The Domain Lord divided the entire Human Realm into the Lower Realm, Middle Realm, and Upper Realm. The Lower Realm refers to the weakest continents like the Ancient Spirit Continent, the Middle Realm is the Ancient Profound Continent, and the Upper Realm is the Azure Continent. Spirit Transformation Island directly belongs to the Sacred Domain and is not within these three realms.
Although the Domain Lord's regulation was like this, in everyone's eyes, any continent below their own was considered the Lower Realm, and any above was the Upper Realm.
The Domain Lord's task for Ling Luoyi was to patrol the Lower Realm, which meant patrolling places on the same level as the Ancient Spirit Continent. Since the Outer Realm Demons could not open channels to any other continents besides this one, and the Lower Realm could not contact the Sacred Domain, Ling Luoyi only needed to patrol the Lower Realm.
While it was called patrolling, it was essentially just visiting other continents, smoothing out disordered spatial spiritual energy, and reinforcing the Continent Heart that maintained the continent's operation. Moreover, except for the Ancient Spirit Continent, which had already been breached, the channels to the Outer Realm for other continents were only on the verge of opening. Therefore, Ling Luoyi had not directly fought the Outer Realm Demons.
Especially since these continents, although belonging to the Lower Realm like the Ancient Spirit Continent, were much stronger. People from these continents occasionally broke through to the Middle Realm, and the spiritual energy from the Middle Realm irrigated these continents, so Ling Luoyi did not have to worry about that.
As for mortal continents, due to the absence of spiritual energy, the power of the Heavenly Dao was strongest there, making it impossible for Outer Realm Demons to open channels to them, thus there was no need to worry.
In the blink of an eye, three months had passed since Ling Luoyi began her patrol of the Lower Realm.
On this day, Qiu Yuanxi took out the last batch of pills and then sat by the window, gazing into the distance, wondering how Ling Luochen was doing.
As Qiu Yuanxi watched the progress, her thoughts drifted to someone working hard to cultivate in the distance.
Upon returning to the Azure Continent, Ling Luoyi had retrieved the teleportation talisman she had given Qiu Yuanxi to enter the small world. Consequently, Qiu Yuanxi could no longer enter the small world at this time.
Just as Qiu Yuanxi was lost in thought, a knock on the door brought her back to reality.
"Your Highness, the last batch of pills for the Spirit Tiger Beast Tribe has just been delivered. The spirit stones have also been credited to the account, not a single one is missing. Do you have any further instructions, Your Highness?"
After a moment of reaction, Qiu Yuanxi remembered that the Spirit Tiger Beast Tribe were their guests during this period. Handing over the last batch of pills to them meant she would have some time to rest, which she could use to cancel the long-overdue engagement.
Thinking of this, Qiu Yuanxi excitedly said to the person outside the door, "Gu Yu, after delivering the pills to the Spirit Tiger Beast Tribe, our Pure Heart Hall can rest. You have all worked hard during this time. Go tell the Sixth Elder that everyone in the hall will receive double rewards."
"Yes, thank you, Your Highness!" Hearing the reward Qiu Yuanxi offered, Gu Yu was also excited. However, remembering another matter, he said, "Your Highness, the Sixth Elder just took stock of the hall's pill reserves. The reserves of some low-grade pills are too large. Not only are they more than can be used, but they are also increasing in large quantities daily. The Sixth Elder said it would be a waste to throw them away and is thinking of a solution."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Yuanxi also recalled the many low-grade pills stored in the Pure Heart Hall's warehouse. The Azure Continent did not require many low-grade pills. It would be a waste to throw them away, and they were not ideal to give away. Keeping them piled up was also improper. So, she said, "This is easy. Have someone send the excess low-grade pills to me using storage rings. I will contact the Saintess of War. Isn't she patrolling the Lower Realm? We can send them there."
"Yes."
Gu Yu, having received the instructions, immediately led people to carry them out.
Qiu City, this was the city where the Qiu family resided. The city lord here was also the head of the Qiu family and Qiu Yuanxi's father. Before Qiu Yuanxi was chosen as the Saintess of Medicine, the Qiu family was already a top aristocratic family on the Azure Continent, on par with the Mu family. Later, after Qiu Yuanxi was chosen as the Saintess of Medicine, the Qiu family subtly began to surpass the Mu family.
At the entrance of the Qiu Manor, Qiu Yuanxi quietly looked at the plaque hanging high above, sighing deeply. How long had it been since she last returned? Ever since she proposed to break off the engagement and her parents disagreed, she had run to the Sacred Hall in the Sacred City. Although she had sneaked out a few times, she had never returned. It must have been over ten years.
Seeing Qiu Yuanxi suddenly return, the servants of the Qiu Manor were all stunned, and then they all knelt to pay their respects.
"Greetings, Fifth Miss!"
Qiu Yuanxi did not use the regalia of the Saintess of Medicine on this return; only a guard accompanied her. Seeing this, the servants of the Qiu Manor naturally knew how to address Qiu Yuanxi.
The head of the Qiu family had a total of eleven daughters, and Qiu Yuanxi ranked fifth, hence she was the Fifth Miss.
"Where are my father and mother? I have something to discuss with them."
"Reporting to Fifth Miss, the Family Head is at the military camp, and the Family Head's wife is in the small study reviewing accounts."
"Alright, you may all rise."
"Yes."
Just then, the steward of the Qiu Manor also arrived.
"Fifth Miss." The steward of the Qiu Manor bowed and asked, "Fifth Miss, will you be staying for a long time this time? The Family Head and the Family Head's wife have missed you very much over the years."
Hearing this, Qiu Yuanxi felt a pang of guilt. She had run away in anger and hadn't returned for years, not even writing a letter. It was truly unfilial.
"Then, as the steward grandfather says, I will stay here for some time."
"Good." Hearing Qiu Yuanxi agree, the steward of the Qiu Manor was so happy that tears welled up in his eyes. "Then, Fifth Miss, will you still be staying in the Warm Water Pavilion? The Family Head and the Family Head's wife have had the servants meticulously clean it all these years. You can stay whenever you wish."
"Of course, I will stay in the Warm Water Pavilion when I return home."
The Warm Water Pavilion was the courtyard where Qiu Yuanxi had lived since establishing her own residence. Although it was not the best courtyard in the Qiu family, it was not bad.
"Yes."
By the time Qiu Yuanxi walked from the main gate of the Qiu Manor to the Warm Water Pavilion in the back courtyard, the news of her return had spread throughout Qiu City. The head of the Qiu family and his wife naturally learned of it as well. Since the head of the Qiu family could not return immediately, the first person to see Qiu Yuanxi was the wife of the head of the family, who was Qiu Yuanxi's mother.
"Xi'er." Madam Qiu came as soon as she learned of her daughter's return.
After Qiu Yuanxi left, she hadn't written a single letter to them. When the head of the Qiu family and Madam Qiu went to the Sacred Hall to see her, Qiu Yuanxi did not appear. They also couldn't place their own people in the Sacred Hall, so for over ten years, Madam Qiu could only learn about Qiu Yuanxi from others.
At this moment, Madam Qiu looked at her daughter, who had not changed much from her memory, and was overjoyed to the point of tears.
Seeing Madam Qiu like this, Qiu Yuanxi also felt a pang of emotion. She helped Madam Qiu to sit down, and then knelt before her, "Mother, your daughter has been unfilial all these years."
"Xi'er." Madam Qiu quickly helped Qiu Yuanxi up. "Xi'er, Mother does not blame you. Mother just misses you too much."
The mother and daughter spoke for a while before Madam Qiu regained her usual calm demeanor. Although Madam Qiu was very emotional at this moment, she was usually a decisive person. It was just that seeing her daughter after such a long time had made her unable to control her emotions.
Now that Madam Qiu had calmed down, she realized that Qiu Yuanxi's return must have another purpose. She asked, "Xi'er, you must not have returned just because you missed Father and Mother, right? Just tell us directly what your purpose is. We haven't had a proper talk in a long time."
"Mother..." Qiu Yuanxi had intended to deceive her first, but when she saw Madam Qiu's eyes, which seemed to see through her thoughts, the words Qiu Yuanxi had prepared got stuck in her throat, unable to be spoken.