Chapter 432 - 438: Huo Clan Leader

As the Huo Clan Leader finished speaking, Huo Jinchuan’s gaze darkened slightly.

’Heh, this old bastard still hasn’t given up...’

The thought echoed in Huo Jinchuan’s Sea of Consciousness.

’I’ll let him be smug for a little while. Soon, the entire Huo Family will be mine.’

His ambition reached its zenith in that moment.

"Is that understood?"

The Huo Clan Leader’s oppressive gaze fell upon them. The spiritual pressure from his Body Integration Realm cultivation forced the three to lower their heads, their very bones trembling.

If they refused, he could annihilate them on the spot.

"Understood."

Song Wanning agreed, feigning obedience. She flinched, then hesitantly raised her head to ask, "Senior, if we succeed in refining the Rejuvenation Pill, would you allow us to join the Huo Family?"

"We’d even be happy to join the Dan Sect!"

Her eyes filled with anticipation, as if she were desperate to stay.

The Huo Clan Leader wasn’t surprised in the least. People from the Four Domains would kill to get into the Central Domain, so it was only natural that these few didn’t want to leave.

However...

His lips curled as he said meaningfully, "As long as you succeed in your Alchemy, you can naturally stay in the Central Domain forever."

Whether they lived or died, however, would no longer be up to them.

"Great! It’s a deal!"

Song Wanning agreed with great enthusiasm, immediately picking up the Pill Recipe to study it. She looked genuinely desperate.

Xiao Heyun was dumbfounded by her abrupt change in demeanor, but even he could tell that Song Wanning was putting on an act.

"They’re your responsibility now. Once the pill is refined, bring them to me."

The Huo Clan Leader gave Song Wanning another long, meaningful look before striding away.

Huo Jinchuan followed him out, and the heavy doors shut once more.

The moment the two were gone, the expression on Song Wanning’s face grew grim.

The look the Huo Clan Leader had given her sent a chill down her spine; she had no idea what he was plotting.

"What now? Are we really supposed to research the Rejuvenation Pill?"

Xiao Heyun had no choice but to set aside their past grievances and ask.

’We have to work together now. We can deal with everything else after we get out of here.’

"If we don’t figure out how to make it, I doubt they’ll ever let us leave."

A flicker of Evil Qi flashed in Baili Shang’s indifferent eyes. The Huo father and son had different plans, but neither intended for any of them to survive.

"Then what are we supposed to do? The recipe for the Rejuvenation Pill was lost ages ago. How can we possibly refine it?"

His face grew pale, and he became more agitated the more he thought about it.

’I came here to pursue my target, but I haven’t even met them yet and I’m already trapped.’

"Let’s take it one step at a time," Baili Shang said. "If worst comes to worst, we’ll make a move on Huo Jinchuan the next time he comes."

With that said, Baili Shang returned to his Alchemy.

Seeing how focused the other two were made Xiao Heyun extremely frustrated. ’How can they be so calm at a time like this?’

’I can’t tell if they’re incredibly stupid or incredibly capable...’

With no other choice, he could only start muttering to his system again.

As she listened in, Song Wanning’s brow furrowed in annoyance.

’Right now, the person I want to get rid of most is Xiao Heyun. His internal monologue is just full of so much crap.’

...

In the days that followed, Song Wanning’s group used the excuse of researching the Rejuvenation Pill to burn through all the medicinal ingredients.

When Huo Jinchuan found out, he said nothing. Instead, he had another batch of precious medicinal herbs delivered.

"The sooner you refine the Rejuvenation Pill, the sooner you can leave this place. I trust you won’t disappoint me."

A peculiar glint shone in his eyes.

’These three possess immense fortune. There should be a good chance they can restore the Pill Recipe...’

’I hope they don’t fail me, not after I went to such great lengths to find them...’

’As for any Elixir Pills they manage to create... they’ll end up in my hands eventually.’

’Heh.’

Huo Jinchuan gave them another long look before leaving.

Song Wanning watched his retreating figure, a dark glint in her eyes.

’No wonder Huo Jinchuan went to the Four Domains searching for Pill Masters. He wants to use our good fortune to restore the Pill Recipe.’

’The method sounds absurd, but the truth is, he guessed right.’

’Senior Daoqing’s legacy actually contains the Pill Recipe for the Rejuvenation Pill.’

’It’s slightly different from this version, but the effects are identical.’

’But should I actually refine the Elixir Pill?’

A conflicted look flashed in her eyes.

’I still don’t know what the Huo father and son are planning to do, so I can’t make a rash decision.’

’I’ll just have to wait and see.’

So, in the days that followed, she continued her Alchemy as usual, refining life-saving Elixir Pills.

Baili Shang did much the same, maintaining his leisurely facade.

Only Xiao Heyun was a nervous wreck, too agitated to even focus on his Alchemy.

The longer things dragged on, the more uneasy he grew, to the point where he again asked his system for an advance on his points.

This time, however, the system refused. It remained unmoved, no matter how Xiao Heyun tried to cajole or threaten it.

In the end, Xiao Heyun accepted his fate and could only study the Pill Recipe in earnest, hoping for an early escape.

「Half a month passed in this manner.」

Batch after batch of medicinal herbs arrived, but there was still no progress on the Pill Recipe.

The Huo Clan Leader summoned Huo Jinchuan and gave him a vicious tongue-lashing.

"You useless piece of trash! I told you to find people, and this is who you bring me? They still haven’t produced a single result!"

"If they can’t refine it, just kill them and go find me more people!"

"I refuse to believe that in all the Four Domains, we can’t find a few people capable of refining the Rejuvenation Pill!"

He showed none of the fatherly affection he displayed in public, even slapping Huo Jinchuan directly across the face.

Half of his face swelled up instantly, but Huo Jinchuan kept his head lowered, saying nothing as he endured the abuse.

He had grown accustomed to such treatment long ago.

’In public, the Huo Clan Leader dotes on me. Everyone knows I am the future head of the Huo Family.’

’But in reality?’

’Heh.’

A flicker of mockery passed through Huo Jinchuan’s eyes, his dark pupils swirling like a vortex.

"Get out of my sight!"

The Huo Clan Leader roared, then with a wave of his hand, sent Huo Jinchuan flying out of the room.

BAM—

Huo Jinchuan landed hard just outside the door.

The heavy doors slammed shut with a BOOM that made his eardrums ache.

Several of the Huo Clan Leader’s trusted subordinates glanced over before looking away, as if this were a common sight.

Huo Jinchuan lay on the ground for a long time before he managed to pull himself up.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, swallowed an Elixir Pill, and left as if nothing had happened once his injuries were fully healed.

By the time he reached the secret chamber, his cold and detached expression had long since returned.

His eyes were somber as his gaze swept across Song Wanning and the others. He spoke in a grim tone, "You have three days. If you still have no results by then, this place will be your grave!"

"Are you kidding me? Three days?"

"How could we possibly do that?"

The color drained from Xiao Heyun’s face.