“The injuries are quite severe!” Li Meng murmured, his Divine Sense sweeping over Sun Ju’s shattered body.

He flicked his sleeve, and a porcelain bottle shot from his storage pouch, hovering in the air before him. With a mental command, a pill flew out—an iridescent orb radiating a potent medicinal aroma. It was a First-Grade Superior Revival Pill.

The pill flew straight into Sun Ju’s mouth. For a body as damaged as his, the gentle yet potent efficacy of a Superior-grade pill was crucial; anything stronger might overwhelm his fragile state, while anything weaker would be useless.

“Senior Sister, help him sit up. He needs to meditate to guide the medicinal energy,” Li Meng instructed.

Su Shan’s eyes lit up with desperate hope. Does Junior Brother actually have a way to save him? She rushed to prop Sun Ju upright, her hands trembling slightly.

“Junior Brother…” Sun Ju wheezed, blood bubbling at the corner of his lips. “Don’t waste your efforts. My meridians are crushed. It’s useless.”

Li Meng ignored the protest. He flicked his wrist again, sending a second Revival Pill into Sun Ju’s mouth.

“If Senior Brother gives up, then even a golden immortal couldn’t save you,” Li Meng said, his tone calm but firm. “Circulate your Qi.”

Su Shan pressed her palms against Sun Ju’s back, infusing her own gentle mana to help support his collapsed frame. “Senior Brother, please! Even if there’s only a sliver of hope, you cannot give up!”

Sun Ju looked at the woman weeping silently beside him. The defiance in his eyes softened. He said nothing more, closing his eyes to corral the last shreds of his spiritual power.

Under the guidance of the Revival Pill, Sun Ju’s flesh began to knit together at a visible rate. Crushed bones aligned with audible clicks, and torn muscles reattached.

However, while the physical vessel was repairing, his life force continued to leak away like water from a cracked jar.

Seeing the physical trauma stabilize, Li Meng nodded. “Now for the root.”

He waved his hand, and a different bottle appeared. A pill with a rich, ruby glow emerged—a Second-Grade Superior Vitality Pill.

It flew into Sun Ju’s mouth.

The effect was instantaneous. As the pill dissolved, a flush of healthy red returned to Sun Ju’s ashen face. The terrifying drain on his life force slowed, then halted. The leaking vessel had been sealed.

Su Shan watched the transformation, her breath catching in her throat. She stole a glance at Li Meng, her eyes wide with awe.

Is Junior Brother… an Alchemist?

To possess so many superior-grade pills—treasures that even wealthy cultivators struggled to find—implied he was no ordinary disciple. An Alchemist with the combat power to crush a Spirit Puppet? The combination was unheard of.

[System: Favorability +10] [System: Sub-profession Experience +50]

Sun Ju’s breathing deepened into a steady rhythm. The crisis had passed.

Su Shan stood up, her legs slightly unsteady, and bowed deeply to Li Meng. “Junior Brother… this grace of saving his life… I will never forget it. I am in your debt.”

Li Meng stepped forward quickly, catching her hands before she could fully bow. He held her slender, jade-like fingers in his own warm grasp.

“Senior Sister, you are too formal. We are fellow disciples of the same sect. To help one another on the path of the Dao is only natural.”

Her hands are truly soft, he noted, his thumb brushing unconsciously against her skin.

Su Shan froze for a split second. The touch was a little… lingering. But looking at Li Meng’s sage-like, innocent face, she dismissed the thought. She offered a graceful, watery smile and subtly withdrew her hands.

Just then, the sound of wind breaking announced new arrivals. Two figures descended from the forest canopy—Hua Biying and Qian Wen.

The silence from the temple and the dissipation of the dark clouds had drawn them out of hiding. Seeing their seniors gathered, they hurried forward, their faces pale but relieved.

“Thank you, Seniors, for saving our lives!” they chorused, bowing low. They had seen the golden sword cleave the sky and knew the battle was won.

Li Meng turned, his gaze sweeping over the pair before settling on the curvaceous figure of Hua Biying. Even in disarray, she possessed a mature, feminine charm that was hard to ignore.

“Heh.” Li Meng chuckled, stroking his white beard. “Junior Sister Hua, Junior Brother Qian. It has been a long time.”

The two disciples froze. They straightened up, staring at the white-haired, youthful-faced sage in confusion.

Junior Brother? Junior Sister? Why is this senior addressing us like peers?

And yet… the voice. The crinkle of the eyes.

Hua Biying gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “You… are you Senior Brother Li?”

The transformation was drastic. The hunched, withered old man was gone, replaced by this radiant figure. But the features… yes, the underlying structure was the same.

“Senior Brother Li?” Qian Wen’s jaw dropped. “The… the old… I mean, Senior Brother Li from two years ago?”

He couldn’t believe it. The man with the worst aptitude in the sect, the one everyone expected to die of old age, had succeeded in Foundation Establishment?

Li Meng nodded, enjoying their shock. “It is I.”

The two exchanged a stunned glance, then bowed deeply, their respect now mixed with awe.

“Congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment, Senior Uncle Li!”

Li Meng waved his hand dismissively. “I’m not used to ‘Senior Uncle.’ Just call me Senior Brother. You two are on the cusp of Foundation Establishment yourselves; the title won’t be wrong for long.”

“As you wish… Senior Brother,” Hua Biying said, a complicated expression flitting across her eyes.

He succeeded.

A trace of melancholy touched her heart. Li Meng was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a being of a higher order. What did that mean for their… agreement? She glanced sideways at Qian Wen, her chest tightening with conflicting emotions.

“Senior Sister Su,” Li Meng said, turning back to the purple-robed woman. “I’m going to investigate the temple ruins.”

Su Shan nodded. “Please. I will stay here and guard Senior Brother Sun.”

“Junior Brother, Junior Sister, come with me,” Li Meng beckoned to the younger pair.

He rose into the air, his movements carrying a casual, effortless grace, and flew toward the Sunset Glow Temple. Hua Biying and Qian Wen exchanged a quick look before mounting their flying swords to follow.

The trio landed in the ruined plaza outside the main hall. The destruction was absolute—craters, shattered stone, and the remnants of the Spirit Puppet lay scattered everywhere.

They walked up the cracked steps toward the main hall, the only structure still partially standing.

“Senior Brother,” Hua Biying asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. “How did you happen to be here?”

It was too lucky. If he hadn’t arrived exactly when he did…

“I was passing by,” Li Meng lied smoothly. “I saw the signs of a high-level formation activating and came to investigate.”

Hua Biying nodded, accepting the explanation. Fate, she thought. The karma of the world is truly wondrous.

Li Meng glanced back at them as they walked. “You two were at the Peak of Qi Condensation two years ago. Why are you still running errands in the mortal world? You should have been in seclusion attempting your breakthrough long ago.”

Their foundations were solid; there was no sign of a failed attempt or cultivation deviation.

Qian Wen flushed, lowering his head in shame. “I’m afraid we’ve embarrassed ourselves before Senior Brother. Junior Sister and I… we are still short on Spirit Stones. That is what delayed our seclusion.”

Li Meng paused. Ah. Of course.

He had forgotten the struggles of the poor.

Foundation Establishment wasn’t just about enlightenment; it was a brute-force process of Marrow Cleansing. Without enough spiritual pressure—usually supplied by a massive array of Spirit Stones—even a genius could fail. For ordinary disciples without a wealthy clan backing them, gathering those stones could take decades.

Creak.

Li Meng pushed the main doors of the hall. The wood, rotten and weakened by the battle, groaned in protest.

CRASH.

The entire doorframe collapsed inward, sending up a cloud of dust.

Silver moonlight poured into the breach, illuminating the gloom. The interior was a tomb of neglect. Thick dust carpeted the floor, and cobwebs draped like funeral shrouds over everything. Several massive Buddha statues loomed in the darkness, their features obscured by grime.

Li Meng walked in, his eyes sweeping over the silent idols. He wasn’t looking at the statues, but at the weight of years that hung upon them—the invisible, heavy dust of time itself.