Life at the Mystic Pill Sect was exceedingly comfortable and leisurely. Yang Kai would fire up the furnace to refine pills every few days, earning a great deal of cultivation resources in the process. Nowadays, he spent most of his time soaking in the task of refining the Medicine King Cauldron.
On this particular day, while Yang Kai was instructing Wan Yingying in pill refinement, Yang Huai suddenly walked in and cupped his fists with a grave expression.
Yang Kai said a few more words to Wan Yingying before looking up at Yang Huai. "What is it?"
Yang Huai replied, "My lord, word has come from the Pill Inquiry Hall. A man named Li Zhengqing is here to see you. He says he has an urgent matter to report!"
"Li Zhengqing?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow. "Did he say what it was about?"
Yang Huai shook his head. "He wasn't specific, but he seemed rather anxious."
"Bring him in," Yang Kai instructed.
"Yes, my lord!" Yang Huai answered and hurried back out.
Wan Yingying said worriedly, "Eldest Senior Brother, could something have happened at the sect?"
Li Zhengqing's sudden appearance from the Xuling Sword Sect had put her on edge. She couldn't help but wonder if some trouble had befallen their home.
"Probably not," Yang Kai said, shaking his head. Though he had been staying at the Mystic Pill Sect these past few years, his contact with the Xuling Sword Sect had never been cut off. He maintained roughly a correspondence every two months, and the last letter from the sect had arrived only a month ago. If something truly serious had happened, Su Changfa would have mentioned it.
Besides, he was now a Heaven Pill Master of some renown. With his backing, few in the Divine Weapon Realm would dare make trouble for the Xuling Sword Sect.
"Don't worry. It's probably nothing. Maybe the Sect Master just has some instructions for us." Yang Kai rubbed Wan Yingying's head reassuringly.
Wan Yingying nodded quietly and stayed to the side.
Still, despite those comforting words, Yang Kai had a faint suspicion that something truly had happened back at the sect. Otherwise, there would have been no need to send Li Zhengqing all the way here in person.
Within moments, Yang Huai brought Li Zhengqing up. Having not seen the old man for years, Yang Kai noticed he hadn't aged at all—in fact, he looked considerably younger. After all, Li Zhengqing had only been at Earth Grade back then, but now he had reached Heaven Grade, and the Second Stage at that. His long journey, however, had left him travel-worn and dusty.
"This old servant greets My Lord!" Li Zhengqing bowed respectfully.
Yang Kai nodded. "What brings you here?"
Li Zhengqing said solemnly, "Reporting to My Lord—half a month ago, the Old Sect Master suddenly fell gravely ill. The two Elders sent this old servant to ask My Lord to come back and take a look."
"What?" Wan Yingying shot to her feet, alarmed. "The Sect Master is ill?"
Yang Kai's expression turned grave as well. "How did that happen?"
Li Zhengqing lowered his head. "The two Elders said it's because the Old Sect Master is advanced in age and his body has grown frail—his vital energy and blood are in decline. It also seems related to injuries he sustained in his youth."
Wan Yingying pressed anxiously, "How was the Sect Master when you left?"
Li Zhengqing answered, "He's been in a deep sleep and won't wake. His condition isn't good, but there's no immediate danger to his life. However, it took me half a month to make the journey here, so I don't know how he is now."
"Eldest Senior Brother…" Wan Yingying was on the verge of tears, turning to look at Yang Kai.
"Don't panic!" Yang Kai offered a quick word of comfort, then pondered for a moment. "All of you wait here. I'm going to the Elder Pavilion to file a report, and then I'll head back to the sect right away!"
He turned to Yang Huai and added, "Call Hua Rong back!"
"Yes, my lord!" Yang Huai answered in a deep voice.
Yang Kai strode out of the cave dwelling, surging with spiritual power. His body transformed into a streak of rainbow light as he shot toward the Elder Pavilion, where he found the Elder on duty and explained the situation.
A short while later, he hurried back from the Elder Pavilion.
He had expected there might be some complications. After all, he currently bore the critical task of comprehending the Daoist harmonics of the Medicine King Cauldron. To put it bluntly, the Mystic Pill Sect must have been extremely anxious about him—under normal circumstances, he should not have been able to leave so easily, and at the very least he would have needed Baili Yunsun's approval.
To his surprise, the Third Elder on duty at the Elder Pavilion, Yu Boyang, agreed immediately upon hearing the matter and instructed him to go quickly and return quickly, and to stay safe on the road.
This was good news, at least. He had no idea how things stood with Su Changfa, and his heart was already racing to get back. He had no time to spare for bureaucratic delays.
Having arrived in this Divine Weapon Realm, the world had granted him a new identity—one interwoven with its own threads of karma and emotion. So when he heard that Su Changfa had fallen gravely ill, the tension and worry he felt were entirely genuine, rising straight from the heart.
Years ago, Yang Kai had known that Su Changfa's potential had been fully exhausted. In all likelihood, the old man would remain capped at Third Stage Earth Grade for the rest of his life.
He was already advanced in age. Without a breakthrough in cultivation, the day of his final limit would inevitably arrive.
Yang Kai just hadn't expected that day to come so soon.
When he returned to the cave dwelling, Hua Rong was already there. Ever the one who couldn't sit still, she wisely refrained from her usual antics this time, simply standing quietly to one side.
Moments later, a brilliant streak of light shot into the sky. Hua Rong and Yang Kai channeled their spiritual power together, wrapping Yang Huai, Li Zhengqing, and Wan Yingying within it as they soared upward.
Before the Elder Pavilion, Third Elder Yu Boyang stood with his hands clasped behind his back, eyes slightly narrowed, watching them depart.