Chapter 199: First Node, Reunion

“By the way, Fairy Bai, you just said you were surrounded by Evil Spirits. Which direction did those Evil Spirits come from?”

Lei Ming asked.

Bai Yuting thought for a moment, then pointed to the northeast: “That direction. And…”

She paused, her expression becoming solemn, “I once sensed an extremely unsettling Qi coming from that direction.”

“What kind of Qi? Can you describe it?” Zhou Chen pressed, vaguely feeling that the place might be the Formation node he was looking for.

“It was dead Evil Qi.”

Bai Yuting slowly said, “This is a unique perception for us Alchemists. That kind of Qi is extremely evil, as if it’s condensed from the grievances of countless Cultivators. To produce such dense dead Evil Qi, I’m afraid many Cultivators must have died there recently.”

“Dead Evil Qi?” Zhou Chen pondered, “It seems that direction is very likely a major Formation node.”

“Is Young Master Zhou going there?”

Bai Yuting said worriedly, “The guarding Evil Spirits there are probably extraordinary. Ordinary Evil Spirits are already difficult to deal with; if they’ve absorbed dead Evil Qi, their strength will be even more terrifying.”

“Precisely because of that, we must go.” Zhou Chen’s tone was firm, “The longer we drag this out, the stronger the Evil Spirits will become.”

Zhou Chen looked at the Opportunity panels of the people in front of him and found that these Dan Clan members ultimately did not escape the fate of being blood-sacrificed, indicating that the situation was still very critical.

Bai Yuting bit her lip: “Young Master Zhou is right. Then I’ll refine some more Medicinal Pills for you to take, just in case.”

As she spoke, she turned and walked towards the Pill Furnace, preparing to continue Alchemy.

Halfway there, she suddenly remembered something and took out a dendrobium herb from her storage ring.

It was a well-preserved dendrobium herb.

“There’s no harm in trying anyway,” Bai Yuting thought to herself.

She re-ignited the Pill fire and began refining a Rejuvenation Pill. This time, at the critical moment, she tossed the dendrobium herb into the Pill Furnace.

Originally, she was worried it would affect the Formation of the Pill, but as the medicinal power of the dendrobium herb integrated, a miracle occurred.

The medicinal liquid in the Pill Furnace became even purer, and the slightly volatile medicinal power, neutralized by the dendrobium herb, became gentle. Not only that, but the essences of various medicinal ingredients perfectly fused at this moment, unleashing an even more powerful medicinal effect.

Boom!

A golden light shot up from the Pill Furnace, and a rich medicinal fragrance instantly filled the entire cave.

“This… this is…”

Bai Yuting’s eyes widened, staring at the Pill Furnace in disbelief.

The Pill was formed!

And it was a Medium Grade Saint-tier Rejuvenation Pill!

She tremblingly opened the Pill Furnace, and inside lay nine perfectly round and full Medicinal Pills, each emitting a faint golden light. Their quality was far superior to all the Rejuvenation Pills she had refined before.

“Medium Grade Saint-tier! It’s really Medium Grade Saint-tier!”

Bai Yuting’s voice trembled with excitement.

One must know that with her current strength, she could normally only refine Low Grade Saint-tier Medicinal Pills. Being able to refine Medium Grade indicated that this Pill Formula itself was more complete than the one she possessed.

“dendrobium herb… so the dendrobium herb was the key!”

Bai Yuting murmured to herself, a thought suddenly flashing through her mind, “Could it be… an ancient Pill Formula?”

The Dan Clan’s Legacy was ancient, but over the long years, many ancient Pill Formulas had been lost. Many of the Pill Formulas currently used by the clan were either improved by descendants or incomplete versions.

If adding the dendrobium herb could elevate the Rejuvenation Pill by a grade, it meant this was very likely the long-lost complete Pill Formula!

Bai Yuting looked at Zhou Chen in shock, a tempest raging in her heart.

What was this person’s background? Why would he know a lost ancient Pill Formula of the Dan Clan?

…After leaving Bai Yuting’s hiding place, Zhou Chen and Lei Ming sped towards the northeast.

As they delved deeper, the dead Evil Qi in the air grew increasingly dense, as if countless vengeful spirits were wailing in their ears.

On the ground, piles of white bones began to appear, some still in the posture of struggling before death, clearly having been drained of their vital essence by Evil Spirits.

“The Qi here is too evil.”

Lei Ming frowned, circulating his spiritual power to protect his body, “Brother Zhou, I feel something is wrong. This dead Evil Qi seems to be able to corrode one’s Divine Soul.”

Zhou Chen nodded: “Be careful. Bai Yuting was right; Evil Spirits that can survive in this environment must be extraordinarily powerful.”

Just as he spoke, a terrifying roar suddenly came from ahead.

The two exchanged glances, immediately concealed their Qi, and quietly approached.

Through the dense Evil Qi, they saw a shocking scene—

Bei Nianyu was surrounded by dozens of Evil Spirits, but strangely, she did not fight back. Instead, she stood blankly, her eyes unfocused, as if she had fallen into some kind of illusion.

In front of her, a “Zhou Chen” stood prominently!

The illusory version of Zhou Chen gently extended his hand to Bei Nianyu, his voice full of temptation: “Nianyu, come, give everything to me… You’re too tired, don’t struggle anymore…”

A flicker of struggle crossed Bei Nianyu’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by迷茫. She slowly raised her hand, about to grasp the illusory hand.

Once she truly gave up resistance, the Evil Spirits would instantly devour her Divine Soul!

“Seeking death!”

Just at that critical moment, an angry voice echoed through the heavens and earth.

The real Zhou Chen exploded with fury, his Azure Lotus Sword Qi transforming into a golden Sword Qi, fiercely striking the illusion impersonating him.

“Only I get to impersonate others; no one dares to impersonate me!”

Boom!

Where the Sword Qi passed, the illusion shattered like a mirror.

The fake “Zhou Chen” let out a shrill scream and instantly dissipated into black smoke.

Bei Nianyu suddenly snapped out of it, and when she saw the real Zhou Chen, her beautiful eyes instantly filled with tears.

“Big Brother Zhou Chen, it’s really you!”

She rushed into Zhou Chen’s arms without hesitation, hugging him tightly, as if afraid he would disappear.

“I thought… I thought I would never see you again…”

Bei Nianyu’s voice choked, “That illusion just now was too terrifying. It transformed into your appearance and said so many things, I almost believed it…”

Zhou Chen gently patted her back: “It’s alright now, I’m here.”

Lei Ming, standing nearby, awkwardly touched his nose, feeling like an unnecessary third wheel. However, he wisely turned around, pretending to be on guard.

Roar—

Suddenly, an earth-shattering roar sounded, and the entire space trembled.

Dense blood Evil Qi surged like a tide, and a colossal figure slowly emerged from the Evil Qi.

It was a blood-red Evil Spirit, ten zhang tall, entwined with countless vengeful spirits, each emitting a mournful wail. Most terrifyingly, its Qi had already reached the Half-Emperor Realm!

“The Evil Spirit guarding the node!”

Zhou Chen’s expression was solemn, and he immediately shielded Bei Nianyu behind him.

The blood-colored Evil Spirit let out a cackling laugh: “Three more delicious blood sacrifices… your vital essence and Divine Souls will all become nourishment for the master’s resurrection!”