Ye Yunfei hurriedly followed the little daoist apprentice into the small building.
The ground floor was a small hall. It wasn't very large, furnished with an Eight Immortals table and a few high-backed chairs. On the tabletop sat a teapot and cups, along with several plates of Divine Fruits that looked to be of a rather high grade.
Seated beside the table was an old man in azure robes with three long wisps of beard, who had an immortal air about him.
"Friend, please sit," the old man in azure robes indicated for Ye Yunfei to take a seat and then spoke.
The little apprentice stepped forward and poured Ye Yunfei a cup of tea. Ye Yunfei quickly thanked him.
Ye Yunfei dared not look down on this little daoist apprentice. After all, this was a pill refining master capable of refining Sovereign God Pills. Ye Yunfei's own pill refining skill was far inferior.
"Friend, might I ask why you have come to this place?" the azure-robed elder inquired, his attitude extremely amiable.
"This senior really is easy to talk to. However, I actually can't sense what his cultivation realm or strength are at all," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm transmitted via Sound Transmission.
"I can't sense it either. I estimate it's because his realm is far higher than ours; we don't have the ability to perceive his level," Ye Yunfei replied.
"He's like a transparent bubble of air. I can't sense anything. His realm is at least that of a Sovereign God," Hun Lao transmitted.
"Senior, the matter is like this…" Ye Yunfei promptly gave a rough account of how he had entered the Ancient Desolate Sea and come to this small island, naturally omitting many details about himself.
"So that's how it is. Since you've come, it is fate," the azure-robed elder said with a smile and a nod after hearing Ye Yunfei's words.
"Senior must be a master alchemist, right? I smelled an intoxicating medicinal aroma earlier that lifted my spirits. Senior's skill in pill refinement must be truly superb!" Ye Yunfei said flatteringly, intentionally steering the conversation toward alchemical techniques.
"You praise me too much, friend. My humble skill in pill refinement is not worth mentioning," the azure-robed elder responded immediately with a laugh.
"Such incredible skill… not worth mentioning? Then my own pitiful level of pill refining would be unspeakable," Ye Yunfei thought with a bitter inner smile.
"Since you have come all this way, I should not be too stingy. Here, let me gift you some of the pills I have refined," the azure-robed elder suddenly offered.
"What?" Upon hearing the elder's words, Ye Yunfei almost jumped for joy.
"Excellent! We've struck it rich! This senior's pill-refining skill must be even higher than his disciple's. The pills he refines are at least Sovereign God Pills. If he's going to give us the pills he's made, we've truly struck it rich!" The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm cheered.
Hearing his master's words, the little daoist apprentice immediately walked into a room behind the main hall. Soon after, he returned holding a tray. On the tray rested a jade vial, from which wafted a rich, heady medicinal fragrance that filled the entire hall.
The little apprentice placed the jade vial in front of Ye Yunfei.
"My thanks for your generosity, Senior," Ye Yunfei quickly stood up and bowed, his heart pounding with excitement.
"I wonder how many pills are inside this jade vial. Hopefully, there's one for each of us," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm cried out excitedly.
"Friend, you may ingest the pills now. They are quite high-level, and with your current strength, refining and absorbing them might prove difficult. However, if I assist you from the side, I can guarantee you will succeed," the azure-robed elder said.
"He has a point. The pills he refined are at least Sovereign God Pills. With your current realm and power, refining a Sovereign God Pill would likely be very difficult and dangerous. If a strong expert assists you, helping suppress the medicinal potency, you might stand a chance of refining these high-level pills," Hun Lao said to Ye Yunfei.
"It's just… I feel this whole situation is a bit dreamlike. Sovereign God-level pills are too precious for us. In the past, we wouldn't even dare think about them, and now we've suddenly obtained them," Hun Lao added after a moment.
"A bit dreamlike?" Ye Yunfei was taken aback by Hun Lao's words. "Come to think of it, I'm also starting to feel it's a bit dreamlike, unreal." He couldn't help but scrutinize the azure-robed elder before him, the little apprentice, and their surroundings, sending the thought to Hun Lao.
"Why do I also have this feeling?" Upon hearing Ye Yunfei and Hun Lao's exchange, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm chimed in. "Could this be an illusion? Hu Miao, you're skilled in illusion techniques. Quickly sense whether we're in an illusionary realm." He speculated, releasing his Soul Power to scan the surroundings.
Meanwhile, the azure-robed elder was looking at Ye Yunfei, seemingly waiting for his answer. His gaze was very plain and carried a hint of kindness.
"It doesn't feel like an illusion! I can't sense any Illusion Dao Laws or Illusion Dao Energy here," Hu Miao assessed the area for a moment and transmitted.
"If it's not an illusion, then it's real. That means we've truly obtained such high-level pills? Then open it up quickly and see how many are inside. Hopefully, we each get one," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm urged.
"It's rare that my Master is in such a gracious mood, willing to protect you and assist you in refining the pills. Why don't you hurry up, open the vial, and swallow them? You can refine them right here. The environment is perfectly tranquil. Aside from me and Master, no one else will be here," the little apprentice standing nearby said to Ye Yunfei.
"Alright then," Ye Yunfei said. He sent his Soul Power out to carefully sense his surroundings, but found nothing amiss. Everything before him seemed utterly real.
"This is the Ancient Desolate Sea. It's supposed to be a forbidden land filled with opportunities. Acquiring Sovereign God-level pills might be our destined fortune. There's no need to be overly suspicious," Ye Yunfei transmitted.
"Right. I think so too. This must simply be a stroke of luck meant for us, a great boon. No need to fear this or that," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm repeatedly nodded in agreement.
Ye Yunfei reached out and picked up the jade vial. He opened the lid and saw it contained ten crystal-clear Divine Pills. Each pill shimmered with radiant divine light and emitted an intoxicating medicinal fragrance.
"So many!" Ye Yunfei exclaimed in surprise and delight.
"Heh heh, friend, our meeting here is fate! A few pills are nothing. Please accept them," the azure-robed elder said with a smile.
"Then I won't be overly polite," Ye Yunfei said gratefully.
"Friend, a single one of these pills is enough to rapidly elevate your realm and cultivation. Allow me to assist you in refining it now, so your realm and power can achieve a substantial leap," the azure-robed elder said to Ye Yunfei.
Urged on by the elder, Ye Yunfei took one pill and placed it in his palm.
But just as he was about to swallow it, Ye Yunfei hesitated.
"Senior, what is this pill called? What are its specific effects?" Ye Yunfei asked.
"Friend, these pills are called Chaos Boundary-Breaking Pills. Their main function is to aid in breaking through realms and enhancing strength," the azure-robed elder replied.
"I see," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Friend, please swallow it quickly. It can help your realm and power achieve a qualitative leap," the azure-robed elder urged once more.
Yet, the more the elder urged him, the more unsettled Ye Yunfei felt.
"How strange. Logically speaking, he is a senior, an exalted master. To him, I am merely a junior he's meeting for the first time, insignificant and not worth such eagerness or concern. This is completely unlike the attitude a reclusive expert should have towards a junior he just met," Ye Yunfei inwardly grew vigilant. And then, within the depths of the azure-robed elder's gaze, he seemed to catch a glimmer of… cunning.
"Something is definitely wrong," Ye Yunfei's heart stirred.
"Senior, I haven't been in good form lately. I've run into some problems with my cultivation. Now is not a suitable time to ingest pills for a breakthrough. I intend to rest and recuperate properly first before considering swallowing and refining these pills," Ye Yunfei suddenly spoke up.
"Rest assured, friend. The Chaos Boundary-Breaking Pills I refine are helpful for all sorts of cultivation issues. Since your state isn't good, you should consume such pills all the more. Don't hesitate. Swallow it now. I'll assist you in fully digesting the medicinal potency, then your power will see enormous growth. This is a tremendous boon," the azure-robed elder replied, smiling once again upon hearing Ye Yunfei's words.
"This guy definitely has ulterior motives. Why is he constantly urging you to swallow these pills? He seems far too eager. You'd best not take them," Hun Lao also sensed something was off.
"Is that possible? Could it be these pills are problematic? I thought we had such incredible luck and had suddenly struck gold!" the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm couldn't help but say.
"Friend, what are you waiting for? It's rare that I show such goodwill. Don't tell me you don't appreciate it? The pills I refine are of an extremely high grade. Outside, you couldn't buy them even with money," the azure-robed elder suddenly revealed a displeased expression.
"Exactly! Kid, what are you waiting for? It's rare that my Master is so kind, willing to help you increase your power. Yet you're dawdling and wasting time. How can you be like this?" The little daoist apprentice standing beside them also seemed displeased.
"I think we need to leave," Ye Yunfei said, already certain something was definitely amiss.
"Senior, I truly am not in a suitable condition for a breakthrough. I hope Senior can understand," Ye Yunfei declared.
"Senior, I plan to rest and recuperate for now. I shall not disturb you further," Ye Yunfei stood up and said respectfully.
Having said that, Ye Yunfei dared not linger. He turned and walked out of the small building.
Suddenly, with a *boom*, Ye Yunfei found that everything before his eyes instantly vanished. He then felt as if he had just woken from a deep sleep, slowly regaining consciousness.
"Huh? What's going on? Weren't we just inside that little building at the island's center? How did we suddenly return to the shore?" Ye Yunfei was shocked to find himself standing at the water's edge, the roar of crashing waves sounding beside his ears. This was the very spot where Ye Yunfei had first stepped onto the island.
"Master, I feel like I fell asleep and had a dream. What exactly happened? Could our earlier experience have been false? Was it all a dream?" Hu Miao said in astonishment.
"I also feel like I had a dream. No way! Even if it were a dream, the several of us wouldn't all have the same dream! And it felt so real," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm cried out.
"I also have that feeling. But if it were truly a dream, that would be absurd. How could several of us share the same dream? Moreover, with our cultivation realms and strength, why would we even dream? We don't need to sleep," Hun Lao said.
"There must be some trickery at play. I suspect some mysterious power or law affected us, causing us to have that strange experience earlier," Hun Lao added.
"That was indeed a strange experience. But was it real, or was it a dream?" the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said.
All this while, Ye Yunfei's gaze was fixed on the center of the island. Amongst the dense forest, the eaves and corners of several structures were visible.
"Did you notice? The scenery at the island's center is identical to what we just saw in the dream," Ye Yunfei said.
"Yes, I recognize that path. That's the path we walked to reach that small building. Look! That building looks exactly the same as before. Even the door is identical," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said, looking towards the island's center. Suddenly, a sea breeze blew, rustling the trees and revealing the small building at the island's heart.
"Exactly the same. This island is strange," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Hu Miao, is there Illusion Dao Energy or Illusion Dao Laws on this island? Were we in an illusion earlier?" the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm asked Hu Miao.
"No. I currently cannot sense any Illusion Dao Energy or Laws," Hu Miao shook her head.
"This island is too strange. Let's rest here and not venture deeper into it," Ye Yunfei said after a moment's thought.
"I agree. With our strength, we somehow entered the same dream simultaneously just now, and the dream felt so real. That is far too bizarre. And earlier in the dream, that guy kept urging you to swallow those Divine Pills. Fortunately, you didn't follow his instructions. If you had swallowed them then, something bad would surely have happened," Hun Lao nodded.
Then, Ye Yunfei found a flat spot by the shore, sat cross-legged, and began to rest and recuperate. He did not enter the Phantom Tower, as this island was too strange. Ye Yunfei wanted to be ready to leave at a moment's notice.
He took out a batch of pills he had refined himself and continuously swallowed them, using them to replenish his strength.
Ever since entering the Ancient Desolate Sea, Ye Yunfei had been forced to constantly defend against the unceasing waves crashing upon him and had long since grown utterly weary both physically and mentally.