Xiao Lou was practically drooling, watching Han Luo so focused on his work.

  Two hours later, Han Luo stretched, rolling his stiff shoulders, having meticulously checked every material.

  To no one's surprise, most of them didn’t meet his expectations.

  “Senior sister, could you please exchange these materials for another batch? Thanks.” His tone was polite but firm.

  Xiao Lou wiped her mouth, looking at the two piles of materials on the table.

  Frowning, she picked up a Firewood Rod, examining it carefully—she couldn’t see anything wrong with it.

  She grabbed a few more materials, double-checking, but they all seemed fine to her.

  “Junior brother, these materials look perfectly normal. Why do you want to replace them?”

  If she approved the exchange, it would not only be troublesome, but it might also imply she wasn’t doing her job properly—which could lead to an earful from Elder Tie.

  She definitely didn’t want that.

  Han Luo had expected her reluctance. Picking up the Firewood Rod, he pointed out its flaws.

  “Senior sister, look here. Firewood Rods are carved from Fire Mulberry trees, meaning they should have unbroken Fire Mulberry patterns running through them. But on this one, the pattern is slightly damaged.” He tapped another part of the rod. “Notice the color? It’s paler than usual—this means the wood was harvested before it matured. Using inferior Firewood Rods in formations weakens their power, and in the worst case, could cause instability or explosions.”

  He explained with the fluency of an expert, his tone patient and confident.

  Xiao Lou looked at the Firewood Rod again, blinking. She had no idea whether he was right or not, but…

  He sounded really convincing.

  And he looked so serious, not to mention kind of handsome.

  “…But according to regulations,” she argued, “as long as the defect rate is below five percent, the materials are still considered usable.”

  “Usable for regular cultivators, sure. But for me? Not even close.” Han Luo smiled faintly. “Please exchange them for another batch.”

  Still maintaining his polite yet unwavering attitude, he left her with no room to argue.

  “…Fine. Wait here.”

  She sighed, deciding to just go along with it. After all, Elder Tie had told her to cooperate, so she wouldn’t be the one blamed for any trouble.

  Not long after, she returned with a fresh set of materials.

  Han Luo put on his enchanted glasses and started checking all over again. Xiao Lou, now thoroughly bored, leaned back, playing with her bracelet.

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  She wasn’t particularly talented—just another ordinary disciple in Luo Xian Sect. Like many others, she had joined with high hopes, only to fade into the background over time.

  Not everyone could become a legendary cultivator. Some people—like her—just ended up living longer than mortals, but nothing more.

  Becoming an immortal?

  Hah.

  That was for geniuses, not people like her.

  Most average disciples gave up on the dream and settled for marriage and children, hoping their next generation would be more gifted.

  Maybe that was her fate too.

  She sighed, shifting her gaze back to Han Luo .

  He was… actually quite pleasant to look at.

  Gentle in his speech, a little handsome, and most importantly—an array master.

  And since he had only joined the sect a year ago, he was still fair game.

  Her thoughts drifted until—

  “Senior sister! Senior sister! Senior sister!”

  Han Luo ’s voice snapped her out of her daydream.

  She blinked, realizing her face was heating up.

  “W-What?”

  “Are you daydreaming? Here, I need these exchanged too.”

  “…Again?”

  He nodded.

  “…Fine.”

  This exchange process repeated nearly ten times before Han Luo finally seemed satisfied with the materials.

  Xiao Lou, determined to redeem herself, stepped forward.

  “Let me help you carry—”

  BANG!

  A sudden shockwave sent her flying across the room!

  “…Ugh!”

  She crashed into the wall, dazed, her hair completely disheveled.

  Han Luo winced, looking at her in genuine sympathy.

  “Uh… Senior sister? You okay?”

  He had completely forgotten—his Copper Ring and Copper Mirror had an automatic defense mechanism.

  Anyone who got too close would be repelled.

  Fortunately, it only pushed her away instead of attacking outright, or the consequences could have been… bad.

  “I’m fine… I’m fine…”

  She scrambled to her feet, staggering slightly.

  Her face burned with embarrassment—of all the things that could happen in front of a guy she was interested in, this was the worst.

  “Let’s just go.”

  She wanted to run out of here and pretend none of this ever happened.

  But—

  “Senior sister, actually… I’d like to check everything again.”

  Xiao Lou froze.

  “…What?”

  “I still need to confirm a few things. You should go ahead and rest—I’ll finish up by morning.” Xiao Lou looked at him like he was crazy.

  “Are you serious? It’s already dark. You’re going to stay up all night?”

  She didn’t understand.

  These were just materials.

  It wasn’t like he was choosing a wife—why was he this picky?

  Han Luo remained composed.

  “I need to set up over a hundred formations. I plan to completely fortify Luo Xian Mountain—so not even a butterfly or an ant can get in without my permission.

  I need to be thorough.”

  She stared at him.

  This guy was insane.

  “…Forget it. I’ll stay and keep you company.”

  She sat down on a meditation cushion, closed her eyes, and began cultivating.

  —

  By the time morning arrived, Han Luo finally removed his glasses.

  Stretching, he yawned deeply—

  And froze mid-stretch.

  A heavy sigh left his lips.

  “…Seriously?”

  Yep.

  You guessed it.

  He had broken through again.

  From Qi Refinement Fourth Stage to Qi Refinement Fifth Stage. At this point, he couldn’t even be surprised anymore. Other cultivators fought for years to break through.

  Meanwhile, he just stretched his arms and leveled up.

  “…My cultivation journey is literally a horror movie.”

  He sighed, packing up the materials.

  “Senior sister, I’ll be heading back now.”

  “Wait.” Xiao Lou had been watching him all night, and there was one thing she just had to ask.

  “Can I ask you something?” Han Luo nodded.

  “…How?” She hesitated, then continued.

  “How can you be so focused for an entire night without getting distracted? How do you stay so dedicated?” She had met geniuses before—people like Lu Danchen.

  But none of them had the same relentless focus as Han Luo . She wanted to know—what drove him?

  Han Luo was momentarily stunned. He had never really thought about it before.

  After a while, he turned to face the rising sun, its golden light casting over his face.

  Then, in a soft voice, he answered— “Because I like it.”

  Xiao Lou froze. “…Like it?”

  He patted her shoulder before walking off. “Yeah. If you don’t like it, who would willingly endure loneliness?”

  Xiao Lou remained still, watching him disappear into the distance. She muttered to herself.

  “‘Like it’… Such an unfamiliar feeling.”

  Had she been walking the wrong path all along?

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