It only took Yi Ling a week to regain her strength. Although she still looked thin, she was now able to move around.
Aside from gaining her strength back, she made a bunch of concoctions: healing, poisons, cultivation vials, vitality, and other mixed potions. She gave some healing potions to Tefei and vitality potions to Linyu. They had sustained injuries because of her, and it was the least she could do. Fortunately, Linyu had brought and planted many herbs during their trips to the spiritual beast territories.
She wasn't able to make pills yet; Mu Xin hadn't guided her on how to do it. It seemed to be a very taxing process. Mu Xin had gone into a deep slumber in his courtyard. She was now allowed to enter his premises without interruption, but she didn't visit him, fearing she might disturb his healing.
After another week of recuperating, she was able to move freely and stabilize the spiritual energy within her.
She decided to leave the Abyss and search for more spiritual herbs. Though the herbs Linyu had gathered were good, they were not enough compared to King Jin's herbs. She was now more knowledgeable thanks to King Jin's help. During the year of cultivation, she had experimented with many concoctions. The dream felt too real to her, and thinking about it made her miss him.
Linyu and Tefei knew they couldn't stop her, even though she had just woken up. If they wanted her to grow stronger, she needed to tread her own path.
This time, Yi Ling wanted to travel alone. She could summon Linyu and Tefei anytime anyway. She asked Linyu to borrow Mu Xin's extra robes and adjust them to her height. This time, she wanted to act like a noble scholar. Linyu also taught her how to manipulate the mask, since it was made from the Eternal Oak. It could now change her body appearance at will, except for her face and bosom.
Dressed in white and gold robes with a mask on, she looked like a perfect and mysterious gentleman. She also drank the concoction that could change her voice. Everything was perfect.
At the Dawning Stage, she was now more agile, light as a feather. Though she wasn't yet able to hide her aura completely, it was better than nothing. She left the Abyss once she finished her arrangements.
Along the way, she also thought of looking for a blacksmith to upgrade her bow. She didn't know that Mu Xin had made it. Aside from leaving constant reminders to Linyu and Tefei, he was too weak to remember or explain it to her. He had gone into slumber after ensuring that she was going to be alright.
For her convenience, Linyu drew her a handwritten map so she wouldn't get lost.
What she didn't expect was that as soon as she got out of the Abyss, a dashing man was waiting for her. He was dressed in a dark green robe, with a wide smile on his face and his arms crossed. She had never met him before.
"I finally found you, My King," his mouth curled up.