The three daughters of Fire Phoenix, Dada, and even Fang Xiaoyu looked in surprise at the two pills in Wan Lei's hand. Only the four little ones sat obediently; they had heard of these pills.
Wan Lei quickly cupped his fists and said,
"Junior thanks the Hall Master, but this item is too precious..."
"No matter how precious something is, it's only precious when used correctly. I know the Immortal Venerables value you two greatly. If this pill can save your lives, it will be well-used.
However, the conditions for this item to take effect are rather stringent. It requires a body that isn't too badly damaged, and the soul must not have completely dissipated. Both the soul and the physical body must be present. Most importantly, you need someone beside you.
After all, your soul form cannot hold the pill and put it into your physical body's mouth, unless it's in a place like the Ghost Realm where souls can move freely."
"Junior understands. Thank you, Hall Master, for your great kindness."
"Here are some pills for strengthening the foundation and increasing cultivation. You all can share them."
Zi Yan took out another bottle of pills and handed it to the people behind her.
"That lass, how long have you been stuck in the Transcendent Realm?"
Xi Ren Yuanjun was stunned for a moment before realizing the Pill Hall Master was asking her. Her heart rejoiced, and she quickly replied,
"About four or five years."
"Oh, not too long. But seeing everyone else wearing the Five Elements Hall disciple uniforms, and only you haven't broken through, you must be anxious."
"Yes... Junior is indeed quite anxious. As long as I don't break through, they will keep bullying me."
Xi Ren Yuanjun's words earned her big eye-rolls from Fire Phoenix and Qing Wu.
"Heh heh, I envy you young people. How lively it is to have friends playfully teasing each other."
Zi Yan smiled and looked at the old man opposite her.
"Master, give her a Heaven-Gated Divine Sun Pill."
"Heh heh, alright."
The old man smiled kindly and took out a pill from his storage bag, handing it to Yuanjun.
"Junior thanks Senior."
Although she didn't know what this pill was for, it was definitely something good.
"Grandpa Medicine Soul, did you refine this pill, or did my father?"
Xia Yubing suddenly asked.
"I refined it. Eat it with confidence."
"That's good, that's good then."
Everyone was puzzled. Xia Yubing explained,
"Although my father is also a Heavenly Grade Alchemist, and the efficacy of his pills far surpasses any other alchemist, his pills have significant side effects."
"Side effects?"
"Yes, whether you are a mortal or a saint, anyone who eats a pill refined by my father will definitely get diarrhea. The most extreme time, he refined one pill that caused over a million people in the Cold Gate to collectively have diarrhea, and then over a thousand people successfully broke through to the Immortal Realm."
"Holy crap... that's amazing..."
"What's more amazing is that my father tried every way to improve it, to stop the pills from causing diarrhea, but it's like a law of causality. As long as he refines pills, people who eat them will inevitably get diarrhea."
"Ahem, that's enough. Say fewer bad things about your father. Haven't you been beaten enough the day before yesterday?"
"Oh, I understand. Grandpa Medicine Soul, why don't you go beat up my father? He bullies me often, relying on being an elder. You are his elder, so beating him should be fine, right?"
"I can beat you, but I can't beat him."
Medicine Soul smiled even more kindly.
"Alright then, Aunt Zi Yan, we're leaving now."
Xia Yubing stood up, wanting to escape. If she didn't, she feared she'd be beaten again.
"Why the rush to leave?"
Zi Yan looked up and glanced at Xia Yubing.
"Auntie, we're going to be prodigals, go be bad people, go bully men and dominate women."
Bao Bao said with a fierce but cute tone, waving his little fist.
"Oh? Is that so? What bad things are you planning to do? Are you going to steal fruit or pilfer wine?"
"That's too low-level. We're going to forcibly take civilian girls. Hmm... let's start by snatching the Four Great Beauties...
Ow ow ow, don't pull my ear, it hurts, it hurts..."
Before Bao Bao could finish speaking, his ear was yanked by that delicate hand.
He then remembered that Aunt Zi Yan was one of the Four Great Beauties.
"You want to snatch me? Have you forgotten the beatings you've received over the years, or are you itching for more trouble?"
"Never again, never again."
Bao Bao broke free and scrambled to run outside. The other three little ones also fled.
At their age, they least wanted to be controlled by elders, yet all the elders of the Five Elements Hall were their elders.
After the four little ones left, Wan Lei and the others also took their leave.
Watching their cheerful and lively departure, Zi Yan smiled wryly.
"Youth is truly wonderful."
"Aren't you still quite young?"
The voice that came from in front of her was not at all aged.
Master Medicine Soul had transformed into the appearance of Golden Immortal Venerable.
If Xia Yubing saw this scene, she would likely be so scared she'd wet her pants. He had just spoken ill of his father in front of him again.
"What youth am I? I'm already this old. As for you, you're not young either, yet you're still pretending to be someone else to tease children like a child."
After Zi Yan finished speaking, she suddenly looked at Xia Dayu in surprise.
"Then the Heaven-Gated Divine Sun Pill you gave that lass earlier..."
"I refined it."
"..."
Zi Yan mourned for Xi Ren Yuanjun.
"These children are so easily made happy. They don't want much, and some pills can make them gleeful."
Zi Yan looked towards the door with a hint of melancholy in her eyes.
"Then, what do you want? I can give you anything."
Xia Dayu said with a smile.
"I want you to stay away from me."
"Uh..."
"I just want to live my life peacefully. If you really want to give me something, then let me return to Purple Sun Sect. Don't have me land and then find myself back in the Pill Hall every time I go back."
"The Pill Hall needs your alchemy skills."
"The Pill Hall has Master here."
"The Pill Hall needs your protection."
"The Pill Hall is within the Five Elements Hall, with so many Saints and Immortal Venerables, there won't be any danger."
"Who said that? Weren't we just blown up last time? It was that Wan Lei who did it."
"... Didn't you say you didn't want us to interfere?"
"Yes, it's too dangerous. Look at that Wan Lei, he's so bad, he even dares to bully Xi Sha. What if he bullies you one day? I have to protect you."
"... He's just at the Grand Void Realm, while I am a Saint."
"The outside world is also very dangerous."
"I am a Saint. The Saints of the Immortal Realm are all one family."
"That won't do. The outside world is too dangerous. I must protect you well."
"... You just want to lock me up like a canary, to be doted on when you have time, and ignore me when you're busy. Anyway, I won't starve, and you don't even need to feed me, right?"
Zi Yan glanced at Xia Dayu with cold eyes,
"So, Golden Immortal Venerable, what am I to you? Why should I listen to you?"
Xia Dayu pondered for a moment and then said,
"You are my little alchemy attendant, my little maidservant, my eighteenth concubine."
"Scram."
"Zi Yan."
"Hmm?"
"Give me a kiss."
"...Are you having withdrawal symptoms again? Go lick your Xiaoyu."