"Yes, mother, I truly am a Half-Emperor expert now.
And I have a large number of subordinates who are also at the Half-Emperor level of strength.
So we don't need to fear the Miao Clan of the Vermilion Bird Realm," Ye Yunfei said with a smile.
"You're not only a Half-Emperor expert, but you also have a large number of Half-Emperor level subordinates?
How many?" Miao Ziqiong asked, listening in a daze.
After all, in most of the worlds within the Three Thousand Worlds, a Half-Emperor expert was considered a top-tier existence. For her son to claim he had a group of Half-Emperor subordinates now seemed utterly unreal.
"I have one hundred Half-Emperor subordinates. The total number of Half-Emperor experts in the entire Vermilion Bird Realm combined cannot compare to my forces.
So, mother, don't worry about me. At worst, we can simply fight our way out of the Vermilion Bird Realm," Ye Yunfei said, laughing.
One hundred?
Miao Ziqiong felt dizzy upon hearing this, unable to believe it.
"Did I give birth to such a monstrous son?" she thought as she studied the young man before her, feeling as if she were in a dream.
She had known, back when she was in the Canghuang Realm, that her son possessed remarkable talent. But she never imagined he would become this terrifyingly monstrous. So young, and already a Half-Emperor! If her son truly possessed Half-Emperor strength now, and had a hundred Half-Emperor level experts as subordinates, then they truly had no need to fear the Miao Clan of the Vermilion Bird Realm!
"Mother, have you heard of the Heavenly Sparrow Soul-Locking Powder?" Ye Yunfei suddenly asked.
"Heavenly Sparrow Soul-Locking Powder? I don't think I've heard of it," Miao Ziqiong replied after a moment of surprise at her son's question.
"To my knowledge, the Heavenly Sparrow Soul-Locking Powder is a potent poison possessed by certain experts within the Vermilion Bird Realm," Ye Yunfei said.
"I left the Vermilion Bird Realm when I was very young and grew up in the Canghuang Realm. So, I'm not very familiar with the Vermilion Bird Realm. Fei'er, why do you ask about this poison?" Miao Ziqiong inquired.
"Because Xiao Fei is afflicted precisely with the Heavenly Sparrow Soul-Locking Powder," Ye Yunfei said in a heavy voice.
"What? Xiao Fei is poisoned with *this* Heavenly Sparrow Soul-Locking Powder? If this poison truly belongs to the Vermilion Bird Realm, then doesn't that mean the one who poisoned Xiao Fei must be a denizen of the Vermilion Bird Realm? But the Vermilion Bird Realm is the territory of the Miao Clan. The vast majority of beings there are either members of the Miao Clan or their subordinates. How could a resident of the Vermilion Bird Realm possibly poison Xiao Fei?" Miao Ziqiong frowned, muttering to herself after hearing Ye Yunfei's words.
"Mother, you are mistaken. The Miao Clan of the Vermilion Bird Realm is powerful. Beings from the outside world generally wouldn't dare provoke them lightly and wouldn't casually poison a member of the Miao Clan. Instead, the most likely perpetrators are *within* the Miao Clan. Mother, have you forgotten why you fled the Vermilion Bird Realm all those years ago to grow up in the Canghuang Realm?" Ye Yunfei said with a cold laugh.
"Fei'er, are you suggesting the poisoner is someone within the Miao Clan? Could it be... the Great Royal Prince or the Second Royal Prince..." Miao Ziqiong's face paled drastically.
"Correct. I am certain that the true culprit who poisoned Xiao Fei is none other than the Great Royal Prince and that old Wizard. Furthermore, mother, that old Wizard forcing you to contribute three bowls of your Origin Essence Blood daily absolutely *is not* for the purpose of treating Xiao Fei's illness. If he truly wished to cure Xiao Fei's condition, it would be a simple matter for him. His daily extraction of your Origin Essence Blood definitely has another aim," Ye Yunfei stated gravely.
"Another aim? What use would he have for my Origin Essence Blood?" Miao Ziqiong was taken aback.
"Mother, I have heard of a secret art that allows one to elevate the purity of their own bloodline by absorbing and refining the Origin Essence Blood of a being who shares the same lineage. I suspect that a certain expert within the Miao Clan wishes to increase the purity of their bloodline by daily refining and absorbing your Origin Essence Blood. Your Vermilion Bird Divine Meridian is considered relatively high-purity within the entire Miao Clan, mother, which is why you have been targeted.
Also, mother, I suspect that Xiao Fei's Origin Essence Blood is also being drained daily. Earlier, when I sensed her condition, I discovered her body is also severely depleted of blood qi," Ye Yunfei said after a moment's thought.
"What? Xiao Fei's body is also severely depleted of blood qi?" Miao Ziqiong couldn't help but be greatly alarmed upon hearing this.
"I understand now. It must be that old Wizard! Every day when he comes, he forces me to leave the room, claiming he needs to treat Xiao Fei alone! If Xiao Fei's Origin Essence Blood is being extracted daily, it can only be that old Wizard doing it, because I am at Xiao Fei's side at all other times!" Miao Ziqiong exclaimed.
"That decrepit thing again!" Ye Yunfei's expression darkened to the extreme, his hatred for the old Wizard burning intensely.
"Mother, you and Xiao Fei must leave this place as soon as possible. Remaining here is extremely dangerous for you both. Because it's precisely the Great Royal Prince and that old Wizard who are jointly harming you," Ye Yunfei said.
"Yes, I see it now. It must be them harming me and Xiao Fei. In truth, Xiao Fei and I have no interest in the internal power struggles of the Vermilion Bird Realm, no thoughts of getting involved. But they still refuse to let us, mother and daughter, go. All of this is because we, mother and daughter, possess a relatively pure Vermilion Bird bloodline," Miao Ziqiong sighed softly.
"That's right, Fei'er, the Miao Clan's higher-ups plan to marry Xiao Fei to the Second Prince of the Jiao Clan. But the Jiao Clan Second Prince has countless wives and concubines. If Xiao Fei marries him, her happiness for a lifetime will be ruined!" Miao Ziqiong suddenly remembered this matter and spoke to Ye Yunfei.
"Mother, I already know. Don't worry. With me here, no one can harm Xiao Fei," Ye Yunfei assured her.
"Mother, I need to refine a batch of pills for you now, to restore your depleted blood qi and life force, and simultaneously cure Xiao Fei of the poison within her. Then I will take you both away," Ye Yunfei told Miao Ziqiong.
"Fei'er, are you saying you can cure Xiao Fei's poison?" Miao Ziqiong was extremely agitated upon hearing this.
"Mother, rest assured. For me, this is not a difficult matter at all," Ye Yunfei nodded, answering with a smile.
Next, Ye Yunfei took out his cauldron and began pill refinement.
"This is wonderful! Xiao Fei, you are finally saved!" Tears of joy streamed down Miao Ziqiong's face. She did not doubt her son's words, because back in the Canghuang Realm, she had already known of Ye Yunfei's exceptionally high alchemy skill.
Inside the Phantom Tower, several days later, Ye Yunfei had refined a large batch of pills.
This time, he was refining pills for his mother and sister. Naturally, he gave it his all, holding nothing back, utilizing almost all the available herbs and heavenly treasures on his person. The pills he refined were all of a very high grade.
"Mother, these pills are for you. You should consume and refine them here," Ye Yunfei handed over more than a dozen jade vials to Miao Ziqiong. Each vial was filled with high-grade pills specifically designed to replenish blood qi and restore one's origin foundation.
"Alright," Miao Ziqiong accepted the pills and immediately began refining and consuming them.
Ye Yunfei then left the Phantom Tower and came to the bedside. Utilizing a secret art, he channeled the pills directly into Xiao Fei's body.
Half a day later.
"Fei'er! My body seems to have recovered!" A voice filled with pleasant surprise suddenly rang out from within the Phantom Tower.
Half a day had passed in the outside world, but inside the Phantom Tower, over a month had already elapsed.
After more than a month of recuperation, aided primarily by the exceptional efficacy of the pills Ye Yunfei had refined, Miao Ziqiong's body had finally begun to recover.