"It wasn't hard. If you had become a newborn child after taking the elixir, then maybe it would've been impossible for me to recognize you. But since you've only returned to a youthful appearance, it wasn't difficult. The shape and length of your eyes, your height, nose width and length—they're still the same," Su Wenqing said matter-of-factly.

Xu Mo had merely asked an innocent question, yet Su Wenqing had begun listing his features in alarming detail.

Heavens!! Even I've never examined myself this closely.

"But I told you—the elixir didn't seem to work when I drank it just now. So why did I suddenly change into this youthful appearance?" Xu Mo asked, his tone casual, though his expression was comically exaggerated with a finger pressed to his cheek, elbow resting on his folded arm, as if contemplating a world-shattering mystery.

"Yeah, and thanks to that, I managed to become a Rank 2 Alchemist. Now," she pointed toward the pill bottle in his hand, "can I have my pill back?"

Without question, Xu Mo walked over to her. His eyes conveyed a message, gentle but firm: Bring your hand forward.

'T-Too handsome—' Su Wenqing nearly lost strength in her knees the moment Old Xu turned into a youthful, striking man. Inwardly, she shook her head, reminding herself that her heart already belonged to Zhen Yuan.

(Zhen Yuan was the brother among the two siblings Xu Mo had saved back in Readsack Woodland. The sister, who also happened to be Su Wenqing's junior and was referred to as "Fourth," was named Zhen Luo.)

Xu Mo, ever sincere, had no idea just how dangerously charming he had become. Carefully, he placed the pill bottle upright in the center of her palm. He didn't even brush his fingers against her skin—he avoided even the faintest excuse for physical contact under the pretense of an "accident." There was no "It was unintentional" from him.

Is it wrong for a woman to admire a man's beauty the same way so many men openly admire theirs? Su Wenqing mused. They claim to love their companions, yet their eyes drift whenever someone more aligned with their preferences walks by. She looked at Xu Mo again. He wasn't just attractive—he was dangerously beautiful. A perfected man. She couldn't help but wonder if showing interest in someone like him might stir some jealousy in Zhen Yuan. After all, Zhen Yuan wasn't lacking in looks himself. If she suddenly stopped giving him attention, maybe he'd finally notice.

Maybe, just maybe, it would push their relationship forward.

"Congratulations," Xu Mo said with a gentle smile, genuinely happy for her. "Was it because of what I said earlier? It seemed like something I said struck a chord... like a knot in your heart had finally come undone."

"Yes, thank you. When we get out of here, I'll invite you to meet my master in the outer sect. I believe she would reward you handsomely." Su Wenqing seized the opportunity while the iron was still hot. "But why didn't you tell me you were a disciple of our sect? And an outer sect disciple, no less?"

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"Sorry. I thought you'd recognize my robe. But I guess it was too tattered for you to tell which sect I belonged to."

"So... is that why you saved me?" she asked, frowning slightly. It had always been a little strange—a stranger risking their life for her when they didn't even know each other's names. But now that she thought about it... she had never told him her name. Yet he had known it. That meant he hadn't been hiding anything—she had just been too slow to realize it.

She sighed softly, letting a deep breath escape her lips as she calmed herself. Her impression of Xu Mo had dipped slightly when she assumed he was helping her for some kind of reward. But now, she realized that Xu Mo had never once indicated he expected anything in return. He hadn't even thought she might not recognize her own sect's robes. That shade... she felt she had seen it not long ago too.

"Didn't I say earlier?" Xu Mo replied with a frown. "Besides, I've advanced in my cultivation. It looks like, in this lifetime, I might actually have a chance to reach the Foundation Building Realm."

They were walking side-by-side, ascending the spiral staircase out of the underground chamber. Their mission had always been to retrieve the elixir, and now that both had gained far more than they'd expected, their moods were understandably soaring.

"I was wondering," Xu Mo asked, glancing up at the scarlet sky above. "How do the other disciples keep track of time and days inside this place? Since I arrived, the sky's never darkened. It's always stayed that same reddish hue."

"You see those two stars?" she said, nodding toward the sky before continuing, "We track time using them. Throughout the day, the stars dim in brightness four times, each dimming representing one quarter of the full day. Then, for one hour, both stars disappear completely—that marks the end of one day. Understand?"

She turned to look at him, her attention momentarily shifting from the stars.

Xu Mo nodded. It was surprisingly simple. Here he was, thinking it would be some complicated system of ancient runes or something.

"So now," she asked, "where will you go? Since you've completed the goal that brought you into the secret realm?"

"The elixir was only a temporary fix," he replied. "I can still feel my vitality draining, though it's slowed to a snail's pace. The sensation is still there."

Su Wenqing's brows knit together in concern. A Rank 4 elixir had failed to fully heal him?

"It might be a hidden injury. You should see a physician as soon as you exit the secret realm."

"Can't you check my condition?" Xu Mo asked with a faint smile.

"I'm an alchemist," she replied flatly, clearly used to the misconception.

Xu Mo didn't push further. Her tone made it clear she'd answered that question too many times.

Su Wenqing was, indeed, an alchemist. While alchemists and physicians shared some basic knowledge of human anatomy, the two paths diverged significantly. Alchemists learned just enough to understand how pills affected the body—but they weren't trained to diagnose or heal like physicians were.

"..."

Xu Mo chose silence as his response. Sometimes, it was simply better not to say anything.

"Where will you go now?" Xu Mo asked her, turning the question back.

"There are a few locations my master recommended I explore. They're supposed to help with my cultivation and alchemy studies. This secret realm is full of legacies and inheritances left behind by the giants of the ancient era—beings still revered even by today's most powerful cultivators. Outside this realm, the odds of encountering such inheritances might be one in a million... and even then, passing the trials and actually obtaining them is another story entirely. But here? The chances go up to almost one percent."

Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, her voice tinged with genuine excitement.

Xu Mo nodded thoughtfully. With his cultivation rising, perhaps he, too, could take a chance at finding some of these legendary remnants.

Maybe, just maybe, fate still had more in store for him inside this secret realm.

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