The reason Evan Yang asked about alchemists was because he wanted to get in touch with them—first, to find a cure for Elder Lee, and second, for his own body. Recently, as his cultivation increased, he felt the Heaven‑Cold Seed in his blood growing restless, almost impossible to suppress. He hoped to find new herbs or pills, but only Pill Sects could help; wandering outside searching for herbs aimlessly would be a waste of time.
Chris Chu didn’t know what Evan was thinking. He just answered Evan’s questions, explaining the basic ranks of alchemists. Finally, Evan asked, “Brother Chris, which Pill Sect on the Eastern Continent is the best right now?”
"The Eastern Continent is huge, so there are many Pill Sects, and plenty with prestige. But with your current cultivation, even if you want to visit the most famous Pill Sects, it would take years to reach them." Chris Chu knew Evan had some cultivation, but in front of true experts—especially since he hadn’t reached the Foundation‑Building stage and couldn’t fly objects—he could only travel on foot, which was basically a fantasy journey.
"Whew, then are there any notable ones nearby?" If he couldn’t reach the prestigious Pill Sects, he’d have to start with the smaller ones nearby. Once he gained strength, he could visit the big Pill Sects to seek remedies for Elder Lee. That was Evan’s current plan.
Chris Chu thought for a moment and said, "Given your current abilities, there are quite a few decent Pill Sects nearby you could visit. But to know for sure, you’ll have to see them for yourself."
"Brother Chris, where is your Pill Sect located?" Evan was eager to know which sect could produce someone like Elder Lee and refine the Aging Pill—surely it couldn’t be ordinary.
"We’re from the distant Central Province. Heh, we got lucky back then and met a high‑level expert who happened to be heading to the Eastern Continent, so he gave us a ride. Even so, it still took several months." Chris Chu said with an embarrassed smile.
"Central Province?" Evan was shocked; so they’d come from Central Province. He knew it was on the western side of the Eastern Continent and was the richest region—full of sects, cultivators, and people from all over who went there to trade rare treasures.
"Yeah, our sect is called Sky Unity Sect. It’s famous for pill‑refining in Central Province—cultivators from many places come to exchange or buy pills. Plus, our sect has a terrifying Mystic‑Rank Alchemist whose pill mastery and cultivation are both insanely strong." Chris Chu couldn’t help but feel proud when mentioning his sect.
"Wow." Evan’s jaw dropped. Mystic‑Rank Alchemists were the peak of pill‑refining—having one meant the sect was truly a star of Central Province.
"So, back then, Elder Lee and I fled because we were afraid his senior brother would find us." Chris Chu's eyes grew distant as he spoke, unsure if he'd ever return home.
Seeing Chris Chu like this, Evan sighed inwardly. So that's why—no wonder Chris has always been quiet and reserved, unlike Elder Lee's optimism.
"Still, being an alchemist is a respected profession, but your cultivation talent isn't suited for pill-refining. If you split your focus, it'll be hard to advance." Chris Chu, noticing Evan's interest in alchemy, warned him.
Evan understood, but he had no choice. The Heaven-Cold Seed needed enough energy, and who knew how many herbs and pills it would require next? He could only cultivate and dabble in alchemy, hoping to strengthen the Seed and his own power.
As for this secret, he had no intention of telling anyone for now—he feared it would bring trouble. He simply smiled and said, "I understand. Thanks."
"No need. I hope you'll return one day and cure Elder Lee." Chris Chu said hopefully.
"I'll leave Elder Lee to you." Evan cupped his hands, then glanced at Elder Lee, reluctant to go. He stepped out and found Tiger Sun, saying, "Tiger, could you draw me a rough map of the Rising Sun Sect's location?"
Tiger Sun was puzzled—why was Evan acting so strange today? First he asked about the sect that collects their medicinal tributes, now he wanted a map.
Seeing Tiger Sun's expression, Evan smiled. "Maybe I'm about to leave here. But before I go, there's something I need to do."
"You're leaving?" Tiger Sun exclaimed.
"What? Is there some rule that says we can't leave the sect?" Evan smiled calmly.
"You can, actually. Lots of disciples couldn't stand this life and went down the mountain—at least among mortals, they can play the role of a master." Tiger Sun thought Evan was leaving because he couldn't take it anymore.
Evan didn't bother explaining Tiger Sun's misunderstanding. Once Tiger saw Evan was determined, he resigned himself and, using his years of experience, drew a vivid map of the Rising Sun Sect's layout.
When Evan took the small wooden slip, he couldn't help but smile. Before leaving, Tiger Sun said, a bit reluctant, "You'd better sneak down the mountain. Don't let the sect people see you—and definitely not Logan Luo. He'll drag you back for sure."
Evan knew well—he was Logan Luo's personal 'sower.' If he left, Logan would just have to find someone else.
Though he felt reluctant, Evan patted Tiger Sun's shoulder. "Thanks for looking out for me all these years."
"Sigh, I've lost another friend." Tiger Sun said, feeling a bit down.
Evan felt a pang in his heart. Afraid he'd tear up again, he avoided Tiger Sun's gaze, said goodbye, and quietly left the room. Tiger Sun didn't chase after him, but stayed behind, praying Evan would find a better life.
Evan, leaving the manor, had no idea what Tiger Sun was thinking. But in his heart, he resolved that if he ever got the chance, he'd come back to help Tiger Sun transform his constitution and create a powerful acquired spiritual root.
Luckily, Logan Luo was nowhere to be found, so Evan wasn't spotted. He soon reached a spiritual pool, where several huge rocks stood in the water. Rumor had it the qi here was denser than in disciples' quarters, so every morning people rushed to claim a spot. Inner disciples banded together to monopolize the rocks, pushing outer disciples to the edges, leaving them to sit outside and absorb only the weak residual qi.
This spot was different from the rest—Evan saw no snow, only a pool that seemed like eternal spring. He muttered, "I wonder if Leon Wong is here right now."
Just then, a commotion broke out. Someone shouted, "Look, a Human-Rank Alchemist! And isn't that Leon Wong, the inner disciple?"
Evan glanced in the direction everyone was looking and saw two young men approaching about thirty feet away.
One of them looked almost identical to Warren Wong as he did four years ago. Evan didn't need to guess—this was Leon Wong, the one who wanted him dead. The other must be the rumored Human-Rank Alchemist.
Leon, of course, had no idea the person standing ahead was Evan. After two years, Evan had grown into a young man—his appearance had changed, and Leon had no clue Evan was even here.
Leon had noticed the spatial explosion that rocked the sect two years ago. When he learned Evan had survived, he was stunned and spent a long time plotting to deal with him. But Elder Lee arranged guards who blocked Leon every time he tried to approach Evan's area, so Leon never managed to get close. Evan, obsessed with cultivation, never even knew Leon had tried to cause trouble several times, nor did he know what Leon looked like now.
Right now, Evan was thinking about something else—how to mess with Leon, since Leon hadn't recognized him.
Leon drew closer to Evan, basking in the envious looks from the crowd. His vanity surged, but he didn't notice the expression on Evan's face.
The closer Leon got, the more Evan suppressed his anger. He didn't want anyone to see him teaching Leon a lesson, nor did he want others to sense his cultivation.
Leon showed off his aura as he approached, clearly at the eighth layer of Qi-Refining—a genius among disciples. The Human-Rank Alchemist praised him, and Leon replied with fake humility, flattering the man's pill-refining skills and acting like a polite inner disciple. To Evan, their exchange reeked of hypocrisy.
"Brother Wong, are these all your fellow disciples?" The young alchemist asked, looking at the crowd ahead.
"Not really. Only the ones in the pool count—the rest outside aren't even proper sect disciples." Leon Wong replied with disdain, his tone and gaze exactly like during recruitment four years ago. Evan remembered it vividly.
Some outer disciples were indignant but didn't dare do anything. Others, used to it, just stood there helplessly, watching the Human-Rank Alchemist.
Evan noticed something ridiculous—Leon deliberately released his aura as he walked over, showing off his eighth-layer Qi-Refining cultivation. Here, that was considered genius.
"Brother Wong, your cultivation has improved again." The alchemist smiled.
"No matter what, it's nothing compared to Brother Wu's pill-refining prestige." Leon replied with exaggerated humility, making himself look like a complete hypocrite.
The young alchemist seemed pleased, grinning as he walked with Leon toward the crowd.
Their every word and action made Evan feel both sad and amused, but it wasn't his business. He just waited for Leon to walk past him. Sure enough, as Leon tried to step onto a rock in the pool, a scream rang out—"Ah!"—and then a splash as someone fell into the water.
The crowd was shocked. Looking into the water, they saw Leon Wong glaring angrily at the bank, cursing, "Who did that? Who?!"
But with so many people watching—and laughter breaking out—Leon leapt back onto the bank, furious. "It must be you outer disciples!" he snapped.
"Ridiculous. You fell in yourself, now you blame us." One of the outer disciples, already resentful toward the inner sect, sneered.
"Fine, I'll show you what real strength looks like." Leon didn't bother arguing. He grabbed the loudest disciple and tossed him into the water, then dragged several more in after him.
Seeing this, the remaining outer disciples quickly retreated, wanting nothing to do with this troublemaker.