Celeste Grant hovered in mid-air, her gaze fixed on her son’s location. Thick smoke was billowing from there, and a black rain had begun to fall!

"So this is the power of his alchemy. Wow, I’ve never seen anything like it."

Javier Sinclair, on the other hand, was much calmer. "That little rascal just loves tinkering with this stuff. I’m used to it by now."

The corner of Celeste Grant’s mouth twitched when she heard that.

’She could practically hear the long-suffering, fatherly resignation in his voice.’

They exchanged a glance, then flew toward their son’s location.

Down below a cliff, Aaron Sinclair spat out a mouthful of black smoke and staggered to his feet, covered in soot. "COUGH... This formula still needs some work. What a shame. I’ve ruined another Pill Furnace. I could handle red rain, but what’s with this black rain?"

He knew there was a risk of the furnace exploding, so he usually used ordinary Pill Furnaces. Occasionally, he’d use a slightly better one. Only when he was especially confident would he use his Alchemy Furnace, which was a top-grade treasure.

Staring at the shattered Pill Furnace on the ground, he waved his hand, and the fragments vanished. ’Even though this furnace was destroyed, the materials can be reforged into other Magic Artifacts or Magic Treasures,’ he thought. ’Can’t let them go to waste.’

The black rain falling from the sky had a musty, bitter smell. However, the drops never touched him.

With just a slight twitch of his finger, a Spiritual Energy Protection Shield materialized around Aaron Sinclair, deflecting the rain.

’Besides this musty, bitter smell... is that the fragrance of a pill in the air?’

’No, wait. Is that the smell of an Elixir Pill?’

He crouched down and sifted through the earth with his hands. Amidst the blackened dregs, he found a dark, round Elixir Pill.

He picked it up, gave it a look, then held it under his nose and sniffed.

’It is the fragrance of a pill.’

’So, I actually succeeded this time?’

He pinched off the outer, blackened layer. A green Elixir Pill was revealed, emitting a faint halo. As he held it between his fingers and examined it, he saw an iridescent light shimmering across its surface.

The next moment, Javier Sinclair appeared, and the Elixir Pill was suddenly in his hand instead of his son’s.

"Is this the Elixir Pill you refined?"

He said, bringing the Elixir Pill closer to examine it.

The Elixir Pill in his hand exuded a faint fragrance, and its aura surged with Vitality Power. The pill was flawless, without a single impurity. He could even see three fine lines etched upon its green surface.

It was a Third Grade Elixir.

A Third Grade Elixir wasn’t much on the open market, but for his son to refine one at such a young age was a sign of unparalleled talent. Moreover, the medicinal power flowing within the pill was so pure and free of impurities that its quality was on par with a Fourth Grade Elixir.

’He felt a surge of fatherly pride.’

’His son really did have a gift for Alchemy.’

But aside from a hint of amusement in his eyes, his face remained impassive.

Celeste Grant, who was standing beside him, called out as soon as she saw her son.

"Annie."

Seeing the two of them, Aaron Sinclair froze for a second before his face lit up with joyful surprise.

A wide grin spread across his face.

"Daddy, Mommy."

Aaron Sinclair’s eyes landed on his mother, who stood beside his father, and he immediately pounced on her for a hug. "WAAAH! Mommy! I thought I’d never see you again! How did you find me? I missed you so, so much! Gimme a hug!"

Now that she’d found her son, the anxiety that had been gripping Celeste Grant finally subsided. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled his little cheek. "You rascal, you just vanished. We couldn’t find you anywhere. What have you been doing, running all over the place?"

Hugging his mother, Aaron Sinclair looked like a perfectly well-behaved child. "It was just a tiny little accident. I’m sorry for making you and Dad worry. I missed you so much, Mom. And I missed Dad, too."

Celeste Grant stroked his head. "As long as you’re all right. I was worried sick. Mommy missed you, too." She said, giving his little cheek a gentle pinch.

Javier Sinclair stepped forward and patted his head. "Be more careful from now on."

Aaron Sinclair gave an embarrassed smile.

"I know, Dad. I’ll be careful next time."

Javier Sinclair glanced at his son and handed the Elixir Pill back to him. "A Third Grade Elixir... not bad. But what kind of pill is it?"

Celeste Grant’s gaze fell on the pill, and she took it from him to have a look. "It really is a Third Grade Elixir. The Spiritual Energy is so dense, and it’s brimming with Vitality Power. Just smelling the fragrance is invigorating!"

Aaron Sinclair pointed to the Elixir Pill in her hand. "It’s a new pill I developed. If your Cultivation is depleted and you’ve run out of stamina, one of these will completely restore you. I just haven’t tested it yet, so I’m not sure about the effects. Maybe we should name it first?"

’Say no more.’

’This is pure talent.’

"Amazing."

Celeste Grant gave him a thumbs-up. "Enough talk. Let’s give this Elixir Pill a name."

Javier Sinclair glanced at her and said flatly, "Blood Demon Pill."

Aaron Sinclair nodded in enthusiastic agreement. "I think Green Demon Pill or Bloodthirsty Pill would be great, too!"

Celeste Grant: "..."

’Are they really father and son?’ she thought. ’My son was definitely raised by The Archfiend; his tone is exactly like his father’s. Is this what they mean by ’like father, like son’?’

’Do you even hear yourselves? This is a perfectly respectable Elixir Pill. With names like those, it sounds like the pill is already responsible for dozens of deaths.’

She chuckled and said, "You’re both so talented. The names you picked are very... representative. They fit the personality of our Bloodfiend Den perfectly."

The father-son duo looked at her smugly.

"See? You think they’re good, too."

"I knew I had a talent for naming things."

Hearing the two of them preen, she held up a hand to cut them off. "We’re calling it the Replenishing Essence Pill. Your objections are overruled."

The father and son didn’t object.

"We’re not objecting."

"Exactly! Mom’s the boss. Dad and I both listen to you. Right, Dad?"

Javier Sinclair gave a slight nod.

"Then Replenishing Essence Pill it is."

"Yeah! The name Mom came up with tells you exactly what the Elixir Pill does. It’s great!" he said, making a little heart shape with his fingers.

"Stop sucking up."

Still, seeing how obedient the two of them were, Celeste Grant was secretly delighted.

’Now that I’ve found my son, it’s time to head back to Silverstream Valley and stir up some trouble.’

At this thought, she took her son’s hand. "Come on, let’s go to Silverstream Valley and take care of business."

Hearing this, Aaron Sinclair looked up at her, confused. "What’s Silverstream Valley? Mom, what are we going to do there?"

Celeste Grant gave a faint smile.

And said, "We’re going to get something."

’Oh?’

As someone who often scoured various Secret Realms for valuables, Aaron Sinclair’s treasure-hunting instincts immediately kicked in. "Mommy," he said, "you’re going to find a treasure!"

’Her clever little boy.’

She ruffled her son’s hair and laughed heartily.

"You could say that."

’It was true,’ she thought. ’I’m not just going to deal with those who covet my blood. I’m also going to take something from that place.’

’Later in the novel, Silverstream Valley becomes an important location. A mysterious place like that is bound to have some treasures that the author, the heroine’s doting ’creator mom,’ had arranged for her.’