"Jialan Celestial Mountain," Nanli said, pausing briefly to gather her thoughts. "Prepare an alchemy cauldron and so herbs—you’ll need to bring them. You alone won’t be enough; make sure to bring a few skilled alchemists with you." Her voice was steady, carrying the weight of soone accustod to giving instructions in critical monts.
"Understood. We’ll arrive before dawn," Shi Miaomiao replied crisply through the Telestone. As soon as she finished, the faint glow of the communication device flickered out, leaving the room in silence.
The group around Nanli stared, jaws practically on the floor. Bai Hao, in particular, was dumbfounded. He’d crossed paths with Shi Miaomiao a handful of tis before, and her usual deanor was anything but accommodating—she carried herself with an air of aloof superiority, as if everyone else were beneath her notice. Yet here she was, speaking to Nanli with a softness that bordered on reverence.
He squinted, perplexed. "She normally looks down her nose at people. Why’s she so gentle with you?"
Nanli shrugged casually. "Probably because I helped her out once."
Bai Hao scoffed, ready to dismiss it as a fluke, but then a mory sparked. His nephew had ntioned sothing about Shi Miaomiao—how she’d refined the legendary Heaven-Earth Spirit Pill, earning the support of the Shi family elders and securing her position as family head. He did so quick ntal math, his suspicion growing.
Leaning in cautiously, he asked, "You didn’t... help her refine the Heaven-Earth Spirit Pill, did you?"
Nanli nodded, unfazed. "Yeah, I did."
A collective gasp sucked the air out of the room. The ten monks present—known collectively as the "Ten Virtues"—drew sharp breaths, their eyes wide with shock. Bai Hao’s lips trembled, his words stumbling out in a stutter. "W-What?! The Heaven-Earth Spirit Pill?! You an... you’re not secretly the Shi family’s ancient ancestor, are you?!" His voice bood, loud enough to echo off the walls.
Even Shan Yang, who’d been quietly observing from the sidelines, poked his head out, his face a mask of astonishnt. "Master Nanli, just how many identities do you have?" he asked, half in awe, half in disbelief.
Nanli sighed, waving a hand dismissively. "I just figured out how to refine the Heaven-Earth Spirit Pill. That doesn’t make the Shi family’s ancestor. Your imagination’s running wild."
"Just figured it out? You say ’just’ like it’s nothing!" Bai Hao huffed, flicking his sleeve in indignation.
"Do you have any idea how powerful that pill is? Back when the Shi family still had the recipe, they never lacked for elixirs. They were a dominant force in the Immortal World—untouchable! It was only after the Heaven-Earth Spirit Pill ran dry, combined with the decline of spiritual energy, that their influence waned and the Chi family overtook them."
He paused, his mind racing through the implications. The Chi family had recently suffered a devastating blow, leaving them a shadow of their forr selves.
The Bai family, anwhile, had preserved its strength and could’ve challenged the Shi family on equal footing. But now, with the Heaven-Earth Spirit Pill back in Shi hands, it wouldn’t take a decade—maybe just a year or two—for them to leave the Bai family in the dust.
Sure, the Bai and Shi families maintained a cordial alliance, but between massive clans, competition was inevitable.
The thought of the Bai family being trampled underfoot made Bai Hao’s teeth itch with frustration.
He glared at Nanli, exasperation bubbling over. "You’ve really got too much ti on your hands!"
Her lips twitched into a wry grin, amused by his outburst. "You’re such a petty old man."
"Petty? This is about the Bai family’s future!" Bai Hao clenched his fists, his voice rising. "The Shi family’s going to be overflowing with talent, while my Bai family... our prospects are grim!"
Nanli watched him, half-expecting him to start pounding his chest in despair. She rolled her eyes.
"If it bothers you that much, why doesn’t the Bai family step up? The Shi family has the Heaven-Earth Spirit Pill, sure, but your clan’s alchemists could research other pills. Even without elixirs, your younger generation’s got plenty of talent, right? Healthy competition drives progress—when one family dominates, stagnation sets in. Instead of whining here, why not create or improve so techniques to benefit your descendants? A clan or sect’s legacy depends on the effort of every generation."
Bai Hao froze, her words sinking in. He was an elder, respected and deferred to by most, and no one had ever spoken to him so bluntly. Yet Nanli’s lecture hit him like a splash of cold water, clearing the fog from his mind.
His own talents had peaked at the Deity Forming stage—he’d accepted long ago that ascension to immortality was beyond him. But that didn’t an he couldn’t pave the way for others. Even if his children, Xiangyu and Xiuyou, couldn’t reach the heavens, their children might.
As long as each generation of the Bai family strove forward, soday, one of them would brush the threshold of immortality.
Straightening up, he clasped his hands and bowed slightly, his tone earnest. "Divine Sovereign Nanli, your lesson is well-taken. From now on, I’ll muster every ounce of my energy—learning and growing until my last breath!"
This wasn’t just for himself, but for every Bai family mber counting on a brighter future.
Nanli caught the glint in his eye and smirked. "You sly old fox. Planning to steal so tricks later, huh?"
Bai Hao didn’t bother denying it. He chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "Why not? You told to work harder, so here I am, working hard! Divine Sovereign wouldn’t turn down, right?"
He’d already pieced it together—Nanli had called Shi Miaomiao and her team for a reason, likely to refine so new elixir.
"Just call Nanli," she said, exasperated. "You know how to refine pills?"
"I’ve dabbled a bit," he replied with a sly grin.
"I’m having Shi Miaomiao and her crew refine..." Nanli paused, improvising a na on the spot, "Beast Food Pills. Yeah, that’s it—Beast Food Pills. They’re not for humans. You can watch if you want; it’s not so secret formula."
"Beast Food Pills?" Bai Hao repeated, testing the words. "Not for humans, so they’re for..."
"Mythical beasts," Nanli finished.
"..." Bai Hao fell silent, montarily stumped. What kind of idle nonsense was this? Learn to refine pet food?
She added, "Spirit beasts could probably eat them too."
He muttered under his breath, "You’d be hard-pressed to find a single spirit beast in the Immortal World these days."
Nanli shot him a look. "You’re so short-sighted. The Mu Nation’s spiritual energy is thriving now—it’s only a matter of ti before spirit creatures erge. Who knows when these pills might co in handy?"
"Right, right! Divine Sovereign’s got a point!" Bai Hao’s eyes lit up as the realization dawned. No spirit beasts today didn’t an none tomorrow. Learning this could be a precaution—a stroke of foresight! Imagine using a Beast Food Pill to bond with a spirit beast soday.
The thought sent a thrill through him. He resolved then and there to study diligently when the ti ca.
Dawn broke soon after. Inside the house, Siheng remained locked in his healing trance, far from finished. Nanli, though she stepped outside, stayed within a ter of the door, keeping close watch.
True to her word, Shi Miaomiao arrived just before the first rays of sunlight kissed Jialan Celestial Mountain, leading ten alchemists in tow.
On the journey over, she’d rehearsed her approach: a polite greeting, maybe a warm embrace to show their closeness. The more familiar she appeared with Nanli, the firr her grip on the Shi family leadership would beco. After all, who in the Immortal World didn’t know that Jifeng Celestial Sovereign had slain the traitor Qingwu and returned to Jialan Celestial Mountain? Nanli was the Celestial Sovereign’s wife—a figure of imnse influence.
Spotting a slender silhouette outside the house, Shi Miaomiao’s heart leaped. "Master!" she called, rushing forward, ready to bow in respect.
Nanli turned, her face as striking as ever—delicate features frad by an ethereal glow. But as she faced Shi Miaomiao, her pregnant belly ca into full view, round and prominent against her otherwise lithe fra. Shi Miaomiao stopped dead, her mouth falling open. "You... your belly’s huge! Did a giant bug grow in there?!"
Nanli had been eager to catch up with her old apprentice, but that single, tactless outburst lodged a lump in her throat, silencing her warm intentions.
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