Unlike Zhu Qing, who couldn't be certain, Su Yan shared the Yin-Yang Union Art with Yang Kai — their hearts attuned to one another, able to sense each other's presence so long as they were within a certain range.
"Is he really back?" Zhu Qing stared blankly toward the spatial formation, her body tensing as if to rush over. But she restrained herself and turned to Su Yan. "Do I look alright?"
Su Yan smiled gently. "You look perfect."
Had Shan Qingluo been the one to say it, Zhu Qing would never have believed her — but coming from Su Yan, there was no reason to doubt. After years of living together, Zhu Qing had come to understand Su Yan's character well: cold on the outside, warm on the inside, kind-hearted and worthy of trust.
That enchantress Shan Qingluo, on the other hand, had repeatedly picked fights with her, and even after being put in her place several times, still hadn't learned her lesson.
The tension between the two women wasn't born of jealousy — Shan Qingluo simply found Zhu Qing irksome on an instinctive level. And it wasn't just Zhu Qing; she found all members of the Dragon Race equally grating. The reason was simple: the Seductive Queen carried the origin of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, which counted among the ancient Sacred Spirits. The Dragon Race claimed to be the foremost of all Sacred Spirits — wasn't that essentially putting themselves above her?
Of course Shan Qingluo found Zhu Qing annoying — it was just that the gap in their cultivation was considerable, and she had suffered at Zhu Qing's hands more than once.
Only after hearing Su Yan's reassurance did Zhu Qing gently let out a breath of relief.
Just then, a figure shot out from a nearby Spirit Peak — Xue Yue. As she drew close and opened her mouth to ask, she saw Su Yan give her a slight nod. Xue Yue raised a hand to cover her red lips, her beautiful eyes trembling.
Medicine Pill Peak — originally the Spirit Peak of the Alchemy Branch of Lingxiao Palace, and the domain of Ji Ying, the fifth disciple of Great Emperor Miao Dan — had now become the gathering place for the most outstanding alchemists in the entire Star Domain, virtually a holy land in the hearts of all pill masters.
Drawing upon earth fire and forging pill chambers, Medicine Pill Peak boasted no fewer than a thousand pill rooms of all sizes. Every day, countless Spirit Pills were born there, and the entire peak was now wreathed in the peculiar fragrance of alchemy — anyone within ten miles of Medicine Pill Peak could smell the various pill aromas.
At this very moment, inside a massive pill chamber at the base of Medicine Pill Peak, beside a rapidly spinning Pill Cauldron, Xia Ningshang — her face hidden behind a veil — had beads of fine sweat dotting her forehead as her hands ceaselessly formed hand seals. On the other side of the cauldron, three zhang away, Ji Ying wore a solemn expression, his face a mask of utmost concentration, his own hands equally busy with hand seals that complemented Xia Ningshang's perfectly.
All around them, over a dozen men and women of varying ages stood watching from a distance, each clad in pristine white robes with flower-and-leaf motifs embroidered on the chest. Every one of them was a Dao Source-level Alchemist or above — among them were even two Emperor Pill Masters.
These renowned alchemists watched Xia Ningshang and Ji Ying work, their expressions occasionally flickering with contemplation, occasionally nodding in sudden realization, each wearing the look of one who had gained invaluable insight.
Though these alchemists were all formidable in their own right — each a resident Pill Master of their respective Sect — the two currently refining pills were disciples of Great Emperor Miao Dan. Ji Ying needed no introduction; as the Great Emperor's fifth disciple, he was a legend in the eyes of the alchemy world. Xia Ningshang, though not officially accepted as a formal disciple of Great Emperor Miao Dan, owed that circumstance to a single remark: when the Great Emperor had taken Ji Ying in, he had declared him his final disciple. A Great Emperor's words carried the weight of law — he couldn't very well contradict himself. So when Ji Ying had brought Xia Ningshang to Medicine Pill Valley years ago, the Great Emperor, despite recognizing her extraordinary talent, had not taken her as a disciple. But fine jade was hard to come by — not taking someone as a disciple didn't mean one couldn't teach them.
Xia Ningshang and Great Emperor Miao Dan had no formal master-disciple relationship — but they shared one in practice.
Moreover, Xia Ningshang possessed the unique Medicine Spirit Sacred Physique — a constitution practically born for alchemy. The Great Emperor valued her even more than his own disciples, and over the years had held nothing back, imparting his knowledge without reservation.
Watching these two refine pills up close, the alchemists from across the various domains were absolutely ravenous for knowledge, each practically wishing they could tear out their own eyes and toss them into the Pill Cauldron for a closer look.
Just as they were watching with rapt fascination, a voice suddenly sounded in their ears.
The expressions of the dozen-plus alchemists — who had been watching with total absorption, mesmerized and entranced — shifted instantly, all showing displeasure. Interrupting the pill-refining process was the gravest of taboos. The pill chamber, being a critical facility, was naturally equipped with restrictions; outside noise could never reach this place. The only way would be for someone to employ a mystical divine ability to bypass the barriers, which required formidable power.
But whoever possessed such power should surely also possess a broader sense of propriety. Who would recklessly disturb the alchemy proceedings on Medicine Pill Peak?
Moreover, the voice sounded unfamiliar — none of them had ever heard it before. But no matter who it was, they were going to regret this. If it had been some ordinary alchemist being disrupted, it might have been forgivable — but look at who was doing the refining here?
Xia Ningshang's expression also changed — but to one of joyful surprise. Her heart stirred with emotion, and the hand seals she was forming suddenly lost their former smoothness. The moment her seals wavered, the previously stable Pill Cauldron began emitting a series of cracking sounds.
Ji Ying's face changed drastically!
He snapped his head up, gazing at Xia Ningshang with a look of desperate pleading. The pill they were refining today was no trivial matter — preparing the ingredients alone had taken a full month, and he had specifically recruited Xia Ningshang to assist. They were a mere two hours away from completion, the pill about to be drawn from the cauldron — and he had never expected to hear that voice at a time like this.
A terrible premonition suddenly welled up in Ji Ying's heart.
Xia Ningshang lifted her eyelids slightly, her beautiful eyes meeting those of her Fifth Senior Brother, brimming with apology.
Ji Ying immediately bellowed, "The last ten steps of a hundred are the hardest! Little Junior Sister, you absolutely must not lose focus — hold steady!"