Not long after the tournament, the Seamstress had quietly left Luo and returned to Skyfire alone.
As for why, only the Gourmet knew.
Skyfire Avenue had a few strategic reasons for going to Luo. One of them was to procure some special military supplies that only the Northern Alliance could produce.
These supplies had been approved by the Northern Alliance and sold to the Eastern Alliance. It was a show of support for the Eastern Alliance in their fight against the aliens.
The Seamstress was the first to return to Skyfire with these supplies.
After all, the Eastern Alliance's Adepts had been so fierce in the semifinals and finals that the Paragons knew the Northern Alliance wouldn't let them go so easily. It was best to take the supplies with them.
The Northern Alliance and the Major League's attention was focused on Lan Jue and the Pharmacist. They didn't want to make things difficult for the Seamstress.
Her return trip was smooth sailing.
The Gourmet stepped forward and gave the Seamstress a hug. The two smiled at each other, their eyes filled with the joy of reunion.
"Come on, let's go home." The Wine Master's voice was low as he led the way back to the bus.
Ever since the Clairvoyant had shut himself away, the Wine Master had become the true leader of Skyfire Avenue.
However, he didn't speak much on the way back. He seemed to be in a state of emptiness. His spirit wasn't the best.
But no one asked, and no one tried to comfort him.
The older generation knew the Wine Master's problem lay with the Epochrion's Discipline of the Black Wind. The younger generation, however, didn't dare question the Wine Master.
They boarded the bus and began their return journey.
Lan Jue and Zhou Qianlin sat together. Lan Jue's eyes were closed, his thoughts unknown.
Zhou Qianlin stared out the window.
"Is there something you want to say to me?" Lan Jue asked through the Soulcaller gem.
She asked Zhou Qianlin in her mind.
Zhou Qianlin replied. "Give me two days.
Then I'll tell you everything. "
Lan Jue glanced at her. "Two more days?"
Zhou Qianlin said apologetically, "I need to prepare."
"Okay." Lan Jue agreed.
After Zhou Qianlin rejected him last time, there was always a knot in his heart. Although he forcibly suppressed his emotions, the existence of this feeling always made him feel like a fishbone was stuck in his throat.
The bus drove all the way back to Skyfire Avenue. Once they were back on the Avenue, everyone's faces lit up with smiles.
The Wine Master was no exception.
Zhou Qianlin got out of the car and said to Lan Jue, "I've been away from home for so many days, I'll go home first."
Lan Jue: "Let me see you off."
Zhou Qianlin shook her head. "It's fine, I'll go home myself." She hurried off.
Watching her leave, Lan Jue couldn't help but frown. Ever since he'd confessed to her, she'd been acting strangely. It was as though she'd drifted away from him.
If only he'd known.
It would have been better if he hadn't said anything.
Perhaps it would have been better for both of them.
"Is there a problem between the two of you?" The Pharmacist's voice came through.
Lan Jue looked between her and Jun'Er. He shook his head. "Just a small problem. It's nothing serious."
"Come to my place," the Pharmacist said. "I have something important to tell you."
"Alright." Lan Jue nodded.
He turned to Mika. "Mika, you go back first. I'm going to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to arrange a place for Little Su to stay.
It was time to sort through the North's spoils.
"Alright."
"Alright."
Mika nodded. She glanced at Su Xiaosu, the Angel of Dawn at her side. Her eyes still held a hint of hostility.
She wasn't the only one. Zeus's four Amazons didn't like the Moonfiend Empress.
Who told Lan Jue to get into trouble on Moonfiend?
Su Xiaosu ignored it all. She didn't speak much on the way back, but was gentle and kind.
She was stronger than any one of Zeus's four Amazons, but she knew that if she wanted to stay and become Zeus's Fifth Attendant she'd have to get on good terms with these girls. Otherwise, even if Lan Jue didn't say anything, she'd have a hard time staying.
Su Xiaosu left with Zeus's four Amazons, and the others returned to their own shops. Lan Jue took Jun 'er from her and followed the Pharmacist to her Hall of Supreme Harmony.
As soon as they entered Skyfire Avenue, Lan Jue jumped in fright. Skyfire Avenue was twice as crowded as it had been before he'd left. Every shop seemed to be bustling with business.
Lan Jue was speechless as they entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony's main entrance. The line was so tight that not even a drop of water could trickle through.
He'd experienced this before, so he handed his sunglasses to the Pharmacist and put on a hat and mask. Only then was he able to get away with it.
Needless to say, the Hall of Supreme Harmony's business had been booming ever since the Pharmacist's display of power.
The Pharmacist's name was her biggest advertisement.
Compared to the booming business on the outside, the interior of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was a quiet, winding path.
If there was one place on Skyfire Avenue that Lan Jue liked the most, it would be here. The ancient China style of pavilions and pagodas was his favorite. Every detail was meticulously chosen. Whether it was the intrigue or the five backs and six beasts, it was the most ancient of traditions.
The Pharmacist led him deeper into the Hall. First she escorted Jun 'er to her bedroom, then she led him to a room in the back.
This room was built in a strange style, like an octagonal pavilion. As soon as they entered, Lan Jue felt something was different.
There was a strange energy in the room that isolated the outside world from the outside world. Once inside, he could feel the energy in the air was several times denser than it was outside.
He didn't need to ask to know this was where the Pharmacist trained.
Sure enough, the Pharmacist explained. "I usually cultivate here. There's a Five Elements Eight Trigrams Formation here that gathers the energy of heaven and earth. It's also isolated from the outside world. Not even a Paragon's will can penetrate this place."
Lan Jue chuckled. "What's so mysterious about it?
Can't we talk on the airship? "
The Pharmacist's voice was solemn. "This is a very important matter. We can't afford to let it get out. A Paragon could hear us, so it's best to come back and talk."
The smile on Lan Jue's face faded when he saw the seriousness on her face. He knew what the Pharmacist was about to say was no small matter.
The Pharmacist gestured to a cushion on the floor. "Sit."
Lan Jue took off his shoes and sat down cross-legged. The Pharmacist took a seat across from him. Even Lan Jue felt like an immortal sitting in the middle of the room.
"This is a great place, sister. I'm sure you'll get twice the results with half the effort." Lan Jue praised.
The Pharmacist nodded. "You can come here when you need to practice Taiji. Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, the Eight Trigrams, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the Amethyst Dipper – they are all one.
They complement each other. "
Lan Jue nodded. "Then it would be impolite of me to refuse." For him right now, training with Zhou Qianlin was the best way to go.
But lately, both of them had advanced too quickly. They needed to stabilize their own power, and their relationship with Zhou Qianlin had become strained. Under these circumstances, Lan Jue would prefer to cultivate alone. It was more convenient.
"Don't be fooled by the size of this room," the Pharmacist explained. "It took me five years of blood, sweat, and tears to build. The Hall of Supreme Harmony's first few years of income were invested here as well."
Lan Jue was taken aback. He knew that the Hall of Supreme Harmony was second to none on Skyfire Avenue. Who knew how many people coveted it?
But because of the Pharmacist's strength, and the Clairvoyant's recommendation, no one dared cause trouble.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony's annual income was far greater than his own Zeus Jewelry Shop. She was making a huge profit with a small investment!
There was a saying in the old days – don't compare yourself to a pharmacist.
If several years of income were to be invested in one thing, one could imagine how much it would cost.
Seeing Lan Jue's surprise, the Pharmacist continued. "Do you know why I'm doing this?"
Lan Jue nodded. "Does it take a lot of treasures to power the Five Elements Eight Trigrams Formation?"
"That's just one of the reasons," the Pharmacist said. "The Five Elements Eight Trigrams Spirit Convergence requires an s-ranked power gem and a dozen A-ranked gems, but it's not that expensive.
The main reason I'm spending so much is to suppress a power that even I can't control. "
"Ah?" Lan Jue stared at the Pharmacist in shock.
If even she, who was infinitely close to Paragon, couldn't control it, then how terrifying was this power?
The Pharmacist smiled wryly. "Strange, isn't it?
But that's the truth.
I had to spend ten times more resources than the Spirit Gathering Formation in order to complete the other Suppressing Formation.
Other than Jun 'er's father's mood, the other reason I haven't broken through to Paragon is because I've had to suppress this power.
However, this suppression wasn't entirely a bad thing for me.
It's similar to your own cultivation. By suppressing it, I can use its power to temper my own cultivation. When I become a Paragon in the future, I'll be much faster than a Paragon like the Gourmet. "
Lan Jue asked, "Sis, why are you telling me such a secret?
Does it have something to do with me? "
"The power I'm suppressing has nothing to do with you," the Pharmacist explained. "But there are other things that do.
First, I'll show you what I'm suppressing. "
As she spoke, her hands formed a series of seals. A pale green light floated out from her body and spread throughout the room.
Suddenly, Lan Jue saw strange symbols appear on the walls of the room. They were simple and unadorned, but there was also a sense of power and dignity to them.
(To be continued …)