Outside the grand hall.
After the emperor and his son came out, they stood obediently at the door.
After a while, father and son exchanged glances.
They had been too excited earlier and had overlooked a very important issue.
Originally, they thought Ye Fan had some powerful figures behind him, and Ye Fan was just a spokesperson pushed to the forefront by those figures.
But now Ye Fan was asking for medicinal materials and rooms, which looked like he was preparing to refine pills himself?
What the hell!
This concept was entirely different!
This meant that Ye Fan himself was also a high-level alchemist!
They had sought help from a sixth-tier alchemist before, but unfortunately failed.
That sixth-tier alchemist had made it very clear.
Although he didn't know what level was needed to solve the poison of the Soul Refining Python, sixth-tier was definitely not enough!
This meant that it required seventh-tier at the very least.
Or even higher!
Could Ye Fan be a seventh-tier...
Or even higher-tier alchemist?!
As this thought arose, the father and son immediately dismissed it!
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Even if Ye Fan's talent was extraordinary, his age was a limiting factor!
Not yet twenty years old, how powerful could he be?
Let alone alchemy, he probably hadn't even finished learning the basic knowledge!
Thinking of this, the father and son felt a bit panicked...
Ye Fan's previous actions clearly indicated he intended to refine pills.
But could the pills he refined be edible...
Although they didn't know alchemy themselves, they knew a truth that even a child understood.
Alchemy wasn't about throwing a pile of medicinal ingredients into a furnace and ending up with something ball-shaped!
If that could be called alchemy, then everyone would be an alchemist...
If their ancestor ate what he refined...
The consequences were unimaginable...
No, such a thing absolutely could not happen!
The life of their ancestor was tied to the survival of the entire royal family, so they couldn't be so reckless!
However, directly refusing was also inappropriate.
Firstly, Ye Fan was invited by them, and it would be unreasonable to refuse now.
Secondly, regardless of Ye Fan's own skill level, he still had so many powerful figures behind him.
If they were to directly refuse like fools, wouldn't those powerful figures lose face?
Angering a group of seventh-tier powerhouses was not a wise move...
Direct refusal was out of the question, but how could they refuse indirectly...?
Thinking of this, the father and son wore expressions of distress.
Anxious!
Frustrated!
Pulling out their hair strand by strand!
...
Just as they were in great conflict, Ye Fan pushed open the door and came out.
"Young Master Ye..." the emperor hurried to meet him, asking nervously, "Were you... refining pills just now?"
"Yes."
Ye Fan shook the small porcelain bottle in his hand as a signal.
Since he was here, he had no intention of hiding his alchemy skills.
As a result, when he shook it, the hearts of the emperor and his son also trembled violently...
He had actually gone to refine pills!
No, this thing absolutely couldn't be called a pill!
There was a high chance their ancestor would ascend to heaven immediately after consuming it...
If they hadn't restrained themselves with all their might, they would have snatched the small porcelain bottle and thrown it away on the spot...
"What's wrong with you two?" Seeing their constipated expressions, Ye Fan asked instinctively.
"Nothing... Nothing..." they replied unnaturally.
"Then let's go quickly," Ye Fan reminded them. "Your ancestor is still waiting."
The two exchanged glances and followed him, their hearts pounding.
Before long, the three returned to the ancestor's room.
The emperor and his son had thought about it all the way, but couldn't come up with a way to indirectly refuse Ye Fan's pills.
But now that they had arrived, any further hesitation was clearly not an option...
As soon as they arrived, the father and son were stunned!
The ancestor was no longer twitching.
Because he was completely still...
The others in the room were all lowering their heads, trembling uncontrollably...
It looked like something very bad had happened...
The emperor's face changed, and he rushed over.
He extended his trembling hand and felt for the ancestor's breath.
None...
The ancestor was no longer breathing!
The emperor quickly channeled some true qi to examine the ancestor's internal condition.
He was shocked by what he saw!
The ancestor's internal organs were all wrapped in a strange black energy, and the true qi in his dantian had completely dissipated!
By all appearances, this person was beyond saving...
"Ancestor..."
The emperor murmured, his body trembling uncontrollably.
The ancestor's current condition meant that even if he was saved, he would be crippled...
And without the ancestor, a powerful cultivator, to guard them, the royal family was doomed...
While he was in a daze, Ye Fan came over to take a look.
However, the ancestor's condition was interpreted differently by Ye Fan.
Although it looked frightening, it was only superficially frightening.
The black energy surrounding the ancestor's internal organs was indeed the venom of the Soul Refining Python.
But that venom was only on the surface of the organs and had not penetrated inside.
If it had truly penetrated the interior, then he would be helpless.
Ye Fan saw no need for further conversation.
He took out a pill, pried open the ancestor's mouth, and stuffed it in.
Seeing Ye Fan's action, the emperor's first reaction was to stop him.
But then he remembered that the ancestor was already in this state...
Forget it...
Let it be...
It couldn't get any worse...
...
"Feed him one every day from now on," Ye Fan handed the small porcelain bottle to the emperor. "After these are finished, he should be mostly recovered."
"I understand," the emperor replied weakly.
Ye Fan thought he was just sad, so he didn't think much of it.
"Since there's nothing else, I'll be going back now."
Seeing that his presence was no longer needed, Ye Fan prepared to leave.
"Send Young Master Ye off on my behalf," the emperor instructed the crown prince.
After Ye Fan left, the emperor waved his hand at the others. "You can all leave now."
Soon, only the emperor and the ancestor were left in the room.
The emperor sat by the bed, staring blankly at the ancestor on the bed.
Suddenly!
The ancestor's previously pale face seemed to regain some color!
The emperor thought he was hallucinating and quickly rubbed his eyes.
Looking again, he saw that the ancestor's face was even more rosy!
As if recalling something, the emperor tremblingly extended his hand.
He felt the ancestor's exhalation of warm air on his fingertips.
Although still very faint, he was indeed breathing again!
The emperor was struck by lightning, and his entire being froze!
After regaining his senses, the emperor quickly used his true qi to examine the ancestor's internal condition.
The black energy that had enveloped the ancestor's internal organs was noticeably lighter than before!
And the ancestor's previously dry dantian had miraculously produced a few wisps of faint true qi!
The ancestor's body was healing itself!
Ye Fan's pills...
Had taken effect!!!
Ten days later.
When Ye Fan returned to Qingxin Sect, it was already afternoon.
As soon as Ye Fan pushed open the door, a shadow darted out!
"Ye Fan!" Kuluota exclaimed, jumping for joy. "That's great, you're alive!"
At that time, Ye Fan had gone directly to the imperial palace with the crown prince after their talk, so he hadn't seen Kuluota.
Later, Liang Rujing immediately told it the good news.
After some time of learning, Kuluota had grasped some of the common language of the continent.
Although it couldn't be said to be proficient, it could at least engage in ordinary conversations.
Learning that Ye Fan had returned from the dead, Kuluota was naturally very happy.
It was also fortunate that Ye Fan had been away for ten days, giving Kuluota enough time to process the good news.
If it had seen Ye Fan that day, who knew how excited it would have been...
"Yes, I'm back," Ye Fan chuckled. "Let's take this opportunity to check how your meridians have expanded during this time."
As soon as he said this, Kuluota's face changed instantly!
Some unpleasant memories flooded back.
"Ye Fan... please don't..."
"Be good," Ye Fan chuckled and rubbed his hands. "Be obedient."
After tormenting Kuluota for a while, Ye Fan returned to the inner room, satisfied.
He reached out and touched his stomach. The familiar feeling of hunger returned.
There was still some time before dinner, so he decided to have a snack.
Thinking of this, Ye Fan opened his spatial ring.
Then he froze...
He had prepared a lot of demon beast meat in the ring before, but now there was only one piece left...
Was it finished so quickly?
Damn it!
Things that happen without one's awareness were truly terrifying!
However, Ye Fan couldn't bother with that right now. He grabbed the demon beast meat and started gnawing on it.
After eating it in a few bites, Ye Fan touched his stomach with a conflicted expression.
This few pounds of meat wasn't even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth...
Just as Ye Fan was about to head to the kitchen, his peripheral vision suddenly caught a corner of the ring.
That's where the materials he had collected before were piled up.
His gaze was currently fixed on the metal ores.
It wasn't because the ores were particularly outstanding or beautiful.
But at this moment, those ores were emitting a strange aroma!
That's right!
It was an aroma!
As if possessed by a ghost, Ye Fan took out an ore.
Looking closer, the fragrance grew stronger!
This was just an ordinary fourth-tier ore, but it was now emitting a rich aroma of braised pig's trotters!