Chapter 134 | Turning Point

Chapter 134: 134 | Turning Point

The activity at Alchemy Peak had become noticeably quieter as Elder Liu’s condition worsened.

Inside her refinement chamber, Elder Liu, Master of Alchemy Peak, sat before a bronze cauldron. Only a small amount of her high-grade Crimson-Sun Roots remained, so she was conserving them for when the Phantom Burns became especially difficult to suppress.

The Ghost Market had yet to produce the herbs she needed, while the private suppliers from the Southern Ridge and Outer Valleys had also been delayed.

With her remaining high-grade herbs carefully preserved, Elder Liu relied on simpler medicinal ingredients and attempted to refine a batch of low-tier soothing pills.

"Fuse."

She guided a thread of Core Formation Qi through the cauldron’s formation nodes. The medicinal essences gradually merged, forming a stable spiritual resonance.

For several breaths, the refinement proceeded smoothly.

Then the Phantom Burns in her chest suddenly flared.

Elder Liu’s expression tightened as the burning spread through her chest and meridians. She immediately adjusted her Qi, but the sudden disturbance disrupted her control over the medicinal essences.

The spiritual resonance collapsed.

Pffft!

A thin plume of acrid black smoke escaped from the vents.

The refinement had failed.

Elder Liu did not immediately begin another refinement. She studied the residue inside the cauldron, carefully tracing the faint spiritual fluctuations that remained after the failed reaction. The medicinal essences had been properly prepared, and the formation nodes had functioned as expected. The instability had appeared only after the Phantom Burns erupted, making the failure far more troubling than an ordinary mistake in refinement.

She had spent decades refining pills and could distinguish a flawed ingredient from flawed control with a single glance. This time, the ingredients were not the problem. Her own condition had begun interfering with the precision she relied upon most.

A backlash of chaotic Qi surged from the cauldron. Elder Liu dispersed most of it, but some still rushed through her meridians, sending a sharp wave of pain through her body. She leaned forward and coughed, a trace of dark blood staining her lips.

After several breaths, the Phantom Burns finally receded.

Elder Liu wiped the blood away and stared at the failed cauldron. The Pill Toxicity was interfering with her control more often now, while the herbs she depended upon were taking longer to arrive.

The stone doors opened, and Senior Disciple Han and Deacon Feng hurried into the chamber.

"Master."

Han glanced at the failed refinement. "The batch failed?"

"Yes."

Feng lowered his head. "Master, I also have news regarding the suppliers."

Elder Liu turned toward him. "Speak."

"Elder Zhou of the Southern Ridge and Cultivator Ma of the Outer Valleys have both acknowledged your requests," Feng reported. "However, their shipments have been delayed, and neither has provided the Crimson-Sun Roots yet."

Elder Liu’s expression darkened.

"How long?"

"We do not know yet."

She fell silent for a moment.

The Ghost Market had produced no result, and the private suppliers were taking longer than expected. Her usual methods were beginning to demand more time than her condition could comfortably allow.

"Continue checking," Elder Liu ordered. "The moment either supplier has the herbs, inform me."

"Yes, Master."

Han hesitated before speaking.

"Master, there may be another possibility."

Elder Liu looked at him. "What possibility?"

"Perhaps the answer does not have to come from another batch of pills," Han said carefully. "You may need someone who can examine the condition of your spiritual veins directly and determine what is disrupting the circulation of your Qi."

Elder Liu frowned.

"A physician?"

"Not necessarily someone from the Medical Pavilion."

Deacon Feng stepped forward. "I heard something while speaking with several disciples."

Elder Liu narrowed her eyes. "What did you hear?"

"One of them mentioned Aunt Lin," Feng replied. "She had been suffering from severe Qi Stagnation for some time. Her cultivation remained stuck, yet her condition reportedly changed rather suddenly."

Elder Liu’s attention sharpened.

"How?"

"The disciple did not know the exact details," Feng said. "But he said Aunt Lin eventually broke through into the Foundation Establishment Realm after being unable to condense Qi for a long period."

Elder Liu remained silent.

Overcoming severe Qi Stagnation was not impossible, but such a sudden improvement was unusual.

"Did she rely on pills?"

"I have not heard anything reliable about that," Feng replied. "The disciples only said that her condition changed unexpectedly."

Elder Liu glanced toward the failed cauldron.

Another faint wave of pain stirred in her chest.

She slowly exhaled.

"Then investigate Aunt Lin."

Han and Feng exchanged a brief glance before bowing.

"Yes, Master."

"Find out what caused her condition to change, who she has interacted with recently, and whether anything unusual accompanied her breakthrough," Elder Liu ordered. "Do not approach her directly for now. I want information first."

Feng bowed. "Understood."

Elder Liu’s gaze remained on the extinguished flame beneath the cauldron.

"If her recovery was truly unrelated to alchemical treatment, then it may reveal something useful about unusual disturbances within the body."

Han nodded. "We will investigate carefully."

Elder Liu said nothing more.

For now, Aunt Lin was the only lead worth pursuing.

Elder Liu’s decision also meant Feng would have to move carefully. Aunt Lin’s sudden progress was not the sort of matter that could be questioned openly without attracting unnecessary attention from other elders. He would need to gather information through ordinary conversations and routine inquiries, making it difficult to separate useful facts from exaggerated stories.

That uncertainty worked in their favor. The more people repeated different versions of the same event, the longer it would take for Elder Liu to identify the truth.

time the moon reached its highest point.

Within the Cloud-Sea Pavilion, the isolation arrays hummed softly around the main hall. Lin Tian sat in silence, his obsidian robes neat and undisturbed as a faint warmth from his Primordial Yang-Tyrant Body lingered around him.

Near the edge of the hall, the surrounding shadows shifted slightly.

Lady Yun stepped out of them and entered the soft glow of the moon-pearls.

She walked toward Lin Tian and bowed respectfully.

"My Master."

"Rise, Shadow Queen," Lin Tian said.

Lady Yun straightened.

"Report."

"Elder Liu’s condition is becoming harder to control," Lady Yun said. "Her latest refinement failed when the Phantom Burns flared, and the herbs she needs from both routes are still delayed."

Lin Tian nodded.

"What did she do afterward?"

"She began looking for another way to deal with the problem. Deacon Feng has started making inquiries about Aunt Lin’s sudden recovery after her severe Qi Stagnation."

Lin Tian’s gaze sharpened slightly.

"So she is following that lead."

"Yes, Master. Feng is asking disciples and lower-ranking cultivators what they know about Aunt Lin’s condition and her later breakthrough. So far, he has found little beyond scattered rumors."

Lin Tian remained silent for a moment.

Elder Liu was not searching for him.

She was trying to understand how Aunt Lin’s condition had changed.

"Then let the inquiry continue," he said.

Lady Yun nodded. "Should I keep watching it?"

"Yes. Observe who Feng speaks with and what information reaches Elder Liu, but do not interfere."

"Understood, Master."

Lin Tian’s fingers rested lightly against the arm of his chair.

"How are the other matters?"

"The Ghost Market remains without a result. I have also continued watching the outer movements around Alchemy Peak. Han and Feng are still following Elder Liu’s orders, and I have seen no sign that they suspect outside interference."

Later, within the Cloud-Sea Pavilion, Lady Yun also reported that no unusual movement had been detected around the private residences of Elder Liu or her trusted disciples. The sect continued to operate normally, and there was no indication that anyone had connected the recent delays to deliberate interference.

Lin Tian listened without interrupting. He understood that the most useful information was often found in what had not happened: no accusation, no investigation into the Resource Hall, and no suspicion directed toward the him. That absence of suspicion showed the pressure remained safely within acceptable limits.

Lin Tian gave a calm nod.

"Good. Nothing needs to change yet."

Lady Yun studied him briefly.

"Do you think this inquiry may eventually lead to you?"

"It may."

His expression remained composed.

"But there is no reason for us to act before that happens. Right now, Elder Liu is only looking for an explanation for Aunt Lin’s recovery."

Lady Yun nodded thoughtfully.

"Then allowing the inquiry to continue gives us more information."

"Exactly."

Lin Tian looked toward the distant silhouette of Alchemy Peak beyond the balcony.

"Watch where the investigation leads. If Elder Liu learns something important, I want to know. If the inquiry begins moving toward me, report it before taking any action."

"Yes, Master."

Lady Yun bowed once more before stepping back toward the shadows.

"I will continue observing."

She quietly disappeared into the darkness, leaving the isolation arrays humming softly behind her.

Lin Tian remained seated, his gaze resting on the distant peak.

Elder Liu had begun searching for an answer outside her usual methods.

For now, that was enough.