The silence of the night was deep, but there was no sign of sleep in LeeHan's eyes. He kept glancing toward the door of the hut, his ears still ringing with the terrifying voice of Kai Fu and the echoing crack of whips. He felt as though, at any moment, those monsters would tear through the darkness and drag him back by his hair.
Bolting upright in a panic, he looked at Hao Chen and spoke in a trembling voice, "Is... is there any way you have to make sure they can never find me again? If they find out I am here, they won't spare either of you. They are too powerful; they can track anyone with their 'Sense'."
Hao Lin, who was sitting nearby working with her herbs, lifted her head with confidence. "Don't you worry! I'll refine a Pill for you that will make it impossible for anyone to sense your strength or your presence. You will become invisible to the whole world."
Saying this, she pulled an ancient-looking Alchemy Furnace toward her. As she began to toss in herbs and channel her energy into it, the atmosphere inside the hut shifted instantly.
Suddenly, a terrifying pressure began to emanate from the vessel, so heavy that LeeHan felt a weight settle on his chest. The air grew thick, and the entire hut began to vibrate. This was no ordinary pill being made—this level of pressure only occurred during the refining process of a Grandmaster Alchemist!
LeeHan's eyes widened in shock. He had seen great warriors in his life, but he was stunned to see such fierce energy erupting from the hands of a young girl.
"What... what is this?" LeeHan stammered. "Is this a pill being made, or is a catastrophe coming? This pressure!"
Hao Chen smiled gently and placed a hand on his shoulder, pride for his granddaughter shining in his eyes. "Child, do not be afraid. Look... this is an Alchemist in the making. Truth be told, when I first saw her skills, I was just as shocked as you. Her talent is far beyond my imagination."
In the glow of the roaring fire, Hao Lin's face shone like that of a goddess. She wasn't just making a pill; she was forging a shield for LeeHan's safety that no Sect would be able to breach.
A final wave of brilliant light burst from inside the furnace, and the room suddenly fell quiet as the pressure dissipated. Hao Lin slowly lifted the lid and used tongs to pull out the 'Pill.'
LeeHan was dumbfounded. He had seen a few pills in his life, usually tiny things the size of a chickpea. But this? It was as large as a big walnut—perhaps two or three times larger! It was a golden-white color, and the fragrance coming from it was so powerful that LeeHan's lungs felt instantly purified just by smelling it.
"Such a... such a giant pill?" LeeHan asked, rubbing his eyes. "I always heard that pills were small and round. This is something else entirely!"
Hao Chen smiled and sat down beside him. He said calmly, "Ah, child, in all this talk, we forgot to ask your name. What is it? Allow me to introduce myself—I am Hao Chen, and this is my granddaughter, Hao Lin."
LeeHan steadied himself and replied, "My name... my name is LeeHan."
Hao Chen nodded and pointed toward the massive pill. "LeeHan, you must be wondering why this pill is so much larger than a normal one. In reality, this is a 'High Grade' pill. Ordinary alchemists couldn't even dream of creating this. The energy and concentration required can only be mustered by an extremely powerful and naturally gifted alchemist. As large as this pill is, its medicinal properties are just as dense and concentrated."
Hao Lin placed the pill on a cloth, puffing her chest out with pride. "Yes! And after you swallow this, even if you walk right past the most powerful Elders of any Sect, they won't even know you're there. To them, you will be nothing more than a lifeless stone."
LeeHan took the pill into his hand. To him, it felt like a magical gem. For the first time, he felt that perhaps it wasn't just luck that had set him free—it felt as though forces capable of shaking the world were beginning to align with him.