Looking at the trace of dust left on the ground, Gu Han’s heart welled up with a faint, indescribable feeling of sadness. Only then did he finally learn the name of the Alchemist No. 1 from the pill tower. He was Mo Huaiyuan.

Gu Han sighed softly, silently suppressing his grief. Then, a burnt smell wafted over.

His expression shifted slightly. “Hmm? Shit, the pill!”

Earlier, there was no issue because the pill furnace was still connected by a strand of Mo Huaiyuan’s spirit qi. Now that there was no one to maintain the furnace, the pill fire was about to go out!

Gu Han was completely at a loss. When it came to fighting and killing, he was better than anyone. Yet he was completely clueless about pill refining! He’d never learned it, so it was a completely unfamiliar domain. Even Shen Xuan and the other two were complete laymen.

As the burnt smell grew stronger, he sweated anxiously. He no longer had the presence of mind to ask why the pill had appeared so conveniently. His mind was full of how to preserve it. This pill concerned Yang Ying’s future. He had to obtain it at all costs!

In his desperation, he failed to notice that with Mo Huaiyuan’s disappearance, the entire Profound Pill Camp became shrouded with haze.

***

Outside the Profound Pill Camp, about a day had passed since everyone had entered. The group of followers either rested with their eyes closed or remained silent. No one had any interest in conversation.

Only Elder Li occasionally chatted with Zuo Yang, “Zuo Yang, I didn’t expect all of you to be connected to the Great Flame Empire.”

“Great Flame Empire?” Zuo Yang was stunned for a moment, then remembered that there was such an imperial dynasty to the south. He said truthfully, “I’m not so familiar with it.”

Elder Li raised an eyebrow, not believing a single word. “Not familiar?”

He just assumed Zuo Yang was unwilling to say more and didn’t press further. Just as Elder Li was about to speak again, he noticed Ah Sha staring blankly into the distance, not blinking.

He instinctively followed her gaze. “Hmm?”

That was when he noticed the anomaly. The faint, almost imperceptible light mist around the Profound Pill Pavilion was flowing again. The buildings within had gained a somewhat hazy, unreal feeling.

“Is it going to disappear?”

The others began to notice as well. They were familiar with the situation. It was exactly the precursor to the pavilion’s disappearance!

***

In the Fengwu Court, inside the thatched hut halfway up the mountain, a jade needle danced and wove ceaselessly. As it left trails of afterimages, it seemed as though it could pierce through space itself, appearing even more mystical than before.

Yu Miao was full of admiration. “Truly amazing. As expected of a divine object blessed by the Great Dao!”

Soundlessly, a flash of red landed beside her. A woman in a red dress appeared, a wine gourd hanging from her waist. She was a peerless beauty, capable of captivating all beholders. Even her mere arrival had added a touch of brightness to the desolate Fengwu Court

After seeing that woman, Yu Miao was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. “Senior Sister? You’re finally back!”

The icy expression on her face melted into a faint smile. Somehow, it was possible for her to become prettier than she already was. “I’m back.”

Not far away, the golden-armored youth had nearly exhausted himself just to keep up with her. His eyes widened at the sight. “Ninth Brother, see that? My sister smiled!”

“Geez, when was the last time she smiled?” The noble-looking youth ignored him, sweeping a disdainful gaze over the place. “So this is the Fengwu Court?”

Who would’ve expected that the Fengwu Court he’d always longed for would be in such a dilapidated state?

Yu Miao defended herself in a small voice. “Ahem... The flowers down the mountain aren’t bad, though. Senior Sister, it’s all Senior Brother’s fault, he’s too lazy. All he does every day is cook. He can’t be bothered to manage anything else.”

She felt a bit guilty. Wasn’t she the same?

The woman glanced at the jade needle, instantly understanding. She reached for her gourd and took a sip of strong wine. “So you gave the thing to it?”

Yu Miao was a bit pleased with herself. “Senior Sister, what do you think of my idea? Not bad, right?”

Instead of blaming her for wasting the Great Dao’s gift, the woman nodded, appearing quite appreciative. “It’s original. Very good. Where’s Zuo Yang?”

“He went to the Border Wasteland with Junior Brother.”

“Junior Brother?” The woman glanced around and noticed a newly built, small thatched hut. “You found the person?”

Yu Miao didn’t hold back on praise. “Yes! He was conned—ahem. Senior Brother accidentally stumbled upon him. Senior Sister, this junior brother of ours is incredible!”

The woman’s gaze was profound. “Is that so? I’ll go see him then.”

Strapping her wine gourd, she soared into the sky, her robes fluttering.

Yu Miao had immense confidence in Gu Han. “Senior Sister, you definitely won’t be disappointed!”

The golden-armored youth was completely confused. “Senior Sister? Junior Brother? Ninth Brother, could my sister have secretly established a sect here?”

The noble-looking youth’s tone was faintly mocking. “Sect? In all the world, is there such a shabby sect?”

The golden-armored youth nodded in agreement. Not only was it shabby, it barely had any disciples. That was just too pitiful...

Yu Miao’s expression darkened as she got a little angry. “Shabby?”

Having lived here for a decade, she had long considered the Fengwu Court her home. How could she let anyone speak ill of it?

“And who are you two? What’s your relationship with Senior Sister?” she asked.

The golden-armored youth was somewhat surprised. “You don’t know my sister’s background?”

“Do I need to?”

The golden-armored youth pointed at the other youth proudly. “This one here is my ninth brother, also the ninth prince of the Great Flame Empire. He’s my sister’s—oh, your senior sister’s brother!”

Yu Miao was unfazed. “Got it.”

The golden-armored youth fell silent. He had expected that revealing their background would surprise Yu Miao. If anything, her lack of reaction made him feel uncomfortable.

Yu Miao glanced at him. “What about you then? Which prince are you?”

The golden-armored youth was startled. “Me... I’m not one.”

“Then what are you so proud of?”

The golden-armored youth felt like vomiting blood.

The noble-looking youth also couldn’t be bothered to deal with Yu Miao anymore. “Let’s go. I’m going to see just what kind of extraordinary person this so-called ’junior brother’ they’re all boasting about really is!”

Yu Miao thought for a moment. “Actually, compared to him, your only advantage is your slightly higher cultivation level.”

The noble-looking youth’s eyes blazed with cold intent. “In that case, I definitely need to see him!”

He immediately soared into the air and left.

The golden-armored youth immediately followed suit. “Ninth Brother, wait for me! I want to see him, too!”

Yu Miao said slowly, “I think it’s better if you don’t see him.”

The golden-armored youth was stunned. “Why?”

“You’ll feel inferior.”

The golden-armored youth nearly tumbled headfirst from mid-air.

As Yu Miao watched the two leave, she smiled faintly and returned to the thatched hut.

Senior Sister turned out to be a princess? Well, now Junior Brother’s pressure just got even greater.