103: Subtle changes

Yun Mu held the yellowing leaf with trembling hands, his eyes wide as copper bells.

He looked it over up and down, left and right, several times, and even pinched his thigh hard to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

That's right, this was the Pill Formula for the "Soul Condensing Liquid"!

And it was the complete version!

In this lifetime, he had plotted carefully, sneaking into the Scripture Pavilion early on, rummaging through boxes and cabinets for days, ending up covered in dust, only to find nothing.

But what about Chu Qianqian?

She casually pulled out a book, gave it a shake, and the item just fell out by itself!

"This... this Luck is simply too Heaven-Defying, isn't it?!"

Yun Mu roared crazily in his heart, his jealousy tearing him apart.

"Junior Sister Mu Yun? What's wrong?"

Chu Qianqian looked at Yun Mu's twisted expression and asked with some confusion:

"Could it be... that this isn't what you were looking for?"

"Ah? No... no! Yes! This is it!"

Yun Mu snapped back to reality, forcefully suppressing the urge to vomit blood and the bitterness in his heart.

He took a deep breath and, using acting skills comparable to a movie star, instantly put on an expression of tearful gratitude, almost to the point of crying:

"Senior Sister! This is exactly the Soul Condensing Liquid Pill Formula that this Junior Sister has been searching for in vain! Truly, 'all the searching was in vain, yet it was found without effort'! Senior Sister, you are simply my lucky star!"

His eyes sparkled with "sincere" tears:

"Senior Sister, rest assured! To repay your kindness, this Junior Sister will immediately open the furnace and refine it upon returning!"

"Once the pill is formed, I will send it to you immediately, hoping it will help alleviate Senior Sister's nightmares and restore peace to your Divine Soul soon!"

"This... then I will trouble you, Junior Sister."

Although Chu Qianqian felt he was a bit too excited, since this thing could solve her urgent need, she did not decline.

However, how could she have known?

At this moment, beneath Yun Mu's tearfully grateful face, what kind of dark, sneering heart was hidden.

"Hmph, the Soul Condensing Liquid is indeed a good thing; it can strengthen the Divine Soul and let you have a good sleep."

Yun Mu thought coldly in his heart:

"But... Senior Sister, oh Senior Sister, this is no good medicine; this is a 'death warrant' I am personally delivering to you!"

"Just enjoy this last bit of peace..."

...

After bidding farewell to Chu Qianqian, Yun Mu took the Pill Formula and returned to his residence, feeling satisfied.

Although he was jealous of Chu Qianqian's Luck, he couldn't neglect important matters.

This "Soul Condensing Liquid" was also of great use to him.

In the following days, Yun Mu declined all visitors and buried himself in the Pill Refining Room.

Relying on his Alchemy attainments from his previous life.

After blowing up the furnace twice, he finally successfully refined a bottle of "Soul Condensing Liquid" that was crystal clear and emitted a faint fragrance.

Looking at the amber-like liquid in the jade bottle, Yun Mu nodded with satisfaction.

He did not break his word and immediately sent someone to deliver this medicine as a "treasure offering" to Saintess Peak.

...

Saintess Peak, inside the Immortal Cave.

Chu Qianqian looked at the exquisite jade bottle in her hand, but a trace of hesitation flashed in her eyes.

Although she desperately wanted to get rid of that nightmare, ever since she was tricked in the Hehuan Sect, she was now like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow.

She held great wariness toward anything that entered her mouth.

Moreover, this was given by that Mu Yun, who had a mysterious background and was full of nonsense.

"One must always be on guard against others."

Chu Qianqian thought for a moment and did not take it immediately.

She took the medicinal liquid, quietly left Saintess Peak, and went to visit a Grand Elder within the Jade Pool who was proficient in Alchemy and had long since lived in seclusion.

This Elder was of high moral standing and prestige, and was indifferent to worldly affairs; she was one of the people Chu Qianqian trusted most at the moment.

She lied, claiming that she had accidentally obtained it in an ancient ruin and did not know its properties, so she specifically came to ask the Elder to take a look.

The Grand Elder took the jade bottle, opened the stopper, sniffed it gently, and then poured a drop onto his fingertip to examine it carefully.

Immediately, a sharp light burst forth from his originally cloudy old eyes.

"Good medicine! A peerless, excellent medicine!"

The Elder praised it endlessly, his beard trembling with excitement:

"This is a holy medicine for nourishing the Divine Soul that has been lost since ancient times! The refining technique is exquisite and unparalleled, the medicinal properties are mild and pure, and it is non-toxic and harmless!"

"For those with damaged Divine Souls or a restless mind, it practically has the effect of bringing the dead back to life!"

"Chu Qianqian, you have quite an Opportunity! To be able to obtain such a precious medicine!"

Listening to the Elder's unreserved praise, the last trace of worry in Chu Qianqian's heart finally dissipated.

It seems that although that Mu Yun is a bit strange, he didn't lie to her about this matter.

That night, after returning to the Immortal Cave.

Chu Qianqian couldn't wait to take a drop of the Soul Condensing Liquid and began to meditate and refine it.

The medicinal liquid entered her body and instantly turned into a stream of cool Qi, rushing straight along her Meridians to her Sea of Consciousness.

"Boom!"

The Soul, which had been restless and agitated due to the nightmares, as if it could be torn apart at any moment, instantly calmed down under the nourishment of this clear stream.

The anxiety of having her Soul torn apart vanished without a trace, replaced by an unprecedented sense of comfort and tranquility.

It was like long-parched land finally receiving the nourishment of sweet rain.

That night, she slept exceptionally well.

For the first time in a long while, she did not have that terrifying nightmare.

In the dream, the churning sea of clouds became as calm as a mirror.

Although that white figure still stood in the clouds, the pain of being forcibly pulled by the Soul and being devoured disappeared.

Replaced by... an inexplicable sense of intimacy.

And a kind of... longing for Fusion that originated from the depths of her Soul.

...

In the following days, Chu Qianqian took the Soul Condensing Liquid on time every day.

The effect was immediate.

Her complexion got better and better, and her originally haggard face regained its radiance.

Even her long-stagnant cultivation showed signs of improvement.

Everything seemed to be developing in a good direction.

But what she herself did not notice was...

In this subtle process, some of her small habits were quietly changing.

She began to prefer quietness more; her original arrogance as a Saintess now had an added trace of indifference, viewing all living things as mere straw dogs.

Her gaze when looking at people no longer carried the youthful pride and sharpness it had before.

Instead, it became deep and weathered, as if she could see through the vicissitudes of the world at a glance, like a deity looking down upon all living things.

One morning.

Chu Qianqian stood at the highest point of Saintess Peak, facing the rising morning sun.

The golden sunlight shone on her, casting a layer of sacred gold around her.

Subconsciously, she raised her hands and formed an ancient hand seal that she had never learned, yet it felt incredibly natural.

"Om—"

As the hand seal was formed, the aura around her instantly became ethereal and unfathomable, as if she had merged with the heavens and the earth.