Yu Ming presented the Heavenly Heart Pills as a contribution. Although he claimed he did not recognize them, everyone present understood perfectly well—this was his roundabout way of gifting the pills to them.
This day brought one joyous surprise after another for the inhabitants of Yuanhua Hall. Not only had they obtained the recipes for boundary-breaking pills of various stages, but they had also acquired the miraculous Heavenly Heart Pills. Everyone felt a profound sense of admiration for Yu Ming, and they considered themselves fortunate that he had settled on Dongyang Peak and joined Jingyuan’s lineage.
"Lin’er, with these Heavenly Heart Pills, I no longer fear your Grandmaster’s transition to the Deity Transformation stage. You must understand, your Grandmaster has hesitated to enter secluded meditation because of your youngest martial uncle’s disappearance; he feared he could not pass the trial of inner demons," Master Jingyuan said excitedly.
Li Xue and Li Lin were both startled. Though Daoist Yuhong usually spoke little, it seemed Li Ran’s accident had dealt him the heaviest blow of all.
"Yu Ming, we must thank you," Li Xue said sincerely.
"Sister Li, we are family now. There is no need for such formalities," Yu Ming replied with a smile. He then turned to Jingyuan. "Master, I know this medicine is too extraordinary. I was afraid of being targeted, so I never dared to let anyone know of its existence."
Jingyuan patted Yu Ming’s shoulder and said solemnly, "I understand. This matter must not leave Yuanhua Hall. Aside from us and your Grandmaster, no one else shall know. If word of the Heavenly Heart Pills got out, I fear even the Yunjin Sect would not be able to protect itself."
Li Xue and Li Lin nodded solemnly in agreement. Only then did Yu Ming feel at ease. He looked at the rooms filled with materials and said to Li Xue, "We have the recipe for the Spirit-Returning Pill now, and I have already collected some of the necessary ingredients. Sister Li, do you think we can stop refining these Gathering Spirit Pills?"
Li Xue frowned slightly, thinking for a moment before answering. "Yu Ming, I believe we should continue refining the Gathering Spirit Pills. Consider it a performance for others to see. We’ve made a great show of collecting thousand-year herbs; to an observant outsider, this will serve as a distraction so they won't look deeper. If they start prying, you will still be in danger. We will eventually have to offer the pill recipes to the sect. By broadening the scope and muddying the waters, we can better hide our true strength."
Yu Ming listened and replied gratefully, "Sister Li is right. I was thinking too simply."
"Furthermore, we must refine the Azure Spirit Pills for Yiyi. We owe her for the pills she gave us," Li Xue added.
Yu Ming’s heart stirred at her words. "Lin’er, refine more of the Azure Spirit Pills. Count me in for a share of the effort."
Li Lin readily agreed. "Don't worry, Senior Brother. We’ll consider the Azure Spirit Pills a gift from the three of us to Yiyi."
Yu Ming nodded with a smile. Only those with Yang-attribute spiritual power could achieve a high success rate when tempering high-grade Gathering Spirit Pills. If he were to try it himself, he would be lucky to produce even one. In this regard, both he and Jingyuan were far inferior to Li Lin. It was a matter of innate talent—something that could not be learned.
Daoist Yuhong was beyond ecstatic after receiving the Heavenly Heart Pills. He had originally felt that the Deity Transformation stage was beyond his reach, but with these pills, hope was rekindled. How could he not be overjoyed?
"Yu Ming, I owe you a great debt of gratitude for this. From now on, if you have any needs within Dongyang Palace, you may come directly to me. As for the boundary-breaking pill recipes..." Daoist Yuhong looked at Yu Ming.
"Grandmaster, I do not wish for anyone to know that I was the one who obtained the recipes," Yu Ming declared quickly. The reason he had offered them to his master was so the elders could shoulder the risk; he simply could not bear it alone.
"Good. You do not claim credit for yourself, you possess a broad mind, and your luck is profound. Your future is limitless," Daoist Yuhong nodded with satisfaction. He then turned to Li Xue and Li Lin. "Many people are already suspicious regarding the circumstances of Li Ran’s disappearance. I think we shall attribute the discovery of these recipes to that event. It will put their speculations to rest."
Li Xue and Li Lin understood immediately. The elder was indeed more cunning—the ginger was spicier when aged. The matter of the boundary-breaking recipes was significant enough to silence many critics. Originally, many had objected to Li Xue entering the inner sect and becoming a nominal disciple of a Nascent Soul Elder despite her Five-Element Root aptitude. The sect had always used the excuse that she had made a "major contribution," but they could never reveal the secret to the public. Now, with the pill recipes, everything would finally make sense.
"However, there is one more matter that weighs on my mind," Daoist Yuhong sighed again. "The Tianyuan Secret Realm is about to open. Li Xue, I want you to make a trip there. Using Ran’er’s soul imprint, you should be able to sense something of his whereabouts."
"Grandmaster, let me go!" Li Lin suddenly interjected.
Daoist Yuhong shook his head. "You have already reached Foundation Establishment. Only those in the Qi Condensation stage can enter the Tianyuan Secret Realm." He looked back at Li Xue. "You and Ran’er were husband and wife. You shall be the one to carry the imprint from his Life Soul Lamp."
Jingyuan watched with a strange expression as Li Xue and Li Lin’er’s group left Yuhua Hall. He couldn't help but say, "Master, isn't this a bit too much for Junior Sister...?"
Daoist Yuhong interrupted him. "She is Lin’er’s biological mother and Ran’er’s wife. If I don't keep a close watch on her for Ran’er, am I supposed to wait until he returns only to find that everything has changed? That she is no longer his?"
Master Jingyuan was left speechless. His master was truly protective to a fault. With Li Ran’s soul imprint placed upon her, it seemed that even if his junior sister were to reincarnate, she would still belong to him.
