White Moon (Gavin White) had grown curious about this unfamiliar yet remarkable Yang Han, so she sent another message, summoning the Poison Alchemist. The Poison Alchemist had been about to refine pills, and being called over again left him rather annoyed, but since it was an order from the sect master, he had no choice but to obey.
"Poison Alchemist, I've already seen the person you mentioned," White Moon said.
"Oh? What does the sect master think?" the Poison Alchemist asked.
"I've already agreed, and had the Left Protector take him to Fire‑Top Mountain. But I have something I'd like to ask you, and you must answer honestly," White Moon said, looking at the Poison Alchemist.
Hearing that Yang Han had successfully entered Fire‑Top Mountain, the Poison Alchemist was naturally pleased—he could now turn to Yang Han for any pill-refining troubles. But upon hearing White Moon's words, he grew curious and asked, "I wonder what the sect master wishes to ask?"
"What's his name, where is he from, and what does he do?" White Moon asked.
"Ah, his name is Mu Yi. As for where he's from—I actually don't know. All I know is that he's called the 'pill-refining marvel' here in Medicine King Heaven," the Poison Alchemist replied awkwardly.
"Pill-refining marvel? That's quite an interesting nickname," White Moon muttered.
"I thought it was strange at first too, but his pill-refining skills are indeed impressive," said the Poison Alchemist.
"I just saw it for myself—his pill-refining ability is certainly outstanding. All right, you may go now," White Moon said.
The Poison Alchemist nodded, but as he left the main hall he grumbled to himself, "Is the sect master sick or something? Always calling me over for this and that, asking all sorts of questions. Now my pills are left unfinished. I'd better hurry and get back to refining."
Not long after the Poison Alchemist left, the Left Protector, having received White Moon's orders, arrived at the main hall. He bowed respectfully and said, "Sect master, what are your instructions?"
"Help me investigate the man you just escorted—just don't let him notice. Understood?" White Moon said.
"Understood." The Left Protector nodded, then turned and left. As for the Left Protector's abilities, White Moon had absolute confidence. After all, Yang Han only displayed Immortal Sovereign‑level strength, and for the Left Protector, who had already stepped into the Heavenly Dao, it would be impossible for Yang Han to detect him.
But she could never know just how terrifying Yang Han really was. As Yang Han finished his preparations, smiling at his handiwork, he noticed someone standing not far outside his house. Although the person was well hidden, nothing inside his own formation could escape his eyes.
"Why is he back?" Yang Han muttered to himself when he saw it was the Left Protector.
The Left Protector just stood there dumbly in a corner, watching the outside of Yang Han's house as if waiting for Yang Han to come out.
Seeing that he was just standing there and not barging in, Yang Han ignored him and continued reinforcing his room. Even if a Heavenly Dao expert tried to attack him, he'd have enough time to escape.
Once everything was set again, Yang Han remembered why he had come—to get closer to the Strange Alchemist and figure out what was going on with the Sky‑Severing Talisman, and how to break its effects.
So, after thinking it over, Yang Han got up, left his room, and went to knock on the Poison Alchemist's door.
The Poison Alchemist was about to lose it, thinking it was the Left Protector again. He suppressed his anger and went to the door, only to be surprised when he saw it was Yang Han.
Seeing the Poison Alchemist's expression, Yang Han smiled, "What? Don't recognize me?"
"No, no, come in." The Poison Alchemist let Yang Han inside, then smiled and said, "I heard you've already entered Fire‑Top Mountain."
"Yeah, I just passed the assessment," Yang Han replied with a smile.
"That makes things much easier now. If you have any issues, you can come to me directly," the Poison Alchemist said with a smile.
"That's great. I might have some questions for you too," Yang Han replied with a smile.
"If I can help, I definitely will. Go ahead, tell me," said the Poison Alchemist, knowing Yang Han wouldn't come to him for nothing, so he was curious.
"I heard about something called the Sky‑Severing Talisman. Have you ever seen one?" Yang Han asked.
The Poison Alchemist looked at Yang Han curiously, "Why are you suddenly asking about that?"
"What? Is it forbidden to ask?" Yang Han asked, equally curious.
"No, it's not forbidden, I'm just curious. Luckily, I know about it—the Sky‑Severing Talisman can only be made by one person, the Strange Alchemist. He specializes in making weird things, especially using inner cores for pill refining. He even bragged that he once used the Sky‑Severing Talisman to injure a Divine Fire Phoenix," the Poison Alchemist said, thinking of the Strange Alchemist's expression and sighing.
"Oh? That's quite something. So, if someone is injured by the Sky‑Severing Talisman, there's no cure?" Yang Han asked.
"No cure? Not exactly. But once, he boasted that only he could make the antidote, and no one else could. I guess it must require some special medicine," the Poison Alchemist replied.
"So that's how it is. I'm most interested in miraculous pills—if you get the chance, take me to meet the Strange Alchemist sometime," Yang Han said with a smile.
"Sure. Once I finish this batch of pills, I'll take you to meet this eccentric. That way I can show off my poison pills in front of him too," the Poison Alchemist said with a smile.
Hearing the Poison Alchemist agree, Yang Han smiled, "Sounds good." He then said goodbye and headed back to his own room. Passing by the Strange Alchemist's door, he paused briefly, then continued walking.
Inside his room, the Strange Alchemist was waiting for Yang Han to show up, but there was no news. He grew frustrated, and when he saw Yang Han pause outside his door, he became curious—especially since he also noticed the Left Protector following behind Yang Han.
"Interesting. Why is the Left Protector suddenly so interested in this person?" the Strange Alchemist wondered, seeing the Left Protector trailing someone.
Back in his own room, Yang Han sat down, closed his eyes, and pretended nothing had happened.
The Left Protector watched outside for quite a while and muttered, "He only interacts with the Poison Alchemist? Doesn't know anyone else?"
The Left Protector kept trying to figure things out, so he continued watching Yang Han, standing there for two days and nights before finally leaving and returning to the main hall to report to White Moon.
He truthfully reported the situation to White Moon. After listening, White Moon pondered for a moment and muttered, "Could it be that he really only interacts with the Poison Alchemist and doesn't know anyone else?"
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At least for now, there was no sign of anything suspicious about Yang Han. After thinking it over, White Moon said, "Alright, I have a pill-refining competition here. Take this to Fire‑Top Mountain and make sure everyone participates—it's mandatory."
The Left Protector received the decree, which detailed the competition. He left, and soon the news was announced at Fire‑Top Mountain. Everyone who heard it was curious and shocked.
The Poison Alchemist had been refining pills for days and was almost done, but when he got the news, he nearly went crazy. "Damn it, can't they just let me finish my pills in peace? Why must they hold a pill-refining competition now?"
Yang Han saw the announcement and wondered, "Why? Surely the sect master isn't holding this competition for no reason?"
It wasn't just Yang Han—others felt the same way. The sect master wouldn't hold such a pointless competition for no reason. After all, most here were Heavenly Dao experts and didn't have time for trivial contests. But the rules were clear: everyone had to participate, no exceptions.
But soon Yang Han smiled, "Perfect. If I can win first place, it'll give me even more leverage to get close to the Strange Alchemist."
The Strange Alchemist had no idea that Yang Han had already blended into Fire‑Top Mountain. In his eyes, he was still waiting every day for Yang Han to show up.
Everyone had their own thoughts about the competition, but in the end, they all arrived at the main hall on the eve of the event.
Each person had a spot prepared for them in the main hall, so everyone could refine pills freely.
White Moon stood in the main hall and smiled, "It's been a long time since we've held a pill-refining event. I want to see everyone's skills, and you can all use this chance to exchange techniques."
Everyone smiled a little, but whatever they were thinking inside was anyone's guess.
But everyone also noticed a stranger they'd never seen before—Yang Han. After the laughter, everyone looked at him curiously. At that moment, White Moon smiled and said, "Let me introduce him—his name is Mu Yi, a pill-refining marvel. He can make twenty top-grade Bright-Jade Pills without using any artifacts."
This statement caused a stir in the hall. Most people needed artifacts to make that many pills, and even the Poison Alchemist had to admit Yang Han's skill. But the stronger Yang Han was, the better it was for him, so he felt secretly pleased.
The Strange Alchemist was also curious about this newcomer. Once everyone had taken a good look at Yang Han, White Moon drew their attention back and said, "Alright, you've all seen the rules for today's competition. You have three hours to refine Cold-Mist Pills. The recipe and ingredients are on your tables. The more you make, the higher your score."
Everyone checked their ingredients and recipes and had a rough idea of what to expect. White Moon smiled, "Let's begin."
With that, everyone took out their pill-refining artifacts—some of them were incredibly powerful. Yang Han couldn't help but be impressed. As he considered which cauldron to use, he sensed his Fire-Burning Furnace reacting. Curious, he followed the sense and saw that the cauldron in the Strange Alchemist's hands was what his Fire-Burning Furnace was responding to.
"Could that be one of the five missing pieces?" Yang Han wondered, recalling that two slots had already been filled by other furnaces.
Seeing that Yang Han hadn't started yet, White Moon asked curiously, "Is there something you're unsure about, marvel?"
"No, nothing," Yang Han replied with a smile, then casually took out an ordinary cauldron.
When everyone saw Yang Han use a regular cauldron, they looked at him with contempt and doubt. Some even laughed at his arrogance for daring to compete with such basic equipment.
Yang Han had no choice. If he used a top-tier cauldron, it would cause an uproar. Using a normal one was more practical.