"Scram!"
Zi Linling cursed impatiently.
However, their previous conversation had been via telepathy, but this word was spoken aloud.
So, as soon as her "scram" left her lips, the others present were startled.
Zi Linling felt a pang of embarrassment and chuckled, "That... that... I'm going to research the antidote. Xue Jing, follow me."
"Yes, Princess!"
As they spoke, the two left the Heavenly Chamber One and headed towards a secret room behind the Fengyu Tower.
Ye Lingyuan smiled as if nothing had happened and also left the Heavenly Chamber One.
He did not follow Zi Linling to the secret room but went to the Xuanwu Empire's stronghold of the Ye Chi organization.
The remaining people in the room exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what had happened.
Zi Guochang and the Situ father and son looked at each other, then burst into laughter and returned to their respective homes.
In the secret room, Zi Linling handed the enhanced version of the universal antidote pills she had refined to Xue Jing, instructing him to deliver them to their brothers in Tianqi Kingdom and also to the King's mercenary group.
"Princess, His Highness asked me to tell you that there is news about the origin of Moonlit Glazed Glass!" Xue Jing said as he put away the pills.
Zi Linling exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? So soon?"
Seeing Zi Linling inquire, Xue Jing couldn't help but show off, "Princess, you may not know, but there is nothing in this world that the Ye Chi organization cannot investigate if it wishes to!"
Zi Linling couldn't help but chuckle, "Alright, stop showing off. Tell me quickly, what's going on?"
Xue Jing awkwardly scratched his head and said, "Princess, you have such keen insight. Have you ever heard of the Poison Sect?"
Poison Sect?
Zi Linling quickly searched her mind for any records of the Poison Sect.
The Poison Sect was a sect with an ancient heritage.
The people of the Poison Sect not only cultivated spiritual energy but also refined poisons, and they were bitter rivals with the Alchemist Guild.
A thousand years ago, after the cultivation of human cultivators was capped at the peak of the Saint King realm and could no longer break through, the Poison Sect and the Alchemist Guild engaged in a fierce competition.
In the end, the Poison Sect suffered heavy losses and disappeared overnight.
This meant that the Poison Sect had not appeared on the Tianyuan Continent for a thousand years.
Xue Jing's sudden mention of the Poison Sect made Zi Linling's heart skip a beat.
She asked in shock, "Could it be that 'Moonlit Glazed Glass' was obtained by Ye Moyuan from someone in the Poison Sect?"
Xue Jing nodded, "Princess, you are truly divine. You guessed it right away!"
Zi Linling was speechless.
With such an obvious hint, if she couldn't guess it, wouldn't she be a fool trapped in a well – stuck between a rock and a hard place?
"Could 'A Smile of a Lifetime' also be the work of the Poison Sect?"
Xue Jing nodded again, "Although there is no evidence to prove it yet, it is indeed the most suspicious!"
Zi Linling's mind raced. She was speculating about the Poison Sect's motives. Did they really intend to destroy the Tianyuan Continent?
No, something was not right here.
But she couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
"Princess?"
Seeing Zi Linling lost in thought, Xue Jing tentatively reminded her.
Zi Linling snapped back to attention and suddenly asked, "Uh? Where is your Prince?"
From her understanding of Ye Lingyuan, if he were still at Fengyu Tower, he would have already followed her to the secret room.
But since he hadn't, it meant he was held up by something.
Under the current circumstances, whatever could hold Ye Lingyuan up must be related to the Poison Sect.
The thought of Ye Lingyuan dealing with the Poison Sect brought a trace of worry to Zi Linling's eyes.
With Ye Lingyuan's cultivation, even all the Saint King realm powerhouses on the Tianyuan Continent combined would not be his match.
But that was in a fair fight.
The most formidable aspect of the Poison Sect members was not their cultivation, but their unpredictable and ghostly poison-using abilities, which was what Zi Linling worried about most.
However, when she thought of the two bottles of enhanced universal antidote pills she had given Ye Lingyuan, her worry subsided slightly.
"Princess?"
"Princess?"
"Princess!"
Seeing Zi Linling drift off again, Xue Jing called out softly twice, but Zi Linling didn't respond, so he raised his voice slightly on the third call.
"Ah?"
Zi Linling returned to her senses and asked, "What is it?"
"Your subordinate means that His Highness has gone to the Xuanwu Empire, but His Highness said he will definitely return before your birthday."
"Okay! I got it! You can go now. As soon as there is news of His Highness, come and tell me immediately!"
After speaking, Zi Linling sat down at the workbench and began tinkering with the bottles and jars on it.
In just a few breaths, Zi Linling was immersed in her work.
"A Smile of a Lifetime" ranked third among ancient potent poisons. Its antidote would not be easy to concoct.
Therefore, Zi Linling had to concentrate fully and give her all to analyze and calculate, so that she could quickly grasp the arrangement of its poisonous elements and research the antidote as soon as possible.
Xue Jing watched Zi Linling busy herself with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
Indeed, geniuses paid unknown efforts behind the scenes.
He quietly withdrew and helped Zi Linling close the door to the secret room, then called two brothers to conceal themselves around the secret room to protect Zi Linling's safety.
Although the defenses of Fengyu Tower were absolute and it was theoretically impossible for anyone to infiltrate the core area, it was always better to be safe than sorry.
...
Deep within the Fengyue Residence, the Xuanwu Empire stronghold of the Ye Chi organization.
Ye Lingyuan sat in the main seat, tapping his fingers on the table, and said with a frown, "You mean the Poison Sect's stronghold is located north of the Imperial City of the Xuanwu Empire?"
Fan Chou said, "Yes, Your Highness!"
Ye Lingyuan pondered for a moment and said, "Notify all our people in the Northern City to rush to the Poison Sect stronghold immediately!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Fan Chou responded with a powerful sound and went out to relay the order.
Half an hour later, outside the Northern City of the Xuanwu Empire, three hundred li to the south.
This was a dilapidated temple. The outer temple walls had long since collapsed, leaving only rubble.
Inside the collapsed temple walls, wild grass grew luxuriantly, reaching half a person's height.
However, who would have thought that this extremely dilapidated place was the stronghold of the terrifying Poison Sect?
More than a hundred people from the Ye Chi and Ye Mei organizations gathered outside the ruined temple, a dense black mass.
With a thought, Ye Lingyuan's domain, unique to a Small God realm expert, instantly enveloped the ruined temple and the surrounding hundred li.
Then, his vast divine consciousness surged out, quickly searching.
Soon, he raised five fingers and pointed to a dead corner of the ruined temple.
Fan Chou understood and immediately led a few people to surround it.
But as soon as they crossed the collapsed wall, they felt a sensation of dizziness.
"Not good! It's poisonous! Retreat quickly!"
Fan Chou transmitted a message to the others and quickly retreated beyond the wall.