Elder Zhou's furious roar echoed across all of Fragrant Cloud Mountain, reverberating in every direction. Countless disciples who heard it wore strange expressions. The events of that day had shaken the entire mountain…
The other elders on Fragrant Cloud Mountain were equally shocked. However, because the phoenix was Elder Zhou's beloved pet, they were reluctant to interfere. If someone tried to stop the crazed bird and accidentally hurt it, it would surely incur Elder Zhou's wrath.
Most importantly… Elder Zhou was the only one on Fragrant Cloud Mountain who raised birds. So no matter how outrageous it was, it was still considered his personal matter, and others were hesitant to get involved.
As for the Spirit-Tail Chickens… Li Qinghou was away, and although Zhou Xinqi wanted to intervene as a disciple, she was powerless. Especially since the male phoenix was so overwhelmingly strong — when she caught a glimpse of it from afar during the day, her face blushed with embarrassment. She didn't dare approach.
At that moment, Elder Zhou trembled uncontrollably. He looked heartbroken at his still-howling phoenix and the surrounding, spiritless flock. He was on the verge of tears.
"I will find out who did this!!" With his expertise in alchemy, he immediately recognized that his phoenix had been drugged.
Bai Xiaochun, meanwhile, was hiding in a room within the Alchemy Pavilion. Even though the place was soundproofed as much as possible, Elder Zhou's enraged roar had such terrifying power that Bai Xiaochun could still faintly hear it.
His heart shuddered again. A look of injustice appeared on his face — he genuinely felt wronged…
All he could hope for now was that everything was seamless, and Elder Zhou wouldn't trace it back to him. Bai Xiaochun sat there with a bitter expression but couldn't stop thinking about refining a pill to pair with the aphrodisiac pill, making the effects even stronger.
He researched for several days straight, going out multiple times to purchase herbs and spending contribution points to acquire rare materials not sold publicly. Back in the Alchemy Pavilion, he began constant trial and error.
The sounds of pill furnaces exploding became common. In a way, this was Bai Xiaochun's *first real attempt* at inventing an entirely original pill formula. During the Alchemy Apprentice Trial, he had made a few insights, but they were minor tweaks.
This time was different — he was creating something from nothing. The difficulty was incomparable. If it had been the Bai Xiaochun from the Alchemy Apprentice phase, he wouldn't have been able to do this at all. But now, after more than a year of intense alchemical study, he could give it a serious attempt.
Though still clumsy, the path he walked now was no longer one an apprentice would tread — it was the path of a true *alchemist*.
Time flew. Half a month passed. Bai Xiaochun remained immersed in refining his formula within the Alchemy Pavilion. With continued attempts, he finally started making some headway.
While Bai Xiaochun was excitedly preparing another furnace, at the summit of Fragrant Cloud Mountain, Elder Zhou wore a pained expression as he fed a medicinal pill to his listless phoenix.
"Rest well. What happened was not your fault… none of it was your doing. Once you're better, we'll find whoever drugged you. No matter who it is — I'll make them *pay*!" Elder Zhou's gaze was fierce. Over the past two weeks, he had investigated all of Fragrant Cloud Mountain, even extending his search to other peaks on the South Bank.
But he had found no trace of the culprit. His only remaining option was to wait for the phoenix to recover — then let it personally lead him to the perpetrator.
He also noticed something odd: for the past half-month, not a single bird had been seen on Fragrant Cloud Mountain. It was as if the whole area had become a forbidden zone for winged creatures. The very air seemed to carry a terrifying aura — any bird that sensed it avoided it entirely. Even the Spirit-Tail Chickens now spent their days trembling and dazed. The disciples who raised them could only weep in frustration, afraid to complain.
Soon, rumors began spreading...
"Remember that crazy phoenix from two weeks ago? I heard it went berserk because it ate a pill Elder Zhou made… But why would someone his age be refining that kind of pill…?"
"Shhh… do you know why Elder Zhou's so fond of those phoenixes? There's a dark secret. He never took a Dao partner his whole life. Ahem… you know what I mean."
"Heavens… don't tell me those birds went mad because they couldn't take Elder Zhou's abuse anymore!"
The rumors grew more and more exaggerated. Eventually, nearly every disciple on Fragrant Cloud Mountain had heard the stories. And every time someone repeated them, they couldn't help but imagine things, which only led to even wilder rumors.
When Elder Zhou got wind of this, he nearly coughed up blood. He wanted to clarify things, but every time someone looked at him, their expression clearly shifted. No matter how he tried to explain, it only made things worse. Even if they acted respectful on the surface, behind his back, the rumors only spread further…
Another half-month passed.
On this day, Elder Zhou radiated killing intent. His expression was darker and more twisted than ever. With a wave of his hand, the now-fully recovered male phoenix soared into the sky. Its body had remained large and muscular — its aura was even stronger than before, clearly having benefited from the ordeal.
At first, Elder Zhou felt a little comforted. But when he remembered all the looks he'd received from fellow disciples this past month, the strange coughs from his peers, and those hideous rumors — his rage boiled over. Clenching his teeth, he took off with the phoenix.
"Go! Find the person who drugged you!" he growled.
The phoenix cried out and flew swiftly ahead, with Elder Zhou following behind, murderous intent rising. Many disciples saw them and became curious — some began to trail them from a distance.
Soon, the phoenix led them straight to a particular courtyard. It circled in the air above it, turned to Elder Zhou with a wronged expression, and let out a sorrowful screech, as if to say, This is where it happened…
That moment was witnessed by all the disciples who had followed. They froze — wide-eyed.
When they realized whose residence it was, their eyes twitched, and their expressions grew increasingly strange.
"This… This is Uncle Bai's place."
"It really is Uncle Bai's…"
"Ahem. If this were anyone else, I wouldn't believe it. But if it's Uncle Bai… well, it makes perfect sense!"
Elder Zhou stood frozen in mid-air, shaking with fury. His eyes turned red as he clenched his teeth.
*"Bai Xiaochun!!"* He had finally found the culprit. Sweeping the area with his spiritual sense, he saw that Bai Xiaochun wasn't home. He immediately pulled out a jade slip and used his authority to trace him.
Very quickly, he found out — Bai Xiaochun was at the *Alchemy Pavilion*.
A sinister grin twisted Elder Zhou's face. Normally, he was the picture of kindness, but now his roar was earth-shaking. He took off toward the Alchemy Pavilion, phoenix in tow. The watching disciples instantly grew excited and rushed to spread the news across the mountain.
"Come quick! The mastermind behind that insane phoenix has been found!"
"It was Uncle Bai all along!"
Outer sect disciples, and even many inner sect disciples, were stunned. Upon hearing the name, they all trembled — but their eyes shone with glee.
All the suffering they had endured at Bai Xiaochun's hands was suddenly worth it. Their pain became passion — the more he'd tormented them, the greater their enthusiasm now. Chen Zi'ang bolted out excitedly. Zhao Yiduo followed, and the two, normally at odds, actually nodded at each other — united in a shared goal: to watch Bai Xiaochun get what he deserved.
In the crowd, a burly man burst into tears — it was Liu Ergou, the one who once called himself Lord Wolf. At that moment, he wanted to howl to the sky:
*"Justice!!"*
---
Meanwhile, in the Alchemy Pavilion, Bai Xiaochun was equally excited. He stood before his furnace, which trembled as a thick medicinal fragrance spread out. A few *white pills* had formed inside.
These pills had no name and couldn't be ingested. They would disintegrate into dust with even a gentle touch. Their only purpose… was to trigger arousal in male beasts.
He had used dozens of stimulating herbs — even gone to great lengths to trade for materials from the North Bank's spirit beast division. After countless efforts, he had finally succeeded.
He didn't know the exact potency, but he guessed it wouldn't be weak. Just in case, he had used several times the normal dosage. He had even refined the herbs with Spirit Enhancement three times before using them.
Now, he looked at the finished pills with great anticipation, imagining the scenes that would unfold when combined with the aphrodisiac red pills. He chuckled softly to himself.
"I'll call this one *Fragrant Lady Pill, perfect name. The red one will be the **Aphrodisiac Pill!" Bai Xiaochun grinned. Then, just to be sure, he refined the Fragrant Lady Pills *three more times with Spirit Enhancement.
As a result, the pills' quality rose — no longer low-grade, but now *fine-grade*!
He imagined their effect, and his eyes sparkled.
"Hmph. No matter the beast — when it sees me, it'll go where I say! I'll throw one pill here, and it'll chase it wherever I want!" He cleared his throat, put the pills away with satisfaction, and stepped out of the Alchemy Pavilion for a little stroll.
But just as he did…
A furious roar thundered through the sky.
*"Bai Xiaochun!!!"*