Situ Yue froze in place, her body stiffening at the scolding. Her eyes reddened in an instant.
What did Master mean by that?
Was he calling her a troublemaker?
If it weren't for Senior Sister fighting with her for Master's favor, how would she have stirred up so much trouble in the first place?
She opened her mouth to speak, but her gaze fell on the box in Dao Qing's hands—and her face changed drastically.
"Master, why are you holding that box?"
Inside that box was a supreme-grade immortal furnace, on par with the one Master currently used. Master had once said that this pill furnace would one day be given to his most outstanding disciple. Situ Yue had long regarded it as her own. Now, seeing him carrying it toward the water mirror, her heart sank heavily.
The other disciples also struggled to get up, wincing through their injuries. "Master, you're not giving the furnace to her, are you?"
"Why should you? She's not even your disciple!"
Even through the pain, they voiced their dissatisfaction. Even if the furnace was not given to them, it should never go to an outsider.
Lan Yue's expression was also a little strained. She too coveted the furnace, but she understood very well that whatever Master wished to do with his belongings was not theirs to question.
So she could only stand quietly to the side, reflecting inwardly.
Ever since the little Junior Sister arrived, she had fallen into a vicious cycle—thinking only of retaliation day after day, neglecting her own cultivation. That truly was a mistake.
Master was right to scold her. She had indeed lost sight of what mattered. Just a few fools—why should she compete with them over trivial gains?
A sudden light flashed in Lan Yue's eyes. The shadow that had long weighed on her heart was torn apart, and her stagnant cultivation finally stirred.
Excellent!
She cast Dao Qing a grateful glance, realizing that Master was guiding her…
Without hesitation, she rose and left.
Only strength was the greatest reliance.
Lan Yue was gone before Situ Yue and the others even noticed. Their eyes remained locked on the box in Dao Qing's hands.
"I once said this furnace would go to my most outstanding disciple. Are you?"
Dao Qing's earlier anger had cooled, leaving only calm.
Yet when he looked at his disciples, disappointment welled within him. It was his own fault—too absorbed in alchemy, too lax in discipline—that had allowed these fools to turn out this way.
And the root cause of it all… was Situ Yue.
But she had once saved his life. That was why he had taken her in and favored her. He had never imagined her temperament would be so poor. It truly left him disheartened.
"Forget it. I'll teach them more later—I can't just leave them to rot like this."
"Master, give me a little time, I—"
Situ Yue was still unwilling to give up. Such a fine pill furnace—if she could not keep it for herself, even selling it would fetch a fortune. To simply hand it to an outsider made her want to spit blood.
"Silence! Speak again and I'll send you to the Cliff of Reflection!"
Dao Qing's patience was gone. A flash of coldness flickered in his eyes as he looked at her.
It was the first time Situ Yue had seen that look from him. She froze, fear flooding her. Tears quickly welled up, making her look pitiful beyond words.
Dao Qing had no interest in her performance. With a wave of his hand, he expelled them all.
"That wretched woman dares to steal from me! Aahhh…!"
Situ Yue's composure finally broke.
…
Inside the palace, Xiao Heyun had been arguing with the system for half the day.
The system blamed him for being incompetent; he blamed the system for being useless. Their usually close partnership had developed cracks.
In the end, Xiao Heyun's resolve only hardened—he would make Song Wanníng his, no matter what.
Such an outstanding and beautiful woman could only belong to him!
Yet the moment that thought arose, his vision blurred. The next instant, he was teleported away. It wasn't just him. Everyone in the palace was ejected—except Song Wanníng.
She looked at the sudden figure before her, brows lifting slightly, surprise flickering in her eyes.
"What's wrong? Surprised to see me?"
For the first time, Dao Qing's calm face curved into a smile. If Song Wanníng were in the Immortal Realm, he would have fetched her back immediately.
As for that nonsense about not taking disciples—it was already forgotten.
"This junior thought Senior would choose Xiao Heyun."
It was the truth. Even with her victory, she had not expected to be given the inheritance.
The outcome was a pleasant surprise.
"Heh…"
Dao Qing gave her a strange look. To him, her thought was absurd.
Why would he abandon a genius for someone inferior?
"Girl, are you willing to become my disciple?"
Dao Qing wasted no words.
Song Wanníng had already gone beyond mere pill-making. She had formed her own method.
Given time, she could blaze her own path in the Dao of Alchemy. Such talent was rare in ten thousand years—he would not let it slip away. But his confidence was met with a cold splash of reality.
"Forgive me, Senior. This junior already has a master and cannot take another."
Her tone was calm. After her earlier experiences, the allure of these great figures had lost its shine.
Her composed demeanor only deepened Dao Qing's appreciation for her.
Still, he understood the matter of master and disciple ties.
Regret stirred in his heart. So he could not take her as a disciple.
"Girl, if you cannot be my disciple, you can at least be my inheritor, yes?"
For the first time, Dao Qing felt an urgent need to pass on his legacy.
In this life, his love was alchemy.
Mad, unrelenting devotion.
"Then this disciple thanks Senior."
Song Wanníng smiled faintly, cupping her hands in thanks.
From start to finish, she remained serene, making Dao Qing seem the one pressing the matter. But he was not displeased. He beckoned her over and placed the box in her hands.
"This is a supreme immortal furnace. With it, your pill refinement will yield twice the result with half the effort. Now, I will teach you how to control it… and while we have time, I will teach you a few more things."
With a cheerful wave, Dao Qing sealed the palace off entirely from the outside world.
…
In Cannibal Valley, humans and beasts alike stared at the vanishing palace, eyes wide in shock.
Xiao Heyun's heart sank, jealousy and fury etched on his face.
"Senior Brother! I finally found you!"
Xie Qinglan spotted Xiao Heyun and dashed toward him.
"Junior Sister? Are you alright?"
He stepped forward to meet her.
Xie Qinglan threw herself into his arms. "Senior Brother, I almost never saw you again!"
She poured out her recent experiences.
Learning that Song Wanníng had once again beaten him to the rescue, Xiao Heyun's face darkened like the bottom of a pot. His pent-up hostility burst forth.
"Her again? Is she my nemesis? System! Can't you find out who she really is?"
He was nearly incoherent with rage. Time and again, this woman had ruined his plans. Just what was she?
"Host, I can only search for the targets you are meant to capture," the system replied helplessly.
For the first time, even the system felt events were slipping beyond its control. The host who had never known failure… had been forced out today.