Qing Yuan was leaning against a tree, sighing. His eyes were red, and his cheeks were still wet. The feelings inside his heart were a mixture of guilt for severing the connection with his mother, sadness, anger, and many others. Yet one additional feeling stood out. It was a relief. It felt as if a burden that had been weighing him down had finally been lifted from his shoulders. His heart was still heavy, and he couldn't quite soar to the sky, but he felt that the wounds in his heart would slowly mend. One day, he believed, he could truly be happy.

As he leaned against the tree, filtering out his mother's sobs, Fang Ruxue ran toward him with a panicked expression. Tide Walker was close behind her, and the small dot of light followed them. He noticed that the light was behaving strangely; its movement was awkward, sometimes flying, sometimes stopping, as if its connection with Liu Xing was tenuous and about to break. Sensing something was wrong, Qing Yuan floated toward them.

"What happened?"

"I don't know," Sister Fang Ruxue said, leaning on her knees to catch her breath. "But for a while, this little light was moving frantically. It was as if it was trying to convey something."

Qing Yuan extended his hand, and the qi around him pulled the little light toward him. It hovers atop his palm before moving frantically left, right, up, and down.

"I suspect it's a distress signal from Liu Xing," Sister Fang Ruxue added. "I think it has been moving like this for a while, but I only noticed it recently."

In their small camp, Liu Xing was the leader, but Fang Ruxue ran things. Logically, she should have led in his absence. However, the fact that she came to him showed how valuable he was to the group. Aside from Tide Walker, Qing Yuan was the only one who could control qi. Although he was not a cultivator and had never fought, he was sure he could contribute something.

"What are you going to do?" Qing Yuan asked.

Sister Fang Ruxue's eyes darted left and right, as if she were reading invisible text in the air while formulating a plan. She bit her lip and then nodded. "I think it's a signal for us to move or hide. Something must be happening that's delaying him."

"But aren't we supposed to wait here?" he said, pointing to where the supplies were gathered. A small bonfire flickered to the side, and the rest of the group was already circling the supplies, their faces anxious as they waited for Liu Xing's return.

"It's a shame we didn't establish a signal with Liu Xing for a situation like this. I thought nothing on this island could stop him," she said, shaking her head. "But it's clear something has happened, so we need to move. Even if I'm misreading his signal, he can see us using that," she pointed to the dot of light. "He will know our position."

Qing Yuan nodded. The choice was between moving to hide and waiting here. It was wise to be cautious.

"What's actually delaying him?" he asked.

"I honestly don't know, but let's get going. We can't dawdle, in case enemies truly are coming for us."

The two of them, along with Tide Walker and the light—which now seemed to calm down, as if confirming their decision—moved toward the camp to tell everyone they had to leave. There were several disagreements. People questioned whether Fang Ruxue was right and argued about leaving their supplies behind. In the end, however, she successfully persuaded them.

"But where do we need to go?" Su Nian asked. "Are we going to the city?"

"Of course not. In fact, we need to get as far away from the city as possible. We'll go there," she said, pointing up toward the peak of the mountain.

"How are we going to outrun cultivators, though?" another asked. "We're normal humans. Surely, if enemies are heading toward us, they'll catch up."

At that, Sister Fang Ruxue looked at him. "Qing Yuan, can I ask for your help? I'm sure you can't summon a turtle statue and transport us like Liu Xing, but surely you can do something?"

"I don't know," he said, pinching his chin and looking around. He could make himself float by willing the qi around him for support, but he didn't know the limit of how many people he could lift. "But I can try." Surely it wouldn't be too hard. And even if he couldn't do that, there had to be something he could do.

Suddenly, a white owl fell from the sky toward Qing Yuan.

Qing Yuan's eyes widened, and he briefly considered moving aside. Instead, he spread his arms, trying to catch the owl. Considering the owl was as big as he was, the impact was painful, and he was pushed backward until his back hit the ground. He heard gasps and yelps, and saw Sister Fang Ruxue ready to lunge at the bird, thinking it was an enemy. He waved his hands. "This is my friend."

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This particular owl was usually graceful and silent, often singing for him at night. It would never crash into him like this without a reason. Qing Yuan float up, both hands grasping the owl. The bird looked at him with eyes shining with panic, conveying an intense dread that made his heartbeat spike. It urged him to fly as soon as possible, to fly toward the moon and not look back, not stop for anything. The owl began to grasp his hand with its feet, as if trying to make him take flight.

"I can't do that. I can't leave them alone," he whispered, the thumping of his heart filling his ears. The owl unclasped its feet and flew high into the sky. However, just as it reached a nearby tree, it exploded in a spray of blood like a gruesome firework. Some people screamed, but others, like Qing Yuan, were frozen in terror. It was an attack, and he didn't know where it had come from.

At that moment, the sound of dozens of footsteps began echoing between the trees. Qing Yuan and everyone in the camp—including his mother, who clutched a purple robe—turned to look at the other side of the grassy field. There, blending with the shadows, were people. Their presence was as heavy as a mountain. Their black robes seemed woven from darkness itself, accented with red that looked like threads of blood. They wore various expressions, from cold, predatory smiles to outright contempt. The one leading them was handsome, his skin pale but healthy. He strode confidently out of the forest before stopping. As he stopped, everyone behind him stopped as well.

"Ah, finally, I've found you all," the leader said in a casual voice. He pointed his index finger, and instantly, the dot of light connected to Liu Xing shattered. "Don't you know how long I've wanted to meet you all? It's a real shame those three incompetents let you go."

Upon hearing his words, Sister Fang Ruxue, Su Nian, and all the others—aside from his mother—widened their eyes. "Nether Lotus Sect," they whispered, beads of sweat forming on their faces.

Qing Yuan knew about this demonic sect. He had talked about many things with Liu Xing, and while most of it was pleasant, some was not. One of those topics was the Nether Lotus Sect—the demonic sect Liu Xing had vowed to destroy after finishing his current mission, and the same sect that had kidnapped the people who had been so welcoming to him and his mother.

Then, the handsome man's gaze fell on him. "And as expected, the Heaven Severing Pill is also here. What a fortune. To think that everything I need to retrieve is in one place. The heavens must be cheering for me."

When the man uttered the words "Heaven Severing Pill," Qing Yuan felt his very being vibrate. Not in a literal sense. His body was floating still, but it was as if his insides were undergoing an earthquake. Heaven Severing Pill. He didn't know what it meant, why he was called that, or even why his being was responding to its name, but he knew it was something terrible. This demonic cultivator revered him as a pill, and whatever the truth was, he grasped the most important fact. He, too, was a target.

Feeling their immense pressure, his instinct told him to run. However, running and showing their backs to the enemy was risky. He needed to wait for Liu Xing. His only choice was to stall.

Qing Yuan forced a smile. "I'm sorry, but I think you're mistaken. I'm not a pill. My name… my current name is Qing Yuan, and I don't think these people are who you're looking for. If you're looking for a group of women led by a strong cultivator, I heard they were heading north."

The handsome man laughed heartily. "What a funny joke. You think I could make such a simple mistake?"

"Oh, I doubt it. A person as strong, smart, and handsome as you rarely makes a mistake," he continued, his eyes narrowing into slits. "If you could describe their appearance, I could confirm whether those heading north are truly the ones you're looking for."

"Now, the joke has lost its fun," the man said, though he did chuckle. "You're a shameless kid. It's kind of refreshing. So, I'll humor you. I am looking for exactly thirty women." He began to point, starting with Sister Fang Ruxue, who was more advanced than the others. "One," he pointed to another, "two," and then another, "three, four, five," until he reached thirty. But his index finger was now pointing to one more person. He said with a chuckle, "Thirty-one. Wow, there's one person too many. I wonder whether you," he pointed to Su Nian, "or you," he pointed to his mother, "are the additional ones. I hope it's you," he settled his gaze on Su Nian. "While I enjoy all kinds of beautiful women, you're too young for my tastes. Even as a demonic cultivator, I have standards. Those who prey on children are, even among us, considered the worst and are fair game to be killed."

"Such a great standard," Qing Yuan said with a smile. "Indeed, isn't that the worst? Actually, in the city over there," he pointed toward Water Tower City, "there's a person just like that. Perhaps even worse. He… violated his own niece and then killed her before fleeing into the woods. Luckily, he was caught, and the girl's father—his own younger brother—tied him to a stake and burned him. They said that not even the crows would eat his flesh. It was such foul meat, the birds said."

"What an interesting story, Little Pill. Talking with you must be entertaining. However, I'm actually in a hurry. My father is nagging me to finally get his hands on these women. They are an expensive experiment," he chuckled, "although it seems his experiment was a success, considering you're here."

"Oh? What do you mean?" he said, his smile unchanging, though a flicker of curiosity stirred in his heart. What did he mean? Experiment? Pill?

"It's a shame you have consciousness, Little Pill, and it seems you have chosen your side. Liu Xing, was it? I heard he's currently trapped. I wanted to meet him, but honestly, I'm happier if he doesn't come at all. I want to go back and enjoy all of you, after all," he smiled lecherously while gazing at Fang Ruxue and the others.

Qing Yuan was still smiling, but he felt anger rising in his heart. While he had decided to sever his connection with his mother, she was still his mother, and this demonic cultivator had included her in his lecherous gaze.

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