The 69th courtyard stood like a serene oasis, its size comparable to that of a small field. Adjacent to the hut was a generous plot of land, perfect for cultivating various herbs.

With anticipation in his heart, Ning stepped into the hut, his spatial pouch yielding an assortment of items. His initial priority was to inspect his new abode, a place that would be his haven for the foreseeable future.

The hut itself was modestly sized, cleverly divided into three partitions: a cozy bedroom, a cultivation room, and a neatly organized washroom. It was a fully equipped living space, complete with a fresh and neatly arranged blanket on the bed.

Yup, there was a bed in here.

"Uff." The first thing Ning did was indulge himself in the sweet comfort of the bed. As he reclined onto the soft surface, he felt himself melting into a world of unparalleled comfort. He had achieved unity between man and bed, a frightening technique to realize.

"So comfy! Truly, you only realize the value of something once you lose it." Ning couldn't help but mutter.

He had previously lived in a cave and slept on the hard, cold ground. Remembering that first month filled with ceaseless back pain, Ning shuddered a bit. Even as a cultivator with a slightly enhanced physique, he would feel back pain sleeping in such terrain.

He had already planned to purchase a bed after settling in the inner sect, but it seems he was provided one already. Well, lucky me...

Plus, he had not seen a single mosquito yet, so that was already way better. Since those bloodsuckers even defeated that one bald guy who keeps one-shotting everything.

So, overall, Ning was satisfied.

Cultivating was his main priority, but he did not mind indulging in some small treats once in a while. A life of just cultivating endlessly, fighting everywhere was something just plain sad.

Besides, satisfying desires also helps in one's cultivation. Cultivation paid attention to one's mood. A serene and happy mind naturally yields a better result than those without.

Well, it might sound like excuses, maybe it really was, but Ning enjoyed such rare comforts.

As the evening sun dipped below the horizon, Ning's eyelids grew heavy, and sleep enveloped him like a warm embrace. Throughout the night, he slumbered soundly, basking in the comfort of his newfound abode.

...

The following morning, as the first rays of dawn peeked through the window, Ning stirred from his peaceful slumber. Reluctantly, he rose from the bed, but for a moment, he wished to preserve the warm cocoon of comfort, yearning to relish it eternally. Never waking up again. Scary...

Ning quickly got up and walked toward the bathroom.

Ning casually used a drop of evergreen morning dew to cleanse his body of any impurities while bathing.

With the amount of physical training he does regularly, such external 'beauty' products were quite essential. Especially since it was common to be a sweaty mess after each training session, and since that one time in college, when one of his roommates came in the communal bath with socks on, Ning despised going to the shared bathroom.

Anyway, after having breakfast, he was ready perfectly.

...

Ning walked toward the palace in the middle of the huge garden. He took out his personal token and introduced his Qi into it.

From his senior sister, Liu Sisi, he knew that the entirety of this palace was protected by a huge formation. Unlike the basic repelling formation present in his residence, the one here was a killing formation. Exterminating anyone who dares trespass into this territory.

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Thankfully, Ning didn't try to forcefully enter the palace yesterday. Even though his 'master' may have assured his safety, he just didn't like taking his chances.

Entering, Ning first greeted his master who was already present at the scene. Well, it was his residence after all.

"You are early today," Ling Huang glanced at the new arrival, his golden eyes calm. It was just seven in the morning.

"I might have gotten too excited, master." Ning admitted a bit sheepishly before asking, "Did I disturb you?"

"Not really. I am happy that you are so eager to learn, unlike a certain senior sister of yours." Ling Huang didn't forget to take a jab at the nonexistent Liu Sisi.

"But, fourth, I might have been a bit hasty yesterday. So, I want to ask you a question." Ling Huang's golden eyes bore on Ning.

"Please." Ning didn't shy away either.

"The art of alchemy is extremely complex and complicated, and the slightest mistake will lead to failure. All alchemists have spent a vast amount of resources to accumulate their experience. Alchemy is a bottomless pit of resources and requires a lot of investment for whatever little gain you may obtain at the end."

"Alchemy might seem like a bright path, filled with roses, but countless people have fallen short in this path, due to their lack of talent, perseverance, and resources. So, I want to ask you, are you ready for this?"

Looking at his master today, who seemed a lot more stable than the day before, Ning was admittedly quite surprised. Perhaps, due to the pill concoction or due to other reasons; his master seemed a little jittery before.

Ning's thoughts turned quickly, but he didn't hesitate to give his answer, "Yes. After all, you may not be rewarded for hard work, but without hard work, there will definitely be no reward!"

Ning was not lying; he was indeed prepared to devote a lot to succeed in alchemy. As someone who has seen the bottomless pit of Gacha hell, he would not get scared of needing to spend large amounts of resources.

After all, Alchemy may require a large amount of resources and talent, but it also has an equal gain, even greater.

"A very good mindset. In that case, I would not disturb you any longer." Ling Huang nodded, seeing that the fourth was indeed serious. Especially, hearing the answer, he inwardly nodded. It seems his eye for selecting talents has not regressed.

...

Before him laid a myriad of books, their titles hinting at the vast knowledge they contained. With a thoughtful gaze, Ning pondered where to begin, but it seemed that his master had already anticipated his thoughts.

"Ten Thousand Plants is a good book to start with."

Ning bowed slightly and picked up the book titled "Ten Thousand Plants."

It was as large and thick as a dictionary with densely packed words.

Coming from a world where studying was considered extremely important, Ning quickly got into the flow.

For a book like this, the only way to go was rote memorization. No, he did not want to just memorize names and such; he wanted to carefully observe all the details of each type of medicinal plant. Only after understanding a plant fully could he move on to the next one.

Everyone had their way to study. The way Ning preferred was to study the medicinal plants down to the tiniest detail until he could close his eyes and recall the image of each and every one. After that, he would draw and write all the details from memory.

In this entire process, Ning's blessed comprehension did wonders. The blessing of Heavenly Dao granted his enhanced cultivation speed and comprehension.

If he had to be honest, Ning preferred this blessing because of the enhanced comprehension rather than the increased cultivation speed.

The reason was simple: there were too many ways to speed up cultivation. While it may be hard to directly double the cultivation speed without investing many resources, it was a different matter altogether with resources at hand. Be it pills, spirit-gathering formation, a unique treasure, there was no shortage of ways to increase cultivation speed.

But regarding comprehension, there was no easy way out. At least, Ning had never found any. While there are pills for increasing comprehension, those were rare, extremely so, and often monopolized by large groups.

So, enhanced comprehension was quite a big deal. A 99% boost meant his mental capacities such as analysis, memory were almost doubled than before. So, it was a blessing indeed, pun intended.

So, with the help of the blessing and his own more-than-average mental strength, Ning went ham on the books.

Time seemed to lose its hold on Ning as he zealously absorbed knowledge, pages turning and ink staining the parchment. He would have continued on this path indefinitely, if not for a gentle interruption.

"Junior Brother! You should probably take a break for now," Liu Sisi's voice broke through his intense concentration.

Startled, Ning looked up, his eyes slightly bloodshot from hours of immersion in his studies. The sight of the sun that seemed to have the intention to set outside the window served as a reminder for the amount of time that had passed.

He nodded, "I seem to have lost track of time. Didn't think it was already so late."

Time really flew by.

Looking at the scattered books and papers, Ning muttered.

"So, this is my life from now on, huh?"