“Enough foolish talk. Let’s go,” Seraphine said, telling Echo to pack up. “Before we search for those 5,426, let’s visit Golden Jade Tower first. Since Thousand Beauty Valley’s medical cultivators are there, have them examine you and prescribe some Restoring pills.”

“Alright.” Echo nodded. “Actually, I have another good solution that doesn’t require a doctor—I could return to orb form so I won’t feel the pain!”

Truly an excellent strategy, young hero.

Seraphine reached out to bonk and then rub Echo’s head helplessly. “Don’t try to escape. You should have thought of this before acting recklessly.”

Echo stood with hands behind her back, shaking her head sagely.

Admit mistakes and reform—nothing surpasses this goodness. Don’t stint on correcting errors; follow virtue like flowing water.

Following virtue like flowing water, Echo shall redouble her efforts.

She untied the golden mesh pouch containing her silver orb self from her waist, bending down to fasten it to Seraphine’sside.

The silver orb, though soulless, still emitted a faint glow. Cloud-like light flowed slowly within the sphere while the golden mesh dangled silken tassels adorned with tiny gems that chimed melodiously when they touched.

“What are you doing?” Seraphine asked in surprise.

“Seraphine, this is the best solution I could think of since I can’t exchange for a positioning artifact,” Echo explained quickly. “Please carry my physical data orb with you. That way, no matter when or where, I can enter the data orb instantly. We’ll never have another Brocade City incident!”

“This is your data orb—aren’t you afraid I’ll lose it?” Seraphine raised an eyebrow teasingly.

She won’t lose it, but Echo hopes Seraphine will keep the data orb somewhere safe…… Echo’s gaze slowly drifted downward.

Seraphine’s ears burned as she narrowed her eyes. Where are you looking?!

She lifted Echo’s chin forcibly. “Silly thing, I’ll put it in my storage ring.” she said with embarrassed annoyance.

Yes, yes, the storage ring is definitely a very safe place! Echo applauded as Seraphine took out a jade box, removing both the spirit heart and data orb to place them inside together.

The spirit heart trembled as it huddled in the corner.

“Too bad—if the spirit heart kept producing spiritual energy, I could continue cultivating.” Echo sighed.

Why do you think it stopped producing spiritual energy? Seraphine shot Echo an exasperated look, closing the jade box and storing it in her ring before asking Echo for a substitute orb to put in the mesh pouch.

Error transformed into a giant dragon. Seraphine and Echo climbed onto the Fire Rock Dragon one after another while two golden birds flew up to grip Echo’s shoulders tightly. The Fire Rock Dragon took flight toward Golden Jade Tower.

⁂

Shortly after they left, a white-robed man flew in on a sword, leaping down to land on the mountain peak.

“How is this place here?” Xue Bufan looked down at the barren mountain interior with lingering fear. This was exactly where Meng Xiangfei from Mysterious Yin Sect had captured him before.

Black spiritual consciousness flew from his ring, rushing toward the mountain’s belly. Xue Bufan followed as they searched the mountain interior extensively. The consciousness raged furiously: “It’s gone! My spiritual consciousness is gone!”

“Master, please calm yourself,” Xue Bufan said gently. “Could your sensing be mistaken? You said the third spiritual consciousness was in Westle Continent—how could it appear in the Twin Dragon Secret Realm?”

“Fool! How could I sense wrongly? That’s my spiritual consciousness!” The consciousness shrieked angrily, floating rapidly through the air like a dark, misty fog.

“Once I find the third spiritual consciousness, my cultivation will reach Integration stage! Then who on this continent could I fear!”

“Master is already at Void Refinement—already among the elite of the five continents.” Xue Bufan quickly said.

“Hah!” The consciousness bounced around mockingly. “What can two soul fragments do? It’s just deception! Until Igather my complete spiritual consciousness, I’ll never match normal cultivators. I command you to find the third fragment immediately!”

This is quite difficult for him. Xue Bufan bowed. “Please show me the way, Master.”

“Useless!” The spiritual consciousness screamed. “It was right here! Search for me!”

⁂

In the distance, bells chimed as Meng Xiangfei looked in surprise at the man standing ahead. She ran over joyfully. “Brother Wen, why did you come looking for me again?”

Wen Chunsheng turned, his gaze falling behind Meng Xiangfei.

A silver-white snake coiled around an unconscious person—apparently Meng Xiangfei’s new prey.

Wen Chunsheng smiled, taking out a bag of fragments from his storage ring. “I just obtained many fragments and wanted to give them to you.”

“Haha, I think you’re afraid of exposing your cultivation level, so you’re sending these fragments to me.” Meng Xiangfeisaid with a grin. She didn’t refuse, storing the golden dragon fragments in her ring while wrapping one arm around his and tapping his chest with her other hand. “Brother Wen, giving me all your fragments might prevent youfrom entering the Insight Academy Palace.”

Wen Chunsheng shook his head with a smile. “It won’t. I have my plans. But you shouldn’t go too far—be careful of making enemies.”

“I don’t like fighting and killing, so I have to use gentle methods to obtain fragments,” Meng Xiangfei said with a smug smile, covering her lips. “Like you, Brother, I have my limits.”

She’d never harmed anyone from start to finish—hadn’t even pulled a single hair from their heads. She simply invited them to stay at her mansion for a few days. The fragments were all offered willingly by these people, complete with heavenly oaths of sincerity. What wrong had she done?

Meng Xiangfei smiled. “Would you like to visit my mansion and have some wine?”

Wen Chunsheng looked back at the desolate hills and smiled slightly. “No, once we enter the Insight Academy Palace, I’lltreat you to tea.” He stepped back, bowing formally before departing on his sword.

Watching his retreating figure, Meng Xiangfei twirled a strand of hair around her finger and snorted. “Still so polite.” Sometimes it made her wonder if he might actually be decent.

Her expression gradually turned cold as she waved dismissively at her spirit beast. The silver snake dropped the unconscious person on the ground and coiled around her body. Meng Xiangfei flew back to the mountain interior with the snake.

The mountain’s belly was completely empty without a single person in sight. Meng Xiangfei looked around, thinking: Could it be that Brother Wen thought this mansion too desolate and refused to come?

“Hmph, quite particular.”

She summoned a long couch to lie on, taking out the golden dragon fragments from her storage ring. With a “clatter,” the fragments fell like gold pieces across the bed. Meng Xiangfei counted them one by one, her face breaking into a satisfied smile.

In this second round of the Insight Academy Palace competition, she would definitely claim first place!

⁂

“Achoo!”

Echo rubbed her nose and dodged away.

Seraphine held an herb in her hand, pursuing Echo relentlessly. “Don’t run—drink your medicine!”

Echo’s gaze wandered everywhere—the clouds in the sky, flowers on trees, birds flying past—absolutely refusing to look down!

A purple-robed woman passed by, took two steps, then returned to address Seraphine and Echo: “Medicine shouldn’t be left to cool. Drink it quickly.”

“Did you hear that!” Seraphine immediately seized the opportunity. “Drink it quickly!”

Echo slowly lowered her head to stare at the jade bowl on the table…… or was it a jade basin?

The vessel, large enough to fit Echo’s entire head, was filled with pitch-black medicinal liquid that reflected her face back in equally dark tones. Echo’s expression was somewhat dazed.

Though she knew from various stories that medicine was bitter and understood the principle that bitter medicine benefits the illness, Echo hadn’t expected bitter flavors to be truly, genuinely bitter.

When Seraphine first mentioned the medical cultivator had prescribed medicine, Echo had been purely curious—she had never taken medicine before!

When the concoction was actually brewed and placed before her, she had laughed and said “it smells fine.” Both Seraphine and the medic had smiled at her encouragingly.

She had taken that first sip with great anticipation.

Then there was no “then.”

“I request pill form,” Echo suggested to the medical cultivator. “Could you make this prescription into pills?”

The medic, who’d received two golden dragon fragments from Seraphine, said gently, “Impossible.”

“What makes it impossible? I could provide assistance.” To avoid bitter medicine, Echo became extremely proactive about helping the medic improve. “Or give me the prescription—I’ll refine it myself!”

I could improve too!

Seraphine pressed a prescription onto the table for Echo to see.

The ink marks looked like plains and hills—mostly plains, few hills. Echo scanned it determinedly, comparing it against her database. Soon, the translation appeared as countless 1s and semicircles.

“What hard work this must have been.” Echo murmured. Handwriting that even her system couldn’t decipher.

The medic smiled at Seraphine, who said, “Please go about your business.”

“Remember to take it tonight too—twice daily for seven consecutive days,” the medic instructed. “My senior sister will be here for consultations the day after tomorrow. Her cultivation and abilities exceed mine—you might have her provide another examination.”

“Thank you.” Seraphine said, looking at Echo as her eyes suddenly brightened.

Think a more powerful medic means she can avoid medicine?

Hah.

Brave enough to get injured but not to take medicine?

Seraphine’s smile deepened as she gently pressed Echo onto the stool. She took out a small bowl about the size of a teacup, ladling a spoonful of the black medicine into it. The medicinal smell grew even stronger, wafting ten meters. Cultivators within that range covered their noses and hurried away.

Heavens, how much coptis root did they add?!

Seraphine’s smile was incredibly gentle, her gaze like spring water in March—every expression radiating charm that held one’s attention completely.

—If only she weren’t holding medicinal liquid.

For the first time, Echo experienced genuine fear, staring at Seraphine’s hands as her beautiful, pale fingers gripped the small spoon, tenderly bringing the medicine to her lips.

“With me here, I absolutely won’t let you waste a single drop. I’ll make sure you recover quickly,” Seraphine said with a sweet smile, her voice almost melodic as it reached Echo’s ears. “Come on, Echo. Please open your mouth.”

[Author’s Note]:

Seraphine: Good children drink their medicine properly.

Echo (serious): I am an ancient ancestor.

Seraphine (smiling): Hm?