, he finally awoke.

He felt his Divine Soul clearer than ever before, but along with it came a bone-deep soreness, as if he had been completely drained.

They opened their eyes almost simultaneously.

Four eyes... no, six eyes met.

The air instantly solidified.

Mu Qingxue's exquisitely beautiful face first showed confusion, then shock, and finally, a scorching blush rushed from her snow-white neck all the way to her crown.

Luo Ximei's reaction, however, was completely different.

After a brief moment of surprise, she simply stretched lazily, her perfect curves fully revealed in the morning light.

"Oh my... Revered Master, you truly are... full of hidden depths."

Her words instantly broke the deadlock and ignited the powder keg.

"Luo Ximei! You... you shut up!"

"Why should I shut up?"

Luo Ximei turned sideways, propping her head with her jade arm, looking at her with interest, "Last night, I wonder who was much more proactive than me, Senior Sister."

"I wasn't!"

"You were."

"I'll kill you!"

"Come on, let Revered Master see which of us two sisters... is superior."