"Han Yu, you’ll face countless crossroads in life, don’t be confused."

The Artifact Spirit sighed but still tried to comfort Han Yu.

However, Han Yu kept a scowl on his face, not accepting the Artifact Spirit’s kindness at all.

"I’m not confused, damn it, I’m lost!"

Poor guy, after fleeing from the island, he ran with all his might but lost his way.

No, he never had a direction, even if he ran again, he’d still be lost.

The Artifact Spirit initially laughed, insisting on leading the way, and now both are completely disoriented.

Nothing lay ahead but the vast ocean, endless in every direction no matter how high Han Yu flew.

Apart from the sound of the roaring waves, there was nothing else, giving a terrifying sense of dead silence.

As Han Yu stood in mid-air, it felt as if the entire world had only him left.

"Ordinary people couldn’t have grown up in this kind of environment, could they?"

Han Yu frowned as he looked around, imagining how any young cultivator lost outside in such an environment would face a deadly predicament.

"Fool, even if you think this place is terrible, do you think anyone below Celestial Being could live here?"

The Artifact Spirit retorted.

For even someone like Han Yu to find the environment terrible, how bad must it be? It’s impossible—foreign lands, as described by ordinary people, are lively, not like this at all.

The so-called overseas is probably a whole different world compared to this place.

"I even doubt if only people at your level could venture into these waters, and Ling Wuce and the others might not survive here."

This place was so vast, unimaginably expansive. With Han Yu’s flying speed, it would be enough to cross the north and south of the Central Continent, yet here he still couldn’t find the end, or even land.

If other lower-level cultivators came here and got lost, they would probably die of exhaustion.

After searching for so long, there wasn’t even a place to set foot.

"You’d better use Water Divine Power to harness the water for travel, we’re unfamiliar here, so save some strength."

The Artifact Spirit’s face was serious.

It was mainly because they were lost; theoretically, Han Yu’s flying time was about the same as Nine’s, and as long as the direction wasn’t wrong, he could get back.

"Have you calculated the distance when I got lost, and the distance you led us the wrong way?"

Han Yu helplessly landed on the water, a surge of energy stabilizing him so he could tread steadily as if on solid ground.

Now like a headless fly, he could only crash around randomly.

"Why not, just pick a direction and go all the way!"

The Artifact Spirit’s eyes lit up; no matter how big a place is, there should be a boundary, right!

There’s no way you could follow one direction and never reach the end, right?

Though this sounded right, it was also...

"You choose! With my luck, don’t you think I might directly stumble into a terrible place."

Han Yu grimaced, remembering past experiences. When luck turned sour, he might end up crashing into the heart of the Corpse Refining Lineage or Liu Zongyuan’s nest?

The key was, one side was already an enemy, and as for the other, who knew if they were alive or dead.

No matter which side he crashed into, it wouldn’t end well!

"Do you think letting me guide you is a part of this string of bad luck?"

The Artifact Spirit asked a question full of philosophy.

Damn misfortune, inscrutable.

Han Yu directly gave up on the Artifact Spirit’s guidance, picked a direction himself, and then, harnessing the water, a Water Dragon formed beneath his feet propelling him rapidly forward...

...

Hawker and Duopo found themselves in darkness at first, reluctantly making their way down the belly of a giant whale.

After a moment, the scene gradually brightened, and a few more steps forward revealed an open expanse.

Before them appeared not the insides of an animal, but a hollowed-out area with artificial mountains, flowing water, and pavilions.

It felt like they were inside a grand mansion; they explored the area and finally reached a house.

The door was already open, waiting for them to enter.

Inside, a middle-aged man leisurely busied himself with herbs, not stopping his work as they arrived.

In front of him were rows of medicine cabinets taking up most of the room, with a small Alchemy Furnace behind him.

The room was thick with the scent of herbs, which clearly didn’t sit well with the two, who sniffed and frowned.

"Why do you bother provoking those mad dogs when you’re already full?"

The man asked, pouring herbs into the Alchemy Furnace, lifting his head to reveal a pale, sickly face, though he spoke with vigor.

Hawker felt aggrieved, it wasn’t that he had provoked them; it was an unexpected disaster.

His soul fragment wasn’t present, so he could only shoot a resentful glare at Duopo.

"They were after Nine, and I was caught in disaster; the island is now destroyed."

The man calmly listened, one hand pressing the Pill Furnace, the other controlling the flames continually refining.

Time passed, and his expression grew more solemn. Even the onlookers dared not breathe loudly, fearing to disturb him.

Duopo was secretly alarmed; this spectacle wasn’t for common Pills.

Only Hawker’s expression was exceptionally strange as he turned his head silently.

Thud!

The crisp sound of a cauldron being struck; the man’s face lit up with joy, but just as he smiled, thick smoke erupted from the Pill Furnace, filling the room with choking black fog.

Ahem, ahem, ahem!

All three ran outside, their faces covered in soot, exchanging glances.

"What Pill were you refining this time?"

Hawker asked, twitching his mouth with barely contained laughter.

The man covered his mouth, speaking in frustration, "A Vitality Pill!"

Duopo was immediately shocked, not because the Pill was extraordinary, but because it was... so damn ordinary.

So ordinary it’s ubiquitous and cheap; any street Pharmacist could make a bunch for you.

Hawker was surprised, too, "If you can’t handle a Vitality Pill, maybe you shouldn’t force this line of work on yourself."

The man was incensed by the words, as though greatly insulted, "How can I, a doctor, not know Alchemy."

"You’re just called doctor, don’t really think of yourself as one; just focus on your Corpse Refinement; Corpse Refinement and Alchemy aren’t the same thing."

Hawker silently criticized; this Corpse Refinement guy clearly lacked any talent for Fire Control but stubbornly took a liking to making Pills.

The outcome was obvious. He could ruin even the lowest-level Pills. This path was completely blocked by the heavens, leaving no chance at all.

The doctor’s face was ashamed; he’d gone through the procedure dozens of times yet still failed; as a Celestial Being, he couldn’t concoct a single Vitality Pill. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Clang!

He kicked over the Pill Furnace, deciding never to touch it again.

Then he refocused on Hawker’s topic, this was the reason he saved them after all.

"Come on, tell me about your business."

For something Hawker considered a business, it had to be extraordinary.

Hawker, however, still had doubts; he wanted to negotiate more. Han Yu had numerous secrets; having just a doctor consume them, he was truly unwilling.

"There’s a person with great secrets; find him, and we split the benefits."

After listening, the doctor laughed heartily, "If your business is about a person, I might just throw you both out again. While they’re not far off, I could still have a good show."

Hawker quickly interrupted; he knew the people outside hadn’t gone far. If there was too much commotion, they might be drawn back again.

And the doctor was precisely that kind of mischievous creature, likely causing a huge stir while throwing them out.

"He’s a unique Pill Master, rumored to concoct all kinds of strange and fantastic Pills."

This alone captivated the doctor for a moment, shamelessly saying, "Then I really want to compete in the Alchemy Dao with him."

"He possesses various Divine Techniques, pursuing the unlikely path of pure physical cultivation, and even has the ability to strip others of their Origin... More importantly, his cultivation speed is unnaturally fast."

Any one of these traits alone was incredible, but for one person to have so many impossible opportunities clearly meant harboring an unimaginable secret.

The doctor was indeed intrigued by such a person, clapping his hands after a moment and laughing.

"Splitting fifty-fifty is impossible, I’ll eat the meat, you drink the soup..."