After Han Yi departed, Yuan Fei remained, his gaze complex.
"To be appointed a Four-Command Patrol Envoy while only at the Mid-Stage Qi Refining... If Han Yi doesn't meet an untimely end, he's destined to reach the Golden Core," Yuan Fei mused.
Beside him, Cao Li, an Early Foundation Establishment cultivator also affiliated with the Imperial Observatory, raised an eyebrow. "A Heaven's Will Sect cultivator serving as a Patrol Envoy? That's exceptionally rare. I don't recall any Heaven's Will Sect cultivator ever receiving such an honor before. Am I mistaken?"
Yuan Fei shared Cao Li's puzzlement. To his knowledge, no Patrol Envoy had ever hailed from the Heaven's Will Sect. However, the Patrol Envoy Token Han Yi had produced earlier was undeniably genuine.
"Judging by the circumstances, Han Yi must have been recently appointed. I heard that His Majesty bestowed the title of Patrol Envoy upon over a dozen individuals during his two-thousandth birthday celebration not long ago. This must be part of that wave."
"Regardless, those appointed as Patrol Envoys who avoid misfortune are virtually guaranteed to reach the Golden Core, and most will likely even attain the Nascent Soul. His Majesty's judgment far surpasses ours."
"Enough talk. Let's get to work. The Fragrant Teachings have established a Pill Cultivation Field within Jia Mountain City. Once our investigation is complete, we must report this to the City Lord immediately."
With that, Yuan Fei vanished into the hidden grotto beneath the artificial mountain, while Cao Li remained on guard outside. Their division of labor was clear, and their investigation proceeded in an orderly manner.
Approximately three kilometers from the Li Family estate, in a secluded tower, a young man with a sinister expression stood before a copper mirror. The mirror reflected the current situation within the Li Family grounds.
"Han Yi of the Heaven's Will Sect?" he muttered.
"He dares to sabotage the Fragrant Teachings' Pill Cultivation Field? He clearly has a death wish. Very well, your wish shall be granted."
When Han Yi's Immortal Boat departed and Yuan Fei and Cao Li ceased their conversation, the young man channeled his mana into the mirror. With a faint flicker, the mirrored image vanished, reverting the mirror to its ordinary state.
The youth stowed the copper mirror and retrieved a white Medicinal Pill from within his body. He swallowed it whole. As the pill dissolved in his stomach, it transformed into a stream of pure energy that coursed through his meridians, Spirit Sea, and even his Divine Soul.
This was a Scent-Sniffing Pill.
Such pills are meticulously refined from the bodies of cultivators. The higher the cultivator's cultivation realm, the higher the grade of pill that can be extracted.
His particular pill was only of standard quality.
Legend held that pills refined from Nascent Soul cultivators could reach perfect grade. A single dose could effortlessly propel a Foundation Establishment cultivator to the Golden Core Stage.
However...
Scent-Sniffing Pills also had a significant drawback: they were highly addictive, and once consumed, there was no escape. The reason behind this was strangely sinister.
"A Patrol Envoy at the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage? This guy's Root Bone aptitude must be exceptionally high. The Scent-Sniffing Pills refined from his essence will undoubtedly be of superior grade."
"Heh, once we capture him, Hall Master Lu will surely reward us with even more Scent-Sniffing Pills."
With a deep flicker, the Yinjiu Youth vanished into the tower without a trace.
Meanwhile...
After Han Yi left the city, the control center of his Human Immortal-grade Immortal Boat was already filled with Spirit Stones—thirty-six in total. The speed of this type of Immortal Boat depended on three key factors: the quality of the boat itself, the number of Spirit Stones in its control center, and the Divine Sense guiding its flight.
The first factor was self-explanatory. The second factor involved the Immortal Boat's control center, which had Spirit Stone slots with a minimum activation threshold. If fewer than that number of stones were inserted, the boat wouldn't start.
The third factor was the cultivator's Divine Sense controlling the boat. While autonomous flight relying solely on the Spirit Stones in the control center was possible, guiding it with Divine Sense allowed the boat to achieve a speed that reflected the combined influence of all three factors.
At that moment...
The quality of the Immortal-Grade Immortal Boat was fixed. Its control center was already packed with thirty-six Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, leaving no room for more. Han Yi divided his Divine Sense, focusing half on controlling the boat and the other half on Zheng Hai.
Aboard the Immortal Boat, Han Yi gazed at Zheng Hai's emaciated frame, his heart aching with grief and anger. He retrieved a bottle of Soul Pills from his Storage Ring, poured out a single pill, and placed it in Zheng Hai's mouth. Guiding it with his Mana, he sent the pill down to Zheng Hai's abdomen.
But under the scrutiny of his Divine Sense, after the Soul Pill dissolved and entered Zheng Hai's Sea of Consciousness Space, it immediately transformed into a grayish-white mist at the periphery of his Sea of Consciousness. This indicated that Zheng Hai's Divine Soul was in an unconscious state, incapable of even recognizing the pure Soul Energy of the Soul Pill.
Han Yi's expression darkened.
He produced a High-Grade Spirit Stone—a gray stone with a nail-sized patch of purple at its center. Gently shattering the stone, he extracted its purest Spirit Qi and guided it into his Dantian. However, his withered Dantian, reduced to its barest essence, proved utterly incapable of absorbing it.
Maintained by Han Yi's Mana, the concentrated Spirit Qi remained temporarily within his Dantian. But the moment he released his hold, the unbound energy dissipated rapidly, flowing through his meridians and seeping out of his body. Within ten breaths, not a trace of Spirit Qi remained in his Dantian.
Han Yi refused to give up. He retrieved another High-Grade Spirit Stone, shattered it, and channeled its energy into Zheng Hai's Dantian using a spell. This time, he maintained the flow of Mana for a full hour before releasing his grip.
To his disappointment, no matter how long he confined the intensely concentrated Spirit Qi within Zheng Hai's Dantian, it dissipated completely upon release, leaving not a trace behind. The Dantian showed no signs of absorption whatsoever.
Han Yi's expression darkened considerably.
Undaunted, he produced a Heavenly Net Pill, a medicinal pill designed to repair the physical body.
But this attempt also proved futile. After guiding the pill into Zheng Hai's abdomen and using his Mana to assist its dissolution, the dissolved substance failed to disperse throughout the body. It was as if Zheng Hai's body was already a lifeless corpse, utterly devoid of vitality.
After several more failed attempts with various pills, Han Yi finally abandoned his efforts.
"Hang on, Zheng Hai," he muttered. "Once we return to the sect, I'll find the most skilled immortal physician for you."
With renewed determination, Han Yi poured all his Divine Sense into the Immortal Boat's control center, instantly boosting its speed by thirty percent.
The Immortal Boat sliced through the darkening sky.
Twenty kilometers behind Han Yi, another Immortal Boat materialized from the void. Aboard were three black-robed cultivators, one of whom was the Yinjiu Youth who had previously used a copper mirror to monitor the Li Family.
"Chao Tianzong, are you even capable? This damn Immortal Boat can't even keep up with them!" A burly man with a full beard, his eyes wide as copper bells, growled in a hoarse voice at the Yinjiu Youth.
"Guang Jinglong, if you think you can do better, take over!" Chao Tianzong retorted, his face strained. "I'm already using my Divine Sense at full capacity to control the Immortal Boat, and the Control Center is packed with Spirit Stones."
Chao Tianzong's discomfort was evident. Maintaining such intense Divine Sense control at full strength was no easy feat, not for him, nor for any cultivator.
"Hmph," Guang Jinglong grunted softly and fell silent. He knew Chao Tianzong was doing his best; his earlier outburst had stemmed from impatience. Losing such high-level prey at this stage would be a bitter disappointment.
"By the way, Daoist Chao, did you see how they killed the Li Yuanqing brothers?" A third cultivator, cloaked entirely in black, suddenly spoke from within the Immortal Boat. Her face remained hidden, but her voice was unmistakably female.
The third cultivator on the Immortal Boat was a female cultivator.
She addressed Chao Tianzong as "Daoist Chao" because within the hierarchical structure of the Fragrant Teachings, Foundation Establishment Stage disciples also held an external title: Preaching Envoy.
Preaching Envoys addressed each other as "Daoist."
"No," Chao Tianzong replied. "By the time I followed the sound of the explosion, the battle was already over. Several cultivators from the Great Qian Imperial Observatory and the Robber Apprehension Bureau were hovering above the Li Family estate. I only dared to observe them from afar using the Heaven-Gazing Mirror."
"Fortunately, I had secretly deployed a medium within the Li Family's defenses. It's difficult for cultivators below the Golden Core Stage to detect the Heaven-Gazing Mirror's surveillance."
"Daoist Tang, is there a problem?"
"What problem could there be?" Guang Jinglong scoffed, his raspy voice dripping with contempt. "Our opponent is merely at the Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage. The three of us are all at the same level. How could he possibly escape a three-on-one ambush?"
"Besides," he continued, "I've not only killed Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators, but even a few at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. What's there to fear?"
"Daoist Tang here is a Witch Cultivator from the Southern Border. Killing a Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator would be child's play for him."
"If it were up to me, I'd be more concerned about capturing him alive. But with Daoist Tang here, that's a trivial matter."
Guang Jinglong glanced at the female cultivator completely shrouded in a black robe and cowl, a flicker of barely perceptible fear in his eyes. Then he turned to the Yinjiu Youth, sneering.
"The only complete waste of space here is you, Chao Tianzong."
"You..." The Yinjiu Youth, Chao Tianzong, abruptly stood up, glaring furiously.
At that moment, the black-robed female cultivator standing between the three men interjected, "Enough."
"Let's not argue now."
"In my opinion, we can't afford to be careless. This Heaven's Will Sect cultivator dared to infiltrate the Li Family and eliminate both brothers in such a short time, demonstrating considerable strength. Moreover, according to what we overheard through the Heaven-Gazing Mirror, he holds the position of Patrol Envoy. All of this suggests he's more than he appears."
Guang Jinglong clearly trusted his own judgment more. "Daoist Tang, those two Li Family wastes weren't exactly formidable. I could have killed them without breaking a sweat."
"When Hall Master Lu arrives, if we can hunt down a Patrol Envoy and present him as a tribute, he'll be delighted and undoubtedly reward us with even more Scent-Sniffing Pills."
The female cultivator in the black robe didn't deny this. Instead, she pointed to the Immortal Boat receding into the distance and shrugged. "Their Immortal Boat is too fast. Even if we tried to chase them now, we'd never catch up."
This time, Guang Jinglong fell silent. After a moment, the Immortal Boat came to a halt.
"Hmph, that bastard got lucky," Guang Jinglong spat angrily, clearly frustrated that his cooked duck had flown away.
"We can't go to Jia Mountain City anymore. Let's head to Ze Lian City instead and report this directly to Hall Master Lu."
"Agreed. Let's go."
The Immortal Boat turned around and sped off in the opposite direction.
The journey to the Profound Pill Sect had taken twenty-five days, crossing Nanyang County, Ancient Creek County, Taihe Prefecture, and then veering east to Jiangzhou Prefecture. However, the return journey was much faster. With Han Yi's Divine Sense fully extended and his Immortal Boat flying at full speed, he reached the Profound Pill Mountain Gate in less than fifteen days.
After greeting the elder guarding the gate, Han Yi steered his Immortal Boat straight to Vermilion Bird Peak. Among the Nine Inner Peaks, the cultivators on Vermilion Bird Peak were renowned for their mastery of Medical Dao Immortal Arts.
Han Yi immediately sought out Jiang Yu, the Chief Elder of Vermilion Bird Peak, a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Vermilion Bird Peak had suffered heavy losses during the Profound Pill Death Tribulation a few years prior. In the aftermath, the Chief Elder had even been a Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, within a year of the war's conclusion, Jiang Yu had broken through to Late-Stage Foundation Establishment and assumed the position.
Jiang Yu had a particularly strong impression of Han Yi. After all, no other cultivator in the entire Profound Pill Sect could boast having Sect Leader Yuan Shun personally serve as his Guardian during his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Within Vermilion Bird Peak, after a thorough examination, Jiang Yu sighed heavily.
"Junior Brother Han, Outer Sect Disciple Zheng Hai must have been captured by the Fragrant Teachings and taken to their Pill Cultivation Field to refine Scent-Sniffing Pills."
Han Yi nodded. "That's right. Zheng Hai was indeed taken to refine Scent-Sniffing Pills."
"Senior Brother Jiang, is there any way to treat him? Please tell me about any difficulties you face. I'll do everything I can to resolve them. Whether he can be saved or not, I, Han Yi, will owe you a great debt."
Han Yi spoke solemnly. He rarely made promises lightly, but once he did, he would spare no effort to fulfill them. He was a man of his word.
Jiang Yu waved his hand. "Junior Brother Han, please let me finish explaining."
"Cultivators captured by the Fragrant Teachings for pill refinement fall into two categories: those who can recover and those who cannot. Those who can recover have only been refining pills for a short time, and their Root Bones haven't been truly damaged. With proper treatment using Spirit Medicines, they can fully recover over time."
"The second category, those who cannot recover, can be further divided into two scenarios. In one, they can be revived with specific Spirit Medicines, but even if revived, they will become mere mortals, their Immortal Path severed. The other scenario is terminal—no Spirit Medicine can save them."
"In my opinion, Zheng Hai falls into the second category—beyond recovery. He's teetering on the brink between life and death. With the right spirit medicine, we might be able to save him."
"However, such spirit medicines are exceedingly rare. Even our Profound Pill Sect possesses very few."
Jiang Yu shook his head, clearly finding the prospect of treatment daunting.
Han Yi's eyes lit up. If spirit medicine existed, he could acquire it. He currently possessed over ten thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, over a hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones, and two Magic Treasures—a wealth rivaling that of a Golden Core cultivator.
He refused to believe that his entire fortune couldn't purchase the necessary spirit medicine.
"Senior Brother Jiang, please tell me what kind of spirit medicine is needed, and how many Spirit Stones or Points it would cost."
Seeing Han Yi's unwavering confidence and recalling his connection to Yuan Shun, Jiang Yu nodded.
"There's a spirit herb called the Heavenly Return Spirit Grass. Just a small sprig can resurrect a cultivator's physical body and divine soul, even for those at the Foundation Establishment Stage."
"If Junior Brother Han can obtain even a small sprig of the Heavenly Return Spirit Grass, saving Zheng Hai will be no problem at all."
"Alternatively, there's a type of Demon Beast called the Lightscale Beast. Seventh-Tier or higher Lightscale Beasts condense a Lightscale Pearl within their skulls. These pearls are invaluable treasures, and consuming one could also revive Zheng Hai. However, Lightscale Beasts are only found in the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, and even there, they are exceedingly rare."
Jiang Yu paused, then suddenly remembered something. "Neither of these spiritual objects are known to be in the Sect's possession."
"But there is another spiritual object that the Sect currently has."
Han Yi's eyes lit up with hope.
"I heard that Jiang Bo obtained a Spirit Jade Gui during the Emperor's Birthday Celebration. This jade is exceptionally mild and gentle. If Zheng Hai consumes it, it might nourish his weakened body and spark a trace of mana. With even a sliver of mana, he could then consume other spirit medicines to gradually strengthen himself. Given enough time, he's sure to recover."
"That Spirit Jade Gui has already been entrusted to Elder Huoming for refinement into a medicinal pill. If you approach him personally, given your relationship with Sect Leader Yuan, Elder Huoming should give you face and not make things difficult for you."
"I can't guarantee how effective it will be," Jiang Yu said.
"But it's worth a try," Han Yi replied.
Jiang Yu's words seemed to surprise Han Yi, but a moment later, his face lit up with delight. He swiftly flipped his hands and retrieved a fist-sized piece of purple Spirit Jade Gui from his Storage Ring.
"There's no need to find Elder Huoming," Han Yi said. "I have one right here."
Jiang Yu blinked in surprise, then stood up and took the Spirit Jade Gui from Han Yi. After examining it closely, he looked up at Han Yi with an incredulous expression.
"Junior Brother Han, how did you get your hands on this? Spirit Jade Gui is a spiritual object unique to the Jade Pavilion Precious Jade Grotto-Heaven!"
Han Yi didn't explain. Instead, he urged, "Senior Brother Jiang, I'll explain the details later. Just trust me—this Spirit Jade Gui is genuinely mine, and I obtained it directly from the Jade Pavilion Precious Jade Grotto-Heaven. It's absolutely authentic."
Satisfied with this assurance, Jiang Yu stopped pressing for answers. He pried open Zheng Hai's mouth and inserted the Spirit Jade Gui. Then, he placed both hands over Zheng Hai's chest, focusing on the Dantian area. A faint, starlight-like glow emanated from his palms, seeping into Zheng Hai's chest in shimmering, star-like specks.
Han Yi's Divine Sense remained firmly focused on the condition of Zheng Hai's Dantian, monitoring its condition with unwavering focus.
As the Spirit Jade Gui entered Zheng Hai's abdomen, it transformed into the purest Spirit Energy. If absorbed by a cultivator, this energy would seamlessly integrate, fortifying their Spirit Sea, amplifying their Mana, nourishing their Divine Soul, and revitalizing their Physical Body, leading to comprehensive advancement in their Cultivation Realm without any side effects.
However, Zheng Hai was no longer a cultivator, not even a mortal. He was on the brink of death. As the Spirit Energy dispersed from his abdomen, Jiang Yu's Mana guided it, channeling it entirely into Zheng Hai's Dantian.
Inside Zheng Hai's shrunken Dantian, a localized spiritual rain began to fall—slow but continuous.
After about fifteen minutes, a portion of the Spirit Energy rain transformed into Mana perfectly compatible with Zheng Hai's own.
"It's working!" Han Yi thought with relief, his face lighting up.
Jiang Yu, however, didn't let up. He continued his treatment, converting all the Spirit Liquid in Zheng Hai's Dantian into Mana. Ninety-nine percent of this Mana dispersed throughout Zheng Hai's body, leaving only one percent remaining in the Dantian.
After a full hour, Jiang Yu finally withdrew his hands, his expression slightly fatigued. Even for him, this full-force healing effort had been taxing.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang," Han Yi said sincerely. "This junior brother will surely repay your kindness handsomely."
Jiang Yu waved his hand. "Junior Brother Han, don't be too optimistic. Although we managed to draw out a wisp of Zheng Hai's mana using the Spirit Jade Gui, his cultivation journey is over. He's destined to live out his days as a mortal."
"This is something we must be particularly careful about."
"Given his condition, Zheng Hai should regain consciousness in three days."
"After that, whether he awakens or not, he can take Qi Nourishing Pills and Mind Gathering Pills for a month to regulate his body and aid in his recovery."
After giving further instructions, Jiang Yu watched Han Yi depart. Before leaving, Han Yi retrieved another Spirit Jade Gui of equal size from his Storage Ring and offered it to Jiang Yu.
"Senior Brother Jiang, please accept this as a token of my gratitude. I insist you don't refuse," Han Yi said earnestly.
Jiang Yu's heart skipped a beat. Han Yi's casual ability to produce two Spirit Jade Guis was utterly inhumanly extravagant.
Nevertheless, he accepted the jade without protest.
The Cultivation World operated on the principles of causality. Jiang Yu had provided assistance, and Han Yi had reciprocated. Both parties were satisfied, making the exchange fair and balanced.
After Han Yi left with Zheng Hai, Jiang Yu sighed softly.
"As I suspected, this man's background is far from ordinary. To casually produce two Spirit Jade Guis, and judging by his demeanor, he likely has more on hand."
"Come to think of it, could Han Yi be Duke Dingguo's great-grandson? He has so much Spirit Jade Gui. If that's true, it would explain why the Sect Leader personally oversaw his Foundation Establishment and protected his Dao."
Jiang Yu pondered, increasingly convinced he had uncovered a major secret.
Meanwhile, after leaving Vermilion Bird Peak, Han Yi piloted his Immortal Boat to Azure Dragon Palace, bringing Zheng Hai to a secluded meditation chamber.
For the next three days, Han Yi dissolved Spirit Jade Gui for Zheng Hai to consume, expending over a dozen pieces. Though the effects were minimal, he was willing to waste the resources if it could accelerate Zheng Hai's recovery, however slightly.
Three days later, Zheng Hai awoke. After Han Yi explained his condition, he cycled through anger, helplessness, resignation, and finally, acceptance.
Five days later, Han Yi took Zheng Hai throughout the Profound Pill Sect. From the Sect Leader to the Supreme Elders, and down to the other Foundation Establishment Elders, none had an alternative solution.
Ten days later, an Immortal Boat ascended once more from Azure Dragon Palace, slicing through the Sea of Clouds as it departed the Profound Pill Sect. Aboard were Han Yi and a pale-faced Zheng Hai.
Their destination: Mengshan City.