Xuan Tian flew toward the inn, his focus completely shifted. His priority had always been clear—protect the doctors. He could not and would not fail in his duty. Never had, never would.
As he approached, he sent his senses forward, scanning the area. There was a fight. The clash of Spirit Energy rippled through the air. Immortals. He adjusted his course, heading toward the disturbance.
He arrived at the scene—a narrow street near the inn, but thankfully, not within it. He exhaled. The doctors were safe. He hadn't failed his duty, his Tianjun.
Staying hidden, he observed the fight, ready to intervene in an instant.
"Give it to me!" barked an Immortal clad in flowing light blue robes.
"Hah! Take it if you can!" his opponent, dressed in an identical robe but in a shade of light green, sneered.
"I had it first!" Light Blue yelled, launching another strike toward Light Green.
Their powers and skill were evenly matched. Xuan Tian's gaze flickered to the object they were fighting over and his frown deepened.
Why would they fight over a cultivation pill?
In the Human Realm, those born with innate talent could cultivate and eventually become Immortals. If they continued advancing, they could reach even higher realms, striving toward the peak—Immortal Saint.
Cultivation was divided into four main realms: Low Immortal, Mid Immortal, High Immortal, and Saint.
Each realm contained five stages, and breaking through was never an easy feat. That was why it was common for Immortals to consume cultivation pills to aid their advancement.
Xuan Tian knew that such pills were scarce, but he had never imagined they could cause Low Immortals to fight so viciously over one.
Xuan Tian continued to observe. The two Low Immortals were evenly matched, their battle dragging on with no clear winner. He was beginning to feel bored, almost regretting his decision coming here. He was ready to end the fight himself, when he noticed another two Low Immortals rapidly approaching.
This second group, both clad in light green robes, wasted no time. The moment they arrived, they launched a coordinated assault on Light Blue.
Light Green 1, emboldened by his allies' arrival, shouted, "Don't stop attacking!"
Now, the balance shifted. Light Blue was at a clear disadvantage. The narrow street became a battlefield, Spirit Energy flying wildly, shattering the surroundings.
Xuan Tian had seen enough.
With a mere thought, he released a wave of Spirit Energy—powerful yet controlled. It surged through the street like an invisible force, sweeping over the four Immortals. At the same time, the pill vanished from their grasp, effortlessly snatched by his Spirit Energy.
Their reactions were instant. They froze.
Not a single sound escaped them. Not even a breath.
After waiting for a few moments, there was still no sign of any presence of Xuan Tian.
Light Green 1, trying to summon courage, hesitantly said, "Oh, Revered High Immortal Master," his voice carrying a slight tremor. He believed that Xuan Tian was at least a High Immortal, a level far beyond his own.
Before he could continue, an icy cold voice cut through the air, sharp and absolute.
"Fighting over one measly cultivation pill, in a human city, is not the behavior of an Immortal. Be gone."
The four Low Immortals, forgetting that they had been fighting fiercely mere moments ago, now clung to each other, scrambling away like frightened prey. Their robes fluttered as they vanished into the darkness, too terrified to even glance back.
A set of footsteps approached the scene. Xuan Tian scanned ahead. Four people. Hasty steps. The doctors. Of course.
No sooner than a breath, Lei Wen appeared first, eyes sharp with alertness. Behind him, Zhao Zhi followed closely, his expression tense. A bit further behind were Lin Qian and Xu Yun, their gazes flickering between the damaged street and the eerie silence left behind.
Xuan Tian stepped forward from the shadows, waiting for them. The moment they saw him, their faces shifted—from trepidation to relief, and then to curiosity.
When they reached him, he held up a hand, stopping them before they could speak. Lei Wen immediately shut his mouth, scanning the surroundings more thoroughly, as if trying to understand why Xuan Tian had silenced them. The others followed suit, their eyes sweeping over the area in quiet assessment.
Xuan Tian used the moment to observe them as well, scanning for any signs of mishaps. When he found none, he finally spoke. "This is not a good place to talk. Let's head back."
The doctors nodded in agreement and turned to leave. But just as they started walking, they sensed a lingering trace of Spirit Energy behind them—faint, yet unmistakable. Their gazes drifted back instinctively, drawn by the lingering trace of Spirit Energy. A light barrier unraveled into the air like mist, the street returning to its normal state.
They hadn't sensed anything unusual when they arrived—there was no disturbance, no lingering force. Only now did they realize—Xuan Tian had erected a barrier, unseen and undetected, not only to contain the fight but to prevent any innocent humans from getting hurt.
Lei Wen's gaze flickered with admiration. He's meticulous. Thoughtful.
All five of them sat around a table inside Xuan Tian's room. He recounted his experience since leaving the inn in detail. He placed the pill on the table.
Zhao Zhi, the pills expert among them, picked it up, inspecting it closely. He scanned it, sniffed it, analyzing it while the others watched in silence. Finally, he set the pill back on the table, staring at it as if deep in thought.
Xu Yun was the first to speak. "Well, Shixiong? Is it the rumored pill? The one Miss Ling Yu mentioned, the one that can help a regular human form an Immortal Core?"
At the mention of Ling Yu's name, something flickered in Xuan Tian's eyes—gone as quickly as it came. No one noticed. Not even Xuan Tian himself.
Zhao Zhi answered carefully, "I only know about cultivation pills—the Zhengyuan Pills. These can only be found in the Human Realm. Celestials don't consume them; there's no need for it. Only humans rely on them. Even then, the more pills one consumes, the less effective they become. And the higher one's cultivation, the more pills are required."
He glanced around the room, then continued, "These pills are very common among cultivators. I am certain that even you, General, must have encountered them before."
Xuan Tian moved forward, picking up the pill. "Yes, I have. That is why I don't understand why those Low Immortals were fighting over it. Even at the lowest stage of cultivation, fighting over one pill?" He shook his head, placing the pill back down. "I just don't get it."
Lin Qian folded her arms. "Maybe cultivation resource scarcity has gotten worse. When was the last time any of us came to the Human Realm? Thirty years ago? Fifty? It makes sense if the scarcity has increased even more."
Lei Wen, however, looked unconvinced. "But to this extent?" He turned to Xuan Tian. "What about their cultivation? Did anything seem off?"
Xuan Tian frowned, recalling the fight. "Nothing obvious, but they did seem slightly weaker than the Low Immortals I've encountered before." He paused, then added, "The last time I met a Low Immortal was over a hundred years ago."
Silence fell over the group.
Xuan Tian turned to Zhao Zhi. "Are you certain this is just a normal Zhengyuan Pill?"
Zhao Zhi hesitated before replying. "I'd say 80–85% sure, General. But there's a faint scent I don't recognize. If I had more of them to compare, I might be able to figure it out."
"Maybe we can put this aside for a moment," Xu Yun spoke. "Let's confirm what we know so far. The plague is not a plague. There are rumors about miraculous pills. At least three people are missing," she listed the facts.
"And," Lei Wen added, "Zhang Family's Clinic is in need of at least one competent doctor who doesn't ask questions." His lips curled into a smirk. "I'd say we give them that."