Sacred Pill City.
Atop a towering pagoda, within an elegant, tranquil jade-green pavilion.
Three figures sat at ease.
At their head was naturally Xuan Kongzi, engaged in a fierce game with Tian Leizi beside him. The latter held a white stone suspended in midair for a long time, studying the board before finally shaking his head and casting Xuan Kongzi a suspicious glance. "Have you been secretly studying game manuals behind my back? We haven't played for just a few days, yet you've reached a whole new level this time..."
"If you're bad, practice more. Why make excuses?"
Xuan Kongzi smiled disdainfully, then put his winnings from Tian Leizi-several peak seventh-tier pills, Nurturing Spirit Pills-into his Storage Ring, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
He grinned at his younger sister beside him.
Xuan Yi glanced speechlessly at Xuan Kongzi, then merely lowered her head, sitting cross-legged beside them and gently stroking the snow-white spirit beast in her arms, seemingly lost in thought.
"Hiss..."
Tian Leizi pinched his snowy beard, still staring fixedly at the board, but his suspicions only grew.
This old fellow was just as terrible at the game as he was, so their matches had always been two novices pecking at each other, trading wins and losses purely for enjoyment.
Yet after just a few days apart, how had this fellow suddenly improved so much, as though he had experienced an epiphany?
Could he... really have seen the light?
Tian Leizi had heard of people gaining sudden enlightenment and breaking through realms as easily as drinking water, but this old bastard...
He glanced at Xuan Kongzi's smug face and wished he could go over and land two solid punches on it. The moment he won, he started gloating. Tsk, tsk.
"Hum..."
But the next instant, all three paused. Only