Just as everyone was worrying about Old Man Tianji, Mu Qingling began to complain. She had only just caught sight of Mom, yet Mom had vanished again in the blink of an eye.
"What happened to Old Master? Hurry and wake him up so he can help me find Mom!"
Mu Qingling also came before Old Man Tianji and spoke to the elders who were trying to save him. She only knew that Old Man Tianji could help her find Mom.
But this Old Master was a little irresponsible. He had just seen Mom's figure, only to make her disappear again right away.
"Ling'er, this Old Master is injured. Can we wait a little before talking about your mom?"
Seeing the ugly expressions on the Tianji Sect members' faces, Zhao Shanshan went to Mu Qingling's side and spoke to her. If they wanted news of Mu Qingling's mom, they could only wait for Old Man Tianji to wake up.
"Old Master is hurt? I have candy my dad gave me. My dad said that if someone gets hurt, they'll be fine after eating one. Hurry and give the candy to Old Master!"
Upon hearing that Old Man Tianji was injured, Mu Qingling took out a jade bottle and poured out a pill the size of a peanut. She handed the pill in her palm to the Tianji Sect elders.
"Th-this... this is an immortal pill!"
One of the Tianji Sect elders stared at the pill in the little girl's hand and spoke uncertainly. The medicinal power radiating from it was something no ordinary pill could possess.
"It really is an immortal pill. Hurry and have your Big Brother take it!"
Medicine Spirit's eyes were also filled with astonishment. He had recognized the pill at once. The one Mu Qingling held truly was an immortal pill.
As a professional alchemist, although Medicine Spirit could not yet refine immortal pills, that did not stop him from recognizing one.
At the same time, he was even more astonished by Mu Qingling's identity. She actually ate immortal pills as candy—what kind of family could afford such treatment?
Medicine Spirit declared that he wanted a dad like that too. Then he could lie flat for the rest of his life.
After receiving Medicine Spirit's confirmation, one of the Tianji Sect ancestors hurriedly took the immortal pill from Mu Qingling's hand and fed it to Old Man Tianji. His impression of Mu Qingling also improved considerably.
While they were all busy treating Old Man Tianji, deep within the Death Water Domain of the Northern Court Domain in the True Spirit Realm, an enormous palace lay hidden.
In a grand hall at the very center of the palace, a woman sat upright. Even from her slightly unsightly expression, it was clear that her beauty was unparalleled.
"Attend me!"
Qingling's voice rang out. A figure suddenly appeared before the woman and immediately knelt before her.
"Please give your orders, Emperor."
"Ziyue, has anything happened in the outside world recently? Have the Twelve Imperial Guards sent back any news?"
"Reporting to Emperor, no major events have occurred in the outside world recently. The messages sent back by the Twelve Imperial Guards have all been good news. Each of the Twelve Imperial Guards has now occupied a domain."
"Everyone is doing their utmost to recover their strength, so that they may follow Emperor back into the Immortal Realm and slaughter their way through once more."
"Pass down the order. During this period, tell everyone to keep a low profile. If Emperor Yongle's Holy Land learns that we are in the lower realm, they will certainly come down to kill us."
"Before I recover my strength, our identities must absolutely not be exposed."
"Yes, Emperor."
The woman called Ziyue acknowledged the order, her figure slowly fading from the hall. Only the woman in white remained, deep in thought.
"Was I overthinking it?"
"But other than Emperor Yongle, who else would be spying on my movements?"
After murmuring those words, the woman in white slowly disappeared as well. The entire hall fell silent once more.
"Big Brother, how are you?"
Inside the palace within the Tianji Sect's forbidden grounds, after seeing Old Man Tianji wake up, one of the elders asked him.
"I'm fine. I feel as though I've completely recovered. Brother Medicine, thank you for your pill. Its effects are astonishing."
Had he not experienced it himself, Old Man Tianji would never have believed that he had nearly died moments ago, only to now be revived at full health.
The Tianji Sect did not possess pills this good. Aside from Medicine Spirit, who was present here, Old Man Tianji did not believe anyone else could have saved him.
Thus, the first thing Old Man Tianji did after getting up was thank Medicine Spirit. If Medicine Spirit had not saved him, even if he did not die, his cultivation would have regressed.
"Brother Tianji, you're mistaken. I don't have pills that powerful. The reason you recovered so quickly was entirely due to Little Senior's immortal pill."
Medicine Spirit did not dare claim such credit. He knew exactly what he was capable of. There was no way he possessed such a powerful pill. In the end, he was merely a ninth-grade alchemist.
Not to mention becoming an immortal-grade alchemist, he would already be satisfied if he could break through to the tenth grade in this lifetime.
"Little Senior?"
"Brother Medicine, what happened?"
"You suddenly got injured and fell unconscious. It was Little Senior who took out an immortal pill and saved you, so you should thank Little Senior instead!"
"An immortal pill?"
"You actually gave me an immortal pill? What a waste!"
Old Man Tianji could not believe Medicine Spirit's words at all. Then he began complaining about Medicine Spirit and the Tianji Sect ancestors.
That was an immortal pill! A pill that only an immortal-grade alchemist could refine. In the True Spirit Realm, one immortal pill could hire ten Great Emperor Realm experts.
Yet they had simply fed it to him. Old Man Tianji felt that he was utterly unworthy of an immortal pill. Was this not a complete waste?
Medicine Spirit: ...
Everyone: ...
No one had expected Old Man Tianji to say that. That was his own life!
"Old Master, mine are candy, not immortal pills!"
"If you want to eat one, I can give you another. But you have to help me find Mom!"
Mu Qingling could not help defending her candy. These were candies her dad had given her, not immortal pills.
When Old Man Tianji heard that Mu Qingling could give him another piece of candy, the joy in his heart nearly burst free.
But when he heard Mu Qingling ask him once more to help find Mom, Old Man Tianji's heart instantly plunged to the bottom.
Now, whenever he recalled the owner of those eyes in the vision, his heart turned ice-cold. It was simply too terrifying. He had never seen anyone so terrifying.
That person had merely looked at him once, and he had suffered a backlash so severe that he had nearly been laid out for a funeral feast. Even if Mu Qingling offered him immortal pills, he would not dare accept.
"Little Senior, forgive this old man for being powerless. Your mother is far too powerful. Someone of my strength cannot divine her whereabouts."
"Old Master, you won't help me find Mom anymore?"
The moment Old Man Tianji finished speaking, Mu Qingling's expression changed. The cloak behind her stirred without wind, and even the air around them became thick and viscous.
"Ling'er, don't be anxious yet. Let's ask everything clearly before we make plans, all right?"
Even Zhao Shanshan, the weakest person there, could sense it. As Mu Qingling's expression changed, the very heaven and earth in this place changed with her.
Zhao Shanshan hurriedly comforted Mu Qingling. Otherwise, if the little girl got angry, this place would probably cease to exist.
Before you continue