The Eternal Saint of Alchemy

After circling around most of the city and making sure no one was following him, he walked in the opposite direction from the west side of the city to the back alley of the abandoned residential area in the south. The sewer openings were still overgrown with weeds. He pushed aside the weeds and retraced his steps.

The lock on the iron gate wasn't broken; it didn't make a sound even under the intense heat of the flames. Passing through a dry passage, Hao Ren arrived at the wall, which was completely sealed off, showing no signs of having been opened.

He reached out again and placed his hand on the center of the archway. A dark golden spiritual energy shield was activated by the Creation Flame. As if sensing the presence of the flame, the barrier slowly parted to reveal a set of steps.

Following the stone steps down, we entered a spacious underground hall.

The sphere of light slowly rotated, emitting rings of dark golden light that illuminated the entire hall.

Another thing he didn't notice was that beneath the sphere of light was a palm-sized copper box that looked somewhat old and covered in dust.

Xiao Fan crouched down and carefully picked up the bronze box.

The box wasn't closed; it opened with a gentle push.

Upon opening it, one finds a thin, neatly folded piece of white silk. Unfolding it reveals a line of powerful, vigorous characters, clearly left by the Taixu Dansheng in his later years.

"When the array's core restarts, the contents of the box will be revealed. This is the last time this record will be kept of the spiritual energy channel between the Burning Bone Abyss and the Imperial Capital's array core. Future generations who wish to maintain balance can also follow this rule."

On the back of the white silk was a complete and precise data graph, which marked the flow rate, pressure, and temperature range of each spiritual energy circuit, as well as the reserved positions of the regulating valves.

Xiao Fan rolled up the white silk and put it into his clothes before closing the copper box.

He stood up and stared at the ball of light. The array in his mind resonated with it even more strongly, as if two bells were resonating.

The numbers on the white silk were far more detailed than he had imagined. With them, he could pinpoint the correct location precisely, instead of groping around like before.

He stood in the hall for a while longer, and only after confirming that the array's core was undamaged did he step forward.

When they returned to the ground, it was already late. The area outside the drainage ditch in the south of the city was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

After climbing over the courtyard wall, I arrived at the backyard of the inn, where I saw an old locust tree sitting behind the wall.

Ye Ruolin sat there cross-legged, holding half an apricot in her hand. She wasn't surprised when he climbed over the wall and came in; she just nodded at him with her chin.

"It's you again."

Xiao Fan dusted himself off. "I found it on the road. Tomorrow morning, I'll leave the city and lure those guys who are watching me away. Be careful."

Ye Ruolin, biting on an apricot pit, mumbled something, then jumped off the branch and landed lightly. "Alright, try to go far away tomorrow. I'll take good care of you."

Xiao Fan nodded, saying nothing more. The shadows of the locust trees in the back garden of the inn swayed gently in the wind, and someone let out a dog bark before disappearing without a trace.

Tomorrow's departure from the city is merely a feint; he has already taken the most important item and left the underground. While those watching him circled him relentlessly, the balance of the entire game had quietly shifted.

Early in the morning, Xiao Fan, wearing a slightly worn blue-gray long robe and carrying a small suitcase, walked out of the inn.

He walked neither slowly nor quickly, like an ordinary traveler preparing to leave the city.

The fruit stalls across the street are still there, and the people at the stalls have changed their clothes, but the stalls are still in the same place.

Xiao Fan walked towards the city gate expressionlessly, and after exiting the city gate, he headed north along the official road.

After walking for more than a mile, he took a sip of tea at a roadside tea stall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two figures not far behind him. One was pretending to tie his shoes, and the other was squatting on the edge of the field pretending to inspect the crops.

Xiao Fan took a sip of tea and continued walking north.

He walked for a whole day, taking two breaks along the way, with the tail always following behind him. As it was getting dark, he found a place to stay at a small shop by the roadside.

Early the next morning, Xiao Fan embarked on his journey. In the afternoon, feeling that it was about time, he stopped in a small grove of trees by the roadside.

Caught off guard, one of the two tails had already run to the edge of the woods, while the other hid behind the bushes by the roadside. The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

"You've been following us for a day and a half, you must be tired."

Xiao Fan spoke calmly, as if greeting an acquaintance, "Tell the person behind you that I'm going back to the Pill Tower. I've already seen that old kiln in the capital twice; there's nothing special about it. If anyone follows me again, I'll arrest them on the spot."

The woods were silent. The two men were taken aback at first, then their expressions turned somewhat awkward. Finally, the one who entered the woods bowed to Xiao Fan and said in a deep voice, "Please forgive us, Young Master Xiao, we are merely following orders."

Then, pulling his companion along, they quickly left.

Watching the two disappear at the end of the road, Xiao Fan lowered his hands and slung his backpack back over his shoulder. He turned a corner and finally returned to the capital before sunset.

Upon entering the city, he didn't return to the inn but went straight to the Ye family's residence. Ye Ruolin was sorting through ore; seeing him return, she put down the ore she was holding. "How was it?"

"Although I've been shaken off, their surveillance in the capital won't last long. In a few days, they'll know I haven't left the city."

Xiao Fan walked to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down. "However, I've almost finished dealing with things here, so there's no need for me to stay any longer. I'll be returning to Dan Tower in a couple of days."

Ye Ruolin nodded and pointed to the ore spread out on the stone table.

One of the pieces was a dark red ore with a fine texture. It produced a crisp and pleasant sound when struck. Xiao Fan examined it with the Creation Fire and found that it contained a small amount of Crimson Yang Copper and an unknown ore with high purity, which could be used to refine Yin-Yang Fire.

He memorized the characteristics and origins of these ores and then collected several samples.

The two chatted for a while about the situation in the capital. Ye Ruolin told Meng Qi that Zixiao Pavilion had become much quieter recently. Chen Yuan had made no further moves, and Old Master Song was living in seclusion and could not be seen by anyone.

In the Zhou family home in the north of the city, Zhou Yanzhi was immersed in studying the basics and did not leave the house.

Xiao Fan was quite satisfied with the situation. He had done what needed to be done, met everyone he needed to meet, activated the array's core, handed over the rubbing, and caught a fish. Next, he needed to digest the second half of the Burning Bone Abyss.

Early on the third day, Xiao Fan led Yun Ruoxi and Gu Yuan from the south gate of the capital. The carriage drove slowly toward the Pill Tower. Outside the window, the early winter fields were desolate, and the withered rice stubble gleamed with a faint golden hue in the morning light.

This time, everything went smoothly after he left the city.

The carriage traveled for three days, the sky cleared from overcast to sunny, and then it started to rain again.

The early winter rain was heavy and dense, carrying a biting chill. Han Fei didn't come along; instead, the monk Gu Yuan sat on the carriage shaft, wrapped in a thick cotton robe, occasionally wiping the rain from his face.