Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Chapter 454 Reconstructing the Physical Body? The Way of the Eunuch!

"Don't mention him." Tianxiangzi wrinkled her nose.

"He's just petty. But you're really calm. He mocked your slow alchemy technique, but you didn't even lift an eyelid, focusing entirely on controlling the fire. I was watching from the side, and I was worried for you."

Chen Fan shook his head: "The worst thing in alchemy is distraction. What do external noises have to do with me? Besides..."

He glanced at Tian Xiangzi and said, "At that time, your father and several elders seemed to be observing in secret, so our family dared not be careless."

"You found out?" Tian Xiangzi was somewhat surprised, then smiled and said, "My father and the Second Elder did come. My father even asked me if I had taken a liking to you."

At this point, two blushes rose on her cheeks, and her voice lowered, "Back then... I didn't admit it."

Chen Fan naturally knew what happened later. Rumors quickly spread throughout Grass Valley, saying that the Valley Master had taken a liking to him and wanted to take him as his son-in-law, and that Tian Xiangzi had secretly fallen for him. Hearing this, he, who was still "Jidaozi" at the time, was greatly shocked. After all, he knew in his heart that he was an eighty-year-old eunuch, while Tian Xiangzi was at most in her early twenties.

When the old topic was brought up again, there was a moment of awkward silence between the two.

The unfortunate feelings, the tests, the avoidances, and the eventual honesty of those years are still vivid in my mind.

"Later, during the assessment for second-grade alchemists, you were refining the Nourishing Essence Pill, sitting there from morning until afternoon." Tian Xiangzi quickly broke the silence, steer the conversation back to alchemy, and his eyes regained their brilliance. "Three hours, as steady as a rock. When the pill was completed, its fragrance filled the air, and its quality was superb. Even the Second Elder clapped his hands in praise. At that time, many disciples in front of the Nourishing Pill Hall were stunned."

"Old Man Long..." Chen Fan recalled the somewhat eccentric third-grade alchemist, "He must have had the idea of ​​taking on a disciple back then, right? Later in the main hall, just as the Valley Master was about to say something else, he preemptively asked me if I was willing to acknowledge him as my master, which startled me."

Tian Xiangzi recalled her father's hesitant, amused expression at the time, and Chen Fan's disheveled appearance as he hurriedly slipped away under an excuse, and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "That's right! My dad originally wanted to... say something else, but the Second Elder intercepted him. You ran away really fast, you disappeared in the blink of an eye."

Chen Fan touched his nose, a rare hint of embarrassment on his face: "I was forced by circumstances, forced by circumstances. As for becoming an apprentice, I was truly sincere. Senior Long's alchemy skills are worth learning. As for anything else... at the time, my status was special, and I really dared not think too much about it."

Both of them knew perfectly well what he meant by "special status".

Tian Xiangzi's eyes softened, and she said softly, "I know. Later... I found out everything later."

"Speaking of which," Chen Fan took out a warm jade bottle from his robes and handed it over, "this is a spiritual liquid made from Nourishing Spirit Wood. It's even better for nourishing your soul than taking the Nourishing Spirit Wood directly. Take one drop daily, dissolved in water, and it should be beneficial to your injuries."

Tianxiangzi took the jade bottle; it was slightly warm to the touch, and she could feel the peaceful and nourishing power it contained.

She gripped the jade bottle tightly, looked up at Chen Fan, her eyes swirling with emotions, which finally coalesced into a single sentence: "Thank you... I've troubled you again."

"It's too formal to say these things to our family." Chen Fan's tone was calm, but carried an undeniable seriousness.

Tianxiangzi smiled, nodded, and carefully put the jade bottle away.

She then asked, "Besides delivering medicine, will you be staying for a few days this time? If Father and the Second Elder know you're here, they'll definitely want to catch up with you."

"We'll see." Chen Fan glanced towards the alchemy room. "Your injuries are still unstable, so we'll need to look after you for a few more days. We'll pay our respects to the Valley Master and Senior Long later. This Grass Valley... it seems to be more reassuring than the Great Abyss Imperial City."

"That's because there's no annoying Guang Anzi right now, and no piles of sect affairs either," Tian Xiangzi said with a smile, then sighed.

"However, the Grass Valley won't always be this peaceful. The main branch... remains a hidden worry."

"There's always a way out," Chen Fan said calmly. "Right now, focus on recovering from your injuries. As for the rest, we have the Valley Master and Old Man Long; we'll find a way."

His words were simple, yet they carried a reassuring power.

Looking at the old eunuch who was now a Nascent Soul cultivator but still had not reconstructed his physical body, Tianxiangzi was filled with mixed feelings.

She was once impulsive and straightforward, single-mindedly chasing after this "Ji Daozi junior brother," pursuing him across borders and causing many jokes and troubles. She was also shocked and retreated because of his eunuch identity, and even almost died for him by burning her soul to protect the Great Abyss.

Now, times have changed.

He was more accomplished in his cultivation and had a more prominent status, yet he was still himself.

Having faced life and death, her resolve has become increasingly clear and firm.

"You," Tianxiangzi suddenly laughed, "when you first came to Caogu, you were as cold as a stone. Now you talk more and care about people."

Chen Fan was taken aback, then chuckled: "People change. Besides..."

He paused, then said, "If something remains unchanged after all that has happened, then it is truly a stone."

The two exchanged a smile, their unspoken words unspoken.

"Back then, you gave me the Qi Condensation Pill to help me cultivate, and I was thinking about how to repay you." Chen Fan recalled the scene in front of the cave where Tian Xiangzi insisted on giving him the pill.

"Isn't it only right for a senior sister to take care of her junior brother?" Tian Xiangzi blinked, revealing a rare hint of girlish slyness.

"Moreover, someone later 'repaid' him quite a bit, risking his life to find medicine to save him, and even killing Nascent Soul cultivators without hesitation."

"Those who deserve to die should naturally be killed." Chen Fan's tone was calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter, "as long as it can save you."

Tian Xiangzi felt a warmth in her heart, lowered her eyes, and unconsciously twirled the hem of her skirt with her fingers.

After a long while, she asked softly, "Chen Fan, you're already at the Nascent Soul stage... Have you really not considered reshaping your physical body?"

Chen Fan remained silent for a moment, gazing at the distant, verdant mountains, and slowly said, "It is not difficult for a Nascent Soul cultivator to reshape their physical body. But... physical form and shell are merely external shells. Our path may lie in this 'imperfection.' Heaven and earth have both fullness and sparseness, and so does the Dao. A eunuch's body may not necessarily be unable to forge its own path."

He turned to look at Tian Xiangzi, his eyes clear and firm: "Besides, if one feels inferior simply because of a physical defect, or is eager to change it, then that is truly being attached to appearances. I am Chen Fan, a eunuch, and also a cultivator. That's all."

Tianxiangzi listened quietly, her initial curiosity gradually turning into deep emotion and understanding.

She remembered how he stayed by her bedside for three days while she was unconscious! She remembered how he had been running around looking for medicine, and she remembered his words just now, "It's too formal to talk about these things with our family."

What she sought was never a complete body, but rather the compassionate, righteous, resolute, and courageous heart beneath that body!

"What I've been waiting for has never been that." She repeated softly the words she had spoken after waking up, a bright and relieved smile blooming on her face.

"Yes, that's all, it's fine."

"Let's go," Chen Fan stood up and extended his hand to Tian Xiangzi. "The sun is setting; it's time to return to the alchemy room. You still need to rest and avoid overexertion. I'll explain the usage of this spiritual liquid to you in more detail later. Also, we should go see the Valley Master and Senior Long, lest they say we lack manners."

Tian Xiangzi placed her hand in his palm, used the leverage to stand up, and laughed, "They wouldn't. The Second Elder is probably hoping you'd come so he can discuss alchemy with you. As for my father... he might grumble and complain, but he's already accepted it in his heart."