No matter how the White Jade Capital Daoist had tried to persuade her earlier, Li Jing True Person’s face had remained one of utter indifference, regarding all living beings as ants. She didn’t care about the catastrophe this action would bring to the Xuanmen sects, nor did she mind the future consequences. But upon seeing the Dao Pill that Yan Zhichuan took out, a crack finally appeared in her unchanging cold expression.
She still didn’t take Yan Zhichuan’s words seriously, but no matter who had refined this Dao Pill—long extinct on the Nine Summers Continent—it was a world-shaking event. She had been tirelessly researching the Foundation Establishment Pill formula, yet the Nine Abyss Sect had not only restored it but elevated the wondrous medicine to the level of a Dao Pill? How was that possible?! Even though living people only went to Death Peak as one of Nine Abyss Peak’s many peaks and received limited resources, could the entire Miracle Hand Sect—obsessed with the medical Dao and pouring everything into it—still fall short of that bunch from Nine Abyss?!
Yan Zhichuan tilted her head, looking at Li Jing True Person, and said, “A mere Dao Pill—you can’t even refine that? No way, right?”
Li Jing True Person’s face turned deathly pale. She glared fixedly at Yan Zhichuan, bloodshot veins creeping into her eyes. The talisman runes on her body vibrated, manifesting rays of multicolored light. Even knowing she couldn’t escape from the Town Prison, Yan Zhichuan was still startled and swiftly darted behind Zhan Yujie, clutching her sleeve cautiously.
Zhan Yujie: “…” She tugged at her sleeve but didn’t pull too hard, afraid Yan Zhichuan’s claws would rip it right off. Gazing at Li Jing True Person, she said nonchalantly, “Miracle Hand Sect’s True Person Fang has recently been at our Nine Abyss Sect’s Medicine Peak researching pills.”
Li Jing True Person’s eyes bulged. If she had cooperated with Nine Abyss Sect instead of the Demon Cultivators, would she have ended up like this? Her body trembled violently, but then she thought of something and forcibly suppressed her boiling emotions. Only the increasingly dense demonic qi leaking from her body fully betrayed her turbulent heart.
The White Jade Capital Daoist watched Yan Zhichuan impassively, silently noting in his heart that Nine Abyss Sect’s Fang Zhiyi could already refine Dao Pills. But the most important matter now was still interrogating Li Jing True Person. They didn’t believe Yingzhou Island had only one site. The Heavenly Venerable Temple’s high-profile activity was likely bait to draw fire, while countless more “Heavenly Venerable Temples” hid in corners they didn’t know about.
Though Li Jing True Person had mentioned some things about the No-Self Pill controlling people, she hadn’t touched the root. They still didn’t know where the danger lurked. If she confessed everything she knew, they could save a lot of effort; otherwise, they’d have to search one place after another.
“How about I trade the pill formula for some intel from you, True Person?” Yan Zhichuan said again.
Li Jing True Person had joined the Demon Cultivators because they provided her with a more complete formula. But Yan Zhichuan had the system-given recipe right here—wasn’t that better than the Demon Cultivators?
As Yan Zhichuan’s words fell, temptation did flicker across Li Jing True Person’s face for an instant. But the demonic qi coiling around her reminded her that after one thought turned her profound arts demonic, she was cut off from her past self. Even if she got the formula, she couldn’t mobilize vital energy to refine spirit pills anymore. She looked at the White Jade Capital Daoist and sneered repeatedly. After adjusting her mindset, she tossed the Foundation Establishment Pill to the ground and crushed it underfoot, her face showing no further emotional fluctuations.
Yan Zhichuan: “！！！” Her Dao Pill! A whole nine of them! Rage surged up instantly, nearly setting her ablaze. The happy smile vanished from her face, replaced by a fiery red flush. The mark on her brow flashed, and she gritted out a single “You” through clenched teeth before fainting from sheer anger.
If Zhan Yujie hadn’t reacted quickly to catch her, her head would have gone thud right to the floor.
“Junior Sister?” Zhan Yujie’s expression changed abruptly.
Though the White Jade Capital Daoist wasn’t skilled in medicine, his cultivation was profound. Seeing Yan Zhichuan’s abnormality, he turned to look at her and sent out a strand of vital energy. A few breaths later, he said with a complicated expression, “She’s asleep.”
Zhan Yujie: “……”
She glanced at Yan Zhichuan in her arms, her face alternately flushed and pale. After a few breaths, she exchanged a couple words with the White Jade Capital Daoist and hurriedly withdrew from the Town Prison. A Cave Heaven True Person’s diagnosis shouldn’t be wrong, but what if? Unreassured, Zhan Yujie carried Yan Zhichuan to several clinics in a row, only relaxing slightly after getting consistent answers.
After carrying her back to the room, Zhan Yujie didn’t leave right away.
She lowered her gaze to Yan Zhichuan, her brows furrowing involuntarily.
Little Fat Chirp was chirping who-knows-what somewhere; Zhan Yujie reached out and pinched its beak shut, instantly silencing the surroundings.
A moment later, Zhan Yujie released Little Fat Chirp and flicked it away with a bent finger.
She leaned down to look at Yan Zhichuan, first pressing a hand under her nose, then pinching her nose after a moment.
But Yan Zhichuan lay there like she was dead, showing no sign of waking.
Is this okay?
Zhan Yujie felt puzzled inside and took out the Heaven-Penetrating Treasure Mirror to contact Zhong Zhanxi.
After capturing Li Jing True Person, she had already reported the whole sequence of events to the True Persons in the sect.
By now, she and Yan Zhichuan’s mission was considered complete; they didn’t need to worry about the follow-up.
On the other end, Zhong Zhanxi looked languid. After glancing at Yan Zhichuan, she said, “She’s fine. She’ll wake up after digesting it.”
Zhan Yujie lowered her eyes and asked again, “Master, what about those people on Yingzhou Island? Li Jing True Person didn’t mention what method the Demon Sect used to revive their consciousness.”
Zhong Zhanxi said, “Miracle Hand Sect got the news and has already searched Li Jing’s cave abode. If they find the No-Self Pill formula, they can start researching a solution—they’ll find a way eventually.”
Zhan Yujie asked, “And if they can’t?”
Zhong Zhanxi’s lashes trembled, and after a long pause, she said, “Then it’s tragic.” The Xuanmen had been infiltrated by the Demon Sect too deeply, and with only the White Jade Capital Daoist infiltrating Sky Nether City, they had to tread carefully and couldn’t gather much intel. But the “Demon Disguise Pill” researched at Medicine Peak might change that. With it, they could enter Sky Nether City without hiding their appearances.
Zhan Yujie nodded slightly, a faint sigh escaping her lips.
Yan Zhichuan didn’t sleep peacefully.
She dreamed of being in a chaotic, dark world, with profound tones like bell tolls echoing in her ears. Each wave of sound felt like something burning her. She could only twist her body, slamming repeatedly into an invisible barrier. After who-knows-how-long, Yan Zhichuan heard the crisp shatter of crystal and rejoiced inwardly, rushing toward the crack without delay.
Through a sliver of heavenly light, she glimpsed a massive fire lotus—so vast that tiny her wasn’t even as big as its seed pod. She looked up and caught sight of a towering, sky-obscuring figure. The robe they wore resembled those of Cihang Studio, but with a gradient of azure and goose yellow at the collar. In their hand was a string of beads glowing faint cyan; each cycle she turned it, one bead vanished.
Yan Zhichuan didn’t know how long she watched before only one bead remained.
The Daoist seemed to sense her; the bead suddenly erupted in blinding light, streaking toward Yan Zhichuan like lightning.
Aaah, I’m done for!
Yan Zhichuan let out a ghostly wail, but her body wouldn’t obey her. In an instant, the glaring light plunged straight into her heart. Her heart went cold—though there was no pain, she wailed “Wuwah!” again. The figure in the sky grew ethereal and indistinct, but just before fading, it suddenly smiled gently at her: “May you be safe.”
Yan Zhichuan: “?”
Huh?
Could this be my mother?
Yan Zhichuan’s eyes grew hot, tears not yet falling as she started gasping for breath like a drowning person.
No time to confirm any blood ties—Yan Zhichuan flailed her hands in struggle.
The moment she clutched at a lifeline, she snapped her eyes open.
No lotus, no fire, no suffocating water.
Just Zhan Yujie’s expressionless face, her snowy-white wrist now marked with clear finger bruises.
Zhan Yujie had leaned in upon hearing Yan Zhichuan’s whimpers.
The little junior sister was still full of life, first pummeling her chest with flailing fists until it hurt, then clamping down like an iron vise.
She won’t die.
Yan Zhichuan felt guilty.
Shivering under Zhan Yujie’s gaze.
She quietly closed her eyes.
Better pretend to sleep first.
“Junior Sister.” Zhan Yujie spoke.
Yan Zhichuan’s eyelids twitched; she couldn’t hear.
“Yan Zhichuan.” Zhan Yujie started using her full name.
Yan Zhichuan’s lashes quivered, and she slowly opened her eyes, putting on a sleepy, groggy look. She mumbled, “Senior Sister.” A beat later, she whined, “What a coincidence.”
Zhan Yujie sat down on the bed.
Lowering her eyes, she asked softly, “How do you feel? Why did you faint?”
Yan Zhichuan froze.
She didn’t know either—gassed out from anger?
Pondering, she recalled the Town Prison incident and nearly cried for real.
Nine whole pills, ruined by that woman!
“Wuwu, Senior Sister, I want to kill her! She deserves to die!” Yan Zhichuan threw herself into the nearest pair of arms—Zhan Yujie’s—her lashes damp.
Zhan Yujie stiffened, not at the words, but at the sudden surge of murderous intent from Yan Zhichuan. She asked, “Who?”
Yan Zhichuan didn’t answer. She nuzzled against Zhan Yujie, wailing pitifully until she calmed down. She rummaged in her Qiankun Pouch for some dried meat, pinched it with slightly trembling hands, and shoved it viciously into her mouth, as if tearing into an enemy’s flesh.
Too wicked—serves her right for not being able to refine Dao Pills.
“Junior Sister?” Zhan Yujie pressed, not getting more.
Yan Zhichuan chewed the jerky for a bit before saying listlessly, “Nothing.”
Li Jing was locked in the Town Prison and hadn’t spilled anything on Sky Nether City yet; the White Jade Capital Daoist wouldn’t kill her.
She kicked out her curled legs, shifted to a comfy position, and side-eyed Zhan Yujie. “Why aren’t you comforting me? Master always does.”
The topic jumped too fast; Zhan Yujie paused before realizing. Does the sect master comfort people? Doesn’t she just dump Yan Zhichuan into a pile of storybooks? But gazing at Yan Zhichuan—eyes red-rimmed and pitiful—she softened her tone. “How?”
Yan Zhichuan reached out to Zhan Yujie.
Zhan Yujie frowned, not getting it.
After thinking, she took out her Qiankun Pouch of Pill Jades and placed it in Yan Zhichuan’s hand.
“Didn’t you want to buy storybooks, Junior Sister? Is this enough?”
Yan Zhichuan’s eyes lit up.
She’d just wanted a hug, but now Senior Sister had brought out retirement funds.
Her Senior Sister was too kind!
The frustration of losing nine Dao Pills vanished like smoke.
Yan Zhichuan grabbed the breezily nonchalant Zhan Yujie. “Senior Sister, together?”
Zhan Yujie met Yan Zhichuan’s eager gaze and nodded slightly.
What trouble could buying storybooks cause?
