"Elder Qian, come in."
A gentle, mellow female voice came from within the palace, calm in tone yet carrying unquestionable authority.
Hearing that voice, Qian Jiuting took a deep breath, straightened his robes, then reached out and pushed open the heavy palace doors before stepping inside.
A distinctive pill fragrance permeated the great hall—rich but not cloying, refreshing to the spirit and instantly invigorating.
At the center of the hall stood a crimson pill furnace, its surface carved with intricate runes. Purple Flame blazed fiercely beneath it, giving off waves of scorching yet pure spiritual energy.
An extraordinarily beautiful woman in green robes stood with her back to the doors, her hands continuously forming all manner of exquisite seals as she controlled the flames and medicinal power within the furnace.
Without question, throughout the entire Medicine Sect, no one could rival the sect master's pill-refining skill.
Qian Jiuting approached but did not speak to disturb her. He merely stood quietly to one side, watching the sect master refine pills without blinking.
After a long while, the woman in green formed her final hand seal.
The pill furnace shuddered with a boom, its lid flying open as a dense pill fragrance erupted forth. One crystalline, pearl-like pill after another shot out from the furnace, streaking into the air like meteors.
Unhurried, the woman in green took out a jade bottle and flicked her hand lightly. A suction force issued from its mouth, drawing all several dozen pills into the bottle. She capped it, then finally turned around.
Her features were clear and unearthly, and her brows carried a composed wisdom that seemed detached from the mortal world. Her dark brown eyes appeared capable of seeing straight through one's heart.
The woman in green gazed calmly at Qian Jiuting, a faint smile