Evan Yang's prayers did nothing. In the end, Gavin White couldn't help herself—she turned back and walked toward Evan. Seeing her change her mind, Evan panicked and even shouted, "Go back!"
"I can't just leave you here," Gavin said.
"Leaving is helping me! You're driving me crazy!" Evan finally couldn't help but curse, and his blood surged to its peak.
His blood acted like a demon, rampaging through every part of Evan's body. Even the Heaven‑Cold Seed couldn't suppress this sudden change. Evan's only option was to keep his mind clear, but his limbs wouldn't obey—he walked step by step toward Gavin.
"Run!" Evan was moving closer to Gavin, but he still shouted.
Gavin watched Evan approach her step by step. She knew he was about to lose control.
"What are you waiting for? Run!" Evan yelled, nearly losing his mind.
Staring at Evan, Gavin wanted to step forward, but hesitated and stayed put, as if leaving her fate up to the heavens.
"Are you really crazy?" Evan barked when he saw Gavin standing there motionless, eyes closed.
Gavin muttered to herself, "Just pretend you didn't see anything. Close your eyes."
Evan's urgent voice was right next to her now. Gavin's face flushed, her breathing quickened, and Evan's hand landed uncontrollably on her right shoulder.
That touch broke Evan's last line of defense. With a sudden cry, blood-red and green light surrounded the two of them.
From outside, it looked like a hazy world. Inside, a man and a woman were doing something neither of them had expected.
It wasn't until Evan and Gavin's cries echoed around them that the two finally fell silent.
Gavin, already badly wounded, now drained even more energy and lost consciousness. Evan's blood finally calmed, and he looked at the woman before him, feeling deeply conflicted.
Gavin White, Medicine King Heaven Sect Master—he had only just met her, yet they'd formed such a relationship. No matter what, his heart couldn't settle.
Evan took out a spare robe and wrapped Gavin up, covering her bare body.
Maybe the touch of clothing woke Gavin. She opened her eyes slightly, meeting Evan's gaze. Shocked, she remembered what had happened, her face bright red. "Don't tell anyone. Or I'll kill you."
"Of course I won't," Evan replied awkwardly.
Gavin grabbed her clothes, dressed, and tried to calm herself, forcing her mind away from what just happened. "Alright, let's pretend none of that ever happened. Let's get ready to refine the pill."
Seeing Gavin act as if nothing happened, Evan couldn't help but admire her willpower. He reminded himself to treat it like nothing happened, so he nodded. "Yeah."
Even though both pretended nothing had happened, Evan still felt awkward. It hadn't been a dream—it was real, but now he couldn't talk about it or ask, so he could only treat it like a dream.
Gavin took out the box holding the inner core, then led Evan deeper into the Frozen Void Rift. They finally stopped at a certain spot.
Here, an ice city hovered in the void, formed by the cold currents around it.
"We'll refine it here. There's enough cold energy," Gavin said.
"Alright," Evan nodded.
The two entered, picked a spot, and Gavin laid out all the herbs. Each ingredient was precious; Evan's Heaven‑Cold Seed stirred restlessly at their appearance.
Evan forced it down and asked, "These are the medicinal herbs?"
"Yes, there's only one full set. No matter what, you have to succeed. If you fail, it'll be nearly impossible to find them again," Gavin said.
Evan nodded. "Let me see the formula." Gavin handed it over, and as he took it, their eyes met for a moment, but both quickly looked away, afraid something unlucky might happen again.
Evan pretended to study the formula, scanning it several times before he could calm down. Then he asked, "A Saint Pill? Its effect is... to repair a Heavenly Dao expert's soul? Wait, is your soul injured?"
"No, it's my father," Gavin replied.
"Your father? Right, I still don't know your real background. You're not really the Medicine King Heaven Sect Master, are you?" Evan asked curiously.
"What, you doubt my identity? Or do you think I'm cross-dressing as a man?" Gavin asked.
"I knew you were cross-dressing as a man from the start," Evan said.
"When did you know?" Gavin asked skeptically.
"The first time I saw you—in that main hall—I could tell right away," Evan said.
"Impossible. I've hidden it for so many years and no one ever noticed. How could you know?" Gavin said, not believing him.
"Because of a cultivation art I practice—even if you disguise yourself, I can sense it," Evan said honestly.
"You really are a weirdo," Gavin said, eyeing Evan skeptically. Evan just smiled. "So you really are the sect master?"
"Are you saying a woman can't be sect master?" Gavin retorted.
"That's not it. With your strength, you definitely can," Evan replied.
"Exactly. But years ago, my father was worried I couldn't inherit the position because I'm a woman, so he had me disguise myself. Until now, only with you do I dare show my true self." Gavin admitted, no longer hiding after the bear battle.
"So, tell me about your father. His soul is injured? He needs this Saint Pill?" Evan asked.
"Yeah. My father was injured thousands of years ago during a pill refinement. His soul couldn't return to his body, so he had to nurture it in a special place. I searched everywhere for a way to heal him and finally found this ancient formula. But refining this pill is extremely difficult, and the success rate must be high. Our sect is skilled, but if they tried to refine a Saint Pill, they'd have doubts. If it fails, we'd have to wait years for another chance. That's why I hesitated, until you appeared. Your skills—and the fact you're not from our sect—make you the best hope," Gavin explained.
(Irrelevant system message skipped.)
"Aren't you afraid I'll betray you?" Evan asked.
"If you wanted to betray me, you wouldn't have saved me just now, right?" Gavin retorted.
"So you were testing me earlier?" Evan realized Gavin's injuries had mostly healed, so he was curious.
"Sorry, I was just being cautious," Gavin said.