The Tribulation Surrogate Pill was once considered the stuff of myths and only theoretically possible even back in the ancient times. However, Qing Han had just said that the herbs the Panorama Pavilion had acquired were its main ingredients!

“Is this true?” Lu Yun asked in a trembling voice, his expression colored by disbelief. The question wasn’t meant for Qing Han, but for Empress Myrtlestar in the Scroll of Shepherding Immortals.

“It is,” the empress affirmed in Lu Yun’s mind. “That pill is also Qi Hai’s handiwork. The Panorama Pavilion must have found the herb garden he left behind.”

Qi Hai was the foremost pill master of the ancient world of immortals. He was the one who’d invented the Heaven Descent Pill, and the Tribulation Surrogate Pill was only even more heaven-defying. It could be used as a substitute during a tribulation, be it a life, death, heaven, earth, or human tribulation!

The head of the Panorama Pavilion was no doubt in great need of the pill. When facing unknown dangers and challenges, even the dao weapon might not get him through the upcoming tribulation alive.

“Sir Lu Yun....” Qing Xun took a deep breath and looked at Lu Yun.

“In addition to the hundred and eight thousand main ingredients, you’ll need three catalysts and three hundred and eighty thousand supplemental ingredients,” Qing Han responded in his stead. “The supplemental ingredients aren’t uncommon—you should be able to find them in the current world.”

He manifested a jade slip and handed it to Qing Xun; Empress Myrtlestar had just engraved the ingredients into the slip. Fairy Qing Xun hastily accepted it with great urgency.

“The problem lies with the three catalysts,” Qing Han said after a bemused pause.

“What are they?” As a golden immortal, Qing Xun was able to memorize all three hundred and eighty thousand ingredients with a single sweep of her consciousness. They were indeed things that existed in the current world and nothing too complex. Although she wasn’t a pill master herself, most of the wares she handled were herbs and medicines. The list wasn’t too foreign for her.

“The three catalysts required,” Qing Han said, “are skydragon blood, skyphoenix blood, and skyqilin blood!”

Qingxun paled. Skydragons, skyphoenixes, and skyqilins referred to the heavyweights of the three races, ones who’d exceeded dao immortal realm.

The first two weren’t a problem. The world still had some secret realms left behind from the ancient times, and some skydragon and skyphoenix blood were preserved from those glorious heydays. Even the Panorama Pavilion had a limited stock of both.

The qilins, however, had gone extinct. There weren't even any mixed-breed qilins in the world of immortals. Although a few nests had been unearthed before, no blood had been found.

“None of the ingredients or catalysts are going to be a problem,” Lu Yun said suddenly.

Oh?” Qing Xun’s eyes lit up.

“And I can refine the pill for you,” continued Lu Yun.

“Then… what would you like in return, Sir Lu?” Qing Xun was sharp enough to read between the lines. There wasn’t such a thing as a free lunch in this world. Lu Yun had already lent them the dao weapon, and was now offering to refine a Tribulation Surrogate Pill of his own volition. There must be something he wanted.

“I do have a few things in mind,” Lu Yun nodded, “but I must talk to the head of the Panorama Pavilion in person.”

Qing Xun took in a deep breath. “Of course. This is too important a matter for anyone other than my master to negotiate with you, I’ll arrange a meeting!”

With that, she took her leave. The pill might determine if her master could ascend to origin dao immortal realm. She didn’t want to waste even a minute.

“Have you fallen for her?” Qing Han pursed his lips as he watched Qing Xun go.

“Huh?” Lu Yun turned to Qing Han in shock.

“You haven’t once asked about my sister since we returned from the Blood Sea.” A pang of jealousy struck Qing Han.

“Ah.” Lu Yun paused. He had indeed not been worried about Qing Yu’s whereabouts and if she was safe. It wasn’t that he’d forgotten about her, but subconsciously, he knew that she was fine.

“What?” Qing Han stared deeply at Lu Yun’s face and asked again, “Have you moved on already?”

Lu Yun fell into deep thought. Seeing that, Qing Han quietly lowered his head. To be honest, his friend had been solely focused on nothing else but finding the skydragon tomb for him in all this time. He’d even tossed his responsibilities in Dusk Province by the wayside.

Qing Han wasn’t sure what he should be feeling at the moment, either.

“I feel like... she’s right beside me,” Lu Yun said haltingly. “I feel like... she never left my side.”

Qing Han stilled, his heart pounding under Lu Yun’s gaze.

“Not only now, but last time, too…. When I saw her in the Chen Clan, there was something strangely familiar about her.” Lu Yun wandered through the hallways of his memory. “That seems to be the reason I’ve fallen for her....”

“Stop!” Qing Han blurted out. “You’re making me nauseous.”

His heart beat even faster; he knew what Lu Yun meant. It was him! Lu Yun liked Qing Yu because she was Qing Han!

Lu Yun stared at his friend and found himself seeing traces of Qing Yu again.

“My master has arrived, Sir Lu!” Qing Xun’s return interrupted Lu Yun’s ruminations and prompted a sigh of relief from Qing Han.

“Wait for me here.” Lu Yun got to his feet and followed Qing Xun.

……

“Just what are you worried about?” Empress Myrtlestar’s voice suddenly echoed in Qing Han’s mind.

Qing Han didn’t respond.

“He has spared no effort to scour the North Sea for the skydragon tomb. He does it for you,” the empress said faintly. “He has even taken on the entire Qing Clan by himself....”

“I...” Qing Han answered in a dejected tone. “I worry that I’ll cause his downfall. If he’s made an enemy out of the Qing Clan for me, then one day he’ll face all of House Donglin for me. His future is limitless. It shouldn’t be destroyed because of me.”

“Even heroes are hard pressed to resist their feelings,” Empress Myrtlestar sighed. “He has a rare treasure that can sense your true form, and it has been affecting his perception every moment of the day. He cannot tap into the treasure’s full power yet, but he will fully incorporate the treasure once he ascends to immortality. Then he will see through your disguise.”

Qing Han nodded. He—she—had already noticed how Lu Yun had treated him like Qing Yu, albeit unconsciously.

“What do you plan to do then?” asked the empress. “He will find out the truth once he becomes an immortal.”

Qing Han didn’t answer.