But now the Mysterious Pill Sect already knew of his existence, and Gao Xinpeng had sent someone to invite him. Refusing outright would only invite suspicion, and any slip-ups would become even harder to conceal.
It seemed the Mysterious Pill Sect was a place he simply had to visit.
Then again, if he could truly embed himself within the Mysterious Pill Sect, that would be a good thing. Although he had only advanced to the Heaven Rank two months ago, with the cultivation speed afforded by the Devouring Technique, advancing to the Spirit Rank would likely take only a few more years. When that time came, he would need the Ten-Turn Heartless Pill.
The Ten-Turn Heartless Pill was a Spirit-rank pill. Across the entire Divine Weapon World, very few factions possessed its formula, and those that did were among the most preeminent existences in this world.
The odds of Yang Kai obtaining the formula from those factions were slim. But if he could integrate himself into the Mysterious Pill Sect, he might be able to get it from them.
So on the whole, visiting the Mysterious Pill Sect had its pros and cons.
After a brief moment of deliberation, Yang Kai made up his mind quickly—fortune favored the bold, and the Mysterious Pill Sect was worth the trip. As long as he exercised appropriate caution, nothing should be exposed. After all, he had already managed to deceive Gao Xinpeng himself.
With that thought in mind, Yang Kai nodded. "Since it's Senior Brother Gao's request, I naturally won't refuse. However, there are matters here at the Spirit Serenity Sword Sect that…"
Gao Ming said, "Master Alchemist Yang, rest easy. You are now a Heaven-rank Alchemist, and moreover a disciple of the Mysterious Pill Sect. All you need to do is let a few rumors slip, and no one would dare touch the Spirit Serenity Sword Sect."
Yang Kai considered this and had to agree. In the Divine Weapon World, no one was eager to offend a Heaven-rank Alchemist—especially one connected to the Mysterious Pill Sect.
"Then I'll ask you to wait here for two days, Protector Gao. Once I've settled the sect's affairs, we'll depart for the Mysterious Pill Sect together."
Gao Ming raised no objection.
Over the next two days, Yang Kai busied himself with the various trifling matters of the Spirit Serenity Sword Sect. This trip to the Mysterious Pill Sect carried certain risks, so he did not plan to bring anyone along. Moreover, the Spirit Serenity Sword Sect had only two Heaven-rank cultivators in total—bringing them along would serve little purpose. Better to leave them behind to guard the sect.
With Li Zhengqing and Zhuang Juhe holding down the fort at the Spirit Serenity Sword Sect, they could at least deal with any petty troublemakers who didn't know better.
Yang Kai also refined a batch of Ten-Turn Heartless Pills and handed them over to Su Changfa, so that if anyone needed to advance, there would be no shortage of pills. The sect had a Black Jade Mine, along with various enterprises inherited from the Heavenly Net Manor and the Tiger Roar Gate—more than enough to sustain development for a long time to come.
He also made arrangements for his junior brothers and sisters. Wan Yingying and the other two juniors had gained some experience in alchemy and were now capable of preparing body-tempering medicines without issue. What they lacked was cultivation base, but that was not something that could be resolved quickly.
Yang Kai left Wan Yingying a copy of his own aluminous notes, containing numerous pill formulas. With those in hand, even without Yang Kai personally guiding her, she could continue studying the alchemical arts on her own.
With everything properly handled, two days later, outside the mountain gate, Yang Kai bid farewell to the sect's elders and his junior brothers and sisters. Su Changfa and the others wore worried expressions—there was no telling when they would meet again, and with Yang Kai traveling ten thousand miles away, their concern as elders was only natural.
Wan Yingying was the worst of all, sobbing like a little raincloud, her lips pouted as she clung to Yang Kai's clothes and refused to let go.
"All right, stop crying. I'll come back to visit in a little while." Yang Kai wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. If not for the fear of bringing trouble upon himself at the Mysterious Pill Sect, he could have taken Wan Yingying along to teach her personally. But this journey's outcome was uncertain, and bringing her along might put her in danger.
"Take care of yourself, Big Brother. If you're not happy out there, come back early!" Wan Yingying choked out.
"Understood. Take care of the sect. If anything comes up, come find me at the Mysterious Pill Sect."
He turned to Li Zhengqing and Zhuang Juhe. "While I'm away, I'll be relying on the two of you for the Spirit Serenity Sword Sect."
Both cupped their fists and spoke with solemn expressions. "Rest assured, my lord. We will not fail in our duty!"
After a few more words with Su Changfa, Gu Kangning, and Hongxiu, Yang Kai finally mounted his horse and called to Gao Ming, "Let's go!"
Gao Ming nodded and took the lead. Yang Kai waved to everyone behind him, squeezed his horse's flanks, and charged down the mountain, disappearing from sight before long.
The journey to the Mysterious Pill Sect was considerable—at least half a month's ride, passing through Heaven Martial City along the way.
But they had barely descended a short distance when Gao Ming suddenly furrowed his brow, glancing back as though he had sensed something.
Yang Kai said, "Keep going. Let's see what she's up to."
Gao Ming looked surprised. "You sensed her too, Master Alchemist Yang?" It was perfectly normal for him to notice at the peak of the Heaven Rank, but for Yang Kai—who had only recently advanced to the Heaven Rank—to show such perception was truly intriguing.