Wo Ri! Are you deliberately trying to disgust me? Mo Changfeng's veins bulged on his forehead; he almost couldn't resist jumping up and landing a solid punch on him.
I mean, he’s an old man with years under his belt, can't he be a bit more composed?
Miao Miaomiao offered a gentle reminder: "Is there a possibility that the way you're eating it is wrong?"
"What do you mean by that?" Elder Cheng immediately shot her a puzzled look.
Eating a lousy Elixir—surely there aren't any special requirements for that, are there?
Miao Miaomiao patiently elaborated: "Haven't you ever thought about mixing in some seasoning, like chili powder, cumin, or pepper? If you smear that stuff on it, wouldn't the taste be completely different?"
Huh? Don't knock it till you try it! Hearing her suggestion, Elder Cheng's mind suddenly cleared: "That's right! Why didn't I think of that?"
He slapped his thigh hard, startling Old Gao, and looked at Miao Miaomiao with great admiration, "I didn't realize you were such a clever little thing!"
Miao Miaomiao: "(????-)."
She immediately put her hands behind her back, "I've been sharp as a tack since I was little! Honestly, all of you have minds that are too narrow, too rigid, and too backward! If you keep this up, you'll suffer big losses later. You need to change!"
The Elders: "..." For a moment, they felt as if their roles had been swapped with her.
"Alright, since the matter is resolved, I'm done here."
Miao Miaomiao clapped her hands, walked over to Mo Changfeng, and lowered her voice, "Sect Master, could I speak with you privately?"
"Mm," Mo Changfeng nodded slightly and followed her to a dark corner.
"Speak, what is it?"
Miao Miaomiao got straight to the point: "Can you give me the Token for the Heart-Questioning Pool's Barrier?"
Normally, the Heart-Questioning Pool is protected by a Barrier, and ordinary people cannot enter at all.
Mo Changfeng instantly understood her intention: "You want to use it for Body Tempering?"
"Exactly." Miao Miaomiao nodded.
"Fine." Mo Changfeng was very straightforward. He pulled out a Golden Token from his robes and handed it over, "From now on, go whenever you want; you don't need to ask anyone's permission."
"Thank you, Sect Master! I'll be taking my leave then!" Miao Miaomiao happily took the Token and gave a meaningful look to Shi Wanyue behind her.
The latter understood immediately and quickly followed.
"Hey, wait..." Mo Changfeng was about to say something, but the two had already run off.
"Forget it, why should I bother with the affairs of young people?" Mo Changfeng shook his head and returned to the Pill Hall. He pointed at the Pill Furnace someone had just used, "What are your thoughts on today's events?"
Old Gao looked solemn: "Sect Master, this Elder believes there is something very suspicious about this matter!"
"And?" Mo Changfeng frowned.
"And it's very suspicious! Don't you think so?"
Because it's suspicious, it's suspicious, is that it? Mo Changfeng rolled his eyes: "Well said. Don't say it again next time."
The last time he heard such useless words was the time before last; this Old Gao was truly becoming senile.
Elder Cheng, standing nearby, stroked his beard: "Could it be because of her Spirit Root?"
The Nether Spirit Root gathers Nether Fire.
Alchemy using Nether Fire—that was a first for him too.
Mo Changfeng stroked his chin: "I'm afraid it's not that simple!"
He recalled the strange fact that the Girl had no living person's aura about her; perhaps it was related to that.
"Never mind, let's observe slowly! I have other things to attend to, so I'll leave first."
The other Elders also departed one after another. Before long, only Elder Cheng remained in the Pill Hall.
He found something to store the miraculous Elixir he had taken a bite out of, then glanced at the Pill Furnace Miao Miaomiao had used. He muttered to himself: This damned Girl ran off so fast, she didn't even wash the Pill Furnace for me; the smell is overpowering!
He had no choice but to do it himself. After casting a Purification Art, the impurities were gone, but the pungent odor remained.
He patiently carried it to the Pond side and washed it about ten times, but the smell didn't lessen at all, as if it had fused with the Pill Furnace itself.
"Go to hell!"
His Anger instantly flared up. Elder Cheng kicked the Pill Furnace far away, grumbling angrily, "I don't want it, is that okay? It's just a broken Pill Furnace; as if I can't afford to throw one away."
A short while later, the same person was diligently washing the Pill Furnace again, muttering to himself: "This is money; I can't waste it... Thrift and diligence must start with me."
*
On the other side, Miao Miaomiao brought Shi Wanyue to the Heart-Questioning Pool.
She stretched her arms: "I'm going for a little soak. You do as you please. The effect of this pool water for Body Tempering is quite good; I suggest you try it too. Just get out if you can't handle it."
"Oh~" Shi Wanyue nodded blankly.
Just as Miao Miaomiao was about to step into the pool, she seemed to remember something. She shook a wooden plaque out of her Space, quickly wrote a few large characters on it: "The undersigned is not dead; do not disturb."
She stuck it into the ground by the roadside, clapped her hands, and entered the pool.
Feeling the warmth of the pool water, Miao Miaomiao immediately broke into a smile: "Hoo~~ Comfortable! I'm going for a dive first..."
Saying that, she plunged in headfirst.
*
At the same time, far away at the Horizon.
The Sect Master of Tianji Sect, Ku Chenzi, was visiting a neighboring Sect with a few of his favored disciples.
On the surface, it was a casual visit, but in reality, he had come specifically to show off that he had accepted Ye Han, such a peerless genius.
Ku Chenzi's old face was smiling brighter than a blooming chrysanthemum. He pointed to the person beside him and introduced, "This is my good disciple, Ye Han. Not only does he possess the extremely rare mutated Yang Spirit Root, but he also harbors the Exquisite Immortal Heart! He has the Heavenly Martial bloodline!"
"Furthermore, he is favored by the Heavenly Dao Prophecy... His future prospects are limitless!—Han'er, aren't you going to quickly come and greet all the Seniors?"
"Yes, Master!" Ye Han patted his sleeves and stood up, a confident smile gracing his face. He stepped forward and bowed, "This junior, Ye Han, pays respects to all... Ugh~"
Before he could finish his sentence, the familiar Heart-Devouring Pain suddenly struck. Ye Han's Body trembled violently, and his previously rosy face instantly turned as pale as paper.
He never expected that the damned Heart-Devouring Pain would strike again at such a critical moment!
"Young friend, what is wrong with you?" A Red-haired Old Man sitting on the side kindly inquired.
"Th-Thank you for your concern, I... I'm fine!" Ye Han was covered in sweat. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his legs together, trying to endure it.
However, the pain intensified until Ye Han could no longer hold back. With a miserable scream, he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the ground, writhing back and forth like a maggot while screaming mournfully.
"Han'er!!" Ku Chenzi also hadn't anticipated that his illness would flare up at this moment. He hurriedly dropped the teacup in his hand and rushed forward to help him up.
"M-Master! I... I'm in so much pain!! It hurts so much... Ah!!" Ye Han rolled his eyes while foaming at the mouth, his entire body shaking uncontrollably like a sieve.
Ku Chenzi was both angry, frustrated, and heartbroken. He lowered his voice and scolded him with disappointment, "Couldn't you have endured it? Causing such a scene at this critical juncture, where am I supposed to put my old face?"
"I didn't want to... but... I really couldn't hold it back... Ah!!" Ye Han was utterly devastated, his face already turning the color of pig liver.