Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Adam gave Maren a surprised look. After a long while, he probed tentatively, "Could it be that your surname is Veil, Miss, and your ancestor is Raiden Veil, the number one Alchemy master of Silver Willow from a thousand years ago?"
Raiden’s deeds had long spread throughout all of Silver Willow Dynasty. Even a three-year-old child knew of his legendary exploits, so Maren was not surprised that Adam could guess her identity.
"Young Master is wise. Raiden Veil is indeed my ancestor."
Hearing Maren confirm it, Adam felt a stirring of temptation.
Earlier that day, while comprehending the Pill King’s Precious Mirror, he had witnessed everything inside that secret realm with his own eyes.
Within it, millennium-old ancient herbs grew everywhere, and ten-thousand-year Herbs were not uncommon, and there were even a few legendary Immortal Herbs.
He now possessed supreme alchemy skills. If he could obtain those ancient herbs and refine them into powerful pills, his strength would experience a colossal leap.
"Miss Veil, with such a great opportunity, you trust me this much? Aren’t you afraid I’ll monopolize this fortune for myself?"
Adam looked at Maren in surprise, not expecting her to have such resolve.
Maren smiled and nodded. "Young Master jests, you are a kind-hearted person. With your cultivation, you could have completely abandoned me and left on your own."
"Furthermore, even if Young Master has this ancient jade, without knowing where the secret realm is located, what use is having the key to open it?"
Well now. This girl looked pure and charming, like a naive sweetheart, yet she had actually been holding a card up her sleeve all along.
Adam pondered in his heart and ultimately could not resist the temptation.
This woman did not know his identity or where he lived, the original owner had virtually no presence in the capital.
Although she had seen his face, Adam knew from the original owner’s memories that methods like searching a person’s soul and memories could only be achieved by a Heaven and Earth Deity.
With such an opportunity before his eyes, a negligible risk was completely worth the gamble.
"Rest assured, Miss. If the Heaven and Earth Upheaval descends, we shall make an appointment to meet in this ruined mountain god temple."
Having said that, Adam turned and left.
...
"Young Master, why are you back so late today?"
In a three-courtyard residence, Cecilia had long since prepared the meal.
With her head drooping, she had been keeping her eyes fixed on the door outside. Only when she saw Adam’s figure did a trace of joy appear in her eyes.
"It’s nothing. I was delayed by some matters on the way."
Adam did not explain too much. He handed the medicinal herbs to Cecilia and quickly changed the subject.
"Cecilia, have you heated the bathwater? Hurry and heat some up, I need to wash."
Taking the herbs from Adam, Cecilia looked at him with suspicion. "Young Master, you smell so strange! Why is there a fragrant scent on you?"
"An illusion, it must be an illusion. I’m covered in a sweaty stench. How could there be a fragrant scent?"
"Cecilia, I know I’m perfect in your heart, but there’s no need to flatter me this much! I still have a few tiny flaws. When I relieve myself, the waste that comes out is also stinky."
"Nonsense! In Cecilia’s heart, you’re just a stinky Young Master."
Cecilia had been picked up by the original owner’s mother and had grown up with him since childhood. Although they were master and servant, it was merely a label for outsiders.
In their daily interactions there were not many strict rules, so Cecilia was not afraid of Adam.
After some bantering, Cecilia dispelled her doubts. She took the herbs and went to heat Adam’s bathwater.
After dinner, Adam returned to his room, the furnishings were simple and crude: a bed, a wooden tub, a table, a few chairs, and a bookshelf.
Aside from that, there was nothing else. Cecilia had already poured the heated bathwater into the wooden tub.
Adam picked up the herbs on the table, summoned his Innate Flame, and refined them into liquid one by one.
Having completely comprehended all the profound mysteries of the Pill King’s Precious Mirror, no one in the entirety of Silver Willow Dynasty could even see Adam’s back when it came to attainments in the Dao of Alchemy.
Foundation Establishment Liquid was merely a trivial second-grade medicine. For Adam, who was now an Alchemy master in all but name, refining it was as easy as flipping his hand.
Three incense sticks’ worth of time later, a bottle of top-grade Foundation Establishment Liquid had been successfully condensed.
Pouring it into the wooden tub, the clear bathwater turned emerald green in an instant. Adam stripped off his clothes and stepped in.
A heart-piercing pain rapidly spread from his chest to his limbs. Bloodshot veins appeared in his eyes, and the veins on his neck bulged outward. It felt as if countless ants were continuously gnawing at his body from the inside.
Enduring the pain racking his frame, Adam knew this was caused by the top-grade Foundation Establishment Liquid continuously remodeling his physical flesh. He immediately mobilized the spiritual energy within his body to absorb the medicinal efficacy as quickly as possible.
As he entered a state of cultivation, the pain gradually weakened, but he could profoundly feel his physical strength growing continuously stronger.
Just as Adam plunged into self-forgetful cultivation, earth-shattering changes were occurring in the outside world.
....
Vermillion Bird Street, Veil Manor.
"This Raiden Veil is truly worthy of being a figure who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Solaris and the sect master a thousand years ago.
Even after a thousand years, I didn’t expect this formation to still possess such might."
A trace of lingering fear flashed through Elara’s eyes. She was a figure who had half-stepped into the realm of a Mortal Supreme, yet within this formation she had plunged into life-and-death crises several times over.
If not for her tyrannical cultivation, she might not have walked out of this formation safely.
"Alright, Elara, hurry up and take the Eternal Pine Pill. Then get the ancient jade and scroll from that little girl so we can go report to the Lord."
Envoy Black Robe, who had also just survived the ordeal, hurriedly urged Elara beside him.
Even an earthly great demon with monstrous sins like him didn’t want to linger in this place for too long.
