As the princess departed, everyone resumed their usual activities. Hun Yu and Yun Xiu continued their way, although Hun Yu didn't know their purpose here.
He followed Yun Xiu without asking questions as they climbed towards the top. Eventually, some guards stopped them.
"Stop. Only VIPs can go here," one of the guards said. Yun Xiu took out a golden card with a moon engraved on it and showed it to the guards.
They immediately fell silent and made way for them.
It didn't take long for Yun Xiu to reach her destination. They stood before a room, and she knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal an old man. He seemed to recognize Yun Xiu immediately.
"Come inside, Sect Master Yun," the old man said.
Soon enough, both Hun Yu and Yun Xiu were seated in front of the old man.
"What brings the Sect Master here for a personal visit?" the old man asked, sipping his tea.
With a pause, Yun Xiu replied, "Old man Chen, you already know the reason. I am here to invite you to join Sky Wind Sect."
This old man was no ordinary person; he was the President of the Alchemist Pavilion and a 6th Tier Peak Alchemist.
"Sect Master knows this old man is not interested in joining any force and values his freedom," Chen replied.
Yun Xiu sighed, having expected this. She stood up, ready to leave, as there was no point in continuing the conversation. Hun Yu followed her.
"But..." she heard Chen say, making her turn around.
"If Sect Master can help me with something, I can join Sky Wind Sect."
"What help do you need?" she asked, needing to hear his request before anything else.
The old man took out a piece of paper and started explaining.
"Sect Master Yun, when I was traveling through the Falling Star Empire, I came across a map at an auction.
I found it intriguing and did some research on it. After some years, I discovered that it leads to the inheritance of a Tier 7 Alchemist.
I deduced this from the unique scent this piece of paper emits. No Tier 6 Alchemist can generate such a scent; only a Tier 7 might be able to do it. The place marked on the map is surely the inheritance site."
"Before you ask why I haven't tried going myself, I did. But there seems to be a restriction preventing any alchemist from entering.
That's why I need the Sect Master's help. I don't ask for much; I have information that there is a flame called Ember White Flame within the inheritance. I only ask for that."
Yun Xiu listened, skeptical of the old man's story. But considering the urgency of securing an alchemist for the sect, she nodded and agreed.
She left with Hun Yu, taking the map that the old man had given them, marking the inheritance's location.
As Hun Yu absorbed the information, he couldn't help but be intrigued by the Ember White Flame.
"System, what is this Ember White Flame?" he asked internally.
{
The Ember White Flame is a unique type of energy flame found in areas with concentrated energy. While not as powerful as legendary flames, it manifests as a gentle white flame that can effectively burn even heat-resistant herbs.
This quality makes it a valuable tool for alchemists, simplifying the alchemical process and improving the chances of successful pill refining.
However, there are downsides. Once an alchemist absorbs an Ember White Flame, it binds to their essence, becoming a permanent part of them. This flame cannot be easily discarded unless the alchemist possesses specific means or tools designed for such a purpose.
}
Hun Yu pondered this new information. It was the first time he had heard about such special flames.
"Miss Yun, what is this Ember White Flame?" he asked aloud.
Yun Xiu, who was walking in front of him, slowed her pace slightly. "You might not be aware, as not everyone knows about the existence of special flames," she began.
She then reiterated what the system had told him and added, "The information about these flames is kept secret because the empire does not allow any cultivator to disclose their existence to anyone, not even to common civilians. The reason might be to monopolize the knowledge."
"So, are we going to the inheritance place that old man mentioned?" Hun Yu inquired.
Yun Xiu nodded, leading him toward the city's exit.
...
In a luxurious room, a girl sat in deep thought.
"Your Highness, Princess, what are you thinking about? You seem to be lost in thoughts," a woman in a maid's dress asked.
The girl with long black hair was the princess—the same one Hun Yu had encountered. She looked at her maid. "Nothing, I just encountered a strange person today," she replied.
"A strange person?" the maid echoed.
"Yes, he was wearing a mask. His outfit was decent, but for some reason, I have a strange feeling about him. He seemed very different from the rest of the crowd. Most people step aside in fear when I pass, but he was unaffected," the princess explained.
"Now I am very interested in him," she said, her curiosity piqued.
The maid placed her hand over her mouth in surprise.
"I'll talk to him if I find him again," the princess added thoughtfully.
...
Hun Yu and Yun Xiu had already exited the city. Yun Xiu stopped to examine the map.
"The location on the map is marked at the empire's border," she noted. "We will have to head south."
She quickly picked up Hun Yu and flew towards the south. It would probably take quite some time to reach the border.
As they traveled, Hun Yu's mind raced with thoughts of how to gather enough energy to awaken his physique.
He hoped the inheritance place would have at least one decent item to aid in this critical step.
Awakening his physique was necessary now; his progress was excruciatingly slow, to the point where it would take him 2-3 years to reach the Elementalist realm.
This speed was unacceptable to him.
As time passed, they continued flying for several hours. Eventually, Yun Xiu began to descend, slowing their pace.
Below them, there was nothing but forest in every direction. Finding the exact location of the inheritance would be challenging.
"Hmm, the map says the inheritance is in this area," she muttered as they landed. Scanning the area, she noticed a cave in the distance.
"There is a cave," Hun Yu pointed out.
"I think this cave should be the inheritance," Yun Xiu muttered. The reason she brought Hun Yu here was the hope that he could encounter a significant opportunity.
His current cultivation speed was too slow, but he might become an alchemist after receiving the inheritance of a 7th rank alchemist.
As they slowly walked inside the cave, they suddenly felt as if they had passed through a barrier.
"Was it this barrier that the old man was talking about, the one that prohibits alchemists from entering?" Hun Yu said, sensing it even though he couldn't see it.
He turned around and followed Yun Xiu deeper into the cave. After some time, they finally arrived in front of a skeleton.
Both Hun Yu and Yun Xiu stared at it, knowing that anything could happen now—traps, surprises, anything was possible.
Yun Xiu decided to inspect the skeleton. As she examined its possessions, her eyes widened in shock.
Yun Xiu examined the treasures surrounding the skeleton: high-grade pills from 1-7 grades and even some rare techniques. However, her attention was immediately drawn to a notebook.
As she opened it and flipped through its pages, her eyes widened. "This... Lifelong Experience of a 7th Tier Alchemist," she whispered.
This was a priceless treasure for any alchemist aspiring to reach the 7th tier. With this, she could probably persuade many alchemists to join the sect.
While Yun Xiu was absorbed in the notebook, Hun Yu wandered around the cave. Something about the place felt strange to him.
He approached the skeleton and, out of curiosity, extended his arm to touch it.
The moment his finger made contact, a sudden crack resounded through the cave. Yun Xiu's attention snapped to Hun Yu, who still had his finger on the skeleton.
Another crack echoed, and the ground beneath them gave way.
As Hun Yu fell, he suddenly felt someone grab him, accelerating their descent before the speed slowed. After a few seconds, he felt solid ground under his feet.
Raising his head, he felt something soft against his lips in the darkness. Before he could comprehend, he was kicked hard and fell to the ground.
The entire place lit up, revealing their surroundings.
Hun Yu found himself on the ground, rubbing his aching back. He looked up to see Yun Xiu standing a few meters away, her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger.
"Miss Yun Xiu, what happened?" he asked, still confused by the sudden turn of events.