At that time, Zhang Yong and Su Ming had already returned to the auction house. Zhang Yong was holding the Buddha Heart Herb in his hands, his face radiating anger after what had happened.
The old man in charge of the auction rushed forward the moment he saw them, anxious and flustered.
"Did you recover the herb?!" he asked quickly.
Zhang Yong nodded and placed the herb on the table. "Someone tried to steal it, but he wasn't my match."
The old man exhaled in relief and bowed slightly. "Thank goodness you retrieved it. This incident was unexpected, and we'll strengthen our precautions in the future. Please allow us to compensate you for the trouble."
Zhang Yong replied coldly, "No need for compensation. What matters is that I got back what I won. But you'd better improve your security."
In truth, the security wasn't the issue—those guards were at the Ancestor Realm, so an ordinary person couldn't have infiltrated. However, the thief had been at the Venerable Realm. How could they possibly stop someone like that?
Zhang Yong stroked his chin for a moment, then turned toward Su Ming and gestured.
"Handle the items. I have somewhere I need to go."
Su Ming nodded in understanding and carefully took the items. He didn't need further instructions from Zhang Yong.
Zhang Yong left the place swiftly, heading toward the sea—it was time to release Jia Nulan.
When he reached the shore, he stood quietly in an isolated area. The waves roared softly, and the sea breeze filled the air with the scent of salt. Waving his hand, Jia Nulan emerged from the Beast Space.
She looked down, noticing the water and the familiar sensation.
"This... the sea!" Jia Nulan said in astonishment, not expecting Zhang Yong to keep his promise so quickly.
Zhang Yong smiled faintly. "As promised, you can return now."
Jia Nulan looked at Zhang Yong and bowed deeply.
"Thank you... thank you so much." Tears welled at the corners of her eyes, tears of gratitude as though a great burden had been lifted from her heart.
Zhang Yong waved his hand lightly. "Save your tears for your family when you return."
"You're right," she said, wiping her tears with effort.
"So what are you waiting for? Aren't you going?" Zhang Yong asked with a small smile.
At that moment, Jia Nulan's face flushed slightly. "Actually... could you come closer?"
Zhang Yong paused, a puzzled expression crossing his face, but he stepped forward cautiously. "What is it?"
When he got close, Jia Nulan's heart trembled, and she smiled shyly. "Thank you for everything." Then, suddenly, she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before turning away and diving into the depths of the sea.
Zhang Yong stood frozen, unable to move at all.
Inside his spiritual sea, Ling Xi burst into laughter. "Damn, she totally caught you off guard! Hahaha!"
Meanwhile, both Murasama and Yami kept straight faces, unable to speak, while they glanced toward Bing Di, whose expression was deeply displeased.
Bing Di marched toward Ling Xi, grabbed her by the hair, and pulled her back. Ling Xi yelped, "Hey, stop! Ow ow ow—stop!"
"Should we stop her?" Murasama whispered to Yami.
"Do you dare?"
"Not a chance,"
Sounds of thuds and smacks followed, along with Ling Xi's screams, "You two—help me!"
Yet Yami and Murasama simply walked away. "We saw nothing. We heard nothing."
Zhang Yong blinked several times before standing up again, his expression stiff though his eyes looked as if they were screaming. He shook his head vigorously and sighed.
"What's wrong with me... I'm worse than Tang San now."
Turning around, he walked back toward the auction entrance where Su Ming stood with two girls and Zhang Guan beside him.
"Did everything go smoothly?" Zhang Yong asked quietly, glancing at the two girls.
Su Ming nodded. "I explained everything to them. They were frightened, but I handled it... sort of."
Zhang Yong waved his hand and summoned Kuro. After giving her some elixirs, she was fully healed and in top condition.
"Kuro, how are your wings now?" Zhang Yong asked, gently patting her beak.
Kuro lifted her head and looked at him with gratitude, flapping her wings several times to show her recovery.
"Kooh!" she cried energetically, bringing a faint smile to Zhang Yong's face.
Then he turned toward the two girls. One of them, dressed in blue robes, bowed slightly. "Thank you for saving us."
Zhang Yong waved his hand indifferently. "No need. But if we leave you like this, you'll have a hard time surviving—no one will hire you. So, you'll work for us."
As he said that, Zhang Yong climbed onto Kuro's back and gestured for the others to follow.
Once everyone was on board, Kuro spread her massive wings and soared into the sky, carrying them upward.
The wind whipped against their faces, but silence filled the air.
Instantly, Kuro passed through spatial tunnels, their speed increasing dramatically.
"A void beast... I didn't expect you to own one," Zhang Guan snorted coldly.
Zhang Yong looked at him sideways. "Yeah, and I didn't expect that the so-called Uncle Guan I was told so much about was actually the third prince's bodyguard. I've got plenty of questions, and you'd better have answers."
Su Ming, who didn't understand what the two were talking about, stayed quiet.
'So they know each other,' he thought. 'Now that I think about it, they have the same family name. That can't be a coincidence.'
Zhang Guan's expression didn't change, though the pressure on him grew heavier. He sighed and said flatly, "You deserve some answers—but not here. It's complicated, and it should stay between us."
Zhang Yong turned his head fully toward Zhang Guan, his cold eyes sharp as blades. "You'd better have a damn good explanation, or even if you're from the Zhang family, I won't hesitate to kill you."
Zhang Guan nodded calmly; he had no right to protest after nearly getting Zhang Yong killed.
After three and a half days of flight, the outlines of the city appeared in the distance—they had arrived at Maple Leaf City.
Kuro gradually slowed her flight until she landed gracefully in front of their shop. Everyone dismounted, standing before the entrance.
As they opened the door, Bo Chi greeted them. "Welcome back, sirs—" but his eyes widened when he saw Zhang Guan. "Uncle Guan!"
Zhang Guan was equally shocked. "Little Bo Chi!"
Everyone stared in surprise at their interaction. Zhang Yong stepped forward, his expression cold.
"You two know each other?"
Bo Chi clasped his hands calmly. "Actually, we do, it's just that—" He froze mid-sentence.
Zhang Guan placed a hand on Bo Chi's shoulder. "I'll explain everything, Zhang Yong. No need to act this way."
Bo Chi exhaled in relief as Zhang Yong looked between the two but said nothing more.
They all entered quietly, and Zhang Yong called toward the back courtyard, "Ling Xian!"
At once, a girl stepped out of one of the rooms and bowed. "Greetings, Master."
It was the same girl who had lost her brother when Zhang Yong was delayed before. He spoke calmly, "Take these two girls and look after them."
Ling Xian nodded softly. "As you command." She then led the two away.
Zhang Yong turned to Su Ming and Zhang Guan. "Let's begin refining the pill. No time to waste," he said, looking at Su Ming. Then, turning to Zhang Guan, he added, "And you—you're not going anywhere. You're coming with us."
Zhang Guan nodded.
Zhang Yong placed his hands on both of them and teleported into the small world.
Zhang Guan's eyes widened as he looked around in disbelief. "This... a Small World!" he muttered, still trying to process what he saw. "How can someone your age possess this?"
Zhang Yong's eyes were cold. "Now isn't the time for questions. We're here to refine the pill."
Zhang Guan sighed. "What kind of pill needs both of you to refine it together?"
The two ignored him and moved to an open space. Su Ming waved his sleeve, and a crimson cauldron appeared before them.
"Let's begin," Zhang Yong declared.
Both men waved their hands, and three flames shot into the cauldron. The intense heat of their Origin Flames quickly raised its temperature.
Once the cauldron was hot enough, Su Ming rubbed his palms, and over forty herbs flew out of his spatial ring. He began refining them immediately—each one a third-grade herb.
Zhang Yong waved his hands, and ten fourth-grade herbs floated in midair. He used his dual Origin Flame to purify them.
To refine a sixth-grade pill required spiritual power on the level of a sixth-grade alchemist—mid Transformation Realm. But neither had reached even fifth-grade yet: Zhang Yong was at the truth Realm–mid grade, while Su Ming was at the lower grade. Therefore, they had to refine it together to succeed.
Three hours later, Zhang Yong finished purifying the fourth-grade herbs into liquid. Then he waved his hand, and four jade boxes flew into the air, opening to reveal three fifth-grade herbs and sixth-grade herb.
At once, the Nine-Life Mushroom entered the cauldron, being melted and refined under the golden-white flames. Then the Silver Tail Herb and Buddha Heart Herb followed.
Three more hours passed, and Su Ming completed the purification of the third-grade herbs, his forehead covered in sweat.
"Haah..." he exhaled deeply. Refining so many third-grade herbs was no easy feat.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yong had finished refining the fifth-grade herbs, the pill formula flowing quietly in his mind.
Zhang Guan, watching from the side, was stunned. "Third-, fourth-, fifth-, even sixth-grade herbs—all at once?! What in the world are they refining?"
In the corner, the Thief King appeared, sitting cross-legged and watching. "Damn, I'm late. No way I'm missing this show."
Zhang Guan turned toward him. "You... a spirit? No, a soul fragment, to be precise."
The Thief King smirked. "Doesn't matter who I am. Those two brats are really refining that pill. Didn't think they'd gather all the ingredients in less than a year."
Zhang Guan frowned. "What grade of pill needs that many ingredients?"
The Thief King smiled faintly. "A sixth-grade pill. Hah, I almost envy their master—having disciples like them. If I'd had students like that, I might not have died."
Zhang Guan looked back at the two, shocked. A sixth-grade pill! None had appeared since the Great War a thousand years ago, when countless techniques, formulas, and treasures were lost. If one emerged now, it would cause nothing but chaos. That was why they were refining it inside a small world.
Zhang Yong raised the last jade box, revealing the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng. Both he and Su Ming grew solemn. Adding the final ingredient—at this stage, even a tiny mistake could destroy the cauldron and blow up everything within a hundred-meter radius.
Once the ginseng was added, under the pressure of the twin flames, it withered and liquefied. After purifying it completely, Su Ming immediately directed the liquid toward Zhang Yong.
Zhang Yong began merging the ingredients, while the flames of Great Sun, Desolate Moon, and Thunder Queen surrounded the cauldron like a baptism of fire.
After more than half a day, the process reached its most crucial point. It was exhausting, but the two worked steadily—this was the first sixth-grade pill refined in a thousand years; it was never going to be easy.
Half a month passed, their mental strength visibly deteriorating. Finally, the time came to merge the four liquid groups. The triple-origin flame drew them together, melting them into one.
Soon, the mixture turned into a small green sphere—the pill's embryonic form.
Their hearts leapt with joy—but it wasn't over yet. The embryo was only a sign of nearing success. One more step remained.
Suddenly, thunder rumbled above. A fierce, heavy sound filled the sky as dark clouds formed, and three colors of lightning—red, yellow, and blue—flashed within.
A Pill Tribulation.
For pills of sixth grade or higher, heaven's tribulation would descend. Only by enduring it could the pill be completed—and it was the most dangerous stage.
With a motion from Zhang Yong's hand, the cauldron lid flew off, and violent spiritual energy surged outward. The pill's energy clashed violently within the cauldron.
Crack!
A loud shatter rang out—the cauldron began breaking apart.
"Damn it!" both Su Ming and Zhang Yong cursed simultaneously.
This wasn't supposed to happen. If the cauldron broke, everything would be lost.
At that moment, blue lightning struck down violently, smashing into the cauldron as it disintegrated like sand in the wind. With no other choice, Zhang Yong leapt forward, seizing the embryonic pill with his bare hand—it was still glowing intensely.
Agony flooded his body; the heat from the immense energy within the pill and the heavenly lightning burned his hands, peeling his skin.
Crack!
The red lightning struck next—but instead of hitting the pill, it hit Zhang Yong directly.
His body convulsed under the merciless power. Though his body had been tempered to the third level and had withstood lightning before, the Pill Tribulation Lightning was something else entirely.
The third strike—yellow lightning—descended, the last one. It smashed into Zhang Yong's body, his bones trembling as though about to shatter. Blood streamed from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
Numbness spread through his body, yet he gritted his teeth and held on until the final bolt faded and the black clouds dispersed.
Su Ming rushed forward. "Hey! Are you insane? Are you okay?!"
Zhang Yong lifted his trembling hand, giving a shaky thumbs-up.
"Mission accomplished."