13: A divine mark fell from the sky! This lowly servant has struck it rich?!

Inside the Pill Room side hall, one could hear a pin drop!

Elder Situ stood frozen in place, like a stone statue struck by the Nine Heavens divine lightning!

He tilted his head back, his clouded eyes seeming to pierce through the roof tiles, staring fixedly at the phantom of the pill pattern that spanned the firmament, radiating endless Dao resonance and majesty!

Cyan-white base, entwined with silver lightning! It was exactly the same as the markings on the mutated qi nurturing pill in his hand... just magnified a billion times!

That was the manifestation of the Laws of Heaven and Earth! It was the resonance of the supreme principles of the Pill Refining Art!

"Heaven... Heavenly Pill Patterns descend... Dao resonance..."

Elder Situ's lips trembled, his voice dry and hoarse, every word sounding as if it were squeezed out from his throat.

Filled with unbelievable shock and bewilderment, Profound Rank... No! Earth Rank?! No... impossible! This aura... as vast as the sea of stars... containing the vitality of vegetation and the Law of lightning... What... what kind of Medicinal Pill is this?!

He suddenly lowered his head, his gaze like a red-hot branding iron, nailed tightly onto the thunder pattern qi nurturing pill that had rolled to the ground, stained with dust!

Then he abruptly looked at the dark medicinal residue fragment nearby! Finally, his burning gaze, like tangible flames, crashed onto the young Menial Worker who was supporting Luo Yan, also wearing a look of "shock and bewilderment."

This time, he was truly startled by the commotion.

It was him! It was him! Using this broken clay pot! Using this "old medicinal residue"! Brewed... brewed it out?!

Elder Situ felt as if his brain had been trampled back and forth by ten thousand Iron-Backed Azure Bears! It had completely turned into mush!

All his anger, Killing Intent, and suspicion seemed so ridiculous in the face of this pill pattern phenomenon that spanned the heavens and earth! So insignificant!

A mutated Medicinal Pill that triggered a pill tribulation?

Medicinal residue containing the essence of lost Medicinal Pills?

Now... it had triggered the legendary Heavenly Pill Patterns descending?! Dao resonance?!

This damn thing was no longer a Prodigy! This was simply the Reincarnation of the Ancestral Master of Alchemy! No! Even the Ancestral Master wasn't this outrageous! Brewing a Medicinal Pill that triggered Dao resonance using trash medicinal residue and a broken clay pot?! Who would believe this if told?!

"Old Man Situ! What are you still dazed for?! Quick! The source of the pill pattern! It's right near your Pill Room!"

Old Man Zhong had already straightened his body at some point, his hunched spine standing straight as a rod, his clouded eyes now shooting out sharp light, like two cold stars!

He abruptly slapped Elder Situ on the shoulder, his voice carrying unprecedented urgency and gravity, "The old monsters of the Sect have all been alarmed! If we don't go now, the credit will be snatched by others!"

Elder Situ gave a start, abruptly snapping back to reality from the massive shock! He instantly realized the severity of the situation!

Heavenly Pill Patterns descending! Dao resonance! This was absolutely a shocking event that would shake the entire Tianyuan Continent!

If the source was truly in the Qingyun Sect, that would be a heaven-sent Opportunity and supreme glory! And he, Situ Wufeng, as the first "discoverer," would surely go down in history!

As for that Menial Worker... Elder Situ's gaze swept over Jiang Linfeng again, his expression complex to the extreme!

Shock, bewilderment, jealousy, probing, and a trace of... awe that he himself was unwilling to admit!

He could no longer judge whether this kid had just had Heaven-Defying luck, or if he really held some earth-shattering secret! But regardless, now was not the time to investigate!

"Go!" Elder Situ made a prompt decision, suppressing his churning emotions, not even caring about his heavily injured arm. His figure flickered, turning into a streak of cyan sword light, instantly rushing out of the side hall and speeding toward the direction where the pill pattern aura was most intense! Old Man Zhong followed closely behind, moving so fast that he didn't look like an old man at all!

In the side hall, only the shaken Luo Yan and the "dazed" Jiang Linfeng remained.

"Hus... Husband..." Luo Yan gripped Jiang Linfeng's arm tightly, her small face deathly pale, her body still trembling slightly. Just now, Elder Situ's Killing Intent and the phenomenon in the sky had both shaken her heart and soul.

"It's okay, Yaner, it's okay."

Jiang Linfeng hurriedly collected his thoughts, activating his Source Spirit Body, channeling gentle Origin Spirit Power into her body to soothe her frightened emotions. His own heart was also in turmoil!

He knew the mutated qi nurturing pill was of extraordinary quality, but he never expected it to trigger such a terrifying phenomenon of Heaven and Earth! This System product... was it too overbearing?!

【Ding! Detected that the host's Alchemy triggered the "Heavenly Pill Patterns Descending · Dao Resonance" phenomenon!】

【Medicinal Pill quality assessment: Contains a trace of vegetation Origin vitality and lightning Law fragments, triggering a projection of the Laws of Heaven and Earth!】

【Reward: Pill Refining Art comprehension greatly increased! Pill Refining Art Rank increased: Proficient (450/1000) → Great Master (0/5000)!】

【Obtained special title: "Alchemy Rising Star" (Wearing it slightly increases the success rate of Alchemy and the quality of the Medicinal Pill)!】

【Origin Spirit Power nourished by the Dao aura, recovery speed increased by 300%! Realm recovery accelerated!】

【Offspring Bloodline baptized by the Dao pill patterns! Potential Grade B High Grade → Grade A Low Grade (Stabilized)! Ice Wood Spirit Root mutation probability increased! Innate Dao Body affinity +1%!】

A series of System prompts sounded like heavenly music! Jiang Linfeng was ecstatic! This wave was a huge profit!

Not only did his Pill Refining Art soar, but the child in Yaner's womb had gained a massive benefit! Grade A Low Grade potential! Innate Dao Body affinity! This starting point was simply Heaven-Defying!

"Husband... just now... what was that in the sky?" Luo Yan nestled in Jiang Linfeng's arms, her voice carrying lingering fear and curiosity.

"Uh... maybe... some passing Heavenly God... sneezed?"

Jiang Linfeng spouted nonsense with a straight face, his expression still that of being "ignorant," "Or... Heaven took pity on us... and performed a miracle?"

Luo Yan: "..." She looked at her husband's "sincere" face. Although she felt this explanation was too outrageous, the world-destroying pressure and Elder Situ's Killing Intent just now had indeed been resolved by this phenomenon. In her heart, only the relief of surviving a disaster and infinite reliance on her husband remained.

"Let's go, Yaner, let's go back." Jiang Linfeng supported Luo Yan, carefully avoiding the mess on the ground, preparing to leave this place of trouble.

However, just as they stepped out of the side hall door, they were startled by the scene before them!

On the square outside the Pill Room, it was already packed with people! Inner Sect Disciples, Deacon Elders, and even some old monsters who rarely came out of seclusion were all swarming in like sharks smelling blood!

Everyone was tilting their heads, their gazes fanatically staring at the phantom of the pill pattern slowly rotating in the sky, radiating endless Dao resonance! The sounds of discussion, exclamation, and speculation surged like a tide!

"Heavenly Pill Patterns descending! It really is Heavenly Pill Patterns descending! I never thought I'd live to see this!"

"Ancestral Master of Alchemy above! This aura... as vast as the sea! Containing vegetation Origin and lightning Laws! What kind of Divine Pill is this?!"

"The source! Quickly find the source! It's right near the Pill Room!"

"Where is Elder Situ? Where is Old Man Zhong? They seem to have rushed to the back mountain!"

"..."

When Jiang Linfeng appeared in everyone's sight, supporting the pale-faced, unsteady-footed Luo Yan, he instantly attracted countless gazes!

"Eh? Isn't that Junior Sister Luo Yan from the Cold Plum Courtyard? Why is she at the Pill Room?"

"The one next to her... is a Menial Worker? Why did they come out of Elder Situ's side hall?"

"Junior Sister Luo's complexion is so bad... did something go wrong with her Alchemy?"

"..."

Various gazes of probing, curiosity, and even a bit of schadenfreude fell upon the two.

Luo Yan felt uncomfortable being watched, subconsciously shrinking behind Jiang Linfeng.

Jiang Linfeng remained calm, one hand steadily supporting Luo Yan, the other slightly shielding her, blocking most of the gazes.

He kept his head down, his footsteps "unsteady," his face wearing an expression of "lingering fear" and "dread," as if he had just escaped from some terrible disaster site.

"Make way! Make way! My wife is unwell! Excuse us! Excuse us!" Jiang Linfeng shouted in a tearful voice, trying hard to play the part of a loyal Menial Worker who had been scared and only wanted to protect his master and leave.

The crowd was stunned by his "miserable" performance and subconsciously made way.

Jiang Linfeng took the Opportunity to support Luo Yan, head down, quickly passing through the crowd and walking toward the Cold Plum Courtyard.

His steps appeared staggering, but in reality, every step landed on the most energy-efficient and least conspicuous spot.

"Hmph! A Menial Worker, an Outer Sect Disciple, what could they know? Probably scolded by Elder Situ and scared out of their wits!" someone sneered with disdain.

"True. Looking at that Menial Worker, he looked like he'd lost his soul!" someone chimed in.

"Hurry! Forget about them! Go to the back mountain! The source of the pill pattern must be there!"

More people were drawn by the anomaly in the sky, no longer paying attention to this "inconspicuous" pair of master and servant.

Jiang Linfeng sneered internally. Ignorance is bliss! Let them go make a fuss at the back mountain! It would be best if they dragged Elder Situ and Old Man Zhong along too!

He supported Luo Yan and quickly disappeared at the end of the path leading to the Cold Plum Courtyard.

Back mountain, Waste Slag Pit.

At this moment, it was already packed tightly by the high-level members of the Sect who had rushed over upon hearing the news!

Powerful auras intertwined above the rift, and spiritual senses scanned every inch of the land like searchlights!

Elder Situ and Old Man Zhong stood at the very front, their expressions grave as they examined the scene devastated by the shockwave—the overturned lava slag, the cracked cliff walls, the charred giant lava rocks, and the violent energy fluctuations lingering in the air, along with a faint, elusive... scent of Medicinal Pills?!

"It's here!" Elder Situ's voice was hoarse, carrying a trace of excitement, "The pill pattern aura is the strongest here! And... the aura of tribulation lightning! That's right! It's a pill tribulation! A pill tribulation erupted here!"

"Earthenware pot fragments!" Old Man Zhong had sharp eyes, pointing at a few inconspicuous, charred earthenware pot fragments in the corner of the pit, "And... the aura of an earth fire flame heart fragment! Although it's very weak!"

Everyone's spirits lifted! Deacons skilled in tracking and aura analysis immediately stepped forward to investigate carefully.

"Reporting to the Elder! The residual energy at the scene is extremely violent! There are traces of earth fire eruptions and lightning bombardments!

And... a trace of incomparably pure plant Origin aura and lightning Law fragments! They are of the same source as the pill pattern in the sky!"

"On the earthenware pot fragments... there is indeed a trace of extremely weak pill qi! The quality... cannot be determined! But the aura of the Law fragments contained within... is as vast as the sea!"

"The earth fire flame heart fragment... its energy is exhausted, it's nearly waste!"

"Additionally... beneath the lava rocks... it seems there is a buried, charred... humanoid corpse? The Devilish Qi erosion is severe, identity unknown..."

Piece by piece, the information was gathered, piecing together a shocking "truth"!

A mysterious and unfathomable Great Master of the Pill Refining Art, for some unknown reason, chose this desolate and filthy Waste Slag Pit at the back mountain of the Qingyun Sect as a place to refine pills!

With supreme Divine Ability, he drew upon the residual veins of earth fire, and perhaps even used some powerful fire-element supreme treasure, to refine a heaven-shaking Divine Pill!

During the refining process, he triggered the descent of a pill tribulation! The Divine Pill was reborn in fire during the pill tribulation, and upon final completion, it triggered a heaven and earth anomaly, causing the pill pattern to resonate!

And this expert, after the pill was completed, drifted away, hiding his achievements and fame! Leaving behind only this chaotic scene and a charred corpse of unknown identity that had been caught in the aftermath!

"An expert! Definitely a reclusive expert!" An old man with white hair and a deep, profound aura (one of the Sect's Grand Elders).

His beard was trembling with excitement, "Using the earth fire of the Waste Slag Pit as a furnace! Drawing heavenly thunder to temper the pill! The pill's completion causing the Dao to resonate! Such methods! Unheard of! Unseen before! He must be a reclusive saint hand of the dao of alchemy!"

"Pity! We arrived a step too late! We failed to see the true face of the expert!" Another Elder beat his chest and stamped his feet, filled with regret.

"Situ! Old Man Zhong!" The Grand Elder looked piercingly at Elder Situ and Old Man Zhong, "You two arrived first! Did you see any traces of the expert? Or... did he leave any words?"

Elder Situ and Old Man Zhong exchanged a glance, both seeing the same complexity and... a hint of awkwardness in each other's eyes.

Traces of the expert? Any words?

In their minds, they simultaneously recalled the figure of that Menial Worker who was supporting Luo Yan, looking "terrified and bewildered," shouting "The Heavens have manifested!"...

Elder Situ's mouth twitched violently. Suppressing the urge to push down that absurd thought, he said in a deep voice, "Reporting to the Grand Elder, when we arrived, the expert had already left. He only left behind this... ruin. He did not leave any words."

Old Man Zhong hugged his teapot and added slowly, "The actions of an expert are like a dragon that shows its head but never its tail. Perhaps... he was just passing by and casually refined a furnace of pills; who knows."

Upon hearing this, a trace of disappointment flashed in the Grand Elder's eyes, but it was immediately replaced by fanaticism.

Even so! This pill pattern anomaly descending upon our Qingyun Sect! It is a massive Opportunity! Pass down the order! Seal off the back mountain! Search carefully!

Do not let any clues slip by! Especially the residual aura of the pill pattern and the Law fragments! If we can comprehend even a little, the Pill Refining Art of our Qingyun Sect will surely flourish!

"Yes!" Everyone answered in a booming voice and immediately began to act.

Elder Situ stood in place, watching the busy crowd, then looked down at the dark medicinal residue fragment in his hand, his eyes shifting uncertainly.

Casually refined a furnace of pills? Passing by?

He recalled the scene in the side hall, Jiang Linfeng's "terrified and bewildered" expression, Luo Yan's violent pregnancy reaction... and that thunder pattern qi nurturing pill that rolled onto the floor...

An extremely absurd, yet persistent thought that wouldn't go away, like a maggot on a bone, was crazily assaulting his reason!

Could it be... could it be that the heaven-shaking Divine Pill... was really... was it really that Menial Worker... who brewed it... with a broken earthenware pot?!

"No! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Elder Situ shook his head violently, shaking this crazy thought out of his mind! This was too outrageous! It was ten thousand times more outrageous than the pill pattern descending from the sky itself!

He would rather believe it was some old monster playing in the mortal world who did it on a whim!

But... what if?

Elder Situ's gaze drifted involuntarily toward the direction of the Cold Plum Courtyard, the depths of his eyes filled with unprecedented confusion, shock, and... a hint of expectation that even he had not noticed?

Cold Plum Courtyard, Luo Yan's small house.

Jiang Linfeng carefully helped Luo Yan lie down on the bed and fed her some warm water.

Under the dual nourishment of the Source Spirit Body and the medicinal power of the mutated qi nurturing pill, Luo Yan's complexion had returned to a rosy state, though she was still a bit mentally exhausted.

"Husband... today... was so scary..." Luo Yan nestled into Jiang Linfeng's arms, lingering fear still in her heart.

"It's all over." Jiang Linfeng gently stroked her back and said softly, "With your husband here, even if the sky falls, there's nothing to fear."

【Ding! Companion Luo Yan's emotions are stable! Offspring status: Excellent! Baptized by the Great Dao pill pattern, Ice Wood Spirit Root Fusion degree increased, Innate Dao Body affinity solidified! Potential: Grade A Low Grade (Solidified)!】

Jiang Linfeng felt greatly reassured. Although today was extremely dangerous, the harvest was also huge! Not only was the crisis resolved, but Yaner and the child had received a massive benefit!

"Husband..." Luo Yan raised her head, her big, watery eyes looking at Jiang Linfeng with a trace of curiosity and admiration, "Today... that immortal pattern in the sky... was it... was it you, Husband..."

Jiang Linfeng's heart skipped a beat, but his face showed a "bewildered" expression: "Ah? Immortal pattern? What immortal pattern? Oh! You mean that big pattern in the sky? I don't know either! Maybe some passing immortal was bored and just... drew it for fun?"

Luo Yan: "..." She looked at her husband's "sincere" eyes, and although she felt this explanation was too perfunctory, she believed whatever her husband said. She smiled sweetly and buried her little face in Jiang Linfeng's chest: "Mm! Whatever Husband says, it is!"

Jiang Linfeng held the warm, fragrant jade in his arms, feeling the pulse of life growing robustly deep within his Bloodline, his heart peaceful.

Playing dumb? Playing the pig to eat the tiger?

It doesn't matter!

As long as he can protect the safety of her and the child, he is willing to continue "playing dumb"!

As for Elder Situ's suspicions? The Sect's shock?

Let them guess!

He, Jiang Linfeng, is just a Menial Worker with "luck so good it defies the Heavens."

The night was deep and quiet.

A ghostly figure appeared silently outside the Cold Plum Courtyard, gazing from afar at the window of Luo Yan's small house, which emitted a faint light.

It was Elder Situ.

He stood there for a long time, his eyes complex and unfathomable. Finally, he sighed softly, his figure flickered, and he disappeared into the night.

In the wind, only a barely audible whisper remained, carrying deep confusion and a trace of indescribable... expectation?

"Jiang Linfeng... little friend... this old man... will wait to see what other great luck you can 'stumble' into..."