Two days passed by as Meng Lin immersed herself in her alchemy room, the room was now filled with the faint aroma of various herbs and a growing aura in the air.

On the first day, she concentrated on refining the Soul Fortification Pills and her process became more fluid and after 5 hours, she created sixteen more high-grade Soul Fortification Pills, bringing her total to nineteen.

The experience she gained from each successful creation was sometimes more than two points, quickly increasing her experience to 16%.

If it wasn't because she was able to create multiple pills in one batch she would surely have had even more experience points for creating a single pill sixteen times.

After that, she decided to tackle the Qi Harmony Pill. This pill was known for its ability to balance and harmonize the qi within a cultivator's body, making it invaluable for those with shaky foundations, although it mainly works on those within the Gold Core Realm, it still wasn't something that was easily refined.

Because the ingredients were rare and somewhat delicate, Meng Lin approached the process with even more meticulous care than the Soul Fortification Pills.

However, it was only after 3 hours that she was able to increase her chance of success to more than 60 percent, causing her to be able to quickly refine a full batch of pills each time she was successful.

And so, time passed like that as she went from pill to pill, successfully creating several more batches of nine different pills before she finally arrived at her current moment.

[Congratulations! You have successfully created three High-Grade Pills: Mind Nurturing Pills]

Meng Lin carefully stored the pills, her face a mix of calm and sharpness, the pounding heartbeat that she initially started with had quickly faded after she went through so many different pills, her gaze only contained focus, seemingly having been tempered by alchemy.

She quickly brought up the Alchemy panel once more, preparing to once again start refining another batch of pills, her inventory had long been filled up so she took out the low and mid-grade pills from the inventory, only storing high-grade pills.

She had calculated and she saw that she had enough ingredients to reach the expert stage, and even then she should have a few more stocks after being rewarded by the system.

[Alchemy Advanced 48>49%]

Pill slot: none

Ingredients: none

Chance of success: 45%

Meng Lin had realized how difficult it was becoming to refine higher-grade pills as her level increased. The margin for error was slim, and the room for improvement seemed to shrink with each successful refinement. Yet, this was precisely why she found alchemy so enthralling, it pushed her to refine her skills further.

She decided to take a short break to clear her mind and let her body relax. As she sat down and sipped a cup of spiritual tea, she let her thoughts wander.

As she sat in the tranquil state of her alchemy room, Meng Lin’s thoughts drifted to the journey that had brought her here.

A fleeting thought of giving up surfaced within her mind and she shook her head, her eyes hardening. "If you're not at the top then you are on the whims of others" Meng Lin whispered to herself, her eyes watering as she thought back to her home, both in the Yuan Kingdom and on Earth, the life she lived before all this began, she felt a little homesick.

"Haa" She took a deep breath, her eyes gleaming with determination. She had come a long way, but there was still much to achieve.

Immersed in her brief respite, Meng Lin stood up and her thoughts returned to her alchemy panel, she was about to sit down and continue her pill refinement when she suddenly felt a faint hum in the air.

She was familiar with the sound, Senior Sister Liu was calling for her.

Meng Lin stood up, smoothing her robe with a motion. She took one last look at her alchemy panel before leaving the room, her mind already shifting gears to the matter of Wei Wei.

Stepping out of her villa, Meng Lin swiftly made her way toward Senior Sister Liu's Villa.

The path was familiar this time around and she didn't have the time to appreciate the scenery as her mind was a whirlpool of thoughts.

Quickly arriving at Senior Sister Liu's villa, Meng Lin noticed an unusual stillness in the air. She walked towards the barrier and approached the door, which opened before she had a chance to call out.

"Enter," came the familiar voice of Senior Sister Liu, though it carried a note of urgency this time.

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Meng Lin stepped inside and found Senior Sister Liu seated at a low table, her aged expression still filled with a smile.

"Meng Lin, take a seat," Senior Sister Liu gestured towards an empty spot at the table. Meng Lin complied, gathering her thoughts.

"We have an unexpected development," Senior Sister Liu began, her voice steady but serious. "The Ancient Spirit Pool Realm's opening has been moved forward. We are to depart in three days."

Meng Lin felt her heart quicken. The timeline had been unexpectedly shortened, she wondered if she could heal herself within that timeframe.

"Why the sudden change?" Meng Lin asked, her voice calm but her eyes sharp.

Senior Sister Liu's gaze met hers. "I don't know for sure, but the sect master had me notify all the other disciples within the Pavilion Mountain, it might have something to do with the Scarlet Demon Sect."

Meng Lin nodded, absorbing the information before speaking out. "Senior Sister Liu, I had a strange encounter the other day"

Senior Sister Liu's eyes narrowed with interest. "Strange encounter? Tell me more."

Meng Lin recounted her meeting with Wei Wei, the mysterious absence of records or recognition, and the inconsistencies in the information provided by the bird and the spiritual imprints. She spoke of her growing unease and the decision to act cautiously.

Senior Sister Liu listened intently, her expression growing more serious with each passing detail. When Meng Lin finished, there was a moment of silence.

"This is indeed troubling," Senior Sister Liu said finally. "Wei Wei... it is a name I have not heard in 20 years"

Meng Lin's expression turned out excited as she finally has a lead "You know her"

Senior Sister Liu nodded, her face filled with a mix of sadness and nostalgia. "Yes. Wei Wei was once a disciple of our sect, but she disappeared under mysterious circumstances."

Meng Lin's eyes widened. "Do you not know what happened"

Senior Sister Liu shook her head. "No, at that time I was in closed-door cultivation, I only know that it was a name from within the Inner Sect Disciples, a disciple who had completed the Ancient Spirit beast Pagoda while at the Foundation Establishment Realm"

"The ancient spirit beast pagoda!" Meng Lin repeated, her mind backtracking, she remembered seeing names written in gold, and Wei Wei was one of them.

"However the fact that the spiritual imprints withdrew at her presence is concerning." senior Sister Liu said with concern.

Meng Lin nodded, her heart heavy. "What about what the bluebird said"

Senior Sister Liu's gaze turned serious. "That's the most pressing part, I don't have any spiritual beast like the one you mentioned, which means that someone or something was able to enter and leave my villa" she went in to say "Furthermore it can only mean that someone has been keeping an eye on all the things you've done from the moment you stepped out of your villa, maybe even inside"

Meng Lin felt a chill run down her spine. "Inside as well? But how could that be possible?"

Senior Sister Liu's eyes were sharp and calculating. "There are many methods to conceal one's presence, especially if they possess higher cultivation or unique skills. This Wei Wei might be more dangerous than initially though."

Senior Sister Liu leaned forward, her expression intense. "We need to be cautious and discreet. For now, just prepare for the Ancient Spirit Pool Realm. I will inform the Sect Master about this situation immediately. We must ensure our safety and be prepared for any unexpected events."

Meng Lin nodded, absorbing the gravity of the situation. "Thank you, Senior Sister Liu, I'll go prepare."

As she left Senior Sister Liu's villa and made her way toward the pagodas, she couldn't shake the feeling of something not being right.

The path to the pagodas felt familiar and as she approached the pagodas, the familiar scrutinizing gazes of the spiritual imprints seemed more intense.

Arriving next to the familiar Spiritual Essence Pagoda Meng Lin was about to step inside when she suddenly felt a fluctuation in the air.

Boom!

Boom

A series of loud booms echoed through the air, causing Meng Lin to stop in her tracks. Her heart tensed as she turned into a blue ray, quickly flying up into the air.

In the distance, she saw two figures, a yellow-robed man and a white-robed man clashed, their figures retreating before lunging back towards each other.

"Typical," Meng Lin muttered under her breath. "Luo Hao just loves to fight anyone."

As she moved closer, she could hear their voices over the sound of their clashing energies, it surprised her as the aura they were releasing was of the Soul Wondering Realm, 'so Luo Hao was hiding his cultivation realm before'.

"Come on, Wu Dao! Show me your sword!" Luo Hao shouted, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Wu Dao's expression was calm but focused. "This isn't the time for games, Luo Hao."

Luo Hao laughed, dodging a strike from Wu Dao's sword. "Games? This is preparation! We need to be at our best, and what better way than a good fight?"

Boom!

Meng Lin raised an eyebrow, realizing that this other young man was Wu Dao, the one who had saved her, they both had probably returned because of the Ancient Spirit Pool.

Meng Lin's eyes suddenly widened as a girl dressed in a deep green robe appeared between the two fighters, her presence instantly commanded attention.

Both Luo Hao and Wu Dao halted their attacks, their expressions each shifting with different emotions.

Meng Lin's heart jolted as she noticed a strong fragrance in the air, she recognized the smell to be that of the mid-grade pill ingredient, Dragon's breath herb.

It was then that she remembered that this Luo Mei was an alchemy prodigy who was somewhat reclusive.

"What do you think you're doing brother?" Luo Mei's sounded, her attention focused on Luo Hao who chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, Mei, we were just... training."

Wu Dao sheathed his sword to his back, his expression remaining calm. "He's right. We were merely preparing for the Ancient Spirit Pool Realm."

Luo Mei's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing more to them. Instead, she turned her gaze towards Meng Lin, a flicker of light enveloping her as she appeared next to Meng Lin. "Nice to meet you Junior Sister Meng, Senior Sister Liu had just called me back so I didn't prepare any gifts for my junior sister"

"Here, how about this" Luo Mei reached into her robes and pulled out a small, intricately carved jade box. She handed it to Meng Lin with a gentle smile. "This contains a few High Grade Scale Strengthening Pills I crafted recently. They should aid you in your preparations for the Ancient Spirit Pool Realm."

Meng Lin accepted the box, her mind reeling, this Senior Sister was able to create and give away high grade pills. "Thank you, Sister Luo Mei. This is very generous of you."

Luo Mei's smile widened slightly. "It's nothing. I finally have a junior sister, come visit me often, it's lonely here by yourself"

With a final nod, Luo Mei turned back to her brother and Wu Dao who had also appeared close by, watching their interactions. "What did you two gift your junior sister"

Luo Hao and Wu Dao exchanged glances and Luo Hao spoke first, his voice carrying a nervous sheepishness.

"I, uh, gave her some escape talismans," Luo Hao said, his eyes darting to Meng Lin as if indicating something. "You know, just in case she needs to get out of a tight spot quickly."

Luo Mei raised an eyebrow, her eyes turning to Meng Lin who nodded. Her gaze lowered before turning to Lu Hao with squinted eyes.

"Escape talismans, really? Your creativity knows no bounds, brother." Luo Mei finally said with a small smile.

Luo Hao grinned, taking her comment as a compliment rather than the sarcasm it was intended to be. "Well, you can never be too prepared, right?"

Wu Dao suddenly stepped forward, his demeanor composed as he took out a small wooden token. "Here, this is a token that grants access to the All Heaven Pagoda. It's only available for everyone once a year, it should be of some help to you."

Luo Mei and Luo Hao's eyes flashed with interest. As they spoke one after another. "The All Heaven Pagoda?" "That's quite the gift, Wu Dao. I suppose that makes up for my um... practical choice."

Although Meng Lin didn't know the All Heaven Pagoda, she could see the surprise held within the voices of the two siblings.

Her curiosity piqued, she glanced at Wu Dao, who met her gaze with a calm but sincere expression.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Wu Dao," Meng Lin said, bowing slightly in gratitude. "And I would like to thank you for saving me back then too."

Wu Dao's expression remained calm, but there was a hint of warmth in his eyes. "There's no need for thanks, Junior Sister. It was the right thing to do, now that we are part of the same sect, we must look out for one another."

Meng Lin felt a sense of gratitude and camaraderie. "Still, I am grateful. If there is ever anything I can do to repay you, please let me know."

Wu Dao gave a small, almost imperceptible smile. "First you should focus on growing stronger Junior Sister."

Luo Mei, who had been listening, nodded approvingly. "He's right. The best way to repay is to grow stronger."

Luo Hao, having regained his usual confidence, chimed in. "Exactly! And don't hesitate to ask if you need any help."

Meng Lin smiled slightly, a new sense developing within her "Thank you, I will do my best."