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Hao Nhien was naturally worried about Quan Nha, but he did not allow that worry to turn into panic. At least for now, none of the information they had suggested that she or Elder Linh Van was in danger. There had been no report of fighting, no sign that they were being pursued, and none of Quan Nha’s emergency items had been activated.

He looked at the steward.

“What were they like when they left the estate?”

The steward thought for a moment before answering.

“Elder Linh Van was as calm as usual. Young Miss Quan Nha seemed somewhat hurried, but her mind was clear and her aura was stable. She did not appear to be under coercion or facing anything abnormal.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“I understand.”

He did not continue questioning the steward in front of so many people. If Quan Nha’s departure truly had something to do with clues about her parents, then it could involve matters that even she did not want the entire Quan Family to know too soon.

Quan Vo Cuc looked at him.

“You are worried about her?”

“I am.”

Hao Nhien did not deny it.

“But we still do not have enough grounds to conclude that something happened to her. Elder Linh Van has quietly investigated the matter of Quan Nha’s parents for many years. The fact that the two of them left together this time may mean they found a new lead.”

He paused before continuing.

“If the Quan Family openly mobilizes people to search for them now, it may not help. Instead, it could alert whoever Elder Linh Van is following. For the time being, we should quietly watch the communication routes and the places where the two of them are most likely to make contact.”

Quan Vo Cuc considered his words for a moment before nodding.

“I was thinking the same thing. I will have our people watch the Quan Family’s communication points, but there will be no public search order. The moment either of them sends word, you will know.”

“Thank you, Family Head.”

For the time being, there was nothing more they could do about Quan Nha.

After a brief silence, the discussion in the great hall returned to Hoa Van Town. This time, Quan Vo Cuc no longer asked only what the settlement lacked. Instead, he began asking more deeply about how far the Quan Family could participate in the plan.

Hao Nhien did not hide their current difficulties.

“Hoa Van is short of almost everything right now. The people who know construction can only handle relatively simple structures. Refiners and formation masters are even scarcer. Tieu Lan has only just begun training people who understand medicinal herbs, while storage, transportation, and trade routes have not yet formed into proper systems.”

He pointed at the map.

“What we lack most is not necessarily one specific resource, but people who actually know how to do the work. An experienced formation master can sometimes be more useful than a bag of spirit stones. Spirit stones can buy formation plates, but they cannot arrange a system suited to the terrain of the Western Wastes by themselves.”

Quan Vo Cuc showed no displeasure at the long list. On the contrary, his expression grew increasingly serious.

The Quan Family had maintained its position in Thanh Van City for many years, but it was no longer at the height of its former glory. Other families were constantly expanding their trade routes and businesses, new merchant associations continued to appear, and most talented young cultivators were drawn away by the major sects.

If the Quan Family simply protected what it already possessed, it could continue to survive, but it would be difficult to truly regain the influence it once held.

Hoa Van Town was different.

It had not yet fully taken shape. It lacked resources and carried considerable risk, but precisely because nothing had been firmly established, the positions of those who joined early had not yet been fixed. If the Quan Family entered now, they would not merely be helping Hao Nhien. They would also have an opportunity to place a foothold on a new route connecting the Eastern Plains and the Western Wastes.

Quan Vo Cuc looked toward the elders.

“The Quan Family should not remain outside this.”

A silver-haired elder nodded.

“Our clan has formation masters, refiners, and people who have traveled with merchant caravans near the Western Wastes. There is no need to send too many at first. We only need to choose a small group capable of enduring hardship, send them there to survey the area, and lay the initial foundation.”

Another elder added:

“The first three months can be treated as a trial period. If Hoa Van can truly maintain its water supply, population, and transport route, we can decide whether to expand after that.”

Quan Vo Cuc turned toward Quan Lam.

“I will leave this matter to you. Choose one formation master, two refiners, one person familiar with trade routes, and several young disciples who volunteer. No one is to be forced into going to the Western Wastes, but once they reach Hoa Van, they must obey the rules there.”

Quan Lam immediately stood.

“Yes.”

He turned toward Hao Nhien with a smile.

“Brother, it seems I may finally get a chance to see the place you are building.”

Hao Nhien also rose.

“The Quan Family being willing to send people is already a tremendous help.”

Quan Vo Cuc waved a hand.

“Not just people. The Quan Family will take a portion of the resources in our stores and treat them as an initial investment. It cannot be too much, but it should at least help Hoa Van solve some of its immediate problems.”

He turned toward the elder in charge of internal affairs.

“Inspect the warehouses. Tools, common spiritual metals, basic formation plates, preserved provisions, and anything else that can be put to immediate use should be set aside for Quan Lam’s group to take with them.”

The elder cupped his hands.

“Understood.”

Hao Nhien did not refuse.

Hoa Van did not need grand promises right now. What it needed were tools that could immediately be put to work, pieces of spiritual metal that could be taken straight to the forge, formation plates capable of retaining water or blocking the wind, and people who knew how to turn those things into something useful.

The Quan Family’s support might not seem enormous when compared with the resources of the greatest merchant associations, but it was arriving at exactly the moment Hoa Van needed it most.

Quan Vo Cuc looked at him.

“Anything else?”

Hao Nhien thought for a moment before answering.

“If possible, I would like to see the Quan Family’s medicinal storehouse and the pill formulas you have preserved.”

Several elders looked surprised.

Hao Nhien explained:

“Hoa Van intends to make medicine and pills one of its first distinctive products. Before going to Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, I want to prepare several pills valuable enough to serve as proof of what we can do, but we are still short on high-quality ingredients and a few complete formulas.”

Quan Vo Cuc raised an eyebrow.

“You intend to visit Heavenly Treasure Pavilion?”

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“The Quan Family has already shown me something very clearly. If we want others to put resources into Hoa Van, we must first show them what value Hoa Van can offer.”

His gaze returned to the map on the table.

“Heavenly Treasure Pavilion certainly will not invest merely because of a few promises.”

Quan Vo Cuc said nothing, but the look in his eyes clearly changed.

Hao Nhien continued:

“If we can prove that we are already capable of consistently refining several kinds of pills, perhaps even reaching a level of quality that forces them to pay attention, our position at the negotiating table will be completely different.”

“Heavenly Treasure Pavilion has trade routes, ingredients, cauldrons, tools, and a network that Hoa Van cannot build on its own in a short time. If they truly see value in what we are doing and are willing to invest, that could save Hoa Van years of development.”

Quan Vo Cuc remained silent for a moment before laughing.

“It seems you are not planning to go there merely to buy things.”

“I want them to see Hoa Van as an opportunity.”

“Exactly.”

Hao Nhien answered without hesitation.

“Then come.”

Quan Vo Cuc stood.

“I will take the two of you to the medicinal storehouse first. Afterward, we can see what suitable pill formulas remain in the archive.”

The Quan Family’s medicinal storehouse lay behind a separate layer of formations. Naturally, it could not compare with the Medicine Peak of the Free Roaming Sect, but a family that had survived for generations still possessed a considerable accumulation.

When the stone doors opened, the scent of dried spirit herbs and faint medicinal qi immediately drifted out.

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Tall wooden shelves stood in orderly rows, holding jade boxes, sealed bottles, medicinal pouches, and carefully treated bundles of herbs. Some ingredients had remained there for years because the Quan Family had no alchemist capable of using them, but those that had been properly preserved still retained a considerable amount of medicinal power.

The moment Tieu Lan entered, all her attention focused on the herbs.

She did not choose based on value or appearance. Instead, she went from shelf to shelf, examining vitality, fragrance, color, dryness, preservation methods, and the amount of medicinal power still remaining. Some boxes looked almost perfect from the outside despite having lost more than half their efficacy, while several hard, dried herbs forgotten deep in a corner still held remarkably concentrated essence within their roots.

Hao Nhien walked beside her, occasionally using Divine Sense to verify the ingredients she marked.

They found quite a few suitable materials: high-quality Fire Sand Grass, properly dried Clearheart Flowers, Sand Spirit Roots close to full maturity, Mystic Ginseng, Sand Lingzhi, several Ice Spirit Fruits preserved inside cold-jade boxes, and a number of important supplementary ingredients for Foundation Establishment pills.

Afterward, Quan Vo Cuc led them to a small chamber inside the archive.

Alongside ordinary medicinal records and prescriptions, the Quan Family had preserved several pill formulas purchased or acquired through exchanges many years ago. Among them were complete formulas for the Mystic Yang Pill and Body-Stabilizing Pill, both clearly recording proportions, ingredient-processing order, the beast cores required, and important considerations during refinement.

Tieu Lan read them very carefully, repeatedly comparing them with records she had previously seen at Medicine Peak.

Only after a long while did she say:

“The formulas do not appear to have any missing sections. Some of the processing details differ from the methods we currently use, but the main structure is very clear.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Then they are enough for us to try.”

Quan Vo Cuc looked at the two of them.

“These things have sat in storage for years. Even if we leave them there, there is no guarantee anyone in the family will ever use them. If you can turn them into pills, then the Quan Family will finally gain some real value from what it has accumulated.”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“I will record every ingredient we take. If Hoa Van later develops the ability to refine these pills consistently, the Quan Family will receive an appropriate return.”

Quan Vo Cuc did not refuse.

“Then consider it part of our investment.”

By the time they returned to the old courtyard, the sky had already begun to darken.

It was the same place where Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan had stayed during the period surrounding the Inner Secret Realm. The courtyard stood behind a bamboo grove. It was not large, but it was quiet. The stone table beneath the tree remained in its old place, the eastern room had barely changed, and even the small kitchen where Tieu Lan had once prepared meals was exactly where she remembered it.

Tieu Lan stopped for a moment after stepping through the gate.

“This place has barely changed.”

Hao Nhien looked around.

“It hasn’t.”

Neither of them said more.

The courtyard had hardly changed, but the two people standing inside it were very different from those who had once lived there.

After they settled in, the Quan Family sent over the best alchemy cauldron currently available in the clan. It was not a high-level treasure, but it was clearly superior to the old cauldron Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan had used at Hoa Van.

The cauldron walls were thick and even, six fire channels beneath the base were arranged symmetrically, the heat-retention formations remained intact, and the interior was spacious enough to maintain several distinct thermal zones.

Hao Nhien examined it for a long time before looking at Tieu Lan.

“Choose the best batches from the ingredients the Quan Family has allowed us to use.”

Tieu Lan paused.

“The best of everything?”

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien looked back at the cauldron.

“If anything inside the Cosmic Ark is close enough to maturity, has stable medicinal power, and can be harvested without affecting our seed stock, take a portion of that as well.”

Tieu Lan immediately understood what he intended.

“Young Master wants to push the quality as high as possible before we go to Heavenly Treasure Pavilion?”

“Not only the quality.”

Hao Nhien looked at the cauldron.

“I want to know where our current limit lies when the formula is complete, the cauldron is better, and the quality of the ingredients is raised at the same time.”

Tieu Lan remained silent for a moment before nodding.

“I will select the ingredients.”

Quan Vo Cuc had originally intended to hold a banquet that evening, but Hao Nhien asked to postpone it. He decided to remain with the Quan Family for three days, both to wait for news of Quan Nha and Elder Linh Van and to use the time to prepare enough samples before visiting Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

On the first night, they began with Clearheart Pills and Qi-Recovery Pills.

The Quan Family’s ingredients were already better than the common materials they had used at Hoa Van, and some were replaced with carefully selected spirit herbs from the Cosmic Ark, where vitality and medicinal power had remained more stable. Hao Nhien kept to the process they had already developed, from measuring proportions and separating medicinal extracts to determining thermal markers and adjusting the condensation positions according to timing.

The new cauldron immediately revealed its advantages.

The six fire channels distributed heat more evenly, the heat-retention formations reduced fluctuations between different zones, and the larger interior gave Hao Nhien more room to use his Wind affinity to regulate airflow without constantly correcting major imbalances.

The first batch of Clearheart Pills produced eight pills, three mid-grade and five high-grade. The following batch of Qi-Recovery Pills also produced eight, evenly divided between mid-grade and high-grade.

There were no supreme-grade pills.

Neither Hao Nhien nor Tieu Lan was disappointed.

The success rate had clearly improved, and the quality difference between pills from the same batch had narrowed. At the very least, this proved that the cauldron and ingredient quality were both significant variables in maintaining consistency.

Near dawn, Tieu Lan was still seated at the table recording the results, while Hao Nhien sat cross-legged in meditation to restore his spiritual power and Divine Sense.

Neither of them deliberately mentioned Quan Nha, yet whenever footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, both instinctively looked toward the gate.

There was still no news.

On the second night, Hao Nhien moved on to Body-Strengthening Pills.

Compared with Clearheart Pills and Qi-Recovery Pills, the medicinal power of a Body-Strengthening Pill was heavier and focused more strongly on blood, flesh, and sinews, so the fusion process took longer. However, the two of them were already very familiar with the Body-Strengthening Medicinal Liquid and now had a complete pill formula for reference. After two rounds of adjustment, the results gradually stabilized.

The first batch yielded six pills, four mid-grade and two high-grade. The second produced only five, but three reached high grade, enough for Hao Nhien to confirm that their current approach was worth developing further.

Only then did they move on to the Mystic Yang Pill.

The difference between Qi Condensation pills and Foundation Establishment pills became apparent from the very first stage of ingredient preparation.

A second-rank beast core contained far denser energy than ordinary spirit herbs, but it also carried yao qi, mixed attributes, and impurities that were much more difficult to remove. Hao Nhien had to continuously refine the core with pure Fire spiritual power, while Tieu Lan checked each medicinal extract before fusion.

His Wind affinity guided the airflow and carried separated turbid gases away from the main body of medicinal power, while Hao Nhien’s Divine Sense followed every change inside the cauldron.

The preparation stage alone took longer than an entire batch of Qi-Recovery Pills.

By the time five masses of medicinal power had begun to take shape, Hao Nhien’s complexion had visibly paled.

Tieu Lan watched the cauldron and suddenly said:

“The third fire channel is running hotter.”

Hao Nhien immediately adjusted his Fire spiritual power.

“Move the mass near the eastern side half a turn to the left.”

He followed her timing, using the airflow guided by his Wind affinity to shift the five masses without allowing them to collide.

After two more adjustments, the fluctuations inside the cauldron gradually stabilized.

When spiritual qi began gathering around the cauldron, Hao Nhien immediately recognized a familiar phenomenon.

One mass near the center of the cauldron was absorbing spiritual qi faster than the other four.

A faint golden line appeared across its surface.

Tieu Lan also noticed the change through the medicinal qi outside the cauldron.

“Keep it as it is.”

Hao Nhien did not increase the heat or shift the position again. He only maintained the temperature and airflow at their current levels.

The golden line did not fade.

Instead, it slowly extended around the surface of the pill.

When the cauldron opened, five Mystic Yang Pills lay at the bottom. Three were mid-grade, one was high-grade, while the final pill bore a pale golden pill pattern that had almost closed into a full circuit.

Tieu Lan inspected it three times.

Only then did she look up.

“The impurities are almost impossible to sense, and the medicinal power inside is maintaining its own balance.”

She looked back at the pill.

“Supreme grade.”

Hao Nhien remained silent for a long time.

This was the second supreme-grade pill he had ever refined, but the first time one had appeared from a completely different formula than the Qi-Recovery Pill.

Instead of celebrating, he asked:

“What was different this time?”

Tieu Lan looked through their notes again.

“The cauldron was better, the ingredients were better, and the formula was more complete.”

She paused.

“And this pill was still near the center of the cauldron.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Not enough to draw a conclusion yet. This is only the second occurrence.”

The supreme-grade pill was sealed separately, while every detail of the process was recorded.

On the third day, there was still no news from Quan Nha.

The steward only came to report that none of the Quan Family’s communication points had received a jade message from her or Elder Linh Van. There was no distress signal and no bad news either.

Hao Nhien simply asked them to continue watching the network. He did not request a broader search.

He still believed that if the two were following a clue concerning Quan Nha’s parents, openly mobilizing the Quan Family at this stage could do more harm than good.

That night, Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan refined another batch of Mystic Yang Pills to test the observations recorded the previous night. No supreme-grade pill appeared this time, but four of the five pills reached high grade, while the remaining one stopped at mid grade.

The result only strengthened Hao Nhien’s belief that supreme grade could not be explained by any single factor.

Afterward, they turned to the Body-Stabilizing Pill.

It would also be their final batch.

There were not many suitable ingredients left, while the strain on Hao Nhien after two consecutive nights had already begun approaching an unsafe level.

Twice, Tieu Lan stopped him when he reached for more ingredients.

“Young Master, your Divine Sense is already beginning to fluctuate.”

Hao Nhien meditated for a while before opening his eyes.

“I want to complete all five types before going to Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.”

Tieu Lan looked at him for a long moment.

“Then only one batch. Whether it succeeds or fails, we stop afterward.”

Her voice remained quiet, but there was no room for negotiation in it.

Hao Nhien knew she would not yield any further.

“Agreed.”

The Body-Stabilizing Pills began condensing well past midnight.

Hao Nhien kept the external heat lower than he had for the Mystic Yang Pill, allowing the six fire channels to maintain only the thermal zones that were actually needed. Air currents guided by his Wind affinity circulated slowly around each mass of medicinal power, while his Divine Sense closely followed the changes between blood-nourishing components, spiritual power, and the body-strengthening ingredients within the formula.

Tieu Lan continuously monitored the medicinal qi and compared each change against their timing records.

As they entered the final condensation cycle, the spiritual qi within the courtyard suddenly stirred.

The phenomenon was not as strong as when they had refined the first supreme-grade Qi-Recovery Pill, but it was more stable.

Instead of rushing toward a single point, the surrounding spiritual qi spread around the condensing masses. Only the pill nearest the center received noticeably more than the others.

A pale golden pill pattern appeared.

Hao Nhien did not move it, increase the heat, or attempt to force more spiritual qi toward it. He simply preserved the existing state and allowed the process to continue at its own rhythm.

Nearly the time it took an incense stick to burn later, a succession of clear ringing sounds came from within the cauldron.

When the lid opened, seven Body-Stabilizing Pills lay below.

Four were mid-grade, two were high-grade, and one bore a pale golden pill pattern.

Tieu Lan examined it for a long time before looking at Hao Nhien.

“Supreme grade.”

Hao Nhien also stared at the pill.

Over these three days, this was the second supreme-grade pill to appear at the Quan Family estate and the third supreme-grade pill they had refined since stepping onto the path of alchemy.

More importantly, both of the new supreme-grade pills had formed near the center of the cauldron.

“This time as well,” Tieu Lan said. “Still near the center.”

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“It still cannot be treated as a conclusion, but at least we now have a factor that has repeated several times.”

He placed the pill into a jade bottle.

But the moment he stood, his body swayed.

Tieu Lan immediately stepped forward and caught him.

“Young Master!”

“I’m fine.”

Hao Nhien braced one hand against the edge of the table.

His Divine Sense was nearly exhausted, while the spiritual power remaining in his dantian had fallen to a very low level. Three nights of refining five different kinds of pills, repeatedly dividing his Divine Sense, maintaining Fire spiritual power, and controlling airflow through his Wind affinity had pushed him to a limit that even a fourth-layer Foundation Establishment body could no longer endure safely.

Tieu Lan gave him no chance to argue.

“We stop here.”

Hao Nhien let out a long breath and nodded.

“We stop.”

The two of them took inventory of the remaining pills.

They now had enough mid-grade and high-grade Clearheart Pills, Qi-Recovery Pills, Body-Strengthening Pills, Mystic Yang Pills, and Body-Stabilizing Pills to serve as samples. The supreme-grade pills were sealed separately in small jade bottles, left unlabeled, and excluded from every trade inventory.

Hao Nhien looked at the bottles lined across the table.

“Choose three high-grade pills of each type and set them aside.”

Tieu Lan nodded.

“I’ll prepare them.”

Beyond the window, a pale line of light had already begun to appear in the east.

Hao Nhien closed his eyes, only now allowing the exhaustion in his Divine Sense to fully wash over him.

“I need to rest.”

Only after hearing those words did Tieu Lan finally breathe a little easier.

“At least until tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

This time, Hao Nhien did not argue.

“Tomorrow, we go to Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.”

Tieu Lan helped him back to his room.

Hao Nhien did not return to the alchemy cauldron again.

Before stepping back onto the negotiating table, he needed to restore both his spiritual power and Divine Sense. Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was not a place he could afford to enter while exhausted.

Tomorrow, what Hao Nhien intended to bring there was not merely five bottles of pills.

It was the value of Hoa Van.