Somewhere in Feng Ruchu's hazy memories, she recalled that she did have an older brother who always came to Desolate Hall from time to time to take care of them when she was young. He always brought some pills and ointments with him.
As Feng Ze helped Nianchu direct his qi, he continued, "I know that both you and Nianchu have suffered a lot over the years, and it was mainly because I was away from home for a long time. I couldn't protect you two all the time. Secondly, Mo'er only targeted you due to your position as crown princess. She thought that Fei'er was much more suited for the position, so she fought for her. All those affairs were nothing more than jealousy between girls, so I figured it wasn't appropriate for me to interfere too much.
"The good news is that your marriage contract with the crown prince is no longer valid. Now that you're no longer in their way, I don't think Mo'er will make things difficult for you anymore."
Feng Ze kept talking, but Feng Ruchu didn't respond. He behaved like an elder brother with his sincere words and earnest wishes, but sometimes it felt like he was mostly talking to himself.
"Why are you helping me?" After a long while, Feng Ruchu asked.
Feng Ze turned to her and answered quietly, "I'm your big brother. Although we aren't from the same mother, we are connected by blood."
Feng Ruchu was shocked. Disbelief flashed in her eyes.
She used to be an orphan, but had later been adopted by her master. Fortunately, she had an exceptional talent in metaphysics. Before the age of ten, she was already proficient in the Eight Diagrams, Five Elements, Qimen Dunjia, and the Dao of Talismans. She had only been fifteen when she was made the head of the metaphysics clan.
Therefore, she understood better than anyone else that if she wanted to survive in this chaotic world, she could trust no one but herself.
But this man in front of her was telling her that he was her big brother.
Feng Ruchu's heart clenched unexpectedly, but she quickly calmed herself down.
"Can Nianchu be saved?" Feng Ruchu changed the subject abruptly. She had never been a sentimental person.
"It's not that easy. The pill I give him can only prolong his life. If he were to wake up, only Spiritual Master Cihang could save him, and even then, the treatment would use up decades of the master's cultivation power."
Not that easy? It was practically impossible!
Feng Ruchu knew the true colors of those from the Holy Cloud Palace all too well.
Since the beginning, their ancestors were cold-blooded and regarded human life as worthless. Plus, Feng Fei'er and Feng Mo'er hated her so much that they would make up their own story to condemn her in front of Spiritual Master Cihang. Even if the master was willing to spend decades of his cultivation to save Nianchu, she would think twice before accepting it.
Knowing oneself was a good thing, and thankfully, she had that virtue.
Feng Ze seemed to have read her mind and said comfortingly, "Don't worry. Early next month, the Holy Cloud Palace will open its realm trial."
"The Cloud Palace trials?" Feng Ruchu was puzzled, and asked, "Is it related to Nianchu's illness?"
Feng Ze nodded. "Every five years, there will be Cloud Palace trials. The six spiritual masters will take the winners of each trial as their disciple, and they will be awarded a golden elixir pill. It is meant to help the new disciples to cultivate. The Mystichealing Clan has a Divine Pill, which is capable of reviving the dead and wholly regenerating one's body. The six new apprentices will then go through another round of trials, and the winner will be granted the Strengthening Pill."
"The Strengthening Pill?" Feng Ruchu echoed.
"It's a pill that can increase one's spiritual cultivation by one level. It is made by the Saint himself."
A pill that could increase spiritual power by one level?
In other words, the pill could help move a person from the Foundation stage to the Enlightenment stage, or even from the Enlightenment stage to the Fusion stage!
So, maybe someone who had damaged spiritual roots like her could actually rebuild her spiritual roots and start to practice spirituality again after taking the pill?
The way back to the modern world was nowhere to be found, and to survive in the Canglan Continent, she could not rely on her jack-of-all-trades skills alone. She had to find a way to reopen her meridians and cultivate spiritual arts.
Getting her hands on the Strengthening Pill was a must.